In need of control [open]

[danii]

It was a beautiful day to going riding out on the trails...if you had a horse you were confident enough to take out there. Kieran wasn't. His horses were far to...out of control for his taste, so indoor arena it was since horses tended to be much calmer indoors. Bliss nickered and pranced beside Kieran, as if to say, "c'mon, dad! Let's go!". Kieran chuckled and and rubbed the mare's neck. "Easy on there, lass." She was going to be fun to ride today. Once in the indoor arena, he checked to make sure no one else was there and vaulted on using the nearest mounting block. Bliss began to walk forward and Kieran had to pull on the reins to tell her to stop a few times to sort out his stirrups and girth, before he was all ready to go.

Kieran began walking the mare around the arena while stretching his legs out of the stirrups. It was early morning, and the sun was only just peaking out from the horizon. It probably would have been better to exercise Bliss on the gallop, but she needed to be taught manners, not gallop around and get fitter. Once he was satisfied the mare was warmed up enough, he shoved his feet into his stirrups and squeezed gentling with his feet. The mare was a burst of movement, ears pricked forwards as she began to trot at a quickened pace. Kieran pulled sharply at the reins to slow her down and then let them drop. If you hold onto a racehorses, even if retired, they'll lean on you and gallop off with you, since that's what they're taught to do. Kieran would apply a contact gradually until she'd be a full english horse, not just an english/race horse hybrid.

After trotting around and doing some circles at a slower pace than what Bliss would have wanted, Kieran gingerly asked for canter. The mare exploded, bolting and bucking as she basically galloped around the arena. Kieran's eyes widened and he sat back as he picked up a contact, began to circle around the arena and then dropped his reins. The mare, confused, automatically slowed down, ears flickering back and forth. Kieran slowed her to a walk and let her calm down for a bit. Was this mare ever going to calm down enough? Maybe he should have taken her to the gallop, tired her out before riding her in the arena. Oh well.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Her long brown hair blew into her face as she walked out of the barn, her back was straight, her eyes shined and her hands shook with fear. As she got closer to the arena she felt her stomach balling up in knots. It had been a little over a year since her accident but she still had a fear that if she got back on her horse it would happen again and this time she would die or never walk again. Sand Citty nudged her knowing when she was upset, she smiled and kept walking. Sand Citty wasn't really his name but it was she loved to call the big old gelding. He nickered to her as they walked and she slipped him a carrot that he greedily took and nudged her for more. Hayden rolled her eyes and said. "Your already fat why do you need anymore?" He just nickered and nudged her again, she shook her head and thought about the first time she had seen him race back when she was fifteen it was amazing and she wanted him ever since.

When she reached the arena she saw that someone else was already there so she just hooked the big gelding onto a ring and watched the other person ride and felt a little bit jealous of them, being able to ride their horses without being afraid. Hayden hadn't been on a horse since she broke her collar bone this upset her but every time she tried to get on Sand Citty's back she froze or couldn't stop shaking from the fear of being hurt. The rider was good and Hayden instantly knew the mare he was riding was an off the track racer, cause that's exactly how Sand Citty had behaved at one point in his life except he was a tid-bit calmer but not by much. Hayden ran her fingers through her long hair pulling it out of her eyes, her blue eyes watched at the horse and rider went around a few times. Hayden was leaning on the fence thinking of just slipping away this would give her an excuse not to ride Sand Citty today.

[danii]

Bliss was still not calm, but Kieran couldn't do anything about it. She had a whole other idea of what she wanted to do today, and that involved going fast and wild. With a sigh, Kieran lightly touched the mare's side with his feet and she surged into trot once again, making sure to keep the contact very light, almost non-existant. Ears pricked the mare whickered suddenly and the sound of hooves on concrete in the distance could be heard. Uh oh, there was another horse and rider coming, not good when you had an already fresh mare.

Bliss began to lose concentration, stumbling as she went, her eyes fixed on the doorway leading out of the arena. Soon, a horse and rider appeared. Kieran couldn't see who it was since the blinding light from outside was burning his eyes. He blinked and used his hand to shield his eyes. He thought about shouting at the rider to shut the bloody door when he saw the girl and just how nervous she was walking in. A novice rider? Not good, he couldn't deal with a novice rider and his fresh horse at the same time. But, when the girl didn't immediately mount, he blinked, curious as to why.

