Post by ridergirly119 on Jul 9, 2011 9:48:20 GMT -5
"Hey boy. Todays a big day. You ready to kill it in the arena?" I asked my gelding. We had a tryout today, and I had just enough time to tack him up, get warmed up, and try not to freak out. I stepped into the sawdust and rubbed his cheek. "I'm really nervous. We can do this, right?" I asked as he nodded. I laughed and gabbed his cotten lead line. Shamrock snoarted as I led him out and attached him on a pair of crossties outside of his stall. He was dusty from being in his stall so I started with a curry comb. He sighed happily and cocked a hoof, completly relaxed. "You're not enjoying this at all" I teased as I tossed the comb into the bucket and grabbed a body brush. The soft bristles made little ridges in his coat and left him nice and shiny.
After his coat was clean, and he was tacked up, I led him into the indoor arena. Nobody was there because it was an early Saturday morning, and Mr, Conner had booked the arena for my tryout. It was my dream to be on the YENT but it was so competitive and if I wanted to have a shot, I had to be on the Advanced Team. Swallowing, I pushed open the door and strod inside. The spacious arena was dusty and lights overhead made it look larger than it already was. There were three big cutout windows, and they boasted the rolling hills and the cloudy sky. Mr. Conner wasn't here yet but it was time to warm up. I tightended my ponytail and swung into the saddle, settling into the clean leather. "Ahh. This is good," I m urmered as I urged Shamrock into a smooth walk. We made a lap around the arena when Mr. Conner came in, sipping coffee in a Canterwood travel mug. "Good morning, Mackenzie. This is a pretty simple try-out so don't worry to much. We're going to start out with some flatwork and dressage. Please head out to the rail and we'll get started." I nodded, and obayed by squeezing my legs against Shamrocks' gleaming sides. "Posting trot." He commanded. Instantially, I pressed a little harder and Shamrock broke into a smooth canter. It woke me up instantially, and I made sure that I kept my toes up and heels down. We made our way around the arena once, and we passed Mr. Conner who was watching and taking notes as I rode. He didn't tell me to stop so I headed around the arena again. I kept my hands balenced above Shamrock's neck, and made sure that my legs were back and my back was straight. I posted, and began to feel the burn in my legs. We made our way back towards Mr. Conner who called out, "Canter around once." Immeditally, I gave Shamrock extra rein and sat deeper in the saddle. Shamrock broke into a three strided rythem, and the sound made me feel relaxed. I had dreamed about this testing session for ever, and n ow it seemed surreal, that I was actually living my dream. We cantered back to Mr. Conner who nodded. "Thank you. Head to the oppisite side and do a Flying Lead Change." My heart sunk as Shamrock headed to the left side of the arena. We wern't the best at dressage, and it wasn't going to help that we had to preform it under pressure. My slick hands inside of my gloves, gripped the reins and I halted him. After letting Shamrock settle, I urged him into a slow, extended canter. Ms. Corey, my last teacher, had always made me do them in an extended canter. It always had helped, and I was able to pull one off without a hitch. Taking a superdeep breath, I moved my foot behind the girth and squeesed the reins as I shortended it. He seemed to relize what I was doing, as he left the ground for a mili-second. He changed his left lead to his right lead, and preformed it perfectally. My heart swelled with pride and I patted his shoulder. He arched his neck from under me, and nickered. He knew he did a good job. "Thank you Mac. I'm going to set up four portable jumps. Please jump them once and then in reverse. Then you are free to go." I nooded and caught my breath. I began to clam Shamrock by leading him in small cirlces, and talking to him.
