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!.
"Progression and regression go hand in hand with mental health. You often take one step forward and ten steps back." - Theresa Larsen
Early evenings were becoming Cara's favourite time of the day. The family were up in the house eating dinner, the borders were at home eating their own dinners and the stable hands were tidying up the barn so that they could finish their days. And that gave her time alone in the arena to work.
She tipped her head to the side as she stood back and looked at the target she'd just set up in the middle of her arena, arching her brows at the silver dapple Irish Cob pony who was waiting not too patiently where she was tied to the fence, her tack on the ground beside her. "Easy, Swallow." She sang as she looked at the target once more and then headed toward the mare and gave her a quick brush and then tacked her up. "What do you think of this?" She asked as she picked up the recurve bow that had been leaning against the fence and offered it to the mare, nodding when Swallow sniffed it and quickly lost interest. She had been working with the mare for a couple of week, loosing arrows near her, and getting her used to being ridden by just responding to leg aids with no contact with the reins.
After slipping the quiver into place, she untied the mare and put her bridle on. "Let's go have some fun." She smiled as she walked the mare away from the fence and then vautled into the saddle, riding Swallow toward the target, letting her inspect that from all sides, so that she knew it was nothing to be worried about as they circled it. "Good girl!" She rubbed the mare's neck as they rode back to the track and began warming up.
At the trot, Cara dropped the reins and pulled an arrow from the quiver, nocked the arrow and pulled back, getting the pony used to the feel of the movement before she asked for more speed. "Ready?" She asked after they had gone around the arena in both directions and she was sure the mare was warmed up. "Let's go!" She squeezed the mare forward and asked her to reduce the size of their circle and as they passed the target, she loosed the arrow, patting the pony's neck as she shied with the mixture of what was happening on her back and the arrow connecting with the target.
Finally, it felt like a grueling day was coming to an end. The stables hand been insanely busy today with riders and lessons. On top of that, hay and feed delivery had been today as well. The teenager was happy that she had grown up on a farm before moving to hickstead for school. All of those lessons in heavy lifting barrels of fruit had really paid off for her job here. It had only been recently that Molly had graduated to a stable hand at Blue Arce stable, managing to convince Naomi that she was committed to working here and to earn some part time money. After all, school always came first when it came to commitment, Molly Mac'Intosh knew she owed that much to her parents for being able to scrap enough money in order to get her into a prestigious college prep school that her scholarship did not over. Still, she hoped to figure out a vigorous schedule to balance school, horses, work, and blogging, not to mention fun.
Phase One was complete though, Phase Two would be working up the nerve to ask Naomi for a change to half lease one of the school horses, Luna. She was certain that the Blue Arce owner would agree to it, she would just have to put together a really well rehearsed and thought out proposal. That could be saved for another day though. It was time to close up the barn for the evening. All of the horses were tucked away, everyone was fed and...wait a second. Dark eyes noticed an empty stall. Running over, Molly peered inside. Yup, unmistakenly empty. The name plate read Swallow, a name she did not recognize yet which meant it was one of the boarding horses. While the empty stall looked like it was the work of a human, Molly figured she better make sure that this Swallow wasn't an escape artist on the look. Not to mention, with it being October, maybe it was good to make sure that a Ghost Pony hadn't decided to start haunting the stables.
So Molly began her quest, looking around the barn and turning up empty handed before heading outside. The paddocks remained empty, since everyone was still eating their dinner and no lone horses to be found. It was too dark for any late trail rides. Then it hit her, the arenas. She should check, just to make sure. If the horse was with its owner, then Molly would retreat back to the barn. After all, the horses would probably be done eating and ready for turnout by the time she finished this quest. And the horses deserved all the pasture time they could get before November hit and nighttime would be relegated to stall rest for the winter. Heading to the arena, it did not take the teenager long to spot a lone rider and horse along with...a target? This certainly intrigued her as she walked up to the fence line just in time to see the rider work on some archery practice from horse back, "That was so cool!" she called out, forgetting that maybe she wasn't suppose to be there spying. Heat flared to her face realizing that she may have just overstepped her bounds, "Sorry, I can go if you want!"
