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Description

MANDATORY TRAINING:
1. Groundwork. You Are Here
2. Lunging. Done
3. Accepting a saddle/rider.
4. First ride.
5. Final: Discipline training.

This is another picture I've had done for a long while - probably around early summer last year. Its the last one I finished back then that I've been uploading since as part of this progression batch of Heaven's groundschooling time. This one just shows her making tracks with her confidence as well, as she learns to long line off the Dually halter.
And Cosmos joined in

But there's a STORY because I finally worked out how to start it and I missed them all. Enjoy

......

“What are we watching?” Austin asked, crossing the lawn to the fold out camping chairs and dropping into the empty one on the left.
Chess held out a packet of Haribo star mix gummies without turning her head. “Long lining.”
“Huh,” Austin replied. He took a handful of the sweets before they were snatched out of reach again and resolved himself to having to work it out for himself.
Peanut, Chess’ Sheltie cross was laid at her feet, as usual, head on the grass under the edge of the camping chair. Ace and Isla - both rather more rambunctious dogs - were racing up and down behind them, scaring the ducks around the pond. Alec was tack cleaning. Sitting on a discarded turnout rug on the ground. Becca was there, too, sharing the Haribo sweets and tapping her way through her phone.
“I hope that’s the feed delivery,” Austin muttered sidelong. “It’s overdue.”
“It is,” Becca shot back in such a tone that Austin could hear her sticking her tongue out at him even if it hadn’t happened. “How was Opera?”
Austin nodded. “Good. He’s coming on really nicely; building up his muscle tone really well, and he’s trying so hard. I put him back out down the bottom so the back barn’s empty. You can tell your boyfriend he’s doing great and that he’s getting lots of Vitamin D.”
Becca lobbed a Haribo at him and Austin flinched, rearing up in the chair as he felt it catch under his collar and slide down the inside of his sweater.
Chess sniggered, unphased even though Becca was on her other side and the projectile had just gone right over her head. “He’s also getting lots of dihydrogen monoxide, tell Daryl that.”
“You’re closer,” Becca threatened in response. “I can stick this in your ear.”
Chess clamped a hand over her ear. “Not my fault it’s been a wet winter. He’s our vet as well as Ops owner; I’m sure he’d want to know.”
“Uh huh,” Becca muttered, unconvinced. “Pay attention, we’re meant to be giving pointers.”
“Alec can do that; he taught Kiwi,” Chess shot back without missing a beat.
Alec raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, still holding a bar of saddle soap and a forlorn looking sponge. “Don’t look at me.”
Austin looked over his head instead. Across the lawn were the morning’s entertainment.
Joanna had been there since early in the morning to help them with the yard but with those chores done, she had set to work, as usual, on Heaven’s progress. The weather was mild, actually. What with the isolation up on the farm it was almost strange to feel time passing, but Spring had arrived somewhere in there, and Joey was in a light pink shirt and sneakers as she deftly moved two long lines between her hands.
Heaven was on the other end. Her chestnut coat was a soft, pale shade in the morning wash of blue sky, and her tail was an elegant fan of peacock colouring. She was looking every bit her fast approaching four years of age now; her body so much more proportional than it had been even a year ago; the slim limbs and compressed body of her foal-hood having stretched and balanced out. She might still grow a little in height, but she was probably not far off, and her croup and withers had finally levelled out beautifully after years of one surpassing the other.