Bliss began to start falling in towards the other horse, interested in who it was. Kieran gave her a light tap on the shoulder and pressed his inside leg against her side. Immediately, ears went back and her head went between her knees as she began to bronc. Kieran let go of the reins and sat back, not wanting to have a strength match against the mare, as she would win and he would end up on the floor...again. Once the mare had stopped her bunny hopping, Kieran gathered up the reins and began to circle her, over and over in canter. Each time he made the circle smaller and smaller until she began to trot, then walk and finally halted in the middle of the arena.

Bliss snorted and Kieran sagged in the saddle, his heart thumping so hard and loud, it threatened to burst out of his chest. He sucked in a deep, shaky breath and puffed out his cheeks. He hated the absolute fear of when one of his horses began doing that, knowing he couldn't do anything but hold on and stay on. Bliss wasn't so bad, but Dev was awful. Dev was probably the worst horse he'd ever ridden, and he'd ridden two year olds for most of his life. Guess age had nothing to do with a horse's attitude.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden watched as the other rider went around with the mare. It looked as if having her and Sand Citty around made her worse and since Hayden was on a self pity boat today she felt guilty even she hadn't known anyone was in the arena. Sand Citty snorted and nudged her shoulder and she smiled gently pushing his big head away. Hayden no move to mount or take Sand Citty inside the boundaries of the arena, she knew what it was like working with off the track racers and knew that it was easier with them alone. She frowned and watched the mare buck and sighed, it had been a long time since a horse had bucked her off, the last horse that had bucked her was Sea.

When the mare finally stopped bucking Sand Cittty snorted and whipped his head, Hayden smiled and thought that if he could talk he would probably be correcting the mare on her behavior cause of course like all oldies he forgot what he did when he was young. Hayden thought about leaving but hesitated and asked calmly as to upset the other mare. "Ya okay?" Sand Citty snorted again and shook out his mane and Hayden wondered when he got so calm and collected around other hyper horses. "What's with ya today bud?" She whispered for only her horses ears. But she never took her eyes off the other rider, she had always hated it when the horses bucked and wondered if the rider was okay or not.

Sand Citty lowered his head and she slipped her arm over his neck and wondered why she was so scared to get on his back, he had never done anything but take care of her on and off the track. He pulled his head up and she removed her arm and leaned against his shoulder and he stood for it like she knew he would, she loved him but was scared to death to ride him. Mostly what she was afraid of was that if she got another horse and she got bucked off what would happen this time? Would she become paralyzed? Even leading horses sometimes messed with her cause they'd jerk and her collar bone would start to hurt and Hayden guessed it was cause her doctor hadn't been a good one and set it wrong. She snapped herself out of her own self pity and waited for the rider to reply.

[danii]

Kieran could feel his whole body shaking as he sat in the saddle, hands resting on the pommel. He sucked in another deep shaky breath and nodded his head towards the girl still standing there. He felt shame at the fact he was so shaken. He needed to tire out Bliss and with every second he spent wallowing in his own fear, she regained her energy. Summoning up all of his courage, Kieran picked up the reins and asked Bliss to walk forwards. The mare felt the change in Kieran and her ears began to flicker back and forth, all of her attention now on her rider. Kieran asked for trot and began to trot her at his own pace, not hers, his brow furrowed in determination and concentration. Unexpectantly, he pulled on the reins until the mare halted and after a few seconds asked for trot. Control, that was what he needed, and that was what he was going to get.

He repeated the trot-halt-trot exercise until he felt Bliss expect it, so he began to turn across the school and halt on the centre line and then trot forwards again. He repeated a few times then asked for halt on the inside track. He then pressed his outside leg against Bliss and after a bit of confusion, she began to turn on her forehand. Once he'd done that, he trotted forwards and repeated again on the other side of the arena. He then changed the direction he was going and repeated everything on the other rein. By this time, Kieran was able to have a firm contact, and Bliss wasn't bolting or playing up. And then he tired for canter.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden felt herself relax a little bit when he nodded to her. She and Sand Citty watched as he worked the mare and they went around the arena working different things. Sand Citty snorted, he saw another race horse out there and he wanted to be working and Hayden felt awful for making him into a pasture pet this past year, he was to good for this and it made her mad at herself for not taking better care of his needs. She sighed and watched the rider work and thought it looked like the mare was a little more controlable now but wasn't sure cause sometimes you can only really tell from the saddle. Sand Citty nickered to her asking for a carrot, she didn't have any and gently pushed his head away.

