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 was quite cold on this particular morning. Gideon had spent the morning huddled in his small flat, sipping coffee and staring out of the window. He was no stranger to rising early to go to the barn, but he was dreading stepping into the cool air just then. He knew he would warm up the moment he started moving, but he dragged his feet as he pulled on old jeans and zipped half chaps and the thickest, puffiest jacket he owned. At this point in his life, Gideon had stopped dressing properly to ride - he owned jodpurs and britches, but rode in fitted jeans anyway, even though identical patches of hair had been rubbed off a small part on each of his inner thighs. He didn't much care about that. Sure enough, when he pushed open the door and stepped onto the small landing outside his flat. He shivered, then waddled the short distance to his car. It wasn't far to the barn where he was keeping Dragon, but he was still getting used to the idea of commuting to him.
Once he was there, parked, and had had the benefit of fifteen minutes of blaring rock music to wake him up, he was much more awake. He had several hours before his first lesson that day and wanted to get some work in on his own horse, what with being in a new place. It felt only right that he should be familiar with the facilities before he went around asking his students to go in certain places. At first, he went to the barn, but Dragon wasn't in his stall, so he must have been put out to pasture. He slung his halter over shoulder and started out. He had several half broken treats in his pocket and Dragon was food-motivated.
When he finally arrived at the pasture, it was to see his horse with his big head hanging over the fencing, nickering at him.
"Hey buddy." He said, unbolting the gate, but as soon as he had stepped inside the fence, Dragon took off, several other geldings in his wake. Gideon cursed under his breath and started to hike in Dragon's general direction.
Shecanna hadn’t planned to ride Millie today, but here she was – making her way towards the pastures. It was her lunch break, so she could do what she needed. But knowing her would be eyeing the fencing – marking things with flags if needed.
Her black morgan was probably going on a trip to catch as Millie loved winter. There was something about the cold and the snow that the mare loved to prance about in. It was one of the reasons why it was hard to bring her in for a groom or checkup. But the mare knew that her owner was kind, and wanted to please her. After all, Shecanna did her best.
Shecanna walked, okay maybe hobbled a bit, over to the pastures. Her leg had been a bit itchy, so it was rubbing a bit weirdly. Didn’t help that the weather had been drying out her skin, either.
Her eyes caught a glance of a fencing crossbar that looked like it was about to snap. She grumbled to herself and walked over. As she was digging through her coat jacket to grab an orange tie, Shecanna couldn’t help but smile at another rider who was trying to get his horse in. “Being hard to catch, are they? It seems to be the theme for today!” Shecanna commented, with a polite smile.
There was nothing he could do but watch Dragon's retreating white ankles and black tail, the shabby rug that covered him flapping in his wake. Giideon stumbled and wobbled dangerously for a moment, trying to find his footing. In his haste to get to his horse, he had not been paying attention to the half-frozen mud under his feet. He cursed again, then straightened up and made to get n with it - trudging into the pasture, which he could only assume was quite large.
He turned around, embarrassed. He thought he had been alone. He hadn't realized he had had an audience to his cursing and stumbling. A blonde woman was also looking cold. "He thinks he's so funny, doing this." He said in answer. He turned around and approached her, as it was clear he wasn't going to get near to Dragon any time soon. "I'm Gideon. I'm new here. Just moved from nearby Dublin." He proffered his hand.
"Uhh, how big is this pasture, exactly? As in -- how much space does he have to play hide and seek in?"
“Well, horses have to keep us on our toes, right? Or they’re standing on them and breaking them,” she laughed. Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best joke, but it was true, at least. There were a few times she had to get her fake foot fixed because a horse stepped on her toes. She only knew when she felt some weird jostling in her boot. Thankfully no physical pain, only the pain of knowing how her wallet would feel.
“Nice to meet you, Gideon! Quite a trek you did. I’m Shecanna, head groundskeeper. Welcome to Blue Acres,” Shecanna replied, giving the man a firm handshake. “Well, it really depends on if he attempts to jump fencing or not. Not a lot of places to hide in this one, but you may be getting in a workout. Do you have enough treats? Or should I get some extra?”
"Pleasure to meet you." He said, shaking her hand. For some reason, maybe sensing another person's struggle with balance, he looked down at her foot, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, then reminded his lizard brain to mind his own business.
"If he jumps out of here, then I'll be raising my standards in the schooling ring." He joked, but he wondered if that was a common occurrence here. Would Dragon decide to copy his new friends and clear the pasture fence? What would he do with himself once he was out of the confines of the pasture? Dragon was a social animal, but his big vice was rearing, not escaping. He did worry that Dragon might over dose on grain and colic or if he would see a child on a tricycle or another such monster and lose his mind and run into something solid and kill himself.
In answer, he pulled out a handful of broken horse cookies. "He likes his new friends more than me. Typical child."
"Allow me." He said, moving over to the offending fence panel. "Where's yours? Or are you merely on fence duty today?"
“it just means he’s comfortable here.” At least, that was what Shecanna liked to think. Horses were like people in the aspect of knowing who they liked and didn’t like. There was something about seeing them get along and play, though. Granted, it made things like rounding up a bit harder. If anything, it forced their owners to come in earlier than normal just so they could get their horses ready in time for lessons. Depending on the teacher, there appeared to be some leeway. “Well, I was planning on riding – but I guess my eyes for work just never seem to escape me! Thankfully, it’s nothing too major. But it I’ll mark it just in case.” Even though she never seemed to have everything she needed on her – Shecanna at least always had something in hand to mark an issue.
She pulled out a streamer that was safety orange colored and tied it around the issue. “My horse is Millie. She’s a bay, Morgan. While not one to run around too much, she does tend to like the farthest part of the pasture!”
