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My lessons with Flossie, a roan Standardbred mare |
| This is an on-going diary or autobiography |
| FLOSSIE'S 178th LESSON It was a nerve-wracking ride this morning. Well, not the ride itself per se, but the atmosphere in which I had to ride. First of all, we started late because we took the car to the garage first off to have the tire replaced. We had run over a nail or something on the way to the market yesterday morning, so we only had the spare on it. It turns out they didn’t have the size we needed, so we had them order one. Later this afternoon Norm will take the car in to have the tire put on. All that put us an hour behind our usual schedule. However, there were some pluses regarding my ride, nevertheless. First of all, there weren’t so many machines running on the road next to the track as there had been last week. The power shovel, though, was in full swing and it was working in various locations, from one end of the track nearest the road, to the other. I had thought it would knock Flossie for a loop when it appeared at the beginning of the track, which is a place where we have never seen it working before. We had to confront it on the first lap around and wouldn’t you know, Flossie didn’t even bat an eye at it! However, on the second lap around, she didn’t want to walk through the rivulets of water that were running down the track in that very same spot. They were coming from the area where the shovel had been, following the tire tracks towards the muddy puddle that sits near the corner where I usually put Flossie through her paces at a circle every week. Because of the ‘new’ water, she would not approach that spot no matter how much I tried to convince her she better. So I dismounted and led her over the water back and forth. Once she had put her head down, with her nose close to the ground, and gave it a good inspection, I finally re-mounted and rode her over the water. On the next lap around, she was confident enough to trot through the water. It never gave us a problem again. I didn’t bother circling her, though, in the corner of the paddock as usual because the shovel was there, digging right next to the fence, coming at it with the shovel appearing as if it were an open maw, as though it were a monster ready to attack. I had her stand there for a while, though, just to show her she was safe. I ended up taking her to the ‘arena’ and circling there. I only worked her lightly, however, because we had arrived late, as I mentioned, and it was already getting hot. Glenco Girl, Dave’s mare, isn’t as nasty as she used to be. She still ‘herds’ the other two, but when I’m riding, she no longer charges us with bared teeth and pinned ears. I still have to yell at her, and Bambi, too, for that matter, to “Go on, git!” when they block the track, but it doesn’t take much more than that to get them out of the way. Because it had rained both Friday and Saturday, day and night, the two usual muddy areas on the track were deep and took up a lot of space. I couldn’t do anything with the one near the railroad track but walk. The other area, near the road, however, I could do any gait I wished as long as I could keep Flossie in one of the two tire tracks, which were relatively dry. Once the running water got a hold of the one track, however, we didn’t have a choice. It was either the other track or nothing. Luckily, I was able to keep Flossie in the track . . . well, I had to keep working at keeping there, but she wasn’t too bad about it. When it was time to cool Flossie out in the driveway, she didn’t want to go down the ‘shed row’ (the lane that leads to Des’ front yard between the stalls where Billy’s horses live, where I had allowed Flossie to graze the last two weeks). I don’t know if she remembered being shocked last week, or what, but I couldn’t convince her to go until I dismounted and led her down. When we got to the end of the driveway, there was a water pump running, making lots of noise. We could see the water running through the hose. It looked like a boa constrictor digesting its food. Flossie wouldn’t go near that, either. I got off again and led her up to the end of the driveway as far as she would go. I didn’t force the issue, however, since there’s so much happening around us these days. I rode her back to the yard and then dismounted and washed off her back. She also likes to stop when she’s in the ‘shed row’ now, too, wanting to pull on the grass and have a snack, so I’ve decided never to let her graze there ever again. End of chapter, close the book, shelve it away forever. Billy’s gelding is back again. He’s the one that had freaked out and run his wife, Liz, down months ago. Gina had been living in his stall while he was gone. Anyway, the gelding’s blanket was sliding off his back and a strap was stuck under his tail. It was driving him nuts, so I straightened out the blanket. I couldn’t fasten the strap back into place, however, because there wasn’t a clip on the end of it, so I tied it up in a way that it couldn’t dangle down and bother him anymore. I wrote a note to Billy and left it on the gelding’s stall so he’ll know how and why the strap was tied up that way. Des only had to spend two days in the hospital after his surgery last Thursday. He was so pleased about that since he was told he’d be in there for four days. I was amazed to find him walking around, without support, this morning, as if he had never had an operation! He wasn’t even limping! He said he has an appointment with the doctor next Thursday to have the stitches taken out, even though he doesn’t think a week gives the wound enough time to heal. |
| FLOSSIE'S 177th LESSON I rode Flossie this morning before the temperature got too hot. It was probably between 70 and 75 degrees at that point, which is a good thing because it went up to 90 degrees today. Flossie didn’t want to pass the huge earth machines that were busily chugging, digging, and clanging away in their usual spot right next to the track. I asked her to move forward in spite of all the commotion, but she only went so far before she decided it was too scary to go any further. I dismounted and walked her past on foot, turned her around, walked past again in the opposite direction, then mounted and carried on as if nothing had happened. She never gave me a problem again after that, not even when I had her trotting and cantering. The guys who operate the machines are very accommodating, too. When they see I’m having difficulties with Flossie, they turn off their motors and wait. They don’t have to do that, but it’s a friendly gesture on their part and I always thank them for their kindness. It was so nice not having any mud to contend with. The ground wasn’t dusty, either, which was another plus. After working her on the track in both directions at every gait, I took Flossie to the corner of the paddock and had her working circles for me. Even though the machines were right beside us, Flossie didn’t bat an eye. She went very well and before you know it, it was time to call it a day. I had her stand in the shade until she was dry before I took her down the driveway. I didn’t work her so hard and so long that she got out of breath because it was just too hot for that. After she had her carrots and her walk around the track and her final grooming for the week, I put her halter on her with a set of reins that have clips on the ends, which I had brought over from America with me, and climbed on her bareback so she could graze with me on her back. I wanted to take her down the ‘shed row’ between the stalls where Billy’s horses live, but she wouldn’t go while I was on her back for some reason. I always ride her down that aisle, so it wasn’t something new. I guess minus a saddle and a bit in her mouth, it was different enough to her. As it turned out, I’m glad I had gotten off, after all, because it would have been a very unpleasant experience. First of all, she got zapped by the electric fence Billy has strung up around his horses. She just simply got too close and touched it with her ear. She jumped sideways as quickly as she could. After that, any little thing was scary. She spooked and went down on her knees at one point and I’m not even sure what scared her that time. Although I know I would have been okay if I had been on her, I’m glad that I wasn’t. Then, to top it off, Gina, Billy’s mare, must have thought grazing was a brilliant idea because she unlatched her door and decided to join us. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked over Flossie’s tail and saw her there! I quickly put Flossie back into the big paddock where she lives and went back to see if I could get Gina back into her stall. First of all, I tied two lead ropes together and strung them across the ‘shed row’ so she couldn’t get out of the ‘shed row’ and into Des’ front yard. That was my immediate concern. Then I grabbed three handfuls of the feed Billy gives his horses every day, put it in a bucket the mare is familiar with, and offered it to her. Luckily she was inquisitive enough to let me grab her halter. I led her back into her stall, dumped the feed onto the ground so she could feast on it while I slipped out and latched the door up. I was going to tell Des Gina had been loose, but just then Norm pulled in and I had to leave. He was in a hurry since he works on Mondays now and didn’t have time to wait around. I didn’t even have time to change my clothes as I normally do before I go home. So I phoned Des when I got home. He said he had thought he had seen Gina loose while I was there. It’s hard for him to see into the ‘shed row’ from his house, though, so I can see how it would have been difficult for him to be sure. He said he’ll make it a point to tell Billy when he comes down to feed his horses this afternoon. This is the second time that I know of that Gina has been out of her stall unaided. |
