Post by Snowflake on Nov 13, 2007 5:53:33 GMT -5
Workout for Dominoes Crown.
Marissa and Domino galloped along the beach, enjoying the seaspray and the fresh, salty air. Rissa had been thrown from Fury again, and just needed to get away. Fury had been going along easily enough, then suddenly she had raced toward the inside rail and stopped dead. Marissa had been lucky not to break her back; simply getting away with a couple of scratches and bruises.
Marissa sighed and directed the bay colt beneath her toward the dry sand. She was working him here today to improve his stamina so he could do better in longer races. As everyone knows, dry sand is incredibly hard to run in as it slips away beneath your feet. It sucks away your energy and leaves you with sore legs.
Domino valiantly galloped through the sand, and when he was finally directed back onto the packed wet sand, he was feeling exhausted. He slowed to walk and she dismouted. marissa led him over to a tree hanging over the beach and tied him up, sitting on the low hanging trunk and staring out to sea.
Suddenly, she had an idea. Back when she was younger, she had taken jumping lessons. Domino was to occasionally steeplechase, so maybe she could train him here and now for it? All she needed was sand.
In no time, Marissa had built two low sand walls spaced 10 metres apart. She walked back over to Domino, who was snoozng lazily with one leg resting and let down the stirrups several notches. It wasnt a good saddle for jumping at high speed, but she'd manage. She untied him and mounted up, clucking to him. He started walking slowly, his eyes still half closed. She softened her hands forward and squeezed her legs to his sides to ask him to trot. He obediently did so.
They trotted a few figure eights, then cantered over the small jumps. Good boy. She gave him a loving pat, and then they galloped toward the sand fences. Marissa stood in her longer stirrups, crouching over his withers and urging him over the first fence. She barely felt it. It was more an extra long gallop stride than a jump.
They took the second fence just as easily. Marissa rode him over both fences once more, then decided to call it a day. They headed home happily, Marissa deciding to bring Fury here tomorrow with Sarah on Perfection. She needed someone to be watching her when riding Fury. The filly was too much to ride alone with, as she consistently threw her rider. It so happened that Marissa was the only rider Fury would respond to, anyway.
