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!.
Tegan hadn’t been expecting to kind of sit around for Piper and her sister. He kind of felt like their babysitter, but not really. Since the other trailer was being repaired, there was only one now – and Tegan was in charge of getting everyone to their places. The Ledor-Kita girls were different than a lot of other students at SOS and BA. They had their own horses but for lessons, brought them along. There was no boarding. It was a bit of an odd situation, but they had their own land to have horses. Tegan had seen it firsthand.
Since it didn’t make sense to drive over to Seven oaks, Tegan stayed at BA while Piper was having her jumping lesson. Tegan wasn’t someone that rode religiously like his employers. He knew a way around a horse but didn’t see himself ever competing. A trail ride that didn’t require jumping was ideal for his level. But he loved looking at them. He loved drawing and painting them too.
As any good artist, Tegan had brought his sketchpad with him. Well, sketchpads. He liked having various sizes with him. While some people would happily just start drawing away, Tegan figured he should ask first. He didn’t want to get in the way, and he would draw Piper on Boogey if needed. But the composition of a few horses in their pastures and stalls felt more appealing.
With his supplies in his bag, Tegan went out to find someone that looked like they knew this place pretty well. It took a few tries, but he found someone. A polite smile crossed his face. “Excuse me,” he started. “Are guests allowed to sit and sketch the horses, while they’re waiting for someone to finish a lesson?” Tegan finished off, hoping it wasn’t an odd-sounding request.
Cara stood on the side of the aisle, keeping out of everyone's way as she supervised her daughter as the child groomed Swallow, speaking in a mixture of English and French, depending on how excited she was on the topic at hand, as she worked on the silver dapple Irish Cob. The young woman smiled softly as she wrote notes while supervising the girl, adding sketches of jumps and doodles of horses as she went. Working out what she was going to do next with the horses she keep in work for Naomi and Mik. She shook her head as she put lines through the last thing she had and started the plan again, knowing that both Rex and Fire would hate what she'd had there. "Use the soft brush, chérie" She said as Kyoto reached for the dandy brush, though went for the body brush at her mother's words.
She jumped as someone spoke, giving Kyoto a playful frown as the child giggled, while also lecturing herself for not paying attention to her surroundings. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she tried to work out the correct thing to say. "I don't think anyone will have an issues with it." She said with a small shrug, as she sketched the horses all the time while they were playing in their fields.
Tegan tilted his head before apologizing. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to spook you,” he offered, realizing now she looked like she was deep in her thoughts. Also, she had a small child with her. “But that is good to know, thanks,” Tegan finished off, twirling a pencil in his hand.
His eyes took a quick glance around where he was until he saw the small girl with a brush in her hand. “Ah, becoming a professional groom, are we?” Tegan smiled. “Always good to get them involved when they show interest.” That was probably why his employers did so well. Horses were always some part of someone’s dream. While riding wasn’t always in the cards, grooming was. Still a connection and level of trust.
Cara bowed her head and shook off his apology. "It's not a problem." She assured him.
Kyoto beamed when the attention was on her, along with the dimples, she seemed to have gained her father's charisma - which Cara knew was going to get her in lots of trouble when she was old enough to realise that boys weren't gross - and the three year old shook her head. "I going to be riding horses when old, not brushing them." She said with a grin. "I going to the Olympics, like mama." Cara pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Mama was invited to go, she didn't go." She corrected quickly. "And it was for gymnastics, not riding." She had the background story that would make people want to follow her, or so the scouts believed. However, a lot had happened that year, and her pregnancy, had meant that she'd had to turn down the invitation. "Don't use that brush on her face." She nodded as the child replaced the body brush for the super soft face brush.
After brushing the mare's forehead, Kyoto beamed toward the man again. "I'm Kyoto and my Mama's name is Cara. Who you?"
“Still a great feat,” he smiled, deciding to take a seat. His standing height and looming over them wasn’t exactly…friendly enough. So Tegan took action to make the situation a bit more comfortable. He made sure to leave enough space though, so he wasn’t breathing in their faces – but close enough that conversation could still be had.
