Show week 3

Everything runs smoothly now in and around the barn, and this has been the busiest week yet. Manuel, Georgette and I are running smoothly as a team, and our "busy" days weren't horrible this weekend.

The Allners (Cindy and her daughter Liza) as well as Paula's daughter Kristen all came Wednesday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday became busybusybusy. But not unmanageable. This week has been a big lesson in people and attidudes.

I expected a big attitude for the people with big money. All of Elizabeth's clients, with the exception of the new ones who owned Anton and went home, however, couldn't be nicer. Sure, I see the stuck ups around, but these clients really love their horses and don't treat us (the help) like crap. The allners even helped clean tack to make things go faster, and none of them simply walk in and drop a horse off if all three of us are busy. They'll take a bridle off and slip a halter on the horse without rolling their eyes at our failure. And these people have truckloads of money. Boatloads. Probably could own their own nation somewhere.

I've come to get a hands-on lesson in "it's not only how you treat your equals but also those under you" in the true measure of character of a person. I've gained respect for people and lost it for others.

Georgette and I were having issues getting along- or at least it felt like I was always under her critcism for something or the other. I finally started snapping back with reasoning as to why I did something and she started backing off. We're working much better together now. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had a surprise visit from her sons and her husband. I don't know about how she treated her clients, but the second they came Manuel, Georgette and I became 3rd class citizens in the house and at the barn. I am working on very short sleep for the past 3 nights thanks to having no door to my room and having a screaming 4yo running around the house with no one to stop him. Georgette and I have been trying to do laundry all weekend only to be "cut in line" by elizabeth and the boys, who are going home today and could just take dirty clothes home. I guess I've gained (and in return found respect for) Georgette, while entirely losing all personal respect but a professional interest in Elizabeth's abilities.

I think I agree with a girl at our barn who is an extremely acomplished rider. No way in hell would I ever want to be a trainer. Your life isn't your own, and if you try to make it so, someone gets hurt, either family, clients, or employees. It's up to you to chose whom it is.

The clients all treat us well now; don't get me wrong. They are the bosses of Elizabeth, who is in turn our boss, so in this respect, we could be less than dirt to them. So far, none of the current edition have had a problem with me, snapped at me, or criticised me for a mistake (e.g. I forgot to take Liza's bat to the ring when I was rushing to bring her horse. We just borrowed Elizabeth's and now I have to find her's before she comes back for week 6). The all tip and tip well (and promplty). I really wouldn't mind doing this for 3 more weeks if I didn't have to put up with knowing how Elizabeth could and probably will treat us for 3 weeks. Annette Traband and Lisa, a rider from our barn, are coming to visit for the beginning of week 5 and I am looking forward to some friends. I never considered myself a homebody (despite going to PSU and being a townie) or overly attached to anything but my horses. But being down here is very lonely, when you have no friends and there are horses everywhere and you have it rubbed in your face every day that you're not allowed to even walk one. Some of the earlier week riders/clients were allowed to exercise "extra" horses when there was no time for Elizabeth or Georgette to do it, and would talk about how they would love to ride this one or that one. All I could do was smile and think "I wish I could get on even one." I guess this is the blatantly self-centered attitude with a lack of regard for those underneath them that I was expecting from these people anyway, but it cuts deeply at times.

Shine didn't show in the Junior hunter classic at 7:30 am on sunday (thank god) but Artie did show in the jumper classic at 6pm (and 42nd in the order, so more like 7:30pm) on saturday night. Mel rode so well, we're all proud of her, and made it into the jump off... which meant another 45 minutes sitting up at the Prix ring waiting. Everyone but manuel (who stood with groom friends) and myself (who got to chill with Artie, who was restless after getting his blood pumped during the first round) went into the exhibitors VIP tent and ate and drank. They finally remembered me and Manuel about 40 minutes later and brought us each a small beer. Oh well. Mel pulled a rail or two at the liverpool but she still was in the top 20 who made the jump off! After everyone helped me put him away, but it was still a late night, made later by the kids running around the house.

All in all, started out well and went downhill, socially but not work-wise. I hope that this week proves better. The Allners left but Hunter, Elizabeth's friend who showed Lennon the first week, is coming back with her husband, who just returned from 13 months in Iraq. She's as nice as the Allners, if not moreso, and the kids are leaving, so I think this week may be better if we all can keep a civil work relationship with Elizabeth.

Tomorrow's my 22nd birthday. What do I want? Nothing that I can have. I want my horses, I want my friends and family, and tomorrow I celebrate being one day closer to coming back to the frigid north.