Y17 Juvenile Workout for Finding NorthThe sun was just coming over the horizon as a horse and rider stepped onto the dirt track. The chestnut colt's ears pointed forwards and he stopped as a flock of birds took off from one of the nearby trees. A reasurring pat from his rider convinced him that nothing was wrong. A gentle nug from Brad urged him forwards and the colt picked up the pace from a walk to a trot.
It was a quiet morning on the farm, with everyone else at one of the other tracks or busy taking care of the remaining horses on the farm. Which suited the pair just fine since no distractions meant that maybe the horse could actually put in a good workout. Not that his past ones had been bad, but there'd always been something to distraact the horse. After the horse was warmed up, he moved into a slow gallop. Unlike After All, the horse had no issues with going faster and Brad had to work on keeping North in check. This was not a workout where they needed to go fast, just one where they could see what he could do. There'd be time for fast workouts later, but not so early in the year. A leisurely gallop would be fine for now. The sound of the hoofbeats on the dirt track and the horse's breathing were the only sounds that broke the silence. It was mornings like these that the rider loved the best. Nothing but the horse and him on the track, leaving him to focus on the job at hand and not the stuggles of life around him. Which was true during a race, but in the mornings, there wasn't a bunch of horses that he had to keep an eye on as well. As they passed the four furlong pole, he let the horse have his head. Once they passed the next pole, he'd pull up, seeing as how the horse was a sprinter and this was his first workout. No need for him to be pushed to his max at the moment, so soon into the new year. The horse charged forwards, ears pricked forwards, his long strides eating up the ground. While the horse was one that chose to hang in the back of the pack, he loved to run as well as any other horse. And if the horse loved their job, no one could ask for anything better. Pulling up the horse was a struggle since he just wanted to keep on going. But turning the horse in a circle, Brad got the horse to slow down into a trot. He patted the horse's neck. "Good boy, good boy."
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Y17 Juvenile Workout for After All"You know, I've always wondered if this horse is part tortise," Hailey joked as she led After All to the turf track, with Bradley in tow with Fable. The filly wasn't originally going to be running, but maybe having the competitive filly on the track would do the trick. Even though the filly hated turf, she was the only one on the farm since the other horses were at the track. It was a risk, but it was one they had to take. "With as slow as he moves, after all."
"He just likes to move when he chooses to," Bradley replied. Fable tossed her head and he patted her on the neck. After the horses were warmed up and the riders mounted, they urged the horses to gallop. Fable made her displeasure of the track known as she gave a slight buck. But with a toss of her head, she settled down, moving ahead of After All. The bay overo colt continued with his leisurely gallop, clearly having no intention of moving any faster. No amount of urging from his rider would get him to move faster, so with a huff, she let him continue on with his slow gallop. Honestly, Fabled Dreams was having a better time on the track and this wasn't even her preferred surface. Though the filly still kept her ears back slightly, still unhappy with today's workout. Fable drew further away from them as her rider gave her her head. This seemed to wake After All up as he realized that he was going to be left behind. The colt charged forward, finally seeming to have his head in the game. Hailey was almost unsettled at the horse's actions, but quickly regained her balance. Finally, he was moving! The horse quickly caught up to the pair in front of them, catching them by surprise as he passed them. He just kept on running even after he'd passed the other horse. Which was good because the last thing they needed was for him to stop running after he'd passsed the lead horse. They wouldn't have to work on that then. Fable tried to catch up, but when faced with a horse that actually preferred the surface, it was kind of a losing battle. No one could say that it wasn't a valiant effort though. After All crossed the finish line a couple of lengths in front of the filly, ears pricked forward. Fable joined him afterwards, clearly displeased at both the track and having lost. Hailey reached over to give her a pat on the neck. "Finally got him to get moving, I see." Brad commented. "As you said, he moves when he wants to," She said. "We might have a shot of being successful this spring with him," he replied. "I think we'll be fine." Y17 Workout for Tempest Rising and FlashbangIf Hailey had a choice between riding Ransom and riding Tempest, she'd pick Ransom every time. In the past year the colt had been at the farm, he'd settled down and most of the staff were warming up to him. Tempest, on the other hand, had been here almost a year, and she still hadn't settled down. And of course, George had to put her on Tempest. Not that she was complaining though. She was lucky to have a job doing what she loved.
The only consolation was that she wouldn't have to deal with the tempermental filly alone. Though wether that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen. Bradley and Flashbang joined the two of them on the track. The colt had done well in the prospect races and was looking to be the star of the Y15 crop, at least for their farm. Today's workout was going to be an easy one, since it was the first proper workout for the horses. Just a nice, steady gallop for nine furlongs. No need to push them too hard so early in the year. They were still learning, after all. Tempest tossed her head, eager to get on with the workout. Rather than risk having her throw a fit because they weren't moving, the riders urged their horses forward. Once they were moving, Tempest settled down, quiet and relaxed. Neither rider was fooled into thinking that she'd stay that way, though. She was notorious for being unpredictable, and she kept everyone on their toes. Tempest took to the front, as was her normal running style. Flash was content to stay where he was. As they rounded the turn and was almost at the nine furlong pole, Bradley gave the cue for the horse to finally make his move. Flashbang took off like a rocket, a fitting description considering his name. He quickly caught up to Tempest, who pinned her ears back at the sight of the colt. The two horses charged down the track, neither of them wanting to give way. Hailey kept a good two feet or so of distance between the two horses, not sure what Tempest would do. Honestly, the fact that she hadn't acted up yet was a bit concerning. But maybe this was a good day. They passed the pole with Flashbang just geting his nose in front. Pulling up the horses, the two riders grinned at each other. "It's a good day, don't you think?" Bradley asked. "If she acts this way every time, we'll be fine. Flash's defintiely ready, though." Hailey replied. |