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The idea for this popped into my head not long ago and I've finally been able to use it . Lakewood now has two three year olds - Karma, who was born on the farm a while back and has her dad's tendency for tantrums, and Anselme, an unbacked stallion who we took on from a friend to take care of and compete.

Selly's becoming a sweet, honest little horse and while Karma isn't as destructive as she was as a weanling, she's hardly sedate. But it was about time that both of them started their backing. This is not the first session for either of them; just one some time down the line where things are a little more interesting .

Selly is looking at an eventing career, should he prove to enjoy the three phases, otherwise, he loves his jumping and he'll head for jumping exclusively. For now, he's trying out a dressage saddle. Karma, though initially looking at a dressage career...doesn't suit it one bit Her stable life with the farmyard animals made her very in tune to other animals, and she's developed an aptitude for cutting. So she's in a nice trail saddle for now.

I'll also point out that Becca hasn't been nearly thrown off. This is a stage in backing that I've been taught where the horse - once used to the saddle - gets used to weight bearing by having someone drape over the saddle, not sit up, and remain still. Becca isn't in control at all, she's just there to get Karma used to a living breathing weight (believe me, they wouldn't be doing this until she'd gotten used to sandbags ).

By that, Selly will have had more sessions, since he's up to accepting a contact and responding to pressure from mounted aids.

I know there's lots of ways of backing youngsters - these stick to methods I've been taught and/or believe in. If you've been taught different there's nothing to say its wrong.

Chess shot the rose grey filly next to her a withering look as she pranced at the end of the purple long line. Karma was still playing with the mouthing snaffle but she didn't appear at all concerned with the heavy trail saddle cinched comfortably to her back.

"Hush, you," The blonde girl said, eyes still focused ahead on Twitch, who was having none of the same issues with Selly. The sweet tempered warmblood seemed to gain enjoyment from pleasing the people around him, and though his expression seemed a little uncertain during the moments his girth was tightened, he didn't protest in the slightest.

Finally, Becca and Austin came rushing through the open doors at the end of the Temple. The dark grey hard hats they'd both donned were particularly tough; Becca had said she wasn't climbing onto Karma with her competition hat. The friends adjusted the poles across the doors quickly and quietly before joining them.

It was a warm day and the breeze through the huge barn was too nice to pass up, so the jumps worked well enough to block off the exit.

"Right," Austin said, with the air of someone walking across a battlefield knowing the chances of return were slim to none. "I can't believe you talked me into this..."

But Chess just smiled brightly at him as she handed over the leadrope. Karma followed it, skipping, to hover at Austin's shoulder. For whatever reason, Austin had always had a bit of a way with the young mare, and Becca had often wondered if maybe she just respected males more.

They'd split themselves in a way that made sense, though. Twitch was a bit of a dressage rider, and quiet in her seat, so she was getting on board Selly for the session. Austin had some modicum of control over the resident scoundrel, so he was keeping hold of Karma while Becca - who was well used to sitting through Matches' little fits - played the part of the sandbags. That left Chess as ground control.

Austin and Becca led the dancing Arabian to the top end of the school while Twitch guided Selly over to their end. Chess gave her a leg up and in just a few moments, Anselme was walking a square around the track and across the middle, steering clear of Karma's wide lunge circle.

The warmblood had a soft mouth (though since they'd been working on a proper contact, he'd learned about opening it, so they'd had to find him a flash band) and though he tended to jump a little when Twitch applied her leg, he wasn't hollow and never rejected the aids or panicked under them.

Chess held onto Selly's long line but remained out of the way as the younger girl assessed the situation periodically, never asking too much as she changed the rein, walked him out, asked him to halt and moved off again.

At the other end of the arena, Austin stepped into Karma's path on the crazy canter circle and she screeched to a halt, tossing her head impatiently. The long split reins that were looped around the saddle horn whirled about her and she let out a piercing whinny of something that might have been excitement as she darted around. Austin scowled, quickly turning so he could follow her and not be pulled straight over.

Becca sniggered behind him.

Anselme had moved up into a trot, still starting occasionally when an aid was applied without warning, but Twitch was forgiving and as subtle as possible, keeping to a rising trot so she could help him balance and not jostle too much. He'd gotten the hang of responding to hand and leg but became a little uncertain when he had no wall to lean on.

Up until now, Chess had kept the long line attached to his bridle, so that she could step up when his nerves started. The person on the ground was familiar and usually pulled him through. The line was needed less and less in the school, so today, when Twitch glanced over to check, Chess shook her head.

"Circle him away in a demi volte and straght back to the track. Don't ask anything, just guide him; use a leading hand if you need it."

