Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 78th Lessson

FLOSSIE'S 78th LESSON

Sunday night I phoned Des to see if it would be okay for me to leave my tack at his place
for a couple of nights so Norm and I could head straight off to Kingaroy after my ride
instead of having to drive all the way back home first. Of course he said it would be okay.
He sounded so good over the phone and I asked him how he's been. He said he's
feeling like his old self again, but he's still having trouble walking.

Norm dropped me off more than an hour earlier than usual at Des' on Monday morning
because we knew it was going to be the hottest day of the summer so far this season and I
wanted to beat the heat. Flossie was so cooperative and I rode well, too, which is always a
plus. We started out doing circles in the paddock. When we entered the track, as we passed
the herd, Bam Bam started cantering up to us, followed by Blaze. It was obvious they wanted
in on the fun, but I chased them off. Flossie never balked at anything; not even at the
bulldozers, which were working right up against the fence, and she walked right out for me
when I mounted, and she went over the log in both directions when I asked her to. I'm
going to have to find something more challenging for her to do now.


I was able to scratch both Bam Bam and Blaze on the nose, for starters. Later, Blaze decided
he was going to get close to me. He walked straight up to me until he got only about a foot
away and then decided it was too risky, so I put a tree between us. He came up to the tree
and allowed me to scratch him on the side of his neck and head with the tree between us. He
kept bobbing his head up and down and back and forth as if he was nervous about the
encounter, but was still willing to allow me to touch him. He wanted to bite my arm as I
scratched him, but I kept telling him 'no' every time he tried. Much later I was
able to scratch him on his hind end, too, and down his haunches and his legs while he was
nursing.


Every week I try to introduce something new to the horses. This week I blew some soap
bubbles for them, but they didn't seem to be much of a hit. Maybe I'll try them
again in the future when it's not so windy.


While I was putting my tack in Des' shed, he came out to his car on his way to see the
doctor about his legs. We had a nice chat. I told him I call Bambi's colt Bam Bam and
the other colt Blaze. We talked about the ball I rolled down the incline last week and he
got a charge out of the way Blaze kicked at it.


I also told Des Gary wants me to lead his colt around once he's been weaned and trained
to the halter. I said I hope he has him gelded by then. He told me he had Sooty, his cat,
spayed, and that he took her kittens to 'the home'. I don't know what that is,
but I'm guessing it's the animal protection shelter. He said he had thought they
were all females, but found out they were males. He said if he had known that, he would have
kept one to be a companion for Sooty. Oh well, at least she can't have any more kittens.