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!.
“That makes sense. I’m Auggie. The horse you help catch is Bovi. He’s a bit of an escape artist as you can tell.”
“He’s a beautiful horse,” Violet said, giggling a bit at the softness of the nose.
“Have you been here long, buddy?”
If Bovi could've understood, he might've said like it felt like forever. He'd been shuffled around so much that it was a wonder he even liked people in the first place. He bumped his nose against the woman's hand, snorting quietly before he took a half step towards the man in front of him and began his cursory check for more treats. Where were those banana chips he liked? The grain was great, but the chips were better in his mind and he felt he deserved the food for all the running around he just did.
Bovi was content to just give into temptation, but the moment that lead was on the fun was over. His head shot up at the unexpected grab and turned a dark eye on the human that did so, ears falling back yet unpinned. Snorting and shaking out his rough mane, he dropped the bag he was holding and lifted a leg into the resting position.
The lead was on now, he had to play by the rules. Huffing, he turned a little bit to reach out to the hand that held him, breathing in the new smell. He was not familiar with this human - he couldn't place her as familiar, but he still obeyed the rules. He knew better than to hurt people.
Bovi's head jerked up at the whistle - ears swiveling around to listen. He knew that sort of whistle, it was one his past owners had used to call attention when he and other young colts were out feeling fresh on the pasture; stop fooling around. He caught sight of the man who made such a commanding noise, nickering back in recognition. Tossing his head a little and setting the fed bag swinging, Bovi moved a step closer to the man.
But then he smelt it, food only this man seemed to ever have. And a thought wandered through Bovi's mind - perhaps he had his favourites too. More than curious now, he began his slow swaying walk over to the man who was shaking the other feed bag, mellow as he could be.
All the rush and fuss put the spirit right into his heels - it was attention, it was different and like hell was he about to just plod back into a stall to stand about and be left on his own with nothing to do. Perhaps a big flaw, or a blessing in its own way, but Bovi knew enough about the humans that they were easily cowed when he wanted his way. He hadn't met too many people that could alter his thinking.
Swinging back around he started on his next lap of the yard, hooves sliding slightly as he turned a corner a little too quick - his shoes more of an annoyance than ever. He couldn't dig as deep to the ground as he wanted. He charged right by stable hand, the oat bag catching the young man in passing. This was far too fun.
Bovi worked on the bolt of his stall, bored out of his mind with energy to spare. A lot of feed, a lack of exercise and stuck to his box for the entire day did a number on his patience, limited as it was. The trainers had only taken him out to groom him and send him through a ten minute lunge before boxing him up with a heap of breakfast.
He reached out at passing people, looking for attention but no one gave it, so he turned to snapping and even began attempts to chew through the gate door before he found the latch and began working on it. It seemed that the lock was not done right, left in just the right position. He pulled at it and then the gate was open. He pushed out of it and began wandering the isle - there weren't many horses around and most he ignored, save for a few curious glances.
He found his way into an open room, rummaging around, looking for the banana chips that he felt certain would be around somewhere if he worked hard enough - after all, he deserved it! Grabbing a bag, he backed out of the room and dipped his head in - it wasn't his favorite, but any grain was worth it. He was interrupted by a shout and he looked up, spotting a couple of grooms who saw him. He snorted and tossed his head before grabbing the bag and dragged it along, going away from the grooms.
"SOMEONE SHUT THE ENTRY GATE! BOVI IS OUT!"
Bovi whinnied as he ran about with his nearly empty bag, not the least bit concerned for the fact that it was flapping around his face and body. He was out, he was free, and he wasn't about to just do as the humans said. He'd done enough of that throughout the day!
show name • The Bovine Hustler stable name • Bovi, Bo age • Eight breed • American Quarter Horse x Thoroughbred [75% - 25%] height • 15.2hh discipline • Ex-Cutting & Breakaway Roping, Ex-Rodeo Horse gender • Gelding
the appearance
identifying features• A striking red dun with a dark face and a single star on his forehead. More QH built than TB. Solid, hard hooves. Has small superficial scars on legs and right side, hard to see as his coat has covered them.
the personality
likes • Banana chips, Black Jelly Beans, Chewing on Things, Open fields, FOOD!, Ear Scratches, Grooming time dislikes • Being confined to a Stall, Farrier, Vet, Dentist, Other Geldings/Stallions, Girths, Baths/Hoses/Water in General strengths • Hard Working, Wonderful Endurance, Smooth Canter, Escape Artist! weaknesses • Mouthy, Pushy, Always Testing Rider, Snow fears • Birds, Cattle overall personality • Bovi is a generally cranky horse, like someone gave him a generic feed rather than his favourite oats. He's hot and cold, yes and then no, all way round pain the butt to anyone that has to deal with in in general. He'll be sweet one moment doing exactly as he's asked and then throw a tantrum ten paces later - pig-rooting, bucking and over all becoming a bronco at the worst possible time. But when he's interested and engaged, Bovi is a very nice smooth horse to ride. He challenges everyone, even when he's in his stall, but beware to make sure all his latches are secure because he will get out and he will cause chaos.
the history
owner • --- father • Unknown mother • Unknown siblings • Unknown overall history • Bovi was bred and born under the hot Arizona sun on a ranch that quested for superior western horses to sell. He was let roam with his dam and dozens of other foals for two years, brought in to be gelded a little too late and grew distrustful of humans from the get go. He and a handful of other horses were rounded up when they turned three for training, and was sold with other geldings that didn't quite make the cut for the ranch's purposes to a buyer in Texas. Bovi proved his cattle sense fairly on in his training as he excelled, every task met head on and ironed out fairly quickly, and pushed aside that distrust of people once he was under saddle.
By age 5, he was going to western classes where he had decent luck - having a 50/50 win and lose streak. Never enough to be a champion, but nothing to sneeze at. He got low with the cattle in the cutting class, and he was steady and fast in the breakaway. Eventually he was risen to rodeos where he chased bulls back into the chutes and helped the riders off when the time came. He was good, he was solid, he did his work well right through to age 7.
The accident came shortly after his 7th birthday when a large overly aggressive bull refused to cooperate on the ranch. Bovi with so little fear of cattle did exactly as he would've done, but his rider confused him with other aids to retreat, causing the gelding to stumble and lose his sure footing. The bull pushed and shoved the gelding into a barb wire and plain wired fence. The force of a near one tonne beast unseated Bovi's rider and the horse's instincts to flee kicked in far too late once his rider became absent. It took five riders to corral the bull away from the trapped horse.
Bovi's injuries looked bad with the wire around his legs as he tried to disentangle himself. It was a long walk back to the stalls and an even longer wait for the vet to come out, but thankfully he only needed a handful of superficial stitches and rest. Bovi was kept on rest for almost three months but by then he'd started his bad habits. He began to destroy objects out of boredom in his stall, ripping up blankets, the gates and posts around him, and finally enough watching taught him to get out. After four months, the ranch owners decided to sell him. He was later imported to England after giving hell to the quarantine staff. From there it was a yo-yo affect for the gelding, changing hands more often than he could stay when people found he was no simple plodder or beginners horse. A young man bought him for western riding and whilst Bovi was at home, the young man was interested in cutting and the moment Bovi saw the cow he disobeyed all direction from his rider, eventually throwing him and running mad around the arena.
After that and more hands, more faces, more trailers, Bovi still hasn't had a forever home that would like a challenge... He's out of work and is on the chunky side of things for now as he stays in the sale yards waiting.
the role player
alias • BlackJack, Jac age • Mid 20s other characters • So many... too many...