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Description

AITH: DRESSAGE

Previously: AIHT - First Horse Inspection

“Well that was quite a start to this competition,” Brody teased, poking Melissa playfully on her side. Melissa attempted to glare at her husband, but instead broke into an enthusiastic laugh. “Give me that,” she said, reaching for the bottle of beer Brody held in his calloused hand. He laughed and passed it to her. She took a swig. “Jeez,” she said passing it back to him and wiping her face with the back of her hand, “You are officially never, ever allowed to plan out our timeline, ever again!”, she smiled and teased him, “It’s amazing you make it on time to any show you go to on your own!” Brody laughed at that. “Melissa I almost never travel alone. One of you ladies is always keeping me in check and bossing me around. If I didn’t have you gals in my life I’d be a goner, that’s for sure.” Melissa laughed, knowing this was absolutely correct. Brody had zero sense of time and was really too laid back for his own good. “Well, in that case Brody since you won’t keep track of the time let’s get this mare back to the trailer and get ready to ride.” Melissa stated authoritatively, leading Locket back towards their trailer, “and no drinking on the job!”

They had really left their trailer and parking area in shambles. They worked together to gather their supplies and headed to the guest stabling area to get ready. Melissa carefully took her time rearranging Locket’s braids (she hated the way Brody braided), unwinding and rewinding her chestnut hair into neat little buttons. Over Locket’s neck, she spotted a tall dark haired man cursing as he was trying to roll up his mount’s mane into little button braids as well. He’s in trouble, Melissa thought looking at the saggy, loose braids that hung off the lovely seal bay’s neck. Brody was whistling and polishing Melissa’s tack. “Brody,” she called gently, stepping off of her stool, “Can you watch her for a minute?”. Brody looked up and nodded, “should I finish those braids too?” he teased, patting Locket on the neck. Melissa rolled her eyes as she walked away from them. She came up slowly in front of the struggling man and his horse. “Um. Excuse me.” Melissa asked gently. The man looked up at her with a somewhat confused and frustrated look on his face and said nothing. She continued, “I saw you were having some trouble and it looks like you’re on your own. I thought maybe I could help you out? I’d hate to see such a lovely horse go in the ring with his mane such a mess.” Melissa realized she might have been a bit forward, but he really looked abysmal. The man looked at her for a moment and grumbled something under his breath and stepped away, which Melissa took as an invitation to help. She set down her stool that she had dragged along with her looked at the braids that the man had been trying to do. “Oh yeah,” she remarked carefully undoing each one, “I think we can definitely do better than this. You know, my daughters are learning how to braid, it’s such an important skill.” Melissa looked over at the man who was saying nothing to her, she flushed a little. “I’m uh, Melissa by the way.” she said kindly, smiling at him. “Duncan,” he muttered back. Melissa continued braiding in silence. Although Duncan really didn’t seem interested in chatting, he wasn’t asking her to leave either, so he obviously needed the help. She finished up with the stallion’s forelock and climbed down, picking up her stool. “There we go, much better.” She announced, giving the horse a good pat and smiling at Duncan. He inspected the braids on his horse’s neck and looked at Melissa, “Thanks. That’s a lot better,” he grumbled slightly walking away from her to resume tacking up. Melissa nodded and walked back to Locket, feeling happy that she was able to help someone out. She found that Brody had taken it upon himself to finish up Locket’s braids, which left the mare with 4 nicely wound button braids and 5 weirdly oval-shaped ones near her withers that were far too small. She sighed and plopped her stool down to do some more braiding.

Once Melissa was done braiding and Brody done polishing, Locket looked like the stylish eventing mare that she was. Melissa carefully pinned the start number to Locket’s bridle and signaled Brody to bring over her coat. She clipped her helmet on, pulled on her gloves and shrugged the long black coat over her white show shirt. “There,” she stated, brushing some brown Locket hair off of her white breeches, “how do we look?” Brody looked at them, cocked his head to the side and then crouched down to get another angle. “Stoppit!” Melissa exclaimed, laughing as her husband crouched onto the other knee to get a better look at them. He smiled, “Let’s send a picture to the girls.” He suggested, pulling out his phone, “They’d love to see their mum all dressed up. Usually they only get to see you in pajamas and dirty old barn clothes.” Melissa laughed and gawked at him, but smiled when he held up the phone to snap a couple of pictures. “Ok, that’s enough Mr. no sense of time. Help me get on so we can do some dressage,” Melissa commanded, gathering up her reins and holding her leg out for a lift up. Brody launched her up and into the saddle a little too powerfully for Melissa’s liking but it would have to do. She gathered her reins and steered Locket towards the warm-up ring so they could do a few exercises and get the drool flying before they went in for the first phase of their test.

