Team Practice - OPEN

[Thoroughbred]

Summer quickly tacked up her horse, Thunderstruck. Dad is going to kill me if I'm late, she thought, swallowing. Summer left her iPhone in her tack box. Dad would also not be happy if I brought my phone to the practice, she thought, even though she never texted during practices, and she never had in the past. Summer was always serious about her work during practice.
She smooshed her signature high ponytail into her charles owen helmet to keep her white-blonde hair from annoyingly flying around while riding. She also slipped on a pair of leather gloves.
By the time Summer made it to the arena, Sasha was already aboard her flashy Paint horse. I have to admit, she looks great on that horse, Summer thought as she mounted Thunder.
"Summer, your dad is being a bitch today," Sasha complained as she posted to her horse's trot around the arena.
I know that no one likes him, but don't call him that, Summer thought. "There's nothing I can do about it," Summer snapped, waiting for some other people on the team to come to the arena so she wouldn't have to be all alone with the annoying-as-hell Sasha.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara finished putting the last boot onto the tendon of her dappled steel grey mare. Straightening up, she swallowed hard and placed a hand on her stomach as another wave of nausea washed over her. "Get hold of yourself, you silly chit!" She scolded herself as she rubbed a polishing cloth over the mare's coat that didn't have tack on it. "You are going to a lesson, not a show." The words didn't help ease the butterflies that were swarming in her stomach as she finished getting herself and Glazed Shadow, or Shay, ready for their first equestrian team practice.

Letting out a slow breath, she returned the grooming kit to the tack room and, making sure that the tight bun was still in place and she had not lost any stray hairs, she placed her Charles Owen helmet onto her head and clipped it under her chin. Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, she kicked off her barn boots and slipped her feet into the shiny Ariat Heritage boots that were waiting for her. After zipping them up, she brushed her hands down the beige jodhpurs that hugged her small hips and her slim legs, removing any stray bits of horse hair that may have been transferred during grooming. She then removed the tracksuit jacket to reveal a long sleeved grey polo that had a horse on the left breast, the only piece of clothing that could be classed as being "casual".

Walking back to the pony, she removed the cross-ties and taking up the reins, led the mare out of the barn. Tightening the girth, she pulled the stirrups down and, grabbing the reins along with a handful of mane and placing the other hand on the saddle, in one swift movement, she vaulted onto the mare's back. "Stand." She said as Shay swished her tail in annoyance and being ridden. The girl then squeezed the pony forward and they were on their way to the arena while the rider slipped her feet into the stirrups. Before they got to the gate, Cara placed her hand on her stomach as the butterflies seemed to take flight again. She suddenly had the feeling that she should never have asked permission to join the equestrian team. She was on a pony and suddenly felt way out of her depth with two riders who were already there on rather large horses, heads together and talking.

Pausing at the gate, she wasn't sure whether she should just enter or wait to be asked to enter...

[Thoroughbred]

Summer caught herself lusting over Sasha's new boots, and snapped out of it after realizing her new room mate was standing by the arena gate.

"Hi, Cara!" Summer greeted cheerily as she posted to her horse's warm-up trot. Thunder arched his neck like the dressage horse that Summer was trying to train and encourage him to be. She softened her hands; she felt them tightening around her black leather reins. "Are you going to come on in?" She was secretly surprised that Cara had showed up to practice. The conversation they had earlier today made Summer think that she was uninterested in the team.

Sasha, who was on the opposite side of the arena, quickly glanced over towards the new freshman, rolled her eyes, and continued warming up her mare.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara, who was loitering at the gate, jumped when she heard her name and caused her already wired pony to kick out in annoyance at being asked to stand still for so long. She nodded her head, not trusting herself to reply with words.

Leaning down from the saddle, she opened the gate, squeezed the mare through and then asked her to turn on her haunches as she closed the gate again. "Bien fait." She told the pony softly as she turned her around again, and squeezed her forward, heading toward the track so that they could warm up.

Keeping her eyes between the swiveling ears of her mount, Cara tried to find her bubble; the place she escaped to when she was on horseback, where nothing existed other then her and her mount. However, she was feeling a little on edge and couldn't centre herself well enough to form the bubble. She made a tsking sound as the mare snatched at the bit, getting fed up at her rider's drifting attention.

Sitting deep in the saddle and using her legs and seat to move the mare along, she kept her hand soft on the reins so that she wasn't interfering with Shay's mouth as she asked the pony to stretch out her neck while they were walking. Her back was almost ram-rod straight and her hips moved in time with the pony's stride.

[Thoroughbred]

"Left!" Sasha called out in an annoyed, somewhat-snobbish voice as she passed Cara on the left. She huffed in annoyance as she passed Cara. "Noobs," she muttered quietly to herself. She kept her mare L'artiste at a lovely, collected trot. L'artiste was a fabulous dressage horse and had great gaits.

Summer winced at Sasha's bitterness. I hope she's not too mean to Cara..but then again, Sasha's mean to everyone, Summer thought.


