Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Sept 18, 2010 22:23:14 GMT -5
Eyes were locked upon the toe of the new boot as it was moved in small circles through the air. A sound of discontent escaped her as she slid the Ariat off of her right foot. The pair of cowboy boots were placed back into the box which was then returned to its shelf. Find something you like? An overeager salesperson asked, obviously one that would try and sell you anything in a heartbeat. Kambree Lynn shook her head slowly, hazel eyes glancing up as she frowned and looked back to the piles of boxes. Not today. She rose from the small bench and the salesperson grabbed a box off the shelf with a look of determination. What about these? She'd tried every pair of boots that she would wear, and a few that she might not. It was difficult to trade in her plain old, now falling apart Justins, just due to the fact that they were so comfortable. No thanks, I'll come back another time I think. Lyrics were polite, followed by a smile as the girl turned away and walked out of the store, specifically avoiding the horse sections and reminding herself that the equine didn't currently really need anything. Long brunette locks were held together before stretching a small elastic band and tightening it to keep her hair out of her line of vision. A smile came across her lips at the sight of the old 1977 Ford truck, she loved the truck; it was just plain fitting to her as were her boots. Of course, there were occasions when the friends who didn't exactly understand her called her 'old fashioned', which made her think that they didn't know the correct meaning of the word. She just wasn't high maintenance, except when it came to her horse's wardrobe, but she was well aware that most of it was unnecessary, she just spoiled the horse as though it was her child. A four-legged child of course. The truck's engine rumbled loudly, the stereo volume running a little louder than most as the channels were flipped through with a bit of impatience. They all had commercials on at the same time it seemed. With a frustrated sigh, the channel landed on some channel with older hits on it. Most of the songs weren't completely recognized, but she had never been one to listen to music constantly. Tires grinded against the dirt road that led to the stable where the girl currently was keeping Vegas. Multiple whinnies sounded into the atmosphere, greeting whoever came near the barn loudly. It was funny, how the personalities of the animals came out from certain things, the sound of an engine, an opening door, etc. Some looked forward to seeing a human, whereas others could be ignorant or quite cautious. And then there were the overly-spoiled animals that were quite pushy, such as the ebony beast that thrust his head over his stall door and tossed it about like crazy. Hello to you as well, Vegas. Tones were slightly amused, rolling her eyes at the horse's foolish actions. It wouldn't be long before he came back to his puppy-dog-like mentality. The electric blue halter was grabbed from it's hook and the horse lowered his cranium in acceptance of what was going to happen next. Yet, that didn't stop him from prancing a few steps down the aisle way towards the cross ties. For the most part, he was level-headed, but they all had their days. After a quick brushing, the pad and saddle were set upon his back and adjusted before finishing with the bridle. The equine followed behind quietly as he was lead towards the outdoor arena, not even acting as though he had ever seen the clover leaf pattern before. The girl easily hoisted herself into the saddle and warmed Vegas up along the rail, going over a slower version of each gait. A bit of slack was taken away from the reins, but the horse simply responded by perking his ears as he faced the three barrels. He was being quite reasonable today, and she was plenty pleased. With a loose, but easily picked up rein, the horse was encouraged to move forward at a lope. Each hand reached down and picked up the turn a notch to adjust the turns ever so little. After the run, the horse was a little hyped up, but that was a normal response from him. It never took much to walk him down, so a lap around the arena did so and she slipped off to grab the gate and remounted as she directed the equine towards the trailhead and turned towards the shorter of the few loops.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Sept 19, 2010 0:31:42 GMT -5
It had been just over a month since he had returned from Germany, a trip that would change his immediate future more then he would even have thought. It was a last resort when he had gone there since he had been miserable after the car accident that had fractured the mans wrist in two different places. He had been told by the doctors that it may never be strong enough for riding ever again and since then he had been devastated. Moping around the house and not leaving even to see the girl who had been the object of his affections though it did not take long for her to lose interest and she did not even contact him when he went back to his home country. When he returned to his family he was a shadow of his former bubbly self and they had quickly set him into place telling him that he was ridiculous for believing that he would never ride again and telling him that if he did not want that to happen then he better get back on a horse immediately since his cast was set to come off in a weeks time anyways when he would return to his new living situation. So when he was there he had started out on the good natured Quarter Horse mare of his dads just to get a feel of getting back into the saddle and when he got back he resumed with Cairo as if it was before the accident though that made him realize that that large black gelding was not the horse for him. He had found a younger girl to lease the large warmblood and they had been an instant match. The fully trained Equitation horse had not need or want to be a large jumper and he could use the extra money that the horse produced to finish paying off the new truck that he had been forced to buy when he had totalled his. Of course since the person had hit him and run they had not been able to reimburse him even though the other person came over the center line and drove him right into the ditch. It was a shame but he had come to terms with it knowing that things do end up just happening and there was no use in dwelling over things that he would not be able to change. He sold Cairo to the girl the next week and she sent him tons of pictures already and he was pleased that he had sold the classy horse and with the money that he had made he had been able to purchase the younger bay mare that he had his eye on at a local breeding farm. She was only four so her training was minimal though he had been watching her since she was three and wishing that he had the funds to pick her up as a young prospect knowing that she would amount to a lot. She was a direct Pilot daughter which was quite rare. The bay horse was a mahogany colour with four white socks and an almost bald white face. Riviera was her name. She had been brought from Florida as a yearling and the man who had her had no interest in selling her so he ended up paying a little more money then he wished