| FLOSSIE'S 176th LESSON I took it easy on Flossie today for three reasons. First of all, it’s only been four days since I worked her last, secondly, it was muggy and humid, and third of all she gets stressed out with all the commotion that’s going on around her these days. She’s still having to work past those earth diggers for me. Not only is the power shovel going all out, but now the road roller and the bulldozer are roaring back and forth as well. Although Flossie only flinches the first time I have her pass by, her nerves are being tried every step of the way. Even the mud is interfering with our normal routine (and because we get some showers every day, the mud is there to stay, I’m afraid). Also, Glenco Girl, Dave’s mare, is a real cayuse. She attacks us, mouth open, ears pinned, when we approach, which, in turn stirs Bambi up, which, in turn affects Flossie. I crack my long crop at the mares and yell until they turn away. So I didn’t work Flossie as long nor as hard as usual today. Consequently, she didn’t get nearly as warm as she has been lately. I didn’t even bother to cool her out in the shade. I just walked her around more. After our work on the track, instead of circling in the corner of the paddock as usual, I opted for working in the ‘arena’, which I haven’t done in a very long time. I had her doing serpentines, circles in every corner, and figure eights. The review turned out to be a good thing because she acted as though we’ve never done these things before and she used to be really good at them. It’s funny how the people working the vehicles in the road next to the paddock upset Flossie more than their great big giant machines do! When she sees them congregating on foot, she tries to spin around and take off in the opposite direction. I don’t let her do that, of course, but it’s her first response. People, of all things! The machines bother her when they’re coming towards her, but the people can be yards away, just standing around, and she comes unglued. Although showers were in the forecast for this morning, a lot of the time the sky was marbled with dark and light clouds. Most of the time they weren’t threatening. It didn’t rain until I had taken Flossie down the driveway. Just as we were heading back towards Des’ front yard, the rain started falling so I took her under the trees and together we waited for the rain to stop. It was neither too hot nor too cold, so the rain was tolerable. I never bother to phone Des anymore about the condition of the track before I make a decision about riding because I already know the track is muddy. I’ve been taking my chances with the rain as well. If I waited for a dry forecast, I wouldn’t be riding. After I had groomed Flossie and she had finished her carrots, I took her into the shed row (the little patch of land that runs between the stalls where Billy keeps his horses) and let her graze for fifteen minutes on the tall, rich green grass that grows there. It was hard to get her away from it. She tore through that grass like there was no tomorrow. That’s all I have for today so I’ll head out towards the sunset, my mind still in the saddle, my fingers on the frets, (I always imagined myself strumming a guitar while riding into the sunset when I was a kid) and this saying ringing through my ears: “Life begins at 14.2 hands.” |
| 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. |
| FLOSSIE'S 174th LESSON I mounted Flossie at 7:30 this morning, and I had the entire track to myself. The big bad power shovel was doing its thing in the lot across the street from us, but it was far from the track this week so it wasn’t a problem. Only once near the end of the ride the machine started coming towards us and Flossie wanted to balk, but I was expecting it, so, being one step ahead of her, I managed to keep her going in spite of herself. I had her circling in the corner as always without consequence, even with the machine running heavily in the background. Since it was such a warm day, after about seven or eight laps around the track, Flossie was hot so I stood her in the shade for a good ten minutes so she could catch her breath. It took that long for her body to dry and for her temperature to come down. She appreciated the break because she stood as still as a statue. In fact, actually, she had taken herself to the shade before I even offered it to her. Even though we worked under a half cloudy sky, the other half was sunny and it didn’t let us forget it for even a moment. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very breezy, either, so all we could do was stand and wait for time to cool us down. Bambi is getting wise to me. When she sees me coming with that bottle of True Blue, she knows what’s in store for her. Especially when she sees me with a halter and lead rope. I managed to doctor her, anyway, as she tried to circle me to get out of it. I don’t think I’ll be using that stuff on her much longer because the wounds are healing nicely now. The wound on the front of her leg had had a piece of dead skin hanging from it, but that’s fallen off, and both wounds are much smaller and less open now. Dave’s mare, Glenco Girl, was in the paddock with Bambi and Flossie today. Neither of Des’ mares seem to like her around. Bambi doesn’t tolerate her at all. She doesn’t do anything to her, like kick or bite, but she shows her distain by throwing her head and running off in circles. Flossie, too, gets out of the mare’s way as well when she comes around, but she’s not as demonstrative as Bambi is. I think Glenco Girl is obnoxious and that’s what the other two mares don’t like about her. She’ll come screaming up to them when they get separated, like some kind of prima donna, then wander off, nose to the ground, once she’s made her presence known. Dave’s going to have his hands full when he sees her. She had been rolling near the dam and is covered from head to toe on both sides of her body with a thick layer of mud! She looks like Flossie did that day months ago when she had done the same thing to me. I watched the caked mud on her body go from shiny wet to a dull finish as the mare dozed in the summer sun. She stood next to Gina’s stall, (Billy’s mare), and when Gina took her mane in her mouth and pulled on it, Glenco Girl squealed up a storm. She let Gina sniff her neck and ears, but when she put her muzzle on her cheek, she squealed again. I told Des I may not be around next month because Norm wants to take me to Adelaide. He said he’s never been there. According to Norm, it’s a beautiful place. We wanted to take our vacation in America this year, but we can’t afford to do that, so we’ll just have to stay in Australia. Adelaide is located in South Australia, just above Victoria. I’ve never been to South Australia before. We’re planning to drive to Melbourne while we’re that far south so I can finally say I’ve been to Victoria, too, which is the furthest southern state closest to Tasmania. |
| FLOSSIE'S 173rd LESSON I arrived at Des’ early enough to beat the heat this morning. It was a cloudy day, so I didn’t have to contend with the sun. Everyone else had been down and was gone by the time I arrived, so I had the entire track to myself. Well, for the most part, anyway. You see, on the other side of the fence that lines Des’ property, only about a foot away from where I ride, a huge power shovel was busily tearing down the road that runs parallel to the track. This metal monster towered over the paddock like a huge dinosaur, chugging like a train, roaring, hooting and beeping, moving back and forth, with its arm pumping up and down, picking away at the cement and breaking up the ground into jigsaw puzzle pieces. I was able to get Flossie up next to the machine before she decided it was too scary for her. So I dismounted and walked her back and forth in front of the machine while it hooted and hummed and continued to tear up the ground. She didn’t seem particularly nervous, just unaccustomed to having the thing there, clanging away as it was, so I mounted and asked her to walk past. She did. I continued riding her at a walk around the track eight times in all; the same amount of times I usually ride her around before continuing my ride at a circle in the corner. I kept praising her and praising her each time she courageously passed by the machine. To make matters worse, there were machines on the opposite side of the track, too, busily digging away at the earth, making just as much noise and commotion as the other machine. The only difference was, however, the machines weren’t as close to the track, and having them there was nothing new since they’ve been working in that area for years now. They were still something to consider nevertheless, since they, too, were making a racket, albeit Flossie wasn’t too concerned about them. When I told Des, later, how obedient Flossie had been, he said he was surprised. He didn’t think I’d be able to ride her past that machine by the road. He also said he didn’t think any other horse on his property would have done it, either. To be honest with you, I can’t think of a single horse that would have done what Flossie did today. I didn’t even have to get after her with my crop and spurs. I mainly just kept encouraging her to keep going forward with my voice, my legs, and my seat. The road is being widened and it’s going to run alongside the big paddock on Des’ property with only the fence separating it from the traffic, which is only about a foot away from the track, itself. Buses, trucks, motorcycles, vans, as well as regular cars travel that road constantly, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens when it’s finished and the traffic resumes. Des told me BamBam is still anemic. He has opened up the door to the colt’s stall so he can now wander in and out at his leisure. The little guy’s afraid of doorways, though, so every time he navigates between the two, he picks up speed until he’s safely through. Eventually Des is going to have his paddock extended all the way down to the road, so he’ll have plenty of room to move around in. He’s not a stallion anymore, either, by-the-way. I may have mentioned that to you once before, but I’m not sure. I accidentally used Billy’s True Blue to doctor Bambi’s wounds this morning. Her leg looked better today than it has ever looked since I’ve been taking care of it. It’s gotten smaller, and is less raw-looking. The flies aren’t bothering it as much, either. I told Des about Lynn and her proposition to ride down trail with me as soon as her horse is fit again. He agreed with me when I said trail riding would be good for Flossie’s training. After the way she went past that equipment today, I’d say she’s ready for just about anything. I used my new palm-sized sweat scraper, which I bought in Kilcoy recently, for the first time today and I really like it. It perfectly fits into the small container in which I keep my brushes, combs, hoof pick, etc. |
