That's IT??!!!???

Jennica has been a real beast lately out at the riding stable. B-E-A-S-T! For the most part, she has been insisting on sitting in the car, which always progresses into laying on the horn because she gets very impatient. When I do manage to talk her into coming into the barn and/or arena with us, she pouts/screams/whines/yells and makes a general boob of herself. Needless to say, I'm at a point where I don't even want her out at the stable right now. Thankfully, the horses are more tolerant of her behavior than most humans, but even Yodi is rolling his eyes at the sight of her. Its exhausting for all of us to try to get feeding and chores done with her shrieking or honking the horn.

In any case, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that something is going on. SOMETHING is bugging her, but in a horse barn with 14 large, smelly animals......it could be anything. I honestly figured it was the colder temperatures. She is really reacting more than ever before to temperature at the moment, so I figured she was struggling with the cold. Of course, a pair of ski pants and thermal boots and various hats and gloves later....she's still being a boob.

And then today she attached herself to my leg and wouldn't let go. I lunged a rowdy 1200-pound horse while she was clinging to my thigh like a leech. (Not safe with all horses, but this one responds entirely to voice cues.) In any case, during the process of clinging to me, Jennica finally managed to tell me that the sound of the rain on the metal roof of the barns and arena were making her "crazy". And my lightbulb clicked on! Bing! Auditory processing........repetitive background noise.........thats IT!!!

Once I was able to talk to her about what was CAUSING the noise, she settled down better than she has in about two weeks. And lo and behold.......its been raining for two weeks straight. I will keep talking to her about the noise that rain makes on the roof and we'll see where it goes. We might try some muffling headphones or something. Maybe even some earmuffs would make it more tolerable. I'm not sure yet, but at least I think we might have an answer for the shrieking.

But seriously? Rain on the roof? That's IT??!!!??? This SPD stuff is exhausting some days!!