Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 243rd Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 243rd LESSON

Flossie was such a delight to ride today! She went in a nice canter on the track and on
the circle. I rode with lots of weight in my stirrups, almost as though I were standing
up, or in the foreword seat position. My heels stayed down and my feet stayed in the
stirrups. While I had her on the circle, Hannah, Gary’s young teenage daughter, and her
friend Amanda, were in the driveway making all kinds of racket and Flossie kept wanting
to watch them. I had to keep her focused on me. She didn’t mind that, but the noisy
kids kept trying to take her attention away from me.

A little while later, when I cooled her out, they were dragging things on the ground and
pushing trolleys, which were making a lot of noise, and Flossie stood erect, ears
foreword, as if standing at attention as they went noisily about their business. It
turns out they were bagging manure that Des and Gary sell at the apron of the driveway.
Flossie didn’t want to walk up to the bright plastic sacks when it was time to walk her
down the driveway. I took her as close as I wanted her to go, though, before turning
around again. I would have taken her all the way up to them, but I decided not to.

Bambi is now used to walking in hand with me around the track. She strolled right up to
me when she saw me coming for her, and let me put the bridle on her as though she had
been wearing one for years. She didn’t take one false step today. It was the best she’s
done so far. Norm asked me if I’ve sat on her yet. Yeah, right! As if she’s ready for
that.

Later, when I went out to the paddock to give the two mares their last two carrots, Bambi
galloped straight up to me as soon as she saw me coming. Flossie, who was rolling at the
time, flew to her feet and joined her at a dead run, too. Bambi arrived first and she
stopped on a dime right in front of me. From a full-out gallop to a complete stand
still, just like that! I didn’t even have to back up or swerve to get out of her way,
she knew just when to stop. If I toss her a carrot that lands somewhere beneath her, I
can point to it and tell her where it is and she’ll understand. She’ll put her nose down
to the ground and back up until she finds it. Flossie’s like that, too, but most horses
don’t get it and just look at me blankly as if they’re saying, “Dah.”

Hannah took a couple of photos of me on Flossie. If I remember, I’ll attach them to the
end of this email.

She said she plans to throw a saddle up on Flossie and ride her one day. She said she
would have done it by now but Gary, her father, won’t let her since she doesn’t know how
to ride. I hate the idea of Hannah riding Flossie, but I advised her, anyway, to take
some lessons before she ever considers mounting Flossie. I’d hate to subject my
sweet-mouthed mare to a beginner’s blunders such as pulling back while asking the horse
to trot, and using the reins for balance. Not to mention bridling and unbridling,
smacking a horse needlessly, reprimanding the horse by hitting it on the head or around
the face. Flossie isn’t used to that sort of behavior.

Perhaps the next time Hannah’s there when I’m around, I’ll show her how to bridle and
unbridle Flossie and give her a few tips on how to sit down quietly when she mounts, and
how to hold the reins, etc. I will also stress some safety points, for I wouldn’t put it
past Hannah to run Flossie up and down the driveway, or to behave unsafely around her.

Then there's an issue with tack. Who knows what kind of saddle Hannah will use on
Flossie, not to mention the bit! I asked her what kind of bit she has and she said she
didn't know. I can imagine it's some kind of "O" ring without shanks. That's
the usual choice of Australian English riders.

I’m thinking it might be best if Flossie does something to scare her the first time she
mounts, so she’ll be frightened enough not to want to ride her ever again. I certainly
wouldn’t want her, or Flossie to get hurt, but there are plenty of ways a horse can scare
a beginner without either one of them getting injured. Either that, or by the time her
father thinks she’s ready to ride, maybe she’ll have lost the desire. I hate to think of
what it would be like once she is old enough to drive herself to Des’ whenever she
pleases. She’d probably end up riding more often than me. Hey, wait a minute; I could
take advantage of that and ask her to swing around and pick me up every time she goes.
Bambi will be rideable by then and the two of us could ride together. Now maybe having
Hanna riding is not such a bad idea after all!

Still and all, even though I like the idea of Flossie having another rider, I just hate
the thought of her being subjected to a beginner. I wouldn’t mind at all if Hannah had
been riding for years already and has developed a nice quiet seat and competent hands.
If worse comes to worse, if she starts riding when Bambi’s rideable, I may just give her
lessons, myself.