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My lessons with Flossie, a roan Standardbred mare |
| This is an on-going diary or autobiography |
| FLOSSIE'S 138th LESSON This morning I started Flossie out, in her well-oiled, non-squeaky saddle, on the track instead of working her in a circle, first, as I've been doing lately. She was zippy! I took her around at a walk, first, to warm her up, then twice around at a trot, sometimes breaking into a pace, but mostly a trot, then, finally, at a canter. We did that in both directions. She only took a couple of false steps off the track near the barn, which is where, she's convinced, the bogeyman lives. She had her courageous cap on today, though, because she swerved back onto the track for me, without missing a beat, and we continued on as if nothing had happened. We did some circling in our favorite corner, then I took her around the perimeter of the paddock near the fenceline, even past the barn, and didn't have any problems with her at all. I rode her down the driveway and just as we got half way to the road, the neighbor, who shares the driveway's apron with Des, started driving up in his four-wheel drive. Flossie stopped until he swerved off into his driveway, then I asked her to continue forward and she did as if nothing had just happened. Not once did she display any signs of nervousness. We stood at the end of the driveway just taking in the scenery for a while before I turned her around and headed back to the yard. Because today was Labour Day (SIC), and the schools and all the shops were closed, Gary and Hannah came down so Gary could work Blaze around the track with Paddle Pop King (affectionately known as Barney). I spoke with Gary about Hannah's love for horses and how much she wants to ride. We discussed the pros and cons. Gary's main concern is the day Des leaves. The more horses Gary has to care for, the more expensive it's going to be for him to keep them. I don't think Des charges Gary (or Bill, for that matter), that much board for their many, many menagerie of horses. Hannah was delighted to have someone on her side as I pointed out the many different ways a person can work with horses, and even ride, without buying one. Billy came down to bring two of his horses back from the blacksmith. I guess he took them out early in the morning, because they were both gone by the time I arrived. They both had a nice brand new set of shiny shoes on! He's been busy building more stalls for his horses. He bought a new 3-year-old gelding he's going to be racing in Melbourne soon. He seems to have high hopes for this one. I don't know how he runs, but he sure is a friendly guy. I think I embarrassed Des today while I was talking to him and Gary. I was offering a carrot to their little filly and she surprised me by putting her mouth on it. Usually she just turns her head and walks away. Des said once she gets the taste of carrots, you won�t be able to keep her away from them. Gary said, "Yeah, like beer." I said, 'I don't know about beer. The first time I tried it I didn't like it at all." "Was that American beer, or Australian beer?" Gary asked. "American." I replied. Then Gary said, "Oh, you mean rootbeer?" He kept saying it over and over with the emphasis on the ROOT. Finally, he had to say "That's a funny word", before I understood where he was coming from. In Australia the word "root" means sex. So I told him I got it and then I said they (meaning Americans) even name their daughters Fanny. (In Oz, the word fanny doesn't mean rear end. It's used to replace the word normally used for female genitalia). That's when Des walked away. Gary, on the other hand, took the conversation in stride. I assured him Norm had already warned me about these things before I left America and was advised not to use them in Oz. There was nothing wrong with our discussion, really, but when Des walked away I thought perhaps I had spoken out of line. When Norm came down to get me, we gave Des is huge bag of gratis tomatoes we picked up at the market yesterday. He said he doubts he'll be able to eat all of them, but he took them and thanked us just the same. |
| FLOSSIE'S 137th LESSON What a perfect day to be spending in the saddle! Bright, cool, and breezy. When I walked down the track to get Flossie, she was huddled up with her two buddies. The three mares stood together with the sun on their backs, the wind in their tails, and the earth under their hooves as the dust swirled in the wind and my footsteps tapped along the dirt as I approached them. I was hoping the moment would never end. It was too rich, too alive, too special to let go of. Bambi was the first to break out of the herd. Because she's the alpha mare, the other two always wait for her to make the first move. She sauntered over for a pat and a friendly hello, then ambled off so I could have my fill of Flossie. Once I mounted, I took Flossie down the track to the right instead of to the left as usual, but she spooked, anyway, when we came around near the road. I managed to get her to the corner where I circled her in both directions until she came down to the bit and started to work. When we entered the track, she was fine. I had been working on her headset last week and she remembered everything we had done because she picked it up on her own and collected herself without much help from me. She's such a quick learner and is so willing to please! I rode her down the driveway again after our time on the track. I've been working on her standing for me, so wherever we go, I have her stand for a while before we walk on again. When we got back to the paddock, I untacked her in the shed row instead of taking her back to the paddock first. Then I put her halter and lead rope on and led her back to the lawn where I allowed her to graze while I washed her sweaty back. Every now and then the other horses would nicker or make some other sort of sound to let my mare know that they knew she was there. I loved standing beside her and just enjoyed the moment for as long as possible. When I took her back to the paddock, I walked her around the track in hand as I always do. She kept expecting someone to jump out of the old barn next to her paddock and kept insisting she should do some spooking. I, on the other hand, insisted she ignore that idea and concentrate on the walk at hand. My saddle was creaking while I was in it today, so I'm going to have to find the time to oil it one day this week. It hasn't been done in a while, so I'm not surprised it needs it again. |
