Post by Emily on Jul 11, 2009 14:53:24 GMT -5
At nine o'clock in the morning the barn is quiet as I walk in, all the horses are contentedly eating hay in their stalls or taking a quick nap in the pastures. But it lasts only a moment as the last door on the right starts to shake as a thrashing hoof asks impatiently to be taken out. As I approach I can see a single dark eye peering through the bars at me. I grab a halter and open the door. Raj all but knocks me over trying to speed the process along, thinking that he is going out. Sorry Raj, but you gotta work today buddy. He tosses his head as I head in the direction of the grooming stall, but follows obediently, secretly looking forward to being ridden.
I tie Raj up and quickly groom him, as he swings back and forth in the cross ties. Once I have him tacked up he marches right beside me to the schooling arena. Earlier I took out all of the jumps so that we could really focus on our dressage pattern. In the world of dressage Raj is the top of the line. He loves to show off and the sight of the black letters along the rail this morning made him dance in a circle as I mounted. Glad to see you're happy to be here, I said as I closed the gate behind us and began to walk on the rail, extending, collecting, or doing shoulder-in every few strides to warm up a little. Raj bowed his head and respectfully did as I asked. We then did the same drills at the trot in each direction and did a few cantering drills.
I walk my now somewhat frustrated stallion to the gate and turn to face the arena. Okay Raj, this is the fun stuff you've been waiting for so you gotta listen to me now, got it? I whispered as I felt his toned body straighten and wait for my next instruction. In his mind this was our last shot to make the Olympic team and we were going to win. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes then squeezed him upward into a collected canter. Raj rocks smoothly until we reach X where he stops square, directly in the center of the ring. I tip my head to the imaginary judge before gently asking for a collected trot to C. Raj moved in slow motion down the centerline then delicately turned around my right leg at the rail. I allow him to open up a little at M as we zig-zag to X then back to K. Approaching the return home, Raj's stride lengthened in anticipation but a slight readjustment of my weight slowed him once again as I asked for a left-shoulder in around the turn. At B my leg buries into his light side as I ask for a 6-meter circle. Raj tries to rush a little but keeps the circle small enough to receive minimal penalties. I then ask him to trot to X where we change direction and a light touch of the rounded tip of my spur lets him know to extend his stride. We then repeat the shoulder-in and 6-meter circle in the new direction. I then sit back slightly and we move into a graceful walk. I massage the bit slightly to get him to come to me a little more before asking for a pirouette. Raj turns immediately, staying in the same rhythm as when walking straight. As he finishes the tight circle I push him onward into an extended walk to K where I slightly touch his ribs to ask for a collected canter. He picks up the wrong lead and gets mad, fixing it then galloping a few steps before composing himself and once again listening to my aids. We turn toward X where he swaps his leading leg flawlessly then return to the rail to repeat the maneuver in the opposite direction. When we reach M I once again ask him to go toward X. Expecting to again be asked for a lead change he does so before we reach X where I instead ask him to pirouette in the opposite direction. Raj pins his ears at me but obliges and continues to counter-canter to C. When we reach the corner I ask him to turn down the diagonal where we change leads every few strides, in a sort of sachet down the line. We then repeat this down the other diagonal. At F I ask for an extended canter. Raj throws his head a little, but keeps a nice pace as we head to X for the final time. Raj stops nicely right in the center and this time after I salute I reach down and rub his dappled neck as he looks back as if to ask So we won right? I loosen my reign to the buckle and we walk out together, contented with a nice practice, but never having expected any less.
I tie Raj up and quickly groom him, as he swings back and forth in the cross ties. Once I have him tacked up he marches right beside me to the schooling arena. Earlier I took out all of the jumps so that we could really focus on our dressage pattern. In the world of dressage Raj is the top of the line. He loves to show off and the sight of the black letters along the rail this morning made him dance in a circle as I mounted. Glad to see you're happy to be here, I said as I closed the gate behind us and began to walk on the rail, extending, collecting, or doing shoulder-in every few strides to warm up a little. Raj bowed his head and respectfully did as I asked. We then did the same drills at the trot in each direction and did a few cantering drills.
I walk my now somewhat frustrated stallion to the gate and turn to face the arena. Okay Raj, this is the fun stuff you've been waiting for so you gotta listen to me now, got it? I whispered as I felt his toned body straighten and wait for my next instruction. In his mind this was our last shot to make the Olympic team and we were going to win. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes then squeezed him upward into a collected canter. Raj rocks smoothly until we reach X where he stops square, directly in the center of the ring. I tip my head to the imaginary judge before gently asking for a collected trot to C. Raj moved in slow motion down the centerline then delicately turned around my right leg at the rail. I allow him to open up a little at M as we zig-zag to X then back to K. Approaching the return home, Raj's stride lengthened in anticipation but a slight readjustment of my weight slowed him once again as I asked for a left-shoulder in around the turn. At B my leg buries into his light side as I ask for a 6-meter circle. Raj tries to rush a little but keeps the circle small enough to receive minimal penalties. I then ask him to trot to X where we change direction and a light touch of the rounded tip of my spur lets him know to extend his stride. We then repeat the shoulder-in and 6-meter circle in the new direction. I then sit back slightly and we move into a graceful walk. I massage the bit slightly to get him to come to me a little more before asking for a pirouette. Raj turns immediately, staying in the same rhythm as when walking straight. As he finishes the tight circle I push him onward into an extended walk to K where I slightly touch his ribs to ask for a collected canter. He picks up the wrong lead and gets mad, fixing it then galloping a few steps before composing himself and once again listening to my aids. We turn toward X where he swaps his leading leg flawlessly then return to the rail to repeat the maneuver in the opposite direction. When we reach M I once again ask him to go toward X. Expecting to again be asked for a lead change he does so before we reach X where I instead ask him to pirouette in the opposite direction. Raj pins his ears at me but obliges and continues to counter-canter to C. When we reach the corner I ask him to turn down the diagonal where we change leads every few strides, in a sort of sachet down the line. We then repeat this down the other diagonal. At F I ask for an extended canter. Raj throws his head a little, but keeps a nice pace as we head to X for the final time. Raj stops nicely right in the center and this time after I salute I reach down and rub his dappled neck as he looks back as if to ask So we won right? I loosen my reign to the buckle and we walk out together, contented with a nice practice, but never having expected any less.