Twitch didn't nod, but she focused back on her task. She turned Selly off of the wall halfway up their half of the arena, fingers curled around the reins with the lightest touch. His head lifted from the relaxed trot and his nostrils flared as the wall fell away. His stride jerked. Twitch was there instantly, closing her legs on him and opening her left hand out as far as she could. He responded as always to the leg, stepping out again, and obediently followed the open rein until his attention locked onto the track they were wheeling back to.

"Again on this rein," Chess instructed, smiling. "That was tons better!"

Becca had stopped laughing. Watching Austin and Karma in a battle of wills was incredibly entertaining, but now she'd been hoisted into the saddle. Karma dithered on the spot as Austin helped secure her in place. She put one foot in the long stirrup, which was a convenient length while she was in the strange position, and hooked her other ankle over it so that she could jump free in a hurry if she needed to. She curled an arm around the wide cantle and gripped the stirrup on the far side with her other hand. She wasn't moving an inch...unless Karma cat leapt into the air all four feet at once. then all bets were off.

"All set?" Austin asked. His voice may have been tainted with laughter, but he was serious. They may all be a crazy bunch of people, but they weren't suicidal, and there were always precautions to take when backing a quiet horse - let alone the rose coloured menace.

"I'm good," Becca nodded. Her hat didn't shift in the slightest, telling her she'd been smart to use the old cross country crash hats for this.

Austin stepped away and Becca felt the sun from outside on her back for all of two seconds before the ground she could se below her was flying far too fast. Karma's elbow rocked against the stirrup she'd braced forwards and Becca counted beats in her head.

1,2,3- Trust the little mare to canter away with her. But the motion was typically Arabian - while she wasn't pratting about but actually going forwards, she was comfortable and there was something effortless about everything she did. There was a snort on Becca's right and the stride jerked, the pattern changing to a rapid trot that battered the brunette's hip against the swell of the saddle.

Cursing in her head, Becca focused on the sandy surface so she wasn't tempted to shift her weight. Karma wouldn't take too well to interference from her back at this stage. Becca couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten a bruise riding a horse that wasn't Matches...but then, she thought idly as Austin finally coaxed Karma to a walk again, this was his daughter.

"Well that could have been worse," Twitch said cheerfully twenty minutes later. Selly snorted as though in agreement, despite being more interested in rubbing his face on a foreleg.

Becca shot the younger girl a dark look. "Speak for yourself," she said, but she was amused. "You had a nice dressage saddle. How comfy can you get when you're staring at the floor as it goes flying past?"

Austin looked smug about this. Next to him, Karma was finally standing still, the peculiar, calculating expression she'd been wearing since realising she'd had a human on her back for the better part of half an hour finally gone. Hershey - miraculously free of the Cube again - had all her attention as he weaved through her legs and tried to chew her tail.

"How did it go with you?" Austin asked in a clear plea to change topic.

Chess smiled. "Good. He's a quick learner, just a little uncertain at times." In all fairness, Selly was an inquisitive and brave litle horse, the nerves stemming from the unfamiliar sensation of a rider. With each session, his confidence was growing. "We've done a fair bit of ground work with him, though, using some of the natural games, so he's been learning the aids for backing up from the saddle by incorporating the aids from the ground."

It was Twitch who'd first thought of this. Though it was early days, they wanted to teach him right from the start, so he was already being taught to accept a contact, even if he wasn't worked on it. Similarly, between aids for trot, canter and simple steering, they were getting him to understand how to move his forehand and quarters when it was asked.

Chess used the rope as a carrot stick, and used the driving game, applying pressure in various zones to prompt him to move. Simultaneously, Twitch applied aids from the saddle, so that he learned the new cues with less confusion.

Judging by the content, pleased expression he wore when Twitch praised him for backing up a single step without Chess' direction, it was a process that might just work out. It would just be some time before Karma was ready for it.

"So, other than your new bruise," Chess smirked as they lead the horses back to the Barn. "And a possible feeling of vertigo, how is she?"

Becca smiled. "Comfy."

Chess raised an eyebrow. "Well as long as she's comfy."

They laughed and slid into the den to check the chores while Twitch and Austin untacked the youngsters. "She's fast, very agile and sharp in the mind, too. She won't put up with crap, and if she'll let us teach her how to cut, she'll be amazing. The only thing is, she's already got the instinct and its murder to get her to listen. We could be looking at a whole lot of hair pulling and whining."

It was true. She was incredibly talented, but that talent went hand in hand with a stubborn pride and independence. Chess smiled brightly, though. "When aren't we? But just think if she does learn, and she can do it. It'll be more than worth it. That's enough for today, though - yards are done now that everyone's out at night. Lets hack the 'Kins down to Creaky Tree - the kids love them."

