To haul or not to haul

While some people have jobs that require them to make urgent, life or death decisions, I, as a home educating mother to 4 must make the burdensome decision as to whether or not to haul Madison's dressage horse to her lesson today or let her use the instructors?  Oh, why do I have to be in such a position that decides my daughter's future happiness?  insert sarcasm here.......

The gravel roads are mucky here and while we drive on paved roads most of the way, approximately 5 miles are red mud that sucks the tires in and throws you around like you are driving on....oh, let's say...a huge puddle of egg whites.  Madison's future moods depend on whether or not I haul her horse, Ka Ching to the lesson today.  God only knows I don't want my sweetie pie (cough) of a 14 year old daughter to be stomping her feet and screaming because I am ruining her life by not taking her horse and making her use one of the instructors horses.  I delight in watching her ride and want to haul her humongous horse, but don't feel like putting the truck, trailer, horse and us in the ditch.

Sunday and Monday Madison will be part of a saddle fit session at our trainer's barn.  Schleese Dressage Saddles will be at Karla's and Madison and ka Ching will have an appointment to be properly sized and fitted for a new dressage saddle.  It's really a neat thing to watch the horse be measured with tools that gauge where a saddle should sit on the horses back and shoulders to allow for unrestricted movement.  Of course this cost a pretty penny, but the saddles are exquisitively made and the smell of the leather alone is enough to get me to open up my checkbook.

Then later in May she has a riding clinic to attend offered by Anne Cizaldo.  She is super excited about this.  Not excited enough to curb her delightful teenager attitude, but some sassiness I'll take since she still is more interested in this than dating!!  As long as my kid is riding a horse and throwing her passion into that, I know she's at a barn with lots of other ladies and when not there, here at our place riding.  I relish that at 14 I still know where she is and what she's doing.  I don't want her to grow up sometimes, but oh what I wouldn't do to have her lose her voice for a week!