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Post by muugle on Oct 18, 2010 0:41:45 GMT -8
Just Within Reach -- Alice Marie Sinclaire The gelding's coat was gleaming, a shining wall of midnight, and silky smooth, but still Alice Marie brushed. She had been standing there for an hour, smoothing the already spotless coat down against the muscled frame of the warmblood.
His mane had been pulled, and now fell in a perfect, straight cascade down the side of his neck. His tail had been trimmed, like the fur in his ears and his whiskers, and his feathers had been thinned out. He was a sterling representation of his breed, and stood poised, ready for excercise. It had been two days since he had last been ridden, and he was frisky. He stamped his foot, and Alice Marie looked up, shaken from her hypnotic, methodic brushing.
This would be the first time she had ridden at Crossfire, and she was nervous. Merlin, her dutch warmblood, was much like a lot of the horses here. Drop dead gorgeous, with bundles of potential. But Alice Marie didn't want to mess up, or fall off, or be laughed at, so she was nervous.
As she tacked him up, Merlin nuzzled her shoulder reassuringly. Smiling, she patted his shoulder, and adjusted his girth and stirrups. Taking a deep breath, she led him out of his spacious stall, and walked him briskly along the passageway to the indoor arena. Nothing too strenuous today; just a thorough warmup and working on canter speed. Then she would probably do a few low-ish jumps.
There was no mounting block in the arena, and Alice Marie huffed. She didn't really enjoy scrambling ungainly onto Merlin's back, but it looked like she had no choice. She used the slightly sloped side wall of the arena to push up into the saddle, and Merlin wasted no time. He danced away, into the center, his tail carried high and his neck arched. He was happy to be free from the confines of his stall.
Alice Marie settled into his stride easily, and set about warming him up. She didn't use the whole of the arena, because it was huge, and worked up at the A end. She half-hoped someone would come in and use the other half, but for now she enjoyed the solitude of Merlin's movement.
His canter speed was a bit rushed and bouncy, and she spent a good ten minutes with him on a relatively short rein trying to calm him. He just had too much energy!
She dismounted and tied his reins in a knot so he wouldn't trip on them. He refused to stand still, and trotted away to the other end of the arena, bucking playfully. Alice Marie dragged four poles to the side of the arena, and set up two jumps side by side. They were around four foot high, and she would probably only go up to five foot today because he was so fresh. She didn't want him to lose form over the higher jumps.
A loud thundering behind her made her turn, her long dark hair swishing around her. Sand flew up before her, and the rearing black frame of Merlin was outlined behind it. Crazy horse! He skidded to a halt in front of her and she caught him. It was easier to climb on his back using the wing of a jump, and she adjusted her stirrups to jumping length.
After settling him back into canter, they cleared the two jumps easily, Merlin's ears pricked beautifully. Then he spooked slightly as the door into the arena opened.
Pulling him to a halt, she squinted to see who or what was coming through the door. Her gelding snorted, and played with the bit. He was just as curious as his rider to see who was coming in to join them. |
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Post by mia on Oct 18, 2010 12:33:13 GMT -8
DON'T TRY SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
WERE BURNING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SKYLINE, ON THE BACK OF A HURRICANE --> It was a nice enough day to ride. Not too hot, so her horse wasn't likely to work up such a sweat if he decided to go crazy. Which was likely, since it was the first time she'd be riding in this new place. Which was why she'd decided to tack up Firefly. One of the less crazy horses on her team. He'd been around the circuit before and he knew the rules. A new place was not a reason to be stupid or to lack focus. It was simply a place with a couple of new hedgerows and a different stable. Although most of the new places he had been were simply just three day events, what the horse didn't know was that this was a bit more permanent. Faye slipped into the geldings stable, the chestnut looking up and acknowledging her with a welcoming whinny. He took a few steps towards her and Faye gently stroked the geldings face, her fingers tracing along his blaze. "Hey there big fella." She cooed as she slipped the bridle over his head, Firefly willingly opening his mouth to accept the bit. She had opted for the grackle today. It was only ever the grackle or the flash nose band, to be fair they almost did the same job. But on excitable days the fiery chestnut would twist his jaw and lock against the bit, hoisting his head in the air and would proceed to gallop off with her. The grackle prevented him from doing this. And plus in her opinion, it looked prettier than a flash. No she wasn't one of those people who stuck all kinds of gadgets on their horses because they looked pretty. That was just a bonus. Sliding the reins over his neck she patted her mount and reached for a brush.
