Post by Hadley Cordova on Dec 23, 2016 15:55:31 GMT -8
Hadley was surprised at how busy the barns seemed for a Friday afternoon. But then again, classes were done for the day. She had pulled on a pair of her brown breeches and donned on a teal-colored polo, which was tucked in. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a messy french braid, tresses of it falling around her face which she attempted to shove behind her ears as she lead Isadora out towards one of the jumping arenas. The tall thoroughbred watched a few other riders that were out and about with interest, nickering to some occasionally with perked ears. Hadley had taken her to the round pin to be lunged before bringing her out, just to be safe. Isadora had settled down in the few days they had been here, but still bucked and played when lunged. It amused Hadley, just like always.
Hadley entered the ring, shutting the gate behind them, and lead Isadora to a mounting block. Once she swung into the saddle, her gloved hands bumped her reins ever so slightly and the mare's head lowered just a tad. Hadley put the thoroughbred onto the rail at a walk, her hips moving with Isadora's gait.
Once she warmed Isadora up at a walk and trot, she asked for a canter, pushing the mare's hip over with her heel and tipping her nose to the inside with light pressure from her rein. With a smooching sound from her lips, Isadora moved into a canter from the walk and Hadley sat back in her saddle, sitting deep as Isadora framed up with only a lift of the inside rein again. The mare had a ton of drive, which used to make it difficult for Hadley to sit her canter, but after the year and a half that she had been working with Isadora, Hadley's seat had improved greatly. Her hands stayed low and soft while her chest opened up and Hadley reminded herself to breathe as they came up on another rider.
"Inside," Hadley called with an even tone, using the ring etiquette she had learned over the years at her schooling shows. Hadley cantered Isadora in both directions before pointing her towards a small cross-rail. She called the fence out in a strong voice and rose into an easy half-seat, her heels sinking further down against her irons. Isadora's head lifted, but only slightly and she hopped over the fence easily. Hadley murmured her praise to the mare before going over the same fence the other direction.
When they were properly warmed up, Hadley asked Isadora for a walk for just a few moments before moving into a canter once more, picking up her left lead. She pointed her mare towards another fence, this one with bright blue wings on either side and a vertical. It was only two feet high. She could feel Isadora falter, drawing back but Hadley sat back down in her saddle and drove the mare forward with her hips and calves, pushing her hands forward to encourage her. Isadora hadn't had very much experience with colorful jumps, but she listened and tucked her front legs up, going over it smoothly...until she landed . With a toss of her head and then jerking it down, she pulled Hadley off-balance and gave a big buck, and then another. Hadley gritted her teeth and shoved her heels down, sitting back the best she could, and gave Dora's rein a good tug upwards, pulling the mare's head back up as she slid her fingers down the reins.
"Dora! Knock it off!" she said, putting her heel into the mare's side to get her attention. Hadley shook her head as the mare calmed back down and without hesitating, pushed her into a canter again and looped back around.
"Blue vertical!" she called out before pointing Isadora towards the fence again. This time, there was no hesitation from the horse and she cleared the fence easily. Apparently she had decided that she got her bucking out of her system because, thankfully, there was none this time. Hadley was relieved and as she pulled Isadora back down to a walk, she leaned forward and gave the mare a pat on the neck.
"Thank you," she said.
Hadley entered the ring, shutting the gate behind them, and lead Isadora to a mounting block. Once she swung into the saddle, her gloved hands bumped her reins ever so slightly and the mare's head lowered just a tad. Hadley put the thoroughbred onto the rail at a walk, her hips moving with Isadora's gait.
Once she warmed Isadora up at a walk and trot, she asked for a canter, pushing the mare's hip over with her heel and tipping her nose to the inside with light pressure from her rein. With a smooching sound from her lips, Isadora moved into a canter from the walk and Hadley sat back in her saddle, sitting deep as Isadora framed up with only a lift of the inside rein again. The mare had a ton of drive, which used to make it difficult for Hadley to sit her canter, but after the year and a half that she had been working with Isadora, Hadley's seat had improved greatly. Her hands stayed low and soft while her chest opened up and Hadley reminded herself to breathe as they came up on another rider.
"Inside," Hadley called with an even tone, using the ring etiquette she had learned over the years at her schooling shows. Hadley cantered Isadora in both directions before pointing her towards a small cross-rail. She called the fence out in a strong voice and rose into an easy half-seat, her heels sinking further down against her irons. Isadora's head lifted, but only slightly and she hopped over the fence easily. Hadley murmured her praise to the mare before going over the same fence the other direction.
When they were properly warmed up, Hadley asked Isadora for a walk for just a few moments before moving into a canter once more, picking up her left lead. She pointed her mare towards another fence, this one with bright blue wings on either side and a vertical. It was only two feet high. She could feel Isadora falter, drawing back but Hadley sat back down in her saddle and drove the mare forward with her hips and calves, pushing her hands forward to encourage her. Isadora hadn't had very much experience with colorful jumps, but she listened and tucked her front legs up, going over it smoothly...until she landed . With a toss of her head and then jerking it down, she pulled Hadley off-balance and gave a big buck, and then another. Hadley gritted her teeth and shoved her heels down, sitting back the best she could, and gave Dora's rein a good tug upwards, pulling the mare's head back up as she slid her fingers down the reins.
"Dora! Knock it off!" she said, putting her heel into the mare's side to get her attention. Hadley shook her head as the mare calmed back down and without hesitating, pushed her into a canter again and looped back around.
"Blue vertical!" she called out before pointing Isadora towards the fence again. This time, there was no hesitation from the horse and she cleared the fence easily. Apparently she had decided that she got her bucking out of her system because, thankfully, there was none this time. Hadley was relieved and as she pulled Isadora back down to a walk, she leaned forward and gave the mare a pat on the neck.
"Thank you," she said.