A Day in My Life..., Race Prep, Back on Track, and 'Horseshoe'!

This is Prized Spirit (Mimi). There's a short video below, and you'll hear her trainer (Darwin Banach) talking about her future training. She sustained an injury last season, and we're delighted that she's now literally 'back on track'!

Audi's World is getting ready for his race on June 1st (if all goes well).

There is a video below taken on May 25.

And great news! I was invited to post on Dru's Book Musings blog. I'm grateful to Dru Ann for this exciting opportunity (it's about a day in the life of Meg Sheppard). Here's the link to my post:

https://drusbookmusing.com/meg-sheppard/

I hope you like it!

This is the latest story I've written (another word challenge piece for the Uxbridge Writers' Circle).

The words I had to incorporate are: dancer, fool, inimitable, contorted, defiant, airborne, and architect. What would you have written using these words?

Horseshoe

Blair’s lack of education and limited knowledge of anything at all had become a handicap. He had been defiant towards his parents and teachers and acted the fool. He reveled in the laughs his words and actions generated with his friends. But, as a young adult, he was lost. His pals had drifted away, and nearly all of them were on promising career paths.

Blair’s father had been a well-known architect.  During his childhood, Blair was reminded daily of his father’s inimitable success. It wasn’t worth trying to live up to the expectations his father had of him. He knew he would fail. But he was conscious of the irony—he was a failure anyway.

It was tempting to turn to booze or drugs, but he’d seen what those poisons could do to you, and he hadn’t lost hope. He wasn’t in a state of despair—yet. But he knew he should do something.

Blair had a modest allowance earned from a trust fund set up by an uncle, so he could afford a bedsit. It had just what you’d expect within its off-white walls—a bed, a desk and chair, but it also had a small fridge, a kettle and a microwave. He shared a bathroom with two other people whom he never saw. But they were in the building because he had to wipe the toilet and basin every time he went in there.

He'd tried a couple of jobs. One was stocking shelves in the supermarket down the street, and the other was cooking in McDonald's. He learned where the term ‘bored to tears’ came from. Even the people he met weren’t interesting and gave the impression they’d be doing the same job until they turned seventy. The only position he’d liked was the one at the stables. He’d seen a post on Facebook asking for someone to clean stalls for a month while a regular employee was off sick. The work was okay, the stable manager, Kitty, was fun, and the horses were amazing.  Blair learned how to lead them into and out of the barn, take blankets off, and even clean out their feet. He talked to them and gave them massages. The equine chiropractor had shown him what to do. He was sad to leave. Kitty told him she’d be sure to call if anything came up, and she offered to write him a reference.

Blair missed the whinnies, the scent of the hay, and the horses’ big, brown eyes. He’d loved the feel of their shiny coats and enjoyed watching them kick up their heels in the paddocks.

Blair checked Facebook every morning, hoping a stable job would be posted. Nothing appeared despite Kitty telling him it’s usually hard for stables to find help.

An unfamiliar darkness hung around him. It was as if he had to force himself to move. One morning, he sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He thought about his school days. His defiance. His strength and confidence. He asked himself when he’d been happiest, other than when he made his pals laugh. It was working with Kitty’s horses.

He called at the stables to ask Kitty what professions she thought he should consider.

“Blair, just the person I need. We have a horse missing a shoe, and the farrier is due in five minutes, and I have to teach. Could you hold the horse for him?”

“Sure. Which horse?”

“Dancer.”

“Okay.”

Blair had a rapport with Dancer. He was by Northern Dancer, the famous Ontario thoroughbred racehorse and breeding stallion. He felt warm inside knowing that Kitty trusted him with her treasured horse.

The farrier arrived wearing a leather apron and carrying a fascinating array of tools. He was almost contorted as he bent over to pick up the horse’s front foot. He placed it on a metal stand and filed the hoof wall with a rasp. Fine, flaky pieces of Dancer’s hoof were airborne and fell like snow at the farrier’s feet.

Blair watched, asked questions and listened. The farrier’s work captivated him.

“You new here? Do you have a lot of experience with horses?”

“No, but I’d like to have the opportunity to learn and to work with them.”

“Well, you sure have Dancer calm. He must like you.”

That positive feedback encouraged Blair. He asked more questions and paid attention to everything the farrier said and did.

After Dancer was safely back in his stall, complete with all four shoes, Blair followed the farrier outside to his enormous pickup truck.

“If you complete the three-month course with the Horseshoeing School of Canada, I’d be willing to have you apprentice with me. We need more farriers, and you have a calm way with horses. Here’s my card.”

Blair resisted the urge to hug him and just thanked him very much.

He waited for Kitty to finish teaching and told her what he planned to do and what the farrier had said.

That’s when he got the warmest, kindest hug he’d ever had, and he never looked back.

Vicky Earle Copyright 2025

Prized Spirit

Darwin Banach explains where Mimi (Prized Spirit) goes from here. She's glad to be 'back on track' at Woodbine Racetrack! (The video cuts out abruptly - I don't know why!).

Audi's World

This is Audi getting ready for his race, but it's difficult to follow the horse in this video. My camera work needs improvement!

I even lost track of him at one point!!

See what you think:

I hope you enjoyed reading my post.

Thank you for sharing and sending me feedback.

Happy Reading!

Vicky