on her but she was worth it. The large gun metal grey dodge rumbled to life as he backed out of the driveway of his town house lately apprenticing with his engineering mentor was doing well for him since they had finished a project long before the deadline and were given a very nice bonus which helped him out a little and now he had both the horse and the truck paid off. The gravel crunched beneath the tires of the large truck as he pulled to a stop where all the other cars were parked and he noticed one that he had not seen before. He looked over into the field and instantly spotted the pretty mare. Bypassing the barn and heading in that direction. The soft Walsh halter hung on the end of the gate. He picked it up and noticed the horses head fly up in the pasture taking steps towards him. He hopped to the top board of the fence and back down to the ground and the mare got within ten feet of him before squealing and striking out and trotting along the fence line. After hitting the corner and seeming as though he was about to catch her she did the same thing again this time at a canter and his patience was wearing thin, the mare was toying with him as if he was nothing but a play mate. Growling under his breath he tossed a couple curse words beneath his breath. You cow. He yelled at her, and at that moment she decided that it was in her best interest to come with him and she walked up to him like it had not been no issue. Although he wanted to smack her upside the head he patted her and slipped the halter over her ears. The horse walked like a puppy dog all the way up the hill to the crossties and looked as though she was the best behaved animal in the barn with Enzo glaring at the equine the entire time. He clipped the horse into the crossties before then walking into the tack room and returning with the stuff that he needed to ride the horse, a variety of brushes were run over the horses hide and he wrapped the horses legs with black polos before placing the saddle pad and half pad on the horses back followed by the saddle and tightening it with the girth. The bridle was placed over the horses ears with just a loose ring snaffle before leading her in the direction of the ring where he stood on the mounting block before swinging easily into the saddle.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Sept 19, 2010 17:32:07 GMT -5
The girl constantly found herself spending time with her horse when nothing else seemed like a good idea. She'd been raised with horses since she was born practically, having gone the normal route from a Shetland pony that would make you or break you all the way to where she was now. Yet, the animals and sitting in the saddle never got old. She remembered when she had been catapulted off of Princess, a seal brown little pony, and got a broken arm as a consolation prize, but she still was determined to get back on and didn't let the doctor or her parents stop her. And then, in later years, it was quite amazing that she didn't majorly injure herself to the point where she could no longer ride. She had too much faith in the animals she worked with when it came to some of the stunts she decided to pull. She was still alive and in the saddle years later though.The sound of someone yelling at their horse caused her to laugh and she slightly glanced back but failed to recognize who it was. She didn't know many of the people here, and there never seemed to be anyone around at the same time when she was. Vegas was quite calm as they walked down the trail, only whinnying once or twice which was a plus. Herd bound horses could be rather aggravating at times. The loop didn't last long, Kambree had decided upon taking a short cut through the woods to go back towards the barns. The sky didn't look completely promising, so she did not want to get stuck in the midst of a downpour if it happened to come down; not that she would melt. The ebony equine got his attention caught by another horse that was being worked in the ring. The young mare was quite attractive, really flashy being a bright bay with four whites as well as more white along her face. It was difficult not to recognize a horse with such distinct markings. She watched the male work the horse with interest as they walked closer. The English discipline was something she had little knowledge of, taking only a few lessons of it, but she still found it to be something that she might take up later along the line. Her own horse was asked to halt about ten feet from the fence before she slid off and continued to watch the two from the ground. She kept away from the fence line, not wanting to spook the young horse just in case. Though from the way the horse was responding, she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. There had been several times when she'd received some sort of young horse to put time on and quite a few of them had been just a little bit special.Some had matured, others hadn't. Just was sort of a luck of the draw type thing. She noticed the male had halted the horse for a moment and politely commented to him. She's a really nice mover. It was very evident that she had nice extensions and had nice fluent movement. She turned away and led her horse back towards the barn to unsaddle him. The radio's lyrics were hummed along with quietly as she took each piece of tack off of the gelding. A few brushes ran over the horse's pelt once more before she brought him back to his stall. A small cup of oats was poured inside the grain feeder as a reward for the animal, hand stroking along his neck as she made her way out of the stall. His water bucket was refilled and she walked back to the grain room to return the scoop. She winced at the sound of rain pouring down on the roof and glanced outside to see water splashing all over the ground. It was amazing how bi-polar weather could be. She looked out towards the parking lot and realized she'd left her truck's lights on, which probably meant her battery was dead. Crap. She sprinted across the parking lot, trying to dodge some of the rain and checked to see if the engine would turn over, which of course it would not. She cursed under her breath and noticed there was only one other truck in the lot now. Hopefully the owner was friendly, and there was jumper cables around somewhere. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to try to jump start the truck during the middle of a downpour either, so she'd have to wait for the rain to pass. Lovely. It wouldn't kill her though. She snatched the hooded sweatshirt from the cab and ran back towards the barn, which had been pretty pointless since she was already pretty wet. The hoodie was slipped over her head and she walked down the aisle way to where the same man from earlier was untacking his mare. Hi. She said in a friendly tone before continuing quietly. You don't happen to have a pair of jumper cables, do you? My truck is kinda dead... Kinda wasn't the right word for it, but she wasn't sure exactly what to say. She found it humiliating that she'd left her headlights on in clear daylight, but they needed new bulbs so they weren't really bright. A small smile was on her face, teeth gently biting the inside of her mouth as she waited silently for a response of some sort. She looked towards the horse for a moment, admiring her once again. Hand was gently lifted towards the horse's muzzle to let her sniff it. Eyes wandered back up to the male shyly, which was not normal for her, but it was just because she was embarrassed,
