Wed. Misc.

End of our normal KC mid June rains, and we're half way through 2011. Good grief. But, here at the farm some enthusiasm and momentum building up for actually heading to a track. With return of "normal" KC weather this year our good horse is making daily progress albeit half as fast as would a horse without his various problems, and our truck-horse trailer engineering problems resulting from my failing to supervise the young lad that installed the new trailer floor, and also my buying a truck with 18 inch wheel base for a 1975 Homemade trailer built for 17 inch wheels. The floor board problem in that some slats fail to sit snugly on the metal support rods has been easy to fix though a dirty claustrophobic job under the trailer. To level out the trailer due to the 18 inch wheels I'll have to literally cut off the back top off the truck bed. That's next.

Our biggest obstacle to getting to the race track may well turn out to be money. Before 2008 spending an extra $1000/mo. on travel here and there was zero problem. These days I barely make enough to meet expenses, and gas prices being what they are, a trip to Eureka, Lincoln or Des Moines is going to cost $200.00. That's steep.

Our horse is cooperating and were he gate trained--track trained could likely run a race safely in 45 days. As things are, however, with all of this horse's various problems, what will happen once we get on a race track is worrisome. Biggest problem may be studdish behavior that started a few months back. Neighbor brought a horse over last week to ride in company, and Rodney went nuts. Unable to pull it off. We're getting a little closer to the real thing. Plan is to feel this along as it goes.

Training:
Sun: Off. Rain.
Mon. 6/20: 4 times up and down hill. Aborted after 4 heats as horse is acting up. Utterly failed today to react to speed up aids. However, the horse is on the verge of fast stuff under tack, according to Nob.
Tues. 6/21: Nob's calf blows up from non-horse stuff so bad we're unable to ride. Luckily seems to be ok by Wed. We do our normal riderless racing in the paddock. This has become very entertaining older horse after he gets headed has now figured out how to get around the lazy one, who slows down immediately when he gets to the front, by zagging either left or right around the big fellow, and, the second the old horse is in the lead again, the full speed race is on. Good stuff, and very much conditioning exercise.