Lauren and Lucky (2 page)

Polly
, who is 8, riding
Jewel.

Bea
, who's 8, on crazy
Cracker
.

And
Jojo
, only just 7, on
Sugar
. 

Sally taught our group, and Jody taught Group A. We were nervous and excited as we mounted up and made our way to the manège. But we didn't suddenly start doing really hard dressage movements or anything – it was just a normal lesson for Sally to see what we can do.

It was brilliant riding Lucky. He's really chilled out, which is great, but he's not exactly quick off the leg! I'll have to get him to perk up for the dressage test, somehow.

While we were walking round on a long rein to warm down, Sally told us she's got a surprise in store, but she's not going to reveal it until this afternoon. Of course, we were all begging her to tell us straight away, but she just did a zipping her lips sign and looked mysterious.

When the lesson finished we all dismounted and ran up our stirrups, and Sally asked Leonie to lead the way back to the barn to untack. Then when we reached the yard, Arabella tried to hand Gracie's reins to Lydia.

Lydia laughed and said, “Nice try, but we all look after our own ponies here, that's the point!”

Arabella laughed too and said, “'Course. Only joking!” But I didn't really know if she was or not. How strange! I'd be desperate to do everything I could for my pony if I had one. Especially if it was my gorgeous Lucky! I'd do anything for
him
!

Lucky was so funny in the barn. Like, when I was grooming him he kept turning his head and trying to eat the body brush. He also nudged the tack box over with his nose, to see if there were any Polos at the bottom, probably! I love him so much already, and when I gave him a big
pat and stroke he did a happy snort and nuzzled into my shoulder, so I think he loves me, too.

Arabella was waiting by the barn door for me so we could go in for lunch together, but I had to keep popping back to see Lucky! She just stood there, going, “Hurry up, I'm hungry!” so I gave him a last hug and then I gave Gracie one too, so she didn't feel left out.

For lunch we had chicken and salad and—

Oh, we're all off to the yard now. Sally's going to reveal her surprise! Well, fast writing worked, 'cos I got down nearly everything we've done so far!

We’re about to have our workshop and I’m just quickly scribbling this while Sally’s gone to find the pens for the whiteboard. The surprise is:

I know from watching the Winter Dressage Championships on
Horse and Country TV
that this is called freestyle. It’s my fave type of dressage and it’s so cool to see the horses moving in time to the music. We even get to pick what movements we want to do and choose our own tunes, too! It’ll be just like doing dance routines, but on our ponies!

Well,
obviously
everyone was really excited about it and instantly started chatting about what music they might pick. Arabella did get
a bit worried that we won’t be doing “proper” dressage tests like the official ones at comps, but Sally promised her that we’ll be taking the technical side very seriously and the movements will have to be absolutely spot on. Plus, there are going to be some things in it we
all
have to do (called the compulsory movements) so she can compare us more easily. We were all a bit nervous, but Sally said not to worry as we’ll build up our routines step by step. Phew!

Marie had the idea of doing the comp in fancy dress then, and started saying how she wanted to do Mischief up as a pop star and dye his mane with different colour hair mascaras and put purple legwarmers on him!

We all laughed when Sally said, “I don’t think Mischief would be too happy about that, seeing as he’s a boy!” But she did agree that some kind of themed dress to go with our music might be fun.

Arabella said she’s just bought a brand-new regulation dressage competition jacket and jodhs and she’s wearing
them
, so there! Sally smiled and said that’s fine, too.

Even more exciting, when we have our trip out to the Dorset County Show on Wednesday, Sally says we’ll be seeing some freestyle dressage to music in one of the show rings. So we’ll be able to get some tips from the pros, as well!

Oh, she’s back, gotta go… 

We’re all going swimming soon, but Jody says we have to let our tea go down for half an hour first. Hopefully that’s enough time to write about what happened this afternoon!

When Sally came back, we started off talking about the most important elements of dressage, and she wrote a list of things like rhythm and balance and expression, and also that “the aim is to get yourself and your pony moving as one, in harmony”.

I reckon me and Lucky can manage that – we’re such a good team already!

Then Sally explained the compulsory movements. She said we could work them into our own routines however we wanted, but that it’s a good idea to make everything flowing and
symmetrical (i.e. to do each thing twice, once on each rein). She said this is also a good idea because if you don’t get something right on one rein you still have another chance to show the judges you can do it – clever, huh?

Here’s the list of compulsory movements:

Medium walk

Working trot (and also show a few lengthened strides)

20 metre circle

Working canter

Rein back 4 steps (tricky!)

We can also add other stuff like 10m circles, turns, all the other transitions (well, maybe not halt to canter, or even walk to canter, not for me anyway!), serpentines and free walk on a long rein. Leonie wants to do counter-canter in hers, which is mega-difficult! Sally says it’s a possibility and we’ll see how we get on. With so much choice of what to do, our routines are going to be really different from each other!

When it was time for our lesson we were already massively excited and we’d all started having ideas about what we might put in our routines. We were still chatting away as we warmed up in the manège and Sally had to tell us to calm down and concentrate! As we were walking and trotting round on each rein, she explained that one of the cornerstones of dressage is getting good impulsion, which means, well, not
speed
exactly, but more like
power through the pony’s hindquarters. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but I do know that Lucky and I didn’t have much of it! He did wake up a bit when we did loads of turns, circles, half halts and transitions, though. Sally said he’s much more expressive in his movements when I get him going just that extra bit more, so if I can improve his impulsion I should have expression sorted out, too.

Flame has no problem being expressive, she’s as much of a drama queen as Paula and they look great together! Their work was brilliant from the start – and even during the warm-up they were sailing round in this beautiful springy trot like complete pros. Marie’s working trot looked nice and even, too – once she’d got Mischief actually
on
the track, that is! And Leonie seems to be able to get Charm to halt exactly at the marker, never
leaving a leg behind. I wish me and Lucky could do that!

When we practised the compulsory movements one by one I found the working trot quite tricky, and Lucky didn’t at all get what I was asking for in the rein back.

But, can you believe it, Arabella said she thought it was all easy-peasy! Sally smiled and said, “Well, of course you can easily do each thing on its
own
, but it’s putting the movements together and hitting specific markers that’s far more challenging.”

Unlike Charm, Lucky doesn’t seem that interested in making transitions exactly at the right markers, and that’s something I really need to work on – well, something
else
! I don’t mind, though, there’s plenty of time to improve on everything. And I love how relaxed Lucky is; it’s
part of his character and I wouldn’t want him to be any different!

I kind of wish Arabella would chill out a bit, though. I don’t think she
was
joking when she said I’d
have
to be her friend. She sticks to me like glue, and doesn’t have much to say to the other girls.

I don’t mind, well, not
really
really, but it is a bit annoying when I’m chatting to Marie or Millie and she just comes up and drags me off. Also, she can be a bit mean about people. Like, when we were untacking she was going, “Can you believe Marie suggested hair mascaras and legwarmers for Mischief! How ridiculous!”

I felt really awkward ’cos she wasn’t exactly saying it very quietly and I thought Marie might hear (she was only in the next pen with Leonie and their ponies). I hate it when girls gossip about each other – I just don’t see the point.
So I said, “She was only being keen.” Arabella got cross with me then out of nowhere and went, “Huh! Whose side are you
on
?” So I got annoyed back and said, “I don’t think there are
sides
.”

She just gave me a huffy look and began putting everything back in her tack box. That’s when I realized she hadn’t picked out Gracie’s feet. I didn’t feel like saying anything, seeing as she was being so moody with me, but on the other hand I didn’t want Gracie to have a bit of wood chipping or a stone stuck in her foot for the rest of the day. When I mentioned it, Arabella went, “I was going to do it now,
actually
,” in this really stroppy way. I don’t know why she was so prickly about it. We all forget things now and again. It’s no big deal.