Tag:CARA-JEAN KITCHI | Words: idk | Notes: first post, woot woot!
"That was so cool!" Cara had her left hand reaching for another arrow when she heard the voice, and with only her legs holding onto the mare's sides, she was almost unseated as the mare shied, though the lost both bow and arrow as as she took up the reins again. "facile mon petit" She breathed as she settled the mare down and turned her to face the owner of the voice, dropping from a canter to a trot. "Sorry, I can go if you want!" She shook her head. "You're fine." She said as she tried to get Swallow's attention back on her, nodding as the large pony lowered her head, saying she was ready to listen again, though Cara really couldn't blame the mare, as her mind wasn't completely on the task at hand either.
After circling the mare a couple of times, she rode back over to where she the bow was. Knowing that she could dismount, she figured that she'd just use this as a part of the mare's training and see what she could get away with, even though she wasn't riding in a saddle really designed for tricks like she was about to do. Without over thinking it, she removed her quiver and clipped that onto one of the D-rings on the front of the saddle. "Trust me." She whispered, rubbing the mare's neck before she dropped the reins, leaned down toward the ground, using all her years as a gymnast to her advantage, and scooped the bow from the ground before sitting up again. "What a good girl!" She praised the pony with a hug and then checked the bow over, pulling the string to make sure that wasn't damaged. If nothing else, at least she knew the mare wouldn't mind having children hanging off her.
As soon as the pony shielded beneath the girl, Molly couldn't help but to cringe. After all, the only thing that looked like that kept that rider from being dumped was the power of her thighs, which honestly, was an impressive feat. Despite the pony antics that she might have caused, Molly was pleased that she was not just shoo'd away. It was a hard sometimes to get a read on people and who might allow an audience and who might not. Some people just wanted to show off, others wanted no distractions, and some, like this rider, appeared to be indifferent and were just capable of ignoring the fact that there was an audience.
For a moment or two, the pony's attention seemed distracted. Probably because Molly was still hovering over by the fence line. After seeing the other young woman rip loose a freaking arrow, it was kinda hard to just carry on like nothing else exciting might not happen. Once the pony decided to give its owner attention again, they appeared to be back at it, minus the bow. Which apparently had been dropped but not for long when they appeared to practice yet another trick of grabbing it from the ground. Molly's dark eyes widen, impressed that the saddle didn't slip nor did the rider tumble right off. In fact, she was able to sit back up right and was now rewarding her pony for not murdering her, probably a feat in itself, "So, are you two like a trick team or something?" Since she wasn't shoo'd away, Molly figured that meant that she could still be annoying and ask questions.
"So, are you two like a trick team or something?" Cara shook her head as she used her legs to keep the mare moving around the arena as she nocked another arrow, drawing it back to her cheek, checking the full extension of the string, forcing her back to remain straight even as she was expecting the string to snap, Sure, the string wasn't made of natural fibres like they were traditionally, but she hadn't touched her bow for a while and she didn't want to risk it. She blew out a breath as squeezed the mare into a canter and circled her around the arena and loosed the arrow as they approached the target.
She slowed the pony down as she slipped the bow over her shoulder and rode toward where Molly was standing, as she owed the girl an answer for her question, more than just the headshake she had given. "No we aren't a trick riding team." She replied. "I'm..." She pressed her lips together and gave a frown as she thought about what she was doing with the mare, and how to explain it so that it made sense. "I teach children the... the basics of riding, and for this I-I need ponies that are completely... bombproof." Which is where the archery came into it, she didn't have bombs. She gave a self-conscious shrug as she finished off the mare's cool down and halted her, releasing the reins as Swallow stretched forward to itch her pastern, leaving her feathers covered in green slime from the corner of the bit.
