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!.
Rory had her day perfectly planned, though sometimes the mares and foals threw a wrench in them. She quickly finished brushing a broodmare who she had done some light lunging work with before putting her back in the mare pasture. The woman finished up before heading to the stallion paddocks, whistling for Merlin as she approached his private pen.
Merlin lifted his head from his flake of hay and trotted over to her, pieces of hay coming from his mouth, causing Rory to chuckle. She held out a sugar cube and haltered the horse, leading him inside to get ready for their lesson. It wasn't long after that they were heading into the arena, all tacked up in their show jumping gear.
"Hi Logan, long time no see." Rory joked as she got up on the mounting block and got on the larger stallion. She appreciated his approach - especially when Merlin got a bit studish and decided that he was excited after a jump or two.
Rory really wanted to get her act together - her lessons hadn't gone as planned lately. It was almost as if she was in some sort of rut. She kept signing herself up for them, wanting so badly to have a good lesson.
She had chosen Joy for this lesson - wanting the horse who caused a little less chaos in the ring to have her turn. Rory got her mare ready, preparing to ride inside due to the rainy weather. Rory quickly got Joy ready, realizing she was running a bit behind. She led the bay mare into the indoor, smiling at Logan as she entered.
"Sorry I'm late, one of the foals decided to be a bit of a menace. How have you been? Busy with lessons?" Rory fixed her tack before getting in the saddle, walking the mare forward as she started getting the two of them warmed up.
Rory knew her horses were getting antsy with the wet weather. The two bays hated being ridden inside after a long winter, but it seemed to be dry enough outside to have their dressage lesson.
Merlin, who was decked out in his dark green set, was pawing at the concrete in impatience. Rory scolded the stallion, who quickly decided to stop. The dark blonde shook her head before bridling the dark bay, doing up the various straps on the bridle before leading him towards the outdoor arena.
Dressage wasn't the stallion's strong suit, but Rory wanted to keep trying - as the horse excelled in the other two Eventing disciplines. Rory smiled and waved at Leo as the pair entered the arena. "Morning! I can't believe it's dry enough to ride outside. Merlin will be happy about that." She patted the stallion on the shoulder before checking the girth and getting on, using the mounting block that was nearby.
The breeding manager made sure the foaling barn was in order before she switched her focus to Joy. Rory's job was keeping her busy as it was Spring time, but she made herself sign up for lessons to focus on her own two horses.
With the help of a groom, the dark bay mare was ready for their eventing lesson. It was their weakest of the three events, but they were willing to put in the work. Rory double checked the brush boots, which matched their saddle pad before leading the mare by the reins to the outdoor arena. She smiled when she saw Lily, opening the arena gate before letting the mare in - closing the gate behind them.
"Hi again, now you get to meet Joy. She is less spunky than Merlin, but she does love her job." Rory had finally gotten the mare out of her shy personality - one that she had for quite sometime before she rescued her. "How have you been lately?" She fixed her stirrups before getting on the mare, using the mounting block close by.
Rory was happy with her successful lesson with Merlin earlier. She didn't think the bay stallion would listen to her when she asked him to be patient - it would help him with rushing to the jumps.
She pushed the thought away - focusing on getting Joy ready for their dressage lesson with Leo. Usually, the mare did well - enjoying the flat work unlike Merlin. The woman brushed the horse, lightly spraying her with show sheen and fly spray before using the soft bristled brush to make sure she was glistening before putting her tack on. The woman tightened the girth before putting her helmet and boots on, bridling the mare before leading her outside to the arena.
The bay mare let out a whinny as they went outside - the mare calling to her mare friends in the pasture. Rory laughed as the pair continued to the arena - opening and closing the gate as they entered the sandy area.
"Hello, Leo. Good to see you again. How have you been?" She halted the mare by the mounting block, checking the girth one more time before fixing her stirrups and gently getting on the horse before she began to walk on.
Rory didn’t have much interaction with River - she didn’t have time for his cranky antics and he didn’t tend to want to deal with the mares and their foals. “Oh, is that what happened? I heard something about him being injured, but it could have been a lot worse.” The brunette didn’t mean to downplay what had happened - but death for both of them would have been the worst-case scenario. “Wait, did he open up to you about it?” Maybe the grumpy man had friends after all.
Her job was a big juggling act - trying to make the humans happy and the horses content. She had many things to keep track of, especially during breeding season. When things slowed down, then she had time to compete with Merlin and Joy but she felt terrible when they didn’t get the attention they deserved. “It is, it’s all about the horses and their care. Most of the owners are a joy to work with.” It was the truth - there were always going to be a few people who were rude and thought their horses were money-making machines. “The government frowns upon you skipping school. What makes it so bad for you?” She didn’t exactly enjoy school either back in the day, but her childhood was traumatic and she didn’t talk about it often.
“Did she say where in England she was from? I’m originally from London, but moved here after University.” She wanted a small, quiet town away from her father - she was surprised that Taylor had followed here there. “Just keep calm, I know you are excited but you know how sensitive horses are. Put your hand out so Haliee can see you first. Once she’s calm then you can pet Comet.”
