Bloodless Day

Pain into Power

Sand whispered against sand as hooves flicked the grains in a spray across the track. Soft breaths of horses cantering, trotting, breezing spilled into the air, and muffled shouts of betters, trainers, and grooms buffeted against the tiny world the track encapsulated.

Bloodless Day yielded easily as I pressed my leg into his warm side, admiring the crest of his neck and the blast of frost from his nostrils as he snorted. With his newly roached mane, he looked very much like a dragon.

"Very good, Anna!" Willifred called across encouragingly as I reined him towards the gate. "That's it for today; gotta save some of that energy for the race."

I met Jack's gaze as he trotted easily past on Mira, a smaller and smoother mare. Despite her attributes, his eyes tightened with pain at his leg, but he still mouthed a 'thank you' at me as BD let out a tiny but exuberant buck.

For the past month, I'd been riding the stallion almost daily. Only when it was absolutely unavoidable did Jack get on him. Even today, race day, he hadn't mounted to get a feel for BD on the Aqueduct track.

BD felt very, very good.

I dismounted at the gate and accepted a rare high-five from the usually stoic trainer. "I have high hopes for today and good news for tonight," he confided with a whiskery grin.

"Care to share?" I asked with raised eyebrows as BD rudely shoved at my shoulder with his muzzle. Lightly worked and fit, he was still raring to go.

Willifred shook his head. "It's a surprise. But I'll say this much- dinner's on me tonight!"

Shooting him a suspicious glare, I rolled up my stirrups and clucked to BD. With his old, usual fire, the stallion threw his head up and shifted his weight to his hindquarters, but then he blew through his nose as if to say "I was only joking" and walked patiently on. I smiled to myself at what a difference a few months made.

Later, I'd pester Willifred for his surprise.

*****

BD's lip wriggled when the curry comb circled over his neck. He looked funny, so I continued brushing there, laughing when he began to toss his head and lean into the brush, clearly enjoying himself. It was too cold out to hose the horses down, so grooms were delegated to grooming them before and after every ride. The horses had never looked better, though BD was the only one who hadn't been body clipped yet.

He stopped tossing his head abruptly and turned as far as he could in the cross-ties, ears pricked behind us. I stepped quickly out of the way as his massive body swung around before looking, too, at what he was suddenly so interested in.
It was Jack, limping slightly as he led the filly into the shedrow. "Here, give me her and go sit down and ice your leg," I ordered, whirling into motion. BD was unceremoniously shoved into a stall where he flattened his ears, and I had the filly hooked up to the cross-ties by the time Jack had lowered himself to a nearby hay bale.

"You don't need to baby me," he grumped as I shot him a worried look. Ever since I had found out about his leg, he'd been more open about it around me, limping and being careful about his motions, complaining, and confessing to how much he'd spent on ice packs in the past few months. It was a lot. It was nice to know that he trusted me enough to reveal this side, but I was beginning to wish that he would go to somebody that could actually help. At least they would be paid to deal with his moaning and griping.

"Maybe I don't," I finally responded. "But you need to baby that leg."

Jack remained silent as I finished the filly off, flipping a cooler expertly over her back. It was trimmed with the Piperson colors, just like the jackets the farm had given all of the employees for the upcoming winter. As I was leading her away, though, towards her stall, he spoke. His voice grated with many more years than he'd been alive. "Wes is here. She was looking for Lilac."