Horses In My Heart

Game Time

As I quickly adjusted Teagan's girth for the last time, riders in the show jumping discipline were mounting up all around me. I quickly rolled down my stirrups and Tess gave me a leg up and a "good luck" before running over to the side lines.

I gently nudged Teagan to walk on as all the other riders in the arena were doing the same thing. An older man who had introduced himself as Mr. Cartello, was the jumping instructor and he was standing in the middle of the arena surveying us all. Every once in a while, he would say something along the lines of "you on the chestnut in green! Heels down farther!" that person would immediately do what he said as quickly as possible.

"Trot on!" Mr. Cartello said as he and a couple of other people started to set up a couple of warm-up jumps.

I squeezed Teagan and she quickly moved into a nice bouncy trot. I checked my diagonal and posted in time with her outside leg.

"Okay, I want everyone to pick up a canter on the right lead!" Mr. Cartello said and everyone quickly responded. I smooched quietly and Teagan moved forward into a smooth collected hunter pace. I half seated, focusing on making my equitation as good as possible.

A couple minutes later after we had cantered the opposite direction Mr. Cartello called us into the centre of the arena. All in all there were about 15 show jumping kids in their first year at Bluefront. Individually he would call on us to canter the 2 foot 3' vertical he had set up for the warmup.

For the first ten or so people the jumps looked great and polished with the horses and ponies jumping beautifully with collected hunter-style paces and perfectly square knees. Then suddenly a bay horse with a small brunette atop him, refused and the girl went flying head over heels in a heap. She quickly brushed herself off and grabbed her horse's reins hopping back on and immediately going over the jump in perfect form. Mr. Cartello nodded approvingly and I was up next.

I took a deep breathe and gathered my reins, I nudged Teagan into a smooth effortless canter and timed the jump in my head as we approached counting 1,2,1,2,1,2,1 and take off, I rose up and two-pointed as Teagan tucked her knees under her and we soared over the jump. "Very good" Mr. Cartello grunted, nodding approvingly. I smiled and gave Tee a big pat and a hug "that was beautiful babes" I whispered, grinning to myself. Del's turn came and went as well and her and Crayola looked amazing together. After everyone was down the warm-up a couple if helpers set up a bounce, a one stride and a two stride all parallel to one another. Each jump about 2 foot 6' in height, they looked pretty tricky especially the bounce.

"Now, I want everyone on their turn to choose which jump set they want to do, the bounce one or two stride" Mr. Cartello said. "Then simply go over it as good as you and your horse or pony can. The bounce is the trickiest and the two-stride pretty easy. Choose which one you do based on how well you know your mount's capabilities" he said and nodded for the first rider to go ahead.

Most of the riders chose the one stride, including Del. The girl on the bay horse chose to do the two stride. Only a couple of people had attempted the bounce, and none of them had done it well...One girl had a refusal, a boy on a chestnut had a run-out and another pony had crashed into the second jump, since he had chipped the first. I patted Tee, "can you do it girl?" I whispered. Teagan snorted and tossed her head as if to say "of course!!". When Mr. Cartello called on Teagan and I, I cantered a circle before heading into the bounce. I counted her strides and as a perfect team we took off and landed, then took off and landed again, cantering away.

Mr. Cartello whispered under his breathe "That was beautiful!" and smiling he walked over to give Tee a pat. I stroked her neck as well whispering praise to her. She tossed her head, soaking up all the attention.

"Okay, that' enough for today!" Our instructor said. "Everyone cool down your horses and go and untack. Tomorrow we will be working on trotting into jumps, some equitation work on your two-points and half seats, and a couple of small courses." Mr. Cartello said and walked to the centre if the arena to talk to a couple if his helpers.

Del and I walked Crayola and Teagan out side by side. "That was so much fun!" I said smiling.

Del nodded in agreement, a blissful expression on her face. "I love it here!" she replied happily.

"Me too" I said and we finished walking the two horses out in content silence.