Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 154th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 154th LESSON

Flossie wasn't as zippy as she has been lately. She has a bit of a snotty nose and I wonder
if she's coming down with a cold. She still seemed to enjoy her workout nevertheless. I
had her circling at a canter, nice and slow, in both directions. While we were working in
the circle a little teeny tiny bulldozer started working its way up the road, seemingly
coming straight towards us. Flossie stopped, gave a jump, and wanted to turn and run off,
but I didn't allow it. I told her to keep going and so you know what she did? She kept
going. She forgot all about that machine! She took the bit and worked as if there had
never been a bulldozer. It's a good thing, too, because the bulldozer never left the scene.
It was constantly digging and shoveling directly across the street from us the entire time
we were circling.

Later, Gary came down to work BamBam in a gig. By then I was already done with the track,
so neither of us interfered with the other. I had Flossie doing triangles in the "arena",
walking from the first corner to the second, then trotting from the second to the third,
coming back down to a walk from the third to the first, etc. I used little shrubs and
bushes for my corners. When we were done going one way, we turned around and enjoyed the
exercise going in the opposite direction. When we were done, I took her down the paddock at
a slow canter in a straight line from one side of the track to the other. She's getting
good at that. She never used to be. She used to veer left, towards the yard, and run as
fast as she could go!

I cooled her off at the end of the driveway, watching the goats that were all bunched up in
their paddock in a multi-colored herd across the street. The people who own the goats live
in a nice, modern home. It's very big and stylish and looks expensive.

It was a perfect day for riding. I could have stayed in the saddle forever. The
temperature was slightly chilly, the sun was slightly warm, and the air danced off my arms
and legs as I rode in perfect time with the wind.