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!.
Savannah was pleasantly surprised Duncan had agreed to watch her at the show. She didn't mind either way - horses weren't really his thing anyway. The brunette smiled at her boyfriend as he distracted Poppy as she got the bay mare ready. The two had practiced the dressage test with her coach, knowing it inside and out now - though the nerves were still there. Savannah decided to go with a traditional dressage outfit, buttoning her show jacket on after Poppy was tacked up and ready to go.
Once she was ready herself, she bridled the mare - doing up the various straps before leading the mare towards the warmup ring. Savannah tightened the girth and rolled down the stirrups, using the well-used mounting block to get on. The woman put the mare through her paces, glad the mare had quickly settled into the work. She kept her ears open for her name, hearing they were close to showing as they cantered both ways. Five minutes later it was their turn, Savannah pulling on the reins - walking the mare out towards the dressage arena.
She had a quick conversation with her coach before she began, picking up the working trot and headed down the center line. It was odd for them not to halt but they continued - turning right as they reached the end of the arena. The two maneuvered the pattern pretty well, having problems at one of the half circles and the first serpentine loop - Poppy tending to bulge out to the right. It was something Savannah had to ignore as there was more of the pattern to be ridden. The pair finally approached B, Savannah asking for the working trot right at the letter. The mare obliged and moved forward - Savannah steering the mare down the center line before halting and saluting at X. She loosened her grip on the reins, allowing the mare to stretch and lower her head as they exited the arena.
Savannah gave the bay mare a big pat on the neck - it had been awhile since she had competed herself but Poppy did great. "Great job, Pop." The woman knew they had a bit to work on, but she was proud of the youngster - steering her towards the barns, wanting a moment to catch her breath as she cooled her mare down.
Savannah knew Candy wouldn't go far as she got herself organized. She clipped the matching leash around her shoulder, allowing it to hang by her hip as she walked towards the water. Her phone dinged in her pocket, so she quickly pulled it out. It was a client wanting to book a nail trim for their cat, so she quickly replied that the date and time suggested worked for her. When she lifted her head from her phone, she realized that Candy had gone farther than usual. The woman moved her head side to side as she surveyed the beach.
A few moments later, she saw the black and white Frenchie at the feet of a man. It took her a moment to realize she didn't know who he was, but she approached anyway. "My apologies. She's my dog. You don't have food on you do you? She usually doesn't leave my side usually." Candy wiggled at the sight of her owner, bounding back over to her. Savannah bent over slightly and gave the dog a scratch behind her ears before standing up again. "You aren't allergic to dogs are you? This is Candy by the way." The French Bulldog ran towards the water, stopping as the edge - allowing the water to wash against her paws before running back to Savannah's side.
Savannah nodded, she knew the White family had more than adequate staff to fix things on their own. “Maybe I’ve seen her around then. With a job like this, I never know what time I can ride until it’s the day of. Granted, my lesson day is pretty regular.” The brunette knew not to book herself for a few hours once a week. The self-bathing stations were always open, as long as the pet store itself was open. Those that wanted other services, had to wait on that day. “Have you ever gone to help?” Savannah didn’t know if building things ran in the family or if everyone had their own hobbies.
The brunette took a microfibre towel nearby and began rubbing it against the small dog. When she decided to update the website photos, she wanted to make sure she had chosen the best-behaved dogs. The small dog decided at that moment to shake, causing Savannah to quickly move her head away from the wet dog. “Sorry about that, she usually is pretty good about not shaking after her bath.” Once most of the water had been removed with the towel, she took it away from the dog and threw it in the nearby hamper. “Oh? What expensive hobbies would those be?” There were too many hobbies that were expensive, though like most of the population of Hickstead - Savannah settled for riding horses. “Alright, it won’t be long with the dryer.” She got herself set up to use the dryer, waiting for Tanner to have ear protection on before she started. Savannah used her hands and ruffled up the dog hair as the dryer started to do its work.
Savannah nodded, she had a feeling it was work that brought him to Hickstead. Though it wasn't as much of an acting city as London, it wasn't that far away if Robin needed to travel. "Are you an actor now? I always knew it was something you would stick with." It was always fun for her to keep track of her siblings interests, even if they weren't biological. Her parents did their best to make each of them feel special, encouraging them to do what they enjoyed. "Have you been in any movies or TV shows recently?" She did try her best to keep track of all the foster siblings, though she wasn't able to with the ones that had arrived after she moved away from home.
"Just about a year now. I do love Dublin and all but it was a bit too busy. They were in need of a dog groomer so I set up my own salon in town shortly after. What do you think of the town so far?" Savannah thanked Robin for her drink and took a sip, glad for another caffeine hit. The brunette dipped her head down to check on her dog. Candy found a comfortable spot in the shade of the table. She sat back up, pulling out a water bottle for Candy and with the press of a button insured the dog had fresh water should she want it.
