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Post by ♥ poppies on Feb 14, 2008 17:24:24 GMT -5
Placing the worn western saddle over the black padding she flipped the one side of the cinch over the plump palomino paint mare and was about to rider her for the second time after her trial ride before leasing her. Today was going to be the first real day that the chestnut yearling Kris had bought would move on the track and be lead by another horse that had experience on the track, but not racing just as a lead pony. The easy galloping boots and bell boots were on Humble Mistress, aka Miss, who was to be Kris's mount for a while until the owner wanted her back basically. As she tightened the cinch on strap she drawed the lead line over the mare's withers not ready to put the bridle on yet. Walking a stall over from the mare's she opened the door to reveal the somewhat awake and alert filly. Stroking her neck before placing a english nylon halter over her head it would be safe so incase she got spooked it snapped off with the touch of a hand almost. Clipping the lead line to the halter she walked her out and walked her into the cross-ties before walking to the palomino paint and taking the halter off and the lead line off her back. At a girl Miss, just take the bit. As the mare took the old fashion western bit Kris lead her out, a bit plumpy but mostly because it was winter Kris put her foot in the long stirrup and pulled up and sat firmly in the saddle not bothering to grab her helmet. Once more Kris wore her olive green jacket which she had washed the previous night in her apartment and a set of jeans and normal boots she collecting the reins setting them down as she guided the mare by her feet for a second before unclipping the chestnut filly and clipping a lead line to her and then leading her out of the barn at a steady walk.
Before they knew it seconds later the palomino paint, Miss, had stepped onto the track were her ears were alert as Kris tied the long lead line to her saddle horn and held Miss's reins in one hand with one rested over her leg. It was gonna be a long day, she had to take the palomino paint for a real ride, take the filly for her afternoon walk, prepare their feed for the lunch and then do so much more. Now that she had two horses it was much more work. Steadily moving around the first corner and finishing the first straight away at a walk Kris turned Miss with a large half circle. As they prepared back down the stretch, for some reason Kris didn't trust her filly down the other directions near the woods and wasn't about to try it either. Something might jump out to spooke them but Kris knew the track was a good one eighth of a mile from the woods but you never knew. As she clucked to pick up the pace she watched the filly's movements as she was almsot barely able to keep up.
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Post by larkeh; on Feb 15, 2008 21:55:31 GMT -5
The overcast skies hid the sun from the earth below, trapping the cold air in from escaping and preventing any warmth the sun might radiate from the people scurrying around the stable yard. Among these workers was trainer Nathanial Flynn. The young man had been up for nearly five hours now, and it was only nine o'clock. He shivered in the cold February air, pulling his tweed jacket closer to his thin frame, trying to warm himself up. He was almost always cold, but the intolerable weather conditions were hardly helping his state.
One of the jockeys was home with a cold which left several horses with no one to give them a work out. He'd asked a couple of the jockeys to ride an extra horse, but he'd been left with a four year old bay gelding and no one to work him. Unsure of what else to do the tall young man had snagged a worn English saddle from the tack room and secured it on the horse.
Though the dark haired man had once had intentions of being a jockey he now stood at 6'3" and therefore was much too big to ride like the jockeys now. Oh well, he'd do what he could, at least the horse would get worked. Most of the jockeys had left for the day and maybe if he was lucky none of the grooms would notice.
Once by the gap in the track he easily stuck his toe into the iron and swung himself up. The gelding only stood 15:3 hands and Nathanial was quite aware of how ridiculous he looked, but with a self-conscious glance around the area he noted there was only one other person on the track, someone ponying a yearling.
He moved onto the track, picking up an easy jog. He rose to the trot, finding it a bit hard to do in his black jeans, but he hadn't realized he'd be riding today. He had to keep the reins taut to control the horse from moving out any further. Slowly the odd pair moved around the track, Nathanial focused on keeping the horse at an even conditioning pace.
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Post by ♥ poppies on Feb 16, 2008 13:31:48 GMT -5
Kris immediately saw the other horse and rider, it was a bit awkward. A large rider on an average sized thoroughbred. Kris moved the palomino paint into a careful trot as she saw the filly moving side by side with the mare her nose tapping against her belly as if looking for milk. It was a bit weird though that it seemed she was trying to go faster and it worked basically. Miss immediately sped up as the feeling of the nudge on her side but Kris pulled back gently on the western styled reins not wanting to injure the foal in only the few minutes they had been working. As she rubbed the palomino paints neck she felt her tense up before she softened up and Kris moved her into a flowing lope as the filly followed still at a trot and then moved her legs longer and faster like a harness racer. She was trotting still and Miss was loping, a petite pony sized thoroughbred filly was moving the same with the taller mare. Come on girlie, you gotta lope at least. As Kris nudged the mare a bit faster the filly immediately broke into a lope instead of the pacing ugly looking trot that she had been trying to do. A long stirded one which was horrible to racehorses. As Kris sat so carefully with the reins in one hand and her other hand drapped near the end of the reins basically as a whip to go faster which she didn't need yet. She wouldn't need it until the fall when she'd start to work the filly under saddle without a rider yet. Rubbing her leg a second moving the long reins for the minimum amount of time the filly had moved a bit faster as she gave a small tug on the lead line slowing her down before coming to a walk.
The chestnut coat soaked in sweat from a small lope half way down the long stretch Kris sighed and rubbed her neck deciding to just go for a walk twice, up and down the stretch. As she rubbed Miss's neck seh felt something weird the mare shook ehr head and skid to the side before Kris regained her control. Easy Miss. Rubbing her neck she remember that there was also and auction coming up and Kris would be there.