Becca smiled back. "Good idea. Dibs on Tyke - I'm not getting into an argument with Tessa today."

Chess skipped through to the tack room, pulling down a worn but supple western side saddle. "No problem - it'll be nice to get her in this again. Now, do you want to tell the others, or shall I?"

Becca glanced back through the archway up the barn. Austin and Twitch were both still busy in the stalls. With a truly wicked smile, she shook her head and upturned the nearest wheelbarrow, dumping a tangle of rope halters onto the floor by Bonzai.

"Neither," she said impishly, grabbing down the black dressage saddle from Tyke's peg and setting it neatly in the now empty barrow. "Lets just run. We can tack up at the gates and ride past the Hive, through the wood to the stream then follow it back to the road. We don't even need to go past the house."

Chess glanced back, hesitated, then dropped the side saddle in on top of the dressage saddle. Becca tossed in their bridles. "Well," the blonde said. "Austin did shut my dog in the Barn doing late nights."

And with a quiet shared laugh, the two girls grabbed their hats and the wheelbarrow before darting out the side door and haring down to the far fields.

Hehe...backing horses can be fun, but Karma is just a recipe for disaster

I did this one background first (after the lineart) oddly. I think improving is still slow, though. Also, Hershey was a last minute addition in the back, there. I can't draw Karma going through such a milestone without one of her best friends ^^.

Also... I don't know what it is, coz they're kind of awful, but I love the jumps in the back! Don't ask why XD. There's also some of my personal favourite colour shemes in this. Citrus green is a common aspect of a lot of my art, the desaturated brown and tan tack are other favourite types of leather, the sea green and white poles are favourite colours and lately I really like soft yellows and rich, sky blues

But the biggest bit is what Twitch is wearing. For years, that has been my favourite colour combination - soft, off white, chocolate brown and aqua(ish) blue. I just love those colours together, but I first drew them in this by accident. *Fail*.

That's it, I'm done. Enjoy the madness of training youngsters

Taken a few hours but I didn't keep track.
No refs, hence some wonky proportions...
Art and characters copyright to *Tattered-Dreams
Anselme is copyright to ~MagicWindsStables
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.

Description

The idea for this popped into my head not long ago and I've finally been able to use it . Lakewood now has two three year olds - Karma, who was born on the farm a while back and has her dad's tendency for tantrums, and Anselme, an unbacked stallion who we took on from a friend to take care of and compete.

Selly's becoming a sweet, honest little horse and while Karma isn't as destructive as she was as a weanling, she's hardly sedate. But it was about time that both of them started their backing. This is not the first session for either of them; just one some time down the line where things are a little more interesting .

Selly is looking at an eventing career, should he prove to enjoy the three phases, otherwise, he loves his jumping and he'll head for jumping exclusively. For now, he's trying out a dressage saddle. Karma, though initially looking at a dressage career...doesn't suit it one bit Her stable life with the farmyard animals made her very in tune to other animals, and she's developed an aptitude for cutting. So she's in a nice trail saddle for now.

I'll also point out that Becca hasn't been nearly thrown off. This is a stage in backing that I've been taught where the horse - once used to the saddle - gets used to weight bearing by having someone drape over the saddle, not sit up, and remain still. Becca isn't in control at all, she's just there to get Karma used to a living breathing weight (believe me, they wouldn't be doing this until she'd gotten used to sandbags ).

By that, Selly will have had more sessions, since he's up to accepting a contact and responding to pressure from mounted aids.

I know there's lots of ways of backing youngsters - these stick to methods I've been taught and/or believe in. If you've been taught different there's nothing to say its wrong.

Chess shot the rose grey filly next to her a withering look as she pranced at the end of the purple long line. Karma was still playing with the mouthing snaffle but she didn't appear at all concerned with the heavy trail saddle cinched comfortably to her back.

"Hush, you," The blonde girl said, eyes still focused ahead on Twitch, who was having none of the same issues with Selly. The sweet tempered warmblood seemed to gain enjoyment from pleasing the people around him, and though his expression seemed a little uncertain during the moments his girth was tightened, he didn't protest in the slightest.

Finally, Becca and Austin came rushing through the open doors at the end of the Temple. The dark grey hard hats they'd both donned were particularly tough; Becca had said she wasn't climbing onto Karma with her competition hat. The friends adjusted the poles across the doors quickly and quietly before joining them.

It was a warm day and the breeze through the huge barn was too nice to pass up, so the jumps worked well enough to block off the exit.

