Quiz Me [Riley]

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica took the lead rope in her hand. She lead a fully tacked Polly to a ring that was set up just shorter that her normal hight. She smiled and unclipped the lead rope, hanging it on the fence. She put one foot in the saddle and mounted her horse. Then did a quick warm up before poping over the course once. Polly wasn't even breathing hard. That was why Danica wanted lessons, she needed to know what to improve on, how to do it and she needed to know if she could move up in the ranks anymore. She was pretty high leveld, but she wanted to go higher. Maybe even to the top. Who knew? Maybe she could. She looked around, trying to spot Riley. Though she was a little early, Riley was running behind buy about two minutes.

[Riley♠]

Riley swung the round pen gate shut behind her. She glanced back at the liver chestnut standing inside. Her leg was healing slowly but the mare was becoming more accustemed to human interactions. She looked at her watch and gasped slightly. "Shit, i've got a lesson." she darted toward the arena already a few minutes late she arrived at the gate to see her student already mounted and warmed up. She blushed her cheeks burning red. "I'm sorry. I was taking care of some business. I'm riley, you must be danica." She looked at the pair then at the course. She hadn't been sure of the girls riding level but she planned on figuring out where she was comfortable what needed improvement and what she could do to help the team improve.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica smiled when Riley came up. "Yes, I'm Danica. Nice to meet you Riley. And it's fine, gave us some time to warm up." She said, rubbing Polly's neck. She glanced back at the course, it was nice, but what did her instructor want her to do with it now? It was kinda short, but for a warm up it was perfect. Danica let the riens rest on Polly's withers. "What do you want me to do?" she asked politely. She was getting bored just sitting and waiting. She could tell Polly was too because she was stepping in place. She always did that, and Danica never needed to stop her. If Polly didn't, she knew something was wrong.

[Riley♠]

Riley smiled and looked up at the girl seemed a bit impatient but that would soon change. Riley smiled and covered her eyes with her hand as the sun hit them. "Well lets see. you want to advance in hunters both on the flat and on the fences or just over fences?" she needed to get a basic for what the girl needed and wanted. "I also want to know you goals so i know how to tailor to fit your plans." she wanted to know what the girl wanted to achieve how high she wanted to go what she was willing to do to get there. Hunters weren't just about going over fences or going on the rail a rider had to be disciplined just like in dressage. A horse had to be patient and stand in a line up for possibly lengths of time. She pulled back her brunette hair and grabbed a whip. It'd be her drawing tool for the day.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica smiled to Riley. Now they were getting somewhere. She started talking without showing too much emotion. "Hunter/jumper over fences." She said easily. Her ground work was fine, Polly would turn on a dime, and she was very well trained mare that loves neck reining. it was quite simple accualy. "Goals hmm. My main goal is to see how high I can jump. I'd like to go all the way with Poly, but I need to know if we can." Danica said, hoping it was percise enough for Riley. Polly was standing nicely, calming down bit by bit. What did Riley think of that? When Polly was Cow Polly in the show ring, she behaved like an angel. But at home she relaxed.

[Riley♠]

Riley watched the girl as she spoke and nodded. "Alright then. Lets start with some basics over fences to get you guys a little more warmed up then we'll work on height. Hows that sound?" she really didn't wait for an answer and walked off toward the first set of standards. She raise the rail a little to 2'6" and then walked over to the next doing the same. She walked over to a third standard and began to move it so there was only a stride between the one before it. It helped the horse balance and learn striding. She figured it'd be a good warming up yet learning expirence for the pair. She set up a few more fences in the same pattern down the other outside line and then walked back to the girl dusting her hands off. "Okay well i want you to start with this outside line here." she motioned toward the first line she'd set up. "The last fence is an in and out theres only a stride between fences so count your strides and focus." She took a breath and then continued. "Then head to other line it's the same thing at the end. If that goes well i'll have you do it again and then we'll raise the height." She took a step back from the girl and waited for her to jump the lines.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica nodded to Riley. She'd have to talk to her after this. Because this wasn't what she'd meant but oh well. She waited as Riley raised the fences, then moved Polly into a smooth trot and up to a canter. Not even bothering to count the strides she rode Polly through the course, smoothly and clearly. She'd competed 4' before and this didn't phase either of them. Polly knew what she was doing and Dan trusted her to do it. They had been together all of thier careers. Dan walked Polly over to Riley and dismounted. She left the reins on Polly's neck and walked closer to Riley. "How was that?" She asked, curious to see what Riley thought. Dan could tell Polly was dying to go around again, and she would, but not right now.

