Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 169th Lesson

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.