Post WRR adventure & pony pics

After we went to White Rock for a quick few classes, I drove up to Davis to pick Danny up. The implant was successfully installed and it was time to bring him home.

When we arrived on campus, it was nearly 100 degrees and just way too hot for me. I was pretty unhappy about it. It was also about 5pm on a Sunday, so we couldn't find anyone. We wandered around for a while before accosting a stranger who said, "oh, just press the emergency help button and they'll send someone from the barn." 

 Oh, right. Duh. Just press the "emergency help button." Totally would have done THAT unprompted. *facepalm*

 So we get the horse after just aimlessly wandering around for maybe 45 minutes. No biggie.

 Walk over to the trailer only to see a gash in the side and a seriously low front tire. Ugh. I call my sister's amazing boyfriend who talks me out of the tree and tells me that if it's holding air, just get to a gas station to suss out how bad the hole really is.

 We get to the gas station and fill it up with air. It's leaking badly, and we cool our overheated selves with the breeze created by the gushing tire. (Only sort of teasing.) After calling: triple a, "Mobile RV Repair", several family members, every tire place in a ten mile radius, several horse farms, and Tractor Supply, an employee at Tractor Supply says that they've got the right size tire and they'll switch it out for us. Phew!

Then my nervous-nelly-self kicks in and I start panicking about hauling this rig any further while loaded. What if the tire blows and I get dragged into traffic? What if I bend the axle or tongue or the floor gives out and I can never haul anywhere ever again? I spend ten minutes considering leaving Danny, two hay nets, and a teenager camped out at a gas station a mile off UC Davis' main campus. 

 After being talked out of the tree (again) I very carefully and slowly drive the six miles to the tractor supply. I hug a few strangers. This amazing old man who pretty much knows everything rolls a tire out, squints at it for a while, and then tells me he doesn't have anything in stock to fit the trailer. Insert many four letter words and perhaps a crying session - don't forget that this was a horse show morning that began at 4am and between this situation and my boss being understandably freaked out, I was under some pressure.

 A lovely woman working at TSC offers a place in her barn overnight, but says somewhat sheepishly that it's 17 miles away over some rough roads. I debate how long it would take to haul the truck & trailer at 10 miles an hour that far. An employee offers to set up some panels in the spare lot for the horse and we can just camp out with him, but also gives us the warning that we'll get a hefty ticket for that maneuver. I ponder why he knows this.

A friend whose horses I was supposed to ride calls and asks if I'm still planning to do it. I explain the situation through laughing tears.

At this point three employees are calling all the barns and friends with horses they have. I've rarely felt so supported by total strangers.

 Boss makes it very clear that I am to be at camp at 9am no matter what it takes. I start to climb the tree again, because I'd been thinking we'd find a place for the horse (maybe Davis again but at $100/night...), get the tire fixed first thing in the morning, find a hotel, and come home in the morning. Not an option.

Friend whose horses I was supposed to ride offers to drive Danny ALL THE WAY HOME. After a few phone calls all around to various people, I get talked out of the tree (a third time?) and friend hooks trailer up to come find me. We hunt down the angelic woman who offered her barn to Danny and ask if the offer still stands. She says yes, and we then add in that he needs medication twice a day. She sighs, and then says yes. I almost start crying again. So tired.

Danny jumped into friend's trailer, and they head for the woman's home. I drive truck & trailer over to the tire place conveniently located RIGHT NEXT DOOR to TSC. I unhook the trailer. I realize I don't have any paper, so I paint my phone number in large dirt-smears all over the darn thing. (They actually called me the next morning). I race to catch up to Danny, only to find him in absolute heaven at this person's home. He's got the BIGGEST paddock, and a cute neighbor, and this neat streamer toy to play with. And I mean seriously, he's in heaven. I hug another stranger.

 I drive home and get there at 11pm. I sleep. In the morning, I start to worry about how we're going to get the beast home. I offer to drive back up after work to get him, but am told that it'll get handled one way or another and I shouldn't worry any further.

Working Student From Michigan's mom calls and asks, "Do you want me to call in the cavalry?" which only provoked a confused response from me. Turns out that she grew up around here and she has some friends who could go get Danny & trailer and bring them ALL THE WAY HOME.

I panic a little about the number of strangers poor Danny has gone through, but say that if that could work, it'd be incredible.

24 hours later, in comes my favorite morgan and my favorite ugly green (blue?) trailer.

Can you even believe it?

PS What breed do y'all think pony is?

Seriously I want guesses people - I wouldn't have guessed!