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!.
Morgan had purposely booked the afternoon off of August 24th. She had invited her friend Robin to join her for the garden party - she hadn't seen him in awhile and she had something important to ask him too.
The red head fixed her hair in the car before heading out - reading the signs to guide her towards the event. Morgan walked carefully with her sandals - used to wearing more an athleisure fashion style - meaning runners. She didn't need much to convince Aurora Sky to go shopping with her - semi formal isn't something she had in her closet.
As Morgan approached the event, she saw the tall dark haired man was already there. The woman smiled as she tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Robin, you look nice. Have you been waiting for me long?" She asked as the familiar man turned around.
Morgan's friends called her crazy for doing a race on a horse she had rescued not that long ago. She was a firm believer in giving her horses different situations in terms of their training.
She trailered the red roan mare to the race grounds - getting her ready with the rest of the Blue Acres gang. Emma had volunteered to groom for the red head - the two were chatting along as they tagged teamed getting the mare ready. Montana was surprisingly calm, enjoying being doted on by the young teenager.
The older woman began tacking up, using the Western tack she had custom fitted by Kayleigh. She put the black boots on her front legs, wrapping her back legs with matching black polo wraps. Morgan fixed her ponytail and set her cowgirl hat on her head before bridling the mare.
It wasn't long after that the two were in the starting blocks. The other horses were nervous and excited, which bled over into how Montana was feeling. This was the first race for both of them, but they were ready. The assistants made sure Montana was in the shoot correctly before moving on to the next horse. Once all horses were checked, the signal went - Montana galloped off with a swift kick from Morgan.
The two were off to a good start, sticking to the inside track when they could and passing others when Morgan felt it was safe. Towards the end of the race, two riders caught up an passed her - the rider didn't want to risk anything but kept a good galloping pace not to let anyone pass them again.
Once the pair passed the finish line in third place, Morgan brought the mare back to a jog and then a walk - allowing her to cool out around the track before walking her back to the temporary stabling.
“Do you have your phone or a piece of paper? I can write their numbers down for you.” Sometimes coaches all knew each other - the horse world tended to be small, even in a horse town like Hickstead. The Western riding was slowly becoming more and more popular. “Perfect, I can’t wait!” She was excited to have her own horse for once - used to riding horses that belonged to other people.
Morgan followed Piper and stopped as soon as they arrived at their stall. The redhead smiled as the mare nudged the other woman. “At least you found treats that she likes. I know it’s hard sometimes with a new horse.” The redhead approached carefully and moved her hand towards the mare. “That would be wonderful. Maybe in the arena if possible with some light?” She suggested - more to be able to see the horse’s confirmation and what she would potentially be working with.
“Did you halter train her or did someone else do that before she got dropped off?” She didn’t mind either way - though some people tended to be rough when handling young horses. It didn’t give them a good start to their training though.
The redhead watched as the older man left without acknowledging her. She shrugged her shoulders and sat down at the empty bar stool. Her light-coloured eyes glanced at the bartender - he looked familiar to her - though so many people knew her from either riding or the gym. “I’ll take a rum and coke to start.” Morgan was a bit of a health freak, but she did allow a cheat day once a week.
She opened the menu and began flipping through it. “Oh, the pork gyozas sound good. I’ll take an order of those.” She hadn’t had something greasy in forever and it was time. “Yeah, that’s me. Some people joke that I live at the gym.” Just for the 6 AM classes, stretch her sore muscles afterwards and leave. Morgan chuckled, it always seemed to be the men who underestimated her classes and their intensity. “I’m glad I kicked someone’s butt. You do know you can control the resistance on your bike?” She kept the room dark for that exact reason - keeping her classroom a judgment-free zone. Fitness was already something people tended to be self-conscious about.
“Nice to meet you, again. I don’t come here very often, though I’ll try and remember your name. Do you think you’ll come back to spin?” She raised her eyebrow - that was the true test if someone enjoyed her class. “I’ll settle the bill after I order. I really only want one drink anyway.”
Morgan scoffed sarcastically—there were plenty of times people tried to run her over. “Yeah, try running during rush hour. Or riding on the trails. Some people are completely rude.” Especially when she tried to train Montana in various situations, people drove recklessly beside the trails. People tried taking advantage of her, which she hated—just because she was female didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own in a fight. “Ah, I was mistaken. Most people who are Gym rats know my name, even if it is the crazy spin lady.” Her light eyes rolled - Spin was a difficult workout and not everyone appreciated it.
