Three Step Four Step

[Mycroft Hollins]

Mycroft didn't pay all that much attention to Flower as he began setting up for their lesson. The grey mare simply stood observing him, seeming content to watch him as he placed four cavaletti on the ground in a line, with a shoot right after them. Once the last pole was in place he walked over to the mare, rubbing her face with a small smile. She was a good little horse, and while he'd almost regretting purchasing her, he took it back now. She was exactly what he needed, calm, quiet, and the sweetest natured mare he'd ever encountered.

As his class began to arrive he mounted up on the arab, checking his microphone a final time. He hated the infernal device but had to admit it was entirely necessary to communicate with his students especially in such a large arena. Still, he longed for the olden days before microphones, when instructors just stood in the center of the arena, gave instructions, and hoped his students developed supersonic hearing. He almost laughed to himself at the thought, he certainly remembered those days fondly.

He waited only half a minute after the bell to start class. "Since we have technology now I'm going to ask you to continue warming up your horses while I lecture you. Just to help things move along I ask that you each take a turn walking your horses over the four cavaletti I've set on the ground during your warm up, thank you. Moving on, my name is Mr. Hollins, and this is eventing. I am sure you are disappointed we are not on the cross country courses but I just had a look yesterday and they're not fit to be ridden in just yet, too muddy. Perhaps later in the spring we'll have a go at them. For now class will always be held either here or in the jumping arena right next door, but I advise you to check the bulletin boards in the barn in case we do hit the cross country courses earlier than expected." he paused, looking around the arena in an attempt to gauge whether his students were listening to him or not. He merely shrugged, they all looked as bored as he felt lecturing them so he decided to wrap it up. "Besides being prompt and of course coming prepared, I expect clean and fit horses in my class. It is optional for riders to be clean and fit but I highly recommend it as I think you'll find it more comfortable," he finished, completely straight faced, though he wondered if they even caught his sarcasm.

He gave them a moment to finish warming up before calling them all to line up in front of him. Once they were settled he began telling them what they would be doing, "We're going to do some cavaletti exercises today. This will help your horses develop their toplines and help suspension, which will not only help them excel in Dressage but also in the jumping portions of eventing. You'll see I've set up four cavaletti, which you were supposed to walk your horse over during warm up at least once. If you did not, then this is going to be an interesting ride for you. Now, each of you will take a turn trotting your horse over the cavaletti. Focus on keeping your horse straight and collected, I'd recommend half halting them between poles. Once each of your horses is comfortable we'll add poles. The most that will ever be added is 18, but I believe we'll have a while til we reach that. If you practice perhaps we'll each get through 18 before the end of the year."

Waiting a moment to give them a chance to digest his words he sat back in the saddle, "Now then, who would like to go first?"


For those who would like a visual on this exercise, I direct you to this video!

Athena Achilles
Danielle Green
Fionn Paquet
Ingrid Skoglund
Serenity Oliver

[Athena Achilles]

Athena all but bounced her way into the barn, even though she had always been careful with grooming, she seemed to take even more care with getting Garçon ready to be ridden, and that was probably a mix between the fact that he belonged to the barn manager, and that he was stabled in her barn.

Once the gelding was ready in his dressage gear, and sports boots, she led him out of the barn and toward the arena where their class was being held. "Good afternoon Mr Hollins." She greeted the man as she entered the arena and then mounted up. Giving the bay Appaloosa a rub on the neck she pushed him into a walk and began to warm up.

She nodded as the instructor greeted the class and when the path was clear, she turned the gelding down the centre of the arena and walked over the four cavaletti, encouraging him to pick up his feet as he stepped over them, shaking her head when he decided to drag them instead and she rode him away from the, knowing that another couple of times around should be enough to teach the gelding he couldn't get away with being lazy.

She halted the gelding when they were asked to line up and she listened to the instructions, nodding to show that she was following. "I'll go first." She volunteered with a grin. She sat tall as she turned the gelding away from the rest of the group and pushed him into a trot.

She made sure that she had good momentum as the approached the cavaletti and rode him forward, not giving the horse the option to go around them, though keeping him straight didn't seem as easy as it had sounded and by the time they rode over the last one, the were more to the left then the centre. "Oops." She said as she felt her cheeks heat up as they rode away.

[Fionn Paquet]

After lunch, Finn jogged down to the barn. After grabbing the annoying redhead the congressman had sent him and turning the horse out in the pasture, he then marched back into the barn and with a smug smile began to get Spur ready for his eventing lesson. He knew that it would rankle the congressman, but he was going to see how long he could get away with not riding the hotheaded horse for lessons.