As the rider went around the arena, she thought that he looked good and that he might have actually gotten through to the mare but she also didn't know the horse so she wasn't sure if he was or not. The horse was beautiful though and it was very apparent that she had been a racer that was for sure, she was way to fast and leggy not have at least been training for one, Hayden knew racers all to well and wished she could get the courage up to race again but agter the collar bone accident it felt immposible to ever go around that track again. She raised her eyebrows and watched the rider set up for a canter and waited to see what would happen.

[danii]

It would be a lie if Kieran said that he wasn't nervous about cantering Bliss. She was so unpredictable, even at the best of times and with another horse so close by, he didn't know how she'd react. Kieran shook his head, forcing the doubts from his mind as he put his outside leg back and pressed for a canter. The mare's ears flickered back and forth as her front legs moved forwards into a nice, easy canter and it was going well, until she remembered that there was another horse nearby. Ears pricked, she began to pick up speed, but Kieran could feel this and began to circle her over and over. Bliss's ears began to flicker back and forth again, and once Kieran was convinced he had enough control he went large and began to canter around the edge of the arena.

For a four year old, Bliss wasn't too bad with her strides. Her natural canter rhythm was wonderful and her trot wasn't even that bouncy, a perfect horse where the strides were concerned. However, it was her attitude and sheer madness that had stopped many people from buying her, and although Kieran had tried to sell her on, he couldn't, and so she'd become very much his prized horse. Dev, on the other hand, wasn't. Kieran couldn't wait to get rid of that horrible thing. After a few laps of the arena, Kieran thought it was time to do a bit of jumping. He'd set up a fence in the arena before he'd mounted, but when Bliss had gone mad, he'd left it well enough alone. Although the mare loved jumping, she was a manic doing it, even at the best of times.

Kieran slowed the mare to an easy trot, and headed towards the small fence. It was only on the second hole and he'd probably only keep it on the second hole since he needed to work on his mare's flat work after the jump, not the jump itself. The mare's ears instantly pricked forwards as the trot began to get faster and faster. Kieran pulled on the reins slightly and kept his legs pressed against her side, just incase. He'd never ever seen the mare run out or refuse, but he wasn't about to put her faith in her just yet, not after the way she'd been acting. The mare popped over the fence lightly and cantered after it, throwing a few small bucks. Kieran didn't really mind the bucks since they were more out of joy of jumping, not playing up. He grinned slowed the mare to trot and patted her neck. She was doing well. Kieran repeated the jump a few times, and each time the mare jumped it easily and did as she was told. Once he saw that the mare was breathing hard and sweat was plastered over her body, he let his reins out and walked her around. That would be enough for today.

Only then did he realise that the girl and her horse were still standing outside of the arena. Kieran halted the mare on the centre line and cocked his head to the side. "Am I in your way?" he asked the girl when she didn't move to come in.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden watched as he worked the mare into a canter, from here her gaits looked good. Hayden kept quiet and so did Sand Citty, he kept his ears pricked watching the horse and rider and Hayden knew that he was probably eager to be worked too. But she just couldn't bring herself to ride him anymore. She watched the mare move intently this was very familer to things she had seen before even though not all horses were the same, it reminded her a lot of when she was trying to train Sand Citty out of racing. She almost smiled at the thoughts of when he had first showed a sign of perfect retraining. She watched as he cantered around the arena, she didn't know how the mare acted on normal terms but she looked as if she was doing fairly well today, Hayden mently shrugged and watched.

She watched as he slowed the mare and seemed to be setting her up for the jump, Hayden watched as they jumped it Hayden spotted the mare throw a few happy bucks and she almost smiled. She watched as he took her over the jump a few more times and thought that she was doing fairly well and was deffently in training, she patted Sand Citty's neck and watched them work for a few more jumps and then he finally pulled the mare up to a walk. Hayden bit her lip and took in both horse and rider, they made a good pair she thought. She looked up to his face when he asked if he was in her way. She smiled and shook her head. "No of course not, I was just taking him for a walk today wasn't going to ride." She said rubbing Sand Citty's neck the big gelding shook out his neck and snorted. Hayden had planed to ride that day but decided that just walking him around would be enough excercise for today for the large Gelding.

