Hello again to all my blog followers! I know it’s been a
while, nearly 2 years in fact, but life has been a little busy and full. But as
I recently re-read all the entries I made in 2010, I realized that I still had
more to say. And you know that’s life I think. Sometimes taking a break from
one thing can propel you to return to it in better form, mentally and physically
and dive back in with a renewed sense of purpose. So here I am and hopefully
you’re still interested in reading what I am writing!
So over the past two years my life has changed. When last we
spoke I had left my horse job and was looking for a new job. I was still
feeling burned to a crisp from too much horse “work” and not nearly enough
horse “enjoyment.” I can say that now things are very different. I work in an
office job and I have been in this position since 6 weeks after the horse job
ended. It’s a challenging position and I am grateful to have found a new way of
life so quickly and in such a bad economy. The office kept me plenty busy for
the first year and Lad was still off with friends on “loan.”
But by mid-February of 2011 apparently Lad and I got our
wave lengths matched up. I got a call from where he was saying they wanted to
send him home, and right about then I had 1.) Stood on a scale and 2.) Realized
I needed him back! So home he came. And what do you know; he was happy to see
me. And I don’t mean like he was looking past me for the peppermints I had in my
hand. No, he would come cantering to the gate when I called. I swear. My horse
had turned into “Lassie” while he was away! I would end up wiping tears away as
I led him to the barn to get tacked up for the first two weeks.
But the best was yet to come. Our time apart had changed Lad
and my relationship. I had learned during the barn job that I missed enjoying a
ride for the simple fact I was on a horse doing what I loved. And so instead of
grilling Lad with what he “HAD” to work on for this goal or that show or this
skill set, I just rode him. Sure we still worked on consistency in the bridle,
bending and using his hind end, but in between I would walk around give him
mints (mid ride) and stare out over the farm enjoying the sights from the back
of my best friend. And Lad had changed too. He didn’t resist work when I doled
it out in the new smaller amounts with frequent breaks. And he seemed to like
the new system so much I would feel him trying harder and being better. Huh
imagine that… give the horse the time and space to “be” and he works harder for
you. That was one of those moments when I went home and looked in the mirror
and realized “Yep riding is definitely like golf. You will never learn
everything before you die.” I laughed at myself for missing something so
obvious in hindsight.
So Lad and I got back in the swing of things, my fitness
improved and eventually I felt like taking him somewhere to do something. Oddly
Lad and I were able to do much more fluid courses with our new way of relating
so going against the grain I chose to take him to a hunter show. And God knows
I have never been competitive in hunters, but hey it’s easy, local and cheap.
So off we went. And off we came back with a ribbon!!! In a class of 15… so not
even a gimme! Huh new way of training works, next thought after that is a
constant self-beating for not having tried to chill out YEARS ago, but oh well.
So we rode our wave of success and a while later took him out to a couple paper
chases. And again, brought home a ribbon! I watched in wonderment as Lad, MY
Lad, started populating the ribbon wire in my home office. New ribbons went up
nearly monthly to take their place alongside my favorite winning memories of my
entire equine career. He won a Combined Test Derby in October and I was just
beside myself. (True we were the only entry, but dad and John said it best, “You
still could have lost!.” Very true guys. And in years past I have done just
that.)
We were entered for an event at Plantation to round out the
year of “rebirth” but sadly it snowed and they cancelled. So Lad went on a mini
vaca and I sat back and rested a bit. But as happens sometimes in the quiet
moments you start to concoct “brilliant” ideas. Ideas that the recesses of your
mind make you believe will work out in ways and successes that you won’t have
ever believed. And the dark lore of these new fledgling ideas calls to your mind
as only you’ve ever heard in the Lord of the Rings. “My precious” idea was to
try out this new “brilliant” training system on a new OTTB. And a young one I
could train a bit and sell on for LOTS and LOTS of money. And so the search began
and I could hear the future announcer’s voices in my heads announcing my
winnings with the name of every available CANTER horse’s name in my head. But finally one stood out. And we jumped in
the truck and drove west.
