Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 199th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 199th LESSON

I mounted Flossie at 7:30 sharp this morning, compliments of Norm working out at the gym
first thing every day now. That was after I had tacked her up and walked her on foot
around the track. I let her stop and take her time so she could assess that her
environment was safe, and that everything was in its proper place.

She never balked when I got on her. In fact, she barely wanted to keep the pace down to
a walk. She wanted to fly around the track and so I had her trot at a fast clip four
times around before asking for a canter. For that, too, she sprouted wings and ran as if
her legs would never stop. I even had a hard time pulling her down a couple of times and
once I got her down I had a hard time keeping her there! She took herself for an extra
lap when I had already decided she had had enough.

We did some circling in the corner of the big paddock after about a half hour on the
track and she still didn’t want to walk. She preferred to be trotting or cantering, so
that’s what we did. On the circle, however, I worked her to the right, first, and got
some nice slow gaits out of her, even at the canter. Going to the left, she wanted to
cheat, as she always does, falling to the inside of the circle. So, instead of fighting
her, I let her go around with her shoulder in and her nose to the outside. In fact, I
encouraged it and did everything I could to keep her counter-balanced. When I thought
she had had enough of that, I straightened her out and let her go correctly. To my
amazement, she picked up the canter and went nice and slow and she never came off the
rail again! She hasn’t done that well in a long, long time, so I ended the lesson after
one perfect circle, right then and there.

I was so elated I felt as though I had just won the Kentucky Derby!

I cooled her out down the driveway before dismounting and washing her back off with the
warm water I had brought from home. I walked her in hand around the track to dry her off
and then gave her and Bambi the carrots I had brought for them. At that time I was able
to check Bambi’s eye where I had removed the splinter last week. I could see the exact
spot where it had been, but I was happy to see that it’s healing nicely. I told Des
about the splinter and he said that mare is always getting into something.

Des told me he didn’t care for the dry wors I gave him last week. I asked him what he’s
going to do with it. He said he put it in the freezer and will offer it to Gary. Lucky
Gary. I almost wished he had offered to give it back to me! He does like the cracker
peanuts and the sweet corn balls I gave him, though, and he said he’s going to drive into
Beenleigh to pick some up this week. I should have told him I’d pick some up for him,
but I’d rather surprise him.

Flossie must have been rolling in some mud since I had seen her last because her tail was
covered in it. The muddy strands dangled underneath the bulk of her tail near the doc
against her inner buttocks and legs. There were many of them and they were as thick as
candy canes and hung like mudsicles. I had to undo each and every one of them before I
could run a comb through them.

Gary came down to work his two-year-old filly on the gig. I asked him about the race
last Monday and he said one horse finished fifth. He sold it for $3000 after it won him
$1500. The other horse that had raced last week got pinned between the tires of two gigs
and didn’t place. He didn’t get hurt, either, by-the-way.

Pat was just leaving when I arrived. He said something about my being there on Tuesday
instead of Monday so I guess I was missed yesterday. I explained about Norm’s schedule
and how he can no longer fit me in on Mondays anymore.

The weather wasn’t as cold today as it was last week. I had entered the track while
there was still a thin cloud of fog around and I rode through drops of streaming mist.
It was like a rain forest and once again I experienced a sense of magic while I rode.

The ride I had today is one of those experiences that stays with me all the rest of the
day and well into the night, if not entirely through it, so I’ll probably stay the winner
of the Kentucky Derby for a few more hours at least!

PS
One day last week, Flossie had broken down the fence that was put up around the pony .
She walked right in and made herself at home. She kicked the pony out and started eating
his food. The pony didn't mind, he just ran off and started grazing on Des' front lawn!
Now the pony has an electric wire running around his entire pen and Flossie' doesn't go
anywhere near it anymore!