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Post by Magdalene DeFoe on Aug 29, 2010 22:14:55 GMT -5
Mag swung her leg over Bracken's back, gathering the reins as she guided the Friesian stallion into a walk. Bracken's ears tipped back in response, taking in his rider's every request. Mag walked him for a few minutes to insure that he was stretched and warmed up before asking for a trot. Immediately, Bracken's floating gate was picked up, powerfully striking the ground with each stride. Moving around the turns, Mag urged the stallion forward, pressing her inside heel against Bracken's side and turning his head toward the inside arena. Without question, a perfect leg yield was performed with grace and confidence.
"Good boy," Mag praised him with a grin, rubbing his crest before asking him to bend back toward the rail again. Before long, Bracken was on the bit, his mouth soft, his neck rounded with his nose level to his chest. Mag sat in the saddle and squeezed her legs, urging him into a canter. Each leg beat the ground with an oddly powerful grace. Mag could feel the pumping and turning of muscle in both his shoulders, could feel his body rocking back and forth with the gait. She kept him collected, making him focus and think about where his body was. She asked for tempi-changes, feeling Bracken change his lead every other stride, the movement slightly stiff, but focused. Breath exploded from his nostrils in heavy puffs, alternating between falling back into a trot then leaping back into a canter as was requested.
Mag kept her hands slightly tightened on the reins, her body in sync with Bracken's. With a few more laps around the arena at a working canter, she slowed Bracken to a walk, letting the stallion catch his breath, walking him to cool him out before she headed out of the gate, walking him back to the barn. |
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