for marika at the stables

It had rained briefly in the early morning. The little storm hadn't lasted long and Anann quickly set to make use of the break in the rather persistent rains. The large round pin she used to work the stallion in was muddy, but with all the rain it the mud was pretty much unavoidable. Letting Rem and Lumiere out of their stalls Anann made her way to the muddy ring with the horses in tow. The large friesian stallion followed her into the ring while the roan mare stayed outside, nibbling and the abundant grass. Anann mounted her horse with a nimble jump and swing of her leg. She used no tack at all while riding unlike most who at the very least used a bridle. With a click of her tongue and a nudge of her heel she sent the horse around the round pin at a trot. Letting him find his footing in the mud and warming him up before starting into anything else. She rounded the pin several times before switching directions and repeating.

Once he was good and warmed up Anann started working him in a reining pattern. Using pressure with her heels and feet she guided the stallion into figure 8 patterns as well as tight turns and spins. The exercise was not only practice for the horse's agility and responsiveness but for Anann's balance as well. Bareback and without the aid of stirrups or a saddle horn it is much more difficult to keep one's self perched atop a quickly moving steed. Especially when said steed happens to be sliding in the mud and mire. Rem was splattered with mud as they rounded about the pin, as well as the legs of his rider. Anann communicated with horse with the shifting of the weight ad the pressure of her feet. Even though the horse could understand her speech perfectly she used few vocal calls accept for the click of her tongue which told the stallion what speed.