Blue Ridge is a fictional town located deep in the heart of Kentucky. It is home to one of the most well known equestrian academies in the United States. Students and staff from all over the world join the academy for what it has to offer. Do you have what it takes to join us and learn from the Academy?
Smilys were made by Sapphire Heaven of LiveJournal.
The mini-profile hover follows a tutorial by Kagney of Adoxography.
Photos in the skin used under CC from Flickr.
Post by Katherine Carr on Oct 5, 2016 15:59:05 GMT -8
As Geraldine had started the Academy so close to the start of the school year, Katherine had spoken with the girl about waiting for her first ride until the classes started up, in case there were other students joining up at the same level as the girl and she would devote the first lesson to tacking up and mounting a horse, and go from there. So the two of them had been working together on stable management things instead, including grooming, mucking out and feeding - yes, it meant that Geraldine was a few steps ahead of the class, but that's the way the cookie crumbled at times.
Katherine stood by the gate of the indoor arena, waiting for her one and only student to arrive, as it turned out that no other students would be in her class for the time being. She had messaged Geraldine and asked the girl to have Genie groomed and to bring him to the arena, with a body brush and hoofpick. All of the gelding's tack was already in the arena waiting for the girl over portable saddle rack, that Katherine would just fold up and put over the fence when it was empty.
Post by Geraldine Cliff on Oct 30, 2016 19:02:58 GMT -8
Geraldine grinned as she approached Genie’s stall after lunch, almost bursting with excitement, “So, boy. We’re finally getting to try this riding thing!” Well, she was. He was an old hand at this. She had already brought the gelding’s grooming kit into one of the grooming stalls, and now she fitted the halter onto the gelding’s head, leading him out and clipping him into the cross ties as Ms. Carr had shown her.
Grooming still took her longer than it would an experienced horseperson, but it was a far cry better than the amount of time it had taken her the first time she’d picked up a brush. Once she had Genie sparkling, she brought the grooming kit back into the tack room and returned to the horse, body brush still in hand and hoofpick in the back pocket of her pants. She took up the gelding’s lead rope and then unclipped the cross ties, “Ready for this, Genie?” She led him out of the barn and had to take a moment to reorient herself. She’d been to the arena before, for just this reason – To know where she was going – but it was still a different matter now with a horse in hand. However, it only took her a moment and then they were on their way, and within a few moments they were walking into the arena.
She saw Ms. Carr obviously in the empty arena, close to the gate, and walked Genie over proudly, “Good afternoon!”
Post by Katherine Carr on Nov 1, 2016 13:44:14 GMT -8
"Good afternoon." She replied to Geraldine's greeting. "Find yourself a spot and we'll get started. You're doing really well with the stable management side of things, let's move it on to riding." She rubbed Genie's nose as she stood in front of and slightly to the side of the gelding. "I'll hold him while you go grab your helmet from over there." She pointed over to where the helmet was with the tack and took the gelding' lead. She relinquished the lead when the girl returned. "Give him a quick sweep with the body brush."
She held the saddle blanket; pressing along the crease so that there was a definite mark, which would straighten out once the saddle was in place, and held it out to Geraldine. "Put the saddle blanket on first. You don't normally fold the blanket in half, but it makes it a little easier when you're learning, as the fold should rest along the centre of his back, with equal amounts on either side.
"To ensure that the hair underneath the pad lies flat, first place the pad above the highest point of hisr back (the withers) and then slide it backward until it rests just behind the withers." She then picked up the synthetic close-contact saddle and passed it to the girl. "Now gently lower the saddle onto the blanket. When viewed from behind, the gullet should line up with the center of the horse’s back, but you don't need to worry about that. Gently lower the girth, checking the billets on the right-hand-side of the saddle while you are there to make sure that both of the girth straps are buckled up, and gently let the breastplate swing around to the front. Walk back to the nearside, the left, of the horse; reach under his belly, grab the girth and buckle the girth to the left-side billets, you'll probably only get it up one or two holes."
Katherine then walked over, took the bridle down and undid the throatlatch that held it all nice and tidy in a figure-8. "Undo the noseband of the halter and push the neck strap of the halter as far back as it will go. Loop the reins over the horse’s head, slip the bit into the mouth and pull the crownpiece over his ears, buckle the noseband and throatlash. Now you need to tighten the girth again. Bring the reins back over his head and hold them while you undo the halter.
"To lead Genie in his bridle, hold the reins pretty much the same way as you held the lead rope, just keep in mind that the reins are connected to his mouth."
