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!.
Cara closed her eyes as she rested her head on the saddle flap of Charger's saddle, doing her best to stop her heart from feeling like it was going to hammer out of her chest. Straightening up, she shook her head, banishing spots, and she blew out a breath, once again cool as a cucumber - at least on the outside - and she finished getting the dark bay ready for the arena.
After working the horse in, and then going over a couple of practice fences, she kept him moving as they waited for her number to be called, knowing that it was her job to keep the youngster's attention on her, even though his ears were flicking around like antennae as he picked up every sound around him, his feet never staying still even when his small rider asked him to stand while she did her final girth check.
Riding into the arena, she rode a large circle, letting the gelding look at the fences, before she asked for a canter and they rode through the flags and headed toward the first fence. She sat tall in the saddle, waiting for the jump to come to them, correcting his stride with a quick half-halt and then let him do all the work and she smiled as he flew over the fence with the ease of his bloodlines, and she did her best to keep riding on that high as they approached the next fence, and she nodded as the gelding cleared the oxer - though not with the same flair as the first fence, as something outside the ring had caught the gelding's attention. The next two fences were done with ease, and then as they approached the double, Charger seemed to take offence to the fillers on either side of the oxer and skidded to a halt. "Easy" Cara breathed as the gelding snorted with stress, and then shook his head as she circled him around and asked for a canter as they rode toward the jump again. Applying her legs as they approached, she sat deep in the saddle, her eyes on the upright on the other side, and moved forward as the gelding almost cat-leapt over the oxer, though this brought a rail down, and the falling rail spooked the gelding, though he managed the bounce stride, and took off as his hooves were on the ground again.
Knowing that the horse had lost his confidence, once she had him listening to her again, Cara raised her hand to her helmet, retiring from the class, knowing that anything else they did in here wouldn't teach the horse anything, and showing was supposed to be fun, and Charger was having anything but fun right now. "We need to get you out more." SHe told the horse softly as they left the arena.
Cara silently reminded herself why she liked working horses while everyone else was asleep, she didn't need to try and work out what people meant when they said things. "Cara, already knows which horses she is riding, so Ms Clarke didn't see the point in having nine horses in the arena when she only needed six." She replied, not caring that she had just referred to herself in third-person - too many years of people doing talking about, rather than talking to her. The other reason she'd left her horses in the field, was because she wanted to ride the bay gelding she had been assigned, and she decided that one less bay in the arena during introductions would make things a little easier, as well as the fact that she would have had only one horse inside.
Once the other two had decided on the horse they were going to ride and had the other two in hand, she led the way out to the pastures. She gave a soft smile as an exuberant whinny came from the field they were walking past, and she stepped over to rub the white forehead of the little bay Welshie, and then continued down to where her three assigned horses were standing by the gate. "Mish, Charger and Fae." She said as she pointed to the grey, bay and buckskin. "Fae somehow missed the fact that she's not supposed to be pony-sized." She made a shooing motion with her hands and sent the trio away from the gate as she scooped the red halter and lead off the ground and then slipped into the field and caught the large bay horse before using him to block the other two so that Maeve and Sage could bring their horses in and release them.
She led the Sporthorse from the field and headed back toward the barn, doing her best to keep the gelding walking in a straight line, even when the horse wanted to have a look at everything that was around them, though she only needed to snap the lead once to get the horse listening to her and walking forward and quietly into one of the grooming stalls.
Cara rode Fae quietly around the warm up arena waiting for their turn in the arena. She had taken the mare over the practice jumps a couple of times, but she didn't like oer jumping a horse before they went into the arena.
Riding through the gate, she rode the horse forward, letting her check out a few of the scarier jumps before the bell sounded and she asked for a canter and they rode through the flags. She sat tall as they headed toward the first fence, getting the small horse into a steady rhythm and she rose out of the saddle as they flew over the jump, opening her left rein as they landed to that the mare was already turning toward the next fence, which the mare also cleared, even if she made the pole rattle int it's cups as she clipped the back rail.