Dark eyes watched as the rider and pony continued to work through their various moves. Molly wasn't sure if there was much rhyme or reason to which move came next. If everything was not so fluid, the teenager was almost willing to bet that the rider was just winging it as she saw fit. The pony itself seemed to be paying extra attention to her now, judging by the look of the half cocked ears. While she wouldn't voice her opinion out loud, maybe it had been a good thing that she had been distruptive as she had been, mainly because it may have been another great opportunity to work the pony through a distraction, as loud and, possibly, obnoxious voices could be, either at the stables or in an arena.
Once again, the rider decided to grace Molly again. Only this time, instead of just passing her by, it looked as if she and the pony were coming over to stand still and talk for a bit. Something that Molly felt very much excited about. After all, it was always fun to meet a new face, especially at Blue Arces, and not somebody who hung out with Rihanna. Also, this way, she could get a better look at them, close up and personal, to memorize the next time she may see them in the stalls or out in the arena. And then, everything came out, sorta quick and sorta awkward: "No we aren't a trick riding team. I'm...I teach children the... the basics of riding, and for this I-I need ponies that are completely... bombproof." Well, guess she was politely put in her place, "Oh wow, well that's very cool! And I feel like ponies definlently need that, after all, they're usually the ones who want world domination." She said jokingly.
Maybe it fell flat as the girl finished her cool down. Deciding to try and be helpful after interrupting them, the teenager walked over to the gate and unlatched it, holding it close until they were going to approach it. After all, even on the ground, stuff can happen, "I'm Molly by the way," she beamed, "Molly Mac'Intosh. I take lessons here so I am sure this won't be the last time we run into each other."
"Oh wow, well that's very cool! And I feel like ponies definlently need that, after all, they're usually the ones who want world domination." Cara's brows rose and then dipped as she tried to make sense of what had been said. "Thank you." She said with a quick smile that was gone as quickly as it appeared, as she had at least understood the compliment. It was the bit about ponies and world domination that had gone completely over her head.
Cara worried her lower lip with her teeth as it seemed that the other girl wasn't going anywhere too soon, and when Swallow shook her head in irritation, she knew that she had asked the mare to stand still for long enough and she couldn't put off dismounting forever. "I'm Molly by the way, Molly Mac'Intosh. I take lessons here so I am sure this won't be the last time we run into each other." She bowed her head, finding it would be rude to say she knew who the other was. "I am... Cara." She offered as she tucked the bow into the quiver, quit her stirrups, leaned forward and swung leg leg over the mare's rump and then paused before she jumped to the ground. She blew out a frustrated breath as her legs refused to hold her up and she landed on her butt. "I'm fine." She said quickly as she stood up, brushing down her breeches and rubbing Swallow's forehead as the mare gave her an inquisitive nose bump. "You're a good girl. You'll make a novice rider a great mount." She undid half of the Irish martingale, lifted the reins over the pony's head, ran up the stirrups and loosened the girth before leading the pony toward the gate.
"What kind of riding do you do?" She asked Molly as they reached the gate. Horses was one topic that she knew, and was pretty confident with to be able to talk without tripping over her words.
For a moment, Molly became quite certain that the young woman had neither gotten her joke or compliment. Maybe next time, she should make them explicitly separate rather than ball them all into one. However, the young woman's face seemed to crack into the briefest of smiles before offering a quick thank you before returning to her stone face expression. For now, Molly decided she would take it as she followed up with a grin, "You are most welcome." At this rate, the teenager was becoming certain that she would get a name out of the dark haired rider. Unless she told her to shove it, at this rate, it was hard to tell where this conversation was going. It was hard to tell with the stoic ones, because they could either slide into friendly territory like Janie or they could turn out to be total jerks like Rihanna.
