For The Love of Horses (Pegasus Equestrian Center)

by Diana Vincent

  “How do you stay so calm? I am a nervous wreck right now,” Candace asked, as they walked their horses to the warm-up area. Felicity had just shied at an awning over the snack stand flapping in the wind, and Candace was impressed with Sierra’s non-reaction to Felicity’s fright.

  “My stomach is full of butterflies,” Sierra admitted with a laugh. But she realized her nerves were more from just plain excitement and a desire to do well, rather than actual fear. Now in her fourth year of competitions, she figured she could consider herself a veteran. “Believe me; I do remember how nervous I was at my first show. Easy there, don’t be silly,” Sierra spoke this last in a calming voice as she stepped forward to keep Felicity walking as the mare balked at some unknown object she perceived as a danger.

  “At least Shadow isn’t acting up,” Candace said, eyeing Felicity who still hadn’t quite given up her fright and snorted loudly every few steps.

  “Settle down now,” Sierra murmured again and placed a reassuring hand on her neck. Turning back to Candace she said, “Don’t worry; once you get up on Shadow’s back for her warm-up and concentrate on riding, you forget to be nervous.”

  “I hope so, because right now I feel like I want to throw up,” Candace laughed weakly.

  “You’re going to do fine,” Sierra repeated. She smiled inwardly at the fact she was giving advice to a woman who was probably eight to ten years her senior. “Shadow knows her job.” Sierra spoke from first-hand knowledge for she was often assigned Moonshadow’s conditioning trail rides, and she found the mare willing and obedient. “Didn’t you buy her from someone who had evented her at training level?”

  “Yes, Tess helped me find her after last season, advising me to get a horse trained beyond my level.”

  “Smart,” Sierra said, and added, “I thought you two looked great in your last lesson.”

  “Thanks; I am so grateful I’ve had two lessons from River before this show. He is really amazing! No disrespect to Tess, but he seemed to know exactly what I was doing wrong and how to change even little things, like shift my weight back or lighten my hands, and it seemed like Shadow was a different horse. Seems like Tess always concentrated on what Shadow was doing wrong. River looks at what I’m doing wrong, and if he can fix me, that fixes Shadow. It’s amazing!”

  “You’re right,” Sierra agreed.

  They arrived at the warm-up arena where Tess and River waited for them, having wandered over to check out the competition. River came over to hold Moonshadow for Candace while she mounted, and made a last minute check of the girth while Tess inspected her general appearance. Then they did the same for Sierra.

  “Glen, you know our ride times don’t you?” Candace called out to her husband who just now walked toward them, carrying his tripod with a camcorder attached.

  “Yep,” he answered. “Do you want me to catch any of your warm-up?”

  “No, just the test. Be sure and catch Sierra’s ride as well. She rides in the other arena about ten minutes after me.”

  “You got it.” Glen turned away to set his tripod up while the two riders entered the warm-up area. Tess and River followed them, and stood at the rail to coach both Candace and Sierra as they rode by.

  In the warm-up ring, Sierra found her hands full as Felicity startled and shied every few strides. River had only ridden the youngster at two events last season and now her behavior demonstrated how yet very green she was at competing. “Felicity, pay attention, please, young lady,” Sierra murmured to her spooky mount. But it seemed all the young mare’s attention was on everything around her. She laid her ears back at every horse that passed by and then pranced and pulled against Sierra’s hold on the reins. Sierra found herself gripping tighter and tighter, and she actually felt scared, as if it wouldn’t take much for her to lose all control and her nervous horse to explode beneath her.

  “River, I can’t get her settled,” she said in a harsh whisper as she passed him on the rail.

  “You’ve got to get her attention,” he said in a calm voice as he walked a few steps along with her on the outside of the rail. “Push her up into a trot and get her out of those mincing steps. Keep her moving forward. Try to lighten up your grip on the reins,” he advised. “You’re telling her there’s a reason to be tense.”