[Riley♠]

she nodded. "good. We'll try it a little higher this time. I know you've probably competed higher but i want to warm up your mares muscles before we just go straight up to 4' or so. It takes a lot of force to propel all of her weight over that fence." she walked over to the fences and raised them. She knew the girl was impatient she could read it a little in her body language. She rolled her eyes a little and raised the fences to 3' 3". 'Alright same thing. The mare jumps cleanly she needs to pick her knees up and tuck just alittle more but maybe she'll do that at higher heights." She looked up at the girl. "it's just some drills before we actually start working i promise then we'll do some complicated courses but all good riders have to have the basics first and i just want to make sure you have them." she smiled and waited for the girl to mount up again. She knew it took patience to work with horses and everything couldn't be rushed.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica rolled her eyes as she mounted. It seemd to her that Riley thought she was a know it all. She didn't know this horse, but if she did she wouldn't be doing this. Even if Polly had a lot of energy, Dan didn't work her to hard all at once. Polly would work herself dry if Dan let her, so she had to be careful. A couple more runs at this course and she's be done for the day. The only time Polly was ridden a lot was at a competion. Polly loved waht she did just a little too much. Riley waited untill the jumps were up and flew through the course. Polly didn't bend her legs enough still, but the jumps were too low. Next time 'round they'd be fine, but Polly would be done after that. Dan really needed to talk to Riley after that. That way Polly could rest up and not kill herself on her first day of training here at Briarhurst Manor. Danica rode Polly over to Riley and didn't dismount this time.

[Riley♠]

She nodded and smiled. "Better one more trip around but this time he fences will be 4'." she bit her lip and then walked off to go fix fences. She was still getting used to the horse and the girl teaching someone who you don't know thier past was hard especially with a horse you didn't know as well. She moved around a few fences to make a slightly complicated course. "Alright so i changed it up a little. Head down the line infront of me then go across the diagonal making sure to change leads then roll back and do the other diagonal to this outside line." She looked a the girl to see if she was following it was an easy course but she figured she'd see what they could do before the lesson was offer. She glanced down at her watch. She still had 2 horses to excercise after this.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica nodded. She smiled to the course and took off. She flew over the line Riley had pointed at, hopped over the diagonal and tapped Polly with ehr heel. Polly switched leads and rolled back the took off again and did the other diagonal and line. Dan walked her around a bit, cooling her down. She rode over to Riley and dismounted. She grabbed the lead rope and clipped it onto Polly's bridle. She hated leading her horses by the reins. Polly had pulled her legs up that time and all went well. "How was that?" Danica asked, panting slightly from the excitment.

[Riley♠]

Riley nodded and smiled "Looked absolutely wonderful. She looked really nice over the fences. If you want next lesson we'll warm up and then we'll work on a few courses. I can tell she works better at higher fences so now i know your strengths." She pulled the hair band out of her hair and then let her brunette locks hang across her shoulders. "That was a good first work i think." she knew it wasn't the pairs first work but having a new coach made things kind of start at the beginning so they get a feel for thier riding. "She's very skilled i think she could show pretty high up the levels possibly even the top but we'd have to work on pacing a good bit more." She had noticed the mare had been a tiny uneven in her speed but it wasn't anything horrible just something they could work on.

[NiceEazyMe]

Danica smiled. "Great! But we can't warm her up too much. That's all she can take was what we did." Danica smiled again as she opend the gate and lead Polly to the barn. She untacked her and put the tack away, then she walked back over and rubbed her neck. Polly ahd worked hard today. Dan id a quick look over before grooming her. She finnished up and put her in her stall, then went back out to Riley.

[Riley♠]

Riley walked to the gate after putting the jumps down to 2'. She walked from the arena and then headed down to the barn. she ducked in the back door and headed down the left wing to the stall which housed the Large grey pony inside. She led him from the stall and walked him down the back aisle. She brushed him off quickly then placed her saddle on his back. he was a good pony but he had his quirks. She tightened the girth and he nipped playfully at her. She tapped his nose lightly and gave a warning. She led him from the barn with her helmet in hand. She walked back up to the arena closing the gate behind her. She put her foot in the stirrup and mounted lightly. She looked proportionate on the pony which was rather funny. She pushed him forward into a walk. She believed in making her horse work in every gait even a walk was a gait and needed to be treated as one. She made on lap around the arena and noticed danica approaching. She halted the gelding near the gate.