Stone Creek Academy: Faith

Chapter Six

"Sonic? Sonic, buddy, wake up! It's time for our first lesson!" I whispered eagerly as I piled all of Sonic's tack outside his stall. His steely grey coat was already gleaming, so I just ran it over with a polishing glove once, then tacked him up.

"Good boy," I praised him when Sonic accepted the bit without a fuss. When I first got him, he had frequently outsmarted me by refusing to take the bit then throwing his head in the air so that it fell back out the moment I got it in. That habit had been broken a few years ago with the help of a stepladder.

Fastening my Charles Owen helmet's chinstrap, I looked over my tack to ensure everything looked properly in place. Nothing looked amiss, so I led Sonic outside, mounted, and steered him into one of the facility's huge indoor arenas. About ten other students including Sofia, Grace, Vivian, Bella, Quinn, and Taylor were warming up already.

I asked Sonic to walk along the rail, allowing him a minute to organize himself and get used to the crowded space. Eventually we moved into a trot. Your joints are hinges, legs pressed on tight, heels down, eyes up, back straight, gut in, chin relaxed, shoulders back, I reminded myself. After a couple minutes of trotting, I began to canter Sonic. At 16.3hh, he had a huge, bouncy canter stride that was agonizing to sit to.

"Riders, please line up in the center of the arena facing me, then hand me your stirrups and leathers as I come around to collect them," Coach Mike boomed as he strode into the arena, his clothes clean and step brisk. My jaw dropped a little in shock. No stirrups on the first day? Oh man... But nonetheless, I detached my leathers and handed my stirrups to Coach.

"Excellent, thank you. We will be showing this weekend at the local Country Club's annual Summer Wrap-Up Event. Your performance there will determine which riding team you are placed on for the remainder of the semester. Now will everyone please begin a posting trot along the rail," Coach Mike announced loudly. Mentally groaning, I guided Sonic back to the rail.

We began to trot, and within two laps my legs felt like they would just drop off of my body. A few riders were struggling to continue doing the exercise, but Sonic and I rode without stirrups at least once a week at home. Coach Mike ended up making us post the trot for five laps around the huge arena before he commanded us all to sit the trot.

"Heels down more, Regina! Eyes up Taylor! Grace, more contact with your legs! Quinn, don't bounce so much! Vivian, relax your upper body and regain contact with your horse's mouth!" Coach Mike shouted orders. I slammed my heels down as far as they could go. My torso began to hurt from the effort it took to hold myself still on Sonic's back through his bouncy trot. We sat the trot for three laps before Coach Mike told us we could walk.

"After we canter, we'll take the horses over this gymnastic which Pablo and Xavier are setting up," Coach Mike explained. Our stable's two grooms, Xavier and Pablo, quickly created a grid of five jumps, spaced evenly apart.

"Alright, left lead canter please everyone!" Coach Mike boomed, startling Quinn's horse into a canter.

Looking embarrassed and terrified, Quinn stopped her horse, and asked them to canter again. I didn't know her horse's name, but it was a beautiful dark bay mare who looked more like a hunter than a jumper. Lucky for me, Sonic moved easily into a flowing canter. I could've cantered Sonic without stirrups all day.

"Post your canter, please," Coach Mike called from the center of the ring. I groaned quietly to myself. Posting the canter was one of my least favorite exercises. My thighs and calves whimpered even more as I began posting up and down to Sonic's canter.

The torture went on for another five laps before Coach Mike called us into the center of the ring. We all lined up. I parked Sonic between Sofia on Minnie and Grace on Drum. Grace and I smiled as our horses whuffed greetings to each other.

"Sofia, you'll jump first. Regina, you're next, then Grace, and we'll go down the line from there. Go ahead, Sofia," Coach Mike announced. I mouthed "Good luck" to Sofia. She grinned at me, and pressed Minnie into a smooth canter.

After circling Minnie to get them both organized and prepared, Sofia aimed her at the first obstacle. Each jump was a vertical about 2'6" in height, and I was certain everyone here had jumped higher than that before. I knew it would be tricky to ride without stirrups, but you wouldn't have guessed it from Sofia's ride.

She and Minnie flowed down the line of jumps easily. Minnie snapped up her knees and rounded beautifully over each jump while Sofia looked like she had never dropped her stirrups at all! Her leg was tight and still, her timing impeccable, and her equitation flawless. I gaped at her performance. Coach Mike smiled and nodded with approval. It was my turn.

Before we started, I circled Sonic once at the canter. I tried to make my equitation as good as Sofia's, but I could tell I needed work. Nonetheless, Sonic bunny hopped easily through the line. Grinning, I turned him back toward the group.

"A good ride Regina, but your leg swung and your right hand was too close to Sonic's neck. Additionally, in your turns, never forget to turn using your outside aids, understood?" Coach Mike said. I was shocked by the number of things I needed to improve upon. My leg had been almost frozen in place. How could he have detected swinging? And what did he mean by "turn with your outside aids"?

I puzzled over this as Grace and Drum put in a beautiful performance over the line. Everyone was on their A Game today, yet Coach Mike still found things to correct in nearly every ride. Only Sofia and Bella received no criticism. When everyone had jumped, Coach Mike had Xavier raise the jumps to 3 feet in height. Would he ask us to jump it?

Coach Mike turned to the group, and announced, "As you can see, the jumps have been raised. I will have only two of you jump the line at this height. Who can tell me who I will ask and why?" I raised my hand, and he nodded as an indication for me to speak.

"You will ask Sofia and Bella to jump again because they have showed more proficiency and experience with this exercise than the rest of us," I answered clearly. It was hard not to fidget anxiously under the stares of every other rider.

"Correct. Bella, you will go first, then Sofia. Start now please," Coach Mike replied, acknowledging them each before motioning toward the line. Bella urged her black warmblood out of line, circled him once, then popped through the line as if she'd done it a million times. Maybe she had. I spied her smirking at Sofia as she returned to the group, so I glared at her.

Sofia's ride was even better than her first. I couldn't process the idea of sharing a room with such an amazing rider. Poor Sofia though, I'd be begging her to coach me so often!

"Excellent work today ladies. Be sure to properly cool out and put away your horses. I'll see you back here tomorrow afternoon," Coach Mike waved goodbye to us, and then it was just us ten walking around and cooling out our horses. Sonic wasn't breathing very hard, but I sure was!

"You were such a good boy today!" I crooned as I bathed Sonic before returning him to his stall. He seemed happy to be back, and I knew he must've been settling in well. I fed him a handful of his favorite Stud Muffin horse cookies. Planting a kiss on his velvety nose, I left the stable behind as I headed for Rosebury.

Sofia was already back and in the shower. I used the spare time to power through thirty minutes of my homework. When Sofia emerged, I showered as quickly as I could. Sofia was gone when I finished, so I worked on more homework until she returned with food for both of us: grilled cheese sandwiches and milk.

It took us about another hour to complete all of our homework, at which point we decided to simply go to bed. Our first real day at Stone Creek Academy had been exactly what I'd expected it would: long, tiring, and crazy fun. As I closed my eyes in the warm darkness of my room, I realized that Desiray hadn't bothered us much all day. But in just that thought, I knew I had jinxed us into a very torturous Tuesday. Oh brother!