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Sept 20, 2010 2:12:27 GMT -5
The horse was forced to stand quietly at the mounting block since it was one of his pet peeves since he hated the horses that moved away when you tried to get on them. He was lucky though he had been working with the horse since the very start of her training so he had been the only one to be feeding the mare any kinds of cues and she was starting to mature into quite a nice young horse. With a gentle nudge of his heels the horse stepped out at a looselimbed walk. Stretching her neck to the buckle of the reins. Steps were long and lofty he did not pick up the reins until he had trotted the horse on the buckle one time around the ring and then he sat back in the saddle and reduced the gait back to a walk picking up the reins, a light bend to the inside was asked for and the horse anwered with a gentle curvature of her neck that did not seem to shorten her neck at since it was done in a correct manner. Pressing her up into the bridle the walk was more like march. From this he then circled the horse at the one end of the arena keeping her focus on him and soon her ears were droppy to either side in concentration and from there he knew that he had the complete focus of the horse which was a nice feeling. She moved forward easily with him. He would muhc rather have a horse spook or misbehave with them going forward since that was a lot easier to stay on and would not ever usually result in the animal rearing, which to him was a complete no no at any time. There was no excuse for the horse to put you in danger like that no matter the history, they needed to understand that they were 1000 pounds compared to your 10% of their weight. He was making a point for the horse to never learn that horrible habit since he had seen a lot of horses ruined in that way since it would then make the person scared of them and it would be a tactic that the horse would use to avoid having to work. Pushing the horse into a trot the long gait was altered into a working trot that had the compulsion of a collected gait and yet the horse was moving forward easily. He paused to give her a break after a couple times around the arena, he did not want to push the horse since she was still very young and came to a halt by the fence when another horse was standing there with a friendly smile plastered on features. Hello, thank you. He stated and he was about to ask her her name but she was already walking back to the barn with a shrug he turned back to the horse and patted her before asking for the canter. With an easy workout she was finished and he hopped off the horse the moment that she clouds seemed to open up into a downpour. The horse jumped a little as the droplets pelted off the roof but he managed to get her into the crossties and throw the saddle over the center divider before placing her bridle on the hook and replacing it with her halter, he knew that the weather was spooky though and he did not want to tie her incase she panicked so the lead rope was draped over her neck as he quickly unrolled the polos from her legs and ran a brush over her before then returning her to her stall and locking the door before placing the halter on the hook. As he was walking back to clean up his tack and mess that he had made the girl walked up behind him. When she asked if he had jumper cables he had to think for a moment before responding. I think I do. He stated walking down the aisle with her. I am Enzo by the way, I don't believe we have met. His keys were produced from his pocket before he jogged across the parking lot to his truck and climbing into it before then driving it closer so that they would be able to hook the cables up. Reaching for them under his seat both of the hood were opened and he hooked the cables to the respective places.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Sept 23, 2010 0:14:26 GMT -5
The sound of the rain on the metal roof caused the horses to be a bit unnerved, which was understandable to a sense. Yet, the young mare didn't seem really edgy as the girl ran her fingers down the equine's muzzle. She looked over with a kind smile at the male's response when he returned. At least now she wouldn't have to call a friend and bother them to come out and help her. She hated being an inconvenience and usually was quite independent. She saw no reason to be reliant on others any more. She was very capable of taking care of herself, for the most part. Sure, every now and then help was necessary, but she didn't not want to make it a constant occurrence. She was slightly proud to have made it this far in life without major aid of others. To her, it was a nice accomplishment. Curious glances were cast towards the horses, checking to make sure none of them had gotten so worked up that they had hurt themselves. While she'd worked at a barn a few years back, there had been one horse that was notorious for laying down and getting himself stuck, and a frightened horse had a high possibility of slipping and either hurting itself or getting stuck in a tight spot. She'd always been one to care about the animals, hence why she was now on the path to being a veterinary technician, majoring in large animals of course. After she finished class, she then went to help out at the clinic before venturing out to the stables several times a week. He then mentioned his name and she paid attention to him a bit more as they walked down the alley way. It seemed as though it was a shortened form of a name, but it could be a first name as well, she just wasn't used to it like that. It was a little different. No, we haven't. I'm Kambree. Lyrics were quiet and friendly, a casual smile was across her face. Nice to meet you. The formal phrase was said politely. She took off jogging in the opposite direction towards her truck and kept the door cracked open barely. She slipped out as he drove over and tried to help with the cables but stepped back as she had no idea which ones were plugged where. Thanks. She murmured before climbing back into the cab of the truck and turning the keys in the ignition. The engine sputtered a few times at first, and then by the second time it made a full revolution. Thanks so much. A little bit of dust was wiped away from the dash board. The rain had lightened up to a sprinkle now which was not as miserable. The girl gritted her teeth for a moment before quickly calling back out to him. Do you know anyone around here that does English lessons? I need a little bit of basic refreshing...She regretted asking him as he stood out in the middle of the rain, the question had just came to her mind and she asked it then and there without really thinking. If he didn't know, she would post an ad on the bulletin board that hung along the lounge's wall. It was pretty empty at the moment, and she hadn't seen anything advertising lessons. She was constantly out riding her horse as it was, and it was time to mix things up a little bit again. Constant routines bugged her as it was, so she was sure the horse was getting a bit bored as well. She was running low on ideas, having worked just about everything she could have thought within the arena under a western saddle. The girl liked trying new things and was very outgoing. She always talked about 'expanding her horizons' when a conversation about the future came into play. She had just always been adventurous.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Sept 23, 2010 1:13:29 GMT -5
