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Long Spot

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First of all, I would like to issue a formal apology to my incredible and amazing watchers. I am leaving for school in 2 months, moving out, of the house, and heck, of the state. Thus, I have been spending a lot of time with my family and at work. And riding. I’ve been really enjoying the summer. A friend recently got two new horses, and I’ve been able to help her train them. Especially the Friesian/Thoroughbred filly. I’ve got a new picture of her that I’m gonna upload for ya’ll. Her progress is astonishing. ^^

Anyways, I am committed to entering the #Norwegian-Warmblood training show. It took me ages to finish this piece, but I am SO GLAD that I took my time, because I am incredibly satisfied with the end product. I love Javert’s shoulder and face. I love his expression. I love the tack, SO MUCH. Super satisfied with this piece. I hope ya’ll like it too. <3

Show: Norwegian Warmblood Spring-Into-Summer Training Show
Horse: KR Javert
Rider/Trainer: Vivian Morgan
Owner: Desmond Cafferty of Kings’ Ridge
Class: Show Jumping
Story: “You’re going all out with this, huh?” The tall scot asked as Vivian shrugged on the bright red show jumping jacket.
“Might as well,” she replied as she buttoned it up. “How is Javert doing?”
“He’s good. Chillin’ with his hay.”
“Is he tacked up?” Vivian asked as she slipped on a hairnet and pulled her loose hair into a ponytail.
“Of course. Everything except his bridle,” Desmond assured her. Vivian doubled over and pulled her ponytail up over the top of her head and then reached out blindly for her helmet. The scot handed it to her.
“I’m sorry, Des,” Vivian sighed as she firmly tugged on the helmet and then straightened up. “I’m really nervous.”
“Don’t be,” Desmond smiled. “The fences are tiny. 2’. 2’3” tops. Javert is perfectly capable.” He tucked back a wisp of Vivian’s dark hair behind her ear as he added, “And so are you.” Vivian smiled as she buckled her helmet under her chin and tugged down on the front of her jacket to smooth it out.
“Let’s do this thing.”

Javert’s tail assumed a high set as Desmond lead him out towards the jumping arena. His bright blue eyes flashed from one horse to another as he nickered deeply at each one.
“Easy boy,” Desmond said soothingly, stroking the young stallion’s neck that was arched with testosterone and adrenaline. The scot lead the prancing, black Norwegian Warmblood over to the edge of a arena where Vivian was quietly reviewing the pattern of the show jumping course. She fingers traced the pattern in the air as she looked from one fence to the next and estimated her approaches and striding.
“Remember, this isn’t timed. It is just a schooling show,” Desmond said as he reached her. Vivian nodded quietly, her eyes still trained on the low, vertical fences. Javert nosed Vivian on the shoulder and exhaled heavily on the back of her neck, causing her to spin around and swat his pink nose away with a laugh.
“He is certainly unphased by all of this,” she said, stroking the length of his face. As if to confirm this, Javert lowered his head even further and licked his lips as he relaxed into Vivian’s touch.
“You ready to jump, boy-o?” his trainer asked, lifting his large head up in her hands and planting a kiss between his nostrils.

Desmond gave Vivian a leg up onto the broad back of the young Norwegian Warmblood who instantly began to chew on his bit noisily. Desmond steadied Javert as Vivian picked up her stirrups and adjusted for a final time before collecting her reins.
“Remember that you’ve got absolutely nothing to loose out there. This isn’t a recognized event. It’s just schooling. We’re just trying to get an idea for how Javert is going to take to this,” Desmond said to Vivian as he wiped off her boots and Javert’s face. Vivian nodded quietly and continued to run her course over and over in her mind. Javert stood patiently, gnawing on his bit and working up a bubbly lather around his lips as Vivian and Desmond watched other riders canter through the show jumping class course.

As Vivian’s ride came up and she was called to the arena with Javert, Desmond gave her two thumbs up and grinned up at her.
“Have fun out there,” he encouraged her. Vivian smiled and directed her mount towards the gate to the ring. She shortened up her reins and pushed Javert forward. The stallion attempted to shorten his stride with the extra contact, but Vivian drove him forward into the ring. She halted him on the rail and looked towards the judge’s booth. She saluted the judge and then collected her reins once more. With a nod of acknowledgment from the judge, Vivian cued Javert into a trot. The stallion pranced in place before moving forward, a foamy lather already dripping from his lips in reaction to his constant gnawing at the bit.
“Easy, boy,” Vivian said softly to the stallion, reaching down with her right hand to stroke his shoulder. “It isn’t a race.”

