Day 1 In-Hand - Anya and Razz

The winter air was crisp as they loaded off the trailer and onto the event’s grounds. Anya’s heart was pounding but a gentle touch from her husband Marcus reminded her they had only just arrived. She turned to smile at him, gripping Razz’s lead tightly in gloved hands. They were new to the Loshenka breed but had nonetheless been invited to the annual showcase. Marcus had opted to leave their new additions Cardamom and Masala at home in good hands due to the foal’s age. That just left Anya and her new stallion Razzmatazz, better known as Razz. While she had competed before, mostly in dressage, this event left her more than a little nervous.

From what the invite had specified and she had gathered from their website it took place over three days. In just a few hours now they would be expected in the gardens for the in-hand evaluation. For Anya, she had never done in-hand before and while they had practiced, Razz was still fairly young and new at it. Glancing over at her equine companion she could see how his ears were pricked and flicking to catch every sound around him. Curious but cautious, his eyes roamed the grounds, watching all the other beautiful horses as they moved about with their handlers. She patted his neck and immediately his attention returned to her, letting out a soft snort.

Anya couldn’t help but smile and gave him a good scratch under his carefully braided mane. The stallion had been prepared for the long trip, his luscious mane and tail kept clean and out of the way in an assortment of braids. Even though the cold wasn’t a problem for Razz, they had made sure to bundle him up in a good blanket and leg wraps to keep him safe on the trip over.

“Hey let me get a photo of you two, honey.” Marcus waved them aside off the main thoroughfare and out of the way of others arriving. Anya did her best to stand still, trying to make her smile more genuine and hide the way her nerves frayed. Once they were done she took a peek at Marcus’ phone and felt a proper smile spread over her lips. They did look a bit silly with Razz still wrapped up tight like a present but there was something comforting in it. The way she smiled at the camera, how Razz’s ears and eyes caught Marcus’ movements just at the right time to look straight ahead. It was adorable and she couldn’t wait to post it tonight and share it with her friends and borders.

The rest of their time was a whirlwind of getting settled then rapidly prepared and practicing for their first event. Razz’s mane and tail were let loose from their large braids and combed out. The purple hair became beautiful waves of silk flowing down. Anya couldn’t wait to see how his coat compared to the assortment of stunning purple flowers she had seen on the way in. As Marcus worked to make sure Razz’s hair shone in the sun, Anya finished her own preparations. She opted for a long thick braid that rested over her shoulder and wore her nicest (and warmest) navy riding clothes. Despite the sun shining overhead and her preference for the cold, she couldn’t help but find herself shivering when they arrived.

With barely under an hour left, they went to find a quiet space to practice. Anya was grateful Marcus was more practiced in doing groundwork like this. She handed the lead rope over to him and stood back as he walked Razz and her through the various motions. He showed how to stand and await the judging, remaining in front of Razz and keeping him engaged more in his own presence over the other things going on around them. While Razz didn’t struggle terribly with keeping focused, she was surprised at how well Marcus managed to maintain his concentration on his handler.

As Marcus discussed the judge’s inspection, he showed how to carefully move back and forth in front of the horse to avoid getting in the way of their view. How to side step and remain professional but have a good handle on the lead rope. “Alright, now we’re going to practice walking and trotting with him. So the biggest thing is you want him to remain level with you. You want the movement to look effortless, both in you leading him and his actual gaits.” He positioned Anya where the judge likely would stand before he moved away and returned at a walk. As they moved to a trot Razz tried to lift and shake his head but he quickly corrected the young horse and wrapped up their practice.

“Okay, your turn now. Let’s do it in reverse, see if you can keep him from getting too excited in the trot. It sounds like they want to do the gait inspection before the standing square.” He handed the lead over and Anya nodded.

“Alright, I think I can do this.” She began to walk forward, Razz only needing a small tug to begin to follow at her side.

“You definitely can hun, you’ve practiced so much at home. Now you just need to make it reality!” Marcus grinned, watching as his wife moved towards him. “Don’t forget to smile! I know you’re nervous but try to have fun.” He watched her nod and a small amount of tension eased as her smile became more genuine. As they came closer he gave her a huge grin of his own and a thumbs up, their movement looking spot on. “Okay now give the trot a try.”

They moved back into position and as they stepped forward, Anya gave Razz a gentle nudge on the halter to signal him. As she picked up speed, his head rose a bit higher but this time he followed her as expected. She took in careful breaths, trying to stay calm as she ran beside Razz and he showed off a flawless trot.

