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!.
The threat of overcast couldn't dampen his spirits for today was a training day. After two weeks off since their fifth place horse show, Jameson 'Jamie' Hughs and his gypsy vanner, Fiver, were ready to rock it at training again. Or at least, that's what personally what Jamie thought. He made sure to get to the barn half an hour early though, just incase his horse had other plans. With the sudden cool air, the horses were allowed to chill out in the pastures, and gabbing Fiver could be a hit or a miss depending on how mischievous the gypsy vanner was feeling.
And thank goodness he allotted extra time, because it turned out that Fiver had certainly been feeling his oats that morning. He'd run from one end of the pasture to another, ignoring Jamie's calls and whistles. A groan escaped the young man, hoping this was not a snapshot of what the rest of the day was going to be. No, he couldn't think like that - it wasn't allowed. If Fiver wanted to work some extra before their lesson where Coach Aurora Sky was certainly going to make them work, then so be it. Jamie changed his stance and how he held the lead rope now, and did just that. He must have looked like a crazy person, but Fiver never got a break. No more than two minutes later, the gypsy vanner was walking over towards him, snorting his hello and nudging Jamie in forgiveness.
Smiling, he laughed and gave the horse a good pat and a pre-lesson cookie as reward to finally coming in. With that, the pair headed back to the barn where Jamie got to work with brushing and cleaning out the hooves. Twenty minutes later, Fiver was tacked up in his dressage gear, and not a moment too soon, since when Jamie caught sight of his smart watch, he nearly had a heart attack, "Shit. Fiver, we need to go!" And he was certainly not one for being late. Putting his helmet on, he soon bridled up the gypsy vanner and headed outside to the arena. Sure enough, Aurora was there and the pair were late. Hopefully she was in a forgiving mood, "Hey Coach Sky!" he called out now, unlatching the gate and heading inside before swinging it shut and latching it, "Enjoy your two weeks vacation away from me and Fiver?"
I'm setting out into the great unknown, I don't know where I'm going but I'm ready
thanks aofie!
Eighteen . Student - Pre Vet . Crushing on SABRINA RAVEN LEDOR-KITA Blue Arces Rider - Dressage Student
Aurora had been at the barn since before the stable staff had arrived. As it was deep in the summer, she tried to ride her three horses before the heat truly hit. She was thankful that one of her students helped her get the next horse ready while she rode. After finishing off her hack with Indi, she passed the grey mare off to her student - thanking her for all of her help before she got herself ready to coach.
She went into the tack room - taking off her tall boots and her helmet before setting them in her locker, swapping her boots for a pair of old sneakers and setting a ball cap on her head. The blonde pulled out a carrot out of her locker and headed to the cross-ties. She snapped the carrot in half and placed in the palm of her hand, the grey mare carefully munching away on it. "Thank you again for helping me out, it seems with Summer being here everyone wants lessons on the afternoons." Aurora gave the mare the other half of the carrot as her student slid the saddle off of her back. She then headed to the outdoor arena, glad that the show jumping class before had taken their jumps away.
Aurora checked her watch, seeing that she was on time. She didn't have to wait long until she heard the gate open. The woman turned to face Jamie and his paint horse, Fiver. "Jameson, you know I don't answer to Coach Sky. That's my aunt. It's just Aurora." Though even her aunt insisted on her students call her by her name - she wasn't going to tell her students that though. "Of course! I miss all of my students if they are away. How do you feel your show went?" She was always interested to hear the perspective of her students after a competition. "Once you get on, just start walking around and letting Fiver stretch for a few minutes."
Aurora's short but friendly lecture on what he should call her caught him a little bit off guard, but the young man understood. All adults were different, and some just didn't like formality, and he kept on forgetting that aspect of his coach - which was hilarious, considering how often it felt like he spent time with her, "Oh right. Sorry about that Coach Sk...er, Aurora. Coach Aurora. I swear I won't forget this time around." Funny, the young man was fairly certain that he had said that last time as well. Nothing he could do about it now until the next time.
