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!.
âYes. They are your lower ground assistants, helping handle those that stray â like calves or curious ones. I know people heavily rely on their riding, as well as ATVs and such. But the dogs are compact and can move a herd in a tighter formation â ideal for penning.â Kegan did her best to keep the information compact and somewhat interesting. She knew she could drone on it forever but knew attention span and interest could heavily vary.
âAll herders will learn a set of verbal cues as the dogs cannot not look at you while working. Everyone wil; be getting one on one training with me, and slowly worked into larger groups. Itâs not something I expect to happen overnight, obviously. But with more cows coming in â I want everyone to be more efficient and not tire themselves.â
She was not expecting the handsome Asian man to somewhat barrel towards her. Though to bear, Kegan wasnât expecting any kind of person to barrel up to her with such determination. The rain was indeed the cause.
He began rattling off names and Kegan couldnât help but squint at him for a moment with a head tilt. But the names did eventually click in her brain after her reactions were finally catching up to her brain. âAh yes, I am very much not those two very talented women,â Kegan smiled, evident that the statement was not a lie.
âNice to meet you Bode. I will have to break your heart and tell you that it is not the place you are looking for. Unfortunately, I believe the rain will hinder your signal a bit. I guess youâll have to stay and get a cup of coffee or tea as you wait.â Her words came off as a slight demand than a suggestion. Even though Kegan was a well seasoned country road traveler, rain wasnât the best thing to get caught on. Especially with people who didnât know the route.
âIâm Kegan Diesel. Youâve stumbled onto Diesel Ranch,â Kegan added, grabbing the knob of the door and opening it to allow Bode in first.
Kegan looked up and smiled. âNice to meet you Lani,â she said, fully aware of who she was already. Well, to the extent of what she overheard. It was a mix of good and bad, mainly complaints from former folks that she received special treatment from the old owner. âCome sit. You came at the right time.â
She didnât necessarily want to trap Lani but might as well start her questioning process while she had the time. âYou were here for a long time, correct? How are you fairing with the new changes?â Kegan got straight to the point
Kegan is a solid western rider from Texas. She grew up around horses and cattle and has been Barrel Racing and Roping since she was young. She competed in the US and Canada - with the occasional rodeo show-up if she had the time.
class objectives
Kegan's teaching style is as structured as she is. She's a strong believer in nailing down the basics before proceeding, similar to learning the rules before bending them. Kegan also believes in applying practice and lessons in real life - especially as someone who works in the ranching business. Classes are often during late afternoon or early evening but she can do mornings if asked.
Kegan is a solid western rider from Texas. She grew up around horses and cattle and has been Barrel Racing and Roping since she was young. She competed in the US and Canada - with the occasional rodeo show-up if she had the time.
class objectives
Kegan's teaching style is as structured as she is. She's a strong believer in nailing down the basics before proceeding, similar to learning the rules before bending them. Kegan also believes in applying practice and lessons in real life - especially as someone who works in the ranching business. Classes are often during late afternoon or early evening but she can do mornings if asked.
April was about to begin and Kegan felt a bit caught off guard. It wasn't a bad thing, but it just made her realize how much time had passed. It also meant there were a few birthdays that were coming up if she was remembering correctly.
Birthdays were always celebrated while she was in Texas. There were no shared month celebrations, always on the day for someone - or close to it. It meant a lot of cake and fun- but it made the staff smile. She unfortunately hadn't done too much the first year, mainly from business and Kegan didn't know how people felt about it yet. But she did write small cards with a gift card.
As she mulled over her options, a knock at her office door reverberated through the room. Which meant that she didn't have enough decor in it yet.
âCome in,â Kegan said out loud as she gave a small glance at her calendar. No meetings so it was most likely a question from someone. None of her staff had become comfortable enough with her yet to just come say hi. Unless today was the start.
Kegan didnât make it into town for too much, but she had an appointment for a commission contract. Mainly to chat with a few local business owners that catered to leather goods and tack. Seeing their thoughts on being equipment providers, like an equal trades kind of thing. There werenât any concrete decisions yet, but Kegan was happy to get the bug out.
She looked at her watch and nodded to herself as she walked down High Street. It was quaint, almost like a small downtown of a Texas town. All it was missing was a mercantile and a large hay silo.
