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!.
Mik drew in a deep breath, and instantly regretted his choices, as he finished doing his last show preps on Glory. Part of him knew that he shouldn't be riding, but another part of him knew how to push past injuries and he was doing this for his horses, not for him. Swinging up into the saddle, he patted the dappled buckskin on the should, soothing the Warmblood as he tossed his head into the air and then pushed the horse forward to head to the warm up area.
All too soon, it was his turn in the arena, and he had his horse in a good frame as they rode around the outside of the arena, waiting for the bell, knowing to keep close to the gate, as when that bell sounded it was all on. "Just keep your head." He whispered to the horse who trembled in anticipation beneath him, as they moved into a gentle canter. The bell sounded and Mik asked for collection as they entered at A and cantered down to X where the gelding came to a perfect square halt, Mik dropped one rein in a salute and took up the rein again as he asked for a collected trot and they continued toward C before tracking left.
They knew the test well, Glory probably knew it better than him, but it was Mik's job to make it look as though they were working in harmony as they went from one move to the next. Making sure that he was with his horse the whole time, not left behind during gait changes and making sure that Glory struck of at the right point every time.
As they rode down the centre line the last time, at a collected trot, Mik kept his face impassive as the horse came to a perfect halt once more and he saluted the judges before looping the horse around and leaving at a a walk, holding the rein at the buckle. Grinning from ear to ear as they left the arena, he leaned down to give his horse a pat. "Good lad." There were areas for improvement, which he put down to himself, but they had done well.
It had been a long time since Katerina had entered a competition - many years in fact. Even back home in Italy she hadn't really been one to compete often, despite putting in hours of training each week. She had simply enjoyed the feeling of dressage - she always had - and loved how strong and supple the horses felt for it. Mostly, however, she had loved hacking, and with her family's huge acreage and the surrounding greenery of Tuscany, there had been many miles of it for her to do. She'd spent days out on her horses, just enjoying the land and the weather and the bond of her rides, before returning home to take care of them. Now they were here, finally, she couldn't quite believe it, and after some months of getting back in the saddle and shaking off the dust, she'd been persuaded to join the local competition.
She wasn't here to win, she just wanted to have a good time and see what came of it. The horse was the most important thing, and whether she enjoyed it. She took her time warming up, giving the mare plenty of time to get loose and feel ready to perform at her best. By the time her name was called in next, she felt ready to go - and just a little bit nervous. She gave the mare a quick scratch of her neck, both to calm herself and the horse - who snorted - before she entered the ring. It felt like only seconds before the bell was called and she was cantering down the centre line. Callisto always looked impressive, she knew that, but even more so when she was working at her best, and Kat knew they were riding a good test. She was careful to give her clear but subtle commands, trying also not to let her horse down by sitting correctly and supporting her through the turns, the circles and the lead changes. By the time they were riding back down the middle, Kat was beaming, and once she had saluted the judges, she dropped her reins and gave the mare a hearty pat, letting her stretch out her neck to exit.
With two classes under his belt, Mik was rethinking his decision to compete both horses today, but they were all here, so he followed the words of his first instructor; inside leg and carry on. He knew it wasn't one of the best sayings to follow, but as he was about to take Fire into the dressage arena. Unlike his Warmblood, The Clydesdale cross loved the atmosphere of shows, and even in the warm up area he was in a perfect frame and all but gliding across the ground. "It's a simple show, not the Olympics." He laughed at the horse as he patted the bay's neck. "Chill dude."
He sat tall in the saddle as they rode around the outside of the arena, waiting for the bell. Yes, he'd already done the test once, but he always made the point of riding the test as though it was the first time that day, as his two horses were completely different in personality, and while Glory was pretty textbook, Fire tended to predict things and he really needed to keep in the game to make sure that he was to steps in front of the gelding the whole time. Fire chomped on the bit as the bell sounded, as though he was telling his rider off for being slow, and Mik asked for a canter as he turned the horse toward the entrance and made sure that it was collected as the entered at A and cantered toward X. Fire came to a square halt at X, almost before his rider told him to, but Mik was sure that that faux-par would be overlooked as he dropped one hand for a salute and then asked the horse to move into a collected trot.
The rest of the test passed in a blur of patterns across the arena as Fire followed every cue he was given and then came to a square halt at X again for Mik to salute the judge and left the arena on a loose rein. "That was pretty chill." He said with a chuckle as he patted his horse. "Good lad." Two more classes, and then they were done, if only his body would hold out that long.
As an eventer and an experienced one at that, in theory, Dallas should be good at dessage... and he was! But, it was his least favourite part of any event, and he knew that he needed to work on that aspect more. He didn't dislike dressage, at times he enjoyed it, and he was well aware the important role it played in a horse's eventing career - it made them a better jumper, with flat work being the core of it all. It was just jumping was more exciting. He had entered today to help himself work more and to see where he needed to improve before he entered the first event of the season. Ace was feeling full of himself, squealing and messing about in the warm up. Ace was his most experienced horse, and the one most likely to have a little fit of excitement mid round.
Dallas knew this was going to be an interesting test as Ace jogged the edge of the ring instead of walking, his full tail squishy theatrically with each movement. The bell rang just as Dallas settled Ace, and he snorted, tossing his head before settling a little in Dallas' hands. They managed to get down the centre line with only a slight midplacement of the hind quarters, and the turn wasn't too wooden, but Ace fell in and out of his contact, hollowing in his excitement to be out, despite Dallas' best efforts to have him hold it together just a little longer. The extended trot got a little too exuberant as the stallion let out a loud scream and humped a little on collection, threatening a kick of his heels. Dallas sighed but could do nothing more than he already was, keeping his hands soft and his seat light to try not to encourage any excitement under wraps. The collected canter was more of an up and down bounce of a ball, and when Dallas tried to open him out just a little, the front legs came up in a bit of a striking motion, as if bounding away. They managed to turn back to the centre, and stand for half a second - somehow square - giving Dallas just three seconds to salute before Ace stepped off the line and fidgeted a little. "Anyone will think you're a baby, with this behaviour." He muttered, but he still gave him a good pat and a long line to walk out on. Ace would settle once he'd had his first eventing outing - at least this might settle him for his next test.
Maeve patted the neck of the smokey black mare as they rode around the warm up arena, making sure to keep out of the way of the other riders, and doing her best to keep the temperamental mare's attention on her. He job was to make sure that the mare was soft, supple and responsive.
Their turn in the dressage arena came too soon, and the rider didn't know if she had it in her, if she was good enough to show off how great the mare she was riding was, but she really didn't have a choice, and as the bell sounded, she asked the mare for a canter and collected her before the entered at A and rode down the centreline, where Inka came to a tidy square halt, Maeve saluted, and they continued down the centerline.
She did her best not to overthink things as they worked through their test, trying to make sure that her circles touched all the points of the arena she was supposed to, while also making it a circle. She knew that the mare had predicted a couple of things before she was given a cue to change, but she was also sure that she had done her best and smiled as they rode down the centreline for the final time and saluted.
Leaving the arena on a long rein, Maeve dropped the reins and gave the mare a hug. "You were so good!" She praised the horse, knowing that she would miss riding the mare when she went off to have babies.
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