"Right," Austin said, with the air of someone walking across a battlefield knowing the chances of return were slim to none. "I can't believe you talked me into this..."

But Chess just smiled brightly at him as she handed over the leadrope. Karma followed it, skipping, to hover at Austin's shoulder. For whatever reason, Austin had always had a bit of a way with the young mare, and Becca had often wondered if maybe she just respected males more.

They'd split themselves in a way that made sense, though. Twitch was a bit of a dressage rider, and quiet in her seat, so she was getting on board Selly for the session. Austin had some modicum of control over the resident scoundrel, so he was keeping hold of Karma while Becca - who was well used to sitting through Matches' little fits - played the part of the sandbags. That left Chess as ground control.

Austin and Becca led the dancing Arabian to the top end of the school while Twitch guided Selly over to their end. Chess gave her a leg up and in just a few moments, Anselme was walking a square around the track and across the middle, steering clear of Karma's wide lunge circle.

The warmblood had a soft mouth (though since they'd been working on a proper contact, he'd learned about opening it, so they'd had to find him a flash band) and though he tended to jump a little when Twitch applied her leg, he wasn't hollow and never rejected the aids or panicked under them.

Chess held onto Selly's long line but remained out of the way as the younger girl assessed the situation periodically, never asking too much as she changed the rein, walked him out, asked him to halt and moved off again.

At the other end of the arena, Austin stepped into Karma's path on the crazy canter circle and she screeched to a halt, tossing her head impatiently. The long split reins that were looped around the saddle horn whirled about her and she let out a piercing whinny of something that might have been excitement as she darted around. Austin scowled, quickly turning so he could follow her and not be pulled straight over.

Becca sniggered behind him.

Anselme had moved up into a trot, still starting occasionally when an aid was applied without warning, but Twitch was forgiving and as subtle as possible, keeping to a rising trot so she could help him balance and not jostle too much. He'd gotten the hang of responding to hand and leg but became a little uncertain when he had no wall to lean on.

Up until now, Chess had kept the long line attached to his bridle, so that she could step up when his nerves started. The person on the ground was familiar and usually pulled him through. The line was needed less and less in the school, so today, when Twitch glanced over to check, Chess shook her head.

"Circle him away in a demi volte and straght back to the track. Don't ask anything, just guide him; use a leading hand if you need it."

Twitch didn't nod, but she focused back on her task. She turned Selly off of the wall halfway up their half of the arena, fingers curled around the reins with the lightest touch. His head lifted from the relaxed trot and his nostrils flared as the wall fell away. His stride jerked. Twitch was there instantly, closing her legs on him and opening her left hand out as far as she could. He responded as always to the leg, stepping out again, and obediently followed the open rein until his attention locked onto the track they were wheeling back to.

"Again on this rein," Chess instructed, smiling. "That was tons better!"

Becca had stopped laughing. Watching Austin and Karma in a battle of wills was incredibly entertaining, but now she'd been hoisted into the saddle. Karma dithered on the spot as Austin helped secure her in place. She put one foot in the long stirrup, which was a convenient length while she was in the strange position, and hooked her other ankle over it so that she could jump free in a hurry if she needed to. She curled an arm around the wide cantle and gripped the stirrup on the far side with her other hand. She wasn't moving an inch...unless Karma cat leapt into the air all four feet at once. then all bets were off.

"All set?" Austin asked. His voice may have been tainted with laughter, but he was serious. They may all be a crazy bunch of people, but they weren't suicidal, and there were always precautions to take when backing a quiet horse - let alone the rose coloured menace.

"I'm good," Becca nodded. Her hat didn't shift in the slightest, telling her she'd been smart to use the old cross country crash hats for this.

Austin stepped away and Becca felt the sun from outside on her back for all of two seconds before the ground she could se below her was flying far too fast. Karma's elbow rocked against the stirrup she'd braced forwards and Becca counted beats in her head.

1,2,3- Trust the little mare to canter away with her. But the motion was typically Arabian - while she wasn't pratting about but actually going forwards, she was comfortable and there was something effortless about everything she did. There was a snort on Becca's right and the stride jerked, the pattern changing to a rapid trot that battered the brunette's hip against the swell of the saddle.

Cursing in her head, Becca focused on the sandy surface so she wasn't tempted to shift her weight. Karma wouldn't take too well to interference from her back at this stage. Becca couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten a bruise riding a horse that wasn't Matches...but then, she thought idly as Austin finally coaxed Karma to a walk again, this was his daughter.

"Well that could have been worse," Twitch said cheerfully twenty minutes later. Selly snorted as though in agreement, despite being more interested in rubbing his face on a foreleg.