| FLOSSIE'S 136th LESSON I did something different and rode Flossie in the afternoon instead of first thing in the morning. She didn't want to go past the barn that's been vacant for years but now has a tenant. Flossie acts as though she expects someone to come out through the door, or around the corner at any moment. I've seen her shy away from that area when she's in the paddock with her pals, and I've seen the boarder who lives there suddenly appear by the barn when I wasn't expecting him, so now Flossie has a real boogey man to contend with! Today I ignored her antics and just took her straight to the circle, which is located next to that previously empty barn. It's amazing how she protests going up to the track near that building, yet she'll circle for me fine once we get there. Anywho, I mainly worked on her headset once I let her get her excess energy out of the way. Once I got her around the track, I didn't have any problems with her again. At the end of her lesson, I rode her to the very end of the driveway. The next step would be to cross the road, which I have no intentions of doing. When we passed Blaze, he started prancing down the fenceline beside her. He kicked up his heels and whinnied as though it were the neatest thing. Both Blaze and Des' new little filly are lame due to injuries in identical spots on their legs. The filly was in a paddock, injured her leg on the fence, was put in another paddock while Blaze was put in the paddock she just vacated. He, too, injured himself on the exact same part of the fence the filly had injured herself. How unlucky is THAT? At least Blaze can still run around. The filly, on the other hand, is dead lame. I was going to take a photo of her for you, but I forgot. She is absolutely stunning, from her deep dark red color, to the shape of her attractive head. Yes, you heard me, I used attractive and Standardbred in the same sentence! I know you trust me; look at Flossie! Billy came down while I was cooling Flossie out and started exercising one of his mares behind a vehicle around the track. He kicked up so much dust, and Flossie was so demonstrative when a riding mower started up across the street where the track runs closest to it, that I only walked her half way around. She was cool before we started the walk, anyway, so she didn't really need it. Later, after Des ran off to see his doctor about his legs, Gary, and his daughter Hannah, arrived. Gary came to doctor Blaze and the filly (I call her Brandy). I was going to help if he needed it, but it started to rain, which delayed his plans, and then Norm arrived to take me home so that was the end of that! I made supper for us when we got home. The rain didn't last long. I suspect Gary was able to take care of his equine patients before we even reached Eagleby. |
| FLOSSIE'S 135th LESSON Flossie never balked with me today even when she thought things were looking scary near the fenceline where she's been spooked before recently I did a lot of different things with her, breaking the routine as much as I could. I wanted to keep her focused on me, and I must say she did extremely well. I can feel her every movement with this new numnah I just purchased. It took me a while to get used to the sensations. It's almost like riding bareback. Every gait had a different feel. I had her working on cantering in the paddock. Somehow she thinks she's supposed to go as fast as she can, so I'm working on slowing her down. Next week I'll have her doing giant circles at a canter to see if that does the trick. Des and Gary went halves on another horse. This time it's a filly. She's the same age as BamBam and Blaze. I'll have to get a photo of her. I love her dark color. She's also a character and I like her horsenality. The mare Des and Gary had brought down from somewhere up north is going back again because she just can't get the hang of running around the track in the opposite direction that she was trained to do. Up north, horses don't race in the same direction! I told Des I'll be in Sydney next Monday, but I plan to ride some other morning next week if the weather is good. He likes it when I take Flossie out of the big paddock and ride her down the driveway because it gets her away from her 7/24 environment. |
| FLOSSIE'S 134th LESSON Workmen in bright green shirts were working next to the fence that surrounds Flossie's paddock this morning. They were in the very same spot the man who was spraying trees was in last week. Once again, of course, Flossie thought the boogyman was out to get her. So, instead of fighting her this time, I took her straight to the corner of the paddock and did some circles for a while in both directions. I was able to get her on the bit and into a 'work mode' before asking her to go past those scary men again. By the time she was ready for the track, she was giving all her attention to me instead of to those work men. Gary put a new gate in so the front yard can be reached without having to go up and down the shedrow now. So I took Flossie into the front yard through that gate for the first time today. Instead of leading her in hand down the driveway, I rode her towards the street. She was hesitant, but obedient nevertheless. When we reached the street, I had her stand for a good long while. She had been nervous, but after a while she settled down. She's been working stronger than ever for me lately. For the past, oh I'd say about three or four weeks now, she's been working harder and longer, and with more determination than ever before. I put a neck strap on her so I could practice standing in the stirrups at a walk and trot, but the track was a little bit too wet for that today. It was slick in certain places, but not dangerously so. Still, it wasn't the best footing for working on something new. I still stood when I could, but I didn't get the full workout I had intended. BamBam and Blaze love their carrots as much as ever. I love running my hand down their winter-thick necks, for their coats feel so substantial. Thick, and velvety. Bot flies are out again now so it's back to the bot knife I go. How quickly the season has come around again! Did I ever tell you I love hanging around the horses? Just standing with them, grooming them, staring into their eyes, running my hands all over them, talking softly to their fuzzy bitty ears? |
| FLOSSIE'S 133rd LESSON Flossie was a bronc this morning and it didn't take me long to realise it wasn't because she was feeling good. There was a man walking along the fenceline next to Des' property spraying the trees. Flossie didn't want anything to do with it. I tried to get her to go with every trick I've used in the book so far, all to no avail. Eventually I convinced her to at least go to the corner where she likes to circle. I worked her there for a while and when she was ready, I took her back to the track. She was fine until we got to the area where the guy had been spraying. (He had stopped by this point and was nowhere in sight). Because I couldn't get her to move forward, even though the man was nowhere around any more, I decided to ask Flossie to spin. She did it perfectly, as if she had been trained to do it and had been doing it for years. Just for the fun of it, I asked her to spin the other way, and again, she did it perfectly. Eventually, I had to wallop her a good one on the rear end with the crop to put a stop to her balking. She bucked, so I cracked her another good one. That was all she needed. She never balked again. Even when we came to the spot where the guy had been spraying. She eyed the trees and waved her ear at them, but she didn't stop. It took a lot of coaxing from me, using my legs, my seat, and my voice, but she went. When we turned around, I thought I'd have another fight on my hands again, but she didn't bat an eye. She went as though there had never been a problem. Go figure. Gary worked BamBam pulling the gig on the track while I was riding. The colt looks so cute because he's so small. Des told me he works better and better every day. This weekend he's taking him to Southport to work, just for practice, then he's coming home for another six weeks just to rest. Then it's back to the track for the real thing this time. Des told me the man who trained BamBam and Blaze had also trained Flossie. It was a perfect day for riding. Cool, but sunny, and the track was in terrific shape. It was a blessing not to have to worry about rain for a change. I pulled Flossie's mane and ran a comb through Bambi's. I asked Des if he wanted me to pull Bambi's mane, but he said, no, he wants it to be long. I told him I've been combing it out because it was full of tangles. |
| FLOSSIE'S 132nd LESSON Flossie was feeling good today and was such a joy to ride! I warmed her up doing circles in the corner of the paddock while Gary worked his horses on the track. She was having a hard time containing her energy, so as soon as she was ready, I had her working on the track too. I had her pacing, trotting, and cantering at her own pace in both directions, and in spite of her energy level, she was obedient, even trotting past Gary as he passed us going in the opposite direction. I like the idea of working her at a nice clip around the track because she seems to be much braver than when I warm her up at a walk. Case in point; as we were coming around the bend towards the abandoned barn next to Des' property, just as we got to the road, a man came out of the barn. Flossie spooked, but she didn't quit on me. If we had been walking, I know she would have balked. I have to encourage her to keep going, both verbally and physically, but at least she keeps going. After my ride and I was finished grooming Flossie and finally got all the tangles out of Bambi's mane, and both mares had their share of carrots, I watched Gary drench one of his geldings. He was giving him some vitamins and electrolytes through a tube since the horse won't take them either in his food, nor in his water. He stood like a champ for the procedure and didn't give Gary any trouble whatsoever. Hannah, Gary's daughter, was down. I hadn't seen her in a while and she's grown quite a bit. She was happy to see me. She loves Flossie almost as much as I do and keeps pestering her father to let her ride her. I had led her around once before in the past and she wanted to do that again. Then she asked Gary if she could ride her sometime when I'm not there, because she doesn't want to just be led around. Of course he won't let her do that! BamBam came back today! He looks exactly the same as he did when he left, only he's much taller and more mature looking. I took tons of photos as his trainer took him around the track, pulling a gig. I never dreamed I'd be around to witness the sight, since I'm not usually around when the horses are being worked. How lucky that I happened to be there today! When BamBam arrived, Des even referred to the colt by that name. I was surprised because I thought I was the only one who ever called him that. Bambi called out to him from the big paddock and he replied. I wonder if they recognized each other as mother and son. It seemed so odd to see the colt in his harness and to watch him go around pulling a gig. He looked so good. He moves nicely, too, and so effortlessly. The trainer (I think Des called him Earl) did a good job with him. I wish I had thought to ask Des if Earl had been the one who trained Flossie, too. I know he trained Blaze. I'll have to share the photos I took of BamBam today as soon as I download them. This computer is still being a puke, though, so I'll have to find a time when I have a lot of patience. |
| FLOSSIE'S 131st LESSON I didn't know if it was going to rain or not this morning. The sky certainly looked as though it were full of precipitation. Even now it still looks as though it's going to pour any minute. Anyway, I took a chance and was glad I did because I got to spend some quality time with Flossie this morning. She's in season, and when that happens, she gets kind of silly and lackadaisical. I could tell she really wasn't in the mood for a ride today, but she did okay in spite of herself. I warmed her up in the 'arena' then took her at a trot around the track. I did that so I'd have her complete attention when we came to the area nearest the road. She still likes to act as though a trail monster were out to get her when we get to the bare spots around the edge of the track near the road. When I have her moving along at a nice clip, she tends to be braver about passing things that normally throw her for a loop. I've been working on slowing her trot down when I'm posting by posting slower than her gait and I'm finally getting somewhere. At first she kept wanting to stop, but now she's getting the idea. I walked her in hand down Des' driveway again after our hour on the track. Then I mounted her and rode her back to the yard. She was extremely interested in the three geldings that live in the small pasture between the driveway and the track. She talks to them when I ride her past and sometimes they talk to her. After our time together, I grabbed the mane and tail concoction I made, a mane and tail comb, and a lead rope and went out to the pasture where Bambi and Flossie were snoozing. They were standing next to the three geldings that Flossie has her eye on. I hooked the rope on Bambi's halter and started to work on the knots that have been in her mane all summer. That stuff really does wonders! Unfortunately, Norm arrived before I was able to finish the job, but that's okay. This has happened before. Next week the job will be a piece of cake. Just having the lotion in her mane will make a lot of difference. I spoke with Des but he says there's nothing new. I noticed Billy moved his mare, the one that had had a filly recently, and was stabled in the stall Des wants to put BamBam in when he gets back. Last week she was in a makeshift stall on the grass beside the driveway, but now he's divided the latest paddock he just roped off and put her in one section so he has three horses in connecting paddocks now. |
| FLOSSIE'S 130th LESSON What a perfect day for a ride! The sky was blue, breezy, and sunny, and it wasn't as cold as it was yesterday. Des had his paddock mowed so all the bare spots from last week were gone. There were a few remnants where the earth had been dug up deeper than in other areas here and there, but they didn't present any problems for us today. Flossie balked once while approaching the road but I used my spurs and my crop and was able to get her by without much of a hassle. It was nice to be able to circle in our favorite corner again. Up until now the weeds were too tall and she couldn't find her footing. After her lesson, I took Flossie in hand down the driveway until we reached the road. Then I mounted and walked her back up the driveway to the yard. She was a little nervous once we reached the end of the driveway, and she kept pushing her head into my side I think for reassurance. Anyway, she stood for me to mount and walked away from the road as slowly as I asked her to, so I was happy with that. Des said the new mare he has now belongs to him and Sharon. Gary works her around the track every morning for them. They bought her from somewhere north of here. He said out of thirty-five races, she won eleven, came in second eight times, and third five times. I thought that was awesome, but he said all the races she was in are low grade races, with not much competition. He said when horses don't do well in races around here, that's where they end up. BamBam will be coming back in a fortnight if the weather remains dry until then. I'm curious to see him again. Billy finally weaned the filly from its mother a few weeks ago and sent it away to be trained. Now the mare is in a little make-shift pasture where she can graze again. The empty stall is where BamBam's going to go when he gets back. Blaze is as Blazey as ever. I make sure to give him some carrots whenever I'm down to ride Flossie so I can keep an eye on how he's doing. I can't think of anything else to say. The cool breeze and the golden sunshine were a real treat today. I enjoyed the wind in the paddock and the smell of the cut grass. This weather is what weather should always be like. It's just so perfect-a-moondo! It was a joy to get up this morning and not have to wonder if it's going to rain or not. Rain was the furthest thing from my mind! (Well, maybe not as far as snow . . .) |
| FLOSSIE'S 129th LESSON I enjoyed my ride on Flossie this morning more than any other ride I've had so far. She was such a challenge, but by the time the lesson was over, we had bonded better than ever before. The lesson started out normal enough. I took her to the 'arena' in the paddock, first, for a change, since the ground was nice and dry. I warmed her up doing a little of every gait, then I took her straight to the track. This is where the fun began. During the week since I rode last, Des had his track dragged and the muddy area near the road re-built. The heavy equipment used to do such a task left deep brown bare spots along the edges of the track which really stood out next to the tall green weeds. Flossie spooked at the first one, so I gave it a wide berth and encouraged her to pass by it in spite of her fright. I finally got her past that one when the next one threw her for a loop. She out-and-out refused to pass this one, so I got off and led her up to it. She walked over the entire barren area with in hand, nose down, sniffing out every little pebble, ditch, and bump on the ground. I mounted her while she was standing in this brown patch. We started out on the track again, but the same thing happened when we reached the next bare spot. I had donned my new pair of spurs for this ride, and I was glad I had them. I had to use them more than I've ever used them before in the past. It paid off, though. I had her passing all those brown patches (there were about five major ones) at every gait in both directions before the hour was up. Most of the time she balked out of fear of the unknown and when I dismounted so she could get a closer look at the ground, it was because she was shaking and nervous. However, at one point she started to balk out of disobedience. That's when I really had to use my crop and my spurs. It was sprinkling the entire time I was riding. The raindrops were so light, though, I could barely feel them. Now the rain is starting to fall harder and it's supposed to rain off and on until Saturday, so I was glad to get a ride in today. |
| FLOSSIE'S 128th LESSON My ride on Flossie this morning was a totally different experience than it has been in a long, long while. First of all, Gary came down to work his horses at the same time I was down. Usually Gary comes down early and is gone before I arrive, so it was odd to see him there. He said he had been down earlier, but the ground was much too muddy so he waited for a few hours before trying again. The track was muddy mostly in the spot closest to the road, but otherwise it was perfect footing. I love the way the ground is after it's been raining because it makes for a softer surface. Gary uses a truck with a contraption he fastens his horses to so he can work several at a time. Today he had three horses running behind his truck. While he was getting the equipment turned around, his wheels started spinning, which made a lot of noise. I had Flossie in hand at the time and I could see the noise was getting to her. She stood for me, though, and I saddled her and mounted her okay, but when I asked her to move on, she refused. Little Miss Stubborn had arrived. So I got off and put my spurs on. Good-bye Little Miss Stubborn! I only used the spurs once, initially, and never had to use them again. She knew they were there and that's all that she needed to know. All the training I've done with this mare so far started to show today while I was riding her around Gary's contraption. I was able to go in both directions, even though Gary just worked his horses to the right. I just kept an eye out for him and manuevered Flossie around him when necessary. She listened to my every command! I had her trotting, pacing, cantering, off the track so Gary could get by, and she never missed a beat when I brought her back to the track again. She was feeling good and wanted to race around at the canter, but I held her down and she went remarkably well. I could truly see the training