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Post by larkeh; on Feb 16, 2008 15:25:13 GMT -5
Nathanial shrugged a bit at the odd glance tossed his way. He was quite used to having people stare at him in general, and the fact that he now rode a horse much too small for his frame only added to the hilarity. The young man was very much aware that he was freakishly tall and towered over everyone, including most horses. He couldn't so much as walk into Wal-Mart without a few old ladies and young children looking frightened and occasionally even running away. This was mainly just the kids, but one of the elderly women had done the same once before. On the plus side though a lot of cute girls would ask him to get something off the top shelf and he certainly couldn't complain about that. He'd even gotten a few numbers, not that he'd bothered to call them, but at least there were a few chicks that thought he was hot.
He ignored the girl, focusing on his riding, posting to the trot with ease. He was a pretty talented rider, but thanks to his size he looked sort of awkward on smaller horses like this one. If he ever bought a pleasure horse it would have to be a Clydesdale just to keep from looking stupid. A big draft horse was about the only thing he didn't look strange on. The man was quite thin though and smaller horses could comfortably carry his weight no problem, so despite the odd look the horse was in no way stressed by the added weight. It was probably even beneficial to work him with the added sixty or so pounds.
He and the gelding caught up to the pair of horses and he slowed, reining the horse to the outside and nudging the horse forward. He nodded his head at the woman sitting in the western saddle on the palomino, acting as though it was the most normal thing in the world that a man the height of Goliath should be riding around on a fine boned Thoroughbred. Before he and the bay known as Orion could pass the two horses, one of them swerved out spooking the gelding.
The hot blooded horse crow hopped away from the mare and then jumped into a full on run. The man on his back was tossed slightly off balance, but he regained his seat just in time for the horse to bolt. He was hardly stressed by the situation and with the knowledge that the four year old would just run faster if he tried to pull back on the reins, he gave the horse his head. He rose in the stirrups, his balance really rather good on horseback, despite the fact he often tripped or bumped into things while on his feet.
Slowly he leaned his weight back, working against the horse to slow him to a more manageable pace. The horse dropped from a racing pace into a slower gallop and then down to a canter as Nathanial reseated himself in the saddle. "At a boy," he said reassuringly as he rocked to the canter, firmly patting the horse on the neck.
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Post by ♥ poppies on Feb 16, 2008 20:27:10 GMT -5
The hat dropped over her head, one hand still on the reins, and one just lightly drapped over the lead line to the chestnut pony sized filly. Gotta stop tensing Miss, you too little girl. Kris had noticed that Miss had spooked the bay horse the man had brought out before that happened Kris had tipped her hat to him making acknowledgement to him. Her eyes had dropped contact as she regained her control and feeling on the mare's mouth as she nudged her onward to forget about what had happened so it wouldn't happen again. At a girl. As Kris let her hand drop down she felt the filly nudge her palm, something she hadn't done. Call it a day girl? Turning in her seat as they walked to the chestnut filly she rubbed her head and decided to let her go in the small paddock by the track. Dismounting by the rail and throwing the reins over the mare's neck she stood silently. Kris untied the lead from the saddle horn and turned to see Miss and saw not a drop of sweat. Picking the chestnut filly up and over the white rail she wasn't so heavy as she put her down softly taking off the halter in a small round pen. She wouldn't hurt herself Kris knew that. As she then snuck out without the filly seeing she went under the white track rail and stood on it in a second whistling to Miss who trotted over and stood as Kris swung a leg over. Smiling she leaned forward and whispered, Wanna race? Immediately her ears pricked as Kris leaned back to a right seat and whistled and took a small tap on the mare's hind quarters. She immediately took off at a running gallop in almost an effort to catch up to the bay horse and man, as Kris saw the target come closer she slowed the mare down.
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Post by larkeh; on Feb 17, 2008 14:34:33 GMT -5
Nathanial had just calmed the horse back down when out of no where the palomino paint suddenly raced up next to them before passing. The bay gelding broke from his gentle lope into a couple of spooked bucks moving them dangerously close to the rail. Normally the young man would have spoken up, but he'd realized earlier that the woman was the other trainer and also a share holder in the farm. Yelling at her would only get him fired, which was the last thing he needed.
When his leg met the white railing that bordered the track he gave a desperate pull on the reins, hoping to regain control of the spooky young horse. "Quit it," he said firmly as he circled the gelding, who resisted, only jumping up in the air and rotating ninety degrees. The bay reared and the dark haired young man adjusted his seat to keep from falling, knowing that if he were to slip he'd fall onto the fence and really hurt himself. As soon as all four hooves were back on the ground he speedily freed his feet of the irons and jumped from the horse's back.
He held the reins as the horse jerked his head up, still not too pleased with all the unexpected action. "Easy man, chill," he said in a soothing manner, stroking the horse's nose with his gloved hand, speaking more calming words to the horse until he stopped acting up. Deciding they'd best call it a day before one of them hurt themselves, he tossed the reins over the gelding's head and held them in his hand as he led the horse off the track.
Once inside the stable Nathanial cross tied the four year old, noting he was pretty much the only one left in the racing division of the barn. The section that the eventers and other horses were in though was quite abuzz with action, several people scurrying around doing whatever one did to prepare to work an event horse. His entire career with horses had been with his beloved Thoroughbreds and though he'd seen many of the horses either he or his dad had trained be sold to eventing homes after they retired or were deemed not really meant to run, he couldn't say he knew a whole lot about what the horse's training required. It probably required more variety than the race horses he worked with, but he wasn't sure just what all you did with an eventing horse. He'd have to research it some time.
Nathanial had untacked the horse and stood next to him, standing a fair bit taller than the horse, but it made his job easier. He heard hoof steps and turned to see the woman that had caused Orion way more stress than necessary. He was careful to keep from making a face, turning back to the horse he unclipped from the ties and clipped a lead line to his leather halter, nudging the horse to turn as he led him away from the grooming area.
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