August Story Contest

My Saturday Lesson
microphone and Black Mist age  11

 
       It was hot! It was so hot I didn’t want to go to work. My name is Molly, and I’m a pony-sized chestnut Morgan. It was August 8, 2009, and so sweltering hot, with humidity a little more than 80%, I just wanted to stay in my stall, with my fan on. But then Anna came and I knew that I might just be used. She went over to Lisa. “Um, who am I going to ride?” “You’ll be riding Molly.” “Okay,” Anna went to sit down. She set her helmet down on a chair, put her carrot, and check inside it.

           Finally, Anna disappeared and came back again, and entered my stall with a brush. She brushed me a bit and then went to help the other girl who was tacking me up, Sharon. I was so mad I wouldn’t let Anna put my bridle on. “Molly!” she kept saying, and I think she felt rather stupid in front of Sharon. But Sharon got it on. They put a halter on and left me tied up. This was regular before a ride, but seriously, in this weather, did I have to be ridden? Obviously, because just then, Lisa came in and undid my halter, opening my door wide and leading me out. Outside in the main arena Anna tightened my girth, but I blew up my belly so when she checked it before mounting she realized it was loose. “Lisa, her girth is loose.” “I’ll tighten it after you mount up.” I waited as Anna went to my right and let down the stirrup, lengthening it a lot. Same on the other side. Then she stuck her foot in my left stirrup and jumped onto my back, gathering up her reins. She walked my around a couple times, and I think she felt uneasy about one of her stirrups being too short, so when she reached the stall wall corner she stopped me and lengthened her right stirrup. She seemed satisfied and continued walking. “Alright, primp!” Anna clicked to me. I started an extremely slow primp. “Get up!” she growled. I picked up my pace to a normal primp and continued. After what seemed like ages, Lisa yelled to trot. When Anna signaled I reluctantly picked up my pace even more. I stuck my head out, which felt good to stretch my neck. But Anna noticed my nose pointed outwards and shortened my bottom rein.

           Becka soon got up on Cookie and started yelling out orders. “Rowdy and Dezzi, canter!” After them it was Parker and Sharon, and then Anna and me. It was too hot to canter so I soon stopped around the corner. But Anna made me canter again so I continued until she stopped me and let me walk. ‘Few,’ I thought. Then Becka yelled to line up and think of a work-out. I could tell Anna was thinking really hard. When it was her turn to do hers, she had just completed going over it in her head. “What’s your work-out?” “I’m going to canter down, trot a circle, halt, reverse and canter back.” “Sounds okay.” Anna guided me to the clock wall and walked me around the corner. She signaled me to canter and I responded because I was feeling a bit better, and wanted this to be over. “Okay, good job. Why don’t you go down and un-tack?” “Could I ride bare-back for a bit?” Anna asked. “Sure, but come back up here.” Anna rode me down the ramp and jumped off. She undid the girth and draped it over the saddle. My martingale dragged on the floor. She hoisted the saddle off and set it down near the wall. Then she unbuckled my bottom rein and took off my martingale. When she was done she led me to a mounting block and got back on! Then she rode me up. I felt much better bare-back and let her canter – once. She didn’t try again and I sensed that she knew it was too hot to canter much. She just did three quarters of a long wall because it was fun, and knew it wouldn’t hurt.

           When she was completely done riding, she held me while Becka bathed me. Then Anna led me to my stall and gave me my well-earned carrot. “Hey girl, I know you like carrots! Bye,” Then she left me to dry off in my fanned out stall. “Goodbye,” I snorted.