"Have there been any incidents that significantly derailed your training plans?"

The easy answer is an emphatic "yes," but as I'm staring at that question on my RRP Thoroughbred Makeover final entry, I'm unsure how to respond. I'm not sure how many blogs it is okay to write about how far behind Finnick the Fierce's training schedule I feel, but this one won't be any different. Due to vacations and ear infections that rivalled those I experienced while still in diapers, Finnick has had the past month to transform into a feral Bluegrass pony.

I brought him in from the field yesterday to try and scrub off the feral and transform him back into a horse that will compete at the Makeover in two months. I'm shocked by how rapidly time has gone by. I was contemplating how much I'd fallen in love with him while removing burrs from his tail, and he was dozing off in comfort from all the itches he couldn't scratch. 

Yes, we've dealt with skin concerns, hoof issues, attitude, discomfort - but at the end of the day, if this horse ends up being my company, a horse that I get to spoil and brush all day long, that's enough for me. He and his happiness are what motivate me every day.

That probably makes people angry. How did I get this superstar athlete, and why am I not trying to make him the following significant sports horse to leave the barn? I still consider it every day as I contrast him with the numerous other OTTBs I know. Even yet, it's not yet something to disregard. The age of Finnick is five. 

Yes, we've dealt with skin concerns, hoof issues, attitude, discomfort - but at the end of the day, if this horse ends up being my company, a horse that I get to spoil and brush all day long, that's enough for me. He and his happiness are what motivate me every day.

That probably makes people angry. How did I get this superstar athlete, and why am I not trying to make him the following significant sports horse to leave the barn? I still consider it every day as I contrast him with the numerous other OTTBs I know.

I was planning on listening to what he had to say. He is telling me through his body that he still needs to adjust and learn to manage life after the track.

I was surprised by how nice his coat felt and looked when I initially started touching him yesterday, but when I got to his back, I saw the same telltale symptoms of "funk" he'd had before. What I believed we had defeated with probiotics, a tonne of nutrients, and some medicinal baths were returning. Even while it wasn't back in full force like it was throughout the winter, when a quarter of his coat had fallen out, it was still there. 

Since Finn is a sensitive person who reflects any discomfort in our rides, I'm working extra hard now that the Makeover is just two months away.

So, when I just now hit "submit" on my entry, we decided to use Competitive Trail rather than Dressage. Everything in me was telling me that the real victory would come if I could get his condition up to my standards and play around on the trail course. We might have gone dressage if things had turned out differently, performing to a Backstreet Boys song as we dreamed.

The pleasure and community that the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover fosters, together with the apparent love of horses, are its most significant components. Finnick will do nothing but look good while supporting our pals Oak Hill and Leah Alessandroni on the dressage ring if I trailer him to the Kentucky Horse Park in October. We're going to do that if I can move on with my education and realise my desire to attend college away from the Rolex Arena. I could pass away pleased on the same day if we worked together, he felt wonderful, and I believed I could get him across the Head of the Lake. 

We're going to do that if I can move on with my education and realise my desire to attend college away from the Rolex Arena. I could pass away pleased on the same day if we worked together, he felt wonderful, and I believed I could get him across the Head of the Lake. Whatever happens, we will create a joyful atmosphere with celebratory beverages outside his booth for everyone who wants to join us because we are still alive and can. Every day I get to stay above ground and spend time getting to know this horse I call mine is a good day, especially if I'm with my friends and other like-minded individuals who understand the love of an OTTB.