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!.
Molly about smacked her for forehead when the other woman pointed out just one difficult aspect of lunging Luna - it was catching the mare. Given the scene that Serenity had witnessed a mere ten minutes earlier though, the teenager could not blame her for pointing that out, "Oh...true." Her face scrunched at the suggestion which hardly meant that Molly was displeased with it, more than she didn't quite understand, "But...I wouldn't think it's safe to lunge her in the field? Not with the other horses around..." Unless there was something her scientific brain was missing, which quite frankly, was a possibility. As much as Molly loved to ride and thought she knew most things, she was always learning in the horse world.
"You know, I'm not sure on when the story takes place," Molly mused outloud now, but it was a valid point. Depending on the era, historically speaking, that had just as much to say about the story as it did the horse, "I bet it is a stallion considering how I have yet to find it." Although, as sneaky as the ghost had been, she had almost thought it was a mare given how Luna appeared to be a professional at hiding from her when she wanted to. Luna herself thought best to remind her of this notion as well, as the mare bopped the the teenager's arm now as they walked, "I'm not sure Luna agrees," Molly commented with a laugh, "But on top of finding Ghost Horse, I do admit I always pictured this story taking place long before Hickstead was built up. Its not like there's any mention of Seven Oaks - and I know that property is fairly old."
Serenity's question prompted a mild blush from her, given that Molly was about to admit something, "Um, honestly, I don't really know anything about them. I was going to do more heavy research this summer before I go though!" And then, she gave the older woman a curious look over the mare's neck now as they finally stepped into the threshold of the warm barn, "Fairies? Uh, forgive my ignorence, but what do they have to do with leylines?" They clearly had something to do with it, or else Serenity wouldn't have brought them up. Molly wasn't sure how she felt about the notion of tiny beings with wings though - Molly's logic always leaned towards ghosts and the afterlife rather than the mystical world of fairies, unicorns, or even her home grown beasts of kelpies, seelies, and other fanastical beasts.
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice with a Dash of Sass
thanks aofie!
SEVENTEEN . STUDENT . RIDER AT BA STABLES . LGBTQ+
Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.- Ovid
Reni smiled and shrugged. "In all technicalities, you wouldn't be lunging her, per sey. The idea is to get her to realise that you can make her feet move, thus, making yourself the alpha mare, so you won't be working in circles, a straight line can be enough some days." She explained. "Horse hierarchy is worked out by who can make the other move in the direction they want. Contrary to popular belief, it's a mare who is in charge of a wild herd, not a stallion. The stallion's job is to keep the herd safe and... make babies. The alpha mare is the one who is really in charge, she'll kick other mares, or youngsters out of the herd if they won't listen, and they can only return when the mare says they can."
She listened and nodded."Well, if it happened before the stables around here got their names, though Naomi will know what this property was called if it hasn't always been Blue Acres, and it's been in her family for years. If the tale is that old, the man would have been riding a stallion, as it was an ego thing back in the days. Men rode stallions, because they were often large and powerful, where women were put on mares and geldings because they weren't as strong, broken more and easier to handle. For a man to b riding a mare, he would have been seen as weak, with very little standing in society... Or, he was young. A young man your age, rather than a grown man. Someone not quite seen as responsible enough to ride a stallion, but old enough to handle a young mare who needed more milage before she could be handled by a woman."
Reni's smile deepended. "Leylines are interesting, I think you will enjoy your research." They were also full of legendary tales, which was why the woman knew more about them than the average person, and why she was so keen to take the job in this continent, rather than any other. She grinned when it seemed the mention of the fae piqued the teen's interest. "Some say that where the leylines connect, the borders between our world and the otherworld, home of the fae, can shimmer." She gave a shrug with a mysterious smile. "Not that anyone can actually confirm or deny the fact."
Molly was a little surprised to hear the older woman's words of wisdom, "Really?" she asked now, "No wonder mares are a piece of work." She muttered under her breath, and just like that, a snort escaped Luna who through her head into the teenager to rub her. Thankfully, the move hardly phased her now, Molly had gotten used to this by now with the school horse - but it was always funny to see her do it to unsuspecting students. Bringing Luna to the cross ties stall now, she set her up. Grabbing the bucket that she had left behind earlier, she held it up to Serenity, "Want to help me groom?" It wasn't that Molly didn't know how to groom her own horse, but more of an extension of continuing the conversation, merely because she assumed Serenity had much bigger things on her plate that conversing with her. But still, it never hurt to ask.
Luna was already preening in her cross ties, pawing at the ground to demand her brush time, so Molly went to work as she listened to Serenity talk now, "How curious. I didn't know that's how horse riding worked back then." But maybe that should have made sense, the man did everything and the horses need miles for the ladies to be ridden. Naturally, it was a little different nowadays. The teenager knew though that she could chalk it up to her interests more being in science and the supernatural (a contradictory, she knew) rather than history, "But you make a good point. I should see what Ms. Clarke knows about the old lands and owners before she came into the deed."
