Jon's first lesson --

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Subject: Jon's first lesson

Author:
Mikki (Saddle)

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Date Posted: 14:00:40 06/17/02 Mon

*Mikki enters the barn, leading Missy, a flashy thoroughbred mare. he sees a boy about his age leaning against a wall, looking bored and impatient. "You must be Jon, i'm Mikki and this mare is Missy. she's a great mare but she's not in the greatest shape right now. she's been a broodmare for awhile. why don't you go get your saddle, i've got her bit and bridle here" Jon nods and hurries to the tack room to get his stuff. they groom her quickly, her glossy coat shining from the tender care she had been getting. she pins her ears as Jon puts the saddle and girth on and he narrowly escapes the snapping teeth as she tries to nip him. "she's a bit girthy, most racehorses are" Mikki explains. "girthy, now you tell me" Jon mumbles softly. he leads Missy to the ring, checks the girth and mounts. "Ok, put your heels down and raise your inside hand a bit" Mikki tells him "Use both reins for now, she's not too good at neck-reining" Jon corrects his hands and position. "Now make a 15 meter circle and jog" he bumps the mare into a jog and she rounds her body to the circle. "Now, go all the way around the ring a few times" they are starting to look more like a team "Looking good, now change direction, make a 20 meter circle, go halfway around the ring and make another 15 meter circle, then pick up a good lope" the mare eagerly follows the pattern and breaks into a racing gallop instead of a lope. Jon automatically tightens the reins and pulls back "Loosen up the reins, she's not going to stop if you pull, shes trained to run on the bit, your just helping her go faster" he loosens the reins and she moves into an easy lope. "Circle her around, 15 meters again, then do a change across the diagional, ask for a flying change in the middle, she'll do it" they lope perfectly through the direction and lead change and go around several times in the other direction. "Ok, let her walk. now you can either go to the left barrel or the right barrel first, then go around it and go to the other barrel near the timer line, then circle that barrel and go to the top barrel, circle it and come back here, this is where the timer line would be" he points out the barrels as he speaks. Jon nods. "Ok, start out at a jog, if you do good we'll try a lope before we call it quits for the day" he jogs the pattern several times. "do you want to try a lope today?" Mikki asks. Jon considers for a minute "Nah, i'll wait until next time, i want to work on the jog a little more first" Mikki shrugs "Ok, your choice, walk her a few laps then we'll untack her. my mom should be here to pick me and Missy up soon" they take care of the mare and are just finishing putting her shipping bandages on when Saddle arrives. she loads Missy and her and Mikki leave. "another lesson tomorrow?" Mikki as they leave. "OK" Jon replies. "same time, same place" Mikki calls as they leave*

(the picture is of Missy)

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