He did not mind being out in the rain since he knew that within the hour he would be back at his apartment and able to shower and get warm and settle into some warmer clothes before going to bed beneath the warm covers. It was something that the male looked forward to all day. The comfort of his own bed and mattress and pillows. It was a constant in his life that never seemed to change. Everything else was a little too unstable right now with the move and the change that his life seemed to be taking. He did not mind though since he did not believe in falling into routines either, it might be effective but in the end if you fell into a routine that meant that you were not learning and not moving out of your comfort zone because it was impossible to learn when you were not pushed past your limits a couple times. He had thought back in the day it had been silly when one of his professors had told him to always keep a list of goals that were both short term and long term tacked to some place that he would be able to read them everyday and it had taken him a full year to realize that there as no reason why he could not at least try it. So one night just before new years he had sat down to write an intricate list of what he wanted to have done by the next couple months, what he wanted to have done by the end of the year as well as the same for the five and ten year markers. Sure during the year they had changed a little but there was a certain sense of accomplishment when he got to cross something off and he was determined not to let himself down so he found that the things that even had seemed to be impossible were fought for and managed. He did not know the science behind it but he was told that by the goals being so instilled in his mind then his mind was turning towards the goals sub conciously. As the cables were attached he then moved back to his truck and the ignition was turned until it roared to life, it was a new truck so there was no reason for it to have any trouble started and after a couple moments when he knew that the truck would be good enough he then shut his truck off taking the keys out to make sure that it was completely disabled since he did not want to get shocked by the batteries in the pouring rain. He disconnected the cables and tied them into a loop neatly before placing them on the floor of the back seat and returning to the front as she climbed out from her car after it had started. She asked him if he knew of any people that taught English lessons and he shrugged a little. What kind of English? I do English and would be happy to help you out but I am not an instructor. If you want an instructor there is a jumping instructor that I take a couple lessons with on my young horses. He turned back to sit in the cab of his truck since it was parked so close to hers and he would not be getting wet. He then turned back as he heard a loud bang from the inside of the barn. A clatter of hooves on the pavement caused him to jump from the car and slam the door before jogging into the barn to spot on of the horses to have kicked the door open in fear from the lightning. Luckily though he was able to approach the nervous horse that stood in the middle of the aisle shaking with whites showing around his eyes.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Sept 29, 2010 0:35:19 GMT -5
She was quite pleased that her truck was behaving itself by starting up quickly after running, but the battery must have not been completely dead, which was good. The rain was going through squalls now, and the overcast clouds that loomed above did not seem promising. Weather could be very unpredictable at times. Just the normal, beginning stuff. I took lessons a few years back, so it should come back to me pretty easy, I just want to make sure it's coming back correctly. As for jumping... A quick glance looked towards the barn and she shook her head gently. Well, I'd like to get the major concept and then go from there. As far as her knowledge of the horse's history, he'd never had an English saddle on his back but she was assuming it wouldn't take him much to catch on.It would be a green concept for the two of them, but that would not be the first time they took on a challenge like that. Lightning forked through the clouds and a few of the horses that were out on pasture got a bit rambunctious. A loud clanging noise startled her and she jumped from the truck after the male was already near the barn. She jogged as well, but tried to balance her weight in order to make the least amount of noise possible. At the barn's overhang, she stopped and slowly walked towards the horse as well. Sweat caused from nerves dripped along the horse's body and she sighed softly, glancing up to see the terror in its eyes. His body was shaking from shock and nerves as well. Shh, Gunner. Lindsey is not going to be thrilled with you. Lyrics were soft, steps slow and a quiet hand held toward the horse's muzzle. Eyes scanned over the animal's condition, now noticing that the weight was not completely on one of his hind legs and there was a bit of blood dripping near his fetlock.There was missing hide and a small puncture wound. Slowly, she walked a few feet away and grabbed one of the closest halters and carefully handed it towards Enzo. I need a better look at his leg... A hand motioned towards the small injury. It was nothing major, just probably not best to be left alone and exposed. Strokes were gently placed along the horse's neck before she left to the tack room for a moment. She reappeared with some vet wrap, gauze, and a green tin of bag balm. Once she was sure that the horse was under control, she set the items down and ran her hand starting at the hock and down a few times to make sure the horse would not try to kick out. Thankfully, it was a calm horse that only flinched as the wound was touched the first few times. A small glob of the bag balm was applied and then it was securely wrapped in gauze and vet wrap. Pink is not a bad color for you. She murmured to the horse, petting his neck once again before looking up. Thanks. I'll leave a note for the staff to keep an eye on him. If she had a choice, she wouldn't have put him back in the stall, but there were no other options. As she walked back to the tack room to return the supplies into the correct places, she looked into each of the stalls to make sure none of the others were frantic or injured. The weather could be frightening, for people as well sometimes. Yet, she never recalled being afraid of thunder or lightening as a child; she'd always been captivated by such things. A torn piece of paper was found lying on the table in the tack room and a pen was dug up as well, the note being posted clearly near the feeding instructions. Please check Gunner, stall 17. Left hind fetlock has a small injury. She returned to the horse's stall and watched him pace restlessly. He'd always been a bit fidgety in the stall, but never to the extent where he had created a small race track basically out of his shavings. Poor boy. She mumbled, watching the horse still and trying to come up with some sort of solution for him, but she couldn't really do anything seeing as it wasn't her horse, just a friend's and any changes had to be discussed with the barn manager.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Oct 1, 2010 9:54:41 GMT -5