that's been put into her, and it's paying off! I could see when she wanted to respond to all the commotion that was going on around her, and I could see her choosing to listen to me and to do what she knows she's supposed to do. It was a wonderful way to measure my progress with her and it made me feel proud. I took a real good look at the fetlock that had been swollen last week and found a wound that might have been the cause. It was shaped like a hoof so I wouldn't be surprised if Bambi had kicked her sometime between lessons. The swelling is totally gone now, but there's a hard lump right where most of the swelling had been. I touched it all over and she never flinched, so I don't think she's feeling any pain from it. Anyway, she went well today. Sometimes she felt a little off to me, but I think it was the wet ground collecting in her hooves. After my ride, I tried to put some dressing on her hooves, but they were so muddy it wasn't worth it. Elizabeth, Billy's wife, came down to prepare the feed for their five horses which they weren't going to be fed for the next four hours or so. I guess the idea is to have everything ready so when it's time to feed, all they have to do is dump each individual bucket into each of the individual feed troughs. On our way home, I stopped at Horseland and bought some more hoof dressing, because eventually I'm going to need it again since Flossie's two front feet are starting to get raggedy again. I also purchased another pair of spurs since the ones I had were designed to fit the boot of a man and they're too heavy and too long for my feet. I bought a ladies pair of training/dressage spurs that fit me perfectly. The others would eventually come loose and dangle off my heel so I was constantly adjusting them. The day started out sunny and bright, but as each hour passed, the sky started to get darker and darker until it finally poured. We haven't seen a totally dry day in months. The clouds keep the sun off our shoulders, which has given us a nice cool summer, but it's also been a very gray and depressing one as well. I wonder if I'll ever see another day when I don't have to worry about whether or not it's going to rain on my ride. |
| FLOSSIE'S 127th LESSON When I groomed Flossie this morning before my ride I noticed there was a considerable amount of swelling in her left hind fetlock, so I got Des to come out and take a look at her. Although he came out straight away, some of the swelling had already gone down by the time he arrived. Although, initially, there was some heat in the swollen area, she wasn't lame so he told me to go ahead and ride her. She was feeling good and gave me a really super ride. I had her trotting, pacing, and cantering in both directions. I think the heavy equipment that was running in the field next to the track had her jumpy. She never spooked or balked, but she seemed nervous nevertheless. She kept it all under control, however, and was obedient in spite of herself. I was able to sit the trot for a while. For quite a long while, actually. It was uncomfortable and I had to work at it, but I did it. This is a first. My seat, my balance, everything, was really good so when she came down to the trot, or started up in a trot, it didn't throw me off the way it used to. Oh, and she trotted slower for me than she does when I post her trot. After my ride and Flossie, Bambi, and Blaze had their share of carrots, and Flossie had her final grooming, (including a douse of cold water on her swollen leg which took the swelling right down for a while), I told Des how she went for me, and how the swelling was no worse after my ride than it had been before I got on her. Des had me hold her while he put some 'Swell Down' on her leg. This stuff looks like cement and although it's pliable enough straight out of the jar, it hardens when it dries just like cement does. I hope it does the trick. |
| RAINED OUT (no lesson with Flossie) I spoke with Des on the phone this morning. He said the track is so muddy right now it looks like I'll have to wait for quite some time before I can ride again. If it's that bad already, imagine how it'll be by the end of this week! We have more rain coming every day this week and every day next week as well. It's going to take weeks and weeks for the ground to recover after all this soaking. Des said he has someone coming down to mow the paddock weeds, but because the grass is so wet, he's going to have to wait for the sun to come out and dry up the ground first. I told Des he'll probably see his caretaker at the same time he sees me, since we're both waiting for the same thing. BamBam is due back home again in three weeks. It'll be neat to see how much affect his training will have had on him. I'm looking forward to experiencing his new maturity. Scroll down for the poem I just wrote . . . WHO COLORED THE RAIN? February 4, 2008 Who colored the rain a hard cold gray that cements the winds and grass together and pulls pasterns out of paddocks like weeds from the garden? Who colored the rain so lonely and bleak there's nothing to do-- but weep? Who colored the rain a sinking ship where dirt once thrived when the air was dry? I guess we shouldn't forget Who colored the rain also colored the sun. |
| FLOSSIE'S 126th LESSON I spent a perfect hour on perfect Flossie this morning. I got down 30 minutes earlier than usual, which turned out to be a good thing since the humidity was 88% this arvie. The extra half hour made a difference in the temperature, too, for it didn't get too hot until the last 20 minutes of my ride. While I had her coming around the bend in the track towards the road, two joggers suddenly appeared on the other side of the fence. They took Flossie by surprise and she put her head up sharply and stopped dead in her tracks. I told her what they were and asked her to keep going, so she did. She was strong and wanting to work today, so I worked her straight through for a half hour before cooling her down in the shade. Then we went into the 'arena' and worked some circles before calling it a day. Gary Girrard and Dan, Sharon's husband (whom I have never met before), came down and unloaded a sheet of tin with which they're going to make another shed. Gary's divided the small paddock where I used to work Flossie into three sections. When he gets the shed up, he's bringing another horse in. Gary's horse, Paddle Pop King, ran a race on Saturday and came in second place. Gary was so happy! The gelding is a nice horse and I'm glad to see he's doing well on the track. Since today is part of the long Australia Day weekend, the bulldozers next to Des' place weren't being operated. It was nice to work Flossie in peace for a change. I had forgotten how relaxing the atmosphere is when the giant machines aren't running. I love hanging around Des' when I'm done riding. Just having the horses right there, being able to look up and see Flossie in her paddock, listening to the crickets and other grassy insects buzzing and clicking and whirring away in the tall grass all around makes me feel like a country girl. I love to be in the woods and the sound of the paddock a-humming with life gives me that experience. Speaking of the tall grass, I took a photo of Flossie and Bambi in the paddock so I can show you how different the place looks now that the drought has ended. If you remember, last year I had shared a photo of the paddock when the dam was low. There was no grass around and it looked almost like a desert. Take a look at the photo I've attached with this email! You won't believe how tall the grass is now! I know you'll have to take my word on this, but those two humps you see rising above the grass really are Bambi and Flossie! |