The woman led the way out of the barn and over to the mounting block "This is a mounting block, and we're going to use it today to help you get on board." She stepped back a little to give the horse and girl some room. "Line Genie with his left side nice and close to the block, rub his nose and ask him to stand, lift the reins back over his neck. Now you lower the stirrup on the off side of the saddle, that's the right-hand side." The woman walked up to stand at the gelding's right so she could hold the stirrup and stop the saddle from slipping even slightly. "Now, step up onto the block, tighten the girth another hole or two, if you can, and pull the near, left, stirrup down. Gather the reins in the left hand and, grip a bit of mane and tuck your right hand around the other side of the pommel, not the pommel itself though. Put all of your weight into your right foot and place the ball of your left foot into the stirrup.
"Now shift your weight from your right foot to your left, and swing your right leg gently over your mount's hind quarters. Be sure not to kick your mount while doing so, as this could cause him to move forward and unbalance you, and at the moment, Genie is standing beautifully. Slide your right foot into the other stirrup, you need to try and do this without looking down as looking down knocks your balance off. Make sure the balls of your feet are centred in the stirrup irons and your heels are down and close to the horse's body.
"Put your reins in your hands. To hold them, make sure that they are not twisted, and put them inside your closed fists with your thumb folded over your reins, also, the reins should flow between your ring finger and pinky. Place the excess, or bite of your reins, to the right side." She patted the gelding's shoulder. "Squeeze his sides with your legs, no kicking, and loosen your hold on the reins, asking him to walk forward. In the middle of the arena, sit deep, squeeze with your legs, but close your hands on the reins and ask him to halt again. Once he's standing, ask him to walk forward again and take him to the rail, which is called the outside track." The woman then positioned herself in the middle of the arena.
Post by Geraldine Cliff on Nov 26, 2016 17:40:34 GMT -8
Gerri nodded and stopped Genie a few feet away from Ms. Carr and the saddle rack, looking at the many things curiously. As Ms. Carr said she’d hold Genie, the girl passed over the lead willingly and grabbed her helmet, putting it on and buckling it for lack of a better place to keep it. After that was done, she returned to Genie and ran the brush over him, loosing the barest amount of hairs that would always come out, no matter how often a horse was brushed.
She tucked the brush into her jacket pocket when Ms. Carr brought over the saddle blanket, holding it along the crease that the instructor had made as she listened. Once the woman had finished with that instruction, she did as she’d been told, starting high and then sliding it back into its position. The same thing happened with the saddle, although she eyed the girth a little bit curiously as she could only get it to tighten two holes, just as Ms. Carr had predicted – It seemed so big, but Genie really filled it?
Leaving that for the moment, they did the bridle, and then it was to the mounting block, where her question was answered – No, he did not fill it. He just wanted to make her think he did. She got it tightened and then got herself aboard. It wasn’t all that graceful, but at least she was on. She kept her eyes forward as she searched for, and finally found, the second stirrup, and then once she felt somewhat stable, she squeezed the gelding with her legs, feeling her heart jump as he actually responded, moving forward, then halting again obediently, before she asked him forward again and brought him onto the outside track.
Post by Katherine Carr on Jan 22, 2017 14:36:58 GMT -8
When Gerri had followed her instructions, Katherine moved to stand in the middle down one end of the arena (between V and P). "As you move around the arena, you will see that there are letters on the walls; as you approach E, I would like you to close your hand on the inside rein to create pressure and squeeze with your inside leg to create a bend." She watched paused before continuing. "The idea of riding the perfect circle is; instead of concentrating on the entire circle as a whole in your head visualize dividing the imaginary circle that’s on the ground into 4 equal parts as if you made a cross through the circle and the cross touched 4 arcs, which I am standing in the middle of. From your starting point look to the 2nd point which is ¼ of the circle. Once you get about 2 strides before the 2nd point look ahead to the 3rd point and then the same for the 4th point and continuing to your starting point. So what you are doing is concentrating on one quarter of the circle at a time and looking ahead the whole time which helps keep the rider from veering off course." She knew it was a lot for the girl to think about, but she wanted her to know how to ride a proper circle before much else.
Post by Geraldine Cliff on Jan 29, 2017 21:06:41 GMT -8
Gerri screwed up her face in concentration as she watched the letters on the wall - Why weren't they in alphabetical order? Because that would make too much sense. Finally, she found E, and then she had to focus on the rest of the instructions.
An imaginary circle on the ground, except not a circle. Quarters of a circle, because that was so much better. She gave Genie a bit of pressure on the rein and squeezed lightly with her inside leg, as Ms. Carr had said, but they shot wide of the first 'marker' she'd decided on. Not enough rein? Not enough leg? Or just complete failure.
She focused on the next one, and squeezed a bit more, and put a little bit more pressure onto the rein. Slightly to the inside, this time. She completed the last two arcs and then spoke with a chuckle, "Well, now we know I'm no better at riding circles than I am at drawing them."