Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 175th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 175th LESSON

It rained off and on this morning before I rode, and it rained off and on afterwards, but
it didn’t rain at all while I was in the saddle! The first drop didn’t fall until I was
dismounted and cooling Flossie out while walking around the track. Didn’t I luck out?!

There was mud on the track in two places from all the rain we’ve had all week; near the
road, and near the Rail Road tracks. The mud near the road was manageable at any gait,
since Gary and Billy have been working their horses and there were two dry lanes where
their tires had flattened the mud, but the mud by the Rail Road tracks was only fit for
walking through.

I rode one less lap around the track in both directions today because of the warm
temperature. I didn’t want to overheat Flossie. As it was, I had to stand her in the
shade before I asked her to do any circling just to cool her down. It’s been really
muggy lately. Funny, though, because I haven’t had to wipe my face at all today, yet the
humidity in the air still managed to draw quite a sweat out of Flossie.

The first time around the track, Flossie reacted to the power shovel that was, once
again, operating on the other side of the fence only a few feet away. The driver
recognized the situation and stopped his machine until he could see Flossie was going to
be okay. I waved my thank you, since, even though unnecessary, it was a kind gesture on
his part, nevertheless. She never reacted to the machine again after that, not even
when, later, I had her circling in the corner of the paddock where the power shovel was
working right beside us. It was digging up the ground where there had originally been a
concrete road and moving all the gravel, one shovelful after another, to a different spot
off the road.

Besides the power shovel, there was also a bulldozer and a road roller working on the
road as well. So much commotion! So much noise! Yet Flossie executed every gait in
both directions as though it were just the two of us in the little corner of the paddock.
Now and then she’d lift her head a bit high at all the movement on the other side of the
fence, or she’d swivel an ear, or turn her head, but she never refused to go forward or
try to change the gait.

Earlier, we had been cantering past the road when Flossie spooked at something. I never
let her drop the gait, however. It’s so fun to ride when unexpected things happen like
that. While I had her trotting near the Rail Road tracks, the big truck that was parked
there suddenly let out a loud bang which caused Flossie to jump just as we were closest
to it. She lifted me into the air, but I came down seated, kept the mare trotting, and
we resumed as if nothing had happened. I had a sneaking suspicion the driver had done
that on purpose. I’m glad Flossie is so well-behaved! She showed him!

I've learned that if I keep a steady contact with the outside rein, and keep the inside
rein and my inside leg 'alive', Flossie is more inclined to focus on me and not what's
going on around her. She also seems more responsive to me.

Bambi’s wounds are healing so well I didn’t bother to put any True Blue on them today.
The one behind the leg is all closed up. The one in front of the leg is pink with a tiny
scab forming in the middle of it.

Des has to go back to the hospital on Wednesday for an angiogram. He’ll be there for
four days. He’s not looking forward to it. Especially since the reason for the test is
to see whether or not he needs more surgery on the same leg he already had surgery on
recently. He thought that leg was finished and was anticipating surgery on his other
leg. He said he’s tired of these leg problems. Just quietly, however, I don’t think
he’s that tired of it because he’s not watching his diet and laying off alcohol as the
doctor had prescribed. So he’s not helping the situation at all.

I spent the entire day at Des’! I watched Billy drive up to dish out the 2:00 o’clock
groceries to his four horses. I was there when Gary came by to pick up one of his
geldings to take him to the track in Southport for a trial run. Des went with him.

Finding myself forlorn in the rain, I still managed to enjoy the horses. It would take a
lot more than mere rain to destroy that.