KhanRose Riding Academy

Chapter 19: Release

"Our first lesson!" Scarlet giggled as we made our way to the barn. She had on pale blue breeches and a black polo on along with her tall black boots. I on the other hand had on my fawn colored breeches and a navy blue polo with my clean tall boots.

Last night she had come back, and we got the email that Scarlet, Kat, Jax, Abigail, Logan, Anna and I were on the advanced team. We were to have a lesson every afternoon and in the mornings on Saturdays for an hour each.

"School took for ever, after this we have home work" I groaned on. We had thirty minutes to get to the barn after school. My energy was low due to me only drinking water when I absolutely had to.

"I will see you in the ring" She said as we split up to get our horses.

We were to be in ring A, the one of many inside rings. I got to Sterlings stall, and slipped on his leather halter and lead over his delicate head.

After bringing him to a grooming bay right across from his stall, I grabbed my tack and brushes out of my new tack box. Keller had left this morning, and I had been a wreck for a while now. All my stuff was moved to the tack box beside Sterlings stall. Luckily, all the royal blue and black stuff I got for my first horse matched Sterling.

After brushing my sparking clean horse down and picking out his dirty feet, I placed my black saddle pad with a navy blue trim on him. My jumping saddle was next, and my fleece girth was tightened after. As I saw some people just start to brush their horses, I buckled my bridal and helmet, and we were off with my gloves on my hands.

After getting on, I noticed Jax was already in the ring with Abigail warming up. She sent me disapproving look, and I tucked my stomach in to look skinnier.

I asked Sterly to sweep into his ground covering trot, and posted smoothly. I soon saw Jax was right beside of me, and she pushed Master into a larger trot, she was challenging me. I kept pushing Sterling to get him into a even bigger trot. We kept this on until Sterling won by barely an inch.

She pulled Master away, and I cantered. I sat to his smooth stride, and reversed. Everyone was done when Mr. Odell came in.

"Hello Team. We are going to go over a few things. In a few weeks we have a Hunter Show and all of you will be in an equitation flat class and a three foot Eq class. This is to see where your at in shows. So today we will start out with jumping. Go on the rail at a posting trot." He said.

I collected my reins and pushed Sterling to the wall. Once I reached the soft cream colored wall, I asked for a medium trot. I found my diagonal and posted.

"Heels down Scarlet" Mr. Odell called out.

"Keep Ace in a straight line, use your inside and outside rein and leg along with your seat" Mr. Odell said to Kat.

Jax was in front of me, and I heard her curse under her breath as he critiqued her as well "Elbows in and don't keep your arm so ridged"

"Abigail, keep a rhythm."

"She's going to canter Logan, sit back"

Finally, he got to me "keep your leg secure. Don't let it slide an inch while your posting"
I tightened my leg to the saddle, and my legs started to burn.

After trotting and cantering both directions, we lined up in front of him. "So warm up over than vertical when I call you, and then come back to the line. Why don't we have Jax go first" he said.

With a nod of her head, she pushed Master to canter. His dapples shone as he came up to the simple white vertical. He took off perfectly, and her heels pointed down and her hands and eyes were up. She looked absolutely perfect! Once they landed she went back down to a trot and walked over to us with a smirk on her pretty little face.

"You looked good, up until the landing. You sat back to fast, ease up on sitting down over the jumps." He criticized.

Her smirk fell, and she looked at me with a devilish grin.

"Pick who's next Jax."

She looked at me with a sickly sweet smile and syrup poured out of her mouth "Ella Grace, please go"

I pulled Sterling over and asked for his ground covering canter. We started to come over to the jump, and he speed up. With a strong half halt and sitting back into my seat, I slowed him down. We came up to the jump, and he took off from under me. I went into my perfected two point, and gave a thoughtful release. I made sure I didn't land to fast, and we cantered away from the jump. Once pulling him into a trot and walking over to the line, I awaited criticism.

"You took care of that perfectly, you not only used your hands but your seat as well. You sat down with perfect timing, and all I could say was try to have an inch less of a release. Great job with him" he smiled.

"Katherine, you may go" I said once giving Sterly a pat.

She gave me a soft smile and asked Ace to canter. He, with a devilish buck, jumped into a choppy canter and they made their way to the jump. He tried to run out, but she kept him pointed to the jump and she went into her two point as he jumped. She had the best equitation I had ever seen! She put Jax to shame. Her heels were down, and her release was perfect. Once they landed Ace gave some crow hops and settled down.

"Great job with him trying to refuse. Don't come out of the saddle so easily" he said with a wave of his hand. Her face fell at his rudeness. I felt terribly bad for her.

"Abigail" she said. Abigail whisked Fly into a choppy canter, but smoothed it out soon. They approached the jump with a long spot, and took it great.

"Good, the long spot fitted ok. Let her find the distance, not you. She has to learn that" Mr. Odell said with a tight smile.

Logan was called next, and the mare looked beautiful jumping, but he did not. His back was rounded and his heels were up sky high.

"Logan, your much better than that. Please don't come to an advanced lesson with heels that bad." Mr. Odell harshly criticized.

Scarlet pushed Royal into a canter and cleared the jump great.

Anna was last on her large pony. The pony had a very adjustable stride, and Anna looked amazing on him. They had a pony stride coming up to the jump, but then once they got up close, she pushed hard for a horse stride. They jumped in sync and looked stunning.

After all of us going over the jump, he wanted us to just do a three foot mini course.

"It's the brush around to the inside line and halt. When your done you are dismissed." Mr. Odell instructed.

I was first, and let Sterling canter. With a rhythmic stride, he flew over the jump with no problem. Once we went around to the inside line, he tried to refuse a jump. I fixed him, and we jumped it ok. With six strides in between the jumps, he tried to act up. I check him with my reins and we slowly jumped. His heels flicked the sand under us and we landed with a lead change at the end.

"Better with your release" Mr. Odell said, and waved me off.