It would seem, it would be the former though, "I am...Cara." Short and sweet, maybe that was because the pony appeared to be annoyed with standing still. Molly would take it, uncertain if the dramatic pause had been intentional or not, "Pleasure to meet you!" And she could have not timed her words more horribly as Cara dismounted only to end up on the floor of the arena. It happened so fast that Molly felt mortified. Surely her foot must have caught or her legs were jelly from all of that work rather than the teenager's big fat mouth. Before she could even ask her if she was okay though, the rider was right back up, managing a 'I'm fine.' She wasn't sure if that had been aimed at her or the pony, since she started talking to the pony. Molly couldn't judge her for that, she too, had full blown conversations with the school horses, mainly Luna, but she had been known to humor Major when all of the beginner students weren't hanging off of him.
As Cara and her pony came walking over now, Molly began to open the gate slowly for pair in order for them to exit the arena. As they approached, the teenager nearly beamed to hear Cara ask her a question: "What kind of riding do you do?" There was no hesitation, no uncertainty in the young woman's voice. So, it would appear that maybe she found the topic that would make her a little more talkative, "Oh, I am having an existential crisis on what discipline right now," Molly replied, figuring she should explain a bit further, "I just aged out of pony jumping. So I am sort of dabbling at the moment. I just started taking lessons with Ms. King." Who, doesn't like to be called Ms. King but she wasn't around to correct her, "How did you get into riding?"
"Oh, I am having an existential crisis on what discipline right now," Cara's brows rose in question as she led the mare through the gate, making sure that the pony didn't barge or rush. "I just aged out of pony jumping. So I am sort of dabbling at the moment. I just started taking lessons with Ms. King." Cara's lips quirked with a tiny smile, as she was normally the only person to refer to the adults here so formally, much to their chagrin. With her own petite frame being short of five feet, she would never outgrow ponies. However, her showing days were over, and when the showing season started up again, she would be one of those show mum's, with her daughter in the lead-rein classes. "I'm sure with the right horse, you can go in any direction you want to." She said with a shrug. The question of if Molly owned her own mount or was riding one of the barn ones seemed a little blunt, so she decided not to ask, as she couldn't think of how to word it.
"How did you get into riding?" Cara's steps faltered for a moment as the question brought so many things to the surface, and she pressed her lips together as she thought about the best way to answer the question. "Because I looked good on a pony and had a natural seat." She drew in a breath and pressed her lips together, even though she didn't have the clearest memories before she was six, some things before that age were still crystal clear and she needed to stop the past from crashign on her like a tidal wave. "Horses are more something I am good at, rather than something I chose for myself." She shrugged with a sigh as they walked into the barn and she led Swallow down to one of the grooming stalls and after removing her bridle and fastening the poll-strap of the halter and then the other side of the cross-ties. "What about you?" She asked as she ducked under the pony's neck and undid the girth. "How did you get into horses?"
After Cara lead her pony through the gate, Molly gently closed it behind them. Doing it as softly as possible as to not cause any stress to the pony. After all, the teenager had already caused the pony to spook once, no need to add another spook to the list. Plus, she couldn't have Cara thinking that the only think Molly knew how to do was upset ponies. After that, she followed after the young woman, quickly catching up to her now and walking side by side. "I'm sure with the right horse, you can go in any direction you want to," Cara commented now to her response on her existential crisis. It was something that she honestly had never given much consideration, but she also wondered if she also if the young woman thought she owned her own sporting horse. It was not an unheard of question, lots of people in Hickstead owned horses. Molly just happened to be one of the people who didn't, "I don't think I'm ready to move on yet from my favorite school horses," she said with a grin, "I'm sure they'll get me wherever I am destined to go though."
Luna was truely her one and only, but since she didn't own her, the teenager had been known to cheat on Luna with Major, another horse that Molly adored. While they were horses and they didn't care, the teenager couldn't help but to assign personality and thoughts to both horses and therefore came to the conclusion that they both endeared her, they both loved her, and therefore would be jealous of each other. As Molly had asked Cara on how she got into riding, the young woman furrowed her brow. It would appear that she was very good at asking either the wrong questions or the type of questions that caused Cara to really mull over her answers. In fact, the answer she got out of her, she could not tell if she was serious or joking, and the delivery was so nonchalant, she almost didn't know how to respond: "Because I looked good on a pony and had a natural seat. Horses are more something I am good at, rather than something I chose for myself." Indeed, she had to mull over that one for a bit.