“Thank you, I know it’s not for everyone.” That was why there were so many different workout classes - something for those who wanted it. “I’ve lived here for a few years now, but I don’t think my American accent will ever go away. Are you from here?” The interesting thing about being in Hickstead, there seemed to be many Americans around. “You aren’t wrong, though sometimes people want an actual human teaching them.” Though her classes were busy enough - there was always a spot free though for people who wanted to drop in. “I don’t really live here, I do have an apartment where I sleep and shower.” She caught the wry sarcasm and decided to play along.
Morgan lifted and bent her legs, holding her knees with her hands before rocking back and forth to work out her back. “Did you hurt yourself or something? I heard the crack.” She was sure her joints cracked too - though she had heard it was often a healthy sign if there wasn’t any pain associated with it. “I don’t think I’ve been there, though I leave the handyman stuff to my brother.” It was something he enjoyed doing. “I actually am at both barns, but Montana is at Seven Oaks.” Being a catch rider meant being neutral in terms of the barn rivalries.
Morgan had a very busy day. Despite having the day off from teaching spin, there were still client horses to ride and get paid for. After spending the morning at the barn, she did her office work at home. The invoices for both spin classes and working with client's horses were adding up. The red head was proud of herself for getting it all done before dinner time.
She decided to treat herself to a drink and an appetizer at one of the newer bars in town. Morgan had been there a few times with the regulars at her spin class, though it was time for her to try it on her own. Morgan got in the car, letting out a sigh once she closed the door of her car. She hated doing office work - though that was how she got paid. It was about a fifteen minute drive to the bar, parking her car shortly after arriving. Morgan grabbed her purse and headed inside, wondering how busy it would be.
Once she stepped inside it took her a moment to realize it was Happy Hour - something she didn't usually attend but she really needed a treat. Morgan immediately headed over to the bar seating - deciding that she had the perfect opportunity to socialize. Quickly choosing an empty seat next to and older looking man, she sat down. "Is it okay if I sit here?" Morgan didn't want to assume that the man was here solo but she didn't see a purse or anything close by.
The woman didn't know what the specials were - she assumed they changed every day with happy hour. "Can you tell me what the specials are today? I'm looking for a drink and something to snack on." She had a late lunch at home, but alcohol was better absorbed with something greasy.
Morgan didn't know what to expect when she threw sass at the stranger. She did her best to be nice to everyone, though she was working - meaning she was concentrated. "I've been run over here more times than you can imagine." Both by horses and other humans - her jobs often required her to act and think on her feet. Once people were clipped into their bikes however it wasn't as much of a hazard.
The woman moved herself into a plank now, pressing her toes into the mat. Morgan couldn't really argue with him not knowing her name, though most people who went to the gym knew who she was. Her name appeared often on the weekly schedule of classes after all. "True. I just thought that if you knew I taught Spin that you'd know my name." She held the plank for about a minute before allowing herself to lay back down on her stomach - taking a moment to breathe. When the comment about men not taking spin class, she scoffed. The red head got herself up and spun herself around to sit upright. "You'd be surprised. I have about seven regulars who are men. And no, they didn't just try it once and left." It was similar to yoga in terms of gender turnout, though she was happy about more and more men joining her class. "Do I know her? I do honestly say for people to take things at their own pace. I'm not the one adjusting the resistance on the bike." She shrugged her shoulders before putting her legs out straight.
Morgan reached forward with her arms and stretched her lower back now. "Nice to meet you. Now I don't have to call you spin judge. Honestly, it's really not that bad." She didn't have to convince anyone - her classes were making her money with or without him. "I live here in the mornings. After this I'm usually at one of the stables nearby. You don't live here do you?" Her regulars would joke about her living at the gym, though like them she had a life outside of work.
It took Morgan a moment to absorb everything. She hated what the mare had been through, though she was happy to change that. "Well, that's perfect. I've ridden both Western and English so I don't mind putting in the work." The redhead didn’t have much of a life outside of work, which meant the horse would have more care than anyone else. “She is a chestnut mare, that’s to be expected.” Morgan laughed softly - the stereotype existed for a reason after all. Morgan was a rider who didn’t care what the horse looked like as long as the two of them got along and had fun. “Have you ridden her yourself?” It was a fair question - people who rode the horse tended to know them better - especially under saddle.
The woman nodded, expecting some sort of traumatic situation. Not many rescue horses came from good homes - or else they would have stayed there. “I really don’t understand why people decide to be abusive. Did someone drop her off here or did you and your family find her?” It would be heartbreaking either way, though maybe there was a shining light that the owners admitted defeat and trailered her to the closest rescue. “As for myself, I’ve been riding since I was six and competing when I was eight. Both in English and Western. I’m actually a catch rider so I’ve had experience training horses, even if they weren’t my own.” It was something she enjoyed so much that she turned it into her job - though having to say goodbye to horses she had grown attached to wasn’t something she was used to feeling. “I have discussed with Naomi Clarke if I can bring her there. Blue Acres is where I tend to have the most clients right now.”