Rider: Melissa Macintosh
Horse: CC Ruins of Lockhart
Stable: Copper Creek International
Start Number: 02

Extra Image for Dressage Phase: AIHT - First Horse Inspection

Artist Comments
Art (c) me
Duncan & Aran (story) belong to Cookie1992
Photoshop CC 2015 | Wacom Intuos 5
Approx 20 hours
Reference: Dressage Stock 026 Trotting

Description

AITH: DRESSAGE

Previously: AIHT - First Horse Inspection

“Well that was quite a start to this competition,” Brody teased, poking Melissa playfully on her side. Melissa attempted to glare at her husband, but instead broke into an enthusiastic laugh. “Give me that,” she said, reaching for the bottle of beer Brody held in his calloused hand. He laughed and passed it to her. She took a swig. “Jeez,” she said passing it back to him and wiping her face with the back of her hand, “You are officially never, ever allowed to plan out our timeline, ever again!”, she smiled and teased him, “It’s amazing you make it on time to any show you go to on your own!” Brody laughed at that. “Melissa I almost never travel alone. One of you ladies is always keeping me in check and bossing me around. If I didn’t have you gals in my life I’d be a goner, that’s for sure.” Melissa laughed, knowing this was absolutely correct. Brody had zero sense of time and was really too laid back for his own good. “Well, in that case Brody since you won’t keep track of the time let’s get this mare back to the trailer and get ready to ride.” Melissa stated authoritatively, leading Locket back towards their trailer, “and no drinking on the job!”

They had really left their trailer and parking area in shambles. They worked together to gather their supplies and headed to the guest stabling area to get ready. Melissa carefully took her time rearranging Locket’s braids (she hated the way Brody braided), unwinding and rewinding her chestnut hair into neat little buttons. Over Locket’s neck, she spotted a tall dark haired man cursing as he was trying to roll up his mount’s mane into little button braids as well. He’s in trouble, Melissa thought looking at the saggy, loose braids that hung off the lovely seal bay’s neck. Brody was whistling and polishing Melissa’s tack. “Brody,” she called gently, stepping off of her stool, “Can you watch her for a minute?”. Brody looked up and nodded, “should I finish those braids too?” he teased, patting Locket on the neck. Melissa rolled her eyes as she walked away from them. She came up slowly in front of the struggling man and his horse. “Um. Excuse me.” Melissa asked gently. The man looked up at her with a somewhat confused and frustrated look on his face and said nothing. She continued, “I saw you were having some trouble and it looks like you’re on your own. I thought maybe I could help you out? I’d hate to see such a lovely horse go in the ring with his mane such a mess.” Melissa realized she might have been a bit forward, but he really looked abysmal. The man looked at her for a moment and grumbled something under his breath and stepped away, which Melissa took as an invitation to help. She set down her stool that she had dragged along with her looked at the braids that the man had been trying to do. “Oh yeah,” she remarked carefully undoing each one, “I think we can definitely do better than this. You know, my daughters are learning how to braid, it’s such an important skill.” Melissa looked over at the man who was saying nothing to her, she flushed a little. “I’m uh, Melissa by the way.” she said kindly, smiling at him. “Duncan,” he muttered back. Melissa continued braiding in silence. Although Duncan really didn’t seem interested in chatting, he wasn’t asking her to leave either, so he obviously needed the help. She finished up with the stallion’s forelock and climbed down, picking up her stool. “There we go, much better.” She announced, giving the horse a good pat and smiling at Duncan. He inspected the braids on his horse’s neck and looked at Melissa, “Thanks. That’s a lot better,” he grumbled slightly walking away from her to resume tacking up. Melissa nodded and walked back to Locket, feeling happy that she was able to help someone out. She found that Brody had taken it upon himself to finish up Locket’s braids, which left the mare with 4 nicely wound button braids and 5 weirdly oval-shaped ones near her withers that were far too small. She sighed and plopped her stool down to do some more braiding.

Once Melissa was done braiding and Brody done polishing, Locket looked like the stylish eventing mare that she was. Melissa carefully pinned the start number to Locket’s bridle and signaled Brody to bring over her coat. She clipped her helmet on, pulled on her gloves and shrugged the long black coat over her white show shirt. “There,” she stated, brushing some brown Locket hair off of her white breeches, “how do we look?” Brody looked at them, cocked his head to the side and then crouched down to get another angle. “Stoppit!” Melissa exclaimed, laughing as her husband crouched onto the other knee to get a better look at them. He smiled, “Let’s send a picture to the girls.” He suggested, pulling out his phone, “They’d love to see their mum all dressed up. Usually they only get to see you in pajamas and dirty old barn clothes.” Melissa laughed and gawked at him, but smiled when he held up the phone to snap a couple of pictures. “Ok, that’s enough Mr. no sense of time. Help me get on so we can do some dressage,” Melissa commanded, gathering up her reins and holding her leg out for a lift up. Brody launched her up and into the saddle a little too powerfully for Melissa’s liking but it would have to do. She gathered her reins and steered Locket towards the warm-up ring so they could do a few exercises and get the drool flying before they went in for the first phase of their test.

Rider: Melissa Macintosh
Horse: CC Ruins of Lockhart
Stable: Copper Creek International
Start Number: 02

Extra Image for Dressage Phase: AIHT - First Horse Inspection

Artist Comments
Art (c) me
Duncan & Aran (story) belong to Cookie1992
Photoshop CC 2015 | Wacom Intuos 5
Approx 20 hours
Reference: Dressage Stock 026 Trotting