Horsemen Trials, A Fantasy Story about Horses

Mr. Blair's talk had definitely made me reconsider the doubts I was having. However, it did not completely erase them, and I still wanted to try out Mr. Bellton's method.

Mr. Blair knew what I was doing, and he was not offended, just slightly saddened. But he sent me off with his blessing.

Unlike Mr. Blair, Mr. Bellton would not give away his instruction for free. I had to take a little bit of my precious savings to pay for one lesson. That made me hesitate, but I still went through with it.

I found out my friend Lillian was also going to take a lesson with Mr. Bellton as well, so we arranged it to have both of our lessons together. We met up under a willow tree halfway to Mr. Bellton's place.

"So, how's training going?" Asked Lillian. We started walking our horses lazily up the road.

"Really good. Cantering is a breeze now. She's still on the forehand of course but that's getting better. Her back is so much stronger than before, her topline is starting to fill out good. Mr. Blair says that we'll start working on leg yielding soon. How's yours?"

She shrugged. "Alright. Checkmate refuses to pick up the left lead though. It's weird."

I could tell it bothered her more than she was letting on. "Why won't he?"

"I don't know, he just won't. Every single time he refuses it." Frustration crept in. "If only I knew what it was so I could fix it."

I nodded. I could relate to that feeling.

She shook her head. "I'm hoping Mr. Bellton can help me fix it today. I've tried everything I know of."

I asked Lillian if she could do her lesson with Mr. Bellton first, so I could watch it. I was still slightly uneasy about Mr. Bellton, and I wanted the chance to back out if I didn't like what I saw. She agreed like the good friend that she was.

Mr. Bellton had just finished a lesson and as the person was leaving the arena with their horse, he waved at us. "Hello! Who's going to have their lesson first?"

"I am," said Lillian as she nudged Checkmate through the gate that the other person held open for her. She gave a nod of thanks.

"And you are?"

"Lillian, sir."

"Hello Lillian. And what is your horse's name?"

"Checkmate."

"A fine name. So, any problems or concerns you have that you'd like to work on?"

"Checkmate won't pick up the left lead. I mean, he'll do it sometimes, but hardly ever on command. I don't know what to do about it, I've tried everything I know."

He nodded contemplatively. "Alright then, we'll work on that today. Why don't you just warm him up and we'll see how he goes."

I dismounted and leaned against the arena fence. There was no point in staying on Destiny until it was time for my lesson.

Lillian squeezed Checkmate into trot and they went round the arena. Mr. Bellton put a hand to his chin and watched them.

She did some circles, then brought Checkmate down to a walk before changing directions. She did the same thing going the other way.

I was watching her when suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.

"Finally come to an up-to-date trainer?"

I startled, then turned in my seat to see Nadia behind me.

I pressed my lips together in irritation. "No, I'm just here for one lesson to see how I like him."

She gave me a sickly sweet smile. "Behind Mr. Blair's back, I suppose? I wonder what he'd think, seeing you here with a rival trainer."

I stiffened, my hand clenching Destiny's reins tightly. "Mr. Blair knows I'm here. He let me go with his blessing." I glared at her. "Now, if you please, I'd like to watch my friend ride her horse in peace."

She shrugged. "Whatever."

I ignored her and turned back to the fence.

Lillian was now cantering Checkmate on the right rein, his good lead. They flowed well together. I mentally checked her position. Inside hip was forward and matched the leading leg. Good. Outside leg was slightly back, also good.

But then suddenly her position changed and she put her legs back as if she were trotting or walking. Irritated I twisted the rein in my hand. Didn't she know her seat must compliment the horse's footfall in canter, otherwise he was liable to...

Checkmate broke from the canter to trot before I could finish the thought.

"Don't let him do that!" Barked Mr. Bellton. "Kick that lazy horse back into canter right now!"

No, no, no! Checkmate honestly thought Lillian wanted trot, couldn't he see that? Her seat and leg position told him to trot.

Lillian listened to Mr. Bellton and gave a firm kick to Checkmate. The horse, after a few rushing steps of trot that made me cringe, faithfully leapt into canter.

They went around like that for another lap, but Lillian still had to kick him every once in awhile. It bothered me to no end. Checkmate was slightly confused, and the way Lillian was sitting made it harder for him to balance.

"Bring him to trot and change rein. Let's try to the left lead," called out Mr. Bellton.

Lillian pulled him down to trot and changed the rein. Her face was tense.

She came up to a corner in a fast trot, sat down, and kicked Checkmate with the outside leg. He picked up the wrong lead.

I nearly cried out. The problem was so obvious! Lillian was in position for cantering on the right lead, not the left, her inside hip needed to be forward. It was making it hard for Checkmate to pick of the left lead even if he wanted to.

"Bring him back to trot and try again," instructed Mr. Bellton.

She had already brought him to trot and was posting. She reached another corner, sat, and kicked again with the outside leg, but her inside hip was still back. Once again Checkmate picked up the wrong lead.

"Again," called Mr. Bellton.

They tried that several more times, by the end of which Checkmate was huffing. I think they would have kept going, but it obviously wasn't working, so they stopped to form a plan.

Mr. Bellton decided to put him on a circle to the left, which, he concluded, would force him to pick up the left lead. It was true, but I knew Checkmate would have a hard go of it.

Sure enough, Checkmate did pick up the left lead on a circle. But only when the circle was so tiny there was no other way. Even then he was uncomfortable because of Lillian's wayward seat.

Sometimes he'd desperately try for the right lead, only to be pulled roughly down to trot. It was just as well though, there was no way he was muscled enough to maintain a counter-canter on so small a circle.

I covered my eyes with my hand, not sure if I could watch. It was too much. The poor horse was being blamed for something that was really not his fault. In fact, he was demonstrating an admirable counter-canter!

Right then and there I knew I could not take a lesson with Mr. Bellton. Even if his methods did work, and parts of it were correct, it was too harsh. Maybe I had been spoiled by Mr. Blair's soft approach, but even so, I knew it would not work.