Hoof Blogs

Flossie's 208th Lesson

FLOSSIE'S 208th LESSON

When I arrived at Des’ this morning, Billy was just getting started with his horses on
the track so I waited a half hour for him to finish. There were two power machines going
gung-ho on the road next to the track, and I didn’t want to have to be working around
Billy with all that commotion going on. There isn’t enough room for his truck and his
horses to pass me on Flossie when we’re in between the dam and the road, so I thought it
was best to wait.

As I approached the road where all the construction was going on, on foot, with Flossie
in tow, just as we came around the first bend in the track, one of the power machines
came up beside us, lowered its shovel, and started scraping up the ground right next to
us. Flossie spooked just as the shovel came down. The noise it made was loud and
constant and I could hear rocks kicking up and clanging against the metal as it moved
along.

I calmed Flossie down by patting her neck, talking quietly and telling her it was okay.
I let her stand for a moment so she could see she was safe. I had her walk back and
forth again and again, and I took more time than I normally do. The generator was going
and a man was on the ground next to us, using a power drill and was blasting away with
sporadic banging noises at the cement wall that holds up the new road.

I asked the man if he was here last week and told him how they had turned the generator
off for me until I was done riding Flossie. He hadn’t been there last week, though, for
it was a totally different crew this time. The man’s boss came over to see what we were
chatting about and when he found out I was concerned about the generator spooking my
horse, he insisted that he could not turn the machine off. He said his men had a job to
do and he couldn’t have them waiting around. I told him I just wondered because they did
it for me last week. He said other horses had been working around the track earlier
today and didn’t have a problem with the generator. I told him they weren’t being
ridden, though. Then he said I should work the horse somewhere else or come back
tomorrow or Wednesday because he wouldn’t be running the generator on those days and I
just simply said okay and went back to walking Flossie in hand back and forth while the
guy continued to blast away at the wall. I have to hand it to her; Flossie never spooked
again as she let me lead her past those machines, even when they came up and started
scraping the ground next to us again.

Let me stop here a moment and explain something to you. I don’t know if you appreciate
how close these machines are to the track and just exactly what it is I’m asking Flossie
to do. I could take one step off the track and touch the man who’s operating the
blasting power drill. That’s how close the shovel on the power machine was to us that
day Flossie and I nearly went inadvertently for a swim in the dam. One step away. Two
steps more and we could have touched the machines that were operating today. They work,
literally, right on top of us.

You know how loud power machines are when they’re being operated when their tires are
turning and their shovels rise and fall. Imagine riding a horse past all that. The
machines are ten times my size if not more. Flossie is a relatively big horse, but her
tall stance pales in comparison to these giant machines. Keeping that in mind, it’s no
wonder I had to double Flossie more than once to get her by those machines today. But
get her by I did and I told Des I am proud of the way Flossie handles herself with me.
Although I would not recommend teaching beginners in this environment in such close
proximity to those roaring, clanging, banging, whirring, churning machines, Flossie is
not dangerous to ride and she is willing to get past all that dad-blasted noise and
high-fa-lootin’ commotion just to make me happy.

Four times in both directions at every gait I had this mare going by these monstrous
machines. I circled her in the corner, too, in spite of the machines that were working
in that area as well, and even in spite of the men who strutted around almost like ants
beside us. Incidentally, men on foot no longer threaten Flossie as they once did,
by-the-way. I had her canter in both directions three times each. I had to counter-bend
her going to the right before she stayed on the rail for me. I got a few slow strides
out of her at the canter and I worked real hard at that.

We were both hot and sweaty by the time we were done, but I was satisfied with today’s
workout. I usually walk Flossie around the track in hand one last time after cooling her
out, but I skipped it today. I didn’t see any reason for taking her back into that
environment again. She was already cool by then so it wasn’t necessary. Besides, I
don’t think I would have found it fun to do today and I normally enjoy my walk around the
track with Flossie.

I rode better today than I did last week, but I still had some problems. I fell behind a
few times after doubling Flossie and was thrown off center so much at one point that she
had to adjust herself to keep me balanced in the saddle! What a horse! I noticed she
doesn’t bend as well going around the track to the left and so I made it a point to work
on that. I noticed my inside leg stayed in the proper position since I had to keep it
under me while bending Flossie. It didn’t go moving back and forth on me the way it did
last week.

I asked Des if it would be okay to hose Flossie off in the wash rack from now on. Since
it’s bore water I’d be using, he had to show me where to plug the cord in that starts the
water flowing. He said Flossie’s good about being hosed off. I wasn’t surprised to hear
that. She’s just too smart to let something like water from a hose bother her.

I hung around Gary’s pony for a while. He neighs to me whenever he sees me. He likes to
run his tongue all over me; my arms, legs, hands, and even face. I had to shower as soon
as I got home. He’s so friendly and I enjoy the way he sniffs me all over and tries to
grab my shirt tail.

Anyway, that’s my story for today. I can’t think of anything else to mention.