Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 77th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 77th LESSON
I started Flossie off doing circles this morning. I had to chase Blaze
off a few times, first, though. The last time I kept after him until his
mother finally intervened. Once I took Flossie out of the paddock, I had
her circling every so many steps off the track in both directions. We
did that all the way around. She was so confused because I changed her
routine so drastically. She needs that, though; it keeps her collected
believe-it-or-not. I had her going so slow today it was incredible, with
lots of up and down movement. Her bit was wet when I took it from her
after dismounting. Oh, and she went over the log in both directions
without any problems.


I wanted to get her working over cavalettis, but it was too hot for that
today. I did put the tarp down in a different spot and had her circling
around it in both directions. She hardly reacted to it; the first time
she perked up her ears, but that was about it. I like to put it in
different places every week so she never knows where it's going to
turn up.


After she had her little bath and all her carrots were gone, I took a
soccer ball out to the paddock and rolled it past her while she was
grazing. She wanted to bite it. So I rolled it down a slight incline
near Blaze. He was so interested! He ran after it and circled it and
circled it again and again. The second time I rolled it down the hill,
he ran after it and then started circling it and snorting the way horses
do when they're afraid of something. Then he started kicking at it
with his hind leg. He never actually hit it, though. After a while he
thought it was lunch and started to eat it, so I declared that the end
of the exercise.


I was able to touch Bam Bam on the nose a couple of times today. Oh, I
actually touched Blaze on the nose a couple of times too. While I was
waiting around in the paddock, the horses stopped grazing. They walked
up to a gum tree and stood in the shade. The two colts promptly went
down for a snooze. I sat down on the ground in front of the three mares.
It was one of the most blissful and fulfilling half hours I have ever
spent with the horses.


At one point Blaze rolled over and over until, finally, he rolled right
into his mother's legs. It was pretty comical. He just stayed there
until she finally moved away. It was such a picturesque morning with
plenty of cumulus clouds, cool zephyrs, and humid-free sunshine. I lay
on my back for a while with my hat over my face to keep the bright sky
out of my eyes. When I opened them again, there was Blaze's face
looking down on me. He is such a curious little thing and is so alert,
nothing gets past him.


I wish I hadn't been so darn tense. Flossie is a dream to ride; why
do I have to spoil it?