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Description
Day two for sketch challenge. This took about an hour altogether

Today, the old dog Corinthian is learning some new tricks. He was sent to us from ~xLadySadiex 's Top Hat Stables to be retrained in dressage. He's finding it a bit... difficult.

And yes! That is a Firelight background! Wooo! It's missing some features like stable racks, but this is the general view from the stable side of the manege. This image is set slightly in the past, in the summer of year 2

Wasn't sure about his sock because it changes sides in one of his show pictures

Story
The summer afternoon was hot and merciless, causing the staff to once again strip down to the bare minimum. The horses had been put out in the paddocks to get them away from the heat of their stables, but some of them still needed to be worked. Aithne brushed the beads of sweat from her forehead as she led Corinthian out of his stable. The large warmblood had been with them a few months now, but he was still struggling with the concept of dressage. He could trot around nicely, had a lovely canter, but didn't seem to collect or extend himself very well. Aithne had decided it was time to do a few exercises with him to loosen him up and get him to stretch out.

She led the stallion into the sand school and unclipped the lead rope, tossing it over onto the other side of the fence. Corinthian stood there and stared at her, curious as to what on earth she was doing. "Come on, baby, let's do some work," the woman sighed as she pulled a clicker aid from her pocket. She had some pony nuts as a reward, and the big bay could already smell them. She started by getting him to walk beside her with no rope or aid other than her moving forwards. He soon picked it up, and even managed to back up and turn with her. She moved on to picking up each of his feet on a command, and then picking his front feet up when she lifted her own leg. She was fifteen minutes into her session when Adam appeared at the fence, leant casually on it as he watched them. She barely noticed him, getting Corinthian to switch from hoof to hoof, as if her were performing a piaffe. The bay snuffled up the rewards eagerly and waited for another command. Aithne moved onto something new, lifting her leg and stretching it out, encouraging the start of a spanish walk. The stallion watched her for a second before lifting his leg, but not stretching it. With no reward, he stared at her, puzzled, and tried lifting his other leg. Still no reward. He seemed to giver her an exasperated look, staring at her leg as if he were working it out. All he seemed capable of doing was lifting a droopy leg and holding it there. Aithne sighed and turned to Adam. "He just doesn't get this dressage thing," she shrugged. The man nodded and watched as the stallion tried to get a reward, still lifting his leg and pawing at the sand.
"Maybe you should try with a whip or something," he said quietly. The woman shook her head, determined to do this without any aid such as a whip.
"No... no he'll get it, I'm sure," she murmured, looking back at the bay who was watching her closely. She rested a hand on his shoulder and steadied herself before lifting her leg and stretching it out again. He stared at her again, his brain almost visibly ticking over. Slowly, but surely, he lifted his leg and extended it. He seemed almost proud of himself as he gobbled up the treats and snorted, tossing his head up and down. "Yeah, yeah, you're a genius," Aithne chuckled, patting his muscular shoulder. Adam grinned as he watched from the fence, not saying another word. Watching Aithne work was always fantastic, and she really didn't need help from him.

After repeating the extended leg a few times, Aithne decided to end it on a good note and went to get the lead rope. The stallion waited for her patiently, and then followed her out of the school as she led him out to the field. Maybe his training wasn't going to be a failure afterall. Aithne had promised to get him to a basic level of dressage, and he was now on his way to that level. She watched the stallion canter away across the paddock towards his field partners, Volare and Taffy. Aithne would be sad to see the big, lovable beast go home at the end of his training, but proud of him none the less. She also knew that Zoe would cry her eyes out at the prospect of not seeing that handsome head popping out over the stable door every morning.

Image & FLS Characters © =mapal
Corinthian & Top Hat Stables © ~xLadySadiex

Description
Day two for sketch challenge. This took about an hour altogether

Today, the old dog Corinthian is learning some new tricks. He was sent to us from ~xLadySadiex 's Top Hat Stables to be retrained in dressage. He's finding it a bit... difficult.

And yes! That is a Firelight background! Wooo! It's missing some features like stable racks, but this is the general view from the stable side of the manege. This image is set slightly in the past, in the summer of year 2

Wasn't sure about his sock because it changes sides in one of his show pictures

Story
The summer afternoon was hot and merciless, causing the staff to once again strip down to the bare minimum. The horses had been put out in the paddocks to get them away from the heat of their stables, but some of them still needed to be worked. Aithne brushed the beads of sweat from her forehead as she led Corinthian out of his stable. The large warmblood had been with them a few months now, but he was still struggling with the concept of dressage. He could trot around nicely, had a lovely canter, but didn't seem to collect or extend himself very well. Aithne had decided it was time to do a few exercises with him to loosen him up and get him to stretch out.

She led the stallion into the sand school and unclipped the lead rope, tossing it over onto the other side of the fence. Corinthian stood there and stared at her, curious as to what on earth she was doing. "Come on, baby, let's do some work," the woman sighed as she pulled a clicker aid from her pocket. She had some pony nuts as a reward, and the big bay could already smell them. She started by getting him to walk beside her with no rope or aid other than her moving forwards. He soon picked it up, and even managed to back up and turn with her. She moved on to picking up each of his feet on a command, and then picking his front feet up when she lifted her own leg. She was fifteen minutes into her session when Adam appeared at the fence, leant casually on it as he watched them. She barely noticed him, getting Corinthian to switch from hoof to hoof, as if her were performing a piaffe. The bay snuffled up the rewards eagerly and waited for another command. Aithne moved onto something new, lifting her leg and stretching it out, encouraging the start of a spanish walk. The stallion watched her for a second before lifting his leg, but not stretching it. With no reward, he stared at her, puzzled, and tried lifting his other leg. Still no reward. He seemed to giver her an exasperated look, staring at her leg as if he were working it out. All he seemed capable of doing was lifting a droopy leg and holding it there. Aithne sighed and turned to Adam. "He just doesn't get this dressage thing," she shrugged. The man nodded and watched as the stallion tried to get a reward, still lifting his leg and pawing at the sand.
"Maybe you should try with a whip or something," he said quietly. The woman shook her head, determined to do this without any aid such as a whip.
"No... no he'll get it, I'm sure," she murmured, looking back at the bay who was watching her closely. She rested a hand on his shoulder and steadied herself before lifting her leg and stretching it out again. He stared at her again, his brain almost visibly ticking over. Slowly, but surely, he lifted his leg and extended it. He seemed almost proud of himself as he gobbled up the treats and snorted, tossing his head up and down. "Yeah, yeah, you're a genius," Aithne chuckled, patting his muscular shoulder. Adam grinned as he watched from the fence, not saying another word. Watching Aithne work was always fantastic, and she really didn't need help from him.

After repeating the extended leg a few times, Aithne decided to end it on a good note and went to get the lead rope. The stallion waited for her patiently, and then followed her out of the school as she led him out to the field. Maybe his training wasn't going to be a failure afterall. Aithne had promised to get him to a basic level of dressage, and he was now on his way to that level. She watched the stallion canter away across the paddock towards his field partners, Volare and Taffy. Aithne would be sad to see the big, lovable beast go home at the end of his training, but proud of him none the less. She also knew that Zoe would cry her eyes out at the prospect of not seeing that handsome head popping out over the stable door every morning.

Image & FLS Characters © =mapal
Corinthian & Top Hat Stables © ~xLadySadiex