Five minnutes later, I sat deep in the saddle and took enougher deep breath. I circled Shamrock once, and pointed him at the first jump. It was a blue and pink virtical. Shamrock didn't blink as he rocked back, and pushed off of his haunches. He sailed over the jump and landed smoothely on the other side. 'One Down!' I cheered in my head. We cantered five more strides before I rose into two point position. My shirt bunched up as I leanded foward. My horse powered off of his hind legs and sailed over the oxer. He landed softly, and continued forawerd. The next jump seemed much higher than it was. The hogsback had three poles, and the tallest one was in the center. The gold poles glittered in the overhead lights. I trusted Shamrock, and began to count down strides in my head. When I got to one, I left the saddle, and Shamrock soared over the rails, with an arched back. I turned him in a half circle, and led him over to a brick wall. Oddly enough, Shamrock loved these. We had never, not once, knocked a 'brick'. Smiling, we sailed into the air, and cleared the wall, leaving inches behind us. Quickly, I dug my heel into Shamrcok, and steered hi m around. He pivioted, and once again, leaped the brick wall. We went back th way we came, rounding the bend with the half cirlce, and approched the Hogsback. It didn't seem so scary now that we had already cleared it once. On cue, Shamrock rocked back and powered off of his haunches. I don't think I had ever been more focaused. All I wanted was to make the Adcvanced Team. I had to ace this tryout. If I made it over the next few jumps cleanly, we had a shot of abtaining my goal. My legs had began to shake with fatuage and Shamrocks' taut shoulder muscles rippled benieth his Chestnut coat. We landed cleanly, and came to the next to last jump. The oxer's golden poles were soon benieth us, and I made sure to sit firmly in the saddle, and not jerk my hands around on the landing. I didn't want to hurt Shamrcok's sensitive mouth. The last jump loomed in front of us. Shamrock swished his tail, and found an extra burst of speed. "Comon big guy. You got this!" I murmmered as I kneaded his sweaty neck. He snoarted, and I counted down strides. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. We sailed into the air, Shamrocks tail flowing out from his body. He hit the arena sand gently, and slowed into a trot when I asked him too. I patted his neck, exerliated from his amazing ride. "Thank you Mackenzie. That was impressive. I will have your results shortly." "Thank you, Mr. Conner!" I caled as he left the arena with his clipboard, pen, and mug of coffee. I dismounted on almost shaky legs and hugged Shamrock hard. "I love you so much, boy. You gave everything for me. I'm even going to let you sleep in the big pasture tonight." Shamrock snoarted happily, and I giggled. I wasn't sure if I made the advanced team. All I knew was that we had both givin our all. The rest was up to fate.
After his coat was clean, and he was tacked up, I led him into the indoor arena. Nobody was there because it was an early Saturday morning, and Mr, Conner had booked the arena for my tryout. It was my dream to be on the YENT but it was so competitive and if I wanted to have a shot, I had to be on the Advanced Team. Swallowing, I pushed open the door and strod inside. The spacious arena was dusty and lights overhead made it look larger than it already was. There were three big cutout windows, and they boasted the rolling hills and the cloudy sky. Mr. Conner wasn't here yet but it was time to warm up. I tightended my ponytail and swung into the saddle, settling into the clean leather. "Ahh. This is good," I m urmered as I urged Shamrock into a smooth walk. We made a lap around the arena when Mr. Conner came in, sipping coffee in a Canterwood travel mug. "Good morning, Mackenzie. This is a pretty simple try-out so don't worry to much. We're going to start out with some flatwork and dressage. Please head out to the rail and we'll get started." I nodded, and obayed by squeezing my legs against Shamrocks' gleaming sides. "Posting trot." He commanded. Instantially, I pressed a little harder and Shamrock broke into a smooth canter. It woke me up instantially, and I made sure that I kept my toes up and heels down. We made our way around the arena once, and we passed Mr. Conner who was watching and taking notes as I rode. He didn't tell me to stop so I headed around the arena again. I kept my hands balenced above Shamrock's neck, and made sure that my legs were back and my back