[ a bit of work ]

[BECKiEE :)]

Kameron pushed his hair back as he walked through the yard, and eventually came to a
stable containing a bay gelding, the creature ears pinned immediately as he spotted
human life. Kameron followed the same routine as he had been for the past five weeks.
He picked up a grooming brush, a curry comb and the went in the stable. Nigel tried to
bite him as he started brushing, Kameron firmly told him NO, and kept going. He got out
a hoof pick, started on the hooves, Nigel tried to pull away and again Kameron said NO.
After all four were clean, he took the knots from Nigel’s tail, no messing around here,
they had overcome that obstacle last week. Now Kameron stood back, the gelding
looking much cleaner now he had had a good brush. As well he was putting on weight
and the mud fever on his hind legs had gone completely, with not even a blemish.
Kameron then fed the bay a carrot, the only time when the gelding really did prick his
ears. Once that was over Kameron would usually take him out to the field or walk him
around in the arena or outside for a bit on a halter. But today, Kameron went back to the
tack room and collected the geldings tack that had been collecting dust in a forgotten
corner. Now he went back to the geldings stable and came into it, as usual he wasn’t
greeted. Kameron had been familiarizing the gelding with bits of tack he had come
across, and gotten him used to them being around. So he wasn’t bothered at being all
dressed up in his old tack.

Once the young man had finished tacking him up, Kameron lead him out into the yard
and up to the sand school. He opened the gate and then walked in. Nigel walked grumpily
beside him, not really noticing anything different about the boy today, not the fact he
wore a helmet, and had an expression of grim determination. Kameron led Nigel to the
fence, and slowly applied pressure to his back as he started mounting. At first, Nigel
didn’t mind, but when the boy was properly in the saddle, he was slightly dumbfounded,
he hadn’t expected someone to actually try riding him again. The gelding set off in a
bucking fit, throwing his heels high in the air. Kameron held his position, and once the
bucking was over, asked Nigel to move, and he did, but it was an odd, jerky sort of
movement, he would have to get the geldings joints to loosen up a bit. He asked for trot,
and completed a circuit, but not exactly perfect. Nigel swerved in a couple of times, tried
to rub his rider off against the fence, and then stopped completely and attempted to buck
him off again. But Kameron was having none of it. No matter what Nigel threw at him,
he just wouldn’t come off. This started to irritate the horse, he bucked several times more
when Kameron asked him to try a canter on a loose rein, and then jumped sideways,
hoping to unseat him. No luck.

Kameron laughed lightly, this horse was pretty intelligent, it was trying every way it new
to get him off. But with Kameron’s combined strength and weight, the horse was pretty
well matched. Just when Kameron thought it was over, the bay gelding jerked forward
and broke into a thundering canter, bucking wildly and tossing his head. Nigel careered
towards the arena fence, gathering himself to jump, understated the height of the
barricade and slid to a stop, and went up into a rear, pawing at the air, and then landed
again, snorting from the effort he had made. Kameron sat deeply, holding onto the
geldings reins tightly and gripping his barrel with his legs, managing only just to avoid a
fall. He regained his composure though when the gelding stopped and quickly corrected

his position and asked Nigel calmly to re-start the exercise. After twenty minutes had
passed of warming up, Nigel had settled a bit, and only occasionally tried something he
shouldn’t be doing. Kameron slowed the horse to a walk, and changed the rein, allowing
Nigel to walk around the edge and relax a bit before he started working again.

[xx. Cavalletti]

Abby wandered up to the arena as she saw Nigel walking. He was grumpy, but softening with Kameron. She smiled glad it was working and thinking that they worked really well together. She wandered over, helmet holding back her blonde locks. Gloves protected her hands, though she had cut off the top half of the fingers because they annoyed her. She wore the usual, suede chaps over faded navy jodpers and boots, and a plain top, that had the Chance symbol on the right corner.