January in Harrisburg, Pa. is not the warmest month. No, in fact
on this day it was a whopping 16 degrees when John and I pulled into the
backside of Penn National Racetrack. 16 degrees at the track isn’t fun, as my
experiences with winters both at Belmont and Fair Hill will qualify. The horses
are wild, the people are cold and the day cannot end quickly enough so we can
retreat to any machine, device or person whose warmth will work to revive our
frozen skin and souls. That morning we tread cautiously into the appointed
barn. And I couldn’t help but feel sadness as I witnessed the disparity between
the backsides of Belmont, Saratoga and Delaware compared to this barn here at
Penn. I know the purses they run for are large here, but the backsides and how
the horses and horsemen look where I stood well this wasn’t the “good” side of
things.
I shrugged off the
sadness and breathed deep the fresh smell of straw and thoroughbreds in the
morning. And about halfway down the shedrow there he was. “Petey.” All 15.2 hands
and Zenyatta sized ears of him. For an instant I thought we’d wasted a trip as
when one looked into the stall from the shedrow he appeared much smaller than
15.2. What played to all of our advantages was that we were already there and
it wouldn’t hurt to look closer. So we went in the stall and I felt myself sink
as I walked in. Some former tenant had gotten bored and decided to try to dig
their way to comfort, freedom or maybe some other incentive for them was buried
beneath the once level stall floor. But now it was a crater within that made a
mini skate park for hooves. So once I was “lowered” to Petey’s level I could
see he was indeed big enough.
We took his blanket off, all the while he nuzzled me and
seemed kind and interested. We led him outside to the level ground and looked
at him. He had all the right raw materials in a late bloomer of a body. So with
some amount of trepidation we asked if they would jog him for us in the
shedrow. Just a few steps if you don’t mind, we just need to see him move. So
picture this, a 4 yr. old gelding, he hasn’t been trained at the track or taken
out of his stall much in the last 14 days since they decided to quit on him and
sell him, it’s 16 degrees and all around the stalls are horses sticking their
heads out as he goes by. Yep…. This should light up the place like the fourth
of July, but I didn’t care if he was wild, he had every right to be.
But what
we got was a calm horse who willing jogged in hand (Something not all track tb’s
know how to do or are willing to do) and only 2 bucks. John and I looked at
each other with huge grins, well I think we were grinning there was a lot of
wool, polar fleece, scarves and hats involved. Petey came around the next lap
and jogged again and we noticed the graceful almost purposeful way he placed
his feet. He is not a huge floaty mover as Lad is, but rather a precise and
graceful animal with a willingness to perform for strangers in the cold. I knew
then we were taking him. And so I walked him around the shedrow myself for a
few turns and explained that life was about to change and get a lot more fun. It’s
a total guess but since he had finished last in all 4 of his starts, I think
this news pleased him.
The next night we showed up with the trailer, in the
sleeting rain and 20 degrees. It was after dark and the wind was blowing. Petey
had taken me at my word that I was going to make his life more fun. You ever
notice how you just kind of don’t recognize some dominant parts of a beings
character until you’re in a rare moment? I mean who didn’t see the
determination in Michael Phelps’s features at the Beijing Olympics? You could
nearly touch the gratitude and all-encompassing fear in the eyes of those who
emerged from the World Trade Center towers alive. And I doubt any of you will
forget a moment of personal achievement from your own youth that is so strong
within your own mind that you are recalling it now. And on that dark cold night
I watched relief and hope cross the eyes of a horse that never missed a beat as
he walked willingly into a dark trailer and never once looked behind him as we
closed all the doors and ramp. And so Petey joined our brood and headed home to
meet his new brother Lad.
There are more tales of Petey and Lad to come. There will be blogs about the dogs, my crazy life and family and all sorts of things. And this time
I promise to deliver for a while. But I think it’s best for all of us to start
back and catch up progressively. I would hate to burn out my readers as my job
burned me out. All will be revealed in time. And it’s that sense of patience
and metering out work in small doses that has literally changed my life and
brought more successes than I ever dreamed to me. So here to I will dabble
progressively and allow you all a moment between blogs to stop, catch your
breath and enjoy the scenery.
Thank you for reading and stay cool today!
~Emily
Pic1: Lad and me right after he returned
Pic 2: Meeting Petey in the cold. (Check out those Ears!)
