Taking a Breath--New Year's Day

Bit of a shock. RR peruses Yahoo calendar and Jan. 5,6,7, and 8 are days instead of weeks away. Is this Derby pressure weighing in on RR? Six inches of rain since late Nov. hardly have helped things. I'm thinking, where are we with this new two year old used to be called Y but in the future refer to him as "Art". Thinking about the name "Amart".

I was feeling pretty good about dam well just getting out there today after 48 straight hours of rain. Complete mess, and we're going through our usual deep mud routine. Gallops, squish, squish, squish. And today marks the day that "Art" loses not one but two front shoes.

My avid readers will be aware of our shoe problems with Art. Today makes the third loss of the front shoes since purchase and the 4th was right before the sale. Today, one lost in the mud and one for crying out loud caught in a fence. Those waterlogged hoofs will look like swiss cheese now. Time for another session with my shoer Mr. Nob.

Just wanted to get the Astride at 30lbs (and it feels a lot heavier) back on today. First exercise under weight in about 10 days--just a little trot-gallop in the pasture--I'll avoid the gory details of the misbehaving yearling-er two yr. old. sob. we did finally get a little done.

Then, under tack, Nob, who is also my rider, refused to get on out in the pasture. What's the deal Nob, I said. This is the 7th session under tack. He should be ok.

He's never done this in the pasture came back the refrain. Well, Nob, he throws you either on the nice soft grass or up in the deep cold mud near the barn--your choice. I did point out we'd have the mud next seven days, and Nob may as well get used to it. Nob relented and got a little standing around beside a pasture buddy. Nob and the horse were both nervous, so we let it go.

Back to the theory of conventional training after I watch the bowl games.