| FLOSSIE'S 172nd LESSON I was able to ride at 6:30 this morning. Early showers were in the forecast, and although it looked as though it would pour down any minute, it never did. When I had Flossie circling in the corner near the road where I always work her, a woman came walking by. She said something about the way Flossie wasn't sure about passing that spot where the dry grass had been weeks ago (horses sure have good memories, don't they?) Actually, Flossie was doing very well since she's becoming less and less shy around that area, but I didn't mind the comment. I told the woman why Flossie was behaving that way and she understood since she is also a horsewoman. We got to talking and I found out her name is Lynn and she lives a few houses down the street next to Des'. She has two horses, a five-year-old and an 18-year-old. She said the older horse got kicked in the face by the younger horse, "with both barrels", as she put it, not too long ago and has an injured jaw. She said as soon as the horse heals, she plans to start riding him again. She told me she has seen me riding Flossie on the track many times and asked me if I ever ride her off the property. She said there are plenty of trails to ride on around Des' place that go for miles. I've been praying for someone to ride with, and she said she's been looking for someone to ride with since her daugher has lost interest! She promised to get in touch with Des as soon as her horse is well enough to be ridden again so we can get together and go down trail sometime. I was going to mention Lynn to Des, since she's going to use him to get in touch with me, but I only saw him once today, when he gave me the True Blue for Bambi's leg injuries, and I didn't think to mention it to him at that time. I guess there's no real hurry. If he'll let me ride Flossie down trail (and I don't see why he wouldn't), I will ride her with Lynn. Otherwise, I'll have to ride one of her horses. (Which I wouldn't mind since it's been so long since I've ridden another horse besides Flossie . . . although I would love to take Flossie down trail! I think she'd be good and a lot of fun, too!) Gary was just hosing BamBam down when I arrived this morning, and Dave was working five horses around the track. By the time I had groomed and saddled Flossie, Dave was done, so I had the entire track to myself. Flossie seemed different today in her behavior and in her looks. She appeared washed out, sort of, and her energy level wasn't as high as usual. She seemed out of sorts, but she worked fine. Maybe the 90 degree weather we had recently has been taking its toll on her. After all, she has nowhere to go when the sun's beating down, except under the trees. I imagine that would get pretty monotonous after a while. After applying the True Blue to Bambi's injuries, I took the time to claw a comb through the tangled knots in her mane. It didn't take as long as I had expected it to. Maybe that's because I used the concoction my former riding instructor suggested; baby oil, vinegar, and conditioner. By the time I was through, I had more loose mane in my hands than she had on her crest. Every time I comb her mane I tell myself I'll keep it up, but for some reason I never do. If I did, it would take a lot less maintenance. When I was through with the horses, I swept the brick platform where Gary hoses BamBam off after he's been worked, since it was full of dirt and horse manure. I like to keep my tack in that area while I'm waiting for a ride home, since it's a shady spot and located next to the shed where I change my clothes. I felt it would be a nice gesture on my part to clean it up. No one else ever does. I also borrowed a hammer and pulled some rusty nails out of a board Billy had put up on one side of Gina's stall, which runs alongside the yard. (Gina is Billy's only mare). Although the board wasn't in easy access to Gina, either Bambi or Flossie could have easily gotten hurt on them while in the yard, for they were at horse-eye level. It's a good thing I spotted them when I was tacking Flossie up this morning. I wish I had gotten Lynn's phone number when we were talking earlier today. It would be nice to chat on the phone before riding together. Maybe I'll see her again sometime before then. I'll think about her, anyway, every time I circle Flossie in that corner from now on! |
| FLOSSIE'S 171st LESSON You know you’re in for a good ride when your horse comes running up to you when you arrive! Both Flossie and Bambi came running out of the paddock up to the yard when I arrived at Des’ today. I felt like I was being welcomed by a four-legged, hoof-flying, greeting committee! I have no idea why they would both be so eager to see me; they’ve never been so quick to greet me before. Anyway, it was nice because I didn’t have to go traipsing through the tall grass to sling a halter over Flossie’s ears this morning. It had rained hard for nearly an hour last night, so I was kind of reluctant to ride today. I had no idea what shape the track would be in. I figured if it was too muddy to ride on, I could spend the morning feeding carrots and grooming Flossie and then come back on a drier day later in the week, but as it turned out the track wasn’t too bad at all. The area near the railroad track that’s been muddy in the past was completely dry today. By the road, however, it was the muddiest it’s ever been since Billy put the ditch in to drain the water off the track. It was slick just to walk through, so I didn’t have Flossie doing anything else when we came to that spot. She picked up right away what the score was, and didn’t fight when I’d bring her down from a trot or canter to navigate through the wet area. It got progressively hotter as the day wore on, and the mud was already drying out by the end of the first hour. Especially where the ground was high. In fact, when it came time to cool Flossie out in hand, I was able to walk through that area without having to worry about getting my boots muddy. I walked Flossie around on the first lap, as I usually do. She hesitated a few times, but she never balked. I noticed there’s a road block set up directly in front of Des’ property so there’s no traffic next to the track at the moment. Flossie had to let me know the road block wasn’t something that belonged there, but, still, she never balked when I asked her to go by that area. When it came to circling, I only walked Flossie around in both directions because the sun was already hot by then and so was Flossie. In fact, today was the hottest I’ve ever seen her. The heat sort of just crept up on us. I started the ride at 7:30 when it was still relatively cool, but by 8:15 the sun was already clamping its hot, muggy breath on us. She remembered the spot where the dry grass had been last week, which had freaked her out, if you remember, so I had to coax her past that area today. She’d go by it, but not close to the fenceline, which is where I wanted her to go, but by the third time around, she was willing to circle properly. The spot no longer looked out of the ordinary, by-the-way. I guess a mare just can’t take any chances. While cooling her out, while I was still in the saddle, I let her wander around wherever she wanted to go and let her do whatever she felt like doing. I often allow this after a ride, especially on days like today when I feel she really deserves the free rein. She walked over to the wire fence that lines the track along the small paddock where Gary keeps his geldings, and started to rub her head against the top wire. (It isn’t a barbed wire, just a plain strand of heavy wire). I have never allowed this sort of thing in the past, but I was being generous today and let her get away with it. She kept getting an edge of her bit caught on the wire and I had to keep reaching across her to the fence and bending over her neck to get her loose. Wouldn’t you know she got the hook that her chin chain attaches to, caught on the wire. She tried to pull back and get her head away, but she couldn’t budge. She was stuck fast. I quietly gave the order to “Ho”, and dismounted. To her credit she remained completely still while I maneuvered the hook so I could get enough slack to release it. It took several attempts before I could get her free from the wire. She waited patiently through all of this without panicking or trying to pull away. She hesitated when I asked her to back up so I could check out the damages. She was probably expecting to feel the same resistance she did before. The headstall had come unbuckled, and the bit was completely out of her mouth. The bridle was still on thanks to the throat latch which was still intact. The brow band was pulled down on one side further than it should have been. So all I had to do was buckle the headstall and put the brow band back where it belonged. That didn’t take much time to accomplish. Nothing was broken. I put the bit back in Flossie’s mouth, mounted, and continued cooling her out by taking her down the driveway. Later, after I had groomed Flossie and handed out carrots for the week, Des gave me his bottle of True Blue and I went out with Bambi’s halter and lead rope to catch her up so she could be doctored. I did it the same way I did it the last time, but I learned something. After I had sprayed both wounds, I bent down and ran my hands over her injured leg to shoo the flies off. Bambi stood still for this, so I took the bottle and sprayed her wounds again in areas where I could see better now that I was up close and could take in the details. After examining the bottle over and over again, she didn’t seem to mind my spraying her anymore. Her wounds didn’t look as raw as they did last week and they appear to be healing, although they still have a ways to go. It’s nearly 6:00 o’clock pm, and it’s 82 degrees and really muggy. It’s going to be 90 degrees every day until Saturday this week with a low of 80, so I guess this is as cool as it’s going to get tonight. There’s no breeze whatsoever, so the humidity wins another round. Wilt, wilt. I guess this is as good a place to say ooroo for now, as any, so I’ll dismount here and turn you loose. I’ll be back to catch you up again next time. |