--> Quickly and fluently she flicked over the horses coat with the body brush, making sure any stable or field stains were gone. And that the surface where his saddle touched was completely free of any possible irritants. Once she was done she threw the brush back into her grooming box and reached for the saddle she had placed on his stable door. Effortlessly she slid it over the geldings back and did up the girth, not forgetting to loop it through his martingale first. Making sure everything was buckled up and safely in their keepers she grabbed the reins, making one more check on the saddle before opening the stable door. She lead the way, her horse obligingly following at her shoulder. Patiently the horse turned as she shut the stable door behind her, his shoes clipping against the concrete walkway. Faye had almost forgotten about picking out his feet. Rookie mistake. She ordered Firefly to stand as she quickly dashed back to her grooming box and whisked out the hoof pick and grabbed a skip bucket which was by her stable. The chestnut gelding stood un-fazed in the centre of the barn. For such a, fiery horse under saddle he was a perfect gentleman in hand. He was well trained that was no doubt, he would have been a lot harder to train if he hadn't been gelded. Efficiently picking out his feet she put the hoof pick into the skip bucket and slid it back across the barn to her stable door. Then grabbing the horses reins she clipped up her hat and continued to walk out of the barn.
--> They reached the entrance to the indoor arena, she wasn't sure why she had walked all the way round. She was sure she could enter from the barn but oh well. She noticed the big metal doors which blocked the view from inside. Debating whether to pull open the doors or not, at risk of spooking the horse inside. Although she couldn't be asked to walk all the way back, to come to possibly more big metal doors. So she took the decision to slide back the door, slowly though. If there was someone inside she was sure the horse would be less likely to spook if the scary door moved slowly than if she moved it quicky. With the door opened she peered inside. Their was a duo standing in the arena, who seemed to realise her opening the metal door.The pair stood, watching her, she felt a little awkward, hoping she hadn't interrupted anything. With her hand resting on the gate and Firefly looking directly at this other horse she called over. "Hey, Am I all right to come in?" She asked. It was always polite to ask, she hated people who just walked in on her. How did they know her horse wasn't going to bolt through the gate or launch into a frantic attack on the other horse. At the sight of the black gelding Firefly let out an anxious whinny, moving his feet around on the ground, eager to greet this other horse in the arena. His neck stretched up as far as it could go, holding his head high, ears perked and eyes wide. He took sharp breaths, flaring his nostrils in excitement. His back legs were stretched out behind him. Faye scowled. "It's not a mare, it's got a penis. Like you. It wouldn't work." As if her horse would understand her words. It had no effect he still stood, chomping at the bit as it were, to get to the other horse. Mare or gelding, he didn't seem to care. He didn't seem to care that he wasn't a stallion either. Faye rolled her eyes. It was going to be one of those days was it?
ooc;;
notes;; eh sorry for the shortness
wearing;; Outfit
riding;; Firefly |
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Post by muugle on Oct 20, 2010 23:54:48 GMT -8
Just Within Reach -- Alice Marie Sinclaire Merlin's athletic ebony frame was tensed and ready to spring forward to meet the horse that was coming in. Alice Marie held him in, and he did a half rear. He was only six, just a baby, but Alice Marie didn't want him to get into any nappy habits, so she walked him slowly forward.
She had already been impressed by the facilities at Crossfire, with the spacious stalls and race tracks, and the place really had a community feel. Alice Marie was yet to meet most people here, but from the amounts of horses in the barn, she guessed that it was improbable that she would ever see everyone. Sure, there would be the usual cliques set into factions set out by which disciplines they excelled in.
With a start, Merlin plunged forward as he caught scent once again of a horse on the other side of the big door. Alice Marie was grateful for whoever it was had not wrenched open the door suddenly. Her young gelding was likely to be spooky, and she patted him reassuringly as she pulled him back into a controlled walk. He chomped rudely at the bit, and she stroked his neck. She would shake some lavender into his straw bed and see if it made him more sleepy for tomorrow. She was panting from the effort of holding him in, which didn’t happen very often.
A call from the other side of the door met her ears, and she smiled. 'Yeah sure, come on in!'
