Giving All We Got(lugu)

[Alia Landon]

I led the mare down the aisle, it felt like we were walking out to the arena before a big day of showing. Heart breaks and faults happened there, here it was just for fun for us to be prepared for the next show. She pranced along side me, excited for the days work ahead I was just as excited, I wanted us to feel like one, I wanted to feel her movements below me as we worked through are pattern. I ran my hand down her neck before mounting her and walking through the gate into the arena.

First I warmed her up and allowed her to check out the new surroundings. She soon relaxed and focused on my cues, Now we could let the fun begin. I brought her back to the gait and we cantered up the center line and came to a halt, this would be were I would salute the judges, we next moved out at a trot to the left, the big movements would come soon enough. Going diagonal I asked her to extend her trot, I felt her extend. As we turned the corner the movements became normal.

We did a couple half passes at the trot, Next we moved onto the passage down the rail to M were I asked her to do piaffe, slowly we moved out of it and I asked her to canter we made are way up the center line doing three tempi changes, we did some more half passes at the canter and then when we reached the corner I gave the que for a pirouett, which she could not have done any better.

I slowed her to a walk, which we extended before picking up a trot and heading back up the center line were I halted. I patted her neck and dropped the reins giving her lots of praise, she would need a scrub down but at least she had given it her all, she had put her heart into it, I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, she quietly walked around enjoying her brake and she deserved it. I stopped her and dismounted pulling a rag out of my back pocket, I wiped the sides of her mouth and her chest.

You did wonderful girl, I murmured to her taking the saddle off, I put it on the fence and allowed her to roam the arena, she truly was one of a kind. I sat on the fence and watched her walk with her head leveled like she was still doing her job, She walked over to me and rested her head in my lap, I laughed running my fingers through her forelock and scratching behind her ears, these were the little moments I lived for.

Muse: Good
Words: 460
NoTes: None

[Nick Trent]

Nick Trent

the only one that understand him is the horse...[/center][/color]

Nick pulled up the driveway in his old rusty ’69 mustang. The outside wasn’t pretty, but under the hood was something else. He stepped out and shut the door behind him. Today he wore his usually black jeans and a band tee but instead of vans he wore a pair of knee high black riding boots. It’s been three days since he has first brought Fancy up to the barn and he figured it would be a good day to continue her training. The large three year old Percheron still had a ways to go, but in fairness she has come much farther than many would have expected. Ice blue eyes glanced towards a girl that was leading her horse to the outdoor arena. Nick was planning on riding there. Today would be a test for his psycho mare. His thin stature entered the large barn and headed straight for Fancy’s stall. The large dull grey dappled mare greeted him with a welcoming nicker. The six foot male couldn’t help himself from smiling. His seventeen point two hand mare was something special to him. After his other mare was put down he was just about done with horses, that is until Fancy came along. Her angry attitude towards humans just intrigued Nick to crack her, and that he did. Her movements were flawless and graceful, perfect for dressage. So after that first day Fancy as Hell, or Fancy, became Nick’s new dressage prospect. She had training in show jumping but would never be able to go big. After landing verticals and water jumps she found it necessary to take off. Doubles and triples would be a problem; and with her weight she could only jump 4’5.

Pale hand grabbed the mare’s navy halter and he slipped into the stall. Blue eyes glanced up and down the aisle. It was a busy day and people were all over. Stable hand cleaning stalls, owners leading horses. Gaze shifted to his mare, she seemed fine with the activity at the moment. Nick pushed the door open even farther so he and Fancy could escape. Stature remained still, testing his mare’s patience. Large cranium peered down the aisle way. Silver audits pricking forward. A girl and a Shetland pony passed a little too close and Fancy’s mood changed. Her audits became pinned to her dappled hue and she bared her teeth towards the two. The small eight year old girl seemed terrified and she continued down the aisle at a trot to escape from the large devilish mare. Nick laid his hand upon the mares thick boa and watched as his mares expression lightened. Ok girl, lets go get tacked up. Successfully the punk male led the Percheron down the aisle towards the cross ties. There he removed her light fly sheet and exposing her clean silver hue to the cool afternoon air. The young male grabbed a soft body brush and hoofpick, it was all he would need. Once picking each hoof clean of manure and brushing off extra dust the male retreated back to the tack room. There he grabbed an extra padded navy blue saddle pad with gold lining and his black extra wide gullet Wintec saddle. Fancy wasn’t cinchy so it made tacking up much faster. One last trip to the tack room and the duo could go to the outdoor arena. This time he grabbed the mares black dressage bridle with a D-ring bit and a French link, and a navy blue lunge line.