Mr. Jaeger, the coach, grumpily entered the arena and walked to the center of the arena. "Where is everyone?"he complained to himself gruffly.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara used her leg to ask Shay to keep to the right as the rider she didn't know passed them, and the mare obeyed without hesitation. The words muttered by the other girl made her flinch as though she had been struck. She knew that she was way out of her depth when she had arrived at the arena, she should have just turned tail and left then. However, the very thought of leaving the arena made her feel like a bucket of ice had been tipped over her, as she knew that she wouldn't want to face the ramifications of leaving.

Breathing in through her nose, and out through her mouth, she pictured a waterfall washing over the top of her and removing every other thought from her mind that was keeping her attention from the mare she was riding. She knew that the pony deserved to be here, even if she didn't.

Cara swallowed hard as a man entered the arena, suddenly wanting the ground to open up and swallow her.

[Thoroughbred]

I'll have to remind Cara later that Sasha is nothing but trouble, Summer thought, hoping that Cara hadn't been offended by anything Sasha did so far. Summer continued to post the the trot of her glossy chestnut.

"You should all be done warming up your horses by now. Take your stirrups and cross them over your saddle," Mr. Jaeger instructed, still standing in the center of the arena. He intensely watched the riders in the arena to make sure they "removed" their stirrups.

Summer slowed her horse to a walk. She swiftly slid her foot out of her stirrups and grabbing the ebony stirrup leathers, she swung them over her black Prestige saddle.

Sasha also slid her feet out of the stirrups and crossed them over her saddle.

(OOC: i know the picture i used for the saddle isn't black, i just couldn't find the saddle in black >.<
also, if you anyone else would like to join the group practice that is fine. just jump in and pretend you were there the whole time, unless you wish to come in late and start a scene (; )

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Once she was happy that the mare was loose enough, Cara took up the reins a fraction more and asked for a trot, nodding her head when Shay bounce forward into her floaty trot.

As the man in the centre of the arena spoke, Cara brought her mare from a trot to a walk and dropped her stirrups upon command and smoothly crossed them over the front of her oakbark Rodrigo Pony saddle and sat deep in the saddle for a moment as she rebalanced herself and took some time to really feel the movement of the mare beneath her. She circled her ankles a couple of times and then just let them hang naturally - she preferred to ride without stirrups anyway - her legs soft against the mare's sides with just enough pressure for the pretty pony to know that her rider was there and still in charge. Her hands were light on the reins, keeping good contact with the Connemara's mouth, but not pulling on her sensitive bars.

[Thoroughbred]

Mr. Jaeger kept a steady gaze on all of the riders in the arena. "Keep your horse at a fast paced trot, and post. I want to see your horses moving," he said. On one side of the arena, he set up a few ground poles for the riders to trot their horses over. "Make sure to trot your horses over the ground poles. It will be slightly more challenging for you to maintain a posting trot when your horse's gait has become more springy," he added.

Summer rolled her eyes. She knew her father's schemes. He always made the team post without stirrups for what felt like hours, and by the end of practice it felt as if her (and everyone else's!) legs were going to fall off. She nudged Thunderstruck into a trot. At first, he refused to accelerate, so it took a few more kicks to get him going. Thunder was stubborn at times. I think I'm a little out of shape for this, Summer admitted after posting to her horse's trot without stirrups for a few minutes.

"Keep that horse going!" Mr. Jaeger snapped at his daughter. Summer quietly huffed and kissed to Thunder. Thunder quickly picked up his pace.

Sasha subtly smiled to herself as the coach yelled at Summer. He hasn't yelled at me yet - success! she thought as she easily posted to the trot of her Paint mare. Her posting was a little choppier over the ground poles - but who cares, the coach wasn't looking! Sasha thought.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara squeezed her legs against Shay's sides and only had to ask once more with a tighter squeeze before the mare bounced forward into her floaty trot. Keeping her body relaxed so that her lower back moved with the mare, leaving her upper body relatively motionless. Moving her hips forward every time the mare's outside leg.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the coach set up ground poles and then instructed them to trot their horses over them. She cringed as Summer was yelled at, but she made sure to keep her eyes forward between the pony's ears and keeping her body moving with the mare's trot, keeping her moving but not letting her rush and hollow out.

As they approached the poles, Cara bridged her reins in her inside hand and rubbed the Connemara's neck with her left hand, silently begging the pony to behave herself and not to get carried away as they went over the poles.

As though she would never dream of misbehaving, Shay floated over the poles without missing a step and continued her way around the arena.

Riding without stirrups didn't phase Cara and, not that she would tell anyone, she actually preferred riding bareback then using a saddle - jumping was fun.

[onzy]

Morgan practically ran into the barn, cursing himself for being late. It was not like him to snooze his alarm and just sleep through the annoying ringing, but it had happened and now he had to live through the consequences. Amber snoozed in her stall, but a black tipped ear flicked toward him when he whistled at her. Leading the mare from the gelding, her tried to gouge her mood from the walk to the the cross ties. She playfully chewed on his jacket, but he wasn't fazed. It was something he would be removing anyway to reveal the black shirt underneath the track top. His tan breeches were comfortable, and his field boots polished to a shine. Clipping in Amber, he started a quick groom of the already pristine coat.