As she moved closer, Merlin started to jog, so she circled him away and pushed him into a canter. He arched his neck and bounced around, ears pricked eyes bright. She also didn't know what the other horse was like around other horses, so until she saw who it was, she was going to stay at her end, just for the safety of both horses and riders.
She popped Merlin over another jump and then trotted him briskly round, trying to tire him out a little. He was so edgy today! Alice Marie sighed and set about dismounting, ready to put the jumps up again in an effort to exhaust her too-fresh horse. Maybe if the other rider was a jumper too, they could set up a small jumping course for them to take on. |
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Post by mia on Oct 23, 2010 14:05:26 GMT -8
DON'T TRY SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE
WERE BURNING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SKYLINE, ON THE BACK OF A HURRICANE Smiling she unlatched the little gate in front of the metal doors and pushed through it. She assumed it was there for an extra precaution if a horse did try and take off at the opening of the metal doors. Firefly followed her through his feet doing a little dance as he turned around to allow her to close the gate and the outer door. His head turned towards the other gelding, letting out a softer nicker this time. "Thanks, Firefly's good with others, he just gets a bit, excited, meeting new friends." She smiled and walked her horse towards the mounting block, asking him to stand patiently whilst she got on. She rolled down the stirrups checked her girth one last time and then gracefully swung onto the horses back. Firefly shot forwards, before her foot was even in the other stirrup. She pulled back on the reins sitting deep in the saddle. And Firefly obeyed, halting, although with his head in the air. Faye, when comfortable that her foot was safely in the stirrup relaxed her hands and asked the gelding to walk on. The chestnut obliged, moving forwards, even with his head still in the air, searching for the black gelding. He found him, his eyes tracing every move he made. Faye let him look, they were only warming up, for the first 10 minutes it didn't matter where his head was.
After a 10 minutes warming up on both reins, she collected her reins more asking him to hold himself more correctly. She increased her leg pressure encouraging the horse to work over his back and into the contact. It took longer than it should but finally the horse was walking with a more rounded frame, carrying his head himself. Today they were working on their flat for the first half, perfecting their weakest point in the eventing stage, their dressage. Then she would move him up into his jumping, his second favourite. As she was yet to find a cross country around here. She was sure she would be able to make one. She figured that the chestnut found it difficult to keep his focus so she had to keep it interesting for him, which was why they always did a higher level dressage than what they needed to. For instance they always practised at Grand Prix when they only needed to compete at Prix St George level. She asked him forwards into trot, his motion fluid and swift. After a few laps with circles she encouraged him to lengthen his stride down the long side of the arena and collect more down the short sides, making sure she kept out of the other rider's way. Her eyes scanning to see where the jumping duo were working. And when need be to avoid a crash she would leg yield to the inside, remaining in a trot. Which incorporated her dressage warm up and getting out of the way in one swift movement.
Although Firefly didn't always keep his concentration. As they moved past the handsome black for the second time, he raised his crown and whinnied, loudly. Loosing his focus, Faye scowled and spurred him forwards, which immediately made the horse drop his head back into the carriage he had before and lengthen his stride. After a couple more moments they reached the A-K corner of the school and she asked him forwards into canter. He picked up the gait immediately, striking off on the correct leg. Faye did a twenty meter circle at the A end and then asked him to flying change and did one in the other direction at the C end of the school. Masking sure she went around the jumps and checked the other duo weren't preparing for take off. Once he completed the circle, she asked him down into a trot and then down to a walk. That was the easy stuff but she figured he'd need a break. And he did, the horse out stretched his neck and lazily walked around the arena, his attention snapping to look up as the other gelding whickered to him. Without notice he turned his direction to stand before the other horse, sniffing at his muzzle before she could react. "Aha, no squealing please Mr." Faye warned, her British accent shining through. She nudged her horse along, looking back to the girl. "Sorry about that. Like I said, he's to keen on making friends, and not keen enough on working." She apologised, with a smile and a small laugh, not sure if she was getting in the way of any work she was trying to do or hopefully not exciting her horse, more than he already seemed to be. Although she doubted it as she had dismounted and was busily setting the jumps higher. Firefly had taken advantage of the dismounted horse and made his chance to greet him. Obviously the social butterfly that he was.
ooc;;
notes;; eh sorry bit of as recycled post. I think Firefly is a bit gay ;D |
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