At this time of year, and especially this spring, you never know quite how dirty your horse will be. We’ve had rain, rain and more rain. As a result, our paddocks are incredibly muddy. I think the horses must draw straws to see who gets ridden on a given day, with at least one being so wet and muddy that it hardly seems worthwhile to scrape the mud off.
Ummmmmmm, it would be Zelda, of course. But ….she’s black. There may be some dirt that just doesn’t show.
By the way…I’ve seen one specific horse at several Derbies now. Did you notice one of the ‘ponies’ leading the TB’s on the post parade? BIG HEFTY black, Appaloosa butted horse. Can’t remember who he was ponying but there’s a ton of draft in that beast. He’s been at the Downs for years. Knowing that television routinely ‘adds ten years or ten pounds’ to the talents on the screen, I don’t know how big the horse is, but he makes Zelda look like a twig.
I remember, also, for years, there was a pony (again, at the Downs), that went bridleless. Not even a halter. The rider would put pompoms in his mane and he did his job, leading the TB with his head high, saying, “I don’t need no bridle.”
Yes, there were two really nice Appys at the Derby. But one was really solid — body and mind. I’ve always heard that if you can get a retired pony horse from the track they are worth their weight in gold.
Zelda and Freedom trade off. Some days she’s a lot dirtier than he is. Lately, he’s been coating himself in mud.