| FLOSSIE'S 170th LESSON It was a hot day today, but it was also cloudy, so when the breeze blew the clouds over to cover the sun, it didn’t feel so hot. That was a good thing since I didn’t get down to Des’ until 7:30 this morning. It takes exactly fifteen minutes to get Flossie from the paddock, groom her where the saddle goes, pick out her feet, spray her with repellent, and tack her up, so by 7:45 I was in the saddle, and the sun already had a bite in it. I had the entire track to myself since everyone else had been and gone by the time I arrived. At the very same time I mounted, the earth movers started their engines, so they were working in the field across the street at the same time I was riding. Flossie did pretty well for me in spite of that. She wanted to balk at two separate times, but both times I was able to keep her going. She started out unsure of herself, but after the first time around, she started to get into the swing of things. When I took her up to the corner to circle, she noticed the little tiny flags that were blowing in the wind around the property across the street where all the construction is going on. I didn’t have a hard time getting her to go past that obstacle, however, even though she didn’t want to go, yet she wasn’t dead set against the idea, either, for she easily allowed me to persuade her. However, as I was praising her up and down for obeying me, she suddenly flew into the air and leapt up so high I could see her head in the sky. I thought she was wanting to jump a cloud, she was so intent on escaping from whatever it was that had frightened her so. When she came back to earth again, I turned her around towards the fence and noticed a huge pile of dead grass lying on the path we use when we circle every week. It was out of place and stood out from the rich green grass that was growing all around like a splash of red paint on a white-washed fence. As it turned out, I was glad Flossie had called my attention to that pile of dead grass because I noticed there were dozens of loose strands of barbed wire draped around the pile, hanging off the fence, and lying right on the circle where I work Flossie. I had to dismount and clear them out. I also cleared out the pile of dead grass while I was at it so Flossie wouldn’t have any more excuses for not wanting to work on that side of the circle. I guess a city worker had thrown the wire into Des’ property when the grass between the road and the fence was being mowed recently. I spent the remainder of Flossie’s lesson working on getting her to pass that spot while staying on the circle. Each time around she got more relaxed with it. I even had her take some steps at a canter and was pleased she didn’t fall into the circle. I was ready for her with my leg, seat, and reins. When I kept her head and neck in the proper position as we rounded the bend towards that area, I found it easier to get her past that spot. At the end of my ride, Dave showed up. He told me that Des is at his daughter’s today, and had left yesterday morning, but will be coming home tomorrow and then driving back to her place again on Wednesday. I mentioned Bambi’s injured leg to him and he told me he had noticed it, too. It was open today and looked really bad. I asked him if he had anything we could put on it since Des wasn’t home to do it. I told him that Des had used a spray on the wound last week called True Blue and he said he had some of that, so he left the bottle for me so I could doctor Bambi’s injuries myself after I had cooled Flossie out. He was already late for a job interview, so he told me where to leave the bottle for him when I was done with it. I took care of Bambi when she came up to the fence for her carrots. I had to call her from the paddock. She came trotting up as fast as she could go, and Paddle Pop King broke into a fast canter right behind. I didn’t call him, but I guess he didn’t want to miss out on his share of the luscious treat, either. I gave everyone a carrot to keep them occupied, then threw Flossie’s halter on Bambi. I was able to spray the open wound beneath the front of her knee without any problem because she wasn’t suspecting a thing, but when it came to spraying the wound at the back of the knee, it was a different story. I didn’t want to risk wasting any of the precious medicine on a part of her leg that didn’t need it, so with my right hand on the trigger, I pointed the bottle at her leg, while holding onto the lead rope with my left hand. I kept pointing it there as she ran around me in a circle, knowing she’d have to stop eventually. When she did, I’d be ready for her. And that’s just exactly what happened! She stopped, I fired, and the deed was done before she knew it. Both Blaze and BamBam are back on Des’ property again. Of course I had to give them both a carrot, too! It was so good to see them again. They are both taller than they were when I saw them last. Blaze is still on the small side, however, and he’s awfully thin. I wonder if that’s why Gary brought him back to Des’, to fatten him up. |
| FLOSSIE'S 169th LESSON I was elated when we left the house this morning at 5:30 and arrived at Des’ ten minutes later! It usually takes longer, so the time of day obviously makes a big difference. As we drove up the driveway, I could see Billy just finishing with his horses while David and Gary were waiting in the wings to start theirs. It’s exactly what I expected to see, and, again, I was elated, because I knew by the time I had Flossie ready to go, they’d all be off the track and out of my way. Which is exactly what happened. Of course it helped to get ready in slow motion. I used up some time talking to Billy’s wife, Elizabeth, about her health after her recent injury. She said she has a metal piece in her hip now where the bone had broken. She has to be extra careful not to put too much strain on it for the next six months while the injury heals. If she does, the healing will never happen and she’ll have to go through the surgery all over again. If it heals properly the first time, however, her hip will be as strong as ever. I asked her if they sold the horse that did it, since he’s no longer living at Des’ place, and she said they still have him. He’s being kept on some other property, however, that doesn’t have so much mud on the track so they can work him every day. Speaking of mud, the area that’s been muddy now for a month or so was still muddy again this morning. However, there was a dry stretch that ran through the mud that was in good enough shape to run every gait over. It was fun getting Flossie to place her feet only down that particular line of the track. She did it every time regardless of the gait and regardless of the direction we were traveling in! Since I was so early, I didn’t have to worry about over-heating. That came hours later when I was already dismounted and doing other things. I had Flossie doing three laps at a trot around the track, then one lap at a canter, in both directions. She’s so good about not balking; as soon as she shows the slightest intentions of stopping, I get after her. She’s to the point where she knows better, so if she refuses, I consider it disobedience. However, she doesn’t fight me. If she balks at all, it’s only at a walk while I’m warming her up during the first lap around the track. After the first 30 minutes, I had her rest in the shade of the trees that grow nearest the road. Across the street, that big orange machine was fast at work as well as trucks and bulldozers, not to mention the traffic, itself. We just stood there and watched the commotion. Flossie didn’t show the slightest signs of being uncomfortable. In fact, as soon as she was rested enough, I circled her in the corner that’s a few steps away from where I had cooled her down. So, to the tune of the big, heavy equipment roaring and banging away, trucks clanging, and traffic buzzing, beeping, and whistling past, I had her circling in both directions even at the canter. I was able to keep her on the circle, too, even going to the left. She’d drop the gait before completing the circle, but then she’d pick it up again when I asked for it. She never once fell into the circle. Gary and I were talking before I tacked Flossie this morning and he was describing that funny gait gaited horses have that’s in between the trot and the canter. I told him I knew exactly what he was talking about because Flossie goes into that gait sometimes and I never know what to call it. I told him the first time I didn’t even know how to sit it, but at least it’s not uncomfortable, so that’s a plus. I found two open wounds on Bambi’s left front leg so Des had me catch her up for him so he could doctor it. She was in the dam, of all places! Luckily, she was near the edge, but I still had to wade through the shallowest part to get her. He sprayed some Triple something-or-other on it which looked like Blue Victor. I have a sneaking suspicion she got hurt on Wednesday when she and the other two horses in her paddock took off from the corner when that big orange machine started making all kinds of banging and crashing noises while tearing the trees down. I could just picture how the injuries could have happened. One wound is on the front of the leg directly below the knee. The skin was torn and is dangling under the wound, which means she was probably lifting her leg when she got injured. The other injury is a deep gash located behind the knee on the same leg. I remember after the three horses ran from the corner where they had been hanging out together, Bambi had walked over to the dam and stood in a position that didn’t look natural to me. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Somehow I didn’t put two-and-two together, but today, after seeing the injuries, it just suddenly made sense. Of course I could be wrong, and I’ll never know for sure, but I still think I’m right about that. She’s not lame, but she probably will be. |