For Amber it seemed like she was getting a grooming and then she would be back in her stall. Morgan just laughed, and crooned softly to her in Welsh. Going to the tack room, he found his black Pessoa general purpose saddle and snaffle bridle. For a moment he debated about the martingale, but kept it attached to the his bridle. If there was going to be jumping, then Amber would need it. She got quite frisky when jumps were involved, and often tried to throw Morgan when it came to it. Her numnah was a light blue, with black and white piping. His initials were embroided on one side with 'Evening Amber' on the other, all in black. It suited the mare, the light colour, and it was also the colour of her polo wraps.

When Morgan returned to the mare, she was dozing quite happily, and he sighed. Chirping to her, he placed the soft leather saddle on her back, and grinned as her ears went back. Not a good day then for the pair. Leaving the girth undone, he put on the bridle next. The full cheek snaffle fit well, and once the grackle noseband was done up, the mare had no more chance of biting him. Putting the girth through the martingale loop, he did up the black girth, waiting for Amber to release her pent up breath. Tightening the girth, Morgan chanced a look at his watch. Almost fifteen minutes late. He quickly put on the baby blue polo wraps, removed his jacket, found his gloves and helmet, and led Amber from the barn.

A quick jog to the arena made him wary of the reaction of the teacher, and entered once all horses were past him. Morgan walked toward the male, fear of being in a new place finally catching up with him. I'm sorry I'm late. I don't have any excuse for you, he said, his rich Welsh vocals filled with apology.

[Thoroughbred]

Mr. Jaeger immediately grew angry with the late arrival of the student. "Do we need to go over rules again? Late riders do not get to compete in shows," Mr. Jaeger said, his voice booming through the arena, "Cross your stirrups over the saddle and post. If you come late again, you will spend the practice leading your horse on the ground. Do you understand?"

Summer felt sorry for the boy - who, she realized, she had never seen before. She opened her mouth, about to argue with her father that he was being too harsh. After all, this guy was new and had never been late before. Instead, she closed her mouth and decided against it. Her father would just argue anyways, and insist that he was right. As usual, Summer thought dryly. Giving Thunderstruck looser reins, she posted over the poles on the ground. She felt her father's stare as she posted over the poles. She quickly went through a mental checklist - heels down, eyes up, steady legs, correct hand position in order to not be scolded by her father.

"Your heels could be lower," Coach Jaeger said to Summer. She rolled her eyes. My heels are fine, she thought. She could feel her calves strain from keeping her heels so low.

Sasha watched the coach yell at the freshman and Summer, finding it all to be very entertaining. I love practices, she thought happily. She maintained a straight face as she continued to fluidly post to L'artiste's trot.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara closed her legs on her pony's sides as the Connemara lifted her head slightly in a threat to slow down as the approached the gate where another horse and her rider were waiting to enter the arena. She opened her hands before closing them on the reins just another reminder that she was still the one in charge of this partnership - at least for right now anyway.

She blew out a breath as they past the gate and the mare continued her floaty stride not slowing at all. The young rider made a mental checklist of her body position as they made their way around the arena.

[onzy]

Morgan ducked his head and flinched as the booming voice of the instructor rang out across the arena. Amber through up her head, but did no more than that. Yes sir, he said, pulling down his stirrups and mounting the 17 hand mare. He gave a slight oof as he pulled himself up, and Amber pricked her ears forward. Silly, bipolar mare, he thought as he turned the mare to the follow behind the last rider. It seemed to be a girl, a few years younger than himself on a pony. Kissing to Amber, he got the mare into her flowing trot, bouncy, but pretty good to post to.

Years of dressage riding had made Morgan's legs loose, hands soft and signals invisible. Amber softened, going onto the bit easily. Already she was foaming at the mouth, but Morgan was suspicious. His mare was never this willing to do flatwork, but he had a feeling that it was the presence of poles that got her to focus. As Amber went over the poles, her extra lift pushed Morgan out of the saddle, and he grinned, more to himself than anyone else.

The stirrup-less riding was rough on him, seeing that he ridden for close to a month. When Amber had gone into quarantine, his visits to the stables had decreased dramatically, and when his beloved horse had finally been finally flown across, stopped altogether. He had only flown in three days ago, and he still had jet lag. So now he was attending his first riding class that he was beginning to regret.

[Thoroughbred]

Coach Jaeger, who was still annoyed from the new rider showing up late, decided to dislike Morgan for the rest of practice. "You can tighten your reins a little bit. You could use a little bit...or a lot of work on posting without stirrups," he said, keeping his eyes on Morgan and watching for anymore "errors".

Summer turned her head quickly towards Morgan, expecting him to be a crappy rider. She bit her lip and raised her eyebrow in frustration with her father when she realized Morgan was in fact a good rider and her father was just being too harsh. Poor guy, she thought sympathetically. I hope my dad doesn't scare him away from the barn.

"You may begin cantering with no stirrups. If any of you have more trouble cantering with no stirrups than posting to a trot with no stirrups, you're getting moved down the JV," Mr. Jaeger said, being dead serious. Although his comment sounded a little harsh, it was also pretty true.