Addison Parker: The Trials and Tribulations of an Equestrian

Chapitre deux

"Nikers!" Addy cooed as the large bay pony nickered and stuck his head over the stall gaurd for a treat. She laughed and let him lip a peppermint off of her palm. "I missed you the most bud," she told him, rubbing her hand against his face. She hung around his stall for another five minutes before hanging up his bridle and going to the other tack room for the rest of her tack. Entering the cold boarder's room, she opened her dark-stained wooden trunk and pulled out a light blue coolmax pad, white Eskadron open-front boots, a leather girth, and her Antares close contact saddle. Addy hung, draped, and dropped her tack by Nike's stall and then brought him to the cross-ties right by his stall. She flicked the thin layer of dirt and dust off of his otherwise shiny coat and tacked him in twenty minutes. 

"Caaanter," Addy said softly, squeezing at the same time. Nike picked him a quick canter and she half-halted to bring him back to a normal pace. He threw his head and gave a buck in protest, but listened anyway. Addy smiled and turned him to a small cross rail diagonally across the arena to change direciton. Nike jumped it like it was 2' and then spurted forward afterwards, clearly having a good time. Addison quickly made him come down to a trot and then a walk so they could take a break. She looked around the arena at the colorful, unique jumps as she formulated a course. "Ready, bud?" she asked the horse as he snorted. Addy laughed and picked up a forward canter as she approached the first jump. A small-ish oxer line, it was the perfect set of jumps to start the course. It wasn't too high and it gave her plenty of time to prepare for the second jump of the line, a 3' vertical. Nike got excited and tried to rush, but Addy held him back, clearing the jump by at least a foot. She had a tight 6 strides to the next jump, but took it in a 5. Let's be real- she is a jumper. Addy kicked Nike forward and he pushed it another gear- almost into a gallop. She realed him back in about 3 strides before the next jump, which they again cleared easily. Next up was the 3'3 liverpool and one of the scariest jumps of the course. Nike hesitated and started to slow down, but Addy knew him too well. She sat deep in her seat and urged him forward. They didn't even come close to knocking it.