| FLOSSIE'S 125th LESSON It was too hot (near 90 degrees, 66% humidity) to work Flossie for more than a half hour today. There were no clouds to hide beneath so I didn't want to take her into the center of the paddock. It would have been inhumane. So I worked her for fifteen minutes in one direction on the track, walked her once around the track, then worked her for fifteen minutes around the track in the opposite direction. I stayed on her to cool her out, which took another half hour. I washed her down with a bottle of water and soaked her to the bone. It was so hot, that by the time we reached the yard after walking around the track, her back was already dry. She loved the cool cloth on her face! Her feet are looking good, too, but I'm running out of hoof dressing. I'll have to make a point to pick some more up later this week. There were so many new things to notice on Des' property when we initially pulled up. First of all, BamBam's gone. Des said the trainer came for him on Saturday and it took an hour and a half to load him on the trailer. He had to lead Bambi on, first, before he'd go anywhere near it. He didn't bite, kick, or strike out. The worst he did was freeze. During my ride, I could hear Bambi calling for BamBam now and then. Even Flossie got in on it once and called out while keeping an eye out for the little guy as we came around a corner. Blaze is back. He's still a stud, but that's about all about him that's still the same. He's shed out of his chestnut coat and is now a bay with three stockings. He's a lot taller, too, now that he's a yearling. I don't think he's as tall as Bambam, though. I have no idea if he remembered me or not, but he remembered he likes carrots! Every time Blaze came out of his shed to see me, he was constantly looking over his shoulder at the huge machines that are now digging up the ground just on the other side of his paddock. They are monstrous, noisy, and unfamiliar intruders. I'm sure he'll get used to them, though. All the other horses have seemed to. Des said people were setting fireworks off the other night and the horses were spinning around and freaking out. Gary was there to keep an eye on them, and they all came out of it okay, but I can just imagine the scare they must have felt at the time with all the noise and commotion going on around them. Besides Blaze, Gary has another gelding on Des' property now. He put a shed up for him in the little paddock where I used to ride Flossie when I first started working her. He shares that paddock with Paddle Pop King, his other gelding, who also has a shed now too. He stands in the corner next to the wall and since the shed is made of metal, every time he stamps the flies off his front leg, his shoe clanks against the wall and keeps Des up at night. I took a couple of photos of Blaze so you can see just how much he's changed. I'll have to upload them onto my computer along with a 'before' picture, so you can compare the way he looks today with the way he looked when I saw him last. It's so nice to have dry weather back again, but this summer heat gets unbearable. I'm well and truly looking forward to April when autumn comes around again. |
| FLOSSIE'S 121st LESSON I was surprised when the forecast called for rain during the afternoon today. I decided to take advantage of the dry morning and went for a ride. Flossie and her paddock pals were very lethargic this morning. I'll bet it's because of the 90 degree heat we had all last week. They were wilting under the branches of the trees when I arrived. Everything was moist because of the rainy cloud coverage we've been under for days. Although the temperature was not as hot today for a change, it was still rather muggy. In spite of being a bit sluggish, however, Flossie was obedient, nevertheless. Did I ever mention that instead of stopping entirely when she's frightened of something, nowadays it's easy to keep Flossie going just by using my legs, my crop, and my voice. It doesn't take as long to get her past something any more. I'm thinking that eventually she won't do much more than turn an ear and just keep on going. When I say I use the crop, what I mean is, I tap her on the legs with it. That's all she needs to get her going. I don't even have to paddle her bottom. I felt it was time for a change, so I devised some new exercises for Flossie to do today. She gets flustered when I introduce new things sometimes because she doesn't have a routine to follow any more. The exercises involved transitions and straight lines that took her off and then back on the track again. She enjoys using her head, but she still gets out of sorts when I introduce new things that involve working in other avenues than what she's used to. I had some cherry flavored candy canes with me this morning which I had picked up at the last Toastmaster's meeting I attended with Norm in Stone's Corner last week. I offered one to Flossie and she took it, but when she realized it wasn't a carrot, she didn't want it. I tried some out on Billy's geldings and most of them loved the candy. One of his mares put her nose up to it but the other, the one with the filly, took it and munched out as if it were the best thing she ever had. I offered a carrot to the filly, but as she wrapped her teeth around it, she struck out with her front legs and hit the fence with her hooves. It took a lot of convincing and coaxing on my part to get her to come close enough to even touch the carrot. Because of her attitude, I didn't even try to give her a piece of candy. We're in for rain all week but who cares now that I got my ride in. FLOSSIE'S 122nd LESSON Des had his house painted over the week. It used to be yellow but now it's a nice blue with white trim. I took a photo of it, so as soon as I get it uploaded, I'll