Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 87th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 87th LESSON

I set up two jumps for Flossie today using my cones and a couple of long branches that were
lying on the ground. The plan was to have her walk over them, but since she had never had
to do such a thing before, she plowed right through them. I set them up about three times
and the third time she finally realized she was supposed to pick up her feet. Well, she
picked up her front feet at least.

I've been doing some stretching exercises throughout the week to relieve the tension in
my shoulders and in my legs which helped my seat tremendously. I wish I had known about
them years ago. I've been blaming the hard ground for my stiff seat, but it turns out I
can ride on the hard ground as well as I can in the paddock if my body is relaxed. Not
only was I able to sit every stride of the pace and the canter, but even posting the trot
was smooth. The gait itself is ungainly, but I was able to ride it relaxed and under
control today. That sounds so basic, but it's such a giant leap for me.

Blaze came up behind Flossie while I was on her so I turned around and gave him a quick tap
on the end of his nose with my crop. He got the message and didn't bother us again.
Since he's a stud and Flossie's a mare, it was an important lesson for him to learn.

Des told me the colts won't let him come near them. They stand really well for me,
though. They allow me to touch them on the head, neck, and back without flinching or
pulling away now.

When I was grooming Flossie, I noticed some minor cuts and scrapes on all her legs and I
figured she probably got tangled up in something since I was there last. I knocked on
Des' door to see if he knew anything about it. He said he went out to give the horses
some hay last week and Blaze's mother charged Flossie. (She's the alpha mare, so
everybody has to look out when she's around). Flossie had nowhere to go, so she tried
to slip between a parked truck and the fence. I had seen her sneak between the two before
when Bambi was after her, and she didn't have a problem, but this time Des told me she
got a front leg caught in the bull bar on the front bumper. He said he thought for sure she
was going to break a leg. She struggled frantically to get herself loose. Des said there
was nothing he could do for her but watch her try to pull free. Eventually she lifted her
leg just right and was able to get away. He said he was amazed that she never went lame.
She's not sore at all and even as we were talking about her we watched her trotting
across the paddock as sound as the next horse. He said when he gives the horses hay now he
makes sure Flossie is standing somewhere in the open.

When I feed the horses carrots, I usually do it when all the horses are out in the paddock
together. Sometimes they come into the yard and when they do, I make sure they all have a
carrot at the same time. I do that by throwing one each to the horses in the back and
handing them to the ones near the fence. If there's any quarreling, as there usually
is, it's very minor. Horses will be horses, but I'm really glad Flossie escaped
this recent ordeal without any serious injuries.

The swelling on her back where I had pulled a splinter out a few weeks ago is totally
healed. I can't even see the spot where it was any more.

While I was in the paddock when the horses were grazing, I noticed a grasshopper being eaten
alive by a mob of ants. I thought Africa isn't the only place you can see such things
except in Africa the prey and the predators are on a much larger scale.

I best be checking the laundry now to see if my riding clothes are dry. I can't wait to
get my hands on my new jodhpurs; the knees are wearing out on my stretch pants.