As they entered the barn, Molly finally answered, but carefully, "Well, I am sure now they are something that you do choose for yourself, or else, you wouldn't be putting the time and effort into them." That sounded both positive and cheery. So it had to be a safe answer. As Cara took to the cross ties and working on untacking, Cara turned the questions to her. How did she, Molly, get into horses. Laughter could not help but to escape Molly as she took to leaning up against one of the stalls, "Ah, it was an accident. For one semester, my school signed some sort of contract with the University to do riding as an elective. So I signed up because it was different. Turns out I loved it. My school also thought it was too expensive and a liability after that, so they canceled the program. Obviously, I couldn't ride at the university, so I found Blue Arces and have been here since." And it has certainly been a godsend, "I really love it though. I feel so free when I am riding, like exploring the great unknown or something. Nobody's going to hold me back." Okay Molly, now youre just sounding romantic. Her dark gaze looked to the pony now, "Is she okay to pet?"
"I don't think I'm ready to move on yet from my favorite school horses, I'm sure they'll get me wherever I am destined to go though." Cara smiled and nodded. "School horses are great, as you get a lot of experience from riding different horses." After all, the key to being a great equestrian was riding lots and lots of different horses so that the horse and rider didn't become complacent.
"Well, I am sure now they are something that you do choose for yourself, or else, you wouldn't be putting the time and effort into them." She shrugged and blew out a breath. "It's what I'm good at." She answered simply as she took the quiver from the saddle and set it against the wall in the back corner, and then removed the mare's saddle. "Ah, it was an accident. For one semester, my school signed some sort of contract with the University to do riding as an elective. So I signed up because it was different. Turns out I loved it. My school also thought it was too expensive and a liability after that, so they canceled the program. Obviously, I couldn't ride at the university, so I found Blue Arces and have been here since." Cara's brows rose as she listened. "You go to Willow Brooke Academy." It was a statement, more than a question. Cara had attended the same school when she had first arrived in Hickstead, though she was a thirteen year old doing classes with students three years older than her, and it was only her skills as an elite gymnast that kept her in the good graces of the school. The fact that they didn't have horses had thrown her, as her social worker had purchased two ponies - with her money - enroute, but when the ponies had been delivered here it began to make sense. She had only been at the Academy for a year and a half though, as one of the senior teachers felt that they would teach her a lesson for being too smart, and had intended to set her up to fail as he asked her to sit an exam. He hadn't thought she would pass, but once she had her GCSE in hand, there was no taking it back. "I really love it though. I feel so free when I am riding, like exploring the great unknown or something. Nobody's going to hold me back." She gave the girl a soft smile, as she too felt that the real world seemed to evaporate around her when she was on a horse.
"Is she okay to pet?" Cara was sweeping the brush over the mare's back and nodded. "Be warned that she licks." She said with a quick smile and a shrug. "The family I bought her from said that she took lesson from the family's Labs." She discouraged the licking as much as possible, but she knew that Swallow tried it on anyone new, and Kyoto thought it was the funniest thing in the world when the pony was licking up the side of her face, plus she didn't want Molly to think the mare was going to try and bite.
"School horses are great, as you get a lot of experience from riding different horses." Molly could not help but to beam at the other woman's words. It felt mighty good to hear that, especially from an experienced rider like her, "Thank you! I like to think the school horses make me well rounded." While it was not often that she got grief from riding the school horses, the occasional rich cliental of Blue Arces - mainly in the teenage department, would sneer at her for riding such 'dumpy' and 'unpedigreed' horses such as Luna and Major. The teenager tended to let it roll off of her in the heat the moment, she knew that both Luna and Major were just as good as that 20,000£ sports horse that the others toted around when they wanted to be, it still hurt in the after thought. It also felt like a slight reminder that the Equestrian Sport was kind to those who had money to spend and those who did not had to really fight their way through the system. Thankfully though, Molly often just took riding and sporting events for fun and pleasure, verses the need to really compete and earn money and everything. She knew horses would always be part of her life, but they didn't hold a place in her future other than hopefully owning one.