Rory smiled, glad that Lily seemed to be in a good mood. Though from working with her with the breeding program - the woman always seemed happy. "Thank you for fitting us in today. He has been behaving himself recently but you know how stallions can be." She took full advantage of being able to ride outside - wearing him out on the trails the day before.
"Don't tell the other two, but he does love jumping." Though the dressage was starting to come along - the horse needed a lot of work containing his excitement and energy. She slowly started to gather her reins, changing directions after one lap at the walk. "They've been going well, thankfully. We had a bit of a rough patch in terms of him having a bit too much energy." Sometimes she wondered if the horse was too much for a smaller woman like her.
"I'd like to work on his rideability. Some consistency of pace would be nice. He likes to rush at the jumps." She did appreciate his enthusiasm, but it needed to be contained when it came to jumping. "I feel like that is what is hindering us from competing at a higher level." Rory nudged her horse into the trot, letting him move forward.
Rory focused on getting the dark stallion in a frame - rather than have him throwing his head. The woman was finally getting used to the fact that her two horses had completely different personalities and energy levels.
Merlin moved fluidly around the corner before going down the quarter line - swishing his tail as he focused on the task at hand. It took Rory a moment to realize that the pair had company. She heard the rider's voice, not recognizing it at all. "Oh, hello. I didn't recognize your voice. It's nice to meet you, I'm Rory. Yes, I've been riding here for almost ten years now. What kind of barn are you looking for?" She rode down to the top end, giving the new horse and rider pair some room - bringing Merlin to the halt before backing him up and making him walk on again.
As Rory and Merlin approached, the brunette got a good look at her horse - it seemed the girl was on a solid horse - she could tell it was a Warmblood too. "I'm going to assume you ride English. We do too, three day eventing to be specific." She had a good working relationship with all of the coaches - not only due to the fact that she was a teacher as well. Doing Eventing meant she rode with three different coaches - with both Joy and Merlin.
Rory couldn't help but laugh at Ronan's comment. "Not right now in a time of panic. They'd be more interested in what bloodline Radar has and when they can start helping with his training." Rory did enjoy the teenager's enthusiasm, but it did sometimes get on her nerves.
Her focus quickly shifted to the young foal who was starting to realize what the humans were planning. The brunette let out a sigh and started her slow and careful approach towards the bay colt. It seemed now that the geldings were becoming aware that they had an unwelcome visitor. "It shouldn't take us that long, he may be smart but he's young." She did have sugar cubes in her pocket at all times - escapees happened in her daily line of work. "You and Max have a good streak going on there, who are you taking lessons with again?" She knew it wasn't her obviously - she was just in charge of the breeding program.
"Trust me, his owners already want him gelded once he is old enough. Their daughter is too young to ride a stallion too." Rory kept the lead rope on her side, seeing the colt dance more as she approached. She took a quiet deep breath to keep herself calm - stepping close to Radar before carefully placing her hand on the colt's back.
Rory checked her watch, rushing to get up after realizing it was time for her to go out to get Merlin from his private paddock. She gave the mare in front of her a scratch under her forelock before closing the stall door and headed outside, picking up a lead rope on her way out.
She could see the dark bay in the back, munching on a flake of hay as she approached. A quick whistle later and the stallion lifted his head and sauntered over to his human. Rory chuckled and clipped the rope to the ring of the halter and led the bay inside and to his stall. She quickly got him ready before setting her helmet on her head and sliding her feet into her tall boots. Merlin pawed on the concrete, earning a swift slap on the shoulder from Rory. Clearly, the stallion had way too much energy today.
The woman slid the bit of the bridle into the horse's mouth and did up the straps before leading Merlin to the outdoor arena. She smiled when she saw Lily was already there - opening the gate while leading the bay inside, turning him around before she closed and locked it.
"Hello Lily. Long time, no see. This is Merlin. I do hope he behaves himself today." She stopped the bay by the mounting block and tightened the girth. The woman rolled down her stirrups before getting on. Merlin walked forward as soon as his rider touched the saddle.
It was Merlin's favorite day of the week - show jumping practice. Rory had asked for the jumps to be set up for her - wanting to practice getting the stallion to listen to her when she asked him to settle, rather than buck playfully after each jump.
She quickly tacked up the dark bay stallion after giving him a good grooming session. With Spring in full force in the UK, her two horses seemed to be quite muddy. Merlin let out a snort after he realized his human was leaving him. "I have to get boots and a helmet before we go." She said, quickly shaking her head before leaving for the tack room. The brunette put her hair in a low ponytail before placing her helmet on her head - clipping up the chin strap before sliding her feet into her black tall boots - zipping them up before heading back to the cross-ties. Merlin flicked his ears forward and snorted again when she returned. Rory moved quickly to bridle the horse, knowing he was much bigger than her. It wasn't too much longer before they made their way to the outdoor arena.