Then came the hard question: "How do you feel your show went?" If Jamie could have swore, he would have. He should have seen such a question come. Just like always being corrected on not calling the older woman 'Coach Sky', this was the very question she always asked after the highs and lows of the horse show. Jamie thought it over, thinking to himself, as he scratched Fiver's forelock, "Well, fifth place isn't bad," he mused out loud, before his blue eyes fell from the sky to Aurora now, "But Fiver and I could have done better. I know our circles collapse a few times which...probably looked more like square circles...squircles? Instead of actual circles...and we had a few slow transition errors. Just means we have room for improvement."
Hopefully that was a good enough answer. Jamie knew it was vague, that Aurora probably wanted something a little more nitpicky on his part, but that was as good as it was going to get. While he may get worked up over school, he didn't feel the need to get worked up over horse shows. They were merely fun. With that, he nodded at her instruction prepped his saddle before heading over to the mounting block. He swung into the saddle and settled quickly, before asking Fiver to walk towards the fence line of the arena to stretch out, "What sort of brain torture do you have lined up for us today?" Jamie joked now, feeling like dressage exercises always tested Jamie and Fiver's brains more than normal flat work.
I'm setting out into the great unknown, I don't know where I'm going but I'm ready
thanks aofie!
Eighteen . Student - Pre Vet . Crushing on SABRINA RAVEN LEDOR-KITA Blue Arces Rider - Dressage Student
“Don’t get me wrong, I do love my aunt. I’m just not as formal as she was.” The woman was almost like a second mother - taking her in whenever her parents were being terrible towards her. She was also the one who coached her up through the ranks until she reached the Olympics. She nodded as Jameson gave her an answer, knowing it was a difficult question. It was always good to hear what the competitor themselves had to say about their rounds. “Even if you had won the class, no round is ever perfect.” Though she tended not to focus on that - she wasn’t judging the class after all. “I’d agree, those are two things we will have to work on during lessons.” She started moving around the arena, deciding on standing in the center.
The blonde was always looking for everyone to improve - including herself. “I promise it’s nothing too insane. Just working on parts of the test from the show. I figured it would be a good place to start this week.” She had the test still - keeping it to practice on anyone who was at that level and wanted to. “What have you and Fiver been working on since then?” Aurora watched as the paint gelding began walking around the arena. “Just be nice and relaxed in the saddle. Focus on loosening the two of you up at the walk for now.”
Jamie couldn't help but to grin when his coach said that no round was perfect, and even if he had been first, likely wouldn't have had a perfect score, "Ah, spoken like a true coach. Thanks for keeping me humble." He thankfully wasn't a cocky bloke like some of the other riders at Blue Arces - a truth be told, those cocky blokes usually where the show jumpers - but he could see how a few good wins at the A and B circuits could do that to a person. As Aurora pointed out that his short comings at the last show and test would be what they were tackling today, he did his best to sound energetic, "Alright. Guess we better limber up then."
He wasn't too worried about doing circles all day - it was enough to keep Fiver engaged, just like figure eights. However, he was not looking forward to transitions. They were always the bane of the pair's existence, even when just out on a hack. The gypsy vanner never seemed very encouraged by the idea of moving from walk to trot or trot to canter, but ask him to slow down, then Fiver was a champion horse, "As long as it isn't insane then," he said with a laugh as he sat in the saddle now, walking about. Jamie had never been the greatest about limbering up in the saddle, but thankfully some strength and balance exercise in the gym had really started to help open up his hips.
His hips seemed to sway to the movement of Fiver's gait at the walk, and after a lap around the arena at the gypsy vanner's preferred walking pace, Jamie started to give him a nudge to just put a little more pep in his step, "Ah! Figure 8's and some side steps really. I figured I'd let you do you coaching for the transitions and see if we can figure out a game plan going forward on how you want me to work them while you're gone." Because, he was fairly certain that Aurora would be departing for own shows soon enough, and she did not have an assistant, "And truth be told, I can't imagine Fiver and I taking a lesson from Stephanie. Us jumping would certainly be an eyesore to her."
I'm setting out into the great unknown, I don't know where I'm going but I'm ready
thanks aofie!
Eighteen . Student - Pre Vet . Crushing on SABRINA RAVEN LEDOR-KITA Blue Arces Rider - Dressage Student
Aurora shook her head, it seemed as if her student misunderstood her. With a quick wave off of his comment, she couldn't help but laugh. "I do enjoy when my students are confident in their abilities but riding is a constant learning journey." She felt that even if she won a class, there was always something that went wrong. It had taken her awhile to realize everyone was that way - perfection was something that was unachievable.
