Disclaimer~ I don't own any of the 7th Heaven characters. I only own the ones you've never heard of.
Flat Work Try-outs
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'Up, down, up, down.' Ruthie sang the rhythmic beat of the trot in her head as she slowly began to post. Her legs were shaking madly, and her palms were already becoming clammy as she clutched the reins tightly. Archer's ears moved like antenna's, twitching and quivering at the slightest noise. Her powerful legs struck the ground with great force, and her sleek coat gleamed with each movement of her hoof. Ruthie took a deep, soothing breath to calm her squirmy insides, and began to message her inside rein with her ring finger. She gently applied the aid of her inside leg as she did this, and rolled her shoulders back. As if on cue, and much to Ruthie's pleasure, Archer's head dropped into an elegant frame. A smile crept up Ruthie's face. Archer was actually behaving! As the couple rounded the corner, a slight flutter of hope slowly began to rise in the pit of Ruthie's stomach. She actually might have a change of making it out of the try-outs alive! With a new found hope steadily burning, Ruthie directed her horse with courage.
A few moments later, Clover directed them to signal for a canter. She wanted the transition to be quick and precise. Ruthie slowly brought her outside leg back, and gently leaned back. She softly clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Archer's delicate ears twitched slightly as she lunged into canter. Right away, Ruthie's body fell into the motion of the four-beat gait. It was a silky smooth rhythm that rocked the very pits of her soul. Suddenly, out of the blue, Archer gave a wild snort and leaped into a frenzy of bucks and kicks. Ruthie, taken-aback by her sudden actions, was thrown back into the saddle. Acting quickly, she slid her hands up the reins, and got a firm hold of her mouth. She sat stiffly in the saddle, and jammed her heels down. As calmly as she could, she cried, "Easy, easy!" Archer tossed her head angrily, and beat her hooves forcefully on the dirt path. But, as if against her will, she slowed down to a working trot. Ruthie heaved a sigh. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought!
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Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been really busy with homework and riding. I promise to have the next chapter up as soon as I can!
~camouflaged