The two left the barn and aimed towards the outdoor arena where the girl was still riding. She was practicing her dressage. He could critique her upon a few things but kept his mouth shut. Head shook slowly as he watched her. The way she rode and the way the horse responded didn’t connect properly. Sure enough the horse did the moves but something was off. Nick was one who knew what he was talking about. He had won several junior national titles when he was younger with his Arabian mare Mesenia. She would be fourteen this year if she was still alive, and Nick and her could be showing against the big guys, He was tall for her, but size didn’t matter in dressage, it was the movements and connection. John, Nick’s adoption father had come across Mesenia as an accident. The farm that bred her wanted a black filly, her bloodlines were great with the sire being Opus One and her dam being some big English pleasure mare. When she came out as a chestnut the breeder was disappointed. John was trying to track down a stable for training when he accidentally went to Mesenia’s stable instead. The filly was sold to John for $500. John had figure something was wrong with the filly but after reading her papers he discovered that he had scored lucky. Anyways from there Nick began showing her. His wall was full of champion ribbons in both dressage and show jumping just from the precious little mare. Now Fancy had a lot to live up to.

Nick watched as the girl untacked her mare, rubbed her down and released her into the outdoor arena for a good roll. The duo approached the girl as she waited for her horse to finish. Nice mare. He was referring to the breeding, not the previous ride, but the girl didn’t have to know that. How much longer are you going to be using the arena? His voice was friendly but quiet. He didn’t make eye contact, for his shy personality wouldn’t let him. The large figure next to him just seem to recognize the girl standing there. Silver audits became glued to her skull, maw parted as she directed her ivories towards the girls shoulder, hoping to get a chunk. Nick knew this would happen, that’s why he purposefully kept Fancy on the other side of him than what the girl was on. His skinny arm pulled the mares lead towards him, distracting her. He then faced her, and began walking towards her at a fast pace. The mare didn’t need a push on the line, she read Nick’s body language and backed up immediately. Once he stopped so did she, cranium hung low and kissers were licked; sign of submission. Her eyes looked at him apologetically, Well then don’t do it again.Was all he said then turned and walked back towards the position he was in before his mare tried to attack the girl. Fancy followed, audits still pinned but she kept to herself. You’ll have to excuse her, she’s not much of a people horse.

[Alia Landon]

I sat there running my fingers through her forelock, thinking about every possible thing but I was use to it by know.  My gaze was upon Manhattan who’s light brown eyes were closed, she was an attention hog with out a doubt and she was one hundred percent devoted to me. My gaze shifted from her to the bustle of the stable, there were so many others here, leading horses in and out of the barn and even some new faces much like myself were begin to show, it was nice to be part of a stable that had normal people, un like my old stable where we were there to train hard and show. I sighed again begin to relax which I should have not done.A bird swopped down to close to Manhattan, she shied violently and reared. Once back on all fours she bolted around the arena, I sighed and rolled my eyes great and such a stupid bird, I knew how to get her to calm down there was just that small factor that she never quiet completely calmed down.

I guess it was part of owning a high strung horse. Well here comes the part were you get to learn my family background, fácil dulce corazón, era sólo un ave. I watched her reaction it was slow to come but she slowed to a prance trot, she snorted and tossed her head she eventually slowed to a walk. I sighed, Esa es mi chica. I laughed slightly and smiled, yes I knew Spanish it was my native tongue and Manhattan had been trained to understand things in Spanish she also new the English words but I only ever used my cues to get her to do what I wanted.  I looked across, there was a guy standing there he had watched everything he had probably even seen are ride, which was why we were here she need a refresher for are next eventing comp when ever that would be but any way she was a truly amazing mare and I had won countless times on her and countless times on my old mare.

I pushed the thought out of my mind as I tightened the girth on her saddle and mounted, I herd him speak and his mare tried to bit me but was on the other side, Im sorry we will be done soon and thanks she is a nice horse and also thanks for the warning. I smiled and asked her for a trot this was going to be an even uglier ride just because she was so hyped right now, she kept wanting to go faster so I stop her and make her do a circle and then start again, this was repeated several times until I had her attention, I looked at him again, Im Alia and you are? As long as she is not going to do anything you can come in a ride if you want that is. I smiled again and put her on a diagonal at an extended trot, it was much better, we did some half passes I could tell this was going much better. I sighed and patted her neck, stopping her I waited to see what he was going to do and if any one else was going to show up.   

Translations: Easy sweet heart, It was only a bird and the last one was thats my girl! lol now to wait for lugu