Knowing that she was not going to be judged on her speed through the round simply because it was a schooling show, Vivian made an executive decision to trot Javert into the first fence. The stallion was already hot beneath her, anticipating the rush of taking the small verticals. Vivian guided Javert towards the first fence, an uncomplicated vertical with nothing fancy or necessarily frightening about it. Javert’s ear pricked to the extreme as he zeroed in on the fence. His front end pranced as he sat back on his haunches, dying to charge the fence. But Vivian kept him in check, striding his trot up to the base of the fence before she released him. They took the fence clear, in fact over-clear. Vivian recovered from the over-jump and allowed Javert to ease into his canter now knowing that he was not going to be cool over the fences and trusting that she would be able to ride his overreactions.

Javert’s stride lengthened, against the will of Vivian, as they approached the second fence, which was a double, the second part being two strides away. Vivian used her thighs and calves to try and adjust Javert’s striding and bring him back under her, so to speak, but the young stallion would have none of it. Thinking he knew better than his rider, Javert cantered up to the first fence of the pair and launched over it with an exaggerated arch and extended stride. Landing so far out from the mark, his approached the second fence was compromised. Vivian pushed him to hold for a single stride between the fences, knowing it was that or take the fence incredibly long and risk knocking the pole. Javert, brought to his senses by the appearance of the second fence, obediently adjusted to a single stride between the fences before take the last fence of the double.

Vivian guided the stallion off of the fence and used all the space in the arena before setting him up for the next fence. She pushed him deep into the corners of the arena, taking the time to regain a handle on the over excited youngster. Javert listened to her and obediently checked himself to her standards. That is, until she turned him towards the next fence. The fourth obstacle wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, double standards that forced a slightly longer jump. Javert’s blue eyes locked on the poles, which rested slightly above 2’. Vivian held Javert back from rushing the fence, but as his stride became choppier and more upright, she realized that she was setting them for disaster. Realizing that it was a long spot or an incredibly unsettling over-jump, Vivian decided to attempt the long spot.

Javert felt the reins slide up his neck and Vivian push him forward to take off. The sudden push him his rider and freedom of his head resulted in the stallion reacting in an unexpected and highly unanticipated half rear that Vivian failed to ride properly. Unsettled by his rider’s lack of balance but pumped with adrenaline, Javert launched forward before his front hooves have returned to the ground from the rear. Vivian was thrown back in the saddle, jolting her left foot out of the stirrup. She tried desperately to ride the launch, releasing the stallions face and attempting to get off of his back. Her calves gripped aggravatingly hard on Javert’s barrel as the stallion stretched himself over the tiny fence, trying his best to clear it from the painfully long spot he had taken.

The landing was rough. Javert scrambling to recover from bad striding and poor takeoff without the experience to do so and without the aid of his rider who struggled to regain her balance while slowing the runaway stallion. Javert’s ears tipped back, hoping for guidance from his rider. Vivian looked towards the next fence and directed Javert towards it while fishing with her toe for her flopping stirrup.

The long spot must have scared Javert into reverence for the rest of the course was preformed with respect on Javert’s part and absolute control on Vivian’s part. Javert cooled his jets and listened intently to Vivian’s commands. His personality dictated and he demonstrated that he did want to be in control, but once he realized that he did not have the experience or understanding to navigate the course, he accepted the fact that he needed assistance. Although annoyed that Javert had tried to ignore her and nearly crashed through the first four courses of the course, Vivian walked out of the arena patting his shoulder and letting him know that she was indeed quite proud of him.

“That was… interesting,” Desmond chuckled uneasily, grabbing Javert’s reins so Vivian could dismount.
“Someone had a freakin’ rocket shoved up his butt,” Vivian panted, patting Javert’s jet-black shoulder that was slick with sweat. Sweat that was mostly unnecessary and brought on by stress.
“You did a good job with him,” the scot attempted, pulling the reins over Javert’s head and collecting them under his chin.
“I hope the judge thinks so,” Vivian laughed nervously. She approached Javert’s face and patted his neck. “Good effort, buddy. It can only get better from there though, right?” She laughed and planted a kiss on her stallion’s nose. As they began to walk away to the ring to hose Javert’s legs and chest down before the cross country portion of the day, Desmond put an arm around Vivian’s shoulder.
“Aren’t you glad we decided to start with a schooling show and not head for an $800 recognized event first?”
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ALL ARTWORK, KR Javert, Vivian and Desmond are COPYRIGHT under LAW to ME, *walktrotcanter7
#Norwegian-Warmblood © *TackRack
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