Pre-Work: San Angelo, TX

So after the "South Texas" pre-work we headed home Wednesday afternoon, worked the horses Thursday and then worked them Friday morning, loaded them on the trailer and headed out to San Angelo, TX for another pre-work.

We got there just as the sun was setting, and got to unloading...

The horses were much calmer at their new destination than they were when we first unloaded them at South Texas. Stalls are what they know, and they all settled right in. Except for the above wingbat, who thinks it's appropriately to play the "rear as high as I can for 45 minutes" in her stall whenever we take her anywhere... sigh... can't help 'em all can ya?

THIS is my most favourite sight when we arrive at a show, or a new place. Hay out for the morning, supplements by stalls, horses fed and blanketed and halters used as an extra locking mechanism = meaning = done for the night.

We were put up in serious style, the hotel we stayed in was quite nice. 

However, it's not like we got to enjoy it much because the first horse was to go at 7:00 am the next morning...

BUT

Excellent News....

Our horses were complete and utter gems (for the most part) during San Angelo. At the beginning of the week they were absolute hell demons, and all of a sudden by the end of the week it was like the "show horse" switch got turned on, and all of a sudden they were like "hey, we got this". San Angelo was a very important pre-work for us because it was done up just like a show, various (maybe 10-15) trainers brought their 3 year olds. There were draws, and sets, just like at a typical show, and we warmed up the three year olds like we would show horses at an actual show. So, it was a great way to see how the horses would be in a real show setting, with lots of other horses in the warm-up pen, new stalls, etc. etc. We, being the over-achievers we ar,e brought the most three year olds of anyone... 18... that meant myself, and our other loper were literally on horses from 6:00 am all the way until 6:00 pm. No rest for the wicked.

Here are Fonzie and Peppa taking a breather in the centre of the pen, and saying hello too eachother.

The only "hell demon moment" we had for the two days was unfortunately with me... (always the lucky one)... I was swapping out a loping bridle for a show bridle and turned around to talk to Boss Man's wife. I had the reins around a horse, Jewel's, neck, and the second I turned around, she ducked right out from under those reins and went screamin' and gallopin' through the outside of the warm-up pen and right outside, and all the way into the barn area. She turned into the first aisle, which thankfully was our stalls, and Boss Man went gallopin' off after her as I booked it down the other way. We got her cornered and I haltered her, but I wasn't exactly happy about doing the loper walk of shame back through the warm-up pen and bridling her... Unimpressed, very unimpressed.

Fonzie, who unfortunately for him, was ridden twice in one day because his morning performance was a little less than stellar.

The Spur Arena is where we were in San Angelo, and I must say that it was 1000000 x nicer than the fairgrounds in Jackson where the Southern was held. Big and open, really clean, and the only downside was the arena got pretty hot with all of us in there. 

First night done! You can't tell really well in this photo but a lot of those trailers are super mini-mini trailers that haul hogs and sheep, there was a big 4-H deal going on at another arena on the grounds when we were there. It was SO CUTE.

What does a loper need after a day at a "show" or a "work" or whatever the heck you wanna call it? A Margarita, always a margarita, maybe even a beergarita... :) This is the #1 reason I love it down here, there are margaritas EVERYWHERE.

Each aisle had their own washracks.... what an absolute dream come true, no walking to and from washracks, no waiting on other lopers, no carrying your stuff too and fro.. suck on that Jackson!

Our last day was foggy and cloudy, we worked through all the horses and again, all of them were wonderful. It was AMAZING to me that they could go from SO BAD at the beginning of the week to just... figuring it out. I also contribute a lot of it to the fact that in a show-setting there were TONS of other horses there, doing the exact same thing that our babies had too, so it helped that they were never alone like they had been in South Texas since it was just us, and that they just had to move forward alongside the other horses there.

We were pretty proud of our little ponies, and on Sunday night we hauled home after our works were done. Yup, 20 hour day by the time we got done and home, and the next morning we were up and show-bathing them at home by 8 am. 

Nobody ever said lopers get sleep... nobody.