Savannah didn’t have an idea what it was like not to have a sibling. Her parents constantly had foster children in their house, so the Taylor home was always noisy and busy. “I do admit, I miss my siblings. They are back home in Ireland from what I know. Where are you from originally if not here?” Savannah could tell he had an English accent, but she knew she wasn’t always the best at placing where people were from. Her Irish accent was still pretty present, despite being in Hickstead for a few years now.
“I mean your dad isn’t wrong. Free climbing a cliff wall isn’t exactly what I’d call safe either. Honestly, if you think about it no Sport is truly safe. Though where is the fun in that?” She was surprised she said something like that. Having Duncan live with her was rubbing off on her. “I see. Mothers seem to always worry about their children. Accidents happen and you always learn something from it. Is there something that makes her more protective of you? Or is it because you are an only child?” As Savannah was the oldest of her siblings, her parents seemed to always have their hands full with the others, leaving the brunette to go off to the barn and ride at such a young age.
Poppy flicked her bay ears forward as a squirrel crossed the path in front of them. The bay mare was starting to get impatient. “Ah yes. If you go on YouTube there are a lot of examples of dressage riders showing to music. It’s something I’ve been doing for ages now. Is there a dressage coach you can ask? Do you mind if we start trotting up ahead?”
The conditioner was rubbed into the fur, she rinsed her own hands off under the shower head and allowed it to sit. "Oh that's cool. I just feel like everyone around here rides. Does she fix things at Seven Oaks by chance? Maybe I've seen her around." Her riding schedule seemed to be wonky, though she had her weekly lessons with Poppy and Monte - so she knew the people that were there during those times.
She then rinsed off the dog, making sure the products were gone before turning off the water again. "Dressage, you know the discipline people call horse ballet? I've been doing it since I was little. Would you think about riding though?" Some people thought horses were dangerous - and depending on the situation it was true. Savannah picked up Cocoa and moved her over to the drying station. "It's going to be loud in here. Just a heads up." The woman tied the dog to the table with the dryer, prepping her area with brushes and scissors.
Candy realized they were going to stay for awhile so she laid down under the table. Savannah checked and made sure she placed her feet beside the dog. Savannah nodded, guarding the table was something she could do - though there were plenty of others for new comers to use if need be. "Perfect, what is keeping you busy anyway?" She had wondered what he had gotten into - acting seemed to be what she remembered him enjoying.
"Let me know what I owe you though!" She called as he left to go stand in line. Savannah would feel terrible if she didn't at least offer to pay for her drink and snack. She made herself comfortable and it wasn't long before Robin came back. "Were you there when Duncan was living with us in Ireland? Well, funny story but we are dating so, we both moved here because of his job." It wasn't exactly the truth, but Savannah didn't really feel like going into it - especially in public. "What about you? Did work bring you here?" Hickstead seemed to bring people together from all over the world though, she had met some of them coming into the pet store.
“Ah, thank you for the explanation. Most intelligent people get their remarks from wanting to prove their intelligence in a not-so-nice way.” Working the pet salon meant dealing with a wide variety of people - not all of them were kind and respectful of her or the work she did. There were some clients who thought they knew better than her, which wasn’t exactly easy to deal with. “Only child? That must not be too bad then. Or would you want a sibling?” Savannah never knew what it was like to be the only one - her parents had constantly fostered children when she was younger.
The woman nodded, the Whites would be the best people to talk to about starting Eventing. “I mean, riding isn’t exactly the safest sport so I do understand. Though what sport is one hundred percent safe?” Even something like running could be considered dangerous - tripping over a rock or a fallen branch was always a possibility. “Oh goodness. My dad was the one who panicked over me riding. Though he knew my mom rode as well so I don’t know why.” She shrugged her shoulders as well, not understanding why. “Is she feeling better about it now though?”
Savannah patted Poppy on the shoulder after she had remained calm at the walk. “I think the University may have a sewing class, maybe the teacher could be of some help if you wanted to continue the idea?” She wasn’t someone who was creative enough to learn how to sew - that was something she went to her aunt back in Ireland for. “Hip Hop? That would be a great choice for Dressage, it’s becoming more and more popular there too. Have you tried it to a test yet?”
The brunette had closed the pet salon for the day, surprisingly it was still bright outside. After she cleaned her area of the shop, she headed over to the stairway that led up to her apartment, picking up the harness and leash set by the door. She was about to call Candy when she glanced down and saw the stocky black and white Frenchie beside her. "Alright Miss, Let's go for a walk. It'll kill time before Dad comes home." The dog tilted her head, not understanding what her human was saying.
Savannah chuckled and put the mint harness on, clipping the matching leash on to the ring and led the dog to the car. She opened the door and lifted the dog into the car, fastening the dog seatbelt. Savannah got into the drivers seat and began driving off to the beach. The hot summer sun meant the two of them needed to be somewhere cool. Not much later, the car pulled into an empty parking lot.
