"Marie shorten your reins a bit!" the instructor, Ms. Carmichael, called from the middle of the arena, Marie slid her hands down the reins slightly, still in the rhythmic movement of the trot on Kingfisher until they were asked to halt. It was Marie's third day at Chestnut hill and she was in her first riding lesson. "Okay I'm going to ask you one at a time to canter around the arena twice, Malory on Tybalt can you go first?" the instructor asked, the girl in front named Malory riding a beautiful brown pony nodded and urged Tybalt into a trot, in the next corner Malory sat deep and Tybalt broke into a smooth canter, One, Two Three Marie counted in her head as Tybalt passed her on the inside. Malory slowly pulled Tybalt back into a trot and joined the group at the back, "Well done Malory that was excellent. Marie? Can you go next please?" Ms. Carmichael asked.
Marie gulped before nodding, asking Kingfisher with her legs into a trot, the transition was smooth, she watched till the next corner before sitting deep, sliding her outside leg back a bit and Kingfisher broke into a calm and collected canter, his ears were pricked forward to show he was enjoying it, Marie gently tightened her grip on the left rein asking him to go past the group, Kingfisher obeyed her command and continued to canter until Marie asked him to slow into a trot and a walk. She joined the back of the group and halted before bending down and patting Kingfisher on the neck "Good boy!" she whispered before sitting up, "Well done Marie just make sure you keep your heels down, they tend to slip up from time to time." Ms. Carmichael advised Marie nodded and watched Dylan get Morello into a trot. Dylan sat deep, gave Morello a small tap with her crop and he broke into a canter, Dylan slipped a grin to Marie as she cantered past.
After everyone had gone once Ms. Carmichael stood up "I'm going to set up a jumping course now, I'd like you all to one by one slip into a canter together, make sure you do not crash into each other." Marie looked back and saw Dylan, Honey and Lani move to go to another part of the arena, she looked to the front to see Tybalt and Bluegrass move forward, Marie decided to stay where she was, Honey levelled herself with Marie on the other side of the arena, "Okay, forwards to trot all of you." Ms. Carmichael called "And in the next corner I'd like you all to go forwards to canter." Marie nodded slightly, watching Tybalt be urged into a canter. Marie sat deep once again, asking Kingfisher to canter, her broke into one and tried to catch up to Tybalt but Marie was ready, she half-halted him to calm him down and make sure he was under her control. In the corner of her eye she could see that Honey and her grey Connemara mare Minnie were in mirror image to herself and Kingfisher. "Okay, slow them down into a trot" Ms. Carmichael instructed and simultaneously the horses slowed to a trot. Marie looked at the jumps set out. There were 7 of them, a mixture of uprights, combinations and crosses and others. Ms. Carmichael looked at Marie, "I'd like Marie to go first, and can the rest of you turn in and do up your stirrups to jumping length?" Ms. Carmichael asked, Marie nodded and turned in and dismounted, walking the course. She then mounted Kingfisher again and made her stirrups jumping length urging Kingfisher into a walked onto the track. She then got him into a trot before starting the course in a canter.
Marie heart raced as she approached the first jump, she urged Kingfisher on, he snorted as he launched into the air, landing clear on the other side. Marie smiled slightly before collecting herself for the next jump. They jumped the last 5 jumps landing clear, applause rang out from amongst Marie's friends she smiled before turning in and patting Kingfisher again. She watched the others go one by one before dropping her stirrups and dismounting and leading out her pony back to the barns. "Not bad for your first lesson eh Marie?" Honey asked. "Not bad at all" Marie replied smiling, "Yes not bad Marie, especially for a horse who is not very well bred." Lynsey interrupted. Marie's mouth fell open at the insult towards Kingfisher as Lynsey sauntered past with her Blue Roan pony Bluegrass. "Don't worry about her Marie, she's just a rich kid and… to be honest… she's a bit snobby." Honey whispered to her and Marie smiled.
Marie un-tacked Kingfisher before rubbing him down and taking his tack back to the tack room. She sighed quietly as she walked out to the fields, watching some of the horses graze. She was glad to be at Chestnut Hill but she was missing home. Marie walked back up to the school and went into the computer room. She started to write and email to her father. 'Dear Dad, So far, my life at Chestnut Hill is going quite well, I've made quite a few friends and the horses are amazing! I love this one called Kingfisher, I jumped him today, he's great. I heard that there were team tryouts for a place on the Junior Team so I'm going to try out for that. How's Shawn? I hope you are both well. Love you lots Marie xxx' she pressed send before noticing she had a new email, it was from her brother.
'Hey Marie! How's life at that new school of yours? Hope the horses are treating you okay :) made any new friends yet? Life's quite boring down here, I needed something to do so I felt like emailing you' Marie smiled at this, 'Wanting to make sure my little sister is doing ok, write back soon! Shawn x'
Marie wrote back right away. 'Hiya Shawn, luckily I was online when I received your email so I'm replying nice and quick. Life's good here, I hope your coming to visit me soon so you can meet the horses and my friends, the horses are treating me very well! Especially one, Kingfisher, he's amazing, I'm planning on trying out for the Junior Team on him so fingers crossed! I just need to see what he's like in dressage, I jumped him today and he was amazing, =] come down sometime on the weekend! Scribble back :) Marie xxx P.S tell Dad I've sent him an email too'
Once she pressed send to her second email she logged off the computer and sat down with her friends, Marie had become quick friends with Lani and Malory the day before when she was introduced by Dylan and Honey. "Do you think I should leave my hair to go natural?" Marie asked, "What colours your natural hair???" Lani asked curiously. "It's strawberry blonde." Marie replied. Dylan mouth fell open, "Yay! I won't be the only ginger in the group" she whooped hugging Marie who laughed. "I'm not very red haired just lightly."
"Oh well, who votes that Marie should let her hair go natural???" Dylan asked before putting her hand in the middle. The other three put theirs in too. Marie sighed and put hers in, "Ready? One, two three!"
"Chestnut Hill!" They said in unison raising their hands in the air and laughing together.