Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
Clayton was ecstatic to get back to work with Jax, and it seemed that the gelding was just as eager to go back to work as they jogged out to the outdoor arena. It was just too nice a day to spend it inside. Between his excitement and Jax's high energy, it was just too infectious not to be happy and bouncy.
Going through the arena gate and closing it behind them, Clayton made sure that there wasn't anyone else sharing the space with him before he let the gelding off his lead, hyping him up as he shooed him off for a moment, letting him get the lay of the arena. Setting the lunging gear on the fence, he began taking off his shoes so that he could feel the ground under his own feet. It was standard to wear some form of protection to allow him to have some grip, but he was feeling more daring that normal. Maybe it was the lack of action of late.
Either way, he stretched out against the fence, warming up and shaking out his arms as he went into the arena center whistling to gain Jax's attention as he filtered through his phone for a moment for some music, landing on Legacy and turned up the volume. It was enough to make Jax focus in on him and Clayton laughed.
"You know this work out song hey buddy," he laughed, "Well, come on, let's put on a good show yeah?"
He didn't care if he looked like a fool talking to his horse like he understood what he was saying. He felt there was some connection and understanding behind those deep brown eyes. Jax snorted and jigged a little bit in place.
"That's it!"
Clayton began bouncing side to side, one leg to the next, and within a few moments Jax was keeping time with him. A good little warm up trick.
"Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody!"
Kayleigh was on her way to the barn. She wasn't there to ride though - someone had asked if she could bring out some saddles for them to try.
Once she arrived, she greeted Boss in his stall - giving him a carrot and a pat on the head. It was the gelding's day off, but Kayleigh always checked in on her horse when she found herself at the barn.
The woman met with the person wanting to try saddles - leaving them to get and groom their horse. She headed out to the outdoor arena - feeling odd just standing there watching the person groom their horse.
She wasn't expecting anyone in the arena, but she smiled when she approached. "Hi there, hope you don't mind an audience." She didn't want to startle the rider or his horse. Kayleigh leaned against the fence, curious to see what he was going to do.
"Are you a vaulter?" Kayleigh knew that vaulting was one of the less popular of the disciplines from the items she sold at the tack store.
"Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody!"
"I promise I won't take videos or pictures to sell your training program on the internet." Kayleigh smiled at her own joke. She wasn't sure if he was famous or not but it would have been rude of her either way.
She carefully crossed her arms and leaned against the wall of the arena, intently watching the horse and rider. The more she learned about different disciplines, the more she could help her customers understand what equipment they needed. "That's interesting! Have you been in any movies? or are the stunts more for social media publicity?" Kayleigh spent too much of her time at the tack store to recognize anyone from anything popular.
"Both, actually. I own the tack store in town and I take show jumping lessons with my horse, Boss. I tend to ride at odd times of the day, depending on when the store is short staffed." Though between the four of them there was always someone during the hours the store was open. "May I ask why you chose vaulting? It's definitely a discipline that isn't too popular around here." She hoped the man didn't take her comment the wrong way, it was coming from a genuine curiosity.
"That's interesting! Have you been in any movies? or are the stunts more for social media publicity?"
He looked up and cracked a smile, "All of the above. There's nothing I won't do to be fair."
"Both, actually. I own the tack store in town and I take show jumping lessons with my horse, Boss. I tend to ride at odd times of the day, depending on when the store is short staffed."
He got Jax lunging in loose, easy trot around him, warming him up.
"May I ask why you chose vaulting? It's definitely a discipline that isn't too popular around here."
"I'm coming to discover that the longer I stick around," he mused, "I went for it because of the rush. The thrill brings me back for more, but its also a love for the closeness and trust you have to have with the animal. And that's not just with a horse either, it goes for the other animals I'm known to handle - large birds of prey and many dogs."
"Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody!"
"Anything I would have seen you in?" Kayleigh wasn't a huge movie watcher as running the tack store took up most of her time anyway. She tended to spend most of her free time at the barn - feeling terrible leaving her horse for too long.
She glanced at the horse, it seemed to be a good mover in her eye - though she would admit she wasn't an expert or anything. "That's impressive, do you take lessons or do you teach yourself?" Kayleigh's eyes glanced upwards to the rider, giving him a smile. "The birds and big dogs aren't a little scary?" The woman was happy with her Corgi dog and her Warmblood, nothing exotic ever appealed to her as a pet. They were wonderful to admire from afar though.
"I do live under a rock though, so if I don't recognize you I do apologize. I keep myself quite busy away from catching up from the latest Hollywood trends."
Clayton scrunched up his nose, "Not me personally a lot of the time, I'm usually dressed in a funny green suit so that their actors and poster boys can be green-screened into place. But you might've seen me as and extra in the movie War Horse... its brief though, so I wouldn't waste the time looking."
He laughed and scratched the back of his neck.
"That's impressive, do you take lessons or do you teach yourself?" Kayleigh's eyes glanced upwards to the rider, giving him a smile. "The birds and big dogs aren't a little scary?"
"I took lessons mostly from professionals, but I am also stupid enough to do things solo. Lots of trial and error, lots of hospital trips. Now I'm the one giving lessons," he chuckled and shook his head, "No, at least, I don't believe them to be. There is a certain level of majesty in large birds of prey, and the dogs are worth it in my eyes. They all do so well."
"I do live under a rock though, so if I don't recognize you I do apologize. I keep myself quite busy away from catching up from the latest Hollywood trends."
He waved a hand dismissing the apology, "I'm no Hollywood A-lister, and besides, I like being on the lesser known side of things - keeps the crazies at a respectable distance."
"Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody!"
Kayleigh nodded, not realizing how the movie stunt world went. Though she assumed, like any job it was more complicated than most people thought. "It's still impressive what you do. Do you have to travel far for a shoot?" Sometimes she wished she could travel for her job, though having moved around the World enough made her think twice about it.
She listened and watched the horse move around the arena. Carefully leaning against the fence and crossed her arms, hoping she didn't look like she was about to give the stranger a riding lesson. "That sounds..painful if I'm honest. Do the hospital staff know you pretty well by now?" She couldn't help but smile, sure that the man had some pretty interesting stories - not only because of his work but his injuries as well. "Do you teach here?" It was an obvious question, but with how big the horse community was in Hickstead - it wasn't right to just assume. "I understand how to see it that way. I'm more of a dog person than a bird. Though I have a Corgi, so she doesn't fall into the big dog category." The little bundle of fur popped into her head, she often bounced around the tack store.
"I can see that. Too much attention isn't always good either. A...friend of mine was an Olympian and I couldn't get the media off of him. Some people enjoy it though." The friend was really her ex boyfriend but she didn't quite want to admit that. Michael wanted nothing more than to win Gold, which in the end ruined their relationship.
