Bending, bending, lifting, lifting.

Watching the monstrous hurricane Irma this week has definitely been a distraction.  Although it looks like the eye will miss us here in NC, the storm is massive and we will still feel it.  Amber has no idea what may or may not be headed our way though, and she has been working like a champ this week.  She's really soft and bendy, and I love it!  Being super light on the forehand is still a challenge, but her build works against her on that one and I think it will always be tough for her.

We took a lesson with my friend's trainer Thursday, and I felt like we really benefitted from getting a fresh pair of eyes on us.  We worked on the flat a lot, and she really helped me get Amber light on the front.  We worked over a big x, working on a light, straight approach.  She also made us trot it - really trot it, no cheating with a canter step before the fence.  I didn't realize it, but Amber does put a canter step in almost every time before a trot fence unless I half halt.  Just a lot of realizations from having a new person experiment with us!  Especially noticed how badly Amber anticipates what I'm going to ask her to do.  She thinks she knows when we are going to canter, when she is done, etc.  Looks like I'll be breaking up the routine from now on!

I also got some new bit guards for Amber.  The rubber guards never really did their job for us.  They actually seemed to cause pinching.  So I decided to try the neoprene/foam kind...what a difference!  Amber was soft and happy in her jumping bit for the first time in...well, ever!  And they are a thousand times easier to put on and take off.  Not to mention how much easier it is to bridle her without bit guards and then slip them on after the fact.

M went back to try her unicorn Monday.  She is in love with him, and he is such a good boy.  Much like Amber, he is safe but has enough personality to be a fun ride also.  Unfortunately, M's parents are not sold on him yet.  Their concerns are really very minor (he is grade and has a brand on his shoulder, namely), but they are not horse people and to them, those things probably do matter.  Kind of an uncomfortable situation for me.  I'm trying to gently explain that training, temperament and a good build always trump breed and cosmetic issues.  Unless, of course, you're looking to get into breed shows, which M is not.  They want to look at a few others first, especially since this unicorn is at the top of their budget, but unfortunately with the uncertainty about how Irma will affect us next week, we are going to have to give a "yes" or "no" on this unicorn before we will have a chance to try the others - I can't ask the owner to wait on us for weeks to try other horses.

I digress back to the hurricane though.  People kill me preparing the hurricane.  I already touched on the subject of people buying perishable food to prepare for the storm, but what about what people do with their pets?

I kept my dogs with me the entire time during Matthew.  At the time I only had Allie and Ava, but it would have made no difference if I had had 3.  Where we went, they went.  I understand that it can be hard for people to evacuate with pets, but of all things, why do people choose to board them locally when they leave?  Why not find boarding in the area they are evacuating to?

Squirt didn't get the full hurricane Matthew experience with us last year...

At the small animal clinic I work at, it happens every time we have a hurricane.  People call trying to board their animals.  I suspect some of those people don't want to deal with caring for their animals in the hurricane.  Maybe some really believe they will be "safer" with us.  That is far from true though.

A vet office or boarding facility is just a building.  Some larger operations may be hurricane rated, but chances are most are just structures no better off than regular homes.  And most smaller or average size places are not going to keep staff there 24/7, especially not during a natural disaster.  This means there is a good chance they won't be able to get to the animals during the worst of the storm.  The flash flooding here was so bad during Matthew, nobody could get to the clinic during the storm.  We all tried to get there - we risked our lives to do so, but the roads were rivers and it was physically impossible.  The animals were okay, thankfully, but they were trapped in their kennels for hours and it could have been much worse.

Bottom line?  If you are going to board your animals during a hurricane, take them to a facility that is in a "safe area".  You risk the lives of your animals and those taking care of them to board them in a threatened area.