Approaching the double, Cara did her best to prepare the mare for the fact that she was going to have to jump one fence and then get ready to jump again, though Fae seemed surprised with the second fence and slammed on the breaks. "Easy." She soothed as she circled the mare away from the jumps and came at them again, smiling as the mare jumped both this time, though took down a rail on the second fence.
Cara did her best to get the mare's rhythm back, but Fae's head was up in the air and she was doing everything she could to evade her rider's direction, and the young woman knew that she couldn't continue the course with the mare in this mood, and circling the horse away from the jumps, she saluted the judges, showing her retirement, and rode the mare from the arena.
She rubbed Fae's neck, knowing that this wasn't the round she had been hoping for, but the horse was still young. Before taking the mare back to the truck, she took her over one of the practice fences, just so they could finish on a good note and gave the mare's neck a rub before they returned to Naomi's truck.
Cara nodded, as some French people she had met did come off as snobs - the athletes anyway - though she also knew, from helping Angèl with her pony, that not everyone from France was a snob.
She nodded as the teenager thought over her words. "It can't be easy for a horse, to have to adjust to a different person every time someone mounts up." She offered. "Sometimes, just being around horses is as good for both of you, as riding them is." All too often, the only time horses spent time with their humans was when they were being ridden, but she found that the real work was what was done when she wasn't in the saddle, and was learning new things from her ponies, and the horses she worked with, while on the ground.
She gave a small smile, knowing that she had made the right decision when she had asked Molly's help with Mist, and she knew that the mare would love having a human who wanted to spend time with her. "Thank you." Her eyes moved over the ponies in the field, pleased that each of them had a job - even if Winnie's only job was taking care of her daughter and keeping the small herd in line.
She shook her head with a smile as the offer. "Thank you, but now I need to turn my attention to the big horses." She knew that this was the time that most people were heading home for the night, but for her it was when the real work began. When her attention was put on the eventing horses that she worked for Naomi and Mik. A time that she could work without being watched, and judged, by other people.
Cara sat still on the mare's back, letting the reins slid through her fingers as Charm lowered her head to sniff at the water that was lapping at her feet, and she took up the reins again as the mare began to paw at the water, stepping further in until her fetlocks were covered. "Easy." She soothed as she wrapped her legs around the mare as she shot backward, spooked by the waves as the touched her legs. "You're safe." She relaxed her legs again, and smiled when she felt the mare relax under her. "Good girl."
She looked up when she heard her hand, and lifted a hand in greeting as the pair drew closer. Her mouth opened, but no words came out as she was trying to work out how to answer the man, while keeping her attention on the mare under her, jiggling a rein as Charm pinned her ears back and gave a squeal toward the other horse, though Cara backed her up before she got the chance to do any more. "This was an unplanned outing." She finally replied with a shrug. "Ms Clarke wanted me to help extinguish her energy. Thank you, though." She loosened the reins a little as Charm pricked her ears forward and and stretched her nose out to Monty, as though she wasn't trying to eat him moments earlier. "Monty seems to be a real hippocampus." Her lips quirked with a tiny smile, though it vanished as she wondered if she should have just kept that thought to herself, or at least worded it a little different and actually said seahorse.
Cara wasn't sure how Fae would handle the handy pony class, as she didn't tend to do as much desensitising work with the sports horses as she did with the ponies, which she should probably change, but she had entered the mare in the class as it would be good experience for her first show.
She kept Fae thinking as she rode her outside the arena, waiting for their turn, and watching the man riding before her. When their number was called, she rode the young mare forward, talking softly to the small horse as they rode into the arena and waited for the cue to start.
