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!.
riley turned off the engine and put on the handbrake as she pulled into a parking space at the stables. she stepped out of the car and grabbed her things from the boot before heading towards the stable block. she was almost giddy with excitement. she hadn't seen her horse in two weeks and she couldn't wait to see the mare. she looked around as she walked, trying see if there had been any changes to the place in the past six months she'd been gone. as she entered the stable block she saw a few new name plates on stable doors, other than that everything looked relatively the same. she dumped her bag outside of her horse's stable, underneath the saddle rack that was attached next to the door. "nova?" she looked over the door to find the mare lying down having a nap. she opened the door with a smile and moved inside, closing it behind her. "hey girly" she crouched down next to the mare's chestnut head and gave her a kiss on the muzzle. "I missed you! hope you've enjoyed your time off"
"Stai fermo, amore mio. Ho quasi finito." She muttered to the horse as Croatian snorted and shuffled, shifting away from where Katerina crouched by his feet, checking out a small cut he'd managed to give himself having wonderful fun in the field. One of the mares had managed to clambour into the paddock next door, and being a typical stallion, Croatian had pranced about like an absolute moron trying to show off. He'd started striking at the fence between them and ended up slicing his foreleg in, what luckily appeared to be a superficial cut. "Stupido sciocco" But she said the words affectionately as she finished cleaning it and left the dirty swabs in the warm water. It wasn't bad enough to need anything more now that she'd cleaned it out, it would be best to leave it open to air. She hoped it didn't swell, and stood up with a sigh, bucket in hand.
She gave the stallion a quick pat on his bulging grey neck, smiling when he turned his great head to blow on her face. "Sì, mi ami davvero, vero." Rolling her eyes, the Italian slipped naturally from her lips and she left the stall with all her medical supplies, ready to clean up. It was weird, being in another stables, but they had all been quite welcoming so far and she'd had no trouble - accidents happened, like today, she didn't hold it against the yard. Speaking of... as she headed down the barn with the bucket of dirty water and swabs, she caught sight of someone outside of the offending escapees stable and she paused. "She's probably tired herself out after such a busy day, visiting other paddocks." She added a smile so the woman would know there was no malice, her voice soft, the English words lilted with her Italian accent.
Riley stepped back from the chestnut as the mare started to move, standing up with a groan, grumpy to be woken up from her afternoon slumber. She grinned and caught Nova’s nose, standing her ground as the horse tried to use her as a scratching post. ”nice try but you’re not knocking me into next week any time soon.” Riley gave the horse a rub between the eyes before running her hand along her sleek neck, stopping on her withers to give her a good scratch. She turned her head towards the door as she heard footsteps alongside a voice. "She's probably tired herself out after such a busy day, visiting other paddocks." Her eyebrows furrowed with a small frown at the information the stranger relayed and she glanced back at the mare. ”I leave you alone for a couple weeks and of course you get into trouble the day I come back. .what did she do?” She asked, looking back to the other woman, hoping it wasn’t anything too bad.
Kat saw the other woman's slight frown and hoped for a second she hadn't just overstepped the mark. She had spent her first few months at Hickstead keeping to herself, trying to adjust to England and it's customs and cold, before branching out - the arrival of her horses had helped get her out into the world more, and her naturally chatty and outgoing self which had been somewhat squashed was beginning to reappear, but she was still unsure and still hesitate about upsetting someone. She had to live here, she didn't want to make life difficult for herself, but back home in her little village she was used to just talking to everyone and anyone. She forgot that England wasn't always such an open place.
”I leave you alone for a couple weeks and of course you get into trouble the day I come back. .what did she do?” The tone was friendly and Kat relaxed a little, her smile widened a little, liking the amusing reprimand the woman gave her horse - it sounded like something Kat would say to hers, in fact it was like what she was just saying. "Just a little field hopping, the grass is always greener. Unfortunately she decided to tease my stallion, who was most frustrated about the fence between them." She laughed lightly, after all there was no harm done from it.
"Just a little field hopping, the grass is always greener. Unfortunately she decided to tease my stallion, who was most frustrated about the fence between them." Riley shook her head. ”I’ve been telling Lily those fences aren’t high enough for years. .ah yes that would be my mare, much like her mother, loves a good tease” She joked, smiling softly at the other woman. Her mare had a habit of field hopping if her companions didn’t suit her. Nova usually enjoyed the field mates she was turned out with but if she was out alone she would often take it into her own hooves to find a friend. ”Is your horse okay? Not too wound up I hope.” Stallions were tetchy at the best of times, never mind if a mare is flaunting around in their face. Luckily she wasn’t in season. . Riley did not need an unplanned pregnancy on her hands. She placed hand on top of the stable door when the chestnut nudged her, looking for a treat. ”No, you’ve been a trouble-maker, no treats for you” She chastised the mare gently, offering her a scratch on the nose instead.
