It was fairly warm for a fall day. The sun was high in the sky, there wasn't much breeze so to speak and the temperature was likely the highest it was going to get before the cold of fall and winter truly set in. It was summer's last hurrah and what a day it was to leap back into the life of a pony. The water buckets were being changed constantly by trainers, ponies were being given heat breaks fairly often, with exception of the pair in the whip circle.
With the sun beating down on her, Clover had been quick to work up a sheen of sweat. Her once tidy ponytail fell in a blonde mess down her back and she panted heavily as Eden finally signaled for a small stop. Clover panted around her bit as a cloud of dust drifted across her form that she'd kicked up in her trot. They'd only gotten up to a trot at this point and already Clover's entire body was on fire. But not in a bad way. Her adrenaline was through the roof, her excitement was palpable, and even as she stood there, trying to catch her breath. She was ready for more.
"Need a water break, Pony?" Eden asked, panting a bit herself. She was a bit more of an active trainer than most. Following ponies step-by-step as they trained. So she too was suffering in her trainer's outfit in the hot sun.
Clover snorted and stomped into the dirt twice.
"Good. Because you're not getting one until we push you into a gallop and you make it so dusty in this ring we can barely see each other! Now, straighten up and to the ready position." Eden grinned.
Clover huffed playfully at Eden and stomped once. Trotting over to the position marked as 'A' in the circle by a small plastic marker on the ground. She turned to face clockwise and waited for the signal, she could hear her heartbeat echoing in her ears, and even now she still hadn't fully caught her breath, but that wouldn't stop her. She was a motivated pony, to say the least.
Eden stepped to the center, speaking as she walked, "We proceed past a trot this time. The third crack is gallop. And I better see you raising those knees. I don't want half-assed galloping. I want grace. I want elegance. And above all, speed. Understood, Clover?"
Clover stomped and dug her hoof into the dirt confidently.
"Atta girl..."
CRACK!
Clover took off at a walk. In the few hours her and Eden had been at this, she'd gone from a little unsure of her hooves to walking like she'd been previous to her departure. Her knees came up high, her back was straight and her chin was proud and up, even if she was squinting slightly from the stinging sweat that dripped in her eyes. She walked the circle once fully, Eden's eyes never once leaving her form. She didn't say anything which told Clover her form was correct.
CRACK!
Again came that sound and this time Clover pushed into a trot. In a trot, she was permitted to not bring her knees up as high. She leaned forwards just a little to compensate for the change of pace, her hooves making a satisfying 'clip-clop' on the hardened earth she was tearing up. Dust was beginning to rise now as she trotted around the circle several times. Again, no word came from Eden and this instilled a level of confidence. Confidence enough to suddenly stumble and catch herself.
Eden chuckled from her position at the center and grinned, "Too much confidence can be as much a bad thing as a good thing. Focus, Pony."
~That was stupid on my part. Sure was! But listen, focus!~
CRACK!
Here it was. The moment the pair had been working towards. The all-out gallop, or in some trainers terms, a lope. She dug her hooves into the earth and Ran full out. Keeping in mind her posture. Keeping in mind her movements...
...And immediately ate dirt. So many things to focus on. One step landed slightly in front of the other and before Clover knew it the dirt rushed up to greet her. She slid to a stop in the dirt, coughing and spluttering in the dust, a small scrape visible on her cheek.
Eden hurried over and crouch down, "Nice tumble. You still alive in there Clover?"
Clover eased open her eyes and sat up slowly, shaking dirt out of her mane and nodding.
~Of course I wipe out on my first go.~
Eden patted Clover on the shoulder and helped her to her feet, "Do you know what you did wrong there?"
Clover looked to the hoof prints in the dirt where she'd wiped out and then shrugged, tilting her head a little bit and looking at Eden.
Eden poked her in her forehead, "A ponies best friend and worst enemy is her brain. You went in thinking about everything, didn't you? Posture, movement...etcetera?"
Clover furrowed her brow and stomped once, huffing slightly around her bit as she took the reprieve to catch her breath a little bit.
"Exactly. Now I'll let you in on a secret. Some things, you don't need to think about. In fact, a lot of things as a pony don't need you to think. A gallop should just be a gallop. It's my job as a trainer to correct you, get you into the right posture, get you moving the right way. So next time, when you push into that gallop. Don't do what you think you should do. Do what comes naturally, and we will correct as we go. I remember struggling so much with that when I put on my first pair of hooves. Don't think. Just do." Eden clipped her crop to her waist and held the long whip in her right hand as she stepped back from Clover.
~Don't think. Just do. I think I can do that...~
Clover stomped a hoof once to show her understanding and without being prompted to, she walked over to the starting position. Ignoring the scrape on her cheek, ignoring the scrape on her shoulder, and raising her chin up proudly.
