Back in the saddle

So I last posted in May of 2012. I had big plans to track the progress of Without Fail, aka Sweetie. Just to quickly remind you...

Sweetie was having some problems with focus at the track, so her owner decided she could benefit with a few months of learning to be a saddle horse. At the end of the summer, she'd go back to the track to see if round penning and riding had improved her attitude toward racing.

I took lots of photos. I had lots of blog posts planned.

And then a horse (not Sweetie, nor one of my own) fell on me while doing a simple canter in an arena. The horse just slipped. Onto its left side. Onto my right ankle. Which broke. Severely. Throw in some torn ligaments.

I then spent all of summer 2012 having several surgeries and sitting on the couch. I was in a lot of pain and had a lot of frustration, the kind that makes you not so eager to write.

I got back to working with the horsres, cast and crutches along for extra fun, around the first part of October.

So what ever happened to Sweetie?

I'll tell you...

...tomorrow.

In the meantime, enjoy this photo that Sweetie's owner took of what racing is really like at Cal Expo.

Sandy leads Bear by nearly a length at Cal Expo!