The woman adjusted her hat, making sure her eyes were shaded from the sun so she could watch Jameson and Fiver. Aurora nodded, glad that Jameson was one of her students who would actually have a conversation about riding, rather than wanting to prove they were right. "I promise, it's too hot outside for anything intense. When have I ever made you two do anything extremely difficult?" She tried her best not to make her students do anything she didn't think that she thought they couldn't do - though there was always something new for them to learn.
"Those are the things I was thinking of to. Have you been working on halt transitions too? I do know that canter halt transitions aren't until the next level but it's always good to prepare." She watched as Jameson nudged Fiver forward, going more into a working walk. It was something she herself needed to work on with London. "When you get to the next letter halt and wait five seconds before walking on." She would be nice to him and start with walk halt transitions. "Let's then do one figure 8 at the walk at both ends of the arena, halting again in the middle of the long side and then you can start with a loose rein trot." The gelding looked like he needed a good stretch before they started working - granted any horse did well with that.
Aurora chuckled, she knew it was quite entertaining when Aurora made Phantom jump a cavaletti with Stephanie - it usually didn't end well. "She won't make you jump, I'm letting her coach flat lessons while I'm away. For the Olympics next summer, you'll have Naomi. I didn't find out I qualified until this morning, so you are the first one to know." She was proud of herself and Phantom. The horse had truly proved himself since he walked off the trailer after failing as a three day eventer back in America. "Though a bit of work with poles on the ground and cavalettis wouldn't hurt with Stephanie either."
Jamie knew he had missed a mark when his coach shook her head and simply waved off his remark before offering him some more sage remarks about how riding is a constant learning journey, "Huh. I'm not sure if Fiver or I really thought of it like that." The young man mused in the saddle. He had never been one for absolute perfection, which was odd, given that he took great joy in dressage and that sport did expect perfection, "Well, I guess I still stand by my words. Good thing I have you around to keep me on track." If not, perhaps his goals would slide into yesteryears. When Aurora asked him when had she ever made him and Fiver do anything too extreme, Jamie's eyebrows shot up, "When we had to display the egg and spoon race before the pony campers and not loose the egg." Naturally, the pair had lost the egg rather quickly that day.
They were at the working walk now, but Fiver appeared to still be trying to hold back, wanting to lolly gag a bit more. Given the rising tempatures, Jamie couldn't blame his gypsy vanner. Unfortunately though for him, this was a lesson, and they really had to work, "I tend to find Fiver needs less guidence with whoa and halting verses the go right afterwards." Aurora had given them clear instructions on what to do though, and thankfully, they were easy warm ups. No doubt Fiver would be letting his neck and head stretch out by the end of a few figure 8's and halts. They moved through the movements now as breezily as they could, Fiver more compliment with the halts then the go's, but with Jamie starting to firm up his leg pressure, the gypsy vanner was starting to have a bit more pep in his step. Each circle was near perfection in Jamie's book, but there was a difference between doing a circle and a walk or even a trot compared to a canter - that was when the collapse always happened.
Once they finished, they moved forward into the trot with a bit more nudging. Fiver surged forward, his head held up high for a few steps before realizing he had all of the rein in the world, and began to drop his head, "That's more like it, Fiver," Jamie muttered under his breath as they stuck to the wall, and the gypsy vanner seemed to really let loose in his stretch. Blue eyes looked over towards Aurora now when she mentioned she had qualified for Paris, "Coach! You're suppose to lead in with that at the beginning of the lesson, so I can congratulate you before I'm on the horse." He called out, teasing a bit before carrying on, "I'm fine with Naomi subbing in for you. I suppose, if you say Stephanie won't make me and Fiver jump, she will be an okay substitute too. I don't know if you've seen Fiver and me jump before, but it's not pretty." They were defilingly a pair made for staying flat on the ground.
I'm setting out into the great unknown, I don't know where I'm going but I'm ready
thanks aofie!
Eighteen . Student - Pre Vet . Crushing on SABRINA RAVEN LEDOR-KITA Blue Arces Rider - Dressage Student
