My lessons with Flossie, a roan Standardbred mare |
FLOSSIE'S 161st LESSON The only word I can think of to describe my ride on Flossie this morning is perfect. I can't think of a single thing that could have been improved upon except her canter on the circle since she tends to fall in while going to the left until the circle gets smaller and smaller. She doesn't have any problems at all going to the right. She started off strong and rarin' to go, so I worked the pants off her. I arrived at 6:00 o'clock, and while Gary was working the little dark filly with the flashy feet (three of them are white) I groomed and saddled Flossie so I was ready to go by the time Gary left the track. So, once again, we both had the track to ourselves. Billy was down, but he had worked his horses an hour earlier, so he wasn't in the way. He told me Liz, his wife, was sore today when I asked him about her. If you remember she had been in the hospital after a mishap with one of their horses. He told me what happened. She had been in the stall filling the feed bucket for one of their geldings when he suddenly spooked and spun around. He went up and came down right on top of her. So now we finally know the story. The weather was cloudy and cool, but Flossie and I both managed to work up a sweat. I had her at every gait in both directions taking lap after lap without stopping since she never showed any signs of fatigue. She really wanted to work for me, and since I was riding well, I let her. Of course I gave her a long breather each time we had finished with the direction we were working in, so it's not like she didn't have any breaks. I had left the house in a hurry, too, without exercising or even getting in a shower! Norm was heading off to the beach and he said if I wasn't ready he'd leave without me. I was on the phone with my family, since my father's up from Florida visiting my brother and sister in Ohio, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk to all of them together, but I didn't want Norm to leave without me, either, so I quickly ended the phone call and ran to the drawer for my jodhpurs. I dressed and loaded the car as fast as I could. The bulldozers, next to the old barn next to Des' property, started up while I was nearly done on the track, but I worked Flossie past them as though they weren't there. She stopped long enough to take a look at them, but she never left the track and she started right up for me when I asked her to. Even when we were circling, she didn't let the men and their bulldozers bother her. She's really learning and it's good to see! I worked her for an entire hour since the weather was cool and we were both up for it. Since I had left the house in such a hurry, I didn't have the time to use the bathroom and during the time I was cooling Flossie out, I really, really got the urge to go. I had to jump off, unsaddle, run up the steps, pound on Des' door, and ask him if I could use his toilet. I had never had to use it in the past, so this is the first time I ever entered his domain. The first thing I noticed was he keeps a clean house! The floors, which were uncarpeted, were clean enough to eat off, and the whole place smelled clean and fresh. Des told me BamBam has contracted a virus and is on medication now. He's afraid the illness will go through the entire place. I sure hope not! Even though it's not the flu, I'd sure hate to have to go through that again! While I was waiting for my ride home, I noticed the little filly Gary had worked earlier didn't have a drop of water in her bucket. It appears Dave's filly in the stall next to her, had tipped it over, so I filled it up for her. She was dead thirsty, so I'm glad I bothered. Gary had told me he wasn't going to be down later this afternoon so I thought she may not get watered again until tomorrow. Des, however, assured me Dave was going to be down later today. He would have noticed and taken care of the filly if I hadn't filled her bucket. Still, she was thirsty and it would have been criminal to make her wait until later. While Gary was working this flashy filly, by-the-way, she stopped to get a good look at me and just by the way she acted, Gary told me he could tell she likes me. He said she's a great little filly and was handled from Day One and took to the track like a fish to water. She's not a bad looking filly, either. I hope she can win some races when she gets old enough to compete. I accidently left my crop behind when I left Des' place, so I phoned him when I got home to ask him if he wouldn't mind keeping it out of the weather for me until I come back to ride again next week. He said not to worry, that he'd keep it in his house. While I had him on the phone, I asked him if he's decided to breed Flossie to the pied stud he told me about last week. He said no, so I asked him if they were charging too much and he said no, the horse turned out to be . . . . wait for it . . . a pony! Now isn't that funny??? Des had the nurse down again today to look at his wound and to change the dressing on his leg. He said she's really pleased with the way he's healing. She scheduled another visit for this Thursday. I've run out of news for the time being. I feel as though I had a lot to say this time. Talking to my family (there were only two people I didn't have the chance to talk to, unfortunately, and I hated to hang up when I did, but that's the way it goes sometimes) brought a few tears to my eyes. I had been invited to be there with them on this visit and it sickens me that I wasn't able to. They spoke about the autumn trees exchanging their leaves for opals, and the special taste of apple cider, Erie, Pennsylvania, where I spent my childhood, and other things that I would have enjoyed with them if I had been able to. But, since this Yankee sheila is stuck downunder and unable to breathe in the fresh Ohio air from all the way down here, I.ll be signing off from my own special corner of this great big fabulous world with the scent of blossoming jacaranda trees in the air, the salty taste of vegemite on my bread, and paddocks full of those tiny little baby animals we call joeys. |