Saddling Up {thewattys2015}

Chapter 13

Mr.Rossi smiled as he welcomed me into the indoor arena. "Good Afternoon Eleanor. Are you ready for the test?" He said, writing something down on his clipboard. "Yes, Sir. I'm ready." I gabbled, my palms beginning to get sweaty. He smiled and gave Elle a pet. "I heard you and Paige tried out a trail today. How was the ride?" He asked, trying to get me to overcome my nervousness.

I smiled "Yes, We did. It was perfect, although our horses got some mud on them." I laughed a tiny bit. He grinned at me and said "Alright. I'm going to ask you to do some dressage, Then we'll do some flatwork and barrel bending and finally, a jumping course. Just walk to the centre when you're ready to begin." I nodded and tightened the reins and put on my gloves. I tapped my helmet and adjusted the plastic visor.

I squeezed the sides of Elle and She walked towards the centre. I slowed her and did a half-halt. I smiled at him. He assumed I was ready and announced, his voice echoing in the airy arena. "OK. Proceed all the way through HWA, doing a sitting trot. Then track right, and do a posting trot all the way through MKK. Canter to the centre, and do a 20 metre circle, then do a working trot to B, Finally, complete a flying lead change and canter back to X."

I tried to remember those instructions and gave Mr.Rossi a nod and a salute. I sat deep into the saddle and put pressure on her sides, forcing her to collect her trot nicely. I forced myself to sit tall in the saddle and tried not to bounce.

I passed H, and continued to do a sitting trot till I reached A. I did a half-circle and tracked right. I put more pressure on my right leg, making Elle start posting. With her posting, I shortened her reins and made her trot. I trotted back to MKK. I half-halted her and put her into a canter. I tried to make the gait smooth but Elle's strides were shorter and she made it choppy.

I put the reins in my right hand and put pressure on her mouth, I reached down her back and grabbed her tail, forcing her to do a 20 metre circle.

I smiled and uttered a praise. Elle flicked her mane. Listening to my commands, She slowed her gait and started to do a working trot. She executed a flying lead change perfectly and I felt breeze in my hair as all for legs were suspended in the air at once. Once back at X, I saluted Mr.Rossi again.

Flatwork. Great. Elle tossed her mane and nickered loudly. It was totally not her favourite thing to do, mine nether.

Mr.Rossi smiled "Alright, flatwork will be short, 5 laps around the whole arena, each at a different gait. Lap 1: Working Walk. Lap 2: Posting or sitting trot. Lap 3: Slow canter. Lap 4: slow gallop and finally lap 5: a regular gallop. Sounds easy enough right Eleanor?"

"Uhh, Ok, Yeah sure, let's go with that." I chuckled nervously, he smiled and nodded for me to start. I pulled my helmet done and tapped Elle's whither's lightly as I made her pick up her pace into a working walk. Easily transitioning, I applied pressure on the right leg to make Elle to start posting. Her gait was flowy and smooth as she started to canter around the arena.

I let her have more rein as she completed lap 4 and crept into a jockey position as I felt her muscles tense and she went into a gallop. Afterwards, I cooled her by letting amble around the arena. It was time to do a barrel bending course, remembering the course we did in lessons often, I relaxed. Elle was pretty good at barrel bending.

I tightened the reins once again and led her to the centre. Mr.Rossi smiled and said nicely "Good work. Now, there are five barrels. All you have to do is walk around each one, then we'll do some jumping." Ok. So that was simple. I was going to have to make sure my walk stayed collected.

I squeezed her sides when the time came for her to start. She started walking loosely until I tightened the reins and she collected her gait. We turned nicely around the first barrel and turned around the next barrel, still tight and collected. The next three barrels went as smoothly as the first two.

Now finally the jumping course. In form of me stood a course consisting of 5 jumps: 2 verticals, one stone wall and two faux bushes. I smiled to myself, this course was easy peasy! I lined her up, a couple feet away from the first vertical. All the jumps were set at 4"6 to 5". Mr.Rossi nodded and rang the little bell he had, to tell us to start.

Elle seemed to know what was coming and she took off at a canter, easily clearing the first two verticals. She cleared the stone wall as if it wasn't even there. The faux bushes were the highest jumps, set at 5 feet. She jumped higher and cleared both, perfectly. I grinned widely as I hugged Elle!

We had did it! Hopefully it'd be enough for the varsity teams. Now for the waiting part.