Summer was far behind them now and the weather just seemed to be making a point, there would be brief times where the rain would start to let up just in time for another downpour when you were least expecting it. They were both within the insides of their cars to make sure that they would not get soaked. A small smile was offered to her when she told him it was just the basics that she basically wanted a refresher course and he nodded but was interuppted by the banging in the barn and with fear that it was his own horse he stepped from the truck slamming the door and jogging the couple steps towards the barn door to settle the horse that was standing in the aisle. He had never seen the horse before so he was glad that the horse had not ventured very far from its respective stall. He read the name plaque off the door speaking calm tones in German that seemed to settle the nervous horse. The girl was just behind him and was looking at an injury on the back of the horses leg. He was not able to see it, he knew that it would not be too serious though since there was not blood on the ground and he flipped the horses lip up to check for shock but he seemed fine which was a good sign. He stood and held the horse while she moved to grab some first aid supplies and returned a moment later. With another gust of wind the horse jumped around a little but settled beneath the hand of the male that was pressed onto the equine shoulder in a reassuring manner. He was not too sure where the staff was this afternoon and with a storm like this brewing it did not make sense for no one to be here. What if one of the horses was in trouble like this and they had not been around. He made a mental note to phone and ask after when the next staff member would be returning to the barn. I am quite suprised that there are no staff here right now. I suppose they are probably on their way. I was always lucky back in Germany we had people that lived on the farms and if there was a storm there were no father then a door away from the barn so they would always stick close to the horses in case something happened. It was rare that something would happen but a lot of the horses at the breeding farm were much too expensive and promising to ever want to take a chance with. Now though with his grandfather retired there were a lot less horses, only about 4 on the farm at all times and they were all retired and geriatric. His parents had a couple but no where near the number that they used to care for. When she was finished doctoring him he was returned to his stall and locked in, he then followed her to try to find a pen. He started at the other end where they checked all the stalls and he paused at his horses stall to place a kiss on her nose.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Oct 3, 2010 22:31:45 GMT -5
The sound of the rain falling onto the metal roof was inconsistent, at times very quiet and at others it echoed all through the barn which caused more noise to come from a few of the horses that got spooked in their stalls.She was quite surprised as well that no one was working out at the stable. It was strange, and she was not used to what she would consider carelessness. It's actually pretty odd for no one to be around. All the previous barns I've been to always seemed to have someone within hearing distance of the horses. It doesn't make sense to me that someone would not be closer to them in case something happened. But maybe, they've never really had problems before. Still, it was sort of a security blanket to have someone that knew what was going on with any of the horses when everyone else was gone. She shrugged her shoulders, looking once more into the horse's stall, distracted by his anxiety. His owner was one of the few people she knew around the stables, and had explained a mishap with a trainer that involved the horse coming back with some stress issues. He'd come quite a ways, but still had instances that would cause him to act up such as now. She turned around and looked towards Enzo, confused for a moment before nodding. Germany. That explains the accent. She laughed quietly to herself, not surprised that she had personally taken this long to figure out where he was originally from, even after he had mentioned something about it. And seeing as her grandfather had a very strong German heritage, she should have probably caught on quicker. She leaned against one of the stalls, watching as he stopped at his horse's stall. What's her name? She asked, pulling her fingers away from the stall's bars as the presence of a horse's breath was felt along her neck. She knew of the foolish habit that he liked to bite things within his reach, and her fingers would have been much too tempting to the gelding. Her fingers gently stroked along the bridge of the horse's nose as she stepped down the aisle way to another stall. Even thought she had not personally met most of the owners, she'd already picked up on the horse's personality traits. It seemed as though a lot of the horses just sat locked in their stalls for days without any turnout; no chance to be a horse in anyway. She noticed how a certain mare was standing funny, with swollen legs from being kept in the small confinement. It's amazing how ignorant people can be. She muttered, letting her palm run over the horse's face. She stepped away, feeling pity for the mare and shaking her head slowly. So what disciplines do you do with your horse? The question was asked out of plain curiosity and interest. The horse was definitely more than a pet, she still had a lot to learn, but it was very evident that she just hadn't sat around doing nothing her entire life. The girl stopped at her own horse's stall, rolling her eyes as he stretched out lazily in the stall, snoring quietly as he did so. The horse's mentality had always reminded her more so of a dog's, but it probably was just how he was. Mellow and laid back, which she always liked in a horse's qualities, but he was also willing and listened well. She'd never been one that liked high-energy horses that didn't like to use their brains, she liked to trust the animal she was working with, no matter what kind it was. There were quite a few times at the clinic where the animals were a little sketchy to work with, however she kept at her job any how. She would get used to it in order to adjust herself to her future profession.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Oct 9, 2010 22:44:25 GMT -5
