A Medallion

Chapter 31

At the mention of trying something new with Medallion, I could feel myself start to get worried again.  

But then I remembered what Tessa had said, about competing for Medallion.  If I had been feeling this way at a show, what would I have done?  

I began slipping into my 'show mindset', taking deep breaths and zoning in on the objective: get Medallion to turn with little or no rein.  It seemed so simple and yet so hard.  

Tessa had gathered up her reins.  "Just do the same thing you were doing on Challenger, but don't expect her to respond as quickly.  I'll go first and have you follow, it might help her."  

I nodded, refusing to think about all the fights we'd had before. 

"Alright."  Tessa had Challenger nicely on the bit, and now that I was looking for it, I could see the impulsion he had.  

She started turning him.  I almost panicked, but I stopped myself.  I stepped down into my inside stirrup, and turned my navel to follow Tessa.  

For a moment, it felt like she wasn't going to do anything.  But then she took one step to the inside.  Then another, and another.  All of a sudden we were facing Challenger's tail.  The turn had been messy, but we had made it.   

I patted Medallion's on the neck.  "Good girl!"  Surprisingly, I felt as excited as if I'd just won something.  

Maybe I had.  

We practiced more with turning, all the while making sure that I didn't drop my right shoulder or pick up on the reins.  

And wonder of wonders, Medallion listened to me.  She obeyed me.  For the first time, we didn't fight, we didn't argue.  It felt so good I wanted to keep going, but Tessa declared that was enough for the day.  Besides, other riders were going to want the arena soon. 

While Medallion had practiced on our turns, Tessa had been doing more intensive work with Challenger.  In trot, he'd been doing leg yields, and in canter, he was working on having more spring and impulsion.  It was a true demonstration of how impulsion was not more speed, because Challenger could have added a lot more speed and that was not what Tessa wanted. 

It was obviously a harder concept for him to grasp, but never once did Tessa get frustrated.  As soon as he got it right, he was rewarded.  

We talked more as we led our horses from the arena and took the tack off.  Tessa was delighted that all had gone so well for Medallion and I.  In fact, her joy almost matched my own.  

"I think you could do some jumping tomorrow," she commented.

I paused as I was undoing the girth.  "Whoa, wait a second.  Don't you think that's too soon?" 

"I didn't say you'd be jumping three foot, I only said you could be jumping.  If you're not comfortable with it, we don't have to do it."  

"I'm not supposed to have a short rein on her though, so how's that going to work?"  

"Who said you needed a short rein to jump?  She's jumped before, right?  I think, if you just aim her for the jump with our body and maybe use your reins to guide her a bit, she'd just go over it."

I wasn't convinced, and also wasn't sure if it was a good idea to try that so soon.  But on the other hand, I'd never felt Medallion jump.  Unless you counted her bucks and leaps of derision. 

"I guess...  Well, we're see how it goes tomorrow."  

"Alright."  

It was easy to tell that the stable was busier.  More horses were out and people were everywhere.  It felt more crowded, which I wasn't used to.  At Vantage Point, you had to have a lot of people before it felt like that.