[open] it's not always what it seems

[lexus]

Lexus led Cash towards the arena, he was dancing and she could see he wasn’t sure what to think. All the jumps were set high, around 3’9”, except a few warm up jumps. Whoever had been jumping had jumped high and it was scaring cash. Lexus patted his neck and spoke soothingly to him, murmuring soft words. At this point she was thinking she probably should have made Nate stay, but in reality he just made he even more nervous because she wanted him to catch her when she fell. She was kind of weird like that. Lexus calmed her own thoughts and slipped her foot into the stirrup and swung her lead over. The gelding calmed slightly when she patted him, but nothing major. He just kept eyeing up the jumps, even the small cross rail. Why? She had no idea, because if he was scared of the filler he wouldn’t care about the most text book cross rail of your life. Lexus just started warming him up, knowing from seeing him at shows that he worked best with little warm up. She quickly worked him through the paces, adding a little more trot then anything else for stamina.

Lexus collected her reins and pointed him towards the small x that was set up. He cantered to it and about three strides out started shaking. Lexus wasn’t sure why or what was wrong but she put her leg on for massive support. The gelding headed towards it but was still shaking. She rode all legs and a ton of hand towards the base of the small fence. And he was ready to take off until he slid into the base of the small fence and did one of the nastiest quits she’d ever rode. And there’d been quite a few. Lexus swung herself off the horse and set up the jump. He seemed so nervous of it, but why? She couldn’t figure it out. Lexus pulled on the reins slightly and attempted to walk him over it. He snorted and zig zagged but jumped it pretty much without problem. She led him over it again, he didn’t even look at it. She did this about ten more times, until she knew he absolutely was not scared of it at all. The horse showed over 4’ on a daily basis three months ago, something must have happened. Then it clicked, he’d been in training up until about three and a half months ago. Then his old owner had started riding him in preparation for the show season, supposed to be her debut. But she didn’t know how to ride, had legs like a new born foal and jabbed everything in the mouth. That was it, he was expecting to get jabbed in the mouth! Lexus almost screamed with joy as she led him towards the mounting block. All she had to do was get him over it a few times until he learned she wasn’t going to jab him.

Lexus cantered towards it pushing him on, he seemed more confident underneath her but still shook slightly obviously in great fear of getting hit in the mouth. Lexus felt him go to quit but hit him in the sides with her legs, knowing it wasn’t pretty but knowing all she had to do was get him over it. The gelding leaped over it and Lexus went into almost perfect form, focusing so much on her hands. The gelding landed and she could see in his face he was wondering what the hell just happened. Lexus did this another fifteen or so times, until he cantered over it without even really jumping. She headed to a vertical, probably 2’ in height. Cash didn’t even look. Lexus was amazed, she had brought Cash back! He was a complete jumper, worth more then most farms! Lexus smiled and kept turning him to more fences, adding height each time. He didn’t blink, didn’t care. Wow though Lexus, bursting with excitement. Now she just needed to try a few courses.

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