She was working off of Aphie’s old Dually halter. She was used to it by now; Joanna had taken her methodically from strength to strength, moving from easy lunging sessions, to teaching her to lunge between two lines, and this new branch had begun in the last few months. Chess had been recruited in the early days. Working on a circle around a handler was something Heaven could do well now, but striding forwards off of the lines and having to lead the way was new to her, so Chess had walked with her at first.
Like with most things, she had adjusted quick and her confidence had grown.
The Dually halter’s extra noseband made for easy steering as it slid side to side, and both of Heaven’s ears were spun backwards, keenly attentive to Joanna passing tiny touches down the lines to her. She was in the roller, too; a soft leather one that was just enough to give her the pressure feeling of a girth.
“She got a saddle yet?” Becca asked at that point, almost as though she’d followed Austin’s train of thought.
“No,” Chess replied. “But we’re on it. Joey’s racing saddle will fit her so she’s going to bring that up and use it instead of the roller - a bit more shape and all. And I’m getting Elise out here next week - she has some preowned saddles going so she’s going to measure and fit her and get us something decent to start backing her with.”
Elise had been fitting and selling them saddles for a long time. She drove a van around with all her supplies and the back full of all kinds of saddle brands, makes and cuts. She was their go-to for English tack, which probably meant-
“Fitting English first?”
Chess turned to him. “Yeah. Could have gone either way, really, but Elise could get here sooner.”
Of course it had never been a question that Heaven would end up being fitted for a western saddle, too. They were also just waiting for her actual birthday before getting in touch with the saddle makers in Aleria. It was finally time to book her a slot to get fitted for the traditional Dragon Hunting tack of her heritage.
“Hey, what’s she doing?”
Austin looked up and Chess spun away again. Alec gestured up with his sponge.
Across the gap, Joanna and Heaven had been joined by Cosmos. The mysterious little barn owl had appeared when Heaven was still quite young and made a home for itself above her stable. He was often found with her, not just at night time, but it wasn’t too often that he came close when they were working with her. Joanna seemed to be somewhat of an exception. Cossy was perched on Heaven’s back, his fluffy talons gripping into the quilted saddle pad and his body dipping and bouncing as he shuffled to find his balance.
Joanna was toying with the reins. She had opened up her right hand, leaving a lot of space down Heaven’s right side and keeping the sway of the line from getting too heavy on her head. On the left she drew in her elbow in as she stepped to the side.
Chess sat forwards suddenly, her hair sliding forward over her shoulder like a pale golden curtain. Her eyes were riveted. “She’s-” she muttered, half an exhale, before apparently abandoning words entirely.
Heaven’s head lifted up, her ears swinging. She kept walking forwards, even as she tentatively flexed to the left, curving towards the fenceline. There was tension in her spine; an uncertainty, but she wasn’t hollowing against the request. There was still an easy swing in her pelvis and the lift of her shoulder, her body bending just slightly between the lines.
That’s where Alec appeared to catch on. He sat up taller, the saddle soap and half-clean saddle in his lap abandoned.
Joey kept asking; small, firm and patient aids down the left line, and Heaven gave it to her, curving towards the fence even though she was running out of space to go. She knew what the lines meant by now; they had practiced this enough; she knew she was meant to go forwards unless asked by voice or pressure to stop. It was clear from the wary flick of her ear that she didn’t want to back off without being asked to. She strove to please too much, and her bravery was more advanced than her learning, but her legs stumbled as the fence blocked her off.
Joanna gently laid the left line down her side, bringing it just in around her quarters, whilst opening up her right hand as far as she could reach. There was a contact down it, enough to support the outside shoulder and stop her walking out at the front. They couldn’t hear it from the camping chairs, but a single look showed that Joanna was talking to her, low and constant. Whatever it was, it was working; she only fumbled twice, legs not sure where to place themselves.
Then she obliged by moving into the only space made available to her.
Her hindquarters stepped out to the right, lifting her hooves across to take up three tracks and she gave a few slow, alert steps neatly sideways, using the fence to support her forward motion.
Joanna didn’t ask for too much. After just a few clean strides, she eased up the left rein, and lowered the right, helping her steer straight again and shake herself loose once more. Then she asked her to halt and stepped right back to the far ends of the lines. Even as they watched, Heaven’s head lowered and her jaw started to rotate, her tongue flicking between her lips; all signs she was letting herself process.
Joanna had been working with her for four years, so it was very little surprise that she was so in tune to both what Heaven was capable of, and her limits, too.
“That was long line lateral work,” Alec said, turning to look up at Chess.
It was Becca who answered, though.
“Yeah - and she did really well to get that. Heaven’s been getting used to long lining, but that’s new to her, and Joey’s learning a lot of this with her, too.” Then Becca raised her voice, just a little to reach across the lawn. “Hey-Joey! Nice work!”
Joey tossed a thumbs up back, an ecstatic smile breaking out on her face. She stepped forwards again, gathering up the length of the lines once more until Heaven’s head lifted, ears swivelling with renewed focus.
“Just going to finish up now,” Joanna called out to them. “I’m going to walk her around the yard.”
Becca waved her on, and with a little lift of her hands - maybe some kind of tongue click, too - Heaven stepped forwards, hindleg first and Cosmos had to do a quick pitch to hold his place on her back. They headed off up the lawn and out of sight around the side of the barn.
“She’s wearing a bridle comfortably now, isn’t she?” Austin asked.
Chess nodded. “Yeah. Reins, too. We’ve been leading her from it, and applying more pressure - she’s responding to left and right and we’ve been starting to match up aids from the long lining, too, so she’s understanding brakes.
“And it’s going well?” Becca put in.
Chess didn’t miss where the conversation was headed. “We need to change her bit, first. The loose ring doesn’t give enough support when we start working off of it. I’m thinking maybe a D-ring for a little bit of power steering and we can switch it out for an eggbut after she’s got left and right down. I think a mullen mouth is still best off for now; she’s happy with the feel so we don’t need to go jointed yet.”
“Do we have a bit?” Alec asked, attention back on the saddle in his lap.
“I think so,” Chess answered. “If not I can get one fairly easily.” She looked up at Becca. “You’re thinking we change it over as early as tomorrow?”
“Yeah I think the earlier we get her working off the bit the quicker she’ll pick it up.”
Chess nodded, and then stretched back in her chair with a groan before pushing herself up and out of it. “Alright I’ll go see what I can find and let Joey know the plan. Put that feed order in - don’t just leave it on your phone.”
Becca threw the empty bag of Haribos at her, but the torn plastic fluttered a graceless arc in the air before flopping onto the abandoned camping chair. “I’ve got it,” Becca said, rolling her eyes. “And also see if Joey wants to ride Casta when she’s put Heaven out. His stamina needs a bit of building up if we’re getting him out to Seychelles next month.”
“On it,” Chess saluted and turned away. Austin watched her go for a moment, Peanut trotting into place at her side, and then he stood up, too.
“I’m going to go start mixing feeds,” he said. “With what’s left.”
Becca didn’t even grace that with a scowl, despite Alec’s bitten off snicker. “One more jab at my feed ordering and all put all the prenatal supplements on your bill.”

