Freedom! (Open)

[bridget]

I headed down the cobbled pathway into the barn and headed straight for the large tack room and once inside I went to the tack rack and grabbed my tack box and all of my mare Raven's tack. I grabbed her Orange leg wraps, orange saddle pad and orange gem studded black bridle and of course her black saddle.

I put all my things down near a pair of cross ties and got Raven's orange halter and lead line and led her out of her stall to the cross ties. I then quickly groomed her I started with picking out her hooves carefully then I went over her body with curry comb then the hard brush then the soft brush I then brushed out her mane, fore lock and tail before I braided them neatly.

I then I tacked her up I started by wrapping her legs with the leg wraps then the saddle pad and then her saddle and girth I finished tacking her up by putting on her orange gem studded black bridle. I headed into the outdoor arena where the jumps were already set up for me. I swung myself into the saddle and started warming up. I brushed as stray strand of blonde hair out of my face as I sent Raven forward into a canter and headed for the first jump.

Me and Raven sailed over the jump I turned Raven quickly towards the second one and we sailed over that one too. I looked up as the arena gate swung up and a another horse and rider entered the large outdoor arena with me and Raven.

Outfit: www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=74016176

[Cara Smith :)]

I rushed through the busy stables toward my bay mare, Alida's stall. "Hi beautiful.' I said when she poked her head over the stall door. I opened the stall and wrapped Alida's neck in a giant hug. Whenever I was around her she made me feel calm and relaxed, and that was especially good sense classes have been loading on homework and I had a stack waiting for me at my dorm.

I left her stall and opened the large tack room door. Inside there where a couple of girls gathered around cleaning tack. I reached for my black leather saddle and freshly cleaned bridle. I opened my tack trunk and picked out Alida's black polo wraps with yellow stars and the matching saddle pad. I left the room and headed back to Alida's stall.

I placed my saddle on the saddle rack outside Ali's stall with the saddle pad and bridle hanging on the stall door. I took her leather halter and lead off the other hook and opened the stall door. I carefully pulled the halter's nose band over Ali's muzzle and gently pulled it over her ears and clipped the throat latch. I opened the stall door wider and lead her out and clipped her in a pair of cross ties outside the stall. I quickly went over her bright bay coat with a soft brush, brushed out her mane and picked her hoofs. I grabbed her black saddle pad with yellow stars and placed it on her back. I picked up her saddle off the rack and carefully placed it over the saddle pad and tightened her girth three holes. I quickly grabbed the matching polo wraps and wrapped her front legs. I took and step back and admired my good wrapping job. I unhooked her halter from the cross ties and easily slipped on her bridle. I toke her reins over her head and put on my helmet. I lead her out of the barn and towards one of the arenas to practice our jumping. I walked, with Alida at my side, to a mounting block and halted. I checked her girth and brought it up a few holes and ran down her stirrups. I put her reins back over her head and walked up the little steps of the mounting block. I placed my left foot in the stirrup and swung my right leg over her back and landed softly in the saddle. I toke a minute to adjust my seat and reins and then continued towards an arena already set up with some jumps. I rode Alida into the arena and saw another girl on her horse jumping the course. I went over to a corner to warm Ali up. The girl landed the jump and slowed down. "Hi." I said kind of loud so she would hear me over the sounds of horses in other arenas and other barn noises.

[hermione]

I walked down to the stables to work with spirit. I walked into the stable and saw spirit and I grabbed his dark blue lead rope and walked him out of his stall and I started brushing spirit then I went down to the tack room and grabbed my blue and white polo raps and my black saddle pad and my black event saddle and headed to the outdoor arena and saw two other girls and I rode in and said' Do you girls mine if I practice with you?'

[Cara Smith :)]

I trotted Alida in a large circle decreasing in size clockwise. Once her body was in the shape of a U I slowly increased the circles size back to the original. Then did the same counter clockwise. Today my easily frightened mare was acting calmer then usual, probably because she was in the field last night playing with her horsey friends and one of the grooms toke her in this morning. I grinned to myself as Alida picked up her correct lead in the canter and we cantered a large circle, this time not decreasing in size. I brought her back down to a walk and gave her a pat, "Good girl." I said smiling at my bay mare.