Once the Andalusian cross was ready to go, he led him out of the barn and out to the dressage arena. "Sir." He greeted their instructor with a bow of his head as he watched for the rider in the arena and made sure that she wasn't too close to the gate before he entered the arena. When mounted up, he began his warm-up and, as instructed, used the cavaletti as part of their warm-up, nodding as the gelding delicately picked up each foot over the poles.

Riding in to line up with the others, he listened to the instructions. "No? Really?" He said quietly as he busied himself removing a non-existent knot from the gelding's mane as Mr Hollins mentioned they'd be using the cavaletti in the lesson.

He raised his hand to signal that he'd go next once Athena had completed the exercise and he squeezed the greying buckskin into a walk as they turned away from the others and then a trot. Sitting tall, he held the gelding straight with his lower legs and they headed toward the four poles. Giving the gelding a little squeeze, the floated over the poles with more ease than Finn thought they would and they rode out the other side.

[Serenity Oliver]

After a quick lunch, Serenity changed into her riding clothes and made her way to the pastures. She liked to spend a little time with Plot before taking her in to get tacked up, as it gave her some idea of what kind of mood the silly horses was in. And it was when she saw Finn turning one of his horses out when she knew it was time to take the bay mare in.

Plot seemed to be a relatively agreeable mood as she was groomed and tacked up, but Serenity wasn't fooling herself as it took anything to set the mare off and she had to be ready for anything. She led the mare to the arena, entered and began their warm up routine.

She lined up beside Finn and bit back a giggle at his sarcastic words. Even with his tough exterior, her fellow gymnast was a lot of fun to be around.

When it was her turn, she squeezed Plot forward and they trotted toward the cavaletti. Things were going great, she had the mare nicely balanced, she was working from behind and they were moving forward, she was all prepared for this. "Hey!" She protested as she shot up the mare's neck as Plot came to a halt right before the first pole. With an embarrassed shake of her head she circled the mare away from them and tried again, this time making sure to keep the impulsion going and shook her head as the bay mare floated over the poles as though she would never consider doing anything else and they rode away from the poles.

[Ingrid Skoglund]

Ingrid tacked Tana and snapped her helmet in place. She wasn't as into the sport as some of her classmates, but eventing was the true test of a horse and rider's athleticism. She didn't even care that technically, Tana wasn't the best type of horse for eventing. The girl wasn't planning on being the best eventer in the world. Other people could claim that title.

She mounted up outside and rode her Fjord horse to the Dressage arena. She raised an eyebrow at the teacher being mounted, but started her warmup anyway. And he was prompt about starting class. Joy. The Norwegian girl walked her horse over the cavalettis without any issue. Tana was dragging her feet a little, but the exercise plus being warmed up would hopefully get her responding a little better. Since there was a bit of time, she walked the Fjord horse over the cavalettis a second time in the opposite direction.

The mare looked a little annoyed to be standing still and flicked her ears to express herself. Ingrid merely watched the other riders and hoped her own mount would behave. The only predictable thing about the Fjord horse was that every ride was a little bit different. When it was her turn to go, Ingrid pressed Tana into a trot and rode her straight across the center. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Sure, they go through okay, but the mare managed to hit every single pole. Apparently Tana wasn't getting the memo that she really needed to pick up her feet instead of just plowing through.

Ingrid rode back to the rest of the group. There really wasn't anything to say. Hopefully another trip across the poles would be enough to get the horse to actually try and not hit things.

[Danielle Green]

Danielle moved quickly down the stairs of her house and out the front door. In no time flat she arrived at the barn. O'Malley stood ready in his stall. "Hi buddy, you ready for class?" Danny gave him a pat on the neck and scurried off to the tack room and grabbed his grooming kit. After a quick groom session she pulled out the tack and started to get the behemoth ready for class. Buckling the last latch on O'Malley's bridle they were ready for class. Danny grabbed her helmet and sat it atop her head as she led the Holsteiner out of the barn and into the dressage arena. It looked as if she arrived last, but it did not bother her too much she was still on time.

Once she mounted up she began her warm up and as per instruction, incorporated the cavalettis. O'Malley was a doll about picking up his feet most of the time. The instructor called the group over after they'd finished warm-ups and Danny found a place in the line. Listening intently to what was being said she nodded and waited for it to be her turn. She went last and did not really fret about the poles, it would be their first time. O'Malley did have some issues, sometimes, staying straight. Danny rode him towards the cavalettis, she kept him between her legs and focused on staying in the middle of the poles. A victorious smile worn on her face, of course until the gelding decided to knock the last pole, then it faded. Danny circled back around to the group for further instructions.