She rode the round, compact chestnut around the snowy fields. It was kind of romantic to follow the pair of human tracks decorated by dog paw patterns alongside and circling around. In the place where her mount tried to spook and spin and bolt she made him walk a perfect large circle a few times each direction, even though it was deep in places. He was, although spooky, pretty easy to settle once he knew you weren't afraid of him and would drive him forward.
They rode back and forth along both sides of the treelike in a huge oval because it was low and fairly sheltered from the wind by the trees went they went one direction. The sunshine was amazing! They worked mostly in walk. She remembered the long walk hacks she'd done for the boss in Ocala before the 10 minute dressage school that was the day's official training plan.
She made him w-a-l-k the slight uphills, not break into trot, and to do so in a frame, so that he got more of a work out. Afterall, the wind was giving her one, ha. The sky was a beautiful blue. A few times she tried trotting where they ought naught and he kind of fell in front, but she gave him total freedom with his head and he came up again and it felt like when you're riding through or jumping into water. Probably good accidental practice. She brought him downwards in a transition each time to get his hind end underneath them. Her legs hurt on the way back so it must have been some kind of work out. The best part was when she'd asked him for canter. For the first few strides he was sharp and then turned pokey! She FINALLY got to feel that slow side of him. it made the cross country challenges of him more appealing. She knew what to start building up their strength on now. That Vroon-vroom conditioning to follow, ha.
The hood over the helmet was warm, but probably unsafe somehow, no? The mitts over the gloves was working out perfectly.
She loved the way that horse loved that cat. The fluffily, smiley tri-coloured grey girl would run stowards the horse's steamy breath and he ran his nose along her back and sides. It was adorable!
Jill then trotted him around the arena with lots of walk to make sure he'd be good for the owner's lesson the next day.
He was cooled out but he wouldn't eat any hay knowing his grain was waiting for him. She tried to force him but in the end just had to hope the carrot she'd thrown in on top was fibre enough for him since the grass munching he'd been doing on her arrival….
At the other place she went to ride, they weren't hacking out they were riding in the arena. Bleck. The strange-to-her-horse balked at the mounting block. When she went to just get on him from the ground (as she had learned to do with her previous thoroughbred off the track horse who had the same issue) another rider commanded she stop. With Stoney, Jill had kind of had to get on from a run, ha. When she'd run into it with the brood-mare-school-ponies more recently, students used the block on the wrong side until they stopped worrying about it. But she wouldn't be able to do that here. "C'mon, a thoroughbred off the track? You should not try getting on him like that. He could never take all that weight. I will get off and help you."
Jill felt sheepish. Especially about how her current weight was showing. Good thing she was starting to ride two in one day for the gas mileage savings. Soon she'd pitch in on barn chores, ha.
Hopefully it would be just in time for the big thick wooly layers of sweaters to come off… she caught sight of the bay horse in a frame in the mirror in the wall as they trotted past. He was in fine, fine form. Floating past, even carrying his tail. The indoor ride was worth the commute afterall!
She couldn't believe not a single person had commented on her new purple hair. At least her volunteer job bosses liked it. The character in the book she'd copied the inspiration from was well KNOWN by it, but in her case on one even noticed. Alas.
As for her not yet new boyfriend, Jill thought she had overheard him tell his sister about a date he had for Thursday, and was surprised he'd agreed to keep her company on her adventure that same evening.
What to make of the fact that he then backed out?
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