Becca shot the younger girl a dark look. "Speak for yourself," she said, but she was amused. "You had a nice dressage saddle. How comfy can you get when you're staring at the floor as it goes flying past?"

Austin looked smug about this. Next to him, Karma was finally standing still, the peculiar, calculating expression she'd been wearing since realising she'd had a human on her back for the better part of half an hour finally gone. Hershey - miraculously free of the Cube again - had all her attention as he weaved through her legs and tried to chew her tail.

"How did it go with you?" Austin asked in a clear plea to change topic.

Chess smiled. "Good. He's a quick learner, just a little uncertain at times." In all fairness, Selly was an inquisitive and brave litle horse, the nerves stemming from the unfamiliar sensation of a rider. With each session, his confidence was growing. "We've done a fair bit of ground work with him, though, using some of the natural games, so he's been learning the aids for backing up from the saddle by incorporating the aids from the ground."

It was Twitch who'd first thought of this. Though it was early days, they wanted to teach him right from the start, so he was already being taught to accept a contact, even if he wasn't worked on it. Similarly, between aids for trot, canter and simple steering, they were getting him to understand how to move his forehand and quarters when it was asked.

Chess used the rope as a carrot stick, and used the driving game, applying pressure in various zones to prompt him to move. Simultaneously, Twitch applied aids from the saddle, so that he learned the new cues with less confusion.

Judging by the content, pleased expression he wore when Twitch praised him for backing up a single step without Chess' direction, it was a process that might just work out. It would just be some time before Karma was ready for it.

"So, other than your new bruise," Chess smirked as they lead the horses back to the Barn. "And a possible feeling of vertigo, how is she?"

Becca smiled. "Comfy."

Chess raised an eyebrow. "Well as long as she's comfy."

They laughed and slid into the den to check the chores while Twitch and Austin untacked the youngsters. "She's fast, very agile and sharp in the mind, too. She won't put up with crap, and if she'll let us teach her how to cut, she'll be amazing. The only thing is, she's already got the instinct and its murder to get her to listen. We could be looking at a whole lot of hair pulling and whining."

It was true. She was incredibly talented, but that talent went hand in hand with a stubborn pride and independence. Chess smiled brightly, though. "When aren't we? But just think if she does learn, and she can do it. It'll be more than worth it. That's enough for today, though - yards are done now that everyone's out at night. Lets hack the 'Kins down to Creaky Tree - the kids love them."

Becca smiled back. "Good idea. Dibs on Tyke - I'm not getting into an argument with Tessa today."

Chess skipped through to the tack room, pulling down a worn but supple western side saddle. "No problem - it'll be nice to get her in this again. Now, do you want to tell the others, or shall I?"

Becca glanced back through the archway up the barn. Austin and Twitch were both still busy in the stalls. With a truly wicked smile, she shook her head and upturned the nearest wheelbarrow, dumping a tangle of rope halters onto the floor by Bonzai.

"Neither," she said impishly, grabbing down the black dressage saddle from Tyke's peg and setting it neatly in the now empty barrow. "Lets just run. We can tack up at the gates and ride past the Hive, through the wood to the stream then follow it back to the road. We don't even need to go past the house."

Chess glanced back, hesitated, then dropped the side saddle in on top of the dressage saddle. Becca tossed in their bridles. "Well," the blonde said. "Austin did shut my dog in the Barn doing late nights."

And with a quiet shared laugh, the two girls grabbed their hats and the wheelbarrow before darting out the side door and haring down to the far fields.

Hehe...backing horses can be fun, but Karma is just a recipe for disaster

I did this one background first (after the lineart) oddly. I think improving is still slow, though. Also, Hershey was a last minute addition in the back, there. I can't draw Karma going through such a milestone without one of her best friends ^^.

Also... I don't know what it is, coz they're kind of awful, but I love the jumps in the back! Don't ask why XD. There's also some of my personal favourite colour shemes in this. Citrus green is a common aspect of a lot of my art, the desaturated brown and tan tack are other favourite types of leather, the sea green and white poles are favourite colours and lately I really like soft yellows and rich, sky blues

But the biggest bit is what Twitch is wearing. For years, that has been my favourite colour combination - soft, off white, chocolate brown and aqua(ish) blue. I just love those colours together, but I first drew them in this by accident. *Fail*.

That's it, I'm done. Enjoy the madness of training youngsters

Taken a few hours but I didn't keep track.
No refs, hence some wonky proportions...
Art and characters copyright to *Tattered-Dreams
Anselme is copyright to ~MagicWindsStables
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.