[danii]

Kieran frowned and threw the reins down. Instantly Bliss lowered her head and began to sniff at the ground beneath her, her breathing still laboured, but not as bad as it had been. Not all racehorses are as highstrung as Bliss was, especially when they got off the feed and constant galloping, but trotters were the worst. As if teaching the bloody things how to canter wasn't hard enough, most people won't buy a horse unless it had some jumping experience and in his experience, trotters tended to be the worst to jump. They tended to get what he liked to call spider legs over fences.

Kieran grunted at the girl's words. "But your horse is tacked up," he said simply. He didn't know anyone who walked their horses in full tack, unless they were a breaker, but the gelding certainly didn't look like a breaker. He knew he shouldn't get involved, but they had disturbed his mare and almost got him bucked off, so he felt he deserved at least some kind of explaination.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden chewed her lip and habit she was beginning to hate herself for cause her lip was getting shredded lately. She watched him dismount and thought about what she had said, he had a point that now made hers look unexlpained and weird, she sighed and thought about it a moment, but before she could say anything Sand Citty nudged her with his head and almost knocked her off balance, which shook her out her thoughts and back to the matter of responding. "Umm... yeah well I was thinking about riding but decided against it...." She said slightly frowning, it annoyed her that she was to scared to get back on a horse but it was how she felt and even her herself couldn't convince herself otherwise. She thought for a spilt second and said. "I haven't rode in over a year cause I'm a chicken and I'm sorry we disturbed you." She said it simply with shrug, she knew it had been because of Sand Citty that the mare had bucked, but hey she couldn't control other horses brains heck she couldn't even control her own anymore. Sand Citty sighed and lowered his head contently, why was he being all calm and none spazzy today? He swished his tail at a fly and then licked at his lips, Hayden smiled and rubbed him between the ears trying to figure out if she should just leave or not.

[danii]

Kieran sighed and closed his eyes, instantly feeling guilty for being so accusing of her. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't get on a horse and ride it, it was that stupid irrational fear that all human beings had. He led Bliss over to the side of the arean, close to where the girl was standing and using the reins, tied Bliss to the side. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh...if you want, I could hold onto your horse and lead him round while you're on him." Every rider faces this stage, the stage where they are scared stiff of getting on a horse, but they really want to. Kieran hadn't been through it yet, but he nearly had.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden looked to Sadn Citty and then back to the rider. When she turned her a chunk of hair fell in her eyes almost making her curse, sometimes she hated all her dang hair, she quickly raked it out of her eyes and smiled. "You weren't harsh, if someone had intruped me when I was trying to break an off the track racer, I probably would have cursed them out." She said with a small smile, it was truth she had done that before then she sighed and added. "Well back when I could get a horse." She may have hated it that she couldn't get back on her horse anymore but she didn't keep it a secret that she broke her collar one and sevreal ribs in a racing accident that almost killed her and the horse she had been racing at the time. She looked up slightly surprised by his offer and thought about saying no but she really wanted to get back on Sand Citty again she had been working up to this for awhile now but had been putting it off, she wasn't gonna be much of a manger of the racers at the barn if she couldn't even ride her big old gelding. So finally she said, " normally I would decline but maybe this time I'll stop acting dumb and get on my poor old horse." Sand Citty bobbed his head and nickered to her, he always seemed to understand what she was saying all the time, she smiled and patted his nose.

[danii]

Kieran usually didn't offer people things like that, but seeing her look so scared made him want to help her besides, how was she to know that he was in the arena with such a green horse. "Bliss isn't really an off-the-track horse. I mean, yeah she raced, but she couldn't out run the bloody postman, so they took her off and gave her to me." He shrugged. Yeah, her parentage was very good, and her half brother was a champion hurdler, but she couldn't run, she didn't have that spark racehorses are meant to have. But that's not to say she didn't have a spark, oh boy did she, but it was a different spark. Kieran walked over to the fence and unlocked the gate so the girl and her horse could come in. "What made you so scared?" he asked gently as he waited for her to lead her horse in.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden nodded and listened to what he said. "Yeah thought she looked like she had been on the track before, I used to help people re-train their horses that came off the race tracks and I also helped a local trainer train ones that were to slow for the track or didn't seem to have it in them to race." She said patting Sand Citty's neck now he had been a horse with the flare for the track he had that spirit and ran till he was retired. "I helped his first owner break him off the track and when they couldn't pay me they gave me him cause they couldn't keep him either so now I have him." She smiling at the big gelding, it had been awhile since he had been on a race track but Hayden had no doubt that he could still race with the best of them. Well maybe not against the best of them, cause she was pretty sure that student Trish's stallion Kickstart could smoke Sand Citty in no time. She smiled and led the big horse into the arena and turned around to look back at the guy Sand Citty was a little more alert and had his ear pricked looking all over the arena and lightly pawed the ground, this was the furthest Hayden had ever gotten with him and he was getting excited. She smiled and answered the guys question as simply and shortest as she think of. "I used to race horses for people a very well payed jockey for my age I was told, well two people wanted an even match between one stud and one other stud well I got the crazy one that had a crappy trainer shouldn't have been anywhere near a track I told them that and was gonna back out but I needed to money, so I rode as soon as that horse entered the gate he started trying to rear and then when they broke out he went for the rail and then freaked ramed the rail taking himself and me down. After that I all remember is pain and waking up in a white hospitle bed with most of my ribs broken or cracked and my collar bone broken. I spent the rest of that year trying to recover and stop the pain in my chest everytime I picked up something heavy. I guess avoiding doing stuff that might hurt me more included becoming afraid of my horses." She said knowing the answer was kinda of long but it could have been longer if she had actually told it in detail.