  “I’ll try,” she murmured, taking in deep, slow breaths as she consciously willed her muscles to relax. It took all her courage to unclench her fingers on the reins. As she expected, Felicity immediately stepped up into a quick, rushing trot with her head high. Sierra forced herself to not clutch the reins as a counter-action. Instead, she sat deep in the saddle with her legs against the mare’s sides, and tried to maintain a firm, steady hold on the reins, rather than pulling back to slow the mare down. For a few more strides, Felicity continued in her rushed pace, but then when she didn’t feel a restraining hold on her mouth she lowered her head. “Good girl,” Sierra praised her and touched her neck as a quick release of rein and as a reward. In response, Felicity moved into a rhythmical working trot. Sierra posted to the trot and finally she could feel the un-tensing of the young mare’s muscles. “Good girl,” she repeated, and then worked her on a few twenty meter circles.

  “Much better,” River said the next time she passed him. “Cross the diagonal and work now in the other direction. Stay loose!”

  She flashed him a smile of relief, and rode on around the corner to change across the diagonal of the arena as they finished the short side. She courageously allowed Felicity to take a half inch of reins as they trotted forward, and Felicity ‘answered’ by rounding her back and lowering her head as they crossed the diagonal.

  “Good girl,” Sierra praised and reached forward again to touch her neck. Felicity snorted, releasing tension. Sierra finally felt like the young mare ‘listened’ to her aids. She stopped posting to sit deep in the saddle at the sitting trot, and worked twenty meter circles in this direction, and then through a few figure eights.

  “You good?” River asked, smiling, the next time Sierra moved out to the rail.

  “Much better!”

  “Okay, you’ve got just enough time to try a canter in each direction. Stay light on her mouth and remember to sit deep for the down transitions and support with the outside rein. Candace’s number has been called so I’m off to watch her test, but I’ll meet you at your arena right after.”

  The canter to the left went well, but when Sierra transitioned to trot and reversed direction, something caught Felicity’s eye, and she leapt to the side, her neck up and tight.

  “No, no, it’s okay.” Sierra forced down the sudden tenseness rising up her spine, and the tightening of her own stomach in reaction to Felicity. She knew her horse could feel those responses, and within seconds of calming her own racing heart, she felt the chestnut’s tense muscles relax, and when she squeezed with her calves, Felicity obediently moved forward again in working trot. It’s no harder than calming a spook on the trail, Sierra assured herself, proud that she had not tightened her own muscles in response. She signaled for right lead canter, finished the round, and transitioned down to trot. Then she moved Felicity into an open space to the inside of the track, and on a small circle, gave with the reins to encourage her to stretch her neck forward and down, to finish the warm-up very relaxed. With a few more snorts, Felicity obeyed, and Sierra finally felt ready to attempt their test. She used just her weight to bring Felicity down to walk.

  Just in time! She heard her number called as ‘in the hole’. “Let’s go, sweet girl,” she spoke to her horse, and walked her out of the warm-up ring and over to the test arena.

  “How did you do?” she asked when Candace, leading Moonshadow, and followed by Tess and River, walked over to her. Sierra already had an idea by the wide smile on Candace’s face.

  “I think we did okay,” she announced happily.

  “They did great,” River confirmed as he came up to Felicity’s shoulder. “Shadow looked relaxed and forward moving.”

  The ring st
eward, opening the gate for the previous rider to exit the test ring, nodded toward Sierra. “You can enter now.”

  “Here we go,” Sierra said out loud to her friends, then inhaled deep and exhaled on a long breath as she brought her legs gently to Felicity’s sides and gathered up the reins.

  Just as they passed the in-gate, a sudden gust of wind rattled one of the pots of artificial flowers at the corner of the test barriers. Felicity leaped to the side and tried to whirl away. Sierra yanked at the reins reflexively, causing her to half- rear. Her own heart pounding and her spine rigid, Sierra forced herself to relax her grip and to push Felicity forward into working trot. But the mare jumped into canter and Sierra struggled to bring her under control. Afraid she would fall against the test barrier as she weaved frantically, Sierra pulled hard again on the reins. Although Felicity stuck her nose in the air, she at least came to an awkward halt with her legs trembling.

