Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 93rd Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 93rd LESSON

It rained over night just enough to wet the dust on the track for me this morning. I was
afraid it might be slick, but I found there was plenty of traction and Flossie never slipped
once. We avoided the muddiest spots by staying to the side of the track where it was the
driest.

Flossie was feeling good!!! She listened, however, and only gave me the speed I
requested!!! There was a towel hanging on the fence near the barn close to the road that
was there last week and I had to ride her past it, back and forth, until she decided to walk
up to it on her own. I left the towel there because I didn't have any problems with it
after that. When we went past it today, Flossie acted exactly as if she had never seen it
before! I had to walk her past it again and again, getting closer each time, until she
finally felt brave enough to check it out. I pulled it off the fence today because I
didn't want to deal with it what with the wet ground and all.

I don't know if it was the towel, or just the fact that she was feeling so energetic
today, but Flossie wanted to spook at everything even while we were going at a fast pace,
even a canter. This is very unlike her, because if she's going to do it at all, she
usually only spooks when we're walking around the track for the first time. She made
me work hard today and I must say I was up to it! I rode her so well and I was so pleased
when I got off that I couldn't wait to tell Norm! My seat was great! I felt as though
I were one with Flossie; as if I were growing out of her back. It was the experience I look
for every time I mount a horse; the one I ride for!

After our work-out on the track, I took Flossie up to the cones I had set up earlier and we
did some circling in both directions. She's getting better at that. We walked around
them, first, then picked up the pace. I'm posting her trot as easy as pie and am now
working on sitting it. I mean this is intensive care stuff! With the new body I have
thanks to my exercises, I'm not finding it nearly as difficult as I did before.

Later, I went out to the paddock to be with the colts. I was able to put a rope around
BamBam's neck while I stood beside him. I started out by putting an arm around him
first and when he stood for that I put the rope in my hand. I let it slide off his neck.
He just stood there. I tried the same thing with Blaze, but I swear that colt is getting
less tame as time goes on. He just wanted to rear. So I put the rope on the ground and
pulled it across directly in front of him. He was curious and enjoyed watching it slither
past.

When I finished with the colts, I found a spot in the paddock under a tree and sat down in
the shade to enjoy the horses. First Flossie walked up and joined me. She stopped on the
other side of the track, though, to be near Mickey (one of Billy's horses that was
grazing in the paddock behind the electric line). Bambi and BamBam came up next. BamBam
decided to lie down in the shade, so I shimmied over to him and started to stroke his face,
ears, nose, forehead. It was such a thrill to have him allow me to do that while he
stretched out on the ground like that! Usually a horse, and especially a baby, will jump
right up if you try to get close while they're lying down, so I felt privileged to be
able to do that.