As Cara blew out her breath at Molly's next statement and replied with a simple 'it's what I'm good at', she wasn't certain if she had hit a sore subject. The teenager made note of that and decided to simply stick to the present with Cara in any future conversations instead of lingering on her past, unless she chose to bring it up. There was something there, and Molly's curious nature wanted to pull at it, but she was also respectful of people's privacy, especially adults, which Cara certainly was. If people wanted to share, that was their job, and not the other way around. Dark eyes caught the other woman's brow start to furrow at their conversation before speaking,"You go to Willow Brooke Academy." She felt a little bewildered by this statement, as she continued on with her jabbering. Molly wasn't sure on how to read that, given no context. There was no emotion behind Cara's words, it was literally just a statement. Carefully, the teenager surged forward and nodded, "Yup! I am attending there on scholarship. Are you an alumni to there?" She had never seen Cara at any of the hosted alumni events that she sometimes volunteered at, however Cara did not exactly strike as the social type, granted, she seemed to have a bunch of patience about her if she dealt with both children and ponies on a daily basis.
Molly was thrilled at getting permission out of Cara to pet her pony, "Be warned that she licks. The family I bought her from said that she took lesson from the family's Labs." Now it was her turn to raise her eye brows at that statement before laughter took over, "Really? That's pretty funny. She seems quite quirky then." She could see how a behavior would be annoying though and probably best not to encourage even though it simply sounded adorable. Molly held out her hand now to allow the mare to sniff it for permission to pet before moving her hand gently to her face to stroke, "So, is she to be your pony? Or are you training her up to be gifted to someone smaller." She remembered Cara saying that she was teaching the mare to be bombproof to any unexpected sounds and behavior, but she wasn't sure if it was simply so Swallow could be a lesson horse or if she were to intended to be a gift to someone much smaller and younger.
"Thank you! I like to think the school horses make me well rounded." Cara bowed her head. Having never owned her own mount, until she had come to Hickstead at fourteen, she was well versed in riding school mounts and even with her own horse and ponies now, she still rode as many other horses as she could; not only did it keep her own skill up to par, but it allowed her to change things up from time to time, depending on who she was riding and what that particular equine was schooling in at the time. "Everyone started out on a schoolmaster at some point, even the Olympic riders."
"Yup! I am attending there on scholarship. Are you an alumni to there?" She shrugged, as she really hadn't thought much of the Academy since the day she left, but she guessed, in all technicalities, she was an alumni. "I attended for a year and a half before getting my GCSE, and was on the gymnastics team." She offered with a shrug. "I think they were happy to see the back of me, so I haven't returned."
"Really? That's pretty funny. She seems quite quirky then." Cara grinned and nodded as she ran the brush over the mare's back and then between her front legs and behind her elbows, making sure to brush out all the sweaty patches, even if the mare didn't work hard enough to work up a sweat. "She is very quirky. She just has trouble focusing on what she's doing at times, and remembering that her rider is the one who makes the decisions." She quite liked the silver dapple pony, and knew that she would make a great pony for a child who was moving out of the novice level. Swallow wasn't a schoolmaster, but she was calm enough for riders still finding their own stride. "So, is she to be your pony? Or are you training her up to be gifted to someone smaller." She studied the pony and shrugged. "For now she will join my herd, though she could find a small person who needs her." She knew that she couldn't collect ponies, as much as she wanted to. She already had the start of a herd of Exmoor Ponies on the land of Naomi's breeding facility, she didn't need a large herd of ponies here too.