Kegan found the Starbucks easily enough and saw Tenaya waiting for her. The poor girl was probably scared shitless, something Kegan didnât think would be an issue amongst her staff. But Kegan knew that she brought a lot of change, and a lot of it in a short amount of time. So far, no one has left because of it.
She ordered her coffee and when it was received, she walked over. âAfternoon, Tenaya,â she smiled â hoping to ease the nervous energy Tenaya was most likely feeling. âIâm surprised you wanted to meet at Starbucks, but I guess we all need to leave the ranch sometimes, donât we?â Kegan took a sip of her coffee before continuing. âI figured I would check in with you. See how you are fairing with everything going on. And be honest. I donât like when people sugarcoat things.â It wasnât a threat, as Kegan was truly interested in the feedback. But it also had the tone that Kegan didnât tolerate liars, and the actual truth would eventually get to her.
It didnât take long for Sam to show up and when he did, it was evident that he was about to be distracted through the whole process. Kegan didnât blame him though. Dogs were always a welcome sight, working or not. âYou are correct. It took me a few months, but I believe they will make the process more streamlined. Theyâre all well trained, but they will need some hands-on training with their new people,â she smiled. Her words were straightforward as Kegan wasnât a person to beat around the bush.
âIâm guessing the former owner never had you work with them before?â Kegan had a good answer already, but she didnât want to make it seem like the former owner was a piece of shit. Things were different. But there also felt like a difference between English ranching and Texas ranching. Kegan didnât want to come across as demanding, but she liked things to be more efficient than her workers were used to.
The Cattle Kegan kept the forty of the original cattle but added a herd of ten English Longhorns, and ten Highland.
English Longhorn English Longhorns are large lean beef cattle with an impressive sweep of horns that curve down to around the nose. These impressive horns are valued in the pedigree. The body may be any one of a wide range of brindle colors (including colors from red to grey) but they all have the characteristic white line or "finching" along the back and down the tail, which is passed onto their crossbred progeny. Cows range in height from 130 to 140cm and weigh 500 to 600kg. Males average 150 cm in height and 1000 kg in weight.
Uses: Meat, Dairy
Highland Highland cows are a hardy breed with a double coat of hair that makes it easier for them to withstand harsh conditions. They have a thick undercoat that insulates them from cold temperatures and an oily outer coat that gives them their cute, furry appearance.
Uses: Dairy, Fiber
Limousin The Limousin is large, fine and has a strong boned frame. Mature Limousin females should average 650 kilos and mature males 1000 kilos. The head is small and short with a broad forehead, and the neck is short with a broad muzzle.An early-maturing breed, Limousins naturally produce young, but mature, lean beef in the medium weight range demanded by supermarkets and for intervention supply.
It had been almost a year since Kegan took over. There have been a lot of changes she has made so far, mostly with the property. She was still updating her home, but that was last on her mind. Kegan had made sure the barns and anything about her staff were up to date. One barn needed a lot of attention, to the point Kegan had to accept it most likely needed to be rebuilt. Money wasn't an issue. At the moment, it was the horses that were in the care of the barn. Thankfully, a few places could house those horses until the third barn was rebuilt.
Now, Kegan's goal was to start training herders. Most, if not all, were talented in their own right. But it was evident some were lacking in the way they worked. Nothing awful, but she witnessed a bit of disconnect. She was hoping they would answer some questions for her. But she also wanted to meet with them to meet their companion.
Kegan and her family always insisted on having a dog by their side. Some people found it an odd practice, to have such a small animal help herd. But it was a necessity. There was so much a person on a horse could do. So, to up production and a stronger sense of purpose - Kegan got some dogs that were well trained from a neighbor. They were downsizing and didn't need more dogs for their livestock. After an exchange of meat and dairy, Kegan got the dogs. Now, it was the time to match those dogs with their herder.
A few picked theirs out, leaving Violet and Sam. Sam seemed easier to pair with out of the two, so she called him first. Kegan asked him to meet her at the vet's office, where the dogs rested and received checkups.
Dogs and Cats Kegan believes in having a solid connection between herder and their dog. She has implemented a training system where they can bond and learn together. There are also livestock protection dogs for the cows, and a few barn cats to help keep pests away.
Herding Dogs These dogs live with their handler, or in a kennel if their handler lives off-site.
