Briarsridge Riding School

Chapter 4

I woke up when my phone alarm blared. It was 6:30. Ugh. Sighing, I got up and looked in my dresser for some practice breeches. I picked a pair of tan Tailored Sportsman, and some grey riding socks. A navy blue polo and I was good to go. I put on my tall boots and grabbed my Sperrys. Lastly, I picked up my phone and left the dorm house quietly.

I walked to the stable in silence. The stable was illuminated as I walked in, and inside there was a steady buzz of activity. Older students, maybe late high school, were tacking up. They smiled at me as I walked up to my level, and I returned the gesture. When I got to the tack room, I got my grooming supplies and walked to Kermit's stall, L46. When I arrived, Kermit was laying down, asleep. I chuckled nervously, afraid to wake him. I gently opened the stall door and rubbed his cheek until he woke up. He stood up quickly and let me clip the halter and lead rope I retrieved from outside his stall to him. We walked to a grooming stall, and I hooked him onto the crossties. Looking at the shavings, assorted colors of dirt and sludge all over him, and the winter coat growing in, I sighed. Better get started.

For the next hour or so, I groomed him to impeccable standards. He was happier the more I got off of him.

"Kerm, if you like being clean so much, why do you roll in everything?" I patted his neck.

"Ahh talking to our horse are we?" A voice appeared out of thin air. And with it, a tall, middle aged woman who matched the voice. I blushed so heavily I must have looked like a tomato. She smiled kindly. I blushed more. "I'm Mrs.Cindy, and I'm the advanced team trainer. I see you are riding Kermit for show jumping and cross country and Gatsby for dressage?" I sheepishly nodded. She grinned. "Those horses are for the experienced rider only. They know who is good and who isn't. I assume you'll be trying out for the advanced team?" Assumed? Umm... I wasn't even sure I wanted to be on the beginner team. I nodded even more tentatively than before. She smiled again. "Are you going to ride him?" She looked at Kermit's face.

"Yes ma'am. I'm going to try to ride both of them." We walked to the tack room as so I could grab my saddle and my snaffle, as well as my helmet.

"Good. Do you mind if I watch you, to assess what you can do?" YES I DO!! I shook my head no, despite my already twisting stomach. The advanced team trainer wanted to watch me?? Out of everybody? Eek! She supplied me with a BriarsWood saddle pad, and I saddled and bridled him, strapping on my helmet. Lastly, I put some front tendon boots on him and walked downstairs.

I walked into the warm-up arena and mounted off of the fence. Mrs.Cindy walked out of the stable just as I walked around the arena for the first time. She was holding a clipboard. Eek! Why did she have a clipboard? I trotted Kermit around the ring and then cantered a bit both ways. He was perfect! The course from yesterday was still there, and was a little bit higher than yesterday when I tried the horses out. I trotted-in-cantered-out over some gymnastics to warm him up. Then I cantered over the same gymnastics, counting my strides. Bounce, one..two..three jump, one.. Jump, one..two..three..jump, bounce jump, canter away. I patted Kermit as we continued over two oxers, a round top, a right rollback turn to a Swedish oxer, and then a bounce of a vertical to a final oxer. We cantered away and then broke to a trot after getting our lead change. He was amazing! He got the perfect distance over every jump, and wasn't even sweating that bad when we finished! We did the gymnastics to the course two more times, then finished out with some more flatwork, and finally, a long walk break.

I got back to the stable grinning. I couldn't have wished for a better first day!! And that was only my first horse. I got Gatsby out and put him in a grooming stall, and then untacked Kerm and put him in his stall to cool off. Tacking Gatsby up with the same tack, I was out of the stable in no time. We mounted in a dressage arena, and I warmed him up. He had the most fluid gates I had ever ridden. I made up a small dressage test in my head. Students started to gather around as I began. I saluted at X and....

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Hello there! Thank you all so much for reading! I love writing this series, so keep on reading!! Cheers!