share it with you. If you'd like, I could send a before picture so you can compare. It looks so much better and so fresh and new! I worked Flossie hard for the first half hour of her lesson this morning. She was strong, feeling good, and wanting to go. I can't find a single thing to fault her on. She was obedient and willing. What else can I ask for? I had her trotting the entire track going to the right, which is a first. I usually can't take the gait that long. She loves to trot, though, so it did her some good to stay on the gait for so long. BamBam tried following us when we first rode past him, so I had to turn Flossie around and swing my dressage whip in the air at him with a whoosh and yell "git!" He got the picture and retreated immediately. He never bothered us again, unless you count the time he came galloping up to us head-on while we were on the track and he was on the grass beside it. Flossie and I both ignored him so he quit that caper too. I gave Des $30 worth of basa fish (a type of catfish)which Norm and I picked up at the butcher's on our way to ride to show my appreciation for his allowing me to ride Flossie every week. Of course he said I didn't have to do that! Ha! I know he appreciated it, though. Des has assured me he is not moving to be near his daughter! Now that the holiday is upon us, I had to ask him about his plans since he said he'd be leaving this Christmas if he was leaving at all. This certainly is good news for me and Flossie! FLOSSIE'S 123rd LESSON I tried to ride Flossie this morning, but she was lame. I had thought, at first, she was just stiff, so I worked her for a while, hoping it would loosen her up, but she only got worse. When I got off I checked her all over. She had nothing in her feet (I had cleaned them before mounting) and there wasn't any heat in her legs, but there was some swelling in her left hind gaskin that went around behind where the hamstring is. I told Des and he said Bambi probably gave her a swift kick. He assured me she'll be okay by next week, so that's what I'm praying for in the name of Jesus. I even had Norm help me pray for her salubrity. Billy was down while I was riding. He clipped off some branches on a tree that were hanging directly over the track so low I'd have to swerve to avoid them, so I was glad to see them go. Flossie never minded those branches when they were swinging around in the trees, but once they got chopped off, suddenly they became spooky. I had to dismount and walk her up to them so she could see what they were. She was fine after that. Billy was working on the little outdoor stall he's building for one of his mares. He was pounding away on the roof most of the time while I was there. I was proud of Flossie every time we went by because she didn't even bat an eye. (Branches lying on the ground, now, that's obviously something to spook about!) Horses! Who understands them? Des said he'll keep an eye on Flossie during the week, but I'm already planning to phone him after Christmas to see how she's doing. He won't be home Christmas day, because he's staying overnight at his daughter's. Billy told me Des told him that Des is going to have BamBam halter-broke and trained for the track so he'll be leaving as soon as the trainer comes for him. I don't know when that'll be, but if he doesn't come after the holidays, I'm going to ask Des about it. Billy also told me that it was Des' wife who told Des not to move at the end of this year. He said she has a lot of clout about what Des does and doesn't do. He told me she's a very wealthy woman. A while back Des told me his wife phones him every day and that they get along much better than they ever did when they lived together. Des also told me she'll be celebrating the holiday with him at his daughter's. He said his entire family always gets together over Christmas. Des told me he's been having acupuncture treatment for the slipped disc in his back. He said he's had six so far and he's just now finally able to sleep. Up until now the pain has been so bad it's been keeping him awake at night. The weather was perfect for riding today and Flossie had been feeling good. I just know we would have had a wonderful ride if she had been sound. |
| FLOSSIE'S 124th LESSON Boy was it ever good to be back in the saddle again! I lunged Flossie before I saddled her up this morning and she was, much to my joy, as sound as the first day I rode her. When I got on, she was feeling good and I let her go through her paces at every gait around the track in both directions at the speed she chose. She trotted completely around in one direction at a very fast clip. This is the first time I rode her at a trot so long, so fast. I cooled her out thoroughly when we were finished and walked her around the track after splashing her back with water. I only worked her for a half hour since she hadn't been ridden for fifteen days and the last time I rode her she was lame. So she had a lot of bottled up energy to release. I rode well in every regard. I had to remind myself to relax my shoulders now and then, but my hands, feet, legs, and seat were top-notch! All this without exercising beforehand since it was on the spur of the moment when I decided to go. Des was nowhere to be seen and he wasn't home when I phoned him last night to see how the track was. I'm wondering if he's in the hospital because when I spoke to him last he mentioned going in for tests. Flossie didn't have her halter on today and I was going to ask Des about that. I also wanted him to know Flossie was ridden and that she's fully recuperated from her lameness. I'll have to phone him sometime during the week with the information. It will also give me a chance to see how he's doing. Anyway, since it never rained last night and the morning was a sunny one, the track was in great condition. Gary Girrard, who owns Paddle Pop King, and Liz, Billy's wife, were down when I first got there. I was surprised to see Gary, but I arrived at 6:30, which was two and a half hours earlier than usual, so he's usually come and gone by the time I get there. I loved the way Flossie felt today. She felt strong, willing, and perfectly able to do whatever it was I wanted her to do. Not that I asked for anything unusual since she hadn't been ridden for a while, but she was obedient at every turn nevertheless. |