“Make sure not to lean too far forward or down! It can make you look less professional, be sure to keep your back fairly straight and elbows at 90 degrees. Good, good! There you go.” Anya huffed softly as they approached, her face flushing lightly from nervous excitement. “Okay now as you come to a halt remember to prepare him for it. Signal him then lean back into the halt.” He watched carefully, eyes on Anya and Razz’s feet. “Excellent, he got it incredibly close that time. The more he gets used to doing this the faster he’ll be able to square up.”

Marcus stepped closer and gently took the lead rope. “I’m not sure how seriously they take the setup but the higher level showmanship events I’ve been to expect you to have it perfect within just a couple attempts. So if you need to adjust his feet, he’ll learn to feel your pressure on the halter. Like this…” Gently Marcus pulled on the halter, making sure to signal the stallion to step back a bit then forward to pull his back feet in the square position. “Good boy, excellent job Razz.” He patted the horse’s neck, chuckling as he blew out and swished his tail. “He’s really picking up on this for such a young stallion in so short of a time.”

“He really is something else isn’t he?” Anya grinned, gently petting Razz’s nose. “I’m definitely treating him after we’re back home. I think he’ll perform beautifully this weekend.”

“Alright, your turn again. Go ahead and walk him back around and into position again. Try to square him up as soon as you can and then we’ll do the judging practice one more time.” Marcus checked the time, grimacing. “We have about 15 minutes before we need to be in the gardens.”

“We can make it work.” Anya smiled over her shoulder as she turned to lead Razz away and back again. Carefully she practiced the halting again, watching as Razz picked up on her cue much faster this time. A smile spread over her lips as she gently nudged him into position. He still took a few tries but it was far less than before they had arrived. “Good boy.” She murmured, giving him a quick pat on the neck.

“Excellent!” Marcus joined her, petting the stallion and praising him as well. “I think you two are plenty ready, let’s give him one last quick brushing and then hurry over.” Anya felt her heart pick up again but there was little time to worry now. With a small refresh on Razz’s grooming and a double check of her own, Anya soon found herself standing with the other participants at the garden entrance. One by one they each entered and lined up, distantly she could see Marcus grinning at her and Razz from the nearby gazebo. A small blush lit up her cheeks as she realized he had his phone out and was recording. He looked so proud of them it almost made her want to tear up but she took in a deep breath and steeled herself.

The judges began by having each rider walk and trot through the first part of the garden to the end. Once there they would halt and stand square just as the instructions had listed. Anya was incredibly grateful she wasn’t the first to go as having some people before her gave her time to calm her breathing and recenter. Finally they were next and she watched as the handler and Loshenka before them walked off. Taking a deep breath she awaited her cue before gently signalling Razz to step forward.

Everything felt like time had stopped, their walk forward had an essence of gliding as she distantly recognized Razz’s movements beside her and where the judges were stationed. Then she gave him the prompt and picked up her jog as he trotted. Marcus’ advice rang in her ears, back straight, smile on her lips and keep Razz beside her. The stallion was an angel, staying at just the right pace and keeping his body collected but not tense. She couldn’t wait to see how Marcus’ video turned out since from this angle she really couldn’t appreciate how gorgeous the stallion looked.

Finally they reached the end and she came to a halt, keeping Razz carefully in check as his ears and eyes flicked between her and the strangers surrounding them. Thankfully he was still paying attention and it only took a few steps to get him squared up and presentable. Giving a nod to the judge, they began. Step by step Anya moved in time with the judge’s gaze, making sure to stay out of their way so they could perform their inspection. Now more than ever she felt her heart thudding, if she didn’t know better she almost could imagine everyone else could hear it.

Finally the judges completed their work and she was dismissed. The pair trotted back to the exit and shortly Marcus joined them. She found herself wrapped up in a tight embrace and couldn’t help but let out a breathy laugh as finally the tension ebbed away. “Goodness, how did we do hun?” She grinned back at him as she patted Razz’s neck and the stallion shook himself.

“Wonderfully! That was definitely your best attempt so far!” He pulled his phone out, showing her their performance. Anya couldn’t help but blush again but her lips split wide in a huge grin. Just as she expected, Razz’s movements were sleek and beautiful, just like in the show ring so far. “I’m so proud of you honey, I can’t wait to see how the rest of the showcase goes. But let’s get you some hot chocolate and Razz back to his stall with some hay.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” She laughed and gave her beautiful horse a huge hug. “Thank you Razz, you did so well dear. I can’t wait to take you out on the trails tomorrow.” She planted a soft kiss against his nose before the three made their way back to the stables.