Stamina

Please excuse the poor execution of this piece. I'm really trying to get back to the style I had a year or so ago. I felt like I really found a style of shading I liked and was beginning to develop a sort of atmosphere for each of my pieces. Plus jumping photos are not my forte. So some of these recent pieces are just finding that again. Thank you guys for bearing with me! If you don't know the style/atmosphere I'm talking about, check out the works below to get a feel for what I'm trying to get back to:

        

---

With the spring time weather, Jamie was able to get out on the cross country course on days that weren't too wet. Unfortunately that meant training horses that weren't her own, though. She was stroking Expression's copper coat in the main corridor when she checked her watch. Almost 8 already?! She only had about an hour or so of daylight left!

She dropped the brush back in the grooming bag and untied Express's lead, clucking to him to follow her back into the stall. He resisted like the skunk he was, but he had turnout earlier in the day and it was back on stall time for him - much to his dismay. With all the protesting, Jamie was already frustrated by the time she could slide his door closed. Running late and dealing with Express's attitude was not how she planned to start her final ride of the day.

She jogged down to the stallion wing, footsteps echoing as voices sounded one aisle over. Savannah and Robin checking on Pica (the bay Andalusian), no doubt. She and gripped the bars on the last stall as she swung around the corner and made her way to the one next to the back door. Louis Vuitton stood in the shadows, gleaming white out of the darkness. Without a spot of mud on him, he was all ready to tack up.

-

Louis' little hooves pranced with excitement as they stepped out onto the dirt. He could see spots of colors out on the back hills and bordering the treeline - Cross country jumps!! His head poked up and he turned to the sound of every chirping bird. A perfect evening began to cast colors into the sky and they were on the sun's time.

Jamie squeezed with her legs and he pranced on, his trot with so much spring, it felt like every step he took was over a ground pole. Their warm up consisted of the ride out to the start gate, a little cantering, a few turns to make sure he was listening to the reins, as well as the leg ques Jamie was giving him. He responded quickly, but a bit sensitively. After all, he hardly ever got out other than his turnout anymore; he was definitely eager to please.

Jamie pointed him over some of the training and preliminary level hurdles and then circled him back to the starting great when he popped over them with ease. As a refresher course, she would stick with those jumps throughout their ride, with a few intermediates sprinkled in.

The Arabian stood in the gait, still shifting his weight from excitement, and flowing hot blood. His eyes were locked on the first jump, a simple log, his gaze unwavering. Jamie prepared herself, gripping the reins just so, and leaning into 2-point. She barely had to nudge him before he was off like a rocket! His gallop was large and ground-covering for such a small framed horse and he reached the log nearly two whole strides quicker than intended. He planted his hind hooves and launched his light little body up into the air and over the first jump. He collected himself, ready for the turn needed to get him in between two pines for the ramp. Again, he planted his feet and soared into the air. He had hang time that made him look even more graceful over this course, almost as though he had wings. He fell perfectly between the the flags on each jump and Jamie knew he was begging to go even higher. As they flew through the forest, they made it to the pond, and with Louis tiny hooves finding the sure footing impeccably thus far, Jamie took the intermediate route, creating a large circle, and directing the grey stallion at the 4 log hurdle. His ears perked and he galloped forward, only to collect into a canter, preparing his take off. His impulsion collected in his hindquarters, and propelled him up and over once again, as Jamie rode the back of the jump down the other side, into the water. A big splash erupted from underneath the pair, but it only served as refreshment for Louis, who perked his head and ears even more. So Jamie smiled too and spurred him onward.

The sun was inching closer and closer to the horizon now, and the night falling would be the only thing to get that dainty stallion off of the cross country course.

---

Tree Brushes:  

©Nawaii.deviantART.com