You’ve done such a great job with Teddy. Can you help?”
Phil blinked. Slowly a big smile spread across his face. “Gosh, Stevie, I’d be glad to,” he said. “It’s kindof a new experience, your asking me for help. I’m glad that you thought to ask me. What exactly have you and Belle been doing?”
Stevie briefly described the exercise she’d discussed with Carole and Lisa. Phil nodded. “That sounds like it should work,” he said. “Let’s see you ride it.”
Stevie walked Belle a few times around the arena, then trotted her several laps in both directions to be sure her muscles were warm and loose. Then she asked Belle to canter and went through the exercise, changing directions in a tight, s-shaped curve. Belle didn’t change leads, but, Stevie noticed, she was a lot more relaxed than she had been last week.
It’s because I’m not getting angry at her for something she can’t understand, Stevie thought. She could feel, too, a difference in her own riding—now that she wasn’t getting angry with Belle, her legs, seat, and hands all felt softer, and her balance was better, too. Much more like dressage, Stevie thought. She knew that in the very high-level dressage exhibitions she had seen, the rider’s cues to the horse were practically invisible. Today she was being much less obvious with her own cues, and Belle was certainly more relaxed. But Belle still wasn’t doing a flying lead change.
“See.” Stevie pulled Belle up to the rail near Phil and Teddy. “Last week I was upsetting her, although I didn’t mean to. Now at least she’s pretty calm about it.But she’s still not getting it. I tried to sort of shift my weight and throw her off balance, but all that did was harass her.”
Phil agreed. “You don’t want to upset her,” he said. “But the way you’re riding now, she can still manage to canter on the wrong lead all the way through the turn. Maybe you should make your circles smaller. Ask her to turn really tightly, and maybe that will make enough of a difference.” He grinned. “She canters really well, Stevie. She’s a beautiful mover. Not like Teddy—he’s a great horse cross-country, and he does everything I ask, but he’s nowhere near as elegant. Belle’s going to be really good at dressage someday.”
Stevie glowed at his praise. This was a new thing—she was asking Phil for help, and not only was he helping, but he was being awfully nice about it. Stevie vowed to let this be a lesson to her. Next time she wouldn’t get so caught up in competing with Phil. She’d remember what a really good friend he could be.
“I like your idea,” she said. “Should we try it?”
Phil nodded. “Go ahead. I’m in no hurry to eat lunch anyway. It’s probably hot pink potato chips, navy blue lunch meat—”
Stevie made a face and trotted Belle away. She asked for a canter just before the corner. Belle lifted easily into the faster gait and bent smoothly through the turn. Immediately Stevie asked her to continueturning and double back the way she had come. Belle tried hard to keep her smooth bend, but when the circle changed direction she nearly stumbled. Stevie sat as quietly as she could. Belle took another off-balance stride, then, suddenly, made a sort of skipping leap, and, smooth again, continued through the rest of the turn.
Stevie glanced down. Belle was on the other lead! She looked up at Phil, her eyes wide with joy. “Was that it?” she asked. “That sort of hop?”
Phil laughed. “That was it, Stevie Lake. Your first flying change.”
“Wow.” Stevie halted and bent forward in the saddle to throw her arms around Belle. “You wonderful, wonderful mare,” she said, patting Belle’s neck and ruffling her mane. “That was it! That was very good!”
“Try it again,” Phil suggested. “Give her a chance to learn that that’s what she’s supposed to do.”
“That was it, Belle,” Stevie told her. “Once more, and we’ll hit the trails.” Again
Phil blinked. Slowly a big smile spread across his face. “Gosh, Stevie, I’d be glad to,” he said. “It’s kindof a new experience, your asking me for help. I’m glad that you thought to ask me. What exactly have you and Belle been doing?”
Stevie briefly described the exercise she’d discussed with Carole and Lisa. Phil nodded. “That sounds like it should work,” he said. “Let’s see you ride it.”
Stevie walked Belle a few times around the arena, then trotted her several laps in both directions to be sure her muscles were warm and loose. Then she asked Belle to canter and went through the exercise, changing directions in a tight, s-shaped curve. Belle didn’t change leads, but, Stevie noticed, she was a lot more relaxed than she had been last week.
It’s because I’m not getting angry at her for something she can’t understand, Stevie thought. She could feel, too, a difference in her own riding—now that she wasn’t getting angry with Belle, her legs, seat, and hands all felt softer, and her balance was better, too. Much more like dressage, Stevie thought. She knew that in the very high-level dressage exhibitions she had seen, the rider’s cues to the horse were practically invisible. Today she was being much less obvious with her own cues, and Belle was certainly more relaxed. But Belle still wasn’t doing a flying lead change.
“See.” Stevie pulled Belle up to the rail near Phil and Teddy. “Last week I was upsetting her, although I didn’t mean to. Now at least she’s pretty calm about it.But she’s still not getting it. I tried to sort of shift my weight and throw her off balance, but all that did was harass her.”
Phil agreed. “You don’t want to upset her,” he said. “But the way you’re riding now, she can still manage to canter on the wrong lead all the way through the turn. Maybe you should make your circles smaller. Ask her to turn really tightly, and maybe that will make enough of a difference.” He grinned. “She canters really well, Stevie. She’s a beautiful mover. Not like Teddy—he’s a great horse cross-country, and he does everything I ask, but he’s nowhere near as elegant. Belle’s going to be really good at dressage someday.”
Stevie glowed at his praise. This was a new thing—she was asking Phil for help, and not only was he helping, but he was being awfully nice about it. Stevie vowed to let this be a lesson to her. Next time she wouldn’t get so caught up in competing with Phil. She’d remember what a really good friend he could be.
“I like your idea,” she said. “Should we try it?”
Phil nodded. “Go ahead. I’m in no hurry to eat lunch anyway. It’s probably hot pink potato chips, navy blue lunch meat—”
Stevie made a face and trotted Belle away. She asked for a canter just before the corner. Belle lifted easily into the faster gait and bent smoothly through the turn. Immediately Stevie asked her to continueturning and double back the way she had come. Belle tried hard to keep her smooth bend, but when the circle changed direction she nearly stumbled. Stevie sat as quietly as she could. Belle took another off-balance stride, then, suddenly, made a sort of skipping leap, and, smooth again, continued through the rest of the turn.
Stevie glanced down. Belle was on the other lead! She looked up at Phil, her eyes wide with joy. “Was that it?” she asked. “That sort of hop?”
Phil laughed. “That was it, Stevie Lake. Your first flying change.”
“Wow.” Stevie halted and bent forward in the saddle to throw her arms around Belle. “You wonderful, wonderful mare,” she said, patting Belle’s neck and ruffling her mane. “That was it! That was very good!”
“Try it again,” Phil suggested. “Give her a chance to learn that that’s what she’s supposed to do.”
“That was it, Belle,” Stevie told her. “Once more, and we’ll hit the trails.” Again
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