She took her phone out and scrolled through her contacts. “I can give you the phone numbers of a few clients in town I’ve worked for. As for coaches, I’ve taken lessons from several coaches. Mainly Aurora Sky, Cassandra McLellan and Tobias Oliver. I can give you their phone numbers, they’ve been coaching me on various clients horses since I moved here.” Morgan really had nothing to hide and her coaches would stand behind her on it.
The blond man wasn't someone she had seen around before was what she realized when she first saw him. The redhead was happy that he had enough respect to give her room. She pressed down on the sides of her knees to deepen the hamstring stretch. “Oh, no problem. It’s not like I got run over or anything.” This was her favorite time of day, there was nothing better than an early morning workout.
“Spin girl? Really? That’s the best you can do?” She questioned, releasing the pressure from her knees and uncrossing her legs. Morgan felt herself wince slightly and stretched her torso forward to fold herself over. “You haven’t taken one of my classes before and forgot my name have you?” She was pretty good with names and didn’t recognize the man. He definitely wasn’t in that morning's class anyway. “My name is Morgan, by the way, prefer that over Spin Girl.” Morgan rolled herself so that she was sitting upright again. She took a few deep breaths to allow the stretches to work through before she would continue on.
"Yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you too. Thanks for inviting me out, I'm excited to meet Montana." She had been itching to have her own horse for years now - one who needed training from the ground up. It was a rewarding process. "My first question would be, how long has she been here and have you been able to do any work with her?" She needed to know how much work the mare would need. Morgan was thankful she was able to ride all different kinds of horses - it made her a better rider and ultimately led to her doing catch riding as a job.
“Did you have any questions for me though?” It was quite often that it was the case as most people wanted to know what kind of home their horse was going to. She hadn’t quite decided on a barn yet, though Seven Oaks was somewhere she often did her catch riding. “And also, what kind of information do you have on her, if any?” Coming from a rescue, she did know that it wasn’t always possible to have everything the horse had done previously.
The red head was done teaching her beloved six AM Spin class. Her regulars were back from vacation and were all ready to get back into shape. Morgan used a towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead, glad everyone else had a great workout. She stayed behind, allowing her students to chat with her after. Most of them stating they enjoyed her class and would gladly bring a friend along next time. "Please do, the more the merrier. I think after Friday's class we are planning to grab coffee after so we can really chat. It's been awhile since we all caught up." Morgan tried to arrange once a month for her regulars to catch up - they found they had more in common than just Spin class.
As the last student left, she picked up her yoga mat from her classroom and headed towards the main part of the gym. Her cardio and weights were done for the day - though her calf was bothering her and needed a stretch. She laid down on the mat and put herself in child's pose - stretching through her back. She took some deep breaths, bringing her adrenaline down from the class. The woman closed her eyes, opening them again quickly after she heard footsteps stop beside her.
The red head sighed and got herself sitting up - crossing her legs to stretch her hamstrings. "Can I help you?" She tried her best not to sound annoyed, but her time after class was set aside for her.
Morgan had been trying horses to buy for a few weeks now. Her clients were starting to take the horses she rode for them off to competitions around Europe. She was proud of the horses she worked with - they had come so far, but it was time for her to get her own.
She had heard about Helping Hooves through one of her clients at the gym, always wanting to help a horse who needed a forever home. Morgan had called and arranged a meeting - maybe even a test ride if she was allowed to. The red head was excited when Piper had agreed and was now on her way to the barn she had never been to before.
After getting in her car, she typed the address into her phone and let it guide her towards her destination. Thirty minutes later, she parked her car in a free spot and headed towards the main office. She knocked on the door and opened it. "Hi, sorry to interupt. I'm here to look at potentially buying a horse from you? I spoke with... a Piper over the phone." She remembered the woman's name as it wasn't one she had heard often. The red head closed the door behind her, in case this was a private conversation. Things in the equestrian world spread like wildfire through the community.
Despite her past, Morgan is pretty outgoing and always willing to help anyone who needs it. She loves teaching and allowing people to try new things. Morgan is someone who bottles up her emotions inside - not wanting to show that she was broken and always wanting to show she was happy on the outside.
Morgan is a competitive person, always loving to one up her brothers. She isn't one to sabotage though and believes in fair competition. As she comes from an athletic family, you can often find her doing some sort of physical activity. She recently moved and would love some friends!!
enemies
Due to her past, her father is someone she dislikes. I'm sure there would be other enemies as people get to know her. As she is a catch rider, there would surely be some enemies there as well.