was straight. I posted, and began to feel the burn in my legs. We made our way back towards Mr. Conner who called out, "Canter around once." Immeditally, I gave Shamrock extra rein and sat deeper in the saddle. Shamrock broke into a three strided rythem, and the sound made me feel relaxed. I had dreamed about this testing session for ever, and n ow it seemed surreal, that I was actually living my dream. We cantered back to Mr. Conner who nodded. "Thank you. Head to the oppisite side and do a Flying Lead Change." My heart sunk as Shamrock headed to the left side of the arena. We wern't the best at dressage, and it wasn't going to help that we had to preform it under pressure. My slick hands inside of my gloves, gripped the reins and I halted him. After letting Shamrock settle, I urged him into a slow, extended canter. Ms. Corey, my last teacher, had always made me do them in an extended canter. It always had helped, and I was able to pull one off without a hitch. Taking a superdeep breath, I moved my foot behind the girth and squeesed the reins as I shortended it. He seemed to relize what I was doing, as he left the ground for a mili-second. He changed his left lead to his right lead, and preformed it perfectally. My heart swelled with pride and I patted his shoulder. He arched his neck from under me, and nickered. He knew he did a good job. "Thank you Mac. I'm going to set up four portable jumps. Please jump them once and then in reverse. Then you are free to go." I nooded and caught my breath. I began to clam Shamrock by leading him in small cirlces, and talking to him.
Five minnutes later, I sat deep in the saddle and took enougher deep breath. I circled Shamrock once, and pointed him at the first jump. It was a blue and pink virtical. Shamrock didn't blink as he rocked back, and pushed off of his haunches. He sailed over the jump and landed smoothely on the other side. 'One Down!' I cheered in my head. We cantered five more strides before I rose into two point position. My shirt bunched up as I leanded foward. My horse powered off of his hind legs and sailed over the oxer. He landed softly, and continued forawerd. The next jump seemed much higher than it was. The hogsback had three poles, and the tallest one was in the center. The gold poles glittered in the overhead lights. I trusted Shamrock, and began to count down strides in my head. When I got to one, I left the saddle, and Shamrock soared over the rails, with an arched back. I turned him in a half circle, and led him over to a brick wall. Oddly enough, Shamrock loved these. We had never, not once, knocked a 'brick'. Smiling, we sailed into the air, and cleared the wall, leaving inches behind us. Quickly, I dug my heel into Shamrcok, and steered hi m around. He pivioted, and once again, leaped the brick wall. We went back th way we came, rounding the bend with the half cirlce, and approched the Hogsback. It didn't seem so scary now that we had already cleared it once. On cue, Shamrock rocked back and powered off of his haunches. I don't think I had ever been more focaused. All I wanted was to make the Adcvanced Team. I had to ace this tryout. If I made it over the next few jumps cleanly, we had a shot of abtaining my goal. My legs had began to shake with fatuage and Shamrocks' taut shoulder muscles rippled benieth his Chestnut coat. We landed cleanly, and came to the next to last jump. The oxer's golden poles were soon benieth us, and I made sure to sit firmly in the saddle, and not jerk my hands around on the landing. I didn't want to hurt Shamrcok's sensitive mouth. The last jump loomed in front of us. Shamrock swished his tail, and found an extra burst of speed. "Comon big guy. You got this!" I murmmered as I kneaded his sweaty neck. He snoarted, and I counted down strides. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. We sailed into the air, Shamrocks tail flowing out from his body. He hit the arena sand gently, and slowed into a trot when I asked him too. I patted his neck, exerliated from his amazing ride. "Thank you Mackenzie. That was impressive. I will have your results shortly." "Thank you, Mr. Conner!" I caled as he left the arena with his clipboard, pen, and mug of coffee. I dismounted on almost shaky legs and hugged Shamrock hard. "I love you so much, boy. You gave everything for me. I'm even going to let you sleep in the big pasture tonight." Shamrock snoarted happily, and I giggled. I wasn't sure if I made the advanced team. All I knew was that we had both givin our all. The rest was up to fate.