“Kyoto, huh? Well, you already look as strong as a city! A pleasure to meet you both, Kyoto and Cara. I’m Teagan. I’m a friend of the Ledor-Kita girls. I work for their mothers,” he offered. “Never quite had the chance to see a lot of the Blue Acres, but they’re quite lucky to have a facility close to them.” Granted, nothing like the farm the family-owned. Blue Acres was different, obviously – but it was a bit too clean-cut for his liking. It was popular though, as he could tell.
Cara shrugged, her going to the Olympics had never been in her plans, and she knew why she had been invited, and had no plans on being a public puppet to make people want to feel sorry for her and she didn't want to become a story of some no-one who became an Olympic champion - and there was no doubt in her mind she would have been a champion - though her pregnancy had halted any Olympic plans, so she was thankful for that.
Kyoto frowned and looked at her mother, not sure how to take the man's words, but smiled when her mother gave a small nod, to tell her that the words had been positive. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tegan. I am familiar with Piper and Sabrina." She said with a nod. "I can show you around!" Kyoto said quickly as she dropped the brush into the bucket and gave the man a bright smile. Cara chuckled and shook her head at the child's enthusiasm. "I though you were working with Swallow?" She asked with raised brows, though her tone was amused. "I can show you when I's finished with Swallow?" The girl grinned cheekily as she rummaged though the bucket until she found the mare's face brush and began to run the fine bristled brush over the mare's cheeks, smiling as the Cob's eyes closed, she lowered her head a little and sighed in contentment as the girl moved onto her forehead, using the hair tie that had been holding her braid in place to keep the mare's fluffy white forelock out of the way. "Mr Tegan might be busy, chérie." She said, offering the man an out if he needed it.
“They’re quite the hardworking girls.” He couldn’t help but chuckle along with Cara at her daughter’s statement about being a tour guide. “Is that so? I’m sure you’re a complete expert on this place!” Tegan smiled, leaning back, his hands resting on the grass. He didn’t think he would be getting too much drawing in, since this pair was quite entertaining.
“I have time since Piper’s lesson is long..so it’ll be up to your mother, Kyoto.” He didn’t want to push, since the young girl could say a lot of things. But he Tegan wasn’t the parent here, and if there was a scheduled nap time – then it was best that he respect that. “In the meantime…can you tell me your favorite part about Blue Acres?” Children often did better when questions were directed at them, allowing them to talk about themselves. At least, in his field of work for the most part.
Kyoto grinned and nodded as she dropped the brush back into the bucket, as she believed that she was quite the expert on many things. She then beamed up at her mother, both dimples showing. "Mother, may I?" She asked.
Seeing that the four year old's attention had already moved onto the next thing, Cara pulled the mare's rope loose and moved the bucket so that it was out of the way. "Yes you may." She replied with a soft smile, as the child had never referred to her as mother before, unless she was singing that song from Tangled after Cara had asked her to stop doing something. "I'll just turn Swallow out with her friends." She took the pony to the pasture with the rest of her small herd, and released her before returning to where Kyoto was all but bouncing on the spot.
Kyoto gave the man confused look at his question. "The horses." She replied, with as much sarcasm as a four year old could apply. "Mama said I can start jumping soon, and I'll be off lead-rein at our next show!" She headed off, toward the pasture where Swallow had gone into. "This is where the ponies are." She said as she climbed up the rails and pointed out across the grass to where her Welsh Mountain Pony was grazing. "That's Twist, he's mine." She rode all of the ponies, but Twist was the one she didn't have to share... yet. She pursed her lips, trying to whistle to call the pony, like Cara did, but it turned into a pout when she couldn't get the sound she wanted. "It will happen, ma douce" She said softly. "You only want Twist?" She gave the girl's solemn nod a soft smile before looking back at the ponies and she released a sharp whistle. "Come on Twist!" Kyoto giggled as the bay cantered toward them.