He wanted to give the people the benefit of the doubt maybe there were people here that lived here and they were just out for dinner or something? Maybe they were away or maybe they had not woken up, but if the last one was the case then there failed to be a reason why they should even been on the property since there was no benefit. Yah who knows, maybe they are just out for the evening. I don't know. There was enough horses here that were worth quite a sum of money that it would be just common sense to make sure that there was someone there at all times of the day. A person would know what their horses were like so why the person that owned the horse would not come to check on him was beyond the male. He knew that if he had a horse that did not do well in storms he would be the first one to the barn and he would not be able to sleep if he did not know that his horse was alright for the night. Though that was him. His accent was blantanly obvious to other Europeans though for the people in America it was not clear since a lot of the people from Europe sounded the same. Well with the exception of Italians and Irishmen. He was leaning over the door of his horse that was stoically standing in the corner of her stall eating her hay and looking as though it was just another night and that the storm did not even exist. He nodded when she told him that him coming from Germany then explained the accent a small smile crossed his face. She then asked what the horses name was and when the horse spotted that another person was there and walked up to the door to rest her head over the top of the bottom door and stand waiting for attention. Her name is Riviera. He then took a step along with her as she walked down the aisle to another stall that housed a pleasent looking mare that looked a little barn sour and had swollen legs. Yes it is. A lot of people do not have common sense when it came to horses. She then asked what disiplines he did with the mare. I am going to be starting her out in the little Hunters this show season, shes just a five year old. She will hopefully eventually do the large jumpers though and be my next grand prix horse. I sold my main horse as an equitation horse earlier this year. He then spotted her own horse who looked just as relaxed in the stall and a small smile appeared on his face. Is this your horse? What do you do with him? He asked as well returning the questions that he had just been asked. He then looked back to the front of the barn when he spotted someone walking into the barn down the aisle their direction. They looked a little frazzled as they paused at each of the stalls to look into them. She then approached the two of them that were standing at the end of the row. Do you work here? He asked quietly and she nodded. I am so sorry I was stuck in traffic and I could not get back soon enough. He shrugged with a small smile. It happens, this horse down here got out and has a small cut. He pointed to the horse that they had just put back into the stall and she moved off to go look at the animal. Thank you for doing that and staying here.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Nov 2, 2010 23:38:15 GMT -5
Real life had the tendency to interfere with things, and so she instantly assumed that the reason for which no one was around was something else was keeping them. It was not out of carelessness, she hoped at least. She would be a bit more observant around the barn and decide if boarding here was really worth it or not. She knew her horse usually did not get spooked due to weather conditions, but then again who was to say he would not get excited and hurt himself or get sick without her knowing it? It was more of a security blanket then anything for someone to be around the barn and keeping watch often. She'd heard of some barns that had video cameras positioned throughout the aisles, but they seemed to be the more expensive type which she did not necessarily need nor could she afford for a year most likely. Her shoulders shrugged slightly, having not the smallest clue either. Hopefully, they had some sort of reason. A smile came across the girl's face as the horse came forward from eating to look over the door, obviously wanting attention. Fingers ran softly down the horse's face for a moment, watching the horse silently and nodding slowly as he pronounced her name. It was different, in that of a good way, unique. Riveria. Soft vocals echoed, gaze flickering slowly over the horse's face. She's very pretty.She's young, isn't she? She commented before stepping down the aisle way. Oh wow. She loved to watch jumping, her own experiences of jumping being rather interesting, a few of the times being not entirely on purpose. Thinking of it now, she knew her form was far from the precision of real jumpers, but she'd never really gotten serious on the subject. The black gelding continued to sleep, spread out in the shavings as though he had not a care in the world. She managed a small, quiet laugh as the question was returned. Yes, he is. The girl paused a moment, considering how to word their experiences. A little bit of everything in a way I guess. I'm trying to find his strong suit, but that's yet to come. So we're undecided. The equine tried to do what he was asked, obeying willingly to what he understood the commands as. Though, it was hard to say what he was good at, nothing had the finesse yet. There wasn't any perfection, nor was there a definite prospect uncovered. Not that she had expected him to be that way, he was a basic horse. Just one with the personality and the looks she happened to have been searching for.He was, in her mind, a jack of all trades and a master of none. Had she known that all along, his name would have been Jack. But Vegas had been some name she'd had her heart set on when she was a child. The reason for his color was simply because of a toy horse she'd recieved on her seventh birthday. He was just two socks short of the model horse's markings, but she knew it was probably the closest she'd ever get. The proper mind set was a lot more important than if he was a sorrel with a hammerhead. He's just a trail horse at the moment really. A small shrug overtook her shoulders, glancing down the alley way as he did so. The worker explained of having been stuck in traffic and thanked them for staying at the barn, she thought nothing of it. She'd found herself staying at the barn for multiple hours, just to clear her head and relax. Do you think you could help me with lessons? She remembered now the original question she had asked him, trying not to get distracted and too far off subject even though she was enjoying his company. He probably had things to do, so she wouldn't bother him much longer.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Nov 5, 2010 0:18:00 GMT -5
