A Rainy Day of Hauling and a Spa Day for Hot

Hot and I rolled out of Iowa around 11am under a cool drizzle. Scott installed a new camper lid on the trailer dressing room just in time for our trip, keeping all Hot's tack and blankets dry. My duct tape repair job lasted longer than I'd hoped, but an Iowa winter will take its toll. The old lid flew off in a high wind. Note to self: Always close the camper lid.

Leaving from Shellhaven Farm in Mount Vernon, we took scenic 151 through Iowa dairy country and into Wisconsin cheese country. We passed tidy farm after farm, saw a hand painted sign "Pray for Donald Trump" (open to interpretation) and a field with some folk art sculptures of dinosaurs and a UFO. It pays to keep your eyes open on Midwestern highways.

We pulled into Fireside Farm at 3:45, passing flooded fields and lakes perilously close to homes. Hot settled into a stall in the beautiful main barn, surrounded on all sides by happy dressage horses warm in their sheets and enjoying Sunday off.  Jackie kindly helped me unload my gear, and Brit showed me how the retractable ceiling-mounted wash stall hose operates and where to put my laundry. I appreciated the kind welcome after our long haul.  I washed Hot's legs and "undercarriage" with a small soft scrub brush and blue Dawn Liquid -- a treatment learned at Jodie Kelly Dressage in Destin (another fabulous home away from home). Hot stood relaxed on the cross ties, the steam rising off him. I toweled him dry and led him to a grooming stall for more spa treatments, wanting him to look his best for his first day of training. I blunt cut his super thick mane, thinned out the edges and trimmed his fetlocks, coronet bands and bridle path. Tomorrow, I'll give him a full bath and polish all our tack.

So begins our Gifted Fund week with Patricia Becker at Fireside Farm, an opportunity I'm honored to have thanks to a grant from The Dressage Foundation. The Gifted Fund, established by Olympic Dressage rider Carol Lavell in honor of her horse, Gifted, awards scholarships to adult amateurs to support a week of training away from the pressures of home and work. Speaking of family, I miss mine already. I'm going to work that much harder to make the absolute most of this time they gave me and Hot.

Carol Lavell and Gifted

Hot at the BP in Dubuque. Cloudy weather is good for hauling : )

Loved having a locker to organize all of Hot's gear for the week.