life's a dance | MYSSI

[romayne]

Romayne woke very early. The sky was a silvery blue, shot with streaks of pink and orange. She could hear the soft titter of bird song through an open window. A warm breeze played with the loose tendrils of hair that were not thrown into a ponytail. She showered and dressed quickly then made her way to the barn to collect her horse. Upon arrival, some of the horses stirred and snorted, but most were quiet. Catty pricked his ears expectantly as she unlatched the stall door and began to ready him. A few minutes later, they were walking into the indoor ring. Romy placed a hand on the gelding's neck, starting from the top, almost by his ear, and letting it run down to his wither. She could feel the smooth fur beneath her palm and the ripple of thick muscles. Catty whickered appreciatively as he stared curiously at his new surroundings. His head swung every which way as his ears picked up every creak, every moan of the arena. His nostrils dilated, picking up the new scents, then he let out a huge snort. Romayne smiled slightly, patted him lightly on his sinewy neck, and proceeded to tighten the girl and adjust her stirrups. She jumped on him lithely, not bothering to use a mounting block, and gathered up her reins.

The moment Romayne was on his back, Catty began to walk forward lightly, neck arched and ears pricked. Romy could feel the tension in his walk, could feel him fighting against the slight pressure of the bit, knew how badly he wanted to go. She once more let her hand slide down his neck. "Quiet now, Catty," she murmured to him. The gelding's speckled ears flicked back quickly to catch her words, then swiveled forward once more. After a circuit around the ring, she collected her reins and nudged him forward with her legs. He responded immediately, springing into a trot, a little too forward for her liking. She sat deep and half-halted and the gelding slowed his pace. It was a pleasantly springy gait, and she let the natural rocking of it push her out of the saddle while she posted. Romy kept her hands in contact with the bit and her horse settled his neck into a lovely arch. She began circling him, varying the tightness of the spirals, to stretch his legs and to warm him up. Horse and rider switched directions, going counter clockwise, and did the same type of work.

Romayne let Catty fall back into a walk, giving him a bit more rein now that he wasn't so fresh. He stretched his neck gladly and snorted a few times. The sun began to stream through the window, now not a feeble gray light as it had been when she woke this morning, but a yellowish glare. She could see the dust moats floating peacefully, swirling as the wind kicked up. After a few minutes, she once more collected her reins, and pushed Catty forward into a canter. His canter was her favorite gait to ride. It was smooth, a rocking motion that was easy to ride and very pretty to watch. She did more circles with him, then extended and collected his gait. Catty was very supple and was responding excellently to her commands. She asked for a flying lead change as they switched directions, and after a shake of his head and a flick of his tail, he once more was cantering on the correct lead. Romayne was pleased with the way he was acting and allowed him to walk once more, circling the large arena quietly.

Status: finished | not finished
Notes: none
Words Count: 605
Outfit: www.polyvore.com/romy_riding_outfit/set?id=20521025

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[lorilie]

The stunning mare of gypsy vanner decent tossed her borad head, heavy from her draft breed, her thick legs ending in a flowing whirl of silky hair as they pranced over the dirt covered ground.

The rider perched on the big horse's white and black broad back was a tall boy, looking to be of sixteen years. His deep mahogany eyes were gazing out in front of him, and his raven locks were captured underneath his helmet. His hands were quiet on the bridle. The boy's feet, hidden by boots, were not kicking the gypsy vanner's sides as the elegant pair trotted into the arena.

Not many english riders would choose such a large horse as Loki, for big horses commonly weren't of use when it came to jumping. But Seamus wasn't much of a jumper. He prefered dressage, as the draft seemed to enjoy the ground work better.

Seamus was surprised to see a girl and gelding working in the arena, as he'd observed most riders enjoying the ourdoor arena on a day like this. He raised an eyebrow, and gave a half-shrug. Loki snorted at the appaloosa gelding and nickered also, perking her ears at him over her bushy forelock. "Quiet you." Seamus muttered, not exactly feeling like the girl, who seemed to be of his age, would want company.