The understudies step in, or, this is NOT the B team

[cattywampus]

Darby O’Pony’s roomie Nigel got tired of his shenanigans and chomped his tail*, and the friend who plays navigator can’t go this time, so my kids and New Pony Josie are going to this year’s Week O’ Clinic Fun.

It’s actually a good thing, because my son really likes Josie and, if he’s trapped without a computer for a week, he may magically decide he REALLY LIKES driving.**

My daughter at least likes going to events, but she’s relegated to ground support and dog wrangling–she’s not a street-legal groom for a few more years.

Also, unlike friends, I can conscript my kids and make them polish field boots while I have cleaning stuff out. Bonus! (Friends only get fun jobs and I feel compelled to bribe them with food and beer for making a long trip and sleeping in my trailer. )

• So Darby’s on medical leave until he can wear his harness without wincing

**I can dream, okay?

[2DogsFarm]

Tail Bite?
That’s a new one to me
I imagine it’s placed so the crupper is the irritant
Seeing your kids almost makes me wish I had some to conscript.
But, at my {ahem} Advanced Age , even the stepdaughter is 60
She has a 20yo son, but he’s a miscreant, of the City-issued ankle bracelet kind
Horses might help fix him, but they live an hour away, would need to visit by car & she’s currently without.

Sorry to hijack
Have a great fun week!
Where are you going?
I’m looking fwd to the Fall Ntl Drive.
Hoping to snag a lesson from one of the BNTs

[cattywampus]

The bite is right at the base of his tail where the crupper goes–it’s healing, but his taily-po is still sore. This is the first time the Gelding Games have ended with a tail chomp, and it’s really cramping my style.

National Drive is on the bucket list, but it’s FAR. We’re going to Equestrians Institute combined driving clinic in Rochester, WA–everything is on the other side of the Cascades and a long haul, alas. We moved back to my hometown to help care for my mom, who has Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson’s, and is a bit of a driving desert.

[2DogsFarm]

Aww… Kisses for Darby O’Pony’s owie.
Not necessarily from your lips, due to location

Clinic sounds like fun.
I’m in Clinic Desert here, unless I haul 3h or more.
Driving Club is 99.9% Trails Only members.
County Fair is their idea of The Bigtime.
We’ve had a clinician, but to keep cost down, it’s group lessons only.
Frankly, I don’t get much from a 1h session with as many as 6 others.
I’d rather pay more & be 1-on-1.

[cattywampus]

I feel you. I moved from the Boise area, which has a very active driving club, to the Idaho panhandle… Which doesn’t. I’m still in the email and Facebook groups for treasure valley, green with envy over the clinics and derbies that used to be a 45 minute drive and are now 10 hours away.

Like you, there’s a group that does a trail drive maybe once a year–no driving classes at the fair, but every year since I’ve been back I’ve offered to sponsor a cones class and provide/set up cones at the local show (no takers yet), reached out to the 4H and Arabian youth club leaders, and given my phone number to anyone who seems remotely interested in driving*. The mini people have shows in CdA and Spokane, but a. we’re no minis b. I can’t acquire a mini and remain happily married** and c. it’s the sequins-and-lycra kind not the jacket-and-apron kind-- lycra is NOT a look I could pull off.

Even at my cutest, a time lost to the sands of memory, I could not have worn sequined lycra. It’s a good thing I was never a barrel racer and missed the disco era.

I’m about to paint my number on Josie’s big black booty and lead her through town for the 4th of July parade with a sign that says I’M SO LONELY PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU WANT TO DRIVE WITH ME. PS I’M MOSTLY HARMLESS.

*So far I’ve met one couple who are interested in horse logging (which I know nothing about, but seems interesting and I’m always looking for more ways to have animals pull things), one former recreational horse logger, and two new friends who are now coming out to ride my parents’ horses, so not a total loss, but also not driving friends per se.

**Not even the pair of older geldings with CDE experience with all of their accoutrements (carriage, harnesses, the works) who are available for a screaming deal to a good home that would keep them together because believe me I was tempted, but I’m already spread thin with work/mom/kids and keeping the ponies I already have going…

[2DogsFarm]

@cattywampus

I’m about to paint my number on Josie’s big black booty and lead her through town for the 4th of July parade with a sign that says I’M SO LONELY PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU WANT TO DRIVE WITH ME. PS I’M MOSTLY HARMLESS.

Wish we were closer.
I’m in the Midwest, which actually has a decent Driving community.
Just not near me.
Unless you consider a 3h drive “close”.
I don’t

Fortunately Fair has several Driving classes on each of 2 weekends:
Society All Breed Classic (which s/b called QH,QH & QH Classic) the opening weekend.
But the judging is sketchy & they changed payback to percentages last year from the former long-standing set amounts. Which sucks if entries are low. A “big” Driving class might have 8 entries.
Then the Draft classes the following week.
Better payback, but I might not be allowed to enter my VSE, though a former Club member had her pair of minis entered last year.

A couple members of my Club have actual CDE cred, but have retired from competition.
When they attend Club drives, they go off away from the group.
My 2¢ says the 99% helmetless & often Yahoo style of Driving makes them rather be solo on the trails.

There is one annual Club drive I enjoy.
We’re invited to drive at the Uncle of one of those member’s farm.
Many manicured acres of trails.
Lined with wildflowers & crops, ending with a huge potluck lunch.
He’s 96 this year, so hoping the invite remains good.

I’m with you on the Anti-Bling wagon.
It’s majority WP here too.
I grew up riding Huntseat & the Lycra/sequiny stuff gives me the Horrors
Fair is WP Deluxe. English tack on peanut-rollers
TG they don’t have the O/F class anymore.
The amount of tooth-floating I saw was frightening. Over Xs

How’s your weather?
Find me 3ac I can put a Tiny Home on & I may consider a move. Under $300K.
We can be Mostly Harmless together

[cattywampus]

Weather is currently pleasant–sunny today, not too hot yet, hay is looking good (knock wood).

I went to vet school in WI so can confirm Idaho is less humid in summer and more mountains/trees to slow down the wind in winter!

Fire season and mud season are not so pleasant, though–we get months of icy mud in spring and fires are becoming more frequent.

If I see any sweet deals on land, I’ll send it your way–real estate in what used to be the cheap little ski bum town I grew up in has skyrocketed : (

[RMJacobs]

I wish I could give you guys all the driving events that are local to me. I don’t take advantage of any of them. Not having a horse is an impediment, but I know the last trainer I took lessons with would be happy to have me tag along. I don’t go for a few reasons, but a big one is that my disabilities prevent me from being helpful, and I would be more of a hindrance. Plus showing was never my thing, even when I had two driving ponies, one with a long show career before I got him.

Rebecca

[cattywampus]

I like having people tag along just for funsies and emotional support! I suspect they’d love to have you for knowledge and backup regardless of ability to do heavy lifting.

[cattywampus]

Clean(ish) and drying off without rolling

[RMJacobs]

She knows more about driving and horses than I ever will!

Rebecca