She opened the gate, closing it and locking it behind them before leading him to the mounting block. Rory checked the girth before rolling down the stirrups and getting on. She patted him with a gloved hand on the shoulder - rewarding the bay for standing still as she got on. After a nudge, Merlin walked on briskly - really wanting to work. She knew right away to keep his mind busy, deciding to walk in a circle for half the arena before heading down to the top end. Rory was so focused on what her stallion was doing to realize that someone else had joined them.
Rory kept her eye on the foal. One of the vets had already checked on both of them that morning. Despite Comet being born a few days early, they were both doing well. It would be a few days before they could be turned out with the rest of the broodmares and their foals. “Ah, I feel like River knows everyone by first name now. Why do you think he’s so grumpy?” She didn’t have to deal with him often - except if she needed something done with Merlin or Joy. Rory understood people had good and bad days but it seemed like River always had a bad day. The woman nodded, Maddie seemed like someone who always seemed to be in a good mood. “I usually deal with her if I need anything work-related. Mostly just ask if she wants to help me bring the mares back into shape if their owners decide not to breed them.” It was something she needed help with, especially if the mare was more trained in Western riding.
“Well, I do have to deal with vet appointments and the owners of the mares and their foals.” The owners did have the final say about what would happen with the foals in terms of their training. “Just like any job though, there are good and bad things. Don’t you feel that way about school?” She tried her best to compare things for people who didn’t understand the job. Sure, working with mares and their foals was something she was grateful for - but it also meant dealing with people and not very pleasant things in the end. Rory stepped away from her corner as the foal started to stand up on his own. “So this is your first time living in the UK then? Are you enjoying living here so far?” Rory had always felt envious of people who travelled all over, though it wasn’t in the cards when she was younger.
“Yes, come on in. Just be careful. Hailee seems to be a bit protective of him still.” The mare was a maiden, which meant Comet was her first foal. "This is Comet and his mom's name is Haliee." She was lucky that the owner didn't live far - he came right away and named the newborn colt.
Rory didn't know Ronan that well, but he didn't fit in with the giggling fit of girls. They would be hesitant to help her round up the young colt. She held the lead rope in her hand, hiding it behind her back - knowing how smart Radar had proved to be. "Honestly, don't tell Molly or Janie but I'm glad it's you out here." She did adore the two teens, but sometimes they could be a bit too intense.
Radar seemed to be more interested in Ronan rather than paying attention to her slow approach. The brunette nodded at his suggestion. "That works, try and get him close to the fence if you can." It would act as a literal third wall and help keep the colt in a corner, making it easier for them to catch him. "Well, if you have time I still have to ride Joy. We could ride together?" It was the least thing she could do after the teenager agreed to help her. She still had to ride Joy no matter what the answer was. "We did, thanks. Worked on our dressage today. Merlin decided not to buck thankfully." The blood bay stallion made his opinion known - he enjoyed the show jumping days and not anything else. "How is Max anyway?" She didn't deal much with the geldings, unless Nic wanted her to check on Ghost.
"No, it's just him. Granted, I don't know if it's because he is one of the only colts born this year or if it's his personality." She knew from the moment he was born that Radar would be the one that would keep her hands full. Speaking of the colt, he pawed at the ground and whinnied again - as if he knew they were talking about him.
The teen wasn't someone she recognized, wondering if she wasn't someone who rode there. It was always a concern of hers - stealing horses was something that was a possibility. The buckskin colt approached her, starting to inspect Rory with his nose. She gave the young horse a pet on the nose before standing up and turning to the newcomer. "It's fine, I appreciate your honesty. River and Maddie are not people you want to see angry. Just a heads up, River has a shorter temper than Maddie." She had her fair share of dealings with both of them, especially when the mares were ready to go back out with the rest of the herd again after having a foal.
"The job is more than just hanging out with foals and broodmares, but it's my favorite part of the job." She didn't mind dealing with people, but she appreciated being left on her own to deal with the young horses. It was rewarding for her to watch the foals thrive and learn new things over time. "Well, welcome to Seven Oaks then. Is Twilight the black gelding? I think I was here when he arrived." She wiped her hands on her riding pants and walked over to stand in the corner. "So, where are you from then if you just moved here?"
Rory finally had a moment to herself - riding Joy before work started and just finished a lesson with Merlin. The stallion had bucked her off after having way too much fun jumping over an oxer. She had just finished turning the stallion back out in his private pen, having hosed him off as well.
She hung the leather halter over her shoulder and went to go check on the yearlings. They were happily playing along and she was shocked that Brooklyn wasn't there hanging out with them. The brunette did a head count, making sure all of the young horses were accounted for. She headed to the mare and foal field, seeing Max in a different field nearby - as well as Ronan and a horse who didn't look like it belonged there.
The woman raised her eyebrow, jogging off towards the gelding field. "Someone isn't old enough for the gelding field yet. Hey Ronan, long time no see. You mind giving me a hand catching him?" She unclipped the lead rope she used for Merlin from the halter and threw the halter by the gate - stepping inside the pen. "If you try and pen him in a corner, that's usually how I get him. How have you been anyway?" The colt bobbed his head and let out a whinny.
