The Final Countdown Begins

21 days. That's all we have left before I pack the tack box, polish the tall boots, and load Fancy onto the trailer to head down to Kentucky Horsepark for the 2016 Thoroughbred Makeover. 21 days. No pressure there!

Since my last post, Fancy and I have hit several roadblocks that resulted in lapses in his training; essentially, he's been in and out of regular work since August, and only recently went back to training the past 2-3 weeks or so. Some of our obstacles include:

1. battling the worst recorded case of scratches since 1846 (thin-skinned thoroughbred + three white legs + 24-hour turnout on dewey grass = too much moisture on sensitive pink skin!).

2. rough-housing with a pasture buddy, resulting in a big bite mark on his back which took over 2 weeks to heal enough for him to carry a saddle comfortably.

3. dealing with the demands of my work with other clients' horses and lessons. If I get busy riding and teaching for clients, or if I'm gone at a show, he gets a day (or week) off. There's only 24 hours in a day, and clients' horses are my first priority.

Even though he hasn't been working much under saddle, he has been enjoying lots of turnout and attention. We recently celebrated his one-year "track-iversary" (one year since his last race!) with a long groom and an even longer graze. He still loves to lay down and roll, and one day last month he even talked one of his buddies into rolling while hand-grazing too!

Taking everything into consideration, Fancy is doing well. He's started cantering some here and there on the flat (a big milestone for us!), and he even cantered some small verticals yesterday. My goal each ride is to appreciate the small moments of success while maintaining a patient and sympathetic mindset for how difficult everything truly is for the OTTB.

Fancy and I have some big plans in the next 21 days. The farm is gearing up for our fall/winter schooling series, and there are both dressage and hunter/jumper shows scheduled at home before we leave for Kentucky. I plan to show Fancy in both these shows, as a way to expose him to crowds, schooling ring chaos, and general craziness of the show day before the Makeover. Our goals for these shows are staying relaxed through the chaos and keeping Fancy's calm attention on his job, rather than cantering 8 jumps in a row with lead changes or a perfectly straight trot-halt transition down the centerline. Our simple goals extend all the way to the Horsepark, where a quiet, willing attitude will be worth much more to me than any prize money or ribbons won.

The biggest thing this horse and this adventure have taught me is patience; to let each day provide its own lesson for both horse and rider, rather than getting stuck trying to keep up with some pre-conceived "training plan." What good does practicing a straight line do if the horse is so tense and nervous he can't even think straight (no pun intended)? I'd rather slow down, change my expectations, and maybe just go for a laid-back walk around the property on those days. And with that, we're going to go work on a relaxed trot on a sort-of-straight-zig-zag down the centerline!

See you in Kentucky!