| FLOSSIE'S 120th LESSON Flossie did well during the first twenty minutes of our ride together, but after that she got kind of lackadaisical and didn't want to concentrate any more. I think it might have been because of the heat. Even though I started an hour earlier than usual, it was still amazingly hot whenever the sun would come out from behind the big cumulus that grazed in the sky above all morning. Consequently, I gave her a lot of breaks and took it easy on her for the last part of the lesson. I spoke with a friend (MJ) who trains horses and she said as long as Flossie isn't coughing when I ride her and I don't work her until she gets hot (not hot from the heat), than I'm doing okay. Flossie has not been coughing when I ride her and I haven't been allowing her to work hard enough to heat her up. Last week, however, she ran pretty fast for a pretty long time (compared to how short and easy I'd been allowing her to work previously), but she was strong last week and I did not work her until she was hot. She showed absolutely no signs of being ill or out of sorts. Yesterday, however, since she wasn't as strong and as focused as the week before, I was worried that I've been pushing her too hard too soon. I would be very upset if I had overworked her too soon and caused her needless pain and injury. My goodness; that mare's salubrity is in my hands, praise be to God. I would never forgive myself if I mistreated her, even if it were inadvertently. The filly that Billy and Liz own had a rope around her neck while I was at Des'. I wanted to ask Des if he knew about it. He never came home while I was there, so I tried ringing him all night about five times. I was curious as to whether or not Billy was going to be down before nightfall so he could take that rope off her. I guess I'll never know. I will make sure it's not on her next week when I go down. If it is, I'll mention it to Des if he's around. Bambam is still in the paddock with his mother and Flossie and the fence has not been repaired yet. I am still praying on both these accounts. |
| FLOSSIE'S 119th LESSON I had plans to work Flossie harder today since she's totally over the flu, but I didn't have to make the choice, myself. She did. She was feeling so good she couldn't contain herself. I usually take her around the track at a walk just to warm her up, but today she wouldn't have it. I took her around in one direction, holding her back without protest on her part. She was responsive to me and did as she was told. Then I turned her around. I asked her to move on when she stopped to spook at something, and that was all she needed. When I asked for a canter, she was off like a shot. Instead of pulling her down as I have been doing for the past three weeks, I let her go. She flew around the entire track before I slowed her down to a trot. She was strong! I knew she was going to be feeling good, though, as soon as I brought her up to the yard to be tacked. Billy brought in another mare with a foal to the premises and throughout the entire ride all the horses were conversing, including Flossie. Bambi and her colt, BamBam, were tearing around the paddock while I was riding Flossie. Flossie knew they were there and I could tell she wanted to run with them, but her attention never wavered from me. As far as the weather goes, it was dry and cloudy with intermittent sunshine. The track was in perfect shape. I had phoned Des before I went down and he said he didn't get all the rain we got in the past few days. The paddock looks great, though! It's a lush green and the dam is high again. The water looks so inviting. There are always a few ducks about when I ride. At the moment the wind has picked up and I can hear it screaming around the corners of the house. The sun is bright, the clouds are few, and the scene from my window is as pretty as a picture! As the week wears on, we're supposed to get more rain again. I think I picked the best day out of the week for a ride. |
| FLOSSIE'S 118th LESSON Flossie and I were a real team this morning! My legs have gotten so strong that all I need to do is clench my calf muscles and she responds. Of course she's a sensitive horse, anyway, so it never took much on my part to get her to respond to me to begin with. I was at my peak in the saddle today and Flossie was at the height of her performance. We worked like a well-oiled machine. Our timing, balance, control, were impeccable. While I was riding today I gave myself a pat on the back for making such a nice riding horse out of this Standardbred mare! No one else can take the credit for that! Of course Flossie has a lot of innate talent, but it's good to know I've added something to that, and not subtracted. She was feeling good! She felt strong and was so willing I didn't worry too much about working her too hard. I rode for an hour, but only worked her hard for the first twenty minutes. I love it when I get what I want out of a horse via subtle aids. She yields so willingly and so well to just a tiny bit of movement on my part. It's unbelievable, really. BamBam was feeling good, too. He wanted to chase Flossie around the track, but I put a stop to that. So, instead, he started galloping next to us while we were just trotting along on the track. Flossie knew he was there, but she ignored him and listened to my every command. It was kind of fun running alongside the colt like that. Even his mother, Bambi, wanted in on the exercise and at one point the two of them took off at a canter. There's nothing I like better than to be under a perfect sky, in a temperate wind, on a horse with loose horses running around in the paddock with us. When I'm walking Flossie in hand and BamBam comes up behind, she nudges me on the back to let me know so I can chase him away. Thankfully he listens to a yell, or a wave of my arm. I think Des has been applying some medication on Flossie's coat because the rain-rot she got a few months back has been getting progressively worse. The reason I believe Des has been putting something on it is because she has white marks on her flanks and barrel that run down her hips and legs like something liquidy would if it had been spilled down her back. What else could it be? I've written a prayer list and asked the Lord to help Des wean BamBam from the big paddock before it's too late. I also asked the Lord to get someone to mend the fence that's down in Des' paddock. It has me worried the horses will escape one day and run out into the road and get injured or killed. I hope these prayers will get answered before it's too late. I'm also worried about Flossie's health. I'm wondering if I've been working her too hard too soon because last week and this week I heard her make a noise that sounded like how a snotty nose sounds when you snort. Sort of rattly. That doesn't sound good, does it? Both times she was pacing at the time with me in the saddle. She doesn't have a snotty nose, though, nor does she breathe with any difficulty. I'm trying to figure out what this might mean, if anything. She's never made the sounds before, so I'm keeping an eye on her. |
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