  “You’re okay,” Sierra murmured, trying to soothe her fright. She released her tight hold on the reins and sat deep to move Felicity forward. The chestnut responded with jigging steps. “Relax…breathe….relax…breathe,” Sierra whispered to her mount in the rhythm of trot that she wanted from Felicity. It took a complete circuit and half way again around the test barriers before the nervous horse dropped her nose, rounded her neck, and moved into a working trot.

  At that moment, the judge rang the bell, giving them forty-five seconds to enter the test ring.

  “Let’s go, silly girl,” Sierra murmured, and as she rounded the outer corner of the barrier she turned Felicity to enter at A and tried to keep her trotting forward and straight down the center line. The novice level test consisted of basic movements – a trot serpentine the width of the arena in both directions, twenty-meter canter circles, a medium walk and walk on a long rein, and ending with a halt. At this level, the emphasis was on rhythmical movements, straightness, and balance in the transitions, as well as relaxed and attentive behavior. Felicity shied two more times during the test, followed by choppy, stiff movements. Sierra was just grateful she could at least keep her in some semblance of the test movements, even though the young mare’s back stiffened and she came up above the bit. They completed all the movements with the transitions made at the correct letters, and then Sierra brought Felicity to a halt, sitting deep and was pleased that she at least stopped square and didn’t shift her hips as Sierra gave the final salute to the judge. Then on a loose rein, they exited the arena.

  “What happened?” Tess demanded as Sierra reached her friends and dismounted.

  “When we got to the test area it’s like she forgot all the warm-up. I just couldn’t settle her down after she shied at that flower pot,” Sierra replied defensively, intimidated by the disapproving expression on her boss’s face.

  “It’s unfortunate, but horses always tend to shy much more at a show than at home. You need to be able to manage that. Maybe Felicity isn’t going to work out for you…”

  “It’s hard to stay relaxed on a frightened horse,” River interrupted. “A scared horse can hurt you.”

  Thank you, River, Sierra sighed inwardly.

  “It’s their first time out together,” River continued to defend Sierra, sounding quite calm and matter-of-fact. “I bet by the end of the day they’ll be fine.”

  “I certainly hope so,” Tess said, a little less accusing. “It is just a schooling show.”

  River rolled his eyes for Sierra to see, and smiled at her. “I think you managed her very well.”

  “Maybe she is too green for me,” Sierra whispered to River.

  “It’s your first show with her. Give yourself and Felicity time for both of you to work out your partnership,” River said, draping an arm over her shoulder in encouragement. “Look how calm she is right now.”

  “Hmph,” Sierra huffed, noting how Felicity walked placidly at the end of the bridle reins, all tenseness evaporated.

  After her successful dressage test, Candace seemed more relaxed as she and her mare warmed up for stadium. Sierra had Felicity ready to start her own warm-up, but had time to watch Candace’s round. She smiled at the determined look mixed with nervousness on Candace’s face, as she began the canter circle. Moonshadow, a veteran eventer, approached the first fence with ears forward, took the simple cross rail in stride and galloped on confidently to the small coop. For this maiden class, there were only six obstacles and all under two-foot-five. Sierra could see where Candace made no attempt to control Shadow’s speed as she rounded the upper end of the arena, or rate her approach. She seemed frozen on her mare’s back, merely trying to stay on course. But Shadow carried her rider competently, not really needing any guidance over these well-spaced, low jumps. They finished the round clean, and a beaming rider left the arena, patting her horse on the neck.

  Sierra gave Candace a triumphal wave and then led Felicity over to the mounting block to start her own warm-up. She was scheduled to ride in thirty minutes.

