dinosaurs go rawr, everybody knows that.

A fine layer of mist lingered in the air, as the early morning birds tweeted from the trees. The heavy clonk of the metal shoes scraped the floor as the young and highly strung colt stepped on to the dirt. It dirt was soft and bouncy underfoot. Perfect, I thought to myself. The chestnut colt pinned his ears, but at the tweet of a bird, they shot forward. I sat on board the colt as he began to side step, watching over at the other horses on the track that were working. I thought to myself that we would have a shot at the upcoming Maiden Dirt. Isa watched as a beautiful bay filly galloped past. He shot forward and started to side step again.

"Isa, you never learn do you?" I laughed. Isa pawed at the floor, and with that, I squeezed him forward into a bouncy walk. "So, we're going to work three furlongs today, in preparation for the race in two days, yes?" I said, leaning forward and stroking his silky smooth neck, rippling with muscle. As he breathed out, the fine hot breath hit the cold air, forming a steam like substance.

I squeezed the colt into an energetic trot. He watched as a tobiano gelding came up beside him and took hold of the leather rein and began to lead us towards the game. Isa's ears went flat against his head. I grumbled. "You really need to learn, don't you?"

We were lead round the track until around the four furlong pole, when he let us go. Isa leapt into an excitable gallop. I stood in my stirrups and let him go. His brown mane flew in my face. I let some rein slip through my hand and he quickened the pace. His large stride carried me, and I felt like I was flying, I was defying gravity. Before I knew it, we'd already passed the three furlong post, and the true workout had started. I took my crop out of my belt and kept it in my outside hand incase Isa decided to drift. As we approached the turn, I felt him change his lead, and he quickened the pace a bit more. I felt him beginning to drift away from the rail, so I showed him my crop, and guided him back in as we came on to the home stretch.

He flicked dirt up behind us, and left hoof prints in the soft sand. I smiled as I began to niggle at the reins, and urge him forward a bit more. As soon as he felt the urge from me, he pounced like a tiger, powering ever more down the home stretch, pricking his ears as he did so. His huge bounding stride covered an excessive amount of dirt as they came within the final furlong. I was so proud. It was my first ride on this beautiful boy and he wowed me.

As we crossed the line, I began to pull him up. I heard the static of the radio attached to my jeans. "That was a brilliant workout Alice. That was 35.20 seconds flat." As the colt came back to a steady trot, I grinned and pulled him up to a walk. I patted his neck. It was warm and I saw the bulging muscles on his shoulders. They were very strong. "Well, Isa, I think that proves that you can really run!" I patted his neck again then threw my arms round it. Isa pricked his ears and nickered sweetly.