The plan was to keep the mare moving forward, give her the chance to look at the obstacles, but not enough time to overthink anything, and she kept talking to the mare the whole time, explaining that the flapping bags weren't going to hurt her, that they jumped over poles all the time. The bridge was something new, but after a quick sniff, Fae happily stepped up onto the bridge and then walked over as though she had been doing so all her life. The pool noodles weren't much of an issue, other than the mare wanting to see if she could eat them and then throwing a tantrum when she was told she couldn't.
She halted the mare by the table with the tray, pushing Fae forward before she could help herself to one of the cups, and carefully picked it up, squeezing the mare forward, they rode toward the person with the flag, which Fae thought was edible, and handed the tray off. Trotting the mare forward, she halted her by the gate, heels to hinges. While she didn't compete in dressage with the mare, she was still trained in dressage, so the side pass and yielding of the hind and forequarters came naturally and with no trouble the gate was closed and they rode through the flags to finish the course. Rubbing the mare's neck, they exited the arena.
Cara clicked her tongue as she led Winter Rose from the horse truck, talking softly as she tied the mare to the opposite side to where Mikhail had tied the Friesian gelding that he had borrowed for that day's event. She smiled as she ran her hand down the mare's neck, happy with how far the feral pony had come since she had brought her herd home.
When the news of the Summer Fair had come around, Naomi had suggested that Cara should give a demonstration of the archery she did in her training session, and the suggestion quickly turned into Cara being signed up and here she was. She had gone through her list of ponies that she could use, and while she could have brought Swallow, as the Irish Cob loved the crowd, or even Doppio, the Haflinger would had had fun with the buzzing atmosphere. However, rather than bringing a pony breed that people saw everywhere, she had decided to bring one of her Exmoors, as it would help promote the breed for being as well-rounded as they were.
Leaving the mare munching on a haynet, the young woman walked into the living area of the truck and gathered the things she needed; the target, her bow and quiver, which she clipped around her waist and headed back out to where the pony was waiting. She didn't want to leave Winnie alone for too long, as it was the first time she was away from her filly and she didn't want the mare to stress - not that Winnie showed any signs of being stressed though, as she continued munching on her hay, looking around every now and then. "I think you're going to handle today better than I am." She told the mare as she blew out a breath.
Cara busied herself with getting her horses ready to compete, and also wondering if she should have brought others, as the more she had to do, the less time she had to sit around and wonder what she could be doing rather than sitting around. She pressed her lips together as she tacked Fae up, talking softly to the mare as the small Sporthorse tried to look at everything at once, while tied to the side of the truck. It was the mare's first show, and Cara hoped that she would cope with all the sights and sounds.
Mounting up, she rode the mare around a quiet part of the parking lot, letting her settle in, before taking her to the warm up area and taking her over a couple of practice fences as they waited. When their number was called, she rode the mare into the starting box, rubbing the buckskin's neck as she felt the small horse tense up. "You're okay." She soothed softly. As soon as the keeper gave the signal, Cara released her hold on the mare and let Fae barrel out of the box as they headed toward the first jump.
They took the course a little slower than Cara would have done on a seasoned horse, giving Fae a chance to look at the jumps before she went over them, but the young mare took everything in her stride and answered every question that was asked of her with very little backchat, and Cara grinned as they rode through the flags at the other end, leaning forward to hug the sweaty horse, though her mind was already on the next thing she had to do.
Cara shrugged at the mention of her memory. Some people have problems remembering thing, I struggle to forget." That was one of those comments when once they were out all you wanted to do was take them back, but one could do that the same way they could put toothpaste back into the tube. Rex loathed being cooped up in his stall, ad no amount of hand walking matched his need for a rigorous exercise regime, and she had actually been having fun finding different ways to work with the horse during their sessions; mostly getting him to work his way through a maze of poles, and she'd put together a few new toys to give him mental stimulation while in his stall.
Cara sat tall as her mount too offense to a rock, and she gave the stallion his head as he reached out to give it a good sniff, and pushed it over. "Yes, you are clever." She said as the grey gave a couple of prancing steps, clearly pleased with himself for showing that rock who was boss.