[danii]

Kieran nodded. "Yeah, I've only been retraining horses for a few years now. Bliss has been one of the better horses I've retrained, although she's still a working progress. She'll make an amazing eventer one day, if I have enough knowledge to train her correctly." He sighed and gazed at his beautiful bay mare who was tethered outside the arena. It was one of his fears that he didn't have enough experience and knowledge to train her properly, because she had the strides and the raw ability, but did she have the right rider and trainer? He gritted his teeth and shook his head as he walked towards the horse and his rider. He checked the girth, ran down the stirrups and waited for the girl to mount, if she had the courage. He winced as she explained the reason for her fear and nodded. "Ouch, been there and got the scars, although, not as bad as that. I hate rearers, though, I must admit, especially when they're fresh and you take them to the gallop." He shook his head at the memories and being bucked and reared off, but he also remembered the good times, of flying along on the back of a magnificant beast, of winning with impossible odds and of the connection a jockey gets with their mount. He sighed longingly as he jerked himself from his thoughts and back to reality.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden nodded. "I kinda grew up at and on the track. My dad and my mom were really involved in it, so I started racing as soon as I turned sixteen. But I'm sure how good a trainer I really am. Some people must have faith in me since I get to run the Race Track division here." She said and then thought to herself a second, "I run the race horse department and I can't even get on a horse. And yes she looked very nice in her gaits." She said shaking her head and turning to Sand Citty. She bit her lip and promised herself that she would get on the big ol' beast. He nickered and looked her in the eye and she whispered. "Okay Sand Citty this is it, you gonna be my charming ol' man?" She asked, he nickered and nudged her with his head like a big dog. "That's my boy." She whispered in his ear and he nickered again, man she loved this horse and was starting to think that it hurt more not to ride him then it had when her collar bone had been broken. She turned and moved to his side and sighed, time to jump up on him. She looked to the guy and nodded. "Yup hurt like hell for months even after the bone was healed. Don't wanna do that again." She said with a ghost of a smile, she laid her hand on Sand Citty's withers and took a deep breath closing her eyes and pulled herself up onto the big gelding, after years of being short around giant thoroughbreds she had gotten used to jumping onto their back. She smiled to herself sighing with pride, to others getting on your own horse may not seem like a lot but it was to her. She opened her eyes and smiled, it felt good to sit on his back again to be on a horse again. She frowned and then looked down. "I'm Hayden by the way." She said smiling.

[danii]