I started working on some walk, trot, canter transitions when another rider walked in. She was leading her horse, but by the looks of it he wasn't even tacked up yet.. "Sure." I said nodding and shooting her a small smile. I walked Alida over to the jumps and prepared to do the course.

[hermione]

So I mounted Spirit and started to warm him in a collective trot when I felt him warmed up I rod over to the girls and said ' Hi my name is Kim and this is my horse Spirit'. So I saw that they were going to do jumping and when spirit saw the jumps he start to prance in the spot. I felt him saying lets go and I told him we will soon.

[Cara Smith :)]

I smiled at Kim, she seemed nice but you know people thjese days, always trying to be someone there not. I nodded, "Hello." I said. I pointed Alida towards the first jump, i urged her into a canter and circled before heading straight for the small vertical.This small course was only four jumps long. As I neared the vertical I counted the strides in my head and raised my body out of the saddle in a perfect position and Alida snaped her legs under her body and we sailed gracefuly over the jump, inchs from touching the rail. We thundered forward to the next jump, another verticale with a small buch under it. We jumped that jump good also and the third jump too. The last jump was nearing and I counted again. I raised my body up and Alida launched us off the ground and over the rainbow rails. We landed with a thud and cantered off. I gave Ali a pat on the neck snd promised her a treat after. I slowed her to a trot and eventually a walk. I halted infront of the girls. "What to you think?" I asked them giving Ali a loose rein.

[hermione]

I said to her 'your form was great and you handled your horse very well going over the jumps. So I said to them may I go next? I they nodded at me I nudged spirit with my heels and did a circle and headed to the first jump I raised up into my two point and spirit pushed off at the right spot we went right over it. Then we moved onto the next one and went over it we reached the last one and spirit push off right on the spot and when we landed spirit gave ame a small buck and slowed right down to a walk. Then I asked them 'how was I?'

[Cara Smith :)]

I smiled at her compliment and nodded for her to go ahead. Near the end her horse gave a small buck and in my head I said that she should have half halt him. She walked her horse over at the end of the course and asked us how it was. "Good except at the end you should have half halted him when he bucked." I said after giving her a smile. I zipped my hunter green jacket up more, today was a little cooler than yesturday. I gave Alida a pat, "I'm going to cool her down then go back to the barn, but we should totally go to the sweet shoppe together." I said smiling.

[hermione]

After I stopped spirit and cara said you should gave him a half halt after the buck. I said ok thanks and she said we should go to the sweet shop and I said 'sure we can go after we took care our horses.

[Cara Smith :)]

I nodded my head. "Sure." I said dismounting Alida. I ran up her strirrups and losened her girth. I toke her reins over her head and went back to the barn to cool her down and groom her.

When I got back to the barn Ali was already dry and not sweating anymore. I clipped her in a pair of cross ties once I toke her bridle of and gave her a quick rub on her forehead. "You were such a good girl today." I said smiling at my beautiful mare. I undid her girth on both sides and toke off her saddle and saddle pad and hung them both up on a saddle rack outside a stall. I toke out her grooming kit from my tack trunk which was at her stall right beside us and gave her a quick rub with the curry comb. Then used the hard bristle brush to remove all the dirt and dust the cury comb brought up, finally I used my soft bristle brush to make her coat shiny by spreading her coat's natural oils. I picked out her hoofs and quickly ran a comb through her mane and tail. I unclipped her purple halter from the cross ties and led her over to her stall across the aisle. I opened the stall door and led her in. I fished around in my poket for a treat and pulled out a chunk of carrot. Ali munched away at it as I left. "Bye girlie." I said with a smile. I scooped up her tack and brought it back to the tack room. I hung up her saddle on the rack marked "Alida and Cara Smith". Then hung up her bridle on a bridle rack also marked with our names. Finally I through her saddle pad and polo wraps in the barn's laundry pile and left the tack room to find Kim and see if she was ready yet.

[hermione]

I walked spirit back to his stall and clipped him a set of crossties and undid his bridle then i undid is grith then set the saddle and the pad on the rack next to his stall and gave him a good brushing. After I got done brushing him I put him into his stall and gave him a carrot for being a good boy today. Then I said see you tomorrow boy. I walk to the tack room and saw that Cara was waiting for me so I said'ready to go to the sweet shop?' and I waited for her to answer me

[Cara Smith :)]

CLOSED
occ: make a thread at the sweet shoppe