”I’ve been telling Lily those fences aren’t high enough for years. .ah yes that would be my mare, much like her mother, loves a good tease” Kat laughed lightly, "I hope you do not feel the need to hop fences for it however?" She joked back. The fences were in good repair luckily, and her stallion's field was the correct height - which was likely why he hadn't been able to get through to her - but perhaps some of the other post and rail needed a little extra on top. "It might be worth adding a line of electric tape around the other fields, much like the stallions have," It certainly stopped them from thinking about jumping.
”Is your horse okay? Not too wound up I hope.” She nodded with an easy smile. "He is fine, just a superficial cut - no harm done." which was lucky, considering stallions, but hers was generally one with better manners than she'd seen in other males. ”No, you’ve been a trouble-maker, no treats for you” Katerina chuckled and stepped forward to offer the mare a pat, glancing at the other woman to check she was alright to do so first. "I'm Katerina, by the way." She realised it might be worth giving a name, to make this less awkward.
"I hope you do not feel the need to hop fences for it however?" Riley let out a soft laugh and shook her head "Nope but i've had a few suitors jump over barrels for me" She joked with a playful grin. In all honesty she didn't have much experience with relationships. Growing up she had her own battles to focus on and now she hardly had the time for anything but if an opportunity came knocking she'd consider it. ""It might be worth adding a line of electric tape around the other fields, much like the stallions have" She nodded in response. "Yeah that could work. .hopefully there was just a railing down and she spotted a chance to explore." She would have to go and inspect the field and mention it to Lily if a fallen rail wasn't the case - she couldn't risk the mare escaping again. "He is fine, just a superficial cut - no harm done." She smiled, a look of relief on her face. "oh good, i'm glad." She'd have been pissed if her mare was put out of action - even if it was an accident. Riley gave the woman a smile as she gave the mare some attention "I'm Riley, houdini here is Nova. . have you boarded here long?"
"Nope but i've had a few suitors jump over barrels for me" Katerina laughed, delighted to find that the stranger had a sense of humour - much better than if she'd accidentally put her foot in the situation by making an inappropriate joke. "As they should," She agreed, forget wrapping around your finger, that was far too low key. "Yeah that could work. .hopefully there was just a railing down and she spotted a chance to explore." Kat nodded, "I'm not sure what was the cause, perhaps even something going on that riled her up enough to go for it?" She didn't know the mare so could only guess, but if the yard was busy hers often got excited and were prone to idiot moves.
She smiled easily at the look of relief, not that she would have held anything against the woman anyway - they were horses, things happened, and this was the drama with having a stallion anyway. "oh good, i'm glad." Kat shrugged, "It's fine, if I wanted an easier life I should have gotten a gelding," she said lightly, though he had been a gift from her father and was a fine stallion. "I'm Riley, houdini here is Nova. . have you boarded here long?" Her smile widened at the introduction. "Nice to meet you Riley...and Nova. I am Katerina, her new boyfriend is called Croatian, he's just down the barn." Though far enough away that the mares stables nearby weren't an issue. "I actually board at Blue Acre but.. for obvious reasons... I am temporarily here."
Riley couldn’t help but smile as the other woman laughed. It was one of the things she loved to do – making people laugh. With a brother like Jake, it wasn’t unusual that she’d been one of the class clowns in school and making people laugh became one of the ways she figured would get people to like her. "I'm not sure what was the cause, perhaps even something going on that riled her up enough to go for it?" Riley gave a nod of her head. ”Yeah, if she was out alone she tends to get bored and go looking for trouble.” She said with a slight roll of her eyes. "It's fine, if I wanted an easier life I should have gotten a gelding," She shrugged with a grin ”Ah an easy life’s over-rated. .I’ve had mares all my life and they’ve all been tetchy”
"Nice to meet you Riley...and Nova. I am Katerina, her new boyfriend is called Croatian, he's just down the barn." She smiled and let out a small laugh ”Nice to meet you too Katerina. . if Croatian is as handsome as his name I get why Nova took a shine to him.” She gave the mare another nose rub as she mooched about before turning her attention to the manger in the corner filled with hay. "I actually board at Blue Acre but.. for obvious reasons... I am temporarily here.” Her eyebrows lifted slightly in curiosity as she nodded ”Ahh of course the fire. . I’ve been away for a while and only just heard about it. . did all of the horses get out okay?”