Tegan watched as the young girl stood up and teetered to the horse pasture. "Of course, how silly of me," he smiled, as he followed.
His eyes wandered to the pony that the little girl was pointing at. "Twist, huh? What a fun name! I'm sure you'll be an amazing jumper on them. You're very lucky to have such an amazing mum to coach you." Granted, Tegan didn't know if Cara would actually be coaching her daughter. But it felt like she would probably not trust anyone else unless it was the owners maybe. It made sens though, until Jyoto wanted to maybe get out a bit more as she grew.
Kyoto gave a big smile as her pony's name was complimented. "His show name is Pep... Pep...Peppa..." She frowned as struggled to get her tongue around all the syllables in the pony's name. "The yummy mint that's in candy canes. He's that kind of twist." She gave a nod as though it was all explained. "I'm going to do everything, just like mama!"
Cara sighed as she leaned against the fence, watching as her daughter climbed between the fence rails to that she was in the pasture with her pony. "I'm not that amazing." She clarified with a shrug. "Those that can't do, teach. So I teach, and I can't even do that well." She knew that she had just insulted herself, but she knew that there would be a point that all of the children she was currently teaching would need better coaching, and she just wasn't that person. "Part of me is waiting for the day that she grows out of horses and realises that there is more to the world than riding." There was another part of her that hope her daughter would always be happy as a rider, but id the girl turned her back on riding to pursue other interests, Cara would be happy for the girl to follow her heart, not wanting to make the girl feel that she had to always be interested in riding, if that wasn't her passion.
Do you only draw for pleasure, or do you do commision work too?" Cara caught her lower lip with her teeth as she realised how forward her question was. "Sorry, that was a very intrusive question."
“Eh, at least you’re self-aware. I mean, it’s easier for us to admit when we aren’t the best at things. There’s always going to be someone better than us, and someone better than them. Makes it easier to continue learning.” Tegan didn’t mean to get too philosophical per se. “Hey, at least you want her to branch out. Some parents are very one road only which isn’t always the best.” Tegan had seen it a few times, more than he wanted to – honestly. It was one of the many reasons he saw the kids he saw. Parents are forcing things, causing the child to lose themselves. Children should be allowed to be children, and not have to worry about getting the first-place ribbon or straight A’s all the time.
He waved a hand, as he flipped open his sketchpad to a blank page. “It’s all good. I don’t tend to have people ask me about my art, to be honest. But it’s kind of both. I work a lot in oils, as it’s my preferred medium. I enjoy studying the old masters. But I’m studying to be in Pediatric Art Therapy.” Tegan opened his pencil case grabbed a decently sharpened one and placed the tip onto the page. His eyes landed on the horizon for a moment, before blindly guiding his pencil. The tip never left the page, as he began a blind continuous warmup.
Cara pressed her lips together and nodded, she was very aware of how self-aware she was. She knew each of her own faults and did her best not to allow them to cause flaws in her daughter, or anyone else around her. She was described as a jack of all trades. Yes, jack of all trades and master of none. She could do everything, but wasn't great at any one thing that she did. She gave a small laugh at the mention of some parents being single minded with the direction they wanted their children to go. The Clarke-Thornes were the only family she knew that actually encouraged their children, her included, to be themselves. To follow their own path, rather than it being predestined. Until she had moved in here, everything she did was about how much money she could make for someone else. "I just want her to be the best she can be at whatever piques her interest."
Her nose scrunched up at the mention of art therapy. She'd hated how the psychotherapists went though all of her sketchbooks and diaries with a fine tooth comb as they tried to delve into her mind during the trial, tried to find her psyche through what she had drawn and written. The only problem though, was that she drew what wasn't in her head. "Just remember, that sometimes and rain cloud, is just a rain cloud." She offered with a shrug and a tiny smile. "I did child psychology, when I finished school." She watched as Kyoto stood in the pasture with Twist's forehead pressed against her chest as the girl rubbed the pony's ears, the other ponies in the pasture watching between grazing, waiting to see if anything was going to happen.
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