| FLOSSIE'S 168th LESSON I noticed it's supposed to rain on Friday, so I called Des last night to see if the track was okay. He said it was, so I was able to ride today. This morning, the area on the track that's been muddy the last two times I rode, was muddier than it's ever been. I didn't want to do anything when I came to that spot except walk, so that's what I did. In one direction, Flossie didn't even want to walk through the mud in that area, so we went around it the first time. After that, however, I insisted she walk through it since it didn't make sense to go around. Although the part of the track that's closest to the road was muddy, it was very shallow and so insignificant I had no problems even at the canter much less any other gait. We had to work around Dave because he started out on the track at the exact same time I did. He was working a mare that knows the ropes, however, unlike BamBam, so I was able to ride around him in either direction without having to worry about throwing his mare off. He didn't work her long, either, so most of the time I was alone. I warmed Flossie up on the track in both directions before circling in the corner, so she was able to move out as much as she wanted to. She took advantage of it as she always does since she was feeling good. She wore herself out early on, though, so we did some slow walking and waiting around under the trees until she was able to go back out into the sun again. I thoroughly enjoyed my ride, my time with Flossie, being under the sunny sky, in spite of the ever-increasing heat, and the blue sky with its fluffy cumulous clouds, and the green, green, extremely green grass and trees that surrounded us from every direction. The smell of horse flesh, luscious earth, and just simply the fresh air, itself, was a delight to the senses. After Flossie and her pals had their share of carrots this morning, I wandered around the paddock beside Flossie. She came over to me, so we sort of 'milled around' together. I let her run her muzzle all over me; my arms and legs, my sides and my neck. Her nose feels so good against my flesh. I just love the feel of horses on me. I couldn't get enough of it. When she'd turn and walk a ways, I'd follow, and when I'd turn and walk away, she'd follow. We ended up standing under the trees together for the longest while before she decided to move off with Bambi and Paddle Pop King. It was a special moment and I savored it for all it was worth since it'll be another few days before I'll get the chance to hang out with her again. Much later as I watching the horses from afar, a huge orange machine started up in the field directly across the street from the corner where I circle Flossie. It's a long-necked beast that moves like a gigantic Muppet. With its claw it pulled one tree down after the other with just one flick of its 'wrist'. It was incredible to watch. First, one minute there's a beautiful tree standing there minding its own business going on just like before with the wind in its branches, then, all-of-a-sudden, in one fell swoop, it's down on the ground just like that, never to feel the wind again. As the trees would come down, they would hit the ground with a very loud bang which frightened the horses and sent them running up to the yard, heads held high, and tails flying behind them. They only took a few steps, however, before stopping and looking back at the machine over their shoulders. After sizing up the situation, even though the machine kept up its banging, the herd didn't mind; they kept on grazing and drinking out of the dam as if nothing were any different than any other lazy day on the farm. Des said he was going to have BamBam come home this weekend, but he accidentally flooded his stall. He said it had just started to dry up after all the rain we've had and he went and left the hose on and forgot all about it. He also said he's looking forward to having the holidays over with since he doesn't like the long drive to his daughter's house. I didn't say this, but at least he doesn't have to worry about icy roads! I missed my time on the computer at the Internet Center this morning, but who cares?! I'd rather ride in a real saddle than vicariously through a computer mouse any day! Besides, there's always tomorrow. |
| FLOSSIE'S 167th LESSON Norm and I got out of bed early this morning so we could be at the beach by 5:30. We were the first ones in the water. We had our bodyboards, but Norm also had a hand surfboard which he purchased at the market yesterday morning. It was so calm we had to wait forever for the right wave to come in, but in spite of that, I managed to catch quite a few good rides. Many were dumpers, so it was risky. However, there was only one that got the best of me. Down I went, dunked like a donut. The other rides were thrilling, especially since I was able to ride them to the end. When you ride a dumper, you actually come down the wave at the same time you're being pushed forward, and the thrill you get is like the kind you get from the first steep hill on a rollercoaster. The only difference is, you don't know if your board will still be under you or not when you get to the bottom of the wave. We only stayed in the water for an hour. We left the beach at 7:00 o'clock and arrived at Des' at 7:45. It always takes only fifteen minutes to grab Flossie and tack her up, and since today was no exception, I was in the saddle by 8:00 o'clock. It was already pretty hot by then. Because of the heat, she wasn't as energetic as she has been in the past. The track had a muddy spot, in the same area where it was muddy last week, only it was a little worse today, so I opted to start Flossie's canter on the other side of the mud so we didn't have to run through it. It was safe enough at any other gait, though. Flossie was a good girl, if not as enthused as usual. She wanted to balk once, in the beginning, in the area nearest the railroad track, but went without a problem when I prompted her to move on. I gave her a lot of breaks because of the heat, and didn't ask her to run as many times as I usually do. We did some circling in the corner where we always circle, and then I asked for some circles in a totally different spot. I can remember when she'd have a hard time doing circles in odd places. Now that she's used to it, though, it's not a problem anymore. We scared up a big hare-sized rabbit out of a bush when I parked her in the shade to cool down between bouts this morning. She had to pick her ears up and stretch her nose out to show me that she had seen it. She kept her eye on it until it finally got lost in the tall grass, then she promptly forgot all about it. I gave Des a big bottle of lemon, lime, and bitters, and two big cans of creamed rice today because they are his favorites. I hadn't surprised him with these products in a while, and he was really grateful for them. He told me BamBam's coming back in a week if his blood count is good. It costs him $12 a day to board BamBam out-of-town. He had told me last week where he boards him, but I can't remember the name of the town. Paddle Pop King is back in the big paddock with the mares since a few of the stalls got flooded out with last week's rain. Dave moved his little filly into the gelding's stall, and even Des' Daz has been moved because of the rain. At least now the paddock is a plush rich green and the weeds are taller than ever. It won't be long before Des has his paddock mowed again. |
