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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Welcome to the Bottom of My Checking Account

1/2/2014

 
I mentioned that Blue Truck spent last Monday at Le Salon(s) which set me back $291 and some change. Blue Truck still needs its carrier bearing looked at, but one thing at a time.

The trailer got a little bit of tender loving care this week, too. In preparation for new tires on Monday, I brought the trailer home on Sunday afternoon and gave it a good going over.
I started with this ...
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I love having real sheets and towels in the trailer, but the dust on the comforter and pillow shams gets to me which means frequent washings!
And then moved on to a lot of this ...
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Pledge and Murphy's Oil Soap - a trailer's version of lotion.
Most of the wall space in this trailer is wood paneling which gets pretty dry, so at least twice a year I give the wood a good conditioning.
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Dusting and conditioning all that wood take forever!
There was also repeated uses of this ...
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Love the long hose on our shop vac!
Dead flies creep me out, and no matter how hard I try to keep the screen door closed, flies seem to find their way in to die. I think it has something to do with the fact that I "live" 18 inches from a three-horse stall (aka a HORSE TRAILER).

There was also a fair amount of scrubbing here ...
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It may be little, but it sure gets dirty!
and a bit of scrubbing here, too.
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It wasn't bad, but once a layer of dust goes down, it just looks icky!
I finished off the inside with this ...
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Since we have a cleaning lady, I think this was the first time I've ever even used this mop! It worked pretty well.
As the floor dried and the towels and comforter bounced around in the drier, I decided to tackle the outside of the trailer.
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Looking good!
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Even better on this side!
I won't gross you out with any photos, but I ended up tearing a chunk of skin out of my thumb by using the long handled (5 feet) scrub brush. Part way through the job, I had to run into the house with blood dripping all over the floor to apply a tourniquet. Hubby was napping through the whole ordeal which was probably a good thing as he would have made me STOP WHAT I WAS DOING to properly dress the wound.

In the end, my taped on pressure bandage held, and I finished the job. It hurt pretty good the next day, but it's hard to stitch closed a round hole. And it did quit bleeding by the next day.
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I wish you could smell how clean it is!
Cleaning the trailer was of course, free. That's not what lowered my account balance to such a pitifully small number. It was this ...
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I was the first customer of the day which was a good thing as my truck was blocking the road into part of Target's parking lot.
Surprisingly, to me anyway, the trailer tires were cheaper than the truck's tires (which I did in June of 2012).
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Cheaper, but definitely not CHEAP.
There is a moral to this story: be careful what you wish for. Having my own truck and trailer is awesome; I won't lie, but maintaining them and paying for repairs stinks.
Sandra
1/1/2014 11:25:44 pm

What a gorgeous trailer! I JUST upgraded to a 2H slant with a dressing/tack room! I LOVE it! Someday I will have a gooseneck with living quarters......

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/2/2014 07:28:31 am

Thank you, Sandra. It comes in handy since I overnight a fair amount alone. I thought that once i was done with endurance riding and horse camping that it was a bit of overkill, but it turns out that I am using it just as much doing dressage. In 2013, I camped in my trailer eight different times.

Have you shared photos of your rig? I love to look at trailers!

Lauren link
1/2/2014 02:30:24 am

The maintenance is exactly why I don't have either right now. Just can't justify it... but man your trailer looks sparkly clean!

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/2/2014 08:09:07 am

I couldn't stand it … I cleaned the horse compartment today. NOW it's clean. :0)

It is a big expense having a trailer and tow vehicle, but fortunately, the trailer doesn't usually cost me too much. A regular bumper pull would have virtually no costs (aside from tires). My trailer has a lot "things" inside that have needed repairs over the years (doors, windows, water pump, vents, etc.).

If I had my horse at a facility with a trainer who did all of the hauling, I might just use that option myself. :0)

Amanda link
1/3/2014 03:20:22 am

I miss having my own trailer even with the added expenses. I had to sell my old one because while it was a great size for my 14.3hh Arab not so much for the 16.1 TB. Luckily I can borrow my sister's for now.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/3/2014 09:39:35 pm

That is just one of the many great things about owning Arabs! They take up less stall space and fit in any trailer. Sydney is a solid 16 hands (some say more), and he's pretty darn wide. My trailer has three stalls, but I long ago removed the second partition to create a perfect Arab sized stall and a double sized stall for my second horse. I wish the trailer was 6 inches taller, but everyone fits. I CAN'T buy a bigger horse if he won't fit in the trailer. :0)

Your sister's trailer is certainly the next best thing to your own trailer!


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
    ​Welcome to my dressage journey.
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    Photo by Lori Ovanessian
    Email Karen

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    About Izzy

    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

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    FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE
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    National Rider Awards

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Site Design: Karen Sweaney
  • Home
  • About
  • Horses
    • Horses
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Imperioso
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • Show Results
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Education
  • Local
    • Local
    • Shopping List