Leisha's Lesson

[Ruby Lanelle]

_{Ruby led Joe into the arena and mounted, the bay gelding bouncing underneath her. She wanted to warm Joe up a little before his lesson as he was fresh and she didn't know how Leisha would handle him. She walked, trotted and cantered the school figures, then brought the big bay gelding to a halt as a girl in riding clothes approached. She patted the gelding's necka nd siamounted, calling across to the girl. Hi. I'm Ruby. You must be Leisha. Come on in. She lengthened the stirrups so the other girl could get on, as Ruby rode with short stirrups.}

[» Leisha King ♥]

<sub>As Leisha had woken she realized that today she would try out her big boy. His name was Joe and she had met him already. As she walked down the different isles she didn't know what to expect. Would he be the same she thought but with her hair puled back and her black hat placed firmly onto, the pink and purple Joules top hung around her and her plain cream jodhpurs still clean. Her black boots and leather chaps not a speck on them. But as she walked into the arena she was still in love with the big back gelding. Hi, yes i am Leisha, nice to meet you Ruby she smiled at the girl and pushed open the gate and walked in. She did not go straight to mounting but went to Joe's head. Hey boy she cooed to him softly and gave him a pat and then looked at the stirrups. To short still, when she rode dressage or workout she always rode longer, dropping it 1-2 holes.

Placing her left foot into the stirrup her left hand held the reins. Her right hand placed firmly behind the saddle on the bottom so as to not twist the saddle when she lifted up. She used her right foot to bounce three and swung her leg over and lands softly on his back. Leaning forward she checked her girth. To long, needs to go up a hole Lei thought and pulled the girth up one. Checked her stirrups by standing in the saddle, to which they where fine. Good boy she gave him a pat and looked down at Ruby. Please call me Lei or Lou, you don't need to use my full name it really doesn't matter to me she smiled, not many people called her Lei but they called her Lou and Leisha alot.</sub>

[Ruby Lanelle]

_{Ruby smiled. Ok then Lou. I warmed him up a bit as he's wuite fresh. So if you want to trot a figure of eight, then canter one. Then we'll do a bit of jumping, if he's not too silly. She nodded to the girl, then walked over to the edge of the arena, where a wooden ledge along the fence had been fashioned into a small seat. Ruby placed herself on it and watched.}

[» Leisha King ♥]

_{Using her legs Leisha squeeze the horses sides and he instantly moved forward, Good boy words are the best thing to do when a horse was behaving. Moving into the next corner she asked him for a trot and sat to his stride and then at the following corner - f - she got ready for the 8 loop serpentine. Using her legs and not her hands she steered him round using her inside leg as much as the outside. Pushing him from the inside leg to swing his hinds out to make the circle. Patting him she lead the loop back to - f - and then asked for a canter with a deep seat and a small squeeze. His movements where amazing, they where flowing and forward and he really listen. When Leisha got to the next corner she asked for the serpentine again and this time her did a flying change in the center to save her having to bring him back to trot. Moving her leg back and in the right position he fly one leg in front of the other then hopped and then he was on the other leg. Good boy she called loudly, big praise for that. Once the last loop was completed she brought him back to trot and then walk and walked him on a long rein to Ruby. How was that? she asked nervously, was she doing it all wrong and making a big fool of herself?}

[Ruby Lanelle]

<sub>That was good! Right i'll just set up a few jumps. Ruby crossed the large arena and set up a small course, that went as so:

Turn down after A and jump a cross pole and a straight bar. Cross diagonal after M and jump a spread. Turn sharply left and jump a narrow bar. Turn at C and jump a parallel.

She instructed the other girl to take the course in a canter, but not race. You've got loads of time. He needs to work on his jumping, then we concentrate on speed. She smiled and nodded the girl to start.</sub>

[» Leisha King ♥]

_{Leisha smiled and nodded at the girl Thank you she was happy that she had done it right. When the girl had finished setting up and explaining she gathered her reins and squeezed for a trot straight from halt. He performed it perfectly. When she got to A just after she asked for the turn and canter at the same time and was in the line for the first jump coming at a steady pace into a cross pole and a straight bar. Leisha guided him across the diagonal after M and kept the canter going and urged him on to jump the spread. The sharp turn that followed to the left was tricky, slowing him down to get his balance and followed into the narrow bar jump. turning at C and jumped the parallel the last jump. Giving him a huge pat she whispered to him Good boy she was really happy a clear round and a big beam on her face. Even if she had knocked one down she was still happy with the round. She loved riding new horse especially over jumps. Bringing him back to a trot she trotted over to Ruby to wait for her next command.}

[Ruby Lanelle]

_{Ruby walked over a patted the horse. Good. That was really good for your first time. You handled him well, enough speed and precision. Ok now go cool him off. That was a good lesson.}

[» Leisha King ♥]

_{Leisha smiled Ok thank you for the lesson and for the praise. she smiled and patted Joe, Good boy she laughed as he shock his head and she pushed him into walk and cooled him off. She walked a few laps and dropped the girth one. He hung his head low and walked with pasion not speed. Once she had cooled him off she jumped down and put her stirrups up and lead him out of the ring...}