Fishing around in the bucket, she grabbed the rubber curry comb and went to work. The second the pines of the comb touched Luna's fur and skin, the fleabitten grey settled down instantly - happy to be pampered now. Molly just grinned at Serenity's words, "That's what I hope. I'm an oddball, I always find research fun and exciting." Truthfully, that felt like the best part about any project - mainly because it felt like she was making groundbreaking discoveries. Her brush paused at the last of the older woman's words, and Luna huffed loudly, signalling that she detected a pause in her pampering. But Luna could wait, Molly's head turned so her brown eyes could get a good look at the brunette now, "Are you saying...people have disappeared into another realm looking for leylines?"
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice with a Dash of Sass
thanks aofie!
SEVENTEEN . STUDENT . RIDER AT BA STABLES . LGBTQ+
Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.- Ovid
Serenity shrugged and grinned. "Work, but loyal as anything once you're a team." She laughed as she looked over to where her own mares were, especially the youngster who would jump fences to be with her rather than the fence being between them. She couldn't wait until Jera was ready to be ridden, and shook herself out of her thoughts as she followed the girl and her horse. "Sure." She grinned as she took the mane comb from the grooming bucket.
Serenity shrugged. "As I wasn't around back then, my info comes from things I've read or seen in movies, so don't take my knowledge as being written in stone." She offered as she worked the comb through the mare's mane. Naomi inherited the property from an uncle...I think, so it's possibly been in her family for years." She gave an impish grin. "Or won in a poker game, as properties were often won and lost back in the day if someone got too cocky." She knew that her great-great-great grandfather had almost lost their property through a gambling debt, but it was his mother who put an end to that, as no one wanted to tempt the wrath of the village forest witch.
Serenity grinned. "If liking research makes you an oddball, then most equestrians would fit into that category." She laughed as she worked with a stubborn knot. She pursed her lips and shrugged. "As I said, can't confirm or deny. There are rumours that people have vanished, but... if people have done through, and come back, they haven't gone running to the press about it. And, if there's a chance it's a one-way trip, would you really chance it? Have you heard of changelings?"
The idea of asking Mik for help made her laugh, "I'm not sure if Mik would like to help me after my barn sleep over with Maeve." Although, she liked to believe that they had not entirely been at fault for the shenanigan's that had accidently happened during the sleepover. Molly did know though, that the girls had been rather guilty of letting their imaginations get the best of them, "But I can certainly ask him and see what happens." Given Luna was the Blue Arce's horse, there was no doubt in her mind that the stablehand had a few tricks up his sleeve as well.
Serenity seemed very paitent as she listened to Molly ramble about her ghost horse legend. Sometimes, Molly had forgotten how nice it was to talk to adults - they tended to judge less compared to her Willow Brooke classmates. Even if Serenity were judging her, the older woman didn't show it and merely offered one insight: "Depending on how long ago it happened, the horse was probably a stallion." Huh, Molly hadn't thought of that. Come to think of it, she couldn't quite remember how she stumbled across the legend either, "I think I found the story on the web, so it has to be in some old newspaper archives."
They turned down the hallway and she placed Luna into a free grooming stall now, hooking up the cross ties, "I honestly picked them up from a book I read, so probably not as much as you do." Molly replied earnestly now, "Admittingly, I'm got into ghosts and stuff because of the show Supernatural and ghosthunters." There was always new ways to improve though, "I have to say, fairy circles sound quite dangerous." She said with a laugh, "Have you had experiences here?" Molly asked now, as she pulled out the curry comb and went to work.
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice with a Dash of Sass
thanks aofie!
SEVENTEEN . STUDENT . RIDER AT BA STABLES . LGBTQ+
Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.- Ovid
Serenity chuckled, as she'd heard a thing or two about the sleepover, though she knew that Mik held no grudges about silly things like that, and no one was killed, and the Ghostbusters or the Winchester brothers hadn't been called in, so the night can't have been that bad... right? "I'm sure, that with his two terrors, he'll have an idea or two." Even if one of his horses thought he was a lap-dog.
She pursed her lips and shrugged. "I can see if I can find anything in the archives at the station, if you want?" She offered with a grin, as she was curious to know if there was any basis behind a Hickstead urban legend, and if it involved the death of a human, there should be a police report about it, even if it was an innocent death.
She kept pace with the teenager and her mare as they headed into the barn, she chuckled as Molly explained how she got interested in ghosts. "Everyone has to start somewhere." She offered with a shrug. "And you have to wonder where those shows got their ideas from, as a lot of things on Supernatural come from myths and legends, so they have to have some base of truth." She laughed as the topic turned to fairy rings and she shook her head with a smile. "Other than know where the ley lines are, I haven't come across anything out of the ordinary." Even though it was horse country, there was very little land that was completely wild here. Untamed, yes, but not wild. "My knowledge of fairy ring vanishings, is a lot like your ghost horse, and come from stories I've heard or read." There was a large section on the Lines in the family grimoire though, but that was back in Virginia, with her family.
She reached out her hand, and ran it down Luna's face. "Now that you have her in hand, I'll leave you to your bonding, and I need to head off." She pulled a card out of her back pocket and held it out to the girl. "My number is on there, if you ever want to talk."