| FLOSSIE'S 166th LESSON I arrived early at Des' to ride this morning, but not as early as I was getting there previously. Gary and Billy and Dave were already there and gone by the time we pulled up. The grass was dry, as was most of the track. The worst part wasn't the lowest spot near the road, which is unusual. There's another spot closer to the fence near Woodland Park and the railroad track that often takes forever to dry once it's been rained on, and this time was no exception. It was muddy clear across the track, but the highest part was dry enough to run any gait over safely, so it wasn't much of a problem. Flossie was feeling good, as I had expected, but she wasn't spooky, even in spite of the high winds we had all day yesterday. I think the little mare is growing up! I worked her with a lot of contact on my outside rein and she seemed to appreciate it. It was easy to get her to place her feet exactly where I wanted them, and I didn't have a problem with my left leg. In fact, I was able to get her on the circle to the left and keep her on it, even at the canter. Well, sort of a canter. It's funny how she'll do a canter to the right, but going to the left she tends to use that off-gait that's not a true canter. At least she stayed on the circle and didn't keep falling into the center. This was the problem I was having before. I'm so glad Eileen, who's taking dressage lessons, told me all about keeping contact on the outside rein. It made such a tremendous difference in Flossie's performance and I truly believe she was grateful for the contact. She didn't balk, even when she saw a guy at the barn next door, which is something she usually balks over. She just seemed to have more confidence. Maybe that's because she was more balanced. I talked to a riding instructor on the phone the other day when I was looking for prices and she kept me on the phone for a good hour offering me advice about circling. She said to step into the inside stirrup as if I were walking forward, so I did that today and it not only put weight in that stirrup, but it also put my foot in the right place against Flossie's side. I did not have a problem with my leg! I repeat, I did not have a problem with my leg! So, you see, there are ways to work around a rogue leg! Yahoo! I enjoyed my ride so much today that I can't even express it. The weather was perfect. I was able to get on and off before the morning started to heat up, and even though we worked hard, neither Flossie nor I got very sweaty. It was so good to be back in the saddle again, and on such a gorgeous day to boot! When I turned Flossie loose, she went out to the paddock and rolled in a section that has the tallest, greenest, fattest blades of grass. She seemed to be really enjoying the roll, for she stopped when she landed on her side and rubbed her neck up and down and back and forth for a while before rolling over to the other side. She has a way of maneuvering her neck when she gets her legs up in the air so it's easy for her to make it all the way over. She was a delight to watch. Dave came down while I was still waiting for Norm and we talked about the horses. I told him how his little filly knocks her water trough over after I fill it up and he said she does the same thing to him. Now he comes down before noon to take her out of that stall and put her in with the other horses in the little paddock where I used to work Flossie before she was ready for the track. Gary keeps his horses in that area, so the little filly (I call her Dazzle, or Daz, or Des' Daz) is not alone. The trough in that paddock is not easy to knock over, so she has access to plenty of water during the hottest part of the day. |
| FLOSSIES'S 165th LESSON Gary and Dave were running five horses around the track with their truck this morning when I arrived at Des'. It was 6:30, dry, sunny, but damp from the rain we've been having off and on for the past few days. The track, itself, was in great shape since it had been "watered" so there was no dust and it was soft. Flossie took advantage of the friendly ground and picked up a gallop while we were working on the track to the left. I let her go as long as she wanted since the footing was good and there was no other reason to slow her down. There was some mud on the track near the road, but nothing we couldn't canter over. While I was working Flossie on a circle near the road, a man stopped to inquire about the empty house on the corner. He wanted to know if I owned it, or if I knew who did. I couldn't help him out, but he stood for quite some time beside his car talking about horses with me. He's interested in finding some temporary accommodation in the Waterford area so he can be near his dad. I told him to ask a local realtor if they know who owns the house he was inquiring about. Before I left the house this morning, I tied some long shoelaces to an empty iced tea bottle and after my ride, I asked BamBam if he'd like to play with me. I held the bottle so it dangled from the fence for a while and watched as he tried to catch it while it swung. Then I dropped it on the ground by his feet and watched him try to bite it. I pulled it closer to me with the shoe laces every time he opened his mouth, to make it a little harder for him. We played for quite some time before we both finally tired of the game. Then I offered the toy to Billy's horses and they all had a turn playing too. It was fun watching how they each handled the "toy", since it was new to all of them. After the game, a guy came down to check out the weeds in Des' paddock. He was worried about the hyacinths, so I told him to mention it to Des. He must have thought I lived there. Then, a guy from the construction crew who's been building parks and housing developments on the other side of Des' place in the Woodlands near the old Railroad track for the past two years told me he was going to take the old fence down and put in a new one all the way to the road, but he was concerned about the safety of the two mares who live in the paddock. I told him to talk to the owner of the property and gave him Des' phone number. Afterwards, I told Des what I did and we discussed the new fence. He has no idea why they'd be putting up a fence for him. It seems odd to me, too. |
| FLOSSIE'S 164th LESSON It sprinkled all the way to Des' this morning and didn't stop until Norm had dropped me off and drove away. I had thought I may have had to wait a while before riding, but I'm glad it didn't turn out that way. Bambi is now in foal and is back in the huge paddock with Flossie again. She must have been awfully lonely without Flossie for the last three weeks because she would not leave her side this morning. When I walked Flossie around the paddock to warm up, Bambi walked with us. When I trotted Flossie, there was Bambi just behind to the right of us, trotting along as well. When I cantered Flossie, Bambi picked up a canter, too, following us all the way around the track. When I changed Flossie's direction, Bambi changed direction. I was going to chase her off, and I know she would have gone, but since she wasn't in the way and wasn't causing any problems for us, I didn't see any reason why I shouldn't let her tag along. I also half expected her to tire out and lose interest before long. Since that didn't happen, I thought I may have trouble with her when it came to circling Flossie in the corner, but the older mare caught on quickly and chose a spot in the center to graze in while Flossie and I worked around her. She only showed irritation once, but since she didn't try to kick or attack us, I ignored her. I also worked Flossie in the small paddock, the one where I used to work her three years ago before she was ready for the track. Since Billy's little mare, Jenny, had torn the fence down a couple of weeks ago, that area is now open. I used the space for an arena, since it's a rectangular area, and had her circling in every corner. Bambi got in the way twice, but after chastising her the second time, she finally realized all I wanted was for her to stay out of our way. Even when I cooled Flossie out at a walk around the track on foot, Bambi followed behind all the way around. When I had Flossie down the driveway, however, and Bambi could only follow along the other side of the fence for so long, she started to get agitated and ran around in circles and tossed her head in the air, so I didn't keep Flossie long at the end of the driveway as I usually do. Why stir up trouble needlessly? Bambi settled down again when I brought Flossie back where she could see her, as I knew she would. I pulled Flossie's mane for the first time in a while. It was getting longer than I wanted it to be. I had been putting it off for quite some time, actually, and decided today would be a good day to get the job done. It's not hard to do and it doesn't take long, and Flossie stands for it pretty well, which is a plus. After I had already been sitting on the ground in the paddock for quite a while with the two mares after my ride, Bambi suddenly noticed me. She perked up her ears and started trotting off to the right, keeping one eye on me the whole time. Eventually she realized it was only me and stopped trotting and started to walk up to me. Flossie was right behind her, to her left, so I took out my camera and took a photo of the two of them coming toward me. When they got up to me, Bambi wandered off, but Flossie stayed with me. She started grazing directly beside me, so I lay down on my back and watched her from that perspective. Her nose was right above my face and when she stretched it out to get a closer look at me, she looked funny, so I took a photo of her from that angle. Actually, I took three photos from that angle. Des has the bandage off his leg now and the sore has healed almost entirely. It looks good. I mentioned to him that he looks tired and he told me he has two slipped disks in his back that are making it hard for him to sleep at night. I had noticed that he hadn't been standing in the back window watching me ride this morning as he usually does. He said he didn't get out of bed until 10:00 o'clock this morning and he usually gets up at 6:30 to feed the horses. Have you ever heard of Clare Lindop? She's considered the best female jockey of all time. She just won the Victoria Derby at Flemington Racecourse on November 1st this year, on Rebel Raider, and will be riding Dolphin Jo in the Melbourne Cup Race this Tuesday. (Tomorrow). This a race that is as famous and popular as the Kentucky Derby in America. |