It seemed as though the stable hand that had just returned to the barn had good intentions as immediately when he had told her that the horse had seemed uneasy and hurt itself she set to work to go check on the animal running a calming hand over the equines neck before stepping out of the stall to make a call to the owner. A lot of the people would want to know about every little scratch as it happened the moment after it had been dealt with so the owner of the horse must have been that way. Though it was true that he would want the same though since his ways of treating an injury might be a lot different then the way that the stable hands were taught to deal with it, and when you were working with a horse of the calibre of his mare he wanted to make sure that nothing went wrong, he had too much time and energy and money invested in her for it to be ruined by a silly mistake. Though so far he had liked all the different reactions that he had seen by the staff here, they were very well informed and seemed to be able to communicate quite well. A lot of the other barns that he had been to he had told one stable hand one thing and while they might have been abiding by his wishes the others that worked there the other days or at different times of the day had not heard about it. He did not hold it against them though since he knew that a lot of the time there was so much that they had on their mind that it would simply slip their mind by the end of their shift by the time that they were supposed to be telling someone else of the wishes of the horses owner, not to mention all the other requests from the other people. So he found that the best way was to leave a note on the horses stall where it would be seen by all the people around including the other owners who would be able to inforce it as well. Back at home he had been lucky since he had gotten along with the stable hands that had lived on his grandfathers ranch for all of his life, so they were the people that taught him most of what he knew now so their ways were always the way that he found to be right and his grandfather always trusted them for the best care of the young horses and the breeding stock that was abundant on the farm at different times of the year. The girl then repeated the name of the equine that stood before them at the stall door and a small smile appeared. Thank you, yes she just turned five this year, she still has a little maturing to do so I am going easy on her. He answered before resting a palm on the mares forehead. He then turned his attention to her horse and smiled when she told him that he did a little bit of everything. He believed there was a saying for that. Master of none but jack of all trades, those type of horses were said to be the best type. She then asked him if he would be able to help her with lessons. Of course, I would love to. How about tomorrow afternoon at one? He did not want to linger too much longer since he was sure that the girl felt as though she just had to stay to keep him company and probably had a ton of things that she needed to get done. Well I better get back to my house before my dog goes insane from the storm and destroys things. It was very nice to meet you. And I will see you again soon. He uttered before a small smile was uttered and he stepped off in the direction of the door after one last glance backwards and a friendly smile as he stepped into the large truck and started it before driving back to his house where he then rescued the canine who thought that his life had been over and that the storm was going to eat him before eating a simple dinner and crawling into bed. The next morning he awoke to work out and take a shower before he was scheduled to go to the barn to help the girl that he had met the day before. Today was a little better weather so he dressed in a dark charcoal Raulph Lauren polo shirt and a pair of jeans before getting into the truck and driving to the barn.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Nov 5, 2010 23:28:56 GMT -5
A small nod was given, smiling as he suggested that they meet tomorrow at one which fit into her schedule quite nicely. Okay, thanks. She stated, nodding once again as he explained that he needed to get back going before his dog tore apart things due to the storm. Nice to meet you as well. Friendly tones were given, turning back to the horse for a moment after he began walking away. The horse was still sprawled amidst the shavings and she rolled her eyes. Gentle lyrics called his name in order to not spook him as she was stepping in the stall and letting a gentle hand run over his coat. She stood up and left, the gelding still utterly content with his gentle doze despite her presence as well as the storm that was going off and on outside. The vet that knew her horse well had always joked about his chances of survival in the wild being very slim seeing as he was so spoiled. She stepped out to go to her own truck. The engine turned a full revolution without a problem after having been charged and she returned home a few minutes later. A call was given to the friend whose horse had been hurt, leaving a voice mail in order to inform her of the small injury he had obtained. Her own dog, Rufus, came bouncing out of no where, eager to see his owner. She hadn't planned on getting a dog, particular one that was large than twenty pounds but she could not say no when someone at the vet's office had asked her to take him in. The mutt settled after awhile and she took a shower, letting the warm water run until it turned cold and caused her to shiver. A pair of comfy pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt adorned her figure as she settled down to eat cereal for dinner. It wasn't common for her to do so, but she did not feel like cooking something and it sounded relatively appetizing for some odd reason. Them the girl settled into her bed, having to push the dog off soon after. She woke up slightly at the first buzz of her alarm, closing her eyes only to have a presence edging closer to her. The dog was once more pushed off as she stretched, turning off the alarm and taking part in her morning routine.She had gotten used to waking up early since taking up the internship but still was groggy in the morning as most were. The familiar scrubs with the vet office's logo was pulled out and put on, packing along a pair of jeans and a blue tank top as well. Her day at work passed quickly, mostly having to do blood work for horses and a few simple cases of other large farm animals. She changed into the extra clothes at work, slipping into the grey sweatshirt that had been left in her car. Mocha locks were pulled into a neat pony tail. The sky was partly cloudy but it was not supposed to rain, nor did it really look threatening. She arrived at the barn fifteen minutes early to warm up her horse as well as tack him up. A pair of splints were put onto the equine's front legs, she did not quite trust herself with polo wraps due to the incidents she had seen where they were either too loose or too tight. Half chaps were zipped onto her calves, having learned how helpful they could be. Saddle and bridle were adjusted as she had been taught to the horse, a simple full cheek snaffle to start him on the new subject. Steps were taken towards the arena, the horse slowly following along. Of course he had to be lazy on the day when he'd have to use energy to extend himself out. She encouraged the horse to move forward a little faster and he reluctantly did so. Hi. Lyrics rang out to the man who was entering the barn just as she was exiting. I'll see you in the arena? She stated more so than asked, assuming he was going to get his horse as well. Friendly smile was on her face as she glanced over her shoulder at him before continued to the arena, using the mounting block and tightening her girth slightly from on top of her horse. She made sure the girth was not too tight by slipping a few fingers in between it and her horse's stomach. It was deemed alright and she asked the horse to walk around the perimeter of the arena fence to start out with.
