Horses are a Girl's Best Friend

Chapter 2 - Group Lesson

     "Ari, get your horse moving! He needs to canter the jump, not trot it!" Mr. Smith sighed. He had been at this for the past two hours, trying to perfect our form, to get us ready for tomorrow. Everyone had been yelled at multiple times. Everyone but me.

     I was just sitting there, doing exactly as asked, ten times better than everybody else. So far, we had done a bit of dressage, which I was awful at. We had just started jumping about fifteen minutes ago, and I was acing it. While everyone else had to work on small crossrails, practicing posture, my uncle had to raise the jumps to four and a half foot verticals.

     "Can we start on oxers?" I ask him while the first person jumped again. "I guess. Actually, why don't we do a whole course? Hey Abby," Mr. Smith called, waving over the stablehand. "Can you come help me set up some jumps?"

     Soon they had a whole course set up. Mr. Smith started to explain the instructions.

     You start at "F." Then you trot forward. Turn right at "A." Make a large circle and canter. Go straight down to "X," and jump the crossrail line. Turn left before the fence, then go to "H." Jump the box oxer and turn right so you are parallel to the group. Slow to an energized trot, then go over the wall at "E." Canter along the rail to "C," where you'll turn right. Stop at "X."

     "Mr. Smith? Do we have to salute?" Somebody behind me asks once he's done. "No, Sara, you don't have to. Though if this were a show and you didn't, you'd be disqualified."

     There's one person in front of me now, so I get to go second.

     "Let's begin." Mr. Smith commands. Indie tosses his head, bored as he waits. Quick enough, the person ahead of me finishes. "Amber, your turn! I raised the crossrails to verticals too." He says.

     I squeeze Indie forward, and he moves into a trot before he even starts walking. We turn and start our circle, where I push him into the canter halfway through. We finish our circle, and head towards the newly added verticals. I two-point over them, and we land perfectly.

     Easy. Next, we turn left and head for "H." Once we reach it, we turn at a diagonal and go for the oxer. We soar over it, and then turn right before we run into the other horses. I pull a little on the reins, and Indie slows to a speedy trot. We jump the wall that waits at "E," then keep going on the rail until we get to "C."

     We turn to towards the center, and stop at "X." As soon as we stop, I hear the applause. "That was perfect! Great job Amber! This is why we're going to win the Triathlon Show." Mr. Smith exclaims.

     After everyone practiced at least three more times, we started the third part of practice. Racing. Indie is alright at the speed factor, but with me and my strategies, we win almost every race.

     "Alright, everyone please line up against the back fence. Only three of you will race at a time. Two groups of three, one group of two," Mr. Smith tells us. "Hmm... let's see. Melody, Paige, and Ivy, you'll go first."

     The three girls brace themselves as Mr. Smith starts counting down from five. "Two... one... and GO!" They urge their horses forward, and Melody gets in the lead.

     Paige and Ivy are right behind her, when suddenly, Dixie spooks. Paige falls to the ground, landing on what I think is her arm. Dixie rears, towering over her, but then turns and canters away, jumping the fence of the arena even though it's five feet tall.

     Quickly, we all dismount, but I give my reins to Jess and run over to Paige. Mr. Smith is already there. "Amber! Go get Dixie!" He says, and I nod.

     I hurry out the gate and see a streak of bay headed towards the forest we sometimes use for trail rides. I jog in that direction for a bit, through the trees, until I get to a clearing where he's grazing. I walk up to him slowly, so I don't startle him, and he looks up. I keep walking until I'm close enough to grab the reins, which I do, and pat his neck.

     I hear a rustling in the leaves behind me and turn. For a few seconds, I'm staring at the most beautiful mare I'd ever seen. She looks amazing, a sparkling dappled gray mare.

     Then she turns and runs. She has a river of chestnut mane flying behind her as she gallops through the trees. She skids around a left turn and disappears into the woods.

     I frown, annoyed that I only got a glimpse of her, and lead Dixie back to the barn.