| Subject: Riding Star |
Author:
Shannon(Dana)
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Date Posted: 13:34:14 12/10/02 Tue
"Hey boy!" I said, as I walked into Starfire's stall.The chestnut Appaloosa nickered when he saw me.I walked over to him & gave him a pat on the nose.I slipped on Star's halter & put him in the crossties.Walking to the tack room, I passed my sister Samantha."Hey Sammy," I said."Hi," she said back.I collected my tack, helmet, gloves & a grooming box.Then brought it back to where Star was in the crossties.After quickly grooming Star & tacking him up, I strapped on my helmet, put on my gloves & led him to the indoor jumping arena.I mounted Star from the ground, & after settling into the saddle, squeezed him with my legs so he would walk on.I pushed my heels down & adjusted my rein length, so Star would realize that it was time to start working, not relaxing.I walked Star for a couple of laps before squeezing him into a trot.I imediately began posting, glancing down to check my diagonal, which was right.I trotted Star in both directions for a couple of mins. before cueing my horse to canter.Star picked up a nice, smooth canter, which was easy to sit to.Though not relaxing my position, I sat deep into the saddle, making sure to keep my shoulders up.Once I had cantered Star in both directions for a little while, I brought him back down to a walk.surveying the jumps, I noticed that they were all set from around 3 to 4 feet with a big 4'-6" oxer in the midst of it all."Fell like trying a course with a 4'-6" oxer in it today?" I whispered to Star.the chestnut Appaloosa just snorted, impatient to start jumping.I squeezed Star into a trot, heading towards a green vertical, which I was using as a warm-up jump.I went into my 2-point position just before the 2'-6" jump & Star tuckede up his knees & sprang over the small jump, cantering away from it.I slowed Star back down to a walk, then jumped over the vertical from the other direction.I jump Star over a small line of jumps, then over a oxer.Now that Star was warmed up, both on the flat & over fences, I halted him, & looked over the course which I had memorized.I trotted Star over to where the first jump was & squeezed the gelding into a canter.I rode Star towards the green painted, 3'-9" oxer.He came up to it & lifted himself off the ground, tucking up his knees.I went into two-point over the jump, leaning back slightly on landing, & not jarring Star's mouth.I sat up & urged Star on to a wooden coop that looked to be about 3'-6".Star easily went over that jump as well.I sat up on landing, & made a sharp turn with Star to a sky blue colored vertical jump that was around 3 feet.Star leaped over this jump as well.The course flew by, over a liverpool, rolltop, triple, & wall.After the wall, came the large 4'-6" oxer.The large jump loomed ahead of me.I collected Star for the big jump, like I had seen my mom do when jumping horses over very large 5 foot courses.Star made a HUGE jump effort to get over the 4'-6" oxer.I had gone into a perfect 2-point for this height of jump, but on the landing, I got jarred anyways, even though I was leaning back & had done a perfect crest release.We kept going, jumping a brush box jump, a combination, a natural, a spread & finally, on to another 4-foot triple, which Star leaped over.I urged Star into a hand-gallop, we passed the gate of the arena & I slowed him down to a walk."You were such a good boy," I cooed to Star as I patted his neck.I let star walk a lap before doing another course with him, which this time, excluded the 4'-6" oxer.I wasn't supposed to be jumping 4'-6", but one little(not technically speaking) oxer couldn't hurt.After doing the other course, which Star & I knocked 2 rails on,(but got a rather decent time)I walked out the chestnut-spotted Appaloosa & dismounted.Star dragged his feet when I led him back to his stall.That horse just absolutely LOVED jumping.I untacked him in his stall & threw his winter blanket back on.I led him outside to his pasture.It was sunny out, even though there was snow on the ground, so we would turn out the geldings.Dun(Dun It Again) shared Star's pasture.These were the only two horses outside.The rest of the horses would either most likely injure themselves outside, were in foal, or were to valuable to turn out during the winter, where they could injure themselves by slipping on ice & taking a bad fall.But Dun actually like the snow & was perfectly comfortable in it, being an Icelandic pony, & did not even need a blanket outside, thanks to his hairy coat.Star needed a blanket, but he was perfectly fine being turned out during the winter.I kissed Star on the nose, then un-clipped the leadrope from his halter & let him loose in his pasture.I watched star for a second before walking back up to the stable, where there were some barn chores waiting to be done...
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