Riding a Dragon

Riding a dragon in the hunter ring, and making this so-called dragon look good, is much harder than it appears.


This is how it usually goes:

Dragon is groggy and sleepy and cuddly when you arrive at 7 am.

Dragon must have a bath because he is grey and therefore green.

Then you tack Dragon up and take him for a brisk hack to try to "drain" any excess energy.

There was no excess energy. Shucks.

So you untack, re-tack (yes, I'm serious), and go back to the ring to school.

While schooling, Dragon is calm. In fact, you must beat him to make him go faster. You beat and beat and beat, and nothing happens.

You lower your spurs to go into the ring, because you never know what is going to happen.

Happy Dragon? Scared Dragon? Manic Dragon? You have a mild panic attack wondering which version will emerge.

Enter ring.

First jump goes well. (Could it be happy Dragon??!)

Then you turn the corner, Dragon sees a sign 10 feet from the ring, and this happens:

Look at the beautiful hunter! So calm and majestic.

What is the beautiful hunter looking at?

Could it be...a WHITE SIGN?!!??

And then you get Dragon. *insert scary music*

 So basically, that happened every time I went in the ring that day. Which was at least 3 times.

I love my horse...I love my horse...I love my horse. I just need to keep reminding myself that, right?