"Yeah, if she was out alone she tends to get bored and go looking for trouble.” she smiled, glancing at the mare with a knowing look. "don't we all," she agreed, though she couldn't say she'd been causing trouble since moving to England, back home she had always been on the lookout for adventure when she'd been bored. She was getting braver in this foreign country as exploring, though it would be nice to have friends to do it with. She couldn't say she was a troublemaker, though the odd trouble did occasionally follow in her wake.
”Ah an easy life’s over-rated. .I’ve had mares all my life and they’ve all been tetchy” Kat smiled and nodded an agreement. "My other horse is a mare, and she can be somewhat more temperamental but she is the easier to handle " though both her horses had manners and were well behaved most of the time, her mare was more likely to do as she should from the word go, but did argue back when she was told off for not listening properly. ”Nice to meet you too Katerina. . if Croatian is as handsome as his name I get why Nova took a shine to him.” she grinned and nodded again. "I am perhaps a little biased but she has picked herself the finest looking man in the stable." ”Ahh of course the fire. . I’ve been away for a while and only just heard about it. . did all of the horses get out okay?” Her smile fell to think of the fire and all it had caused. "Luckily yes, everyone was able to get out with only minor injuries but it is still such a shock. An awful thing to happen." and the fact that they thought it to be intentional...all the worse.
"My other horse is a mare, and she can be somewhat more temperamental but she is the easier to handle" She smiled softly "Nova is actually pretty loving when she wants to be, besides the boredom escapes she's been the best mare I've had so far." Although she'd only had the mare two years, they'd grown a good bond during that time which made them a good team. "I am perhaps a little biased but she has picked herself the finest looking man in the stable." Riley let a grin cross her lips at that and she glanced back at the mare "No unplanned pregnancies please madam." She warned playfully. "Luckily yes, everyone was able to get out with only minor injuries but it is still such a shock. An awful thing to happen." She nodded, frowning a little at the thought of the panic the fire caused to both people and animals. "I don't know how someone could be so cruel and evil"
"Nova is actually pretty loving when she wants to be, besides the boredom escapes she's been the best mare I've had so far." Katerina smiled as she glanced to the mare in question, watching her glance to the chatting humans as if wondering what they were discussing. "The quirky one's always are the best," Not that wanting to escape was quirky, but she found the one's that had a little bit of 'something' about them tended to be the one's that did the best, had the talent or the drive to go far. Her's weren't particularly quirky either but they had the breeding and training to be naturally talented without too much crazy.
She grinned back at Riley. "No unplanned pregnancies please madam." A small laugh but a nod in agreement. "I will agree with that, thank you." Not that it would be such a ball ache for her, but it would make things complicated - and a little awkward. Her heard dropped a little to talk of the fire. "I don't know how someone could be so cruel and evil" Kat nodded, whole heartedly agreeing. "I don't understand it either, any lover of horses would never do such a thing. It had to be a random attack." Though it felt targeted, she didn't understand how or why someone would do it.
"The quirky one's always are the best," Riley laughed and nodded in agreement. ”Definitely! Horses with character are the best! Most of her past horses had always had a cheeky side to them which made her love them that little bit more. "I don't understand it either, any lover of horses would never do such a thing. It had to be a random attack." She frowned and bit the inside of her lip at the thought of how she’d feel if something similar were to happen at seven oaks. ”Hopefully it was just a freak accident. .but if it was arson I hope they lock them away for good.” Anyone who was willing to endanger the lives of innocent animals deserved the death penalty or at the very least a life sentence in prison.
”Definitely! Horses with character are the best!" She grinned, glad the woman agreed. Whilst the mild one's were excellent for teaching and real troopers for putting up with things, she just enjoyed the unpredictability sometimes and being kept on her toes. She did demand respect from her horses, you had to especially with a stallion, but a little quirkiness was always good fun. "No need to have it too easy, right?" She joked, even if her two weren't particularly naughty - the odd buck but generally more likely to rear, it was always excitement and the very occasional one from attitude.
”Hopefully it was just a freak accident. .but if it was arson I hope they lock them away for good.” She nodded, her eyes glancing to the sweet mare behind her owner. "I hope so too, I don't think they know much yet about how it was started so it hasn't been ruled arson just yet." But it was looking a lot like it. "I never understand how people can hurt animals," it was like the dog shelters, full of all types and ages, she would save them all if she could.
"No need to have it too easy, right?" She laughed and smirked softly. ”Exactly, I love a challenge.” They made her work harder. "I hope so too, I don't think they know much yet about how it was started so it hasn't been ruled arson just yet." She leant against the stable wall slightly as the other girl spoke and nodded. ”Well hopefully they get to the bottom of it. . any idea on how long the rebuild will take?” She hadn’t really gotten the chance to look around the rival stables facilities but she’d heard good things and she was interested to see what the place would be like once they had recovered from the fire.
