Post by ashlea on Jul 21, 2006 2:25:54 GMT -5
Natalie crossed the main stableyard and headed for the barn in which Midnight was stabled. It was cool after the heat of the day, and it was silent except for the stamp of a shod hoof against the ground and the occasional snort of one of the horses. Natalie hurried down the aisle, scanning the nameplates to find the stallion that she sought. There was a soft nicker and a finely-built head appeared over the last stall's door, and she grinned and made her way towards the handsome stallion. "Hey Midnight," she murmured as she ran an apprasing eye over the stallion's near perfect conformation and lively nature. "I just have to get your tack and then we are going to do some jumping," Natalie explained as she grabbed the leather halter that hung from a peg beside the door and entered the stall. Midnight regarded her with pricked ears, and Natalie allowed him to adjust to her presence, knowing it was important to build a relationship built on mutual trust. Finally convinced that she was no threat, Natalie slipped the halter over the stallion's head and left him in the cross-ties, leaving him for a minute to go get his tack and equipment. A short while later she came back carrying an expensive close contact saddle, simple snaffle bridle and navy blue padded numnah. Dangling precariously from her right hand was a tote in which there was Midnight's grooming equipment. After checking the stallion for bruises and cuts, Natalie took out the body brush and gave Midnight a thorough and precise grooming. There would be plenty of flies out in the arena, and so Natalie sprayed some fly repellent on the stallion's legs and chest. Midnight pulled back, and Natalie gave a sympathetic smile, "I know it feels bad." The stallion allowed himself to be saddled and bridled fairly quickly, only breathing in to avoid having the girth tightened. However Natalie had been around horses all her life and so she would not be fooled by that ploy. "Come on Midnight," she said as she unclipped the cross-ties and led the stallion from his stall and towards the outdoor arena.
Midnight pranced beneath her as Natalie pulled herself into the saddle, and he gave an eager snort when he saw the jumps. She had set them up before she had fetched the stallion, and Natalie studied them for several minutes before deciding the best route and the distance between each of the challenging jumps. "I'm going to have to warm you up before you tackle those," Natalie said to Midnight as she nudged with her heels and urged him into a walk. The stallion moved off with a swinging gait, Natalie instinctively adjusting her body to follow the movement. After practicing gait transactions, diaganols and halting, Natalie finally turned Midnight towards the five brightly coloured jumps, determination etched on every line of her face.
Natalie circled Midnight and turned him for the first jump, parallel bars that both she and the stallion cleared with ease. They were both perfectly balanced on landing, and keeping light contact with the stallion's mouth and urging Midnight on with her legs, she turned him towards the oxer. Midnight increased his pace and slipped into a gallop as Natalie counted the strides, mind focused solely on the job before her. The oxer approached slightly earlier than Natalie had anticipated, and hence the stallion took off a little too late and doubled his effort to make it over. Natalie heard the clip of hooves against wood, however Midnight seemed to twist midair , and the pole remained in the jump cups. Natalie turned the stallion sharply on landing and then they were clear over the brush and heading for the triple bar. 'Now,' Natalie thought as she leant over Midnight's neck and urged him over the spread. Midnight soared over with expert ease, but Natalie was already focusing on the last three jumps that still stood before them. Midnight was lathered from the effort of lifting his heavy frame over the fences, but the stallion continued gamely on and tucking up his forelegs with knees even, cleared the imitation wall. "One down, two to go," Natalie murmured and she pressed the stallion on, knowing that if she faltered, so would Midnight. Holding the stallion back to the perfect moment of take-off, Natalie tapped him with the crop and then they were in the air and she felt the thrill of exhiliration as they landed on the other side of the vertical. "Come on boy," Natalie said as she crouched over his withers and kept him at a steady pace..."Just one more left." The in and out was a tricky jump, and Natalie was cautious in her judgement of the footing and the take-off. In one bound, Midnight cleared the first like the seasoned jumper he was, and then two strides were taken and they were over the second. As they landed on the soft gravel of the arena, Natalie gradually brought her weight down in the saddle and felt on the reins until Midnight slowed to a walk. Let’s cool off boy, and then I’ll put you back in your stall and fill out the schedule," she told the stallion as they completed another lap of the arena at a slow walk, a smile upon her face.