  The warm-up area for stadium and cross-country was in an open field with room to work a horse at a hand gallop and where practice jumps had been placed. Felicity approached this new location as nervous and excited as she had been for the dressage warm-up. She again shied at every strange object she caught from the corner of her eye. “It’s time to settle down, young lady,” Sierra said in frustration as she tried to keep her reactions calm. Contracting her core muscles, she tried to post with deliberate, slow movements to set a working pace, while supporting with her legs and softening her hands, squeezing with her fingers to communicate ‘slow down’. Felicity started with rushed steps and a hollow frame, but when Sierra didn’t react to her tenseness, she at last lowered her head and rounded her back to step up into a working trot.

  The horse in front of them suddenly shied. Felicity, startled, also shied, and this time unexpectedly bolted into a gallop, veering across the field. Sierra reflexively grabbed the reins in a tight hold and yanked hard to slow her mare. But Felicity had her head high and neck stiff and did not respond. Sierra resorted to turning her in a tight circle to force her to slow down. At her frantic pace, Felicity lost her balance and slipped with a back leg, coming to a jolting stop. The abrupt, jarring movements caused Sierra to slip to the side of the saddle, and only by grabbing a handful of mane with one hand and the pommel with the other, was she able keep her seat. As Felicity regained her balance, Sierra righted herself square in the saddle, and then sat deep, clutching the reins in a tight hold to keep the trembling mare from bolting again. Sierra’s heart pounded in fear as she realized how quickly and unexpectedly she had lost control of her mount.

  Then River was at her side, holding onto one rein as he stroked the distraught young mare’s neck and tried to soothe her. “Are you okay?” he asked Sierra, looking up at her with a worried expression.

  It didn’t help that he looked worried. If River doesn’t think I can handle her… “I’m okay; she is just so tense. I didn’t expect her to bolt like that. I’ve never felt so out of control with her at home.”

  “Yeah, she’s really wound tight today,” River confirmed. “Do you want to scratch the rest of the show?”

  His suggestion came as a relief, but at the same time, the thought of giving up, admitting she was not capable of riding this horse only at novice level and at a schooling show no less…after all, I’ve been riding at training level; won the championship last year…surely I should be able to handle a horse I’ve often ridden at home… A sense of determination and perhaps misguided pride would not let her give up. “No, she finally settled down in our dressage warm-up. I ought to be able to get her to relax again.”

  With River at her side and soothing the mare, Sierra released her grip on the reins. Then she took in several forced deep breaths in and out, and rolled her shoulders backwards and forwards. She reached forward to stroke Felicity’s damp neck. Already she could feel that the chestnut had let go of the tenseness in her muscles. Is it River here that’s giving her confidence? I should be able to
instill just as much confidence…there’s nothing here I’m afraid of… “Felicity, there is nothing going to hurt you,” she said out loud in a determined voice and consciously tried to project a feeling of security to her mount.

  “Good for you,” River said, smiling as he let go of Felicity’s rein and stepped away.

  Amazingly, her sense of confidence did seem to reach Felicity and she stretched her neck to reach the soft contact of Sierra’s fingers on the reins, and walked without mincing to join the horses circling the perimeter of the field. “That’s my girl,” Sierra praised her, and putting images in her mind of starting out to cross the field for a trail ride at home, she softly brought her legs to the chestnut’s sides to gently ask her to trot.

  After a few minutes of trotting, Felicity lowered her head, snorting, and Sierra could feel the tightness in her mount’s shoulder muscles loosening. She worked her around the perimeter of the field in both directions, until she believed she had Felicity’s full attention and the mare was truly relaxed. Time to try for a relaxed, controlled canter. Sierra sat deep with a touch of her fingers on the reins to half-halt, before she brought her legs on to ask for the transition. Felicity again bolted into a gallop, but controlling any feelings of panic, Sierra sat deep with her seat and squeezed the reins with her fingers, remembering to allow her hands to continue to move with the rhythmical motion of the chestnut’s head, and within a few minutes, had her settled into a controlled hand gallop. She completed a couple loops around the perimeter of the warm-up field in each direction, and as the mare responded promptly to her aids when she asked for the downward transition to trot, Sierra found her confidence returning.