She was leading a horse purposefully to the arena, Luna, also known as Loony, who was prancing by her side, tacked. The mare had only reacently been broken, and Very green to ride. Abby reached the gate and waited, trying to attract Kam's attention without scaring Nigel.

"Can I join you?"

She asked, a smile lighting up her features.

[BECKiEE :)]

Kameron looked over at the arena gate, he had heard someone coming. Nigel had as well, but he didn’t turn his head and look, just flicked his ears back. Then Kameron spotted Abby come into view, and smiled as she did.''Yeah, sure. Nigel’s having a bit of a rest now so I don’t think he'll try and escape'' Kameron said. Well, The last time someone had opened the gate at the same time when he was riding Nigel; the crazy horse had shot through the gap and almost run into the barn wall! Kameron put Nigel onto a fifteen meter circle, tightening the inside rein and holding it against the geldings neck and loosened the outside rein and held it slack. Whilst Kameron did this he used his inside leg to push Nigel out into a twenty meter circle.

[xx. Cavalletti]

Abby smiled. Her eyes ran over the horse and his rider, the position of the rider and stance of the horse. It was instinct.

"You doing alright with him?"

She questioned, she hadn't seen much of him lately, being riding in the round yard. She nudged her own horse up through the gate which she'd opened as she spoke. She shut it, and mounted.

The buckskin pranced as she swung on, then walked off.

[BECKiEE :)]

''Yeah, Nigel’s improving loads'' Kameron confirmed as he patted his mounts bay neck. Nigel pulled on his bit and stretched his neck, relaxing his muscles.''Who's that?'' he asked, directing his gaze at the mare Abby was riding. He had seen the mare around, but never actually gotten to know her name.
Kameron collected up Nigel’s reins, and the gelding threw his head up and down several times in annoyance at the prospect of more work.

[xx. Cavalletti]

" This? Oh, her names Loony. I mean Luna."

She correctedherself, pushing the mare into a trot. It tyook Abby a long time to get a stady smooth trot.

" But she is a nut."

Abby laughed. The mare was pretty, but had a evil feel to her. She was nasty. and misbeahaved.

[BECKiEE :)]

Kameron looked the mare over for a second after Abby had spoken, she didn’t look at all bad and probably could have passed for a show horse. But, looks could be deceiving he reminded himself.''I think Nigel here is just a bit grumpy from time to time'' he laughed, and then asked the gelding to trot. Nigel snorted indignantly and picked up the pace, Kameron looked over at a post at the other end of the arena and gave the inside rein a slight pull, and Nigel arced neatly round the turn and crossed the diagonal until he was trotting in the opposite direction once on the arena track again.

[xx. Cavalletti]

" I bet he is. I know he is."

She grinned, still feeling the brise where he'd bit her when she was feeding him yesterday. But he was impoveing and Kameron wads working really well with him. Really well.

She trotted Luna on both diagonals, then asked for a canter. She got a buck then a spedy canter on the wrong leg. She circled her at one end, gettting the rythem normal. Then she asked for a flying change, and they continued on a larger cirle. She slowed to a walk and let her out, partting her. She could have a quick break because she'd settled.

[BECKiEE :)]

Kameron worked the gelding into the corners, using his inside leg to push the gelding further into the bend. To be honest Nigel was quite responsive, he just needed the right commands. Kameron put Nigel into an easy canter at the next corner and turned along the diagonals so the gelding could do a few flying lead changes of his own. A few minutes later Kameron pulled him up and settled to a walk, looking across at Abby to see what she was up to.

[xx. Cavalletti]

After the break, Abby stated her at a quick trot down the centre line. She turned left, circleing 20m at E. She continued on, performing transitions from trot to walk to halt. She continued like this for a good 15 minutes, calming Luna. Abby then cantered her on each leg again before settleing down to a long rein walk. The mare threw in alot of bucks and pigroots, bt Abby stayed still and pushed her on.