Horse Stories/ Sonita / Chapter 5

I know, I know, let go of her face.

"Let her go!"
"Loosen your reins!"
"Relax!"
Those words drummed through my head. When I rode my other horses at work, while I did my chores, at night in my sleep.
My first lesson with the Big K made it clear Sonita and I weren't going to see a cow anytime soon.
I had been riding with a young trainer who specialized in western pleasure and reining. His philosophy revolved around rigid control, high levels of collection demanded immediately from his young horses, and continual contact with our legs. Every muscle, every step, every thought, was constantly controlled, in both horse and rider.
The Big K soon made it clear that I was going to have to throw it all away if I was going to ride with him.
Not a problem, since I had thrown away everything I thought I knew when I started with the WP guy.
"You ride pretty enough." The Big K told me.
I gave myself an internal pat on the back.
"So that's the first thing that has to go."
Say what?
"You sit too straight, too rigid. You might be in the middle, but you're not really there. Know what I mean?"
No. I didn't.
"Look at me."
I looked at him.
Shoulders curled, back slumped, legs loose and relaxed in surprisingly short stirrups.
It wasn't pretty. It was slouchy and loose.
His rolled shoulders were lined up over his hip bones, which were lined up over his ankle bones.
A perfectly straight, balanced, vertical line from shoulders to boots.
Sally Swift would have been proud.
"You can't ride natural if you're holding yourself so tight."
If you're that tight in the saddle you're going to fight for your balance all the time, I'd want to spend more time paying attention to that horse of yours."
So I made myself relax. I slumped my shoulders, and felt my and lower back loosen.
I shook loose my legs, and they fell naturally into position.
I relaxed my hands, loosened my reins, and Sonita licked her lips.
Then she left.
Sonita didn't exactly bolt. She started out with a big high-headed trot.
"Let her go!" Hollered the Big K. "Just circle her up, one rein at a time. Use about half the arena. Don't pull her up!"
The Big K had an outdoor arena approximately the size of a football field.
My arena at home would have fit in it at least four times.
Sonita was in heaven. By the time we finished our first circle she was going faster than I had ever let her go.
"Don't worry. She'll slow herself down when she get's tired." The Big K assured me as we flew past him the sixth or seventh time.
The Big K didn't know my girl.
She kept picking up speed with each lap.
"Sit back! Relax! Don't lean into your circle!"
We ran 10, 12, 15 circles.
I wanted to curl my knees to my ears, I wanted to pull her with everything I had.
Instead I sat back, relaxed my back and legs, and sank deeper into my seat. I'll be darned. I felt safe, and comfortable.This was getting kind of fun.
The Big K sat in the middle of our circle. I swear, he was laughing.
"She's going to hurt herself before she quits!" I yelled as we whipped past.
"OK. Give her a whoa. Don't pull!"
"Whoaaaaaa." I said , steady and low. I took my legs completely off, settled my weight in the back of my saddle ... and Sonita sped up.
She had finally gotten me the hell off her face, she wasn't going to give it up anytime soon.
"PULL HER DOWN!"
Ahh, music to my ears. I grabbed hold of her and planted her red little kiester in the dirt.
Sonita and I stood, wheezing in unison, both of us blinking sweat out of our eyes, noses dripping.
"She hasn't got a lot of rate, does she?" The Big K asked.
"I guess you could say that."
"We've got to get her circling with some sense."
"What do you mean?"
"She needs to be circling with a purpose, not just flying around. It needs to be a job. You've got to get a handle on that."
"You won't let me take hold of her."
"She's never going to listen to you if you keep hanging on her."
"So what do I do?"
"I'd suggest you take her out and lope the other way."
I stared at the Big K.
He looked back at me, a mild look in his eyes, and a smart ass grin on his face.
It would appear the bastard wanted me to think. Fine.
The gloves were off.
I picked up my reins and Sonita eagerly launched into her next set of circles.
"Relax! Let go of her!"