Becoming an Olympian (Equestrian)

Chapter 19 - Ready

After the group Hack, I head back to the stables and start to tack up for my lesson. I take out Dreamer and start to brush him down. Once I'm done I tack him up.

He doesn't seem bothered with the bridal, or putting on the saddle anymore, which is nice, but he still doesn't like the girth. When I try to pull it tighter he pins his ears. I rub him on the neck, and he slowly relaxes. I tighten the girth and this time he doesn't make it difficult.I quickly put on his jumping boot, before I start to walk him to the arena.

Derek is already waiting there, holding a lunge line. He is setting up a cross rail in the middle. He looks up and notices me walking in.

"Calli, today before we start riding I want you to take him over this jump." Derek explains, passing me the lung line.

I nod my head, grabbing the lunge line and clip it onto the bridal.  I start to walk  around the arena, before I ask for a trot. Dreamer listens, and so I steer him towards the jump. I can see Dreamer slow down a bit when he sees to jump, so I run faster. When we almost get there I tell him to canter. He listens.

As we approach the jump, I run faster and so does Dreamer. Soon I jump over the jump, but Dreamer stops. I take him around again in a trot, before I get him to Canter. I steer him towards the jump, I jump over it and this time he follows.

"Good boy!" I tel him.

We go around, and after several more jumps, Dreamer doesn't seem scared of the jump anymore.

"Walk." Derek says, and I get Dreamer to walk almost immediately.

I walk over to Derek. "Time to ride." He says smiling.

I smile back and walk over to the mounting block. I mount Dreamer, and this time he doesn't spook, or walk away.

"Now, I want you to try just using your voice don't squeeze." Derek instructs.

"Walk." I tell Dreamer, without squeezing very much.

He listens well, and walks on immediately. I give him a pat on the shoulder. We walk around for a bit, before Derek tells me to trot.

I ask Dreamer to trot, and I just barely squeeze, and he listens. He does a nicely paced trot, and I pat him on the shoulder again.

"Change rein!" Derek says, and I turn Dreamer to go through the centre.

He listens well again, and we trot for another lap or two. We even get to try a sitting trot, which Dreamer doesn't mind at all.

"Let's try a Canter now." Derek says calmly.

"Canter." I tell Dreamer. He gives me one little buck and I squeeze, which makes him canter on. He picks up the right lead to, and I'm glad we drilled that into him.

I give him a pat, and he lets out a happy neigh. I think he enjoys Cantering. I smile to myself as we canter along.

"Change lead." Derek says.

I turn through the centre on a little bit of an angle, giving Dreamer a squeeze with my left foot, making him switch leads. He listens very well, and we canter along smoothly.

Derek walks up to us. "Great! Fantastic!" Derek says happily. "He looks like a whole different horse!"

"Thank you!" I say, a little out of breath from cantering.

"Go ahead and walk." Derek instructs.

I nod my head. "Walk." Dreamer walks immediately.I give him a pat and keep him walking.

"Halt." Derek instructs, and I tell Dreamer to halt. He listens. I give him another pat.

"Good, good!" Derek says. "Now, can you go trot up over the jump?" He asks.

I get Dreamer to trot, and I steer him towards the jump. We speed up a little bit as he approaches it. When we're about to jump over it, he turns away.

I huff frustrated. I turn him around to trot up to the jump again. He trots up to it and stops, looking at the jump. I turn him around again.

"Try trotting down the jump." Derek instructs.

I turn Dreamer to go down the jump, and we start to approach it, but he turns away again. I groan, really frustrated now. I turn him to go over it again. This time he rears instead of jumping, and then turns away.

"Try it in a canter." Derek says. "Maybe speed will help him."

I ask Dreamer for a canter and he listens. I turn him toward the jump, but he turns away again. I try one more time, but he turns away.

"Here, lets just lunge line him over the jump." Derek says, and I dismount.

He clips the lunge line onto the bridal, and I lead him towards the jump. I get him to trot, and I jump over the jump, and he follows.

"Good boy." I tell him, but not excitedly. He looks at me like he did something wrong.

We do this for the rest of of the lesson. And towards the end Derek tells me to walk him out. When I'm done walking him out, Derek comes up to me and unclips the lead line.

He smiles. "I think your ready to join the group lessons now."

Hey guys!

Another chapter! This one was more of a horsey one and sorry it's kinda short.
I have something really intriguing planned.🤪

Thanks for reading!