She made sure the coast was clear before she clipped the leash and unclipped the seat belt attached to Candy. The woman picked up a small tennis ball and stuffed it in the pocket of her shorts before lifting the stocky dog out of the car - setting her down on the concrete. She locked the car behind her and the two headed off towards the path.
She nodded as she ran her hands through the dog's coat. "I'll shoot you a text to schedule walks with Candy this month. Poor girl is getting tired of being stuck in the salon. With it being summer I feel like dog hair grows faster." Not that the Frenchie should be going outside when it was super hot and humid - though the morning or late evening would be perfect.
The brunette moved over and put two pumps of conditioner in her hand, working it into the pup's fur - gently giving Cocoa a massage, also trying to prevent her from shaking water all over the photography equipment. "Does your mom ride or something?" She didn't know Tanner that well yet, but she assumed the woman did something at the barn. "It's not the cheapest sport in the world, but it's something I enjoy so it's worth it." Savannah wouldn't know what she would do with out either of them - they kept her sane while Duncan was off working odd hours.
"I do, it's something that keeps me from being here too much. I have weekly lessons with both of them and am glad the coaches are flexible when I ride." She often knew her schedule beforehand - feeling bad if she had to miss a lesson if someone had a grooming emergency, though not many of those had happened.
"Do you really think book smarts are everything?" She raised her eyebrow - with her various amounts of foster siblings, not all of them were book smart, but they were successful in their own ways. "It's just a matter of who you ask." Teachers of course drilled it into their students that being book smart was the most important thing. "Ah, typical boy genres. Any favorite book in particular?" There were way too many books to choose from, but maybe there was a specific book for Othello.
Poppy flicked her ears forward after the butterfly left her vicinity. The mare tended not to like things too close to her - most of all things she didn't know or understand. "Maybe there is someone that can help you with that? The eventing coach at the barn maybe?" Any sport was dangerous - it just depends on how one looked at it. "Are your parents always so protective of you?" Savannah's parents thankfully were protective of her - it was difficult for her parents to juggle the large amounts of kids in their house.
The brunette nodded, understanding where the boy's thoughts were coming from. "I do too. Darn, do they not have ear bonnets for horses with bluetooth speakers in them? I think Poppy or Monte would like that too." It made her two mounts perfect for dressage - that and their movements were something people talked about for ages. "If you do plan on doing Eventing, then dressage is perfect. What kind of music do you enjoy?"
The dark brunette nodded, it was the reason majority of people read books. "I can imagine you are very smart. What's your favorite genre of of books though?" She allowed the mare to pick up the pace at the walk, knowing she was starting to get impatient. "Darn, maybe we can find some coins or pieces of gold anyway."
"It's our first ride outside as well. Poppy tends to be a bit funky. She really should have been a chestnut mare with her attitude." Right on queue, the mare pinned her ears back as a butterfly came fluttering towards her. "Does it have to do with getting your parents permission? Eventing sounds a bit crazy to me. I've only watched it at a show back home." One of her foster siblings ended up doing it and was in the progress of doing it professionally.
Savannah quickly calmed her mare down, patting her on the neck after the butterfly had left after it had flown away. "Yep, usually the music is only during competitions but some of us listen to the music we want to use during our hacks." It got her in the mindset and helped her with the timing of when the cues were.
Savannah gave a quick nod, double checking to make sure the shampoo was worked through the dog's coat. "No worries, I understand. Photography equipment isn't cheap is it?" She was lame and just used her phone if there was something she wanted to document. "If I could have your card for dog walking though. Or is it your usual number?" Most people had two numbers for their business, though Savannah tended to use her personal cellphone for any business needs - it was easy for her to add a client in her calendar since she lived above the pet store.
"I'm glad you work here. It's nice having a chat if we are working together." She gave him a warm, genuine smile. Luckily, it seemed like everyone working at the Pet Store was friendly and always enjoyed chatting. "I do. I ride Dressage at Seven Oaks. I've got two horses, Poppy and Monte." There were so many people that rode in Hickstead so it wasn't a shock. "Do you ride?" She finished shampooing and began rinsing the dog off, watching as the suds start to go down the drain.
Savannah was always happy to hear there were youth that enjoyed reading books - and not just on their phones or some sort of screen. "Cool, sounds like a book I need to read. Do you enjoy adventure books the most?" She probably had read it back in her school years, but that seemed ages ago. "You have an actual one? I wouldn't even know where to buy one." Not that she had the sudden urge to hunt for treasure, though geocaching seemed to be gaining popularity. "Is this your first ride outside of the season?" She understood how the young man felt, even her quieter gelding Monte was starting to get tired of being ridden inside.
"Oh! I ride at Seven Oaks as well. I just do dressage, Eventing is a bit too...intense." She also always rode dressage, even back home in Ireland. It was a passion her mother passed on to her, though only a few foster siblings followed suit. "And what kind of riding do you do with Harry?" If she had to guess, they would do something like show jumping or Eventing.