Learning the Ropes - CLOSED

[Bree]

Micheal groomed and saddled Pie as fast as the Hanoverian would allow her to. She posted to a lumbering trot toward the indoor arena. Her new Hermes saddle squeaked with each stride and her tough new Herm boots made it difficult to keep her heels down and toes inward. Shaking her head she diminished the last traces of those thoughts. It was hard to put on a smile to relax when she felt so horrible inside and she was sure that her smile looked more grim than anything. A sigh that would have shook her whole body was kept inward. She knew that she was loosing her concentration so she snapped back into shape and relied totally on her horse for her thoughts.

Moving around the edge of the ring she warmed Piceous up. The dressage lessons she was forced to take by her father paid off in more ways than she thought. She connected with Pie not only mentally but physically like through her hands which kept a tight but gentle grip on Pie's mouth; through her back which could feel almost every muscle in Pie's back by sitting deep into the saddle and through her legs which constantly drove her beloved horse forward.

Moving Pie through different transitions kept herself and her horse in shape. Walk, trot, collected trot, extended trot and then to a nice working canter. Then she settled into a sitting extended trot and worked in serpentines and figure eights concentrating like they were the only ones in the world.

[DJ]

Hope hurried down the aisle almost late for her lesson. She'd been rinsing out water buckets and had lost tract of time. She jogged to the indoor and pulled the gate open.

She stepped onto the sand and walked to the middle, admiring the horse and rider together. They really looked nice and fit for each other.

"So, what are we planning on doing today?" Hope smiled and watched the rider. "I know you mentioned teaching Pie to jump? We can certainly work on that. How about we start off with some trotting poles and basically raise them to a tiny, 18 inch fence? If she jumps it, fantastic, and if she preforms a large trot, we can find something else that will work? I certainly wouldn't want to push her too much on her first try. That's what makes horses decide they don't enjoy jumping and they'll learn to get out of it by ducking or refusing." Hope bit her lip and shut herself up.

God I sound terrible. I hope I'm not talking too much. I'd rather not sound like one of those fancy "get that horse over the jump, this is about the ribbons" type of instructor. That's really not what I am. I'm just wanting to make riding fun, safe, and enjoyable for horse and human. She reassured herself she was not turning into one of those trainers. Hope smiled at Micheal again and waited for her reply.

[Bree]

Micheal hadn't even seen Hope enter the arena. As soon as she looked Hope's way Piceous bobbed her head reminding Micheal to pay attention to her. Micheal brought her concentration back to Pie and turned toward Hope stopping when she had come to her side. She studied the trainer for a second then took a deep breath.
That sounds about right. She said wishing she would have sounded more willing and not so uptight. She set pie into a smooth canter around the ring again. I don't want her to this I don't know anything. Yet she still wanted to remain humble. Altough her parents, or her mother rather, wanted to send her to a more prestigious stable and trainer Micheal had refused she was sick of... Pie shook her head, again Micheal had lost her concentration. I don't deserve a horse like you, Pie. she whispered into the horse's ears that were listened carefully. Pie had been a gift from her mother, an expensive gift as the horse was imported and trained by the best German trainers available.

Micheal nodded at Hope signaling she was ready to begin whenever she was ready.

[DJ]

Hope nodded to Micheal and went to the storage room to get a few cavalettis. She set the in the middle of the arena. "One, two, three..." Hope counted striding between the poles so they were set for a trot or canter. She put them all on the lowest setting, so they were on the ground.

"If you'd like to bring her down the centerline, you can trot right over these. She should be able to pick her feet up right over, fairly easily." Hope stepped back and nodded for Micheal to come down over the poles.

[Bree]

Pie snorted eager to go and Micheal was sure she would love jumping as much as she does. She pulled Pie into the centerline posting to her smooth trot. Driving her forward over the calvaletties with her legs leaving no room for running out or last minute decisions. She counted in her head the beats leaning forward ever so slightly when Pie trotted over each pole.

Pie munched the bit like she was eager to go over the big ones just as much as Micheal was. She could feel the power from her horse surging through the seat of the saddle and the reins. Micheal couldn't help but smile at the absolute willingness and trust her horse had for her.

[DJ]

"Good!!" Hope exclaimed to the team. "That looked great! I'd have you do it more, but it looks great already." Hope set the last one on a side setting at a few inches off of the ground.

"You can come back down over these. She should trot the last one, but you never know. She may jump it!" Hope shrugged and watched the pair come down the middle again.

[Bree]

Micheal nodded and grinned feeling her horse under her was the best thing in the world. The times that she rode Pie was the times that she could forget all her troubles.

She turned Pie to the poles again and took them with the same caliber as before. Pie snorted at the last pole but trotted over it willingly. She turned her back around taking the course again this time Pie took it like a piece of cake. Good girl! , She said patting the moist neck of the black horse.

I think raising it one more time will be all that Pie should do this lesson. , Micheal kicked herself inside. She's the trainer not you, moron. Piceous stumbled almost undetectable.
Your going to teach me one way or another not to beat myself up aren't you, Pie? , She whispered.

[DJ]

Hope nodded and raised the pole once more to the top, about an 18 inch fence. "You know your horse."

Sometimes, I hate it when people expect me to know everything about the horse I'd just met today. I'm glad Micheal told me. Hope smiled on the inside, keeping a fairly content face on the outside. She really started to like Micheal and she didn't even know her much yet.

"Nice job the last two times," she added.

[Bree]

Micheal shot a quick beaming smile to the trainer and nodded. She took Piceous around to the poles again and trotted over when she came to the last one Pie moved into a canter and popped over it, without Micheal's bidding. Micheal winced when Pie touched down, she adn't been paying attention or keeping a hold on the reins as much as she should have.
Before she had time to beat her self over about it she took the poles again this time Pie trotted like she should have and popped over the jump gracefully. Micheal leaned over her neck and soaked in the joy of the feeling of flying, why hadn't she jumped before this? She had no idea she missed it so much.
After the round she reined Pie into a light walk to cool her down.

Thanks, I think Pie is greatly enjoying the new challenge. She walked past the trainer. When would you like to do another lesson? She smiled sweetly.

[DJ]

"Lovely!! Certainly reward her. That was fantastic!"

Hope started to put the cavalettis away. "Uhm. How about.." Hope paused to think of a time. "Today's Tuesday. How about Thursday at 3:00? Does that work?" Hope grinned at Micheal. "I unfortunately have a few other lessons tomorrow. I'm not sure I'll have time to fit you in."

Hope lifted another caveletti and carried it to the storage room and neatly piled it on top of the other ones.

[Bree]

Sounds great, I will work on what she learned today tommorow. See you later! Micheal said. Piceous was not sweating heavily so Micheal decided she would take a trail later on in the evening. Mabye I should help her clean up. She shook the thought off. Piceous needs to be groomed. She walked out of the arena then dismounted heading for the barn.