To get Back Into the Saddle Again {COMPLETED}

Chapter 2: Training Begins

A week later, Madelyn decided it was time to start training Atlas. She got out of the tack room a blue lunging set (guys This Esme's matchy-matchy thing has caught on to me!! :P ) and a blue halter and lead and led Atlas out to the huge round-pen.  As she of the halter, she said, "Okay Atlas, today we are going to start to train you. It will probably take two or three months, but I will try to make it as fun as possible," 

"Now let's start with a good trot," She said and wisped the lounge whip. Atlas did a little buck and started to trot around in a circle.  After trotting around two times, Madelyn increased the pressure to make him canter. She made the kissing sound, so Atlas could eventually know that a kissing sound means 'go faster'. Atlas bucked again and kept trotting. Madelyn finally made Atlas canter. It was obvious that Atlas had done groundwork before. Yes, he defiantly was stubborn and had not had propper work. Now she went in front of him to change direction. He responded nicely and did what she wanted. "Good boy Atlas!"

After doing that for an hour, of making Atlas trot, canter, turn direction and come to Madelyn, she finally decided they were done. It was a workout, and they both were exhausted. "Good boy Atlas," She said as she clipped on the halter. She let Atlas go out to his pasture for a reward and took a treat out of her pocket and gave it to him. He munched on it gladly and walked away.

The next day they did the same thing for an hour, however after their session, Madelyn took Atlas out on a hack down the country road while he was on a long lead rope, it was not as long as a lounge line. Rocky decided he wanted to come to, so he jogged around them, enjoying himself. It's a good thing Atlas was born at a place that had dogs, otherwise, he would really stress with having two dogs around. Madelyn thought to herself as they walked around. Atlas was alert, with ears pricked but head low. Once in a while he would look up and stop, but then keep walking. By walking Atlas around the surrounding property, Madelyn would know how Atlas took to new places. By the looks of it, he was totally cool with it.

When they came back from their little walk, Madelyn let Atlas go into his pasture. She caught him nosing Nutmeg once or twice, so she decided to let Nutmeg go into Atlas's pasture. At first, Atlas threw his ears back and walked to the other end of the pasture. Well, at least they're not fighting. Besides, he'll get used to Nutmeg in time. I think he likes Nutmeg. He just does not want to show it. Madelyn thought as she saw Atlas look up and watch Nutmeg. After a time of watching him, he finally decided it was okay to go and say hello to him. 

At first, when they sniffed, Atlas let out a squeal and bucked. Nutmeg threw his ears back but pricked them back up. He took a step closer to Atlas, who had now calmed down. They sniffed again, then Nutmeg let out a snort and shook his head. The two stayed there like that until Atlas decided it was time to show Nutmeg how strong and fast he was. Bad idea. No horse ever tested Nutmeg or Rafiki (I just noticed that Rafiki is a character in Lion King!! Wow!!). Atlas took off around the pasture at full gallop, showing Nuteg his speed. Knowing that Nutmeg dashed off after Atlas with ears back and caught up to Atlas. The now frightened Atlas squealed and put on the brakes, coming to a sliding stop.

This caused more confusion and Atlas and Nutmeg did not know what to do. After a while, they were grooming each other, and Atlas had made his first friend. 

The next day, Madelyn decided that training would be a little different. She still brought Atlas out to the round pen, and still made him trot, canter, and change direction, but only for thirty minutes. Then she called him to come near, and with the lounge whip, rubbed it all over him. At first, Atlas moved away from it, and Madelyn kept the whip on him. Atlas stood still as Madelyn rubbed the whip all over him on both sides for 10 minutes. She knew he was chill with it when he leaned on it when it was rubbing his rump. 

She then changed it up, and while Atlas was standing still, she moved the whip in a circle, seeing how he would react to a moving object in front of him. Atlas threw his ears back and backed up a step. Madelyn kept moving it in a circle until Atlas cocked one of his back legs. "Good boy Atlas!" Madelyn said. He was improving a lot. He knew exactly when Madelyn wanted him to move, and he trusted her a lot. 

After doing that for a week of their new routine, Madelyn decided to do something completely different. In the tack room, she grabbed a saddle pad, the lightest saddle she could find, and a hackamore. She grabbed Atlas from his pasture, which he now shared with Nutmeg. He gladly walked with Madelyn and when he got into the round pen and saw the saddle pad, saddle, and hackamore, got a bit skittish. He nickered quietly and looked at Madelyn as if to say, 

Are you sure this is right?

"It okay Atlas, we will start out with our regular routine," She said. They did the normal thing for 15 minutes, then Madelyn stopped Atlas and made him stand still. She grabbed the saddle pad from the rack and rubbed it on his back. Atlas did nothing but watched cautiously. Madelyn, seeing he was cool with it, placed it on his back. She then grabbed the saddle from the rack and slowly placed it on Atlas's back. At first, he did not notice it. Then he let out a sudden buck, sticking Madelyn in the arm.

Here is a little bit about Madelyn's family.......

General Jake Wild was in and out of the house, not her house, but her mother's house. When he was there, which was not very often, he stayed only for a week. You could expect that from a General, he is lucky he is even allowed to come home. Madelyn's mother was famous too, as she also was a skilled equestrian rider. Especially in trick-riding. Madelyn's twin sister is Paetyn, who is almost the same as her, but she is still single and she enjoyed trick-riding. And is real good at it too. They have an older brother, Jordan, who is best at show-jumping and despises trick-riding. The funny thing is, all of Madelyn's family had brown hair and dark eyes. Even Madelyn.

Justin is Madelyn's husband and has brown hair and dark hair too, and has an older sister who is married and has a little girl. Justin has lighter hair than Madelyn and has a smaller family. Justin also rode horses when he was little, and his sister owned a horse. His mother died when he was fifteen in a car crash, and his father died shortly after Madelyn and Justin's wedding.