Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 161st Lesson

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.