Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2012 10:47:04 GMT -5
Amira was doing well at the stables, with a sixty percent consistency rate since arriving with them, and with a chance to improve further over the next few months. With five wins to her name, the mare was a grade four, but with work she would quickly close down on grade three and perhaps further by the end of the year. It would take work, patience, but it was not an impossibility. With the time the stable had, they could bring her to a level far greater than that which she had achieved so far. The Stable Face Off win had helped to bolster the confidences of those who worked with her, especially her jockey Jacob, and there was definitely hope that she would continue to improve and perhaps even get some more major wins before the end of the year.
The problem was her behaviour. She didn't seem to know how to behave, she had an attitude problem both when being handled in hand and when being ridden. She was temperamental, troublesome, and there were times that the staff questioned how they might help her when she refused to listen to any of them. She wouldn't allow them to get close to her, never mind to bond with her, and that caused a huge issue. Jacob knew that him and the filly would work to better if only they would bond. From what he had seen, however, the only way to make her even consider it was to run with her.
The workout was set. Eight furlongs on the turf, as if an actual race. She would run alone, but next time she would be pitted against another. This was the plan that Jacob had formed, and which Matthias had accepted. Amira liked to run, Jacob felt that they needed to bond. What better way than to put the two into a single practice... To bond through running, through what it was they were expected to do together.
Gating was traumatic, the mare was in a mood and she did not want to go into the gate. The way he was acting, anyone would think the mare had never seen a gate before. Auds lay across her head and she was fighting every step forwards toward them. She didn't want near them, even though they signified the start of a run. She just wanted to be free. Still, the handlers eventually managed to get her into the gate and she settled almost instantly. There was no point in fighting once they had closed her in and she knew it.
The gates opened and they broke quickly, moving to the rail at a high pace as they pushed down the turf. It was not the longest run. At eight furlongs it was about a mile, and the mare handled such distances with ease. In fact, it was in the middle of her distance preferences and so a comfortable distance. The higher pace might have made most equines uncomfortable, but it was her who set the pace. Even though Jacob tried to pull her back a little she continued to move forwards at her high and persistent pace.
It was an almost flawless run. Amira handled the track like a pro, but in a way that was expected. She had been racing since her two year old season, this was her third year on the track, and she was showing herself to have gathered knowledge in that time. Each stride drove her forwards, she was inching closer to the finish line all the time, and she felt free.
Jacob shifted his weight in the saddle slightly, looking ahead of him with bright green eyes, and seemed to be counting down the distance in his head. He had given up on trying t give the mare direction and yet was still ready for a fight. He knew Amira would fight in the stretch, and so would he, which was exactly what he was waiting for. They could become great, it just took work, and he was more than willing to put that effort in.
Soon they had only three furlongs remaining in their race, and it was time to fight. Jacob cracked the crop against the bay mare's rump and though there was no increase in speed they did not slow down. He drove her hard, he was yearning to pass that post, and as they did he was smiling. They could do this. They could take more wins, as a team.
The problem was her behaviour. She didn't seem to know how to behave, she had an attitude problem both when being handled in hand and when being ridden. She was temperamental, troublesome, and there were times that the staff questioned how they might help her when she refused to listen to any of them. She wouldn't allow them to get close to her, never mind to bond with her, and that caused a huge issue. Jacob knew that him and the filly would work to better if only they would bond. From what he had seen, however, the only way to make her even consider it was to run with her.
The workout was set. Eight furlongs on the turf, as if an actual race. She would run alone, but next time she would be pitted against another. This was the plan that Jacob had formed, and which Matthias had accepted. Amira liked to run, Jacob felt that they needed to bond. What better way than to put the two into a single practice... To bond through running, through what it was they were expected to do together.
Gating was traumatic, the mare was in a mood and she did not want to go into the gate. The way he was acting, anyone would think the mare had never seen a gate before. Auds lay across her head and she was fighting every step forwards toward them. She didn't want near them, even though they signified the start of a run. She just wanted to be free. Still, the handlers eventually managed to get her into the gate and she settled almost instantly. There was no point in fighting once they had closed her in and she knew it.
The gates opened and they broke quickly, moving to the rail at a high pace as they pushed down the turf. It was not the longest run. At eight furlongs it was about a mile, and the mare handled such distances with ease. In fact, it was in the middle of her distance preferences and so a comfortable distance. The higher pace might have made most equines uncomfortable, but it was her who set the pace. Even though Jacob tried to pull her back a little she continued to move forwards at her high and persistent pace.
It was an almost flawless run. Amira handled the track like a pro, but in a way that was expected. She had been racing since her two year old season, this was her third year on the track, and she was showing herself to have gathered knowledge in that time. Each stride drove her forwards, she was inching closer to the finish line all the time, and she felt free.
Jacob shifted his weight in the saddle slightly, looking ahead of him with bright green eyes, and seemed to be counting down the distance in his head. He had given up on trying t give the mare direction and yet was still ready for a fight. He knew Amira would fight in the stretch, and so would he, which was exactly what he was waiting for. They could become great, it just took work, and he was more than willing to put that effort in.
Soon they had only three furlongs remaining in their race, and it was time to fight. Jacob cracked the crop against the bay mare's rump and though there was no increase in speed they did not slow down. He drove her hard, he was yearning to pass that post, and as they did he was smiling. They could do this. They could take more wins, as a team.