To Molly, the woman looked like she had been lost in thought for a moment before returning her with more sage wisdom: "Everyone started out on a schoolmaster at some point, even the Olympic riders." Now that had been logic that even Molly herself had never thought about, and she had always thought herself full of academic wisdom, "Man, you're right! I guess it's kinda hard to remember that sometimes." Plus, it was hard to remember that the riders she saw on television, the internet, or even at some of the bigger shows at Hickstead were just people, they were not gods or anything. In fact, they probably were no different than her. The teenager couldn't help but to smile now, "Well, I think that just became my new mantra in the ring whenever I mess up. So thank you Cara." Because no matter how much she prepared herself or practiced, even Molly knew she was prone to silly mistakes and was also prone to beating herself up dramatically about it.
At her question to her alumni status, Cara just seemed to shrug. She was beginning to notice that a lot about the other woman, she was characteristically unenthusiastic about a lot of things, not that it was bad, it was just very different. Molly figured she was far more used to the expressive dynamics of her friends and other teenagers at school verses a quiet composed adult, "I attended for a year and a half before getting my GCSE, and was on the gymnastics team. I think they were happy to see the back of me, so I haven't returned." Okay, now that got the teenager to quirk an eyebrow in astonishment at Cara. She found it hard to believe that Willow Brooke would be happy to see a student leave, mainly because that was lost tuition, "Man, you must have been a real rebel then," Molly commented, "Do you have some sort of legendary status that I should track down at school?"
At least the ponies made Cara grin, although, while biased, Molly liked to think that she was getting the woman to warm up to her. She thought this conversation was already going better than 20 minutes ago when she nearly caused the woman to be flung after witnessing her awesome archery skills, "She is very quirky. She just has trouble focusing on what she's doing at times, and remembering that her rider is the one who makes the decisions." Laughter escaped her, "Are you bossy, girl? Are you like Luna?" Must be a grey thing. She could understand Cara's description though, espeacially since she had only witnessed the pair earlier in the arena, Swallow had a moment where it looked like she was going to give Cara a run for her money until the woman expertly corrected her, "For now she will join my herd, though she could find a small person who needs her." Finishing up her petting, the teenager figured she shouldn't hog all the pets while the woman was finishing up untacking and probably wiping her down, "Well, if you ever want someone else to ride her so you can see her from the ground, I totally volunteer as tribute." She was so adorable, it was hard to not volunteer, not that Cara had asked. Dark eyes looked over to her now, "Wait, herd? How many ponies do you own?"
"Man, you're right! I guess it's kinda hard to remember that sometimes." Cara shrugged, it seemed that when people watched their equestrian heroes, they seemed to think they were born with the magical ability to ride like champions from the cradle. "Well, I think that just became my new mantra in the ring whenever I mess up. So thank you Cara." She bowed her head with a quick smile. "You are more than welcome."
"Man, you must have been a real rebel then, Do you have some sort of legendary status that I should track down at school?" She was already shaking her head before Molly had finished speaking, wishing she hadn't said anything. "I was a fourteen year old doing work with students two years older than myself and the senior male teachers seemed to think that I wasn't as clever as I thought I was." She shrugged uncomfortably, as she didn't like talking about how quickly she could learn things, or the fact that she could remember everything she read.
"Are you bossy, girl? Are you like Luna?" The question wasn't directed at her, so Cara left the pony to answer the other girl however she wanted to. Truth be told, she thoroughly enjoyed the pony's current attitude, and the fact that she hadn't minded having a rider hanging off her side had made the little pony even better, as that was often the last thing she taught them and today's actions had been off the books and she knew that it could have gone very wrong and set them back. "Well, if you ever want someone else to ride her so you can see her from the ground, I totally volunteer as tribute." "I'll take you up on that offer sometime." She said with a smile, it wasn't easy finding people who were pony-sized and also good riders. "Wait, herd? How many ponies do you own?" "On this property, I have eight ponies." Technically two of the Exmoors belonged to the Clarke-Thorne twins and Twist was her daughter's, but on paper they were all under her name.
She returned the brush to the grooming bucket and clipped the lead rope onto the mare's halter before removing the crossties. "Back to your stall, or do you want to spend a night outside?" She needed to head out there anyway to check on the other ponies.
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