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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 14:08:21 GMT -5
Nathan Story lead a fully tacked ready to ride Minnie into the arena, glad to see that it was empty this late afternoon. He had gotten the mare just a few days ago and had been giving her more than enough time to settle into the new barn. Now it was time to see how riding went. After all, there was a show coming up...
His current plan was to walk around the arena once or twice to let her adjust to the new riding ring before he mounted up, depending on her behavior of course. It was all up to her today, which was slightly scary when you actually thought about it. One wrong move could land Nate in the hospital. But one right move could have the team of the year on the first ride. |
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 14:20:38 GMT -5
Minnie pricked her ears and swished her tail excited at the prospect of being ridden again. She lifted her legs stepping carefully and swinging her quarters, like a prpoer little show pony, she was a pony trapped inside a horses body. As they got closer to what must be the arena, she picked up an excited trot on the spot. Well, not literally on the spot, but so collected it was about the same speed as a pretty quick walk. This was gonna be fun.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 14:32:27 GMT -5
Obviously she was excited to just be inside and see the arena. That was a good sign in Nate's opinion. With that pleasent thought in mind, he started walking her around the arena, tracking left. The reins were in his right hand, helmet place ontop of his head. Not that it was actually snapped on yet. If he was going to really ride today was still a question on how Minnie behaved in the arena. He, after all, had no idea once so ever what she had been used to before. For all he knew she could be used to riding on trails all day and everyday.
Easy now, he commented as her speed quickly picked up. |
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 14:36:46 GMT -5
Minnie's ears moved seperatly, on went back to where she would place them both if a rider was onboard, and the other faced Nathan, she slowed at the calming tone and words she new to mean, settle. She still pranced but in a show ring way, that was how she was trained and that was what she did. Her hind quatered danced around in excitement as she hadn't been ridden in a whole week now and that was a long time for her ambition as an eventer.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 14:49:03 GMT -5
Obviously, Nate noted, she had been shown or something before. That amazing stride of hers could not have been for trail rides.
They were going to ride today.
After once around the ring, which went by pretty fast at the pace they were walking, Nate stopped her near the middle of the arena and pulled the stirrups down slowly, curiously.
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 14:56:28 GMT -5
Minnie danced about up to the middle and halted squarely her neck arched and head vertical to the ground. As Nate took his time doing stuff half as quickly as a normal person, Minnie got bored and turned to look at him as if to say, 'are you getting up anytime soon?' She flicked a few horse flies away with her silky tail and chewed the bit turning her head straight again.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 15:02:57 GMT -5
Okay, so obviously she wasn't one to care about the saddle. He tightened up the girth slowly before he put the reins gently over her head and up onto her neck. After snapping them onto his head with a slight smile he mounted up, bracing himself. |
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 15:05:50 GMT -5
Minnie stood still, relieved that he was actually going to ride her and she wouldn't just be led around in walk for the next however long. She stood still in a square halt her head back on the vertical and neck arched, playing with the bit in her mouth, that's how a proper pony should be. She waited impatiently for the signal to moved, but was too well trained to wander off without being asked. That had always been compulsary in everything she did, always wait to be asked.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 15:09:22 GMT -5
Good girl, Nate muttered softly under his breath before he collected up his reins just a tad, wondering what she was used to. Walk on, he finally decided to try using a bit of his leg. But it was the littlest possible amount of leg that you could possibly use. Woo Hoo. |
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 15:14:00 GMT -5
Minnie's ears obeidently flicked back to listen to her rider and she stepped out at a medium walk, a spring in her step, her tail swaying behind her. She showed she was listening and ready and listening, but also had that added sparkle that was needed for the show ring, and the heart for the eventing she'd only just been introduced too, but loved dearly already.
Her walk really glided, the strides smooth and floating. She pricked her ears forwards as a bird fell out of a nearby tree then let them fall back into place waiting for the next instructions for Nate.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jun 30, 2008 15:17:22 GMT -5
Nate smiled as he noticed how well she responded, and how much energy she had in her walk even for the very first ride. Deciding to take a real quick chance, he gave her slight leg but said nothing. How was she with just leg commands? If she had started in eventing, then she had to behave somewhat.. |
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Post by Roaster on Jun 30, 2008 15:21:01 GMT -5
Minnie picked up a forward going trot, she was, again, smooth and comfortable, thoroughly enjoying the ride happily following all commands.. well, hopefully. Whee... she nickered under her breath, so quitely it sounded like a sigh. She concentrated on where she put her hooves.
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Post by Cookie1212 on Jul 5, 2008 14:24:23 GMT -5
Nate smiled slightly. So far so good. She knew leg commands without voice and voice without leg...He was in love already. Minnie's gates were suprisingly smooth, and though he was currently letting her have most of her head, he knew that she would collect well.
After a few times of trotting around the ring Nate picked up the reins a bit more, deciding to see how much Dressage the little girl knew.
He turned down the quarter line on the next time around the arena. Using the reins, obviously, he turned her head slightly to the inside of the arena and applied leg pressure using, you guessed it, his left leg. All the time he was half halting in his right hand, curious to see what she'd do. |
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Post by Roaster on Jul 5, 2008 14:30:18 GMT -5
Minnie's little legs sped them round the ring at extended trot, her head long and low as Nate hadn't much rein contact. As he gathered the reins she brought her head backup and her head vertical to the ground. Obidently turning down the three-quaterer line on the A side as she was asked, Minnie collected up and eyed the other side, thinking striaght until asked to do something that she'd only been taught a few months ago. It was a peculiar thing to do, trotting sideways with you head looking one way and moving the other may by crossing over your legs. Well, atleast she had done it before so it wasn't too bad. As she was being asked to half-halt, she brought hind legs underneath her and did a very collected... bounce. Well, it was a trot really.
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