|
|
|
Post by Ayrn on Nov 7, 2010 3:17:47 GMT -5
He knew that he was going to be on the borderline of having enough time so he did not even allow the diesel truck to warm up as he set off along the road and it rattled even louder then usual. The air coming from the vents were frigid and palms were run across biceps to create a small amount of friction. So he was glad when he reached the parking lot of the barn and stepped from the large truck and locked it before stepping into the barn. He was already changed into riding attire. He spotted her already ready walking her horse out of the barn and towards the arena. Hey, yes I will just be a couple of moments. He jogged out to the paddock in which his horse was being kept for the morning portion of the day before she was turned out into the field that was shared with another boarder. He was glad that it was a small enclosure and he was not going to have to play her games of 'catch me if you can' and she already admitted defeat and walked up to the gate as he grabbed the halter and eased it over her head before leading her in the direction of where the crossties were in the barn in the middle of the hallway. The door was closed so that she would not be looking out at the other horses and would not be distracted as she was clipped into the crossties and the belly straps of her blanket followed by the backstraps and at last the front straps were undone. Back when he had been young and stupid he remembered his grandfathers groom catching him taking the front straps of a blanket off first and he had gotten a severe tongue lashing of the old man telling him a horror story of a horse that had gotten their blanket stuck over their head and since it was still secure on the belly running blindly around a field until it ended up running through a fence and injuring itself. He did not like the sounds of that so that was etched deep into his mind everytime he took a blanket off. The two blankets were pulled from the horses back and hung on respective hooks in the crossties before he moved to the tack room and opened the combination lock of his tak box and returned with boots since he did not want to keep the girl waiting while he rolled the polos onto the horses legs even though in reality it would take about the same amount of time. His saddle was placed on the horses back and secured with a girth before the halter was taken off and the bridle was tightened on the animals head. He lead the mare in the direction of the arena spotting the girl allowing the horse to walk around the outside of the ring and offering a small smile to her before swinging lightly into the saddle and adjusting his stirrups and reins before nudging the horse who stood politely and still the entire time. The reins were almost on the buckle as the animal fell into step beside the other in the ring and the loose limbed animal stretched her entire body. So how many times have you ridden english? After a few circuits he nudged the horse into a lofty trot keeping his focus on her watching her and the other horse.
|
|
Ardy
New Member
Posts: 46
|
Post by Ardy on Nov 14, 2010 19:42:06 GMT -5
Personally, she was not really worried about the time it took herself to get ready other than keeping him waiting. She was not in a strict time frame or anything, but she knew it would only be polite to be on time as he had suggested.She could already tell strictly by the horse's sluggish movements that getting him to extend today was not going to be the easiest achievement for her. She was going to have to work anyhow, she knew this but the horse would make it more difficult. Hopefully, he would get some burst of energy, but keep his mind at the same time. That was like asking for a miracle. Quiet hands eased the animal into picking up each of his front feet as she slowly stretched them each for about ten seconds.Grabbing onto the mane, she was able to quickly lift her frame into the saddle. She found the different saddle awkward at first, higher stirrups than she was used to; but it was a different style and it would take some time for her to adjust. Slight pressure was admitted to the horse's sides as the other animal overstepped him easily. The animal pinned his ears before responding and walking a bit faster and extending. Gaze flickered over to the man as he spoke. She tried to recall the number briefly. Honestly, less than half a dozen times. Probably three or four.And the last being probably two years ago. She admitted sheepishly before urging the horse forward once more until he started to trot. So if I'm too horrible for you to help with, I understand. Don't be afraid to say so. A gentle laugh echoed her chords, shoulders dipping into a slight shrug. Gaze watched his outside shoulder to keep track of her posting, finding it quite easy to follow along with his movements. She was trying to recollect the information in which she had been instructed over briefly and gathered some of it, which was better than none and being completely clueless. The one thing she had figured from her brief attempt that there was a certain reason why most English riders did not wear jeans while riding on a regular basis; not the easiest thing to do, nor the smartest in which she had done. The reins were pulled back slowly until the horse came to a walk again. She was not overly confident in her posting, so she would ask him to explain that for her in a bit. Single syllable was uttered to the gelding as she asked him to halt, letting her grip slide down the reins on both sides and commanding him to flex. Can you explain the breakdown of posting please? You watch the outside shoulder to check yourself and rise as it is going forward, right? She asked, confused as she had the horse start walking once again. Both hands were kept on the reins, glancing down and aware they were too loose. She corrected them according to how he was holding the reins. It was going to take time for her to adjust to the different technique, but that was sort of an obvious thing. She hadn't expected herself to catch on and be a natural, and she was shocked by the small things she remembered; if they were correct was another thing. In her few lessons, it had taken her a time or two before she did understand when she was on the correct diagonal, but now she was not sure if she was paying attention to the right movements to correct it. A soft sigh was passed through her lips as she turned the horse near the center, letting a hand slide along his neck in a small amount of praise. The horse came to a halt as he was asked to and a friendly smile was on the girl's face. Where do you think would be a good starting point?
|
|