Comeback *Book One*

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

My hands are sticky in my leather gloves as I guide Beau into the indoor arena. There is a line of three small x's set up in the arena, a two foot vertical, and a three foot oxer. Dee warned me that if Beau and I do well with flatwork, she would have us go over some small jumps. I agreed with her but I can't stop shaking. The nerves were getting to me but I had to calm down. If I didnt, I could hurt myself or Beau, even worst than at the show.

Beau hardly put up a fuss as GiGi and i tacked him up, but I knew I had to take it slow riding him as if I was riding a young, untrained, and wild mustang. (Even though Beau is an older, trained, and domesticated horse.)

"You will do great, Ali!" GiGi pats me on the back and opens the arena door for my horse and I.

After taking a deep breath, I slowly walk in. GiGi closes the door after Dee walks in and stands outside the ring to watch. Dee helps me roll down the stirrups and tighten the girth, which Beau put up a little fuss about. I collect my reins and crop in my hand and then Dee gives me a slight boost up into the saddle.

Beau crab steps away from Dee just as I am on him. Luckily, I had my reins collected or I would have ended up face first in the arena sand. I give a sharp tug on the reins and place my feet in the stirrups. After Beau settles, I gently squeeze him to go forward. "Beau!" I pull back on the reins and swear quietly to myself. I asked Beau to go forward at a walk, but instead he decided he wanted to bolt into canter. I finally slow him to a fast paced walk them a nice, warmup walk.

"Good boy..." I coo to Beau quietly and rub his shoulder. In respond, Beau shakes his head, sending froth that has formed in the corners of his mouth flying in all directions.

After a few minutes of walking in both directions, Dee instructs me to do posting trot. I squeeze my legs against Beau's side but keep my reins drawn back enough for me to have full control over him if he decides to bolt. Seeing that I do not accept crazy horses, Beau does as I tell him and goes into a trot. If you can even call it that. His trot was more of a wild, bumpy, fast, and uncollected gait. Annoyed, I slow Beau back to a walk and ask him to trot a second time. This time, the trot is a slower, smoother, and collected gait. I rise up and down to the beat of Beau's outside leg. His above-the-bit-raised-high head actually nicely curls until he is on the bit. Yayayayayayayay!!!!

"Good job, Alison. Keep it up!" Dee says kindly to me as I pet my horse on the shoulder. Actually, we were doing good.  Real good, in fact.

I change rein across the diagonal and continue Beau at this smooth working trot.

Finally, after I trotted Beau both directions, I ask him to start cantering in a random corner of the arena. Unlike the other gaits, Beau obediently leaps into a graceful, smooth, and collected canter. His head is curled so it is on the bit and he follows every que that I ask him to do. Every feeling of sadness or worry melts away on the back of Beau.

"Try a flying lead change across X and a... hm.... say a ten meter circle going the other direction." GiGi shouts to me, now standing next to Dee. Both are deeply absorbed into my ride. A ten meter circle can be tricky at canter, but on a horse like Beau, it is as easy as walking a horse over a ground pole. Almost effortless.

As an answer to GiGi question that was more of an order, I position myself towards X. At X, Beau does a perfect flying lead change! Now it was time for a ten meter circle at canter. In the corner of the arena, I squeeze Beau with my outside leg and pull gently on my inside rein. He does amazing and just for the heck of it, I ask him for another ten meter circle in the other corner. Hehe flawless again.

I slow Beau to a walk and hug his neck while I am still in the saddle. I give him a big kiss and halt him next to Dee and GiGi. They both reach up to give me a high five. I have a grin plastered on my face. I see Dee whisper something to GiGi. She just nods and quickly walks off in the opposite direction of the arena. I see her raise the small x jump to a two and a half foot vertical. So now, there was a two, two and a half, and three foot high jumps set up. Gulp. I knew what was coming.

Dee sees my nerves and calmingly pats my leg. "Ali, you can do it girl. Go over the two foot jump in both directions. After that, we will judge on if you should jump higher today." She smiles reassuringly and I smile back, a little more confidence showing.

After GiGi comes back to Dee's side, I trot Beau away. He leaps into a rocking canter and I turn him infront of the jump. I can't make it sound cool by saying 'I turned him infront of the towering jump.' Because it was actually just two feet high, but you get my point. Anyways, a few strides ahead of the jump, I raise into a slight two point. Three, two, one, NOW. On now, I release my hands along Beau's neck and raise into a higher jumping two point. Beau rocks back and curls himself quietly over the small jump. Perfect, prefect prefect, PREFECT! I smile like an idiot to myself and circle after the jump, positioning myself so I can take the jump in the opposite direction that I just went. At the perfect moment, I raise into two point and Beau takes the jump even more perfect than before. I love my Beau-y boy!

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How'd you guys like this chapter? I haven't written an actual detailed riding chapter for a while so I'm sure you guys are happy (: