Even Demons Have Their Moments

Partners in Grime

I know I asked you guys if you wanted a glossary or not in the last chapter, but in this one I talk a lot about the levels of dressage and I just wanted to quickly explain it to you so you didn’t get confused. So, if you are like ‘shut up, I know what dressage is you idiot,’ and you actually ride the test IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA then I’m sorry. Maybe you could be a little more polite, and just skip to the ~~ symbol.

If not then read on.

Dressage a discipline of horse riding which is a lot like figure skating. You are given a test (or pattern) of movements that you have to follow and are judged on how you perform them.

To the right you will (hopefully) see a picture of a typical dressage arena with the letters that show you were you are supposed to do the maneuvers.

To understand this chapter you also have to know that training level is one step below first level.

Okay, that’s it for my teacher impersenation. thank you for your patience.

~Horsegirl113

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I remember the first time I did a dressage test.

It had been on a small, scruffy Shetland pony named Diddyman. He had been perfect for months, never putting a foot wrong bless him. Up until the day I had put him in the show ring and taken him for granted. Then, of course, he too me for granted.

I had been given the choice; do the easy test without cantering or add two circuits of canter to the end of the test. And I, being the cocky ten year old that I was, decided to do the canter and show off my perfect pony.

And my pony, being the miserable jerk that he was, decided to bolt out of the ring at the speed of light.

Thankfully, a man was able to catch us before we hit a crowd of kids.

Blushing redder than a tomato, I trotted back into the ring, down the center line, saluted, and finished my test.

I came last.

They had run out of sixth place ribbons so they gave me a carrot which I, being a kind hearted kid who still determinedly saw the best in horses, gave to Diddyman. Dad later told me that I should only give him half his dinner for bad behavior and in revenge Diddyman broke out of his stall and into the feed barn. He was that kind of pony.

The judge’s comments of the final trot down center line was ‘A little springy.’ I later found out that he thought the trot was a little too fast and too much energy.

I glanced at Diddyman’s stall as I put Demon’s saddle on. The little pony was too short to see over the door, but I could see two ears peeping over. I swear those ears were watching me, mocking me. Or maybe asking to be ridden again.

But old Diddy had retired a couple of years ago because of his arthritis and now he, or his ears, would watch me and Demon practice our test for the first time.

Since I could ride the beast, I figured I might as well start rehearsing the test, that way we would both know it during the show.

And we would both need a lot of practice.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t done dressage before. I had shown in loads of shows and knew all the tests by heart either from riding them or watching them, but I just had reservations about riding the test on Demon.

So, after his jarring warm up of galloping and jumping fences like a lunatic, I got to work.

Enter working trot. At X, halt salute. Proceed working trot.