Ol' Fleet Would Be Proud

[Helena [»€]]

GHF Triple Crown -- Preakness Stakes
Strictly Speaking ridden by Helena Schwarzkopf

Wild Eyes

Like a bat out of hell, Strict gallops the fence as she awaits my arrival with carrots and love. Carrots defiantly come first, though...

"Hey, crazy!" I call to her as I undo the chain holding her back from the ultimate freedom. She takes another dash around the pasture, bucking and squealing like nobody's business. I smile at her beauty and wish I had my camera handy. Suddenly, she stops and stares at me like she's never seen me before. I giggle and pull a huge fresh carrot out of my pocket. I hold it out in front of me and watch as she begins moving toward me; slowly at first but before I know it there's a 1,000 pound racehorse champion galloping toward me with a wild look in her eyes. Just a few feet away from me now, Strict slams on her brakes and comes to a brilliant sliding stop like she'd been reining all her life. My heart almost stop and she came to a full stop in a cloud of dust inches from me, but I held my ground. When the dust clears I see her looking at me with her head to the side, begging for her treat for being oh so perfect. I smile and give her the carrot. Strict devours it like she's never fed. While she's preoccupied, I slide the leather halter with her name engraved in gold: Strictly Speaking.

Oh So Delicate

I get her in the cross ties and pick out my grooming supplies: curry, pick, body brush, and fly spray. She waits patiently as I pick up each of her hooves and clean them to near spotlessness. Then I curry her, body brush her, and finish her off with some fly spray for her oh so delicate self. I tack her up quickly, eager to get the trail. Now that she has her racing gear on and I have mine, I unhook her and lead the big bay mare to the woods. I'm sick of that track, I'm sure she is too. Plus, she's getting too linear. She needs to be set free so she can learn to be conscious of her surroundings. She needs to be a horse.

I Shall be Released

I am on her back now, feeling her muscles expand and contract through the thin saddle as she walks toward the forest.