Post by katie landry on Jun 18, 2009 16:59:56 GMT -5
FORGIVE ME I'M TRYING TO FIND,
my calling, i'm calling at night.[/center]
[/center][/size]the sound of boots hitting the floor of the barn rang across the area, the sound bouncing off the wooden frames. the smell of horse manure and couture sprays filled katie's nose as she made her way down the aisle to where her two horses popped their heads out of their stalls. she smiled and reached out to stroke Duchess' nose first before feeding the mare a peppermint. however, she moved past the mare to her gelding, Phantom. she beamed and unlatched the stall door, grabbing his lead and clipping it to the halter already fixed on his head. she led the horse out of the stall to the grooming rack where all his bridle and tack sat on a chair. his grooming supplies were settled on a small shelf jutting out from the wall. she reached for the curry comb, running it over his body in small, quick circles, loosening up the dirt. the dandy brush helped clear the dirt off his back as did they body brush. she picked out his hooves, carefully lifting each foot so as not to get kicked in the face. she was quick to finish as she reached for the damp cloth she had flung over her forearm. she carefully wiped off his face, his head shining as she did so.
she tossed the cloth and grabbed fly spray, spraying only a spritzes to keep his coat both shiny and fly-free. she slipped the reins over his head and slid the bit into his mouth, happy that he accepted it so easily. she finished fastening all the buckles and parts together before dumping the halter on the chair and taking up the saddle pad and sliding it onto his back. she hoisted the saddle up onto the gelding's back and settled it into place before fastening the girth into place. she pulled the halter up onto her shoulder and led the gelding down the aisle, placing the halter back up on its hook as they passed the stall. she felt slightly nervous as she settled a hand on his neck as they walked side-by-side. she had never felt this way before and she definitely was excited. it was the first competition as a member of the equestrian team. she sighed and reached into her coat pocket, grabbing a sugar cube and feeding it to him. she giggled as he munched on it happily.
they kept moving towards the practice arena. it was already filled with two or three people. she kept her distance as she led phantom into the arena, closing the gate behind them. she led him along the edge of a rail and stopped him, gathering up the reins in her left hand as she stepped into the left stirrup. with a few bounces, she pulled herself up into the saddle, swinging her right leg over. she centered herself, evenly distributing her weight in her body and legs. as she settled into the saddle, she could feel phantom beneath her getting more excited. she patted him on the neck before pulling the reins gently and turning him towards the left side of the arena where no one seemed to be warming up. she did a figure eight, pulling the reins very slightly and firmly so he was paying attention and starting to focus on her and only her. she rode the space, taking a look at each jump there. she walked at first towards a few and then she changed into a trot, circling him around the unfamiliar jumps. as she finished examining each one, katie slowed to a trot. katie let out a breath before positioning him at an angle, aiming him towards an oxford jump.
she squeezed her legs, the pair heading straight for the jump. katie silently counted the strides. 3, 2, 1... she pulled herself out of the seat, keeping her back flat and in balance with her horse. her hands followed the gelding's neck as he sailed over the obstacle. she grinned as she landed, lowering her seat. she kept him moving, making a circle around the jumps on this side of the arena. she kept him at a simple canter, moving with his strides as they circled the area. katie aimed towards more jumps, heading for a series of jumps with only one or two strides between them. she thought about it in her head and she prepared for their takeoff, rising out of the seat as they maneuvered over the first jump, she barely flinched as she made their way over the second jump, and finally the third jump. she lowered her seat once more and sat deep in the saddle, bringing phantom to a collected trot. so far, their warm-up was going pretty well and katie was proud of phantom as she patted him on the neck, rubbing it slightly as she urged him towards a smaller jump, looking to stand only 2 feet high.
she worked on her take off as she rose out of the saddle as he made his way over the shorter jump. as they landed, she straightened up slightly, lowering herself back into the saddle. she slowed the horse to a walk, turning him in a tight circle. she didn't want to tire him out too much before the show actually started but she decided to push him towards one more jump. one of the only six foot jumps in the warm-up arena. she pushed phantom in a canter, heading straight for it. she centered him into the middle of the jump and began counting down the strides, preparing for the take off. she lifted herself out of the seat again, flattened over his neck, her back centered with his. as they landed she beamed, slowing him down and coming to a halt, patting the gelding on his neck. "I think we've got a good chance today, boy." she whispered as she leaned forward in her saddle towards his ears. she rubbed his ears, watching his reaction as usual. it was his weak spot.
she let out a sigh as she surveyed the crowd in the warm-up arena. two riders left and another one had entered. she felt somewhat alone here. she let go of the reins to fix her left boot, tucking her breeches in better. it was rather hot out and the jacket definitely didn't make it any better. she was silent as she shrugged and looked around at the people around her. they all seemed ready for this competition and she could only hope that phantom and her could pull it off. they had trained hard and katie had desperately wanted to become recognized as one of the best riders just like her parents were.
TAG: n/a
WORD COUNT: 1132
OUTFIT: here!
SONG:remembering sunday : all time low
CREDIT: to me!
