The stable is chaotic. Junior riders are preparing their horses for lessons and stable hands are hurrying to clean the barn.

I walk up to Ashley, a junior rider who owns her horse Declan, who's trying to nip her back pocket.

"What's going on?"

"You didn't hear?" She asks.

"Hear what?"

"Clinton Anderson's coming here today. Someone said that one of the newer horses had tried to kill them."

"Which one?"

"The crazy Mustang out front."

"Amy's not crazy. She's just green."

"I accidentally told Megan she was good to ride. I'm sorry. I didn't know she was yours."

"Ask next time."

"I will."

~W~

Rain and Dazzle hang their heads, enjoying the fan blowing in their faces.

Sophie and I grab their saddles and bridles, setting them on their tack trunks, wanting to tack up in their stalls.

It appears to be a race between us, so I ignore Dazzle's complaints about not being groomed all the way, and toss the saddle up onto her back and tighten the girth. She tries to resist the bit, but I entice her with a sugarcube.

I notice that Rain is giving Sophie a hard time, so I quickly bridle the head-shy mare, securing the throatlatch.

Together we walk the horses side-by-side to the indoor arena, several riders practicing for their lessons.

Sophie leads Rain to the mounting block, tightening her girth and shortening her irons.

She swings up into the saddle, grabbing mane as Rain moves forward to dodge Diablo who storms past, his rider losing control.

"Watch where you're going, Matthew's!" Sophie scolds as I line Dazzle up with the mounting block and mount up.

"Lets take the far corner. Connor's riding that horse way too hard."

"Yeah, I see. Hopefully an instructor comes in soon."

"Me too."

"Lets warmup and talk our exercise plan."

"Okay."

We walk our horses to the corner, making our left shape is correct and that the horses are bending into our leg.

"Trot, ho!" Dazzle perks up into the trot as I begin to show her how to flex into the bit, still keeping shape.

Rain speeds up, but remains at a steady trot.

"Good girl, Rain." Sophie coos, stroking the beautiful paint mare.

"Want to canter?" Almost every rider who was standing in the center was now following Sophie and I at the trot. Connor and Diablo were in the other arena, pinging over 1m fences.