One of the first things I did when I got home from horse show finals was to unpack the car. Everything needed to be washed, especially the car.
The weather was gorgeous, so I brought my show coats, shirts and gloves outside on the deck to dry in the sun. Likewise, with Captain’s show pad and wraps.

Although I wiped down my riding boots, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to polish them now or wait until spring – as part of my pre-show ritual. Until I could decide, I tucked them in the corner of the laundry room. I put everything away in wardrobe bags and tack trunks and couldn’t help but reflect upon the season.
Back in May, I’d only been leasing Captain for a few months. For my part, I didn’t know what to expect from him in the show ring. Captain must have felt the same curiosity about my abilities. Certainly, I had lots to learn. But we showed well together. In August, Captain officially became mine. It took eight years, but I finally purchased a horse of my own.

Yesterday, I was doing laundry when my boots tipped over. I’d forgotten all about them. They smelled like the barn. I realized I wasn’t quite ready to make them smell like polished leather. They were moved into a closet. I’ll wait until next season to shine them up.

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