Dream Horse
By FreeRein
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3rd Oct 2011 •
4,620 views
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13 comments
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Everyone has that dream horse. That jet black stallion, the horse that will let no one but you touch him. That horse from fantasy books and novels that always seemed to gallop its way into your dreams. I always had that dream, the same one every night after my buckskin mare Sandy died. I wanted another horse... more than anything, but with money, time, and the fact I nearly stopped riding for a year, that dream seemed to drift farther and farther from my reach. I almost gave up on it until I was introduced to Cory, a one of a kind, plain old brown Morgan horse gelding.
It was two weeks before Christmas 2007, and I had been taking regular lessons at this new barn for about a year. I walked into the cold aisle of the big grey barn. Heads with big eyes immediately turned and stared me down as I walked past each stall. Every single buckskin refreshed the thoughts of Sandy, who had once been my very own mare. I still forced a smile as I met my trainer who had already put the horse I was to ride in the grooming stall. I strapped my helmet on, hoping to shield the cold from nipping at my face. I immediately grabbed a cury comb and in soft circular strokes, and continued with the stiff, then soft brush. I liked this horse, he was cute, and his eyes were always closed and every time I scratched behind his ears, he would let his tongue hang out of his mouth just a little bit and when I kissed him on his muzzle, he would put his head down so I could reach.
When I was finished tacking up, my trainer helped me lead him down to the small heated indoor arena which was perfect for the half hour lesson I was about to get. That day was particularly odd because my dad sat down outside and watched my lesson. To this very day I still get dumped off at the barn and am responsible for myself. I was happy to be riding a new horse. He was smooth but really lazy. It took constant leg to keep him moving at a good pace but his canter was butter. You could sit through it and just feel free. I was only nine but I still remember the time we took those first steps together. It felt like we were one. Before I knew it I dismounted and was back in stall number 90 before I could even comprehend what happened. But now, it all makes perfect sense. I had just ridden the horse that made the biggest impact on my life as a rider.
Three days later, on a Tuesday, I went back for an hour jumping lesson. My friend Gwynn was already leading Apples, her appaloosa pony, down to the barn when I had clipped a lead line onto Cory’s hunter green halter. I led him out of his stall and down the aisle to where my trainer had picked out our tack. I tacked Cory up in record time, eager to ride the Morgan again. Gwynn and I were very excited this particular day because our trainer promised to raise the jumps to 18in. I wanted to say we had been jumping for a good two months. We were very comfortable with it.
We led our ponies down the aisle with our helmets strapped to our heads. We chatted laughing all the way down into the big indoor, where four jumps were set up in cross rails. My trainer helped us on and we started at a walk around the arena as she raised two of the jumps. We stretched out in our half seat and stopped in the center to do “around the world” to make sure we were completely stretched out. I remember we did that every lesson and had a race to see who could do it fastest. We then picked up an easy trot to stretch our horses and then moved into our canter. Apples had a tough start, I remember him dragging Gwynn around the arena before she gave him a good kick. He calmed down and we both moved with ease.
Then, the words I had desperately been waiting for... “Let em’ take a walk brake and then Gianna; you can trot Cory over that line going home...” I walked fully around the arena letting Cory have a good breather before I picked up my trot and aimed Cory straight at the dip in the rails. I looked at the next jump, careful not to look down at the oncoming fence. Right before He went to take off I felt myself swerve to the left sliding over with only Cory’s neck and my stirrup keeping me on. I gave him a good squeeze with my heels and trotted him in a circle before I did the same thing keeping my eyes up. I gave him a squeeze before we reached the base of the jump and popped into my half seat and we went nicely over and I slowed him to a trot before the next jump which popped over quite easily as well. I patted Cory on his neck and halted him watching Gwynn easily trot over them with Apples giving his perfect little tuck for the cross rails. I gave her a high five when she trotted up next to me. Jessica, my trainer, then told me once I jumped I could canter him through the next. I picked up my trot, went around and faced the jump repeating my actions from before. I popped lightly up and sat back into the canter as Cory continued towards the next jump. This time he sprang before I was ready but I moved with him, going into my half seat early and we landed without much difficulty
We did this a few more time before my trainer told me to add the 18in. jumps in. I cantered easily through the first line and faced the second. I was excited. 18 inches might not seem big now but compared to the very, very small cross rails we were doing now, it was big. I went into my half seat and we leaped through the air. I sat and cantered to the next. It was a gate. It made the jump look even more interesting to me. I squeezed so Cory knew what he was going to. He picked up his speed a little and right before a jump I got déjà vu... except this time, the swerve was much faster and both feet came out of the stirrups and I slid to the ground landing on my knees. To my surprise, I got right back up, laughed and hugged the brown horse and my trainer gave me a leg up. I got right back on and cantered the line. This time, Cory again swerved to the left but I was prepared and right before he stopped, I pulled to the left which gave him no other choice but to ungracefully leap over it. I remember giving him a huge hug and a pat that he went over and we did it again, this time with no problems. We finished the lesson clean and I was very proud of Cory. This time, I lingered at stall 90 and slipped my new favorite horse a few mints before leaving the barn.
On Christmas Eve, just a little less than two weeks later, my dad brought me to the barn. He told me we had to give my trainer a Christmas present. I had bought her a bracelet made from a few clippings I sent in of her mare’s tail. It came out really nice with the gold cantering horse charm I had picked out. I hopped out with the little bag and walked up to the office door where I stood, my mouth gaped open, my brain frozen, not from the cold weather, but from the fact that there, right in front of me, stood my trainer, handing me the lead line of a one of a kind, plain old, Morgan horse named Cory. |
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Pdeletedpp
Morgans are very cool.I rode a few once.I mainly rode a black one named Abawi
Morgans are very cool.I rode a few once.I mainly rode a black one named Abawi
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Oct 3, 2011
• 3,251 views
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Oct 4, 2011
• 3,263 views
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Oct 4, 2011
• 3,279 views
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Stay Untamed
that's sweet! cute story
that's sweet! cute story
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Oct 5, 2011
• 3,292 views
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All That Jazz
Cute article. :) Morgans have the nicest gaits!
Cute article. :) Morgans have the nicest gaits!
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Oct 6, 2011
• 3,250 views
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Mutley Jackson
I know this isn't made up but is there more?
I know this isn't made up but is there more?
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Oct 8, 2011
• 3,242 views
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e q u u s
you are so lucky you get to ride all of theese horses! cute story.
you are so lucky you get to ride all of theese horses! cute story.
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Oct 9, 2011
• 3,350 views
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Arabesca
Aww (: I love Morgans.
Aww (: I love Morgans.
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Oct 21, 2011
• 3,268 views
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Oct 24, 2011
• 3,268 views
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Spaztastic
Awwww.... How awesome !!!
Awwww.... How awesome !!!
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Oct 25, 2011
• 3,274 views
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Hoofz
aww...I hope that you had a beautiful time with Cory :)
aww...I hope that you had a beautiful time with Cory :)
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Nov 7, 2011
• 3,357 views
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Artista
This is a great article. Great story, awesome horse. I've never gotten to be around Morgans.
This is a great article. Great story, awesome horse. I've never gotten to be around Morgans.
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May 5, 2012
• 3,293 views
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Jul 16, 2012
• 3,244 views
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