........

She's getting so grown up! We have saddle fittings ahead

And its now 4am so I'm going to bed

Art, characters and story copyright to Tattered-Dreams
No references used
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.

Description

MANDATORY TRAINING:
1. Groundwork. You Are Here
2. Lunging. Done
3. Accepting a saddle/rider.
4. First ride.
5. Final: Discipline training.

This is another picture I've had done for a long while - probably around early summer last year. Its the last one I finished back then that I've been uploading since as part of this progression batch of Heaven's groundschooling time. This one just shows her making tracks with her confidence as well, as she learns to long line off the Dually halter.
And Cosmos joined in

But there's a STORY because I finally worked out how to start it and I missed them all. Enjoy

......

“What are we watching?” Austin asked, crossing the lawn to the fold out camping chairs and dropping into the empty one on the left.
Chess held out a packet of Haribo star mix gummies without turning her head. “Long lining.”
“Huh,” Austin replied. He took a handful of the sweets before they were snatched out of reach again and resolved himself to having to work it out for himself.
Peanut, Chess’ Sheltie cross was laid at her feet, as usual, head on the grass under the edge of the camping chair. Ace and Isla - both rather more rambunctious dogs - were racing up and down behind them, scaring the ducks around the pond. Alec was tack cleaning. Sitting on a discarded turnout rug on the ground. Becca was there, too, sharing the Haribo sweets and tapping her way through her phone.
“I hope that’s the feed delivery,” Austin muttered sidelong. “It’s overdue.”
“It is,” Becca shot back in such a tone that Austin could hear her sticking her tongue out at him even if it hadn’t happened. “How was Opera?”
Austin nodded. “Good. He’s coming on really nicely; building up his muscle tone really well, and he’s trying so hard. I put him back out down the bottom so the back barn’s empty. You can tell your boyfriend he’s doing great and that he’s getting lots of Vitamin D.”
Becca lobbed a Haribo at him and Austin flinched, rearing up in the chair as he felt it catch under his collar and slide down the inside of his sweater.
Chess sniggered, unphased even though Becca was on her other side and the projectile had just gone right over her head. “He’s also getting lots of dihydrogen monoxide, tell Daryl that.”
“You’re closer,” Becca threatened in response. “I can stick this in your ear.”
Chess clamped a hand over her ear. “Not my fault it’s been a wet winter. He’s our vet as well as Ops owner; I’m sure he’d want to know.”
“Uh huh,” Becca muttered, unconvinced. “Pay attention, we’re meant to be giving pointers.”
“Alec can do that; he taught Kiwi,” Chess shot back without missing a beat.
Alec raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, still holding a bar of saddle soap and a forlorn looking sponge. “Don’t look at me.”
Austin looked over his head instead. Across the lawn were the morning’s entertainment.
Joanna had been there since early in the morning to help them with the yard but with those chores done, she had set to work, as usual, on Heaven’s progress. The weather was mild, actually. What with the isolation up on the farm it was almost strange to feel time passing, but Spring had arrived somewhere in there, and Joey was in a light pink shirt and sneakers as she deftly moved two long lines between her hands.
Heaven was on the other end. Her chestnut coat was a soft, pale shade in the morning wash of blue sky, and her tail was an elegant fan of peacock colouring. She was looking every bit her fast approaching four years of age now; her body so much more proportional than it had been even a year ago; the slim limbs and compressed body of her foal-hood having stretched and balanced out. She might still grow a little in height, but she was probably not far off, and her croup and withers had finally levelled out beautifully after years of one surpassing the other.

