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!.
It had been a moment since her latest lesson in the ring. With school being longer and tiresome with the December finals coming up, Natalie had only managed to exercise her horses after school. Now, with some of her first clinical hours over – and two finals over, Natalie opted to get at least one more lesson in.
Dressage wasn’t her usual training, but Natalie liked the idea of cross-training Pippi. The mare did well with being challenged, as a quarter – she seemed to mesh to whatever Natalie threw at her. Once Pippi was dressed up and given a quick brush, Natalie led her to the arena. There were a few other people there but were finishing up.
Natalie got into the ring and mounted, just to get Pippi moving before the class started. If there was one thing that Natalie knew, it was her horse needed some extra minutes before class to get adjusted. Nothing crazy, maybe a few trots around.
Aurora had finished riding all three horses, feeling terrible that she had to leave London with one of the stable hands to brush for her. She was running late after sleeping in this morning. After thanking the stable hand, she took off the girth before setting it on her shoulder and sliding the dressage saddle pad and saddle off of the mare's back.
"Just leave London, I'll take care of her and give her cookies before I put her back." The stable hand practically had to drag Aurora in the arena. The blonde shook her head and took her helmet along with her riding boots and put them in her locker, switching to her old pair of runners.
She gave her hair a quick brush so she didn't have helmet hair and headed inside the arena. Aurora smiled when she saw her student and her horse were already in the arena before closing the door behind her. "Good afternoon, Natalie. I do apologize if I'm a bit late today." She said, making her way to the center of the arena.
"It's nice to see you sign up for a lesson again. Let's get Pippi back to the walk though and let's work on riding away from the wall to practice steering with your legs and not your reins." She appreciated the fact that her student was on time and ready to go - not everyone had the common courtesy to do so.
"How have you been? Pippi been behaving herself lately?" With Christmas break coming up, her lessons were slowing down as a lot of her students were busy studying for exams.
Natalie was just finishing one more round of warm-up when Aurora made her presence known. She guided Pippi to the center where her instructor was standing, more of a courtesy to Aurora and those in the arena. There was no need to necessary scream over everyone. Natalie had a feeling it would empty out in a minute anyway, but better to be polite. Paid to have her parents looming over in that way.
“Oh, no worries. I could’ve been too early,” she smiled, adjusting herself in her seat. Nothing like sore muscles from a hard workout two days ago, to make horse riding a bit more uncomfortable. A bath would be needed for sure after this.
“Been busy, which I think everyone has! I’ve been enjoying the holiday setup people have been doing around the town though. Pippi has been good. A bit sassy since she hasn’t been working in a moment. She’s been getting ridden, so she’s looking forward to the challenge today.” Natalie added some slack to her reins and signaled Pippi to walk. Both moved forward, and with a turn coming up – Natalie pressed. Only to press the wrong way but managed to correct Pippi in enough time to do a wide arch.
“And how have you been?” Natalie asked, looking forward – making sure her shoulders were straightening out at the end of the arc.
"Of course this morning was the morning I slept in. I'm stubborn and wanted to ride all three horses before teaching." Aurora let out a soft laugh. She would be happy when Andrew learned how to ride with the potential to take over riding Indi, which meant she had one less horse to ride. With the Olympics over a year away, she was already starting to plan the competitions she needed to do to qualify for the team. "Have you had the chance to check out the Christmas art walk?" Aurora hadn't had the chance - she was too busy between the barn and spending more time at home.
Aurora nodded - it was always good to cross train your horse if they enjoyed it. "Some horses enjoy a routine. Being ridden six days a week so that they have something to focus on. I won't make it too difficult I promise." She never wanted to push her students too far - especially during the busy holiday season. Her clients were mostly students of some sort and had exams coming up. "I hope she behaves herself today."
"I've also been busy, though I always am. Starting to get the house ready for Christmas and keeping my three horses in shape." She could tell Alexi was getting excited for Christmas and it was always enjoyable for them - seeing the Holidays through a child's eyes. "Though lessons are slowing down, I know my students are getting ready for exams." It gave her a much needed rest too.
She glanced over at Natalie and watched. "Good recovery there, let's do a circle half the ring at each end and then change directions."
Natalie nodded and guided Pippi who was feeling a bit bored, but the mare pressed on. Mainly because she knew that if she didn’t – her bath and massage wouldn’t happen. Pippi, while grumpy – wasn’t about to throw Nat off.