She gave Nathan a grateful look, a flicker of a smile, when he made his intentions of accompanying them clear. She knew that she wasn't in any danger with the stallion, but the calming presence of the other horse would be good for her huge mount. "This is Apeiros, or Ad Infinitum." She rubbed the stallion's neck. "I was... I guess a spontaneous purchase at an auction. He's got to the point that he's happy just being a horse, now we need to work out where he's going from here." She knew that Naomi had made noises about having the stallion cover a few of her mares, but the stallion needed a job that was more than just being a stud, but she was too small to be able to professional compete the Draught, as well as the fact that the thought of competing made her want to double over in pain - figuratively anyway.
Cara pulled her vehicle into car park, making sure the float she was towing was as straight as an arrow. She winced as the back hooves of the mare inside connected with the rear of the float. "Easy, girl." She soothed as she opened the jockey door and rubbed the silver dapple's nose. "I'm going to open the ramp, don't kick me." Naomi's sport horses didn't normally come to the beach to play while in training, but Naomi had asked to to get the Fresian Sport horse out so that she could get rid of some of her energy, the mare hated being put in a stall and that was part and parcel of being a show horse.
Once the mare was off the float, and had a rope halter on with reins attached, the young woman made sure that everything was locked up before she popped her helmet on her head and lead the mare over to a fallen tree that she could use as a mounting block. "Good girl." She praised as the mare sniffed at the tree before she happily stood while Cara vaulted onto her back. "Off you go." She squeezed her forward, sitting tall as she used her seat and legs to guide the mare down the path, letting her look around and investigating anything she wanted to have a closer look at.
She rubbed the mare's neck as they stepped out onto the sand, Charm throwing her head up as she caught the scent of the ocean. "Up!" Cara laughed as the mare began to paw at the ground, and she circled the mare and then squeezed her forward before she could drop to her knees. The fact that there was another person on their horse on the beach was taken in, but Cara's focus was on the mare as she worked her through her paces on the sand, asking for simple dressage moves as they worked, pleased with the way the mare responded to everything asked of her as they made their way down the beach. "Would you like to have a swim?" She asked the pretty horse as they drew closer to the water, and the other horse and rider.
“Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela
It was an early spring evening and Cara was in her happy place. She had finished her work of looking after the Clarke-Thone twins and Kyoto was in the capable hands of her grandparents as the family ate their dinner - sweet and sour chicken, with rice and egg foo young - and now she had some time to herself.
She smiled as she watched the ponies as the moved around the pasture, knowing that a whistle from her would have their attention, though she was happy enough just being an observer for now. The herd had changed over time, she had gained a couple of new ponies that needed retraining, and had brought over the two foals, Fish and Bankroll, from her wild herd once they were at an age where they could be weaned. Ice, however, had been weaned for a long time (though she still tried to see if her dam would let her try and nurse), and Cara decided that it was time for her training to move on.
She looked over at the bay filly, who was trying to challenge Blossom, which the mare wasn't having any of and gave the youngster a warning nip before she turned around and gave the filly a very firm kick. "Silly girl." Cara whistled and smiled when all of the ponies turned to her as one and Cara gave the filly her whistle, smiling as the pony flicked up her heels at Blossom, earning her another nip, and daintily trotted over to where Cara was standing. "Hi, baby." She said softly as she offered the filly her hand and then rubbed her forehead. "Casey is going to come and do some work with you." The filly knew all the basics; how to wear a halter, stand still while being groomed, lift her feet to have them cleaned and trimmed. She was still a year or more away from being ridden, but there was still a lot of training to do without needing to tack a pony up.
Cara knew that she should be tired, as it was early in the morning, and she had finished working Mik's and Naomi's horses, and now, after helping Naomi bring in the half dozen Sporthorses and tying them to the arena fence, she sat on the fence, patting the nose of a flaxen chestnut mare as she waited for the other two riders to arrive, and their boss to return.
