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!.
Stephanie's show jumping crisis seemed to have left - thanks to other instructors giving her lessons away from jumping. It was time for her to get her horses back into it though. She recently asked Gideon if he could give her a lesson, finally feeling ready.
She found herself grooming May, the more trustworthy of her three horses. "Alright May, we are actually going to jump today." She sighed, resting her head against the dark bay mare's shoulder. The woman knew her love for show jumping would spark again eventually and today was going to be the day. The brunette finished brushing the mare, picking out all four hooves with a hoof pick. She swept her cross tie with the broom and shovel - throwing it gently in the nearest muck bucket. The show jumping tack followed shortly after, Stephanie deciding on a plain black saddle pad and matching overreach boots.
Stephanie walked over to her locker in the tack room, putting her hair in a ponytail and placing her black helmet on her head, doing up the chinstrap before sliding her feet into a pair of tall boots. She zipped them up, picked up her figure eight bridle and headed back to the main barn area. Quickly switching the halter for the bridle, she slid the metal bit into the mare's mouth and adjusted the straps - making sure it was on correctly before leading the mare towards the indoor arena.
She lifted her gloved hand, knocking gently at the arena door before opening it. The woman opened the door and led the mare inside, heading over to the mounting block. "Morning, Gideon. Thank you for fitting me in for a lesson this morning." She started tightening the girth as she spoke. "How have you been? Getting your students ready for another season of competing?"
It was still cold outside. Gideon's tiny flat was still in shambles as he attempted to get his new life together. He was thrilled with getting his first teaching job, although the students hadn't been coming to him as quickly as he had hoped. He was pleased and a bit surprised when another instructor had signed up with a lesson with him. He had looked her up online (of course) and had been even more surprised to discover that she was a show jumping instructor. He had still been taking lessons at home, but he had been competing. This was his first time as an actual teacher and he was still finding his footing.
As Dragon was out in the pasture, not being cold and ignoring him, he went straight to the arena. She was already there when he arrived, gloved hands in his pockets, turtled into his heavy jacket. "Morning." He responded, a valiant attempt to sound chipper. "It's my pleasure." He didn't add that he was surprised, deciding it would be better to remain professional at least until he got to know everyone.
"Ah, yes." He said, as it was better than revealing that he didn't have any students yet. "Quite busy over here. And it's nice to have Internet and unpack a box or two. And you, I imagine you've got a busy schedule as well?"
Seeing as she clearly knew what she was doing, he forced his stiff legs to walk to the side of the arena and start moving cavaletti's into the center of the ring. "You have a warm-up you like or would you like me to lead you through it?"
Stephanie unrolled her stirrups on either side after tightening the girth. She quickly wiped her boots against the mounting block and brought her left foot into the left stirrup, swinging her right leg up and over the dark colored mare. She picked up her reins and nudged the mare - asking for a walk.
"Have you had a chance to teach anyone else yet or am I the first one?" She smiled, remembering when she first arrived at Blue Acres. Stephanie was thankful that she knew Naomi from back in the day. The woman focused on riding now - sinking down into her heels as she allowed the mare to warm up underneath her. "Well I hope it grows on you here. I finally feel like this is home though." She was secretly glad that she wasn't the newbie any longer at Blue Acres. It was nice finally feeling settled in. "Yes, a lot of students are starting to take more lessons from me. With competitions just around the corner, it's time to get my three horses in the right mindset." She didn't want to admit that she had troubles wanting to jump - though with the help of other instructors she got her mojo back.
"Let's give you the full teaching experience. Go ahead and lead us through a warmup. This is May by the way, figured I didn't want to give myself a too difficult time." She shrugged her shoulders, using her reins to steer the mare off of the wall, working on keeping the mare straight even when they weren't on the wall. "You own Dragon correct? Have you had him long?"
He felt a hip pop as he picked up one end of a cavaletti and dragged it to the center of the arena. A part of him would rather still be in bed. How could it be colder here, in the south of England after he had spent most of his life in Ireland? He set the little jump down, nudging it into place with one frozen toe.
"Uhh..." He was caught. "You're my first student....here. I've taught before, just not....here." He admitted. He knew that he had to start somewhere, but something felt shameful about admitting she was his first student. It was as thought he was under a microscope all of a sudden and any mistakes he might make would be scrutinized. It was unfair of him to assume that of her, of course, but he couldn't help feeing self-conscious.
"It's certainly colder than I thought it'd be." He admitted. "I thought I was leaving the cold Irish mornings behind, but maybe it's just me." He half-carried, half-dragged another cavaletti to the center of the arena. "How long have you been here?" It was easy to make small talk and it gave him something to do as he felt that all his acquired knowledge went slipping through his fingers.
"All right, start her at a working trot when you feel ready, not to much contact, let her stretch her neck to start off." He said, dragging the fourth and final cavaletti to the center of the ring. "I bought him two years ago at auction. He won't leave you bored."
The woman could hear shuffling coming from where Gideon was standing. She knew he must be doing something with the jumps, so she continued working the dark bay mare. After gathering up the reins she changed direction across the diagonal of the arena. “Oh goodness, I had no idea. Honestly, no pressure. I just like to have someone on the ground when I jump.” There were some riders who jumped on their own, but Steph was always keen to learn from other show jumpers. When she was younger, she attended all the local clinics she could. “I was a new teacher here once too, just trust your coaching gut. We’ve all got it.” Steph didn’t know him well enough, but if Naomi hired him - he must be truly good at what he did. She was one of her good friends and she knew how picky the owner of Blue Acres could be.
“Isn’t Ireland just as cold? I apologize if I’m wrong, I’ve only been there twice for competitions.” Her previous Boss tended to ship his horses around the world, which meant she and the rest of his staff came along. She remembered Ireland was just as rainy and cold as England. “I moved from Florida almost six years ago now. It’s been a whirlwind but, I do enjoy it here. The students are good too.” Like anywhere though, there were grumpy and cranky people to deal with, but Stephanie tended to focus on the positive. She nodded and loosened her grip from the reins, letting them slide through her fingers until she had a loose rein once again. The brunette used her calves to nudge the mare into the trot. May let out a snort and picked up the trot, glad to be going faster than a boring walk. “That’s always a fun adventure. Did he know how to jump before you got him?”