Kieran sighed inwardly and nodded as she spoke. "Yeah, I grew up on the track, raced before I was even old enough. My dad was real pushy..." He sucked in a deep breath. Even after all these years, his father could still affect him, make him shudder with fear and anger. It seemed even in his death he was still haunting Kieran's life. "It wasn't the horses I worried would hurt me, though." No, the horses had been the lesser of two evils if a jockey could even think that. Yes, a horse had almost killed him when it shattered his left shoulder blade, but that horse hadn't known what it was doing until it was much too late, and it was spooking like nobody's business. Kieran shook himself back into the present and watched as the girl managed to pull herself into the saddle, a look of triumph on her face. Kieran smiled slightly. "See? Not as scary as you might think," he murmured and rubbed the horse's neck. It felt good to actually help someone overcome their fear, maybe he would try it someday...or not. Kieran nodded at Hayden. "Kieran." He checked the girth again, just to make sure she didn't slide off and end up on the floor. Not the best thing to do when getting on a horse for the first time in a year. "You wanna go walk him around?" he asked, nodding towards the gelding.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden smiled and patted the big geldings neck and looked back down. "Yeah I started working our horses when I was young." She said keeping her eyes on her lovely horse and feeling proud for the first time in a year it wasn't a lot of pride, she wouldn't get all that back until she raced again and she knew this. She threaded her fingers into his mane and listened to the guys voice and slightly frowned she could hear something in his voice but didn't push it or even ask. But she thought that the same sound that a lot of people she had met had. She knew that tone and wasn't about to ask, her dad had always been the most impotent person in her life he had been there for everything and even when he got sick he was there for her every race. And her mom well her and her mom had went round and round about her racing, and then when her dad died things just got worse and she couldn't race anymore. She smiled pushing the thoughts out of her head and looked down at him with a small smile. "I think my real fear was that I would never get on a horse again, cause I swear it hurt more not getting on a horse then all the broken bones." She said and looked around the arena a little bit she had forgotten how awesome everything looked from horse back it was an amazing site to her, she sighed and rubbed the gelding neck and smiled down. "Nice to meet you Kieran." She said and then looked around a little bit and smiled to herself sitting up straight and then pulled her hair out of her face and gently put the tips of her feet into her stirrups and then slowly gathered her reins and couldn't help but smile again at the feel of the reins in her hands and finally being able to sit on the big geldings back. She leaned down and patted his neck and said. "Okay boy this is where it count kay'?" At the sound of her voice on his back Sand Citty whipped his dark head and nickered, he was a hyper horse but he was calm when he needed to be and he had a great connection with Hayden. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, here goes nothing." She said letting out a deep breath and then fixed her breathing and clucked her tongue and gave the seasoned gelding a gentle tap, he snorted and put one foot forward and then another and Hayden instantly knew how to count his stride again and she couldn't help but beam with pride for both herself and her horse. As soon as this ride ended she knew she would have to thank Kieran for helping her do something she was afraid she would never get to do again.

[danii]

Kieran had to admit, most of his life had been quite good, even if he had been abused, beat and almost killed by both horses and his father. The first few years of his life had been very good, both of his parents were loving and taught him how to ride, but he father began drinking and the rest was history. Kieran sighed and moved away from the horse as Hayden picked up the reins and asked for the horse to move forward. Now in trainer mode, Kieran moved to the middle of the arena and began to watch Hayden intensely. "Take it nice and steady, your horse is probably a little fresh since he hasn't been worked in ages and you are out of practice. We aren't on the track, so ride properly, like any english rider would and keep a nice, even contact." The girl probably didn't need any advice or training, but when she'd gotten on the horse for the first time in a year, it was always nice to have someone there who knew what they were doing and knew what you were doing wrong so you didn't fall off. She'd remember how to ride and soon she'd be back on the track, but for now, she was a beginner rider who needed support. Bliss picked her head up and nickered towards the gelding. She was still breathing a little hard, but she didn't seem to be as tired as she was.

[KM loves MUSIC and PEANUT!!!!]

Hayden kept her eyes on the arena around her and tried to keep count of the geldings gait and movement. It had been a while since she had been on a horse but that's something you never forget how to do and when you had a horse as patient with you as Sand Citty it was easy to get the hang of things again. She smiled and listed to Kieran talk, she knew all this but she was grateful for the extra help to make sure she was doing everything like she should, she may have been an expert on the track but she hadn't really rode as an english rider all that much. As they went around Sand Citty's ears never went back and just kept forward and flicking back to his rider understanding that he needed to keep an eye on her like any good horse should for his rider. Sand Citty briefly glanced at the mare and Hayden felt his chest rumble with a silent nicker to mare. Hayden smiled to herself and lightly tugged on the rein when he started to pull off a straight line, he sighed but listened and went back into a nice gait around the arena. She was enjoying this ride but knew she wasn't ready for anything more then an arena ride for a little while, it would terrify her at the moment to even think of getting on another horse around the track but for now she was happy with this little ride, Sand Citty snorted and stepped out side ways a little bit wanting a faster gait. Hayden leaned back and said. "Easy bud." She lightly lifted the reins and he whipped his head annoyed but slowed. He wasn't used to having to be kept slow cause he was a racer and then an eventer so he just wasn't used to it.