She was working off of Aphie’s old Dually halter. She was used to it by now; Joanna had taken her methodically from strength to strength, moving from easy lunging sessions, to teaching her to lunge between two lines, and this new branch had begun in the last few months. Chess had been recruited in the early days. Working on a circle around a handler was something Heaven could do well now, but striding forwards off of the lines and having to lead the way was new to her, so Chess had walked with her at first.
Like with most things, she had adjusted quick and her confidence had grown.
The Dually halter’s extra noseband made for easy steering as it slid side to side, and both of Heaven’s ears were spun backwards, keenly attentive to Joanna passing tiny touches down the lines to her. She was in the roller, too; a soft leather one that was just enough to give her the pressure feeling of a girth.
“She got a saddle yet?” Becca asked at that point, almost as though she’d followed Austin’s train of thought.
“No,” Chess replied. “But we’re on it. Joey’s racing saddle will fit her so she’s going to bring that up and use it instead of the roller - a bit more shape and all. And I’m getting Elise out here next week - she has some preowned saddles going so she’s going to measure and fit her and get us something decent to start backing her with.”
Elise had been fitting and selling them saddles for a long time. She drove a van around with all her supplies and the back full of all kinds of saddle brands, makes and cuts. She was their go-to for English tack, which probably meant-
“Fitting English first?”
Chess turned to him. “Yeah. Could have gone either way, really, but Elise could get here sooner.”
Of course it had never been a question that Heaven would end up being fitted for a western saddle, too. They were also just waiting for her actual birthday before getting in touch with the saddle makers in Aleria. It was finally time to book her a slot to get fitted for the traditional Dragon Hunting tack of her heritage.
“Hey, what’s she doing?”
Austin looked up and Chess spun away again. Alec gestured up with his sponge.
Across the gap, Joanna and Heaven had been joined by Cosmos. The mysterious little barn owl had appeared when Heaven was still quite young and made a home for itself above her stable. He was often found with her, not just at night time, but it wasn’t too often that he came close when they were working with her. Joanna seemed to be somewhat of an exception. Cossy was perched on Heaven’s back, his fluffy talons gripping into the quilted saddle pad and his body dipping and bouncing as he shuffled to find his balance.
Joanna was toying with the reins. She had opened up her right hand, leaving a lot of space down Heaven’s right side and keeping the sway of the line from getting too heavy on her head. On the left she drew in her elbow in as she stepped to the side.
Chess sat forwards suddenly, her hair sliding forward over her shoulder like a pale golden curtain. Her eyes were riveted. “She’s-” she muttered, half an exhale, before apparently abandoning words entirely.
Heaven’s head lifted up, her ears swinging. She kept walking forwards, even as she tentatively flexed to the left, curving towards the fenceline. There was tension in her spine; an uncertainty, but she wasn’t hollowing against the request. There was still an easy swing in her pelvis and the lift of her shoulder, her body bending just slightly between the lines.
That’s where Alec appeared to catch on. He sat up taller, the saddle soap and half-clean saddle in his lap abandoned.
Joey kept asking; small, firm and patient aids down the left line, and Heaven gave it to her, curving towards the fence even though she was running out of space to go. She knew what the lines meant by now; they had practiced this enough; she knew she was meant to go forwards unless asked by voice or pressure to stop. It was clear from the wary flick of her ear that she didn’t want to back off without being asked to. She strove to please too much, and her bravery was more advanced than her learning, but her legs stumbled as the fence blocked her off.
