Saddle Seat

Chapter 5

Tuesday. A lesson day.

I told my aunt I could do a lesson, since I probably wouldn't be doing much anyways. She agreed, and took me to the stable.

Marcus and she were both going to teach the lesson, and I was on a girl horse named Kate. She was a pretty dapple grey, and had very sweet eyes.
Kate was already tacked up when we got there, so I hopped on, and started walking around the arena. Eventually, my aunt told me to go into a trot.

I just assumed it was the bouncy thing.

I was right.

"Now, Sadie, do you know what a diagonal is when riding?" I shook my head, the helmet fastened tightly. "Okay, well it the right way to trot, basically. Think of it as one two one two one two. Or up down up down up down. Every time the horse's leg that is closest to the outside rail goes forward, you rise. When it goes back, you sit." I changed, trying to get the hang of this. When we changed directions, I had to change my diagonal. Not when we were circling though.

"Okay, now we're going to try something called a two-point." Marcus said. After he explained it, I rose up into this "two-point". Eventually, I went over poles with me in it. Two-point was really tiring!

Then, for lack of a better subject, Marcus told me to trot over the little crossrail in the center. Auntie Kallger looked like she wanted to punch him in the face, but she avoided it. I trotted towards the jump, and Kate rose over it like a proper lady. I just posted and pretended it was a big step or something of that origin.

"Next time, use two-point to go over it." My aunt commented, and I trotted over it again, this time riding in the "jumping" position.

"Okay, now after you trot that one, turn left and do the blue line." Marcus said. I had no idea what a line was, but I assed the other jumps and thought the two blue ones were the line. So Kate and I trotted over the crossrail, and then she picked up the smooth thing. I turned her left, and we went over two vertical jumps, which were a little higher than the crossrail.

Then, to finish out the lesson, I did something called Chase Me Charlie. I started at a low vertical jump, and just kept going up until I knocked a rail. I went around a few times, not really knowing how high anything was or if it is good or not for my first lesson. When I finally knocked a rail, my aunt was gaping and Marcus looked astonished.

"What? Did I do good? How high is that? Did I do okay for my first lesson?" I asked, my thoughts blurring together. My aunt just nodded, and Marcus said it was very high for my first lesson, about 2'6. I didn't really think it was that high, but oh well. Then, my aunt did something astonishing.

"Sadie?"

"Yeah...?" I answered.

"I'm going to put you in a group lesson, with girls jumping the same height. Don't worry, we'll get you clothes and everything." Even Marcus looked shocked.

"Okay" I said, at a loss for words.

So that was the way it was worked out. On Tuesdays, I would take my private lesson, and Thursdays, I would have a group. And I could ride Kate whenever I wanted, even out of lessons. When we were driving home, my aunt stopped at a building with no name.

"What is this?" I asked, curious. Some new supermarket or something?

"Well, you are going to have your first English jumping lesson in two days and you don't have any breeches, or boots, or your own helmet, and we should probably get you some shirts..." Oh joy. Shopping.

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Hey! Trying to update all of my books, so it's a bit of a stretch, but it's worth it!

Video isn't me, and isn't mine, but props to the rider for beautiful eq, and an amazing horse!