| FLOSSIE'S 163rd LESSON I arrived early at Des' again this week. Elizabeth, or, Liz, (Billy's wife) was down. It's the first time I've seen her since the accident she had with her gelding months ago. She was using a cane, but she was getting around okay. She was with a friend, and since Billy was nowhere around, I'm assuming I won't be seeing him every Monday morning anymore. Gary and Dave were also down, but they had just finished working their horses on the track, so I had the entire place to myself this morning! Before Gary left he told me Bambi's coming back this Saturday. I wonder if Flossie will be glad to see her. Once again, Flossie was full of pep and vinegar. She charged around the track like a racehorse. I kept her going around and around until she had done three laps at the trot and one at the canter without stopping before reversing and doing the same in the opposite direction. I had her circling in the corner and then again in the "arena". I'm still working on her canter on the circle. The weather was cool and still, then turned breezy when it warmed up, so it never felt extremely hot. I love getting down early to ride in the summertime! I hope I can keep this up all year. Flossie's hooves are trimming themselves. Ever since I stopped putting hoof dressing on them, they've been breaking up. A big piece broke off today. It was loose when I cleaned her feet, but after she was in the paddock for a while on her own, I noticed that piece had fallen off. Her hooves are still on the long side, so I don't think I'll be using the dressing again anytime soon. I spend a good deal of time with BamBam every week. He likes to have his neck scratched and will stand forever while I run my hands up and down both sides of his crest near the withers. He stretches his nose out and rocks a little bit, really getting into it. He lets me run my hand down his face now without trying to bite me. I filled up the little filly's water bucket again this afternoon before I left. (She's the dark filly with the three white socks. I keep wanting to call her "Flash" because her white feet make her look flashy, but I knew a horse by that name, so I'd like to come up with something different). She took a few sips out of it while it was only an inch high, but once I had it completely filled, she put her front foot in the bucket and started kicking it around, splashing most of the water out onto the ground until I hollered for her to stop. No wonder she never has water to drink! Pume on her! Flossie's in season. She was nuzzling Paddle Pop King over the fence, as if he were a stallion, and showing him she was interested. They groomed each other when they were facing neck-to-neck, but when the gelding approached her from the rear, she squealed and picked up her hind leg as if to kick. I'll bet he was glad there was a fence between them! |
| FLOSSIE'S 162nd LESSON I arrived early enough at Des' again this week to see Billy, Gary, and Dave before they left for the day. It was only 6:00 o'clock and Billy had already worked his horses and Dave was in the middle of working four around the track at once. I didn't ride immediately, however, since Billy told me his mare, Jenny, had broken loose and was chasing Flossie around the yard earlier this morning. They had run through some wire fences and I was told I better check Flossie for injuries before saddling her. When I told Gary what Billy had said, Gary assured me Flossie was okay because he had already checked her out after he had caught her. She didn't have even so much as a scratch on her. Jenny had a few cuts, though, but they didn't look bad. The fence the horses broke through is the one that separates the small paddock, where I used to ride Flossie when I first started working her, from the big pasture where she lives now. Gary had to roll the wire up and put it outside the paddock so we don't have to worry about Flossie getting tangled up in it. No one knows how Jenny got loose or exactly what happened, but at least neither of the mares were seriously hurt. The fence is fixable. Gary said he'll work on it tomorrow. I cut my finger on Flossie's hoof when I let it slip out of my hand after using the hoof pick on it this morning. I used some liquid sanitizer to clean my hands with, and then put some bandaids on the cut. I needed three because it was bleeding so much. It throbbed at first, but I found the perfect cure for a sore finger. Ride! Once I got in the saddle, I forgot all about my finger until my hand started sweating and I could feel the bandage slipping off. But that was at the end of the ride, anyway, so it didn't matter. I had waited for Dave to finish with the track before I mounted Flossie, so I had the entire track to myself this week for the third time in a row. Flossie was feeling good once again. She went off like a rocket. I worked her hard in both directions since we were both up to it and because the weather was far from hot. It wasn't cold, or even cool, but it wasn't hot or humid, either. It was perfect, actually. The bulldozers were out like huge metal bees buzzing around the track from two directions. Flossie wanted to stop when she saw them, but I refused to let her, so she kept going for me. She never balked once. I had her circling in the corner after we finished with the track and she never hesitated. It's so nice to ride such a willing and cooperative mare! I never lost my seat today, not even for a moment, and it felt so good to be so in tune with this little red roan affectionately known as Flossie! Des told me he's noticed how nice and straight Flossie goes down the center of the track. I was glad he noticed because I had been thinking the same thing today. She goes like a horse that's been ridden for ten years. I had taken a couple of photos of Flossie standing at the gate at the end of what I refer to as 'the shedrow'. I took them in such a way that I was able to include Billy's horses who were in the paddocks on either side of the shedrow. The photos didn't come out very well, however, so I deleted them. I plan to try again next week. While I was downloading them onto the computer, six movies appeared on the screen and I had to wait for fifteen minutes for them to finish downloading. Now I've got them uploading into Photobucket, where I keep all my movies online. They aren't uploading completely, though. They've been stopping at 50%. I don't know if I need to leave them longer, but I keep cancelling them when they sit on 50% too long. I may try uploading them again later tonight, while Norm's at Toastmasters, when I have more time to spend with them. I don't have any faith in these movies. I honestly don't expect them to come out. I will do everything I can to get them uploaded fully, but I'm not holding my breath. When I had turned Flossie out after her last grooming and I had given her all the carrots I had with me today, I followed her out to the paddock and sat down behind a huge shrub. I started rattling a big branch around in the underbrush, making a lot of noise, but stayed hidden behind the tree so she couldn't see me. She started running when she heard the noise, but then she paused for a moment to take a good look at the shrub. When I knew she had spotted me, I started talking to her and she started walking up to me, then stopped half way and put her nose in the grass to graze. I wish I hadn't been so quick to give myself away. I think she would have come up to the tree to investigate and if she had, I could have played with her. She might have tried to chase me around the tree the way Concho did the year he had slipped on the ice at Lakewood Stables and got up, leaving me on the cold, hard ground to fend for myself. He ran around to the other side of a huge snowpile and when I tried to approach him from the left side, he immediately ran off to the other side so I couldn't catch him. When I turned and tried to approach him from the right side, he ran to the left as if to laugh, like the fairy tale hero, and say "You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" He had finally deserted me altogether when he tired of the fun and went zooming off to the stables where my sister, Eileen, captured him and rode him back to me, hoping I was okay. It's a good thing she brought him back because I was in the middle of leading a trail of patrons at the time and we had just gotten as far as the river crossing. |
| FLOSSIE'S 161st LESSON The only word I can think of to describe my ride on Flossie this morning is perfect. I can't think of a single thing that could have been improved upon except her canter on the circle since she tends to fall in while going to the left until the circle gets smaller and smaller. She doesn't have any problems at all going to the right. She started off strong and rarin' to go, so I worked the pants off her. I arrived at 6:00 o'clock, and while Gary was working the little dark filly with the flashy feet (three of them are white) I groomed and saddled Flossie so I was ready to go by the time Gary left the track. So, once again, we both had the track to ourselves. Billy was down, but he had worked his horses an hour earlier, so he wasn't in the way. He told me Liz, his wife, was sore today when I asked him about her. If you remember she had been in the hospital after a mishap with one of their horses. He told me what happened. She had been in the stall filling the feed bucket for one of their geldings when he suddenly spooked and spun around. He went up and came down right on top of her. So now we finally know the story. The weather was cloudy and cool, but Flossie and I both managed to work up a sweat. I had her at every gait in both directions taking lap after lap without stopping since she never showed any signs of fatigue. She really wanted to work for me, and since I was riding well, I let her. Of course I gave her a long breather each time we had finished with the direction we were working in, so it's not like she didn't have any breaks. I had left the house in a hurry, too, without exercising or even getting in a shower! Norm was heading off to the beach and he said if I wasn't ready he'd leave without me. I was on the phone with my family, since my father's up from Florida visiting my brother and sister in Ohio, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk to all of them together, but I didn't want Norm to leave without me, either, so I quickly ended the phone call and ran to the drawer for my jodhpurs. I dressed and loaded the car as fast as I could. The bulldozers, next to the old barn next to Des' property, started up while I was nearly done on the track, but I worked Flossie past them as though