Joanna gently laid the left line down her side, bringing it just in around her quarters, whilst opening up her right hand as far as she could reach. There was a contact down it, enough to support the outside shoulder and stop her walking out at the front. They couldn’t hear it from the camping chairs, but a single look showed that Joanna was talking to her, low and constant. Whatever it was, it was working; she only fumbled twice, legs not sure where to place themselves.
Then she obliged by moving into the only space made available to her.
Her hindquarters stepped out to the right, lifting her hooves across to take up three tracks and she gave a few slow, alert steps neatly sideways, using the fence to support her forward motion.
Joanna didn’t ask for too much. After just a few clean strides, she eased up the left rein, and lowered the right, helping her steer straight again and shake herself loose once more. Then she asked her to halt and stepped right back to the far ends of the lines. Even as they watched, Heaven’s head lowered and her jaw started to rotate, her tongue flicking between her lips; all signs she was letting herself process.
Joanna had been working with her for four years, so it was very little surprise that she was so in tune to both what Heaven was capable of, and her limits, too.
“That was long line lateral work,” Alec said, turning to look up at Chess.
It was Becca who answered, though.
“Yeah - and she did really well to get that. Heaven’s been getting used to long lining, but that’s new to her, and Joey’s learning a lot of this with her, too.” Then Becca raised her voice, just a little to reach across the lawn. “Hey-Joey! Nice work!”
Joey tossed a thumbs up back, an ecstatic smile breaking out on her face. She stepped forwards again, gathering up the length of the lines once more until Heaven’s head lifted, ears swivelling with renewed focus.
“Just going to finish up now,” Joanna called out to them. “I’m going to walk her around the yard.”
Becca waved her on, and with a little lift of her hands - maybe some kind of tongue click, too - Heaven stepped forwards, hindleg first and Cosmos had to do a quick pitch to hold his place on her back. They headed off up the lawn and out of sight around the side of the barn.
“She’s wearing a bridle comfortably now, isn’t she?” Austin asked.
Chess nodded. “Yeah. Reins, too. We’ve been leading her from it, and applying more pressure - she’s responding to left and right and we’ve been starting to match up aids from the long lining, too, so she’s understanding brakes.
“And it’s going well?” Becca put in.
Chess didn’t miss where the conversation was headed. “We need to change her bit, first. The loose ring doesn’t give enough support when we start working off of it. I’m thinking maybe a D-ring for a little bit of power steering and we can switch it out for an eggbut after she’s got left and right down. I think a mullen mouth is still best off for now; she’s happy with the feel so we don’t need to go jointed yet.”
“Do we have a bit?” Alec asked, attention back on the saddle in his lap.
“I think so,” Chess answered. “If not I can get one fairly easily.” She looked up at Becca. “You’re thinking we change it over as early as tomorrow?”
“Yeah I think the earlier we get her working off the bit the quicker she’ll pick it up.”
Chess nodded, and then stretched back in her chair with a groan before pushing herself up and out of it. “Alright I’ll go see what I can find and let Joey know the plan. Put that feed order in - don’t just leave it on your phone.”
Becca threw the empty bag of Haribos at her, but the torn plastic fluttered a graceless arc in the air before flopping onto the abandoned camping chair. “I’ve got it,” Becca said, rolling her eyes. “And also see if Joey wants to ride Casta when she’s put Heaven out. His stamina needs a bit of building up if we’re getting him out to Seychelles next month.”
“On it,” Chess saluted and turned away. Austin watched her go for a moment, Peanut trotting into place at her side, and then he stood up, too.
“I’m going to go start mixing feeds,” he said. “With what’s left.”
Becca didn’t even grace that with a scowl, despite Alec’s bitten off snicker. “One more jab at my feed ordering and all put all the prenatal supplements on your bill.”

........

She's getting so grown up! We have saddle fittings ahead

And its now 4am so I'm going to bed

Art, characters and story copyright to Tattered-Dreams
No references used
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.