In the office of the barn, Natalie stood sipping on a cool, glass of water. Placing it up against her sweaty forehead, she relished the cold that radiated from the spot. Putting the glass on the desk, a small frown crinkling her forehead, Natalie filled out the whiteboard upon which Midnight's schedule and assessment needed to be filled out. After a moment of deliberation, Natalie hastily scribbled down some brief notes, 'Cleared small course of jumps. Needs some work on approaching the jump as he tends to rush, and therefore loses momentum and impulsion. Regards, Natalie.' Satisfied with what she had written, Natalie capped the texta and then headed out to go exercise Twister.
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Midnight pranced beneath her as Natalie pulled herself into the saddle, and he gave an eager snort when he saw the jumps. She had set them up before she had fetched the stallion, and Natalie studied them for several minutes before deciding the best route and the distance between each of the challenging jumps. "I'm going to have to warm you up before you tackle those," Natalie said to Midnight as she nudged with her heels and urged him into a walk. The stallion moved off with a swinging gait, Natalie instinctively adjusting her body to follow the movement. After practicing gait transactions, diaganols and halting, Natalie finally turned Midnight towards the five brightly coloured jumps, determination etched on every line of her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natalie circled Midnight and turned him for the first jump, parallel bars that both she and the stallion cleared with ease. They were both perfectly balanced on landing, and keeping light contact with the stallion's mouth and urging Midnight on with her legs, she turned him towards the oxer. Midnight increased his pace and slipped into a gallop as Natalie counted the strides, mind focused solely on the job before her. The oxer approached slightly earlier than Natalie had anticipated, and hence the stallion took off a little too late and doubled his effort to make it over. Natalie heard the clip of hooves against wood, however Midnight seemed to twist midair , and the pole remained in the jump cups. Natalie turned the stallion sharply on landing and then they were clear over the brush and heading for the triple bar. 'Now,' Natalie thought as she leant over Midnight's neck and urged him over the spread. Midnight soared over with expert ease, but Natalie was already focusing on the last three jumps that still stood before them. Midnight was lathered from the effort of lifting his heavy frame over the fences, but the stallion continued gamely on and tucking up his forelegs with knees even, cleared the imitation wall. "One down, two to go," Natalie murmured and she pressed the stallion on, knowing that if she faltered, so would Midnight. Holding the stallion back to the perfect moment of take-off, Natalie tapped him with the crop and then they were in the air and she felt the thrill of exhiliration as they landed on the other side of the vertical. "Come on boy," Natalie said as she crouched over his withers and kept him at a steady pace..."Just one more left." The in and out was a tricky jump, and Natalie was cautious in her judgement of the footing and the take-off. In one bound, Midnight cleared the first like the seasoned jumper he was, and then two strides were taken and they were over the second. As they landed on the soft gravel of the arena, Natalie gradually brought her weight down in the saddle and felt on the reins until Midnight slowed to a walk. Let’s cool off boy, and then I’ll put you back in your stall and fill out the schedule," she told the stallion as they completed another lap of the arena at a slow walk, a smile upon her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the office of the barn, Natalie stood sipping on a cool, glass of water. Placing it up against her sweaty forehead, she relished the cold that radiated from the spot. Putting the glass on the desk, a small frown crinkling her forehead, Natalie filled out the whiteboard upon which Midnight's schedule and assessment needed to be filled out. After a moment of deliberation, Natalie hastily scribbled down some brief notes, 'Cleared small course of jumps. Needs some work on approaching the jump as he tends to rush, and therefore loses momentum and impulsion. Regards, Natalie.' Satisfied with what she had written, Natalie capped the texta and then headed out to go exercise Twister.