Jumping out of her Skin (open)

[Megan Sims]

"Easy does it." Megan laughed as Eclipse pulled against the cross-ties, eager to be out there. "Settle down would you." The woman laughed as she gave the mare a playful shove, not a hint of venom in her voice, before she finished tacking up the grey-black Oldenburg mare.

As soon as they were ready, and not until Megs was ready with body protector and helmet, she led the mare out of the barn and down toward the show jumping arena. She didn't normally wear her body protector for when she was just mucking around with the mare, but Eclipse seemed over eager that day and she didn't want to take any chances. After all, who else would teach her creative cooking class if she flew off the mare's back and broke her neck?

Once in the arena, the woman set to work, preparing a simple course of hunter fences for the mare to jump and then set up a couple of practice fences so that she could use them one the mare was warmed up just to try and get any bucks out of the mare before they started the course.

However, as soon as Megs was mounted, all of the mare's silliness evaporated and she was once again the steady as a rock mare that she normally was and walked forward happily when asked to. As soon as their warm-up at a walk was finished, Megs trotted the mare for a couple of circuits and then popped her over the simple practice fences. She then asked for a canter and they headed toward the first fence of the course.

The course flowed as the mare took each fence in her stride, snapping her knees up as just the right minute so that there was no doubt of her clearing each and every one - even after a hand gallop. Every time Megs wanted the mare to change direction or gait, the woman only had to think of preparing the mare for it and Eclipse would do as her rider wanted.

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Remi's ears pricked up as Cora opened the stall door, and the woman smiled, happy to see that the gelding actually enjoyed being around her. The young horse was interesting to work with, and Cora was planning on schooling him more today. The more time she put into him, the better off he'd be, as far as she could see. Remi had always shown a lot of potential as a hunter, and now he was really beginning to glow. She'd always intended to keep him as her mount, but she couldn't help but think that he could eventually make a wonderful competition horse for one of her students.

She tacked him up with her jumping saddle and dark plum saddle pad, fastening on his jumping boots as well. The skies were looking clear today, so she didn't think that she would have to worry about any spring showers, which Remi hated. She put on her helmet and bridled him, before leading him out of the barn and making her way down to the show jumping arena.

She was a bit disappointed to find that there was already someone working in it, and the woman looked to be another teacher. There was a simple hunter course set up, which looked perfect for what Cora intended to so, so she only hoped that the rider inside would not mind her joining. She waited until the woman was near to call out in an even tone, "Do you mind if I join you?"

[Megan Sims]

Megs was just taking Eclipse over the course for a second time when the mare decided to turn into a goofball and lost her normally beautiful bascule, dropping her back and with it her heels and knocking rails. Except the mare was being smart and didn't do it with every fence, she seemed to be picking and choosing the fences she wanted to drop. Right before the last combination, the woman circled the mare away from the jumps and rode her back to the track.

She looked over when she heard the voice of another female. "Of course!" She returned. "The more the merrier!" She gave the woman outside the arena a bright smile, part of her hoped that the other woman hadn't seen the mare's antics, or that she hadn't reprimanded the mare for it.

Asking her mount to pick up her stride a little, Megs asked her for a working trot and once the mare had a smooth stride, the rider then asked her horse to flex her neck and moved onto the bit. "Good girl." She whispered as she tickled the mare's neck with her fingers. She kept the mare moving nicely around the track, and then took her over the practise fences a couple of times. She didn't go near the course of fences again though until the mare lost her goofiness; she still shook her head every now ans then as though she was threatening to buck, of just dropped out of stride every now and then.

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Cora had, of course, seen the mare knock the rails, but she wasn't in the habit of judging a person's riding, unless it was a student of her's, in which case it was her job. She'd been through a lot in her riding, and this was the first time she'd seen this woman riding, so none of what she'd seen made any sort of deep impression on her. Instead, she smiled at the other teacher's response and entered, leading Remi to the center so that they wouldn't be in the way, unless the other pair decided to take the course again.

After mounting up, she moved Remi off to the rail and began to warm him up. The gelding was moving nicely, though he was really distracted by the other mare in the ring. Cora wasn't particularly surprised, as Remi was known to be a curious horse, and easily distracted. He wasn't nervous or anything, though Cora suspected that he may be a bit on edge if the mare started acting up.

When she felt he was ready, Cora approached the practice fences that the other pair had taken a bit earlier. Counting her strides evenly in her head, she guided Remi over them, making sure to keep her aids solid and clear. Remi was a talented horse, though he needed clear signals, or he'd get confused and nervous. It was all the more important since he was young, and everything Cora did with him taught him.

They made it cleanly over the practice jumps, and Cora brought Remi back to rail, smiling at the way her horse's ears were pricked forwards attentively. Remi usually seemed to enjoy his work, as long as nothing was worrying him.