they weren't there. She stopped long enough to take a look at them, but she never left the track and she started right up for me when I asked her to. Even when we were circling, she didn't let the men and their bulldozers bother her. She's really learning and it's good to see! I worked her for an entire hour since the weather was cool and we were both up for it. Since I had left the house in such a hurry, I didn't have the time to use the bathroom and during the time I was cooling Flossie out, I really, really got the urge to go. I had to jump off, unsaddle, run up the steps, pound on Des' door, and ask him if I could use his toilet. I had never had to use it in the past, so this is the first time I ever entered his domain. The first thing I noticed was he keeps a clean house! The floors, which were uncarpeted, were clean enough to eat off, and the whole place smelled clean and fresh. Des told me BamBam has contracted a virus and is on medication now. He's afraid the illness will go through the entire place. I sure hope not! Even though it's not the flu, I'd sure hate to have to go through that again! While I was waiting for my ride home, I noticed the little filly Gary had worked earlier didn't have a drop of water in her bucket. It appears Dave's filly in the stall next to her, had tipped it over, so I filled it up for her. She was dead thirsty, so I'm glad I bothered. Gary had told me he wasn't going to be down later this afternoon so I thought she may not get watered again until tomorrow. Des, however, assured me Dave was going to be down later today. He would have noticed and taken care of the filly if I hadn't filled her bucket. Still, she was thirsty and it would have been criminal to make her wait until later. While Gary was working this flashy filly, by-the-way, she stopped to get a good look at me and just by the way she acted, Gary told me he could tell she likes me. He said she's a great little filly and was handled from Day One and took to the track like a fish to water. She's not a bad looking filly, either. I hope she can win some races when she gets old enough to compete. I accidently left my crop behind when I left Des' place, so I phoned him when I got home to ask him if he wouldn't mind keeping it out of the weather for me until I come back to ride again next week. He said not to worry, that he'd keep it in his house. While I had him on the phone, I asked him if he's decided to breed Flossie to the pied stud he told me about last week. He said no, so I asked him if they were charging too much and he said no, the horse turned out to be . . . . wait for it . . . a pony! Now isn't that funny??? Des had the nurse down again today to look at his wound and to change the dressing on his leg. He said she's really pleased with the way he's healing. She scheduled another visit for this Thursday. I've run out of news for the time being. I feel as though I had a lot to say this time. Talking to my family (there were only two people I didn't have the chance to talk to, unfortunately, and I hated to hang up when I did, but that's the way it goes sometimes) brought a few tears to my eyes. I had been invited to be there with them on this visit and it sickens me that I wasn't able to. They spoke about the autumn trees exchanging their leaves for opals, and the special taste of apple cider, Erie, Pennsylvania, where I spent my childhood, and other things that I would have enjoyed with them if I had been able to. But, since this Yankee sheila is stuck downunder and unable to breathe in the fresh Ohio air from all the way down here, I.ll be signing off from my own special corner of this great big fabulous world with the scent of blossoming jacaranda trees in the air, the salty taste of vegemite on my bread, and paddocks full of those tiny little baby animals we call joeys. |
| FLOSSIE'S 160th LESSON Norm dropped me off at Des' at just after 6:00 o'clock this morning so he could get down to the beach to do some snorkeling. That was fine with me since we were both able to beat the heat this way. Gary was already down working his geldings. When he finished with them, he started working the one and only little filly he has. It was her very first time running next to a truck around the track. She got away from Gary the first time around, because there was too much slack in the rope. She did very well after that. Since Gary had to leave to go to work before coming back down to work BamBam, I used that reprieve for my own ends and took advantage of having the track to myself. There were bulldozers and workmen in the paddock where the old barn is located near the road, next to the track, digging ditches to lay sewage pipes where a new housing development, no doubt, will soon be going up. Flossie didn't want to go past them. I remember a time when I had to spend the entire lesson on getting her past things like that, but not anymore. I had her going around at every gait before long. I even had her circling in the corner near the road, which is directly beside the barn, and even though she could see the men and their bulldozers working, she still circled for me. I was proud of her for that. Des sent Bambi away to be bred. She'll be gone for 21 days. Flossie got out of the paddock once, since she's been gone, in the same place where Blaze had gotten out once before. Des wasn't home at the time, but Gary was there, thankfully, and he brought her back in and fixed the fence. Des said once Flossie gets out, she just wants to come back in again. That's a good thing since she doesn't have a halter. Des found another stallion he's thinking of breeding Flossie to if the fee is affordable. One way or the other, he's going to get that mare into foal. This stallion is a paint, of all things. If he can afford to have her bred, he's going to have the deed done next month. Des says his leg is healing. His nurse was down again today to change the bandage. I was elated to hear he's doing so well. He knows a man who is diabetic, but never realized it until he got wounded. His wound never healed and so he had to have part of his foot amputated. I had my camera running this morning while I was riding Flossie around for the first two laps, but for some reason it wasn't working. It wasn't the same problem I had last week. When I went to play it back, the screen was dead. Totally black. I had thought it was broken because I couldn't even close the zoom lens on it at first. Eventually, however, I was able to take photos and even movies with it again. This particular camera comes with an automatic lens cover, but it broke off sometime during my ride while I had the camera attached to my belt. I'm not going to try to get movies ever again. I gave it my best shot and it's just not worth it. It was a hot day today and the track was dusty. It's supposed to rain overnight and I'm praying that it does. I don't want to see another drought like the one we just came out of. As long as it doesn't rain on Monday mornings! |
| FLOSSIE'S 159th LESSON I arrived later than usual at Des' since Norm had to list some things on EBay first thing this morning, so by the time I arrived Gary was not only off the track, but he was bathing BamBam as we pulled up. It was already getting hot at 9:00 o'clock, so I quickly groomed Flossie, put my camera on my belt, and strapped it to my waist. Wasn't I disappointed when I checked the film and found it hadn't been running the entire time I had it on. I would have gotten some nice footage, too, since everything was perfect for it. I had thought I had filmed two laps; the first one I narrated at a walk, and the second one I rode at a trot and a canter. Flossie's transitions were smooth, too, which would have made for some nice shots. I guess I'll have to try again next week. I can't figure out why sometimes the film doesn't roll for me. I practiced with it before the ride, and then again afterwards, and just once it didn't roll. All the other times it worked like a charm. Go figure. I guess I'll have to keep trying until one day it works for me. There were some bulldozers down the street within viewing distance from the corner where I work Flossie on a circle and she didn't want to go there. So I circled her in the paddock, slowly taking her closer and closer to the corner. I eventually had her working for me without any problems on the circle in the corner as usual. That was the only glitch in the ride, itself. Other than that, Flossie was perfect. She was strong and wanted to work. I love it when she's like that. It's almost like she does all the work herself and I'm just there to share it with her. Paddle Pop King wasn't in the big paddock with the mares today. Gary put him back in the small paddock where he normally keeps him. Paddle Pop doesn't belong to Gary, actually, because he sold him to two men who live in Mackay. Gary works the horse for them; he even races him for them. Des has changed his mind again and decided to have Bambi bred this year after all. He couldn't afford two mares or he would have had Flossie bred too. Although I think Flossie would throw a fine foal, I'm kind of glad, in a way, that she's not going to be bred. I'd worry too much with that open ditch and the deep hole with the two spikes sticking out of the ground near the road that Billy left when he drained the track. Just think, if my camera had worked this morning, you'd be able to see these things for yourself! Besides, Des told me Flossie doesn't come from very good breeding, so he says it's just as well he's not going to breed her after all. When Bambi goes, though, Flossie will be all alone for a while. I wonder how she'll like that. It'll be the first time in her life she'll have the paddock all to herself. Des' nurse was down last week to bandage his leg. She said there's no signs of infection. He was waiting for her to come again this morning when I left. I hope he's going to be okay. |
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