“No, I haven’t been to the art walk yet,” Nat responded, finishing the first round. “My family likes going. There are a lot of great things each year. What about you? Have you taken your family?“ Nat couldn’t remember too much about Aurora’s family. She knew she had finally married as well. The barn made a gift of some sort for her when it happened.
Aurora watched as the pair moved around. She didn't know Pipi well but most mares had the same attitude though. Indi was probably the only exception - the grey mare acted like a gelding and some people at competitions mistaken her for a male horse.
"I haven't yet either. Though Andrew took Alexi and it sounds like he enjoyed it so much that he wants to go again. Don't really know if it's Maeve's thing though. She seems too old for that kind of stuff." She was slowly starting to figure out the oldest foster daughter. The teen didn't talk much which made it difficult, but the two of them were slowly making progress. "What is your favorite part? Do you usually check out the craft stands and buy anything?" If there were crafts involved, Maeve would surely be interested.
The blonde fixed her belt and glanced up again. "If she gets bored feel free to throw in some leg yields down the long sides or go down the quarter line." Some horses needed more mental stimulation than others, which she related to as Phantom was one of them. "Once you do the same in the other direction you can start trotting."
“Nah, there’s a lot for a lot of ages. A lot of high-end artisans. Quilts, jewelry, and whatnot. Not just the cheesy stuff, you know? Not the school kind, where there’s macaroni and glitter.” Of course, Natalie would gladly go and spend money on her nieces and nephews' crafts when they did paper ornaments with five layers of glue and a crap ton of glitter. “I’ve gotten some handmade crochet hooks last year. And I got my brother this neat pen. A local artisan carves them out of antique furniture parts. Like a random door, he found in the trash. So there’s a lot of really neat things. People open their studios up, that usually aren’t open to the public.”
Natalie nodded and cued Pippi who was quite excited about the change, so much so – Natalie had to cue her to go slower before the mare tripped herself. “I haven’t been able to go this year yet, but it’s definitely something to go to if you can.”
Aurora focused on watching the two ride around the arena. She knew how busy Natalie was, though she always made time for her mare - it's not something that everyone did. "Oh, that does sound like fun though. I'm not a huge Art person, but you know Maeve and how creative she is." Granted, it took creativity to put her dressage tests together to music for a competition - but that was different. "No one can resist macaroni and glitter. Alexi is getting into his art phase and I swear I'll run out of room on the fridge to hang it up." She was thankful that he had someone to color with while she was off at the barn. "That's neat. It must be interesting to see the inside of the studios, where all the art magic happens. When are you planning on going this year?" It started to sound like something the family could do during the Christmas break - they spent too much time inside anyway.
"It's probably a good place to get the Christmas shopping done. Have you started buying for your family yet?" The holiday season was quickly approaching - Aurora was thankful she was pretty much done her shopping. She watched Nat and Pippi again - riding through the instructed movements. "Have you thought about competing this year?"
“We have a massive family, so we usually do a secret Santa of sorts. But my nephews and nieces tend to get a bit spoiled by their grandparents. But amongst siblings, we tend to just focus on one person. It’s easier that way. I got my brother Kyler, but he's easy. Then I made some hats for the kiddos.” Natalie wasn’t exactly spoiled, but she did grow up a bit, growing up. Now that there weren’t a lot of younger children – the Secret Santa worked. Granted, parents and Ama ignored that rule – but no one was going to tell them no.
“No, not yet…I don’t quite know what class I want to do yet either. Schooling has been a bit insane too, with all the clinicals happening.” Nat continued to follow the instructions she was given, Pippi moving – obviously proud of herself. But Nat knew her mare would want to get more antsy for some harder work.
Aurora nodded, she wouldn't ever understand what a big family was like. Growing up, it was just her and her parents at Christmas - though her aunt was the one who always spoiled her, until Andrew came into the picture. "That sounds like a great idea. Honestly because it tends to be just the four of us, we just spoil each other." She usually sent a package to her aunt though, this year the older woman would be getting a scarf from a local alpaca farm. "Do you knit? Have you thought of anything to get your brother yet?" She didn't know quite what to get Andrew yet, but she would think of something.
"Alright, do a half turn reverse and trot the other way. Feel free to add in some walk transitions to get her mind to settle." Aurora tended to get distracted while teaching as most of her students wanted to chat with her as they rode along. "You could always do beginner dressage to begin with? There won't be anything until March anyway." She knew her three horses were itching to get into the ring again, but it would be a few months until that happened. "How many more semesters to go? I assume you have finals coming up as well?" Aurora tended to try and pay attention to when the schools - including University had their breaks - then she could offer makeup lessons to her students who missed a lesson.
