Prince's Stall

[equus8]

Kelly lead the beautiful, black stallion into the barn. He pranced in excitement smelling the air and snorting in eagerness. If it weren't for his professional handler, he would be out of control. He could feel the pressure of the stud chain on his nose. He let out a shrilling whiny and lifted his head way up into the air, almost out of the grasp of Kelly. "No!" she yelled, giving a firm tug on the chain. Having an out of control stallion at a new stable would be a disaster. She quickly brought him to his "stallion stall" which had complete wooden walls on either side so he could not bother the horse beside him. Taking off his halter and chain she closed the stall door, happy that her stallion listened to her. She went to the feed room and wrote out his needs.

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Later on, Kelly decided to exercise her stallion so he would have less energy to cause trouble. She entered his stall with a grooming box, a cavesson, lunging draw reins, a surcingle, a bridle, and a set of protective boots. On the outside of his stall she always kept his stud chain, halter, lead rope, lunge line and dressage whip. She groomed him until his coat shone and his mane and tail were tangle free and then put all his equipment. These "lunging draw reins" were leather draw reins with added clips so that they could be used without a rider. One part of the leather rope attached to the surcingle, then it went through the bit and then attached to the girth of the surcingle. This acted like side reins but kept the head lower for a more relaxed exercise. Kelly then put the cavesson over his nose and put all his white boots on. She loosed the draw reins for the walk to the arena.

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Kelly brought him back to his stall. He was only a bit warm. She went into the feed room and mixed his evening feed as the evening feed had already been finished. The stallion gobbled up his food as she untacked him and put away his things. She brushed him down and then closed his stall for the night. "See ya tomorrow Prince" she said leaving the stable.

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Kelly walked into Prince's stall in the morning for an early morning ride in the dressage ring. She put all her tack outside his stall and went inside to groom him. He had already finished his morning feed and hay. He wasn't very dirty so she just quickly brushed him over and picked his hooves. Prince was behaving very well and accepted the bridle with no fight at all. Kelly put the saddle on and fastened the girth. She then put on his polo wraps without even thinking, it was so easy for her. She then put the curb rein over his neck and led him to the dressage ring on the snaffle rein.

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After a long ride, Kelly brought prince back to his stall. He was still quite sweaty from the ride. Kelly left him to eat his mid-day feed.

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Kelly groomed Prince and put on all his training equipment for exercising him and took him out of his stall.

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Kelly brought him back, this time, as he passed the mare, his lunge reins were on tight so he wouldn't freak out again. Kelly groomed him thoroughly having the dressage whip with her at all times. Soon she was busy picking out one of his hooves when the stallion chewed her whip without her knowing. When she looked up from picking his hoof, she saw that her whip was chewed in half. "Darn" she said, "there goes another whip". She finished grooming him and then threw the whip into the garbage. She went to her tack box and then came back with a damp sponge to wash his cut-up nose. He had a few small cuts from the cavesson. Then she gave him his evening feed.

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Kelly walked into Prince's stall and slipped on his rope halter with a cavesson over top so she could clip on a lead rope and have more control . She tied him up outside his stall and went in with a muck fork and a wheel barrel outside his stall. She cleaned it very well and added a few fork fulls of wood shavings. She put him back in his stall. He had behaved for the whole time.

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Kelly groomed the stallion and put on all his tack without a problem; then she left to go for a ride.

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Kelly brought the sweaty stallion back and put him in his stall.

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Having ridden Prince twice already today, Kelly decided to give him some extra food. She gave him 1/2 a scoop of oats.

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Kelly went into the stall with Sara. She had with her a leather halter, a stud chain, two lunge lines and two lead ropes. She was going to let Sara handle the stallion but also be able to have full control if Sara was lying about her skills. She attached both lungelines and handed one to Sara.

"We're going to bring him for a walk" she said. They both had dressage whips in their hands. Kelly let Sara do everything. The walked the stallion around the barn. As soon as he smelt one of the mares, he went into stallion mode. Sara stopped him right away, giving a short, hard tug on her lunge rope and smacking the stallion on the chest backing him up.

She does have good skills, thought kelly.

A few times, the stallion challenged Sara's authority, trying to barge past her or invading her space and each time Sara gave a good, hard correction telling him who was boss. Then the stallion walked passed the mare in heat and all the pulling and whipping Sara did was pointless so Kelly had to step in. She yelled at the top of her lungs and flailed the whip in Prince's face and then smacked him on the chest to back him up and pulling down hard on the stud chain. The stallion backed up and listened.
"Sorry" said Sara

"Actually Sara, I'm quite impressed" replied Kelly. "Even I have troubles handling him sometimes. You did awesome. Now we have to work on the trust with you and your horse. How about a lesson on Friday?"

"I'll be there!"

[equus8]

Kelly ran a brush over Prince's coat and picked his hooves. Then she tacked him up and brought him to the ring.

Kelly came back one hour later with Prince after working on his piaffe. She brushed him off and gave him a cookie, then left the stall.