She offered Maeve a smile as the young woman entered the arena. "Ms Clarke will be back in just a moment." She said.
She looked up as a young man entered the arena and remained on her perch, as it gave her a little extra height, and her eyes glanced toward the door, silently willing Naomi to return. "I am called Cara." She offered, glad the arena was pretty silent as her voice wasn't exactly the loudest. Her eyes moved to the door again, wondering if she was supposed to do the equine introductions, and released a breath when she saw the blonde headed woman walked through the door.
Cara gave a small smile, as it seemed she was getting better at this social interaction thing. Looking after children was teaching her as much as it was teaching them. "It's a pity that the French are not often mentioned when you look up the best bakers." Not that that was a topic many people would look up just for the fun of it, and she only knew the information because an old classmate who had become a pastry chef had told her.
She nodded, pleased that it seemed Molly understood what she had been saying. Luna might surprise you." She offered with a smile. "Horses become so used to being told what to do, that they feel they lose a bit of their freedom. Once you start asking and waiting for an answer, they become more inclined to work with you, because you aren't the only one doing the talking." At least she'd discovered that that was why so many lesson horses got such a bad reputation.
She smiled again and bowed her head as she watched Molly with Mist. "You letting me down isn't something I'm worried about. I've seen you working with both Major and Luna, and you treat them both as though they are your own, rather than just handing them off when you've finished. She finally released Twist and gave him a little push, bringing her energy up, telling the pony that enough was enough and lowered her energy again when the Mountain Pony backed off and then walk away. "When you start jumping her, please have someone with you. She likes to buck, after a jump, and I'm not sure if she'll do the same with a rider on." She'd ridden enough ponies who liked to buck after a jump, just because they were having a blast, not because they were being naughty.
Cara blinked as she picked herself up off the ground, from where Apeiros had slammed her into the gatepost as he'd barged out of the arena as they had finished their light workout under the spotlights and she'd been about to lead him back into the barn, where she could tell Mik to go home.
Blinking back the spots, she experimentally circled her arm, wincing when it refused to go all the way around, and then looked around, the stallion was nowhere to be seen. "Kuso!" She swore as she picked up a jog and headed toward the barn doors, ignoring the spots still dancing in her vision, Ms Clarke would be most displeased with her if anything happened.
She paused when she got to where Mik was standing and nodded as he pointed deeper into the barn and she picked up her pace when she heard a scream. "Hey!" She called when she could see the tail end of her horse, trying to catch his attention, wincing when he skidded to a halt and reared up. "Easy, love." She soothed as she stepped out of the shadows. Her grey-yellow eyes landed on Molly and Maeve, both of whom looked terrified. "Breathing would be the best option." She said gently to the two teenagers, as she approached the giant grey horse, holding her hands up when he shied to the side, knowing she had to get the stallion away from the mares.
"Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life." —Bill Cunningham
Due to her tiny stature, Cara had never been a fan of clothes shopping. Back when she had attended private school, that required a tailored uniform, it hadn't been a problem, as she was measured and the clothes were made, and other outfits had been made the same way. Now, as an adult, she still had to shop in the children's section of stores - which was great if she loved pretty and colourful things - so she ordered most of her clothing online, or had it made for her.
However, with the show season approaching, she knew she needed new show attire, as well as her daughter and the Clarke-Thorne twins needing new clothes as they had all gone through a growth spurt - even if Kyoto, who was a year older than the twins, was the same height as them. Drawing in a deep breath, she brushed down the long sleeved maroon and gold Blue Acres polo shirt that she was wearing, and walked into the tack store. She had a list of the children's sizes, as Naomi had thought it was best not to let the children loose in the tack shop, and she headed over to look at the show jackets, trying to work out which ones would look best on her with the horses she rode, while also making sure they didn't look too... young for her to look professional while in the show ring.
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