Fashionista

Cynthia found some hunter orange shirts for us to wear while riding. We figured that these will keep us safe when riding. They should also be useful for visibility when riding out even when it's not hunting season.

The shirts are quite light so I was glad I got a large so I could layer. When we were getting the horses ready I had my flannel jacket over top. Once she was tacked up I put it in the tack room and came out beside her.

She jumped sideways.

Carmen: aargh!
Me: whoa! what's wrong? 
Carmen: Good lord WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? YOU'RE ORANGE! AND GLOWY! 
Me: It's to keep us safe- you see it's called 'hunter orange'
Carmen: You are not sitting on me wearing that colour! And are you wearing a PURPLE SHIRT UNDERNEATH? 
Me: Well it's more blue than purple....
Carmen: Good lord, do you even look in mirror? This is ridiculous. 

Up in the ring Carmen was on high alert- looking for danger everywhere. She was particularly spooky on the far end by the woods. Very likely there were people hunting or working down there.
Me:  Just breathe. Why are you so nervous? 
Carmen: How can I not be? I have a neon popsicle for a rider. 
Me: *sigh*
Carmen: I mean we're not exactly blending in. 
Me: but..
Carmen: you are like some huge neon sign saying 'all you can eat buffet right here!' If we get eaten I will never forgive you. 
Me: There's nothing out there that's going to eat us. 
Carmen: You poor naive tangerine glow stick there's ALWAYS something looking to eat us. 
Me: like what? 
Carmen: lions, wolves, TROLLS. 
Me: no, none of those things are here. 

Funnily enough, now that I've accepted that this is part of Carmen's make up I don't get as freaked out by the spooking. I just kept working away. The recommended action is to work away from what is scary and gradually get closer. Which is fine except that with Carmen she will fixate on it and the area seems to grow. So I can't always ignore the area because her fixation on it takes over the whole ride.

It's a balancing act. But in the end she was relaxed and blowing.

With the weather she hasn't been in regular work and it's starting to show. She's still young and not sure how to deal with the excess energy so it translate into reactiveness. But we'll get there.

Me: See, we did the whole ride and nothing bad happened. 
Carmen: This time. 
Me: And next time. And the time after that. 

Carmen: we'll see but next time could you dress more sensibly ?
Like when we had that lesson with that nice young lady?