Fanning the Flames (Cal)

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara stood in Red Willow barn and took her time grooming the Welsh/Thoroughbred mare and getting her ready for a ride. Poor Ember had been cooped up for so long since she had crashed into a jump and hurt her leg, and now that she had been given the all-clear - Cara had had Dr Carr giver her a thorough examination - she was going to give the mare a good, but gentle, work-out in the indoor arena.

Throwing a nice warm polar-fleece rug over the mare's saddle and clipping it in place, she removed the cross-ties and led the mare toward the barn entrance and then out into the howling wind that turned the air to ice. The wind had been like this for about a week now - it didn't seem to be any sign of it dissipating any time soon - and it had caused the cancellation of a number of equestrian classes, leaving the students to learn about stable management rather than riding in the arena.

After battling the wind, the reached the large building and Cara led the mare inside and halted her by the gate. She was pleased to see that the arena was currently empty - though she didn't expect to be alone for long - as she removed the rug and folded it neatly before placing it on the bleachers that surrounded the arena. She then opened the gate, clicked her tongue and led the mare forward.

Although it wasn't her normal style, she tightened the girth, pulled the stirrups down and led the large pony over to the mounting block and stepped up onto that before vaulting onto her back, as she knew that vaulting on from the block would be nicer on the mare's legs - even though Cara didn't weigh too much. Settling into the saddle, she pushed her feet into the stirrup irons and squeezed with her legs.

The mare was as fresh as a daisy and as soon as the girl's calves touched her sides, she shot forward at a gallop, yanking her head forward, ripping the reins through the girl's hands as she put her head down in between her knees and bucked. She wasn't intentionally being naughty, she was just happy to be out of the barn.

Sitting deep in the saddle, used to bucking ponies, Cara opened and closed her hands on the reins and then applied a little pressure with the inside rein, bringing the mare in decreasing circles. She released the pressure as soon as Ember dropped back to a canter and put the pressure back on again, once more asking her to slow down. It didn't take long before the silver dun had dropped back to a choppy trot and then a walk. "Silly girl." Cara said as she dropped her stirrups and swung to the ground, quickly checking the mare near fore, feeling for heat.

[Laurena Sithis]

Laurena pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. White Oak Barn, stall 005, it read. That is where her mare, Lady, will be waiting to see her, after a long week of travel to Kentucky. As she entered the warm barn, she called Lady's name.

Oh, Lady! Mommy's here!

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Lady stuck her dun head out of the stall door, and nickered. Laurena fed the mare a small sugar cube, and clipped the lead rope to Lady's halter. As she unbolted the stall door, Lady pushed herself out, stepping on Laurena's foot.

Jesus Christ, that freaking hurt!

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She limped over to the cross-ties, and hooked Lady up. She emptied her sugar cubes in her pocket into the trash next to the tack room.

That horse is so stupid sometimes.

Laurena grabbed her sparkly pink groom box, and walked it back to the cross-ties. She brushed Lady's coat until she shone. She picked her hooves, and combed her mane.

Oh Lady, you're so cute!

Laurena has been told for years that she babies Lady too much, but she doesn't care. She tacked up Lady, unhooked her from the cross-ties, and started towards the arena.

Christ, its chilly out here. Nothing like SoCal, huh girl?

[/b]
Laurena is from California, where its 70-80 everyday, and cold is 65. As she approached the arena, she noticed a small girl checked her pony's leg.

Hey, everything okay over there?

[/b]

Her and Lady jogged over to the arena gate, hoping everything is okay.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't find any heat in the mare's leg and pushed the mare's nose away from her shoulder as Ember lowered her head to see what the girl was up to and leaned on her shoulder.

She jumped when she heard an unfamiliar voice. Rising to her feet, closing her hand around the mare's reins close to the bit she turned to face the owner of the voice, not exactly looking up. "Everything is fine, thank you, Ma'am." She replied. The girl on the other side of the gate was taller, though she couldn't be much older than herself, and she had a beautiful looking Fjord at her side. Even from where they were on the other side of the arena from the gate she could see that the other mare had an expressive, face. She looked to be one of those horses that could sell ice to an Eskimo (so to speak), but also an animal who threw her heat and soul into her job.

Leading her mare back to the mounting block, she stepped up the block and once again vaulted on, rubbing the pony's silver neck as she put her feet into the stirrups and then squeezed her forward, away from the block. When Ember broke into an instant trot, Cara reined her in and halted the mare, just making her stand there. She then asked Ember to back up a couple of steps before asking her to move forward again. Once more the mare shot off at a trot, so Cara repeated the process. Halting the mare and then asking her to back up and then move forward. She went through this process another half a dozen times before the mare worked out that when she didn't do as she was asked, then it made her do even more work, so when asked to move forward, she stepped forward at a nice forward moving walk. Cara knew the mare hated flatwork, but there was no way she was going to jump the mare the first time she was being ridden after their accident.

[Laurena Sithis]

Did she just call me Ma'am? Boy, things sure are different in Kentucky.

[/i]
As the girl got back onto her horse, she led Lady into the ring, and used the mounting block to get on. Even though her mare is only a bit over 14 hands, she still uses a mounting block. She smiled at the girl as she rode past her, and waved.

Glad to see your horse is okay, Ma'am.

Ma'am. A word to foreign to her, that it felt wrong just coming out of her mouth. Kentucky must be a world of it's own. Back at home, everyone either called each other "dude" or "man", regardless of gender.

Laurena walked Lady around the ring a few times, just to warm her up. In such cold weather, a longing warm up seemed appropriate. After a few laps, she asked Lady for a trot. Laurena picked up the wrong diagonal, and quickly looked across the ring to see if the other girl noticed. What could be worse than making a mockery of yourself on your first week, to someone you don't even know?

She trotted around the ring a few more times, before picking up a canter. She utilized her ring manners, and used the other half of the ring, not to disturb the girl and her walking mare.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara flinched as though she had been struck when the other rider called her Ma'am. However, she kept her concentration on the mare rather than replying to the girl.

Keeping her mind on the pony she was riding, her eyes looking between the mare's flickering ears. She closed her inside leg against the mare's side to keep her from falling to the inside.

Ember's attention was now glued onto the other mare, and when the other mount was asked to trot, the Welsh cross' ears shot forward, her head lifting as she pulled on the reins, begging to join the other horse.

Closing her hands on the reins, Cara sat deep as she asked the mare to settle down, and when Ember continued to strain again the reins, the small rider began to circle the mare until her inside ear flicked back in her rider's direction. Happy she once again had the mare's attention, she did asked her to move forward into a trot - which the mare did happily as she lifted her tail as she floated around their half of the arena.

Knowing that it was a sore point for the mare, Cara began to work the mare on a twenty metre circle, which slowly turned into a handful of figure-eights. She used her legs to stop the mare from falling in on the circle, and made sure that her hands were soft as she asked Ember to stretch out her neck and flex to the inside and outside.

[Laurena Sithis]

The air seemed to be getting colder and colder, even thought Laurena's body was getting warm from her mare's body heat. After what felt like a lifetime of trotting and cantering