Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 193rd Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 193rd LESSON

It was so peaceful at Des’ when we pulled in this morning. The dirty ground was damp,
the grass was white with dew, and there was still some mud on the track around the first
bend going to the left from the yard, near the Rail Road tracks, and some near the road,
too, but not as much. We could canter over the mud there, whereas near the Rail Road
track, we could only either walk or trot.

Just as I was ready to mount Flossie, Gary arrived to work his horses on the jogger. I
wanted to be in the saddle before he started on the track, so I walked Flossie in hand as
I always do, and mounted her by the road in the usual spot. Now that the track has been
graded and dragged, it is no longer uneven by the road so I don’t have a natural
‘mounting block’ to rely on any more. I used to have Flossie stand in a deep tire track
when I mounted her there. Oh well, I’d rather have the ground smooth, so I forced myself
all the way up and into the saddle straight from the ground. That’s quite a way up, and
quite a stretch!

I had Flossie trotting around the first bend to the left, but when we got up to the area
where Gary was hitching up his horses, she stopped dead and refused to go forward. I had
to get after her with my crop, hitting the saddle and my boot to make a lot of noise and
commotion. I had to use it on her bottom, though, when I circled her. She’d take a step
or two then quit on me until, eventually, I had to swing the crop over her neck, back and
forth, so it could make contact on one shoulder and then the other. This did the trick.
By this time we were on the grass, heading towards the ‘arena’, and Gary had just made
one lap around the track with his horses in tow.

I worked Flossie in the ‘arena’ for a good twenty minutes. She was feeling good and as
time went on she was having more and more difficulty containing her energy. I still
managed to get a nice slow canter out of her, though, while in the ‘arena’, and also in
the paddock when we were done working in the ‘arena’ and I asked her to head for the
track. When we arrived there, I pulled her down to a trot. She went fine until we
reached the spot where she had refused to go past earlier, but I was ready for her and
encouraged her on with my legs and seat, and by telling her to “Keep going” with my
voice. She never refused again after that.

I took her off the track to go around the mud, and as we neared the track, we let Gary go
by, then I pulled Flossie in behind him. He had his horses trotting, but Flossie went
into the nicest canter any horse could ever do. It was slow, controlled, exquisite, and
with lots of up and down movement. We went all around the track like that, following
Gary and his horses, at a safe distance behind them. I was amazed at how slowly and
expertly Flossie was able to pull off such a nice canter while the horses ahead of us
were only trotting! She was so light on my hands and smooth as the water in a windless
pond.

I had her circle in the tall grass in the corner of the paddock where we used to work all
the time before it got too long, but only at a walk because it’s so hard to see my
footing. Flossie seemed to remember the area and didn’t mind walking there. It used to
be her very favorite spot for circling.

Des had all kinds of equipment lying around his property, so I had Flossie walk up to
them one at a time and give them all a good sniff. That’s the best way to keep her from
shying from them.

I treated only one front hoof with putty and glue today, the other didn’t seem to need
it. I didn’t bother with the dressing, either, since all her feet seem to be pretty
trim.

The weather is supposed to remain cold, but dry, sunny and bright, all week and into the
weekend. Whether it does or not remains to be seen, but at least it’s nice to see sunny
images for a change when I check the weather on the Internet.

Now it’s time to get ready for supper, so I’m going to leave you here and say have a good
one. As for me, I’ll be reliving that beautifully executed canter I just experienced on
Flossie this morning, probably well into the night as I approach dreamland and beyond.