Post by ashlea on Jul 24, 2006 2:30:49 GMT -5
Natalie caught Sunny, and led him to the stable yard. The leggy Warmblood walked beside her calmly, and she could see that this gelding certainly had the potential to be great. Natalie quickly tied the gelding up and gently brushed his golden coat, while Sunny cocked his hind leg and relaxed in a shaft of sunlight, his eyes half-closed. She crouched down and picked out his hooves. “Good boy, Sunny…” she murmured as she gently placed the close contact saddle on his back and made sure the padded saddle blanket was smooth and sitting nicely underneath. After positioning the saddle correctly and tightening the girth up to a secure notch, Natalie quickly bridled him and fastened matching brushing and tendon boots onto the gelding’s lower legs. She pulled the reins over Sunny's head and led him down the aisle and towards the indooor schooling ring.
Shifting her weight, Natalie nimbly leapt into the saddle and gathered up the reins and adjusting to Sunny's build and movement. Entering th arena, she pulled the gelding to a halt and made him stand square before she tbegan training. Verrocio shifted impatiently beneath her, and Natalie laid a reassuring hand on his neck as he trembled at the prospect of jumping. What power, she thought as she fiddled with the strap of her helmet and then straightened up in the saddle and shortened her reins. Sunny snorted and pawed the ground, and she touched her heels to his sides and signalled the gelding into a walk. Sunny obeyed instantly and Natalie rewarded him with a pat as she shortened her reins slightly when they neared the first corner and squeezed with her legs. After several moments Sunny broke into a trot and Natalie posted with practiced ease, passing C and slowing the gelding, bringing him to a halt by increasing the weight in the saddle and slowly bringing the reins back towards herself. Sunny came to a square halt and she loosened the reins, a reward for the gelding’s obedience. Apparently the gelding had been off work for several weeks due to an injured tendon, and Natalie's intent was to bring him back to his former fitness level. With just an altering of her position in the saddle, she asked Sunny for a walk and he responded with pricked ears and flared nostrils, as she swayed slightly to the rhythmic gait. After passing A, Natalie pushed the gelding into a trot and then increased the pressure behind the girth with her legs, as she kept her weight balanced and Sunny well on the bit. As the gelding slipped into a canter she could feel that it was unbalanced, and he tossed his head as he tried to keep going. She slowed him slightly and she reapplied the aids although stronger this time, and the pair completed a serpentine pattern as Natalie felt with her hands and seat how the gelding responded to these exercises. Soon he was striking off on the right lead and when he did so, she loosened the reins and praised the gelding.
The course of grids and crossbars was designed to test both Sunny’s mental and physical ability, and therefore increase his focus and jumping style. Natalie moved her position in the saddleand shortened the stirrup leathers by a couple of holes. The wind was blowing and Sunny gave a wary snort when the last remanants of autumn caught in the breeze. He chomped on the bit and his neck was slightly lathered from the flatwork, which they had done just minutes before, but Natalie smiled at Sunny's enthusiasm for the gelding had missed the excitement of competing. Straightening up in the saddle, she took two deep breaths and then with the nudge of her heels sent Sunny off at a walk along the rail. The grids were designed to keep him at an accurate take-off and his knees even, and as the gelding approached the brightly coloured poles, he took the bit and tried to break into a gallop. Natalie felt on the reins and then tugged on the pulley rein and circled him, collecting the gelding before they attempted the jump. As Sunny relaxed, Natalie turned him back towards the jump and counting the strides automatically; she let the reins slip through her fingers and leant forward in the saddle. Sunny cleared the medium-sized jump and as he landed in the soft gravel of the arena, she pressed the rein against his neck and turned the gelding to face the next obstacle. A cross-bar and another larger grid were cleared in rapid succession, but the usually game gelding faltered slightly as he approached the last jump. Natalie sat deeper in the saddle as she brought Sunny to a halt. His neck was lathered and coat was dark with sweat, and so she walked him on a loose rein. He lowered his head and his nostrils flared red as he breathed heavily. Natalie walked the gelding around the ring for a couple of minutes to ensure that he was cooled down and no longer breathing so heavily. Natalie smiled and then dismounted as she ran up the stirrups. She gave Sunny a fond pat and led him through the main gate of the schooling ring, directing him over to the wash bay, where she quickly untacked him, hanging his bridle on a peg on the wall and slinging his saddle over the fence. He stood patiently while Natalie lathered a mild shampoo over his sweaty coat and rippling muscles, and then ran cool water over him. With several expert motions, she quickly wiped the excess water off with a sweat scraper, and slid on the gelding’s plaid stable blanket and led him back to the boarders barn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shifting her weight, Natalie nimbly leapt into the saddle and gathered up the reins and adjusting to Sunny's build and movement. Entering th arena, she pulled the gelding to a halt and made him stand square before she tbegan training. Verrocio shifted impatiently beneath her, and Natalie laid a reassuring hand on his neck as he trembled at the prospect of jumping. What power, she thought as she fiddled with the strap of her helmet and then straightened up in the saddle and shortened her reins. Sunny snorted and pawed the ground, and she touched her heels to his sides and signalled the gelding into a walk. Sunny obeyed instantly and Natalie rewarded him with a pat as she shortened her reins slightly when they neared the first corner and squeezed with her legs. After several moments Sunny broke into a trot and Natalie posted with practiced ease, passing C and slowing the gelding, bringing him to a halt by increasing the weight in the saddle and slowly bringing the reins back towards herself. Sunny came to a square halt and she loosened the reins, a reward for the gelding’s obedience. Apparently the gelding had been off work for several weeks due to an injured tendon, and Natalie's intent was to bring him back to his former fitness level. With just an altering of her position in the saddle, she asked Sunny for a walk and he responded with pricked ears and flared nostrils, as she swayed slightly to the rhythmic gait. After passing A, Natalie pushed the gelding into a trot and then increased the pressure behind the girth with her legs, as she kept her weight balanced and Sunny well on the bit. As the gelding slipped into a canter she could feel that it was unbalanced, and he tossed his head as he tried to keep going. She slowed him slightly and she reapplied the aids although stronger this time, and the pair completed a serpentine pattern as Natalie felt with her hands and seat how the gelding responded to these exercises. Soon he was striking off on the right lead and when he did so, she loosened the reins and praised the gelding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The course of grids and crossbars was designed to test both Sunny’s mental and physical ability, and therefore increase his focus and jumping style. Natalie moved her position in the saddleand shortened the stirrup leathers by a couple of holes. The wind was blowing and Sunny gave a wary snort when the last remanants of autumn caught in the breeze. He chomped on the bit and his neck was slightly lathered from the flatwork, which they had done just minutes before, but Natalie smiled at Sunny's enthusiasm for the gelding had missed the excitement of competing. Straightening up in the saddle, she took two deep breaths and then with the nudge of her heels sent Sunny off at a walk along the rail. The grids were designed to keep him at an accurate take-off and his knees even, and as the gelding approached the brightly coloured poles, he took the bit and tried to break into a gallop. Natalie felt on the reins and then tugged on the pulley rein and circled him, collecting the gelding before they attempted the jump. As Sunny relaxed, Natalie turned him back towards the jump and counting the strides automatically; she let the reins slip through her fingers and leant forward in the saddle. Sunny cleared the medium-sized jump and as he landed in the soft gravel of the arena, she pressed the rein against his neck and turned the gelding to face the next obstacle. A cross-bar and another larger grid were cleared in rapid succession, but the usually game gelding faltered slightly as he approached the last jump. Natalie sat deeper in the saddle as she brought Sunny to a halt. His neck was lathered and coat was dark with sweat, and so she walked him on a loose rein. He lowered his head and his nostrils flared red as he breathed heavily. Natalie walked the gelding around the ring for a couple of minutes to ensure that he was cooled down and no longer breathing so heavily. Natalie smiled and then dismounted as she ran up the stirrups. She gave Sunny a fond pat and led him through the main gate of the schooling ring, directing him over to the wash bay, where she quickly untacked him, hanging his bridle on a peg on the wall and slinging his saddle over the fence. He stood patiently while Natalie lathered a mild shampoo over his sweaty coat and rippling muscles, and then ran cool water over him. With several expert motions, she quickly wiped the excess water off with a sweat scraper, and slid on the gelding’s plaid stable blanket and led him back to the boarders barn.