Changing Strides

~Chapter 17~

  I walked into the barn with Sammy close behind.  The air cracked with tension but I didn't know why.  I stopped, looking to Sammy, "You can go tack up Orion, I'll tack up Storm."
  Sammy nodded and walked off.  I approached Storm's stall and peered inside.  He was tacked.  I hesitantly opened the door.  I checked Storm over, walking him around the stall testing his alertness.  He seemed fine, and I looked at the saddle.  There was no significant signs that it was someone's tack.  I walked over to the tack room and peered inside.  Emily sat cleaning her bridle. Her quiet humming filled the room with a whitenoise.  As I continued inside however, her music dwindled as she saw I was the one to come in.  I grabbed Storm's actual tack, my hunch had been right.  Someone else's tack was on Storm.  I walked out of the room ignoring Emily though her icy gaze was hooked on me every second.
  Miss. Woods greeted me at Storm's stall, wondering what was up.  "I have Storm's tack here,"  I beckoned to the pile of leather on the stall.  "Though Storm is clearly tacked already.  I can't figure out who's tack it is either."
  Miss. Woods nodded as she slipped into Storm's stall.  She inspected the tack, then took it off Storm, setting it down in the bedding.  Then she took my saddle and laid it on Storm, it seemed as if Storm breathed a sigh of relief to have a familiar saddle on him.  After fastening the girth, Miss. Woods took the bridle off and inspected it.  "Claire, do you have soft contact or a firmer contact?"
  I though for a moment, "It depends on how riled up he is.  I'll use firmer contact if that gets him to pay attention.  Otherwise, I'd like to think I have a soft contact."
  Again, Miss. Woods'only reply was a nod.  She compared the two bridles, then spoke up again, "Good thing you didn't ride with this foreign tack on.  The bit is way too aggressive, even for the most misbehaved horses.  Also, the saddle looks suspicious, though I need a closer inspection.   So, I'm going to take this tack, you finish up Storm and have Meg teach you guys if she's available.  Remeber, I want to get Sammy to jump, today if possible."
  I nodded, taking my bridle and fastening it onto Storm before leading him out.
  Sammy was already warming up when I mounted Storm.  Orion had a smooth gait, his giant frame easily carrying Sammy.  After I warmed up, I saw Meg approach us and walk in.  She set up a couple fences then told us the order.  I was first, so I gathered my reins and brought Storm into a smooth canter around the arena to inspect the course.  The course was fairly simple, the hardest obstacle being a small oxer.  I understood this was for Sammy, so I knew I had to make my ride look convincing.
  I urged Storm towards the first vertical.  I lifted up in the saddle only  two strides from the fence.  Storm took off, easily clearing the vertical, without leaving a huge gap in the air between his feet and the pole.  Next, was a square oxer.  It was still small, but the trick was to maintain your distance in the air without coming down too early.  I let Storm pick up his speed a bit, once again rising in the saddle.  Storm flew over the jump, his hind feet staying in the air just long enough to clear the fence.  The third and final jump was an oxer.  The challenge was that this fence was higher up, and spread apart.  I tried to concentrate as Storm raises on my que.  He snapped his front legs up quick, just in time to clear the fence.  As he landed, I picked up his head, leaning back in the saddle.  Once Storm was fully on the ground, I brought him around the jumps again, giving him a couple laps around the arena to cool off.
  Meg gave some words of encouragement to me and I gratefully took them.  As I pulled up beside Meg, Sammy coaxed Orion to circle the arena.  I could see Sammy take a deep breath, trying to calm herself.  Even though she may not have been confident, I knew she'd been okay.  Orion may look too bulky, but he can be really graceful and flexible.    Sammy then took off at a slow canter towards the first fence.  I saw her rise, slightly shaky in the saddle and Orion then launched into the air over the vertical.  Sammy crouched over his neck, the pair looking like they've done it before.  Her landing was shaky, Sammy sat back a little too early, but Orion knew what to do.  They then faced the next fence.  Though the pair failed to gain enough speed and Orion's back hooves nicked the rail, causing it to clatter to the ground.  I could tell Sammy was disappointed, but she tried to hide it as they picked up the pace for the final jump.  They rose over, Sammy gaining more confidence.  Though maybe, too much, too early.  Her timing was off and Orion clipped the top of the oxer.  I clapped for Sammy, this was her first time and I was impressed.  Meg congratulated her as well, giving her advice, without trying to be demanding.
  Sammy and I continued to practice until Sammy cleared all the fences.  As she landed, clearing the oxer for the first time, she bit her lip trying to hide her excitement.  After she cooled off and encouraged Orion I clapped her on the back for her accomplishment.  Then we wrapped up the lesson with a few exercises to loosen the horses and slowly cool them off.
  As I untacked Storm, Miss. Woods approached.  She greeted me warmly and I filled her in on the lesson.  She replied overjoyed, "That's great!  I'm glad Sammy learned to jump today."
  I nodded in agreement, but Miss. Woods grew solemn.  "So, I looked over the tack.  There was nothing out of the ordinary.  I think what would've happened is that you would've hurt Storm with the bit."  I nodded, but Miss. Woods wasn't finished, "Though I did find out that the tack doesn't even belong to us.  It belongs to Stone River."