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| Subject: Jamie, STaci and Amanda's lesson | |
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Author: Saddle |
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Date Posted: 18:16:54 06/17/02 Mon *Saddle hears Katie's car coming up the drive and finishes brushing down Silver Diamonds. then she turns him into his stall and heads out to meet her. Jamie, Staci and Amanda climb out and Saddle smiles to them. Jamie sees the colorful jumps set up in the ring and looks nervous. "Relax, Jamie, we're only doing flatwork today, i promise. You don't have to do anything you're not ready for" Jamie looks relieved and smiles. "Ok, Amanda, you and your mom can come with me to meet Missy. Jamie and Staci, you know where your ponies and tack are, right?" Jamie and Staci nod and jog to the barns to tack up their ponies. "Ok, Missy is right down here" Saddle says, leading them to a stall where a black thoroughbred is contentedly eating hay, a young foal curled at her side. Mal pops out from the tack room. "I'm going to take her baby for a walk now, don't worry about riding her. Saddle has done it before" Mal tells her. "Ok" Amanda replies, letting herself into the stall and putting the mare's halter on, then leading her out of the stall and crossting her in the isle. Mal quickly enters the stall and begins to groom the foal. "Wow, she's big!" Amanda exclaims. "Yes, she is. she's a purebred thoroughbred. Lets get your saddle on her while i get her bridle from the tack room" Saddle tells her. With Katie's help, Amanda throws the saddle over the mares back and puts on the girth. then Saddle bridles the mare and hands her reins and a crop to Amanda. Katie goes to make sure Jamie and Staci are ready to ride their ponies as Saddle leads Missy and Amanda to the riding ring. "If you get along with her alright you can ride her whenever you want to" Saddle tells Amanda. "Cool, thanks!" Amanda exclaims. She puts on her helmet and Saddle gives her a leg up into the saddle. "Ok, sit up, push your heels down and ask her to walk on the rail while we wait for Staci and Jamie." Saddle tells her. in a few minutes Jamie and Staci arrive and Saddle helps them into their saddles. "Ok, everyone, lets start out on the rail to the left. That means your left hand will be on the inside, ok? Put your heels down and make sure you sit up straight, Jamie. you'll feel more balanced that way" Jamie pushes his heels down and stops leaning foward. then he smiles "Hey! that's true. i do feel more balanced now!" Jamie exclaims. Amanda and Staci laugh and push their heels down and sit up, too. "Ok, remember to keep your heels down and sit up and i want you to ask for the trot when you get to the letter B. Jamie you go first" Saddle tells them. Jamie kicks Elegance in the sides hard and she breaks into a rough, unbalanced trot. He collects his reins and slows her into a nicer trot. Staci seems a little uncomfortable in the english saddle and hesitantly asks for the trot. Bee moves into a flashy trot, anyway. Amanda reaches B and lightly cues Missy to trot. Missy breaks into a smooth, even trot and Amanda posts lightly. "Amanda, you make a 20 meter circle at C at the trot. Jamie and Staci, we're going to try your trot transitions again. Jamie, tighten your reins a little and squeeze with your legs, don't kick her as hard as you can first. Remember, a dressage horse needs to be sensative to even the lightest aids. Staci, be more confident when you ask for the trot" Jamie and Staci nod and try again. "Much better! that looks nice" Saddle tells them. they continue around the ring at the trot for a few laps. "Ok, change direction across the diagional, M-X-K" Saddle tells them. they all cross the diagional "Remeber to change your postining diagional, Amanda...Jamie, heels down...Staci, posting trot, not sitting trot!" Saddle calls. finally they all find their spacing and rythem. "Looking good. make one more lap at the trot, then we'll try a canter... Jamie and Amanda, come to the middle of the ring. Staci, you can canter first." Staci smiles, gathers her reins and asks for the canter. Bee picks up the wrong lead. "What lead are you on?" Saddle calls "The wrong one...Now we're on the right one" Staci calls as she slows Bee to a trot, then canters again. this time Bee gets the right lead. "Beautiful! Sit up and ask for a trot, then change direction and canter the other way" Saddle calls to her. Staci and Bee make a perfect lap around the ring. "Wonderful! How did that feel?" Saddle asks her. "It was great! thanks!" Staci exclaims, smiling. "Ok, Jamie, your turn" Saddle tells him. "Remember, sit up, keep your heels down, don't drop your reins and squeeze gently with your legs, don't kick as hard as you can!" Jamie asks perfectkly and gets a perfect canter in return. he does the same in the other direction. "Now, doesn't it work better to ask lightly than it does to drop your reins and kick as hard as you can?" Saddle asks. "Yeah, it does" Jamie tells her happily. "My turn!" Amanda exclaims, asking Missy to walk to the rail. she cues her for the canter and the mare moves into an easy canter. she finishes her lap around the ring, slows to a trot, changes direction and canters the other way. "Wow, she's amazing! thanks for letting me use her" Amanda tells Saddle as she slows her to a walk. "Your welcome. Ok, here's your homework for the week, Jamie, you need to work on asking Elegance nicely before you kick her hard. Staci, be more confident when you ask Bee to change gaits. Amanda, come over and ride Missy a few times so you can get used to her before the next lesson and work on keeping your heels down and back straight. All three of you make sure your horses are totally cool before you put them away, please." Saddle tells them. then she walks over to the rail where Katie is waiting. "they did wonderful. Would you like to lease Missy for Amanda. they work very well together. She needs to stay on the farm and i don't want to sell her because she's worth alot as a broodmare to me but we could work out a lease for $200 a month. Amanda could ride her whenever she wanted, show her and anything else, but you wouldn't have to pay board on her and i would provide feed and vet/farrier care" Saddle tells Katie.* MISSY'S STATS: Mizz Perfection "Missy" Age: 12 year old Breed: Thoroughbred Color: black Gender: mare Height: 16.1hh Discipline: broodmare, english and western pleasure, jumping, western speed, dressage. Notes: successful ex-race horse (raced for 4 years), gentle, sweet, spirited, produced great racers and jumpers, nice conformation. Also trained in basic english - pleasure & trail riding PICS:  Schooling over a 3' fence  At a dressage lesson [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |