Picture Perfect

It’s been two weeks since the semester project had been assigned. So far, Jimmy has been of no help and I refuse to do the entire thing by myself. He even had the nerve today to walk away from me in the middle of what I was saying. Jackass. Luckily, though, it’s Friday, meaning I don’t have to deal with him until Monday (if he actually showed up to class).

Sighing to myself, I quickly got changed and headed out to the barn. For some reason or another, I had been completely off in my lessons for the last week and a half.

“You’re late,” sounded my instructor’s impatient voice as I walked beside the rail.

Startled, I looked over to the middle of the ring where she was standing with Puck, who only had his bridle on. “What?”

“You’re late,” she stated slowly. “We’ve been waiting.”

“I go that, but why does my horse not have a saddle on and why are you holding him?”

“You need to learn to trust your body, and I suggest you change into something else...cut off shorts will be fine.”

I quickly ran back into the office and changed into an old pair of shorts that I mucked stalls in before going back out. “Um, okay? And how am I to get on him? The mounting block is too small and we know that I have no jump.”

She motioned to the rail on front of me, which was technically a waist-high wall for spectators to lean against.

Rolling my eyes, I got on top of it as she walked Puck over to me. She threw the reigns over his head pushed his barrel toward me and I slid my right leg over his sleek back. I took a deep breath as I settled down onto his back.

“Yes, he is a complete goofball on the ground, but he’s an absolute angel under you,” Rosanna told me, having not let go of him yet. “Don’t worry. He knows his job. He won’t let anything hurt you.”

I nodded my head. “Ok. C’mon, Puck.” I commanded, clicking my tongue and nudging his sides.

“Good. We’re going to start with lateral work at the walk. So, get into a 30 meter circle…”

This went on for the next thirty or so minutes. She would tell me what to do and I would do it. Puck, true to Rosanna’s word, was a perfect gentleman. I was surprised. We were doing Level 4 dressage moves without any complications. By the end of the half hour, I was cantering over a 2’6” course comfortably.

“Alright, good, come into the center so that I can give him a cookie.”

Puck’s ears immediately perked up and he pranced toward her.

Smiling, Rosanna fed him two small treats before she quickly unbuckled my throat latch and cavesson before she quickly slipped the bridle over his head.

“Rosanna!” I said, panicked. Here I was, on a 10 year old warmblood that was over 18 hands tall, without any tack on…or helmet for that matter. I don’t know about you, but I’m terrified.

“Anna, breathe. You’ve already proved to me that you can control him with only your legs and weight. How is this any different?”

“I at least had the option and a backup plan!” I tried to reason. “Please, this cannot be safe.”

“Anna, you need to learn to trust him. This way, you’re giving him total control over the situation. In order to gain control, you must first give it up completely.” She rubbed his face. “Now, since this is scary for you, just walk around for a bit and do some lateral work. I want your arms to be in basic vaulting position (arms straight out to your side at shoulder level).”

Hesitantly, I nudged him forward. I immediately put him into a 30 meter circle, not trusting myself with the entire arena just yet. After testing out his brakes and steering, I loosened up and dropped my arms so that my hands were resting on the tops of my thighs.

“Good,” she said after I was basically back to where I was before she removed the bridle. I had refused to jump. One heart attack per day is enough. She crossed the arena and opened up the gate. “Now it’s time to go have some fun.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” I stated rather bluntly. “Were you just not listening when I asked that we keep my heart attacks to once per day?”

“You’ll be fine. Go down to the beach and have some fun. You deserve it, and he deserves a good run.”

I could feel how excited Puck was underneath me. And yes, I am aware of how wrong that sounds. I told you this is a dirty-minded sport. “B-but…”

“No, buts, can’t you see how happy he is?”

He had been shifting rather inconspicuously towards the open gate.

“Do this for him.”

I didn’t even reply, I just squeezed my eyes shut as my legs tightened around him. He shot out from under me and quickly cantered out of the gate. Eventually, I laced my fingers through his short mane and got him to calm down by using my weight. Once he saw the ocean, however, he immediately hyped back up and dove into the water.

“Uh-uh, not yet,” I told the hyper horse under me. “Work first, play later.” I forced him to the shoreline, and eased him into an easy canter. He relaxed underneath me and perked up when I allowed him to canter along the break line.

He pawed at the water, once I let him have his fun, in water that was a little over his knees. In grand gestures, he brought his right fore up and made a great circular motion while his other three legs stayed firmly planted in the crashing waves. He reminded me of the great Spanish Lipizzaners. Before I knew it, he dropped to his knees and leaned a little over to the right. Acting on impulse, I quickly jumped off of him and got a safe distance away.

Catching the gleam in his eye as he stood back up, I threw a bunch of water on him. “Puck! You little trickster!” I yelled at him playfully as I continued to splash me. I am so glad that I changed.

Whinnying, he tossed his head up and down before he began to splash me back.
It was times like these that I completely forgot what I was doing or who I was with, because I was so damn happy. I rarely got to laugh or to just “cut loose” as most people would say. I had too many responsibilities- too many obligations to fulfill. Well-mannered women don’t act like this…but, I didn’t care. That life- the one that I am forced to live- seemed like a fake, even to those who enjoy living it. No one can be that prim and proper all the time. I bet even royalty have fun every once and awhile, so why can’t I?

Puck brought me back into the moment by whinnying again as he trotted past me, towards the shore.

“You’re not a damn Arabian, you know!” I called after him as I followed him back to the shore. My soaked clothes were heavy and were beginning to drag me down. “Put that tail down! You’re embarrassing me! What would Rosanna say if she saw you like this?”

He stopped and looked back at me, nickering the entire time as he tossed his head again.

“Oh, you think this is funny, do you?”

He tossed his head and reared up- well, it was more like a little pathetic pony rear as he turned to face me- before he cantered up to me.

I folded my arms in front of me as he picked up his speed. I knew this was another one of his dominance tests. I had yet to fail one, and I damn well wasn’t about to start now.

He slid to a stop, just leaving enough room to breathe, right in front of me. He let out a snort in discontentment as he stared into my eyes.

“What? Did you learn the elephant noises from Addie?”

He nudged my arms.

Smiling, I uncrossed them and held out my hand, to which he immediately placed his cheek in. My smile growing, I rubbed his head. His eyes closed with seconds of my touching him. Slowly, I moved around to his side, but left one of my hands to continue to rub his cheek. My other hand slid down his neck to his shoulder. I’ve always loved feeling a horse’s shoulders and neck. I loved feeling their firm muscles ripple underneath my fingers. He sighed contentedly and dropped his head a little. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his tail flick in a slow rhythmic fashion, telling me exactly how relaxed he was.

“Hey! Get away! He could hurt you!” a loud voice shouted.

Puck instantly became alert. Snorting and pinning his ears back in warning, he moved so that he was in between me and the other person. He walked a few steps away from me before rearing all the way up in challenge.

“Holy fuck!”

“Stop yelling,” I told the other person calmly before clapping my hands. “Puck DiMarco, settle down this instant!” I told the gelding in an authoritative tone.

Puck immediately came back down, but didn’t move from his spot in front of me.
I scoffed. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?” I asked the gelding. “I swear, my boyfriend isn’t as this overprotective of me.”

Puck snorted again and shot the group the nastiest glare I think I have ever seen a horse give. And that’s saying a lot.

“Whoa.”

Shaking my head in disapproval, I managed to get to the horse’s shoulder and looked at my “savior”. It was actually a group of four people. The only names that I knew were Jimmy and Val, the other two I had seen in the hallways…and I only knew Val because we were Chemistry partners last year.

“Thanks for the concern, but, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine.” I told the group whilst rubbing Puck’s shoulder in a vain attempt to calm him back down.

“Wait, he’s yours?” Val asked, stepping out of who I assumed to be her boyfriend’s protective hold.

“Yes.”

“Can I- well, will he hurt me if I touched him?” she asked timidly.

“No, he won’t,” I said, looking more into Puck’s eye than her. I quickly looked to my beeping watch. “Shit, maybe some other time.” I added, noting that I was running late. I swept one of Puck’s forelegs underneath of him, asking him to go down into a bow so that I could mount him. “Love to stay and chat, but I’m running late. Jimmy, I’ll see you tomorrow at one.” I tacked on with a sinister smile. I’ll just let his friends bully him into meeting me. Peer pressure can be so great sometimes.

~*~

“You’re late,” mother stated from her seat at the table.

“I know. I’m sorry. I got caught up in my lesson.”

“Really?” she asked, setting down her cup of tea. “Then please explain how you came back drenched in some common whore’s clothes? And, for goodness sake! Stop dripping on my floor!”

Carla, one of the maids, instantly wrapped a towel around my still-drenched body as Maria took a towel to my hair.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “But I thought that it would be best if I took Puck for a run on the beach. We went into the water and he rolled. It was my fault entirely.” I half-lied. Rosanna didn’t need to get into trouble for my lack of paying attention to the time.

“Fine,” mother said forcefully. “Quickly go shower and change. Christopher will be here in an hour to pick you up.”

I nodded and curtseyed. “Thank you.” I said politely before running up the stairs, taking them two at a time.