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[Mycroft Hollins]

Athena Achilles
Fionn Paquet
Gretchen Holmes
Serenity Oliver

Mycroft didn't mind Autumn much, it often delivered the perfect weather to sit at home quietly with tea and a good book. However Autumn also meant rain, which was exactly what the weather had been like lately. Rain, rain, and more rain. It meant that the cross country courses were soggy and the show jumping arena not safe to jump in. That left flat-work in the dressage arenas, which Mycroft had to confess, bored him slightly. 

Still, Dressage was an important part of Eventing, so it was just as well that they ended up here. He patted the neck of his pretty grey Arab while they waited for the first group of students to come through. Flower was far more interested in something else in the distance, and Mycroft rolled his eyes at her fondly. One by one they arrived, and he instructed them to line up at the end of the arena. Once all four had arrived, he began. "Welcome to Eventing, my name is Mr. Hollins. As you may have noticed the weather has been positively dreadful, so we will be working on the flat today until it dries up a bit. Hopefully next week we will be able to take to the jumping courses. In the meantime, today we are going to work on flying lead changes."

"We are going to start out with a demonstration. I would like to see each of you attempt to perform the pattern I am about to show you, just so I might see what each of you know. Then we will work on it, and try the pattern again at the end of class. We are going to perform two serpentines one right after the other. I shall demonstrate the pattern now, and then ask if there are any questions."

Tugging Flower's reins gently to get her attention, he turned her around before asking her into a gentle canter. They began the first serpentine, Mycroft making sure to make his half circles even. The little mare changed leads easily as he asked the first, then the second time. As they reached A, which was the end of the first serpentine, he continued, performing a serpentine in the opposite direction back towards where the group of students were lined up. As he neared them he pulled Flower down to a halt, "Now then? Any questions?" Once everything was clear he pointed to the first student in line, "All right then, you may go first, and we'll just go down the line until everyone has attempted it once." 

[Athena Achilles]

Athena felt more than proud every time she got Garçon ready to be ridden, she still wanted to pinch herself every time to make sure that it was actually happening - as she still couldn't work out why Ms Carr thought she was good enough to be trusted with the talented gelding.

As soon as he horse was ready in his dressage saddle and snaffle bridle, she lead him out of the barn and down to the dressage arena - where they had been asked to meet the teacher - and after tightening the girth, she easily swung into the saddle, making sure not to muck around with the mounting as she didn't want to teach the gelding any bad habits, like walking off while being mounted.

She listed to Mr Hollins' introduction and carefully watched the demonstration of what they would be doing - which really wasn't anything new, but she knew that flying changes were easily messed up, or asked too late, so she didn't mind the lesson at all.

She shook her head when asked if she had any questions, she was just keen to get started. She grinned when she was waved on, and squeezed the gelding forward and asked him to transition from a walk to a canter as they hit A and they started the first loop of the serpentine. She sat tall in the saddle, allowing her hips to act as her shock absorber, so the only part of her that slightly moved was her upper body. After doing the half circle, she asked for the change as they hit the centre line and went onto the next bend.

With one figure finished, she rode the gelding through to the next three loop serpentine until they reached the other students and teacher. She knew that she had left the gelding down during their ride, as she had let him fall into the half circles a couple of times, but she knew that that very reason was why she was taking this class.

[Serenity Oliver]

Serenity knew that she was in for a world of fun as she tacked a very skittish Plot up for their dressage class, and she wasn't looking forward to having to take her into the arena - as she could imagine the mare spooking at something stupid and ditching her into a puddle outside the arena!

With the mare ready, and her back protector in place, Serenity swung her small frame into the saddle and rode toward the arena. She knew that back protectors weren't common place in the dressage arena, but with the way that Plot was acting, she wanted to be as prepared as she could be - and would explain this to the teacher if asked. "Oh be quiet." She laughed as they approached the arena, Plot came to a sudden halt and released a loud greeting to the horses already in the arena.

After watching Mr Hollins show them what they were doing that day, she was excited to get started, as at least then she could stop riding the mare in circles and hopefully she would settle down a little. After Athena had been through the pattern, Serenity squeezed Plot forward and asked for a canter. She nodded as the mare kicked out once and then transitioned into her smooth rocking-horse canter.

Making sure to asked for the flying change as they hit the centre line, she was sure that they had given the whole thing a pretty good go by the time they returned to the others so that that next rider to move off. She patted Plot's neck as the mare bobbed her head up and down. 

[Fionn Paquet]

Finn whistled while he got Spur ready for a lesson the the dressage arena, he made sure that the white saddle pa was sitting properly before he put the black dressage saddle onto the gelding's back and then slipped the snaffle bridle into the buckskin's mouth. Part of him wondered if he should have come to the barn earlier and platted the gelding's mane, but then pushed the thought aside as he pulled his helmet onto his head and fastened it under his chin.

Heading to the arena, he swung into the saddle and entered the arena.

After listening to the intro and then watching as Mr Hollins went through what they were all doing. He pulled a small face as, while Spur seemed to live for dressage, flying changes weren't Finn's strong point, so he hoped that he wouldn't completely make himself look like a fool.

He shook his head to the inquiry about questions, he waited for Serenity to finish her run and then squeezed the gelding forward into a walk and then a canter as they began their first loop. As they hit the centre line, he knew that he'd waited too long to asked for the lead change and they were almost at the second loop before the gelding gave the change. While Spur was great at dressage he knew his job to the point that he wouldn't do as asked unless he was asked properly - though on the flip-side, he would have done the flying change without having to be asked.

When they finished their second three loop serpentine, Finn kept his eyes downcast, a little embarrassed with his run, and hoped that their instructor wouldn't completely rip him apart for such a pathetic ride.