Ain't nothing going to break my stride...

Ain't nothing going to break my stride

Nobody´s going to slow me down

Oh no, I have got to keep on moving

Aint nothing going to break my stride

I am running & I would not touch ground

Oh no, I have got to keep on moving

So this is th song that's used for the commercials for Emerald Downs, the race track where Denali came from. I just, and I know this sounds crazy, get a little sad and choked up when I hear it. I love my horse, I couldn't imagine anything horse greater than her. I know everyone feels that their horse is the best.

I guess why I get so upset is that I know how hard she works for me. You can see the determination in her eyes when we're trying to teach her to give to pressure or anything else. She's thinking, and trying to figure out what it is we're asking. She's smart. She wants to please me and she even puts her head down and sometimes (not all the time) trys to take the bit before I'm even ready for her. So why I get upset is because every horse I've met off the track has been like this determined to please. They work so hard on the track, and I won't lie, I've been there and there is nothing like hearing them all run down the straight away. It's amazing. What upsets me is how hard theses horses work for their trainers, owners, and riders and then end up in horrible conditions. I bought Denai at an acution! I bought her at an auction from the wife of a jockey (I didn't know this until later!) She told me she was an appendix, but she lied. I saw her at the track a few weeks later and she offered me another horse. God knows what happened to to the poor thing. I "kindly" informed her that one crazy thouroughbred was enough. Who does she think she is!? I couldn't believe it!!

I went to the track a few weeks ago to see a friend. I met a jockey who told me a similar story about this lady. He had a beautiful gray mare who went up lame. He said he loved her and was just fine with her living on his farm. This lady said that her daughter had always wanted a grey mare and begged for her. He finally agreed to give her to this lady so she could have a "forever home." The lady didn't pick her up and didn't pick her up and finally came to get her....on the first Sunday of the month.... who knows where she went. This is the second time this lady did this that I know of... my friend said it's happened more than that. Why she's allowed to do this is beyond me. So many people think that OTTB are "crazy" and "hard keepers." Both are not true. I call mine crazy, but it's just her personality. She's the most amazing horse I've ever met!! My trainer loves working with her. When these beautiful creatures, who were over worked and broke down because they tried so hard, end up in the auction they usually end up in a truck headed for the border.