to Disguise Ourselves to Others

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

“We are so accustomed to disguise
ourselves to others that in the end
we become disguised to ourselves.”
-François de la Rochefoucauld

There was a small voice in the back of her head that told Cara what she was doing was a bad idea, though this didn't stop her from finishing the job of grooming Kit's grey coat and tacking her up. She put the mare's jumping boots on and the clipped her helmet into place.

Her body ached, but she knew that she could push past the pain - she did it every morning and evening for gymnastics so she could do the same for working her assigned mare. Clicking her tongue, she led the mare out of the barn and down to the show jumping ring that she had prepared half an hour before getting the mare ready. The gymnastic she had set up was simple, but effective gymnastic that would both challenge and encourage the pony... or at least she hoped it would.

Tightening the girth, she pulled the stirrups down and vaulted onto the Mare's back. She sat there for a moment as she waited for her heart to stop jack-hammering and taking up the reins, she gently asked the pony to move forward, making sure that right from the start she was working from her haunches and her stride was forward moving as she began to work the mare through the warm-up, getting her nicely going before she started working on her flexion and suppleness.

When the warm-up was over, rather than taking her straight over the gymnastic, she worked her through a simple dressage test, rewarding the pretty pony for every movement she gave without hesitation and then the girl was ready to work Kit over the gymnastic. She rode toward the line of five jumps, the first was a simple vertical, followed by a low wide oxer, two strides to another oxer, a single stride to another oxer, two more strides and then they would jump the final oxer and would canter away.

Riding a canter circle, they rode toward the vertical and Cara smiled when Kit bounced forward, clearing the simple fence easily. After the first oxer, the pony's stride changed a little as she really began to collect herself and really work. The gymnastic went well and the small girl rubbed the pony's neck as they cantered around the arena to do it again.

The second time didn't go so well. After Kit has cleared the second oxer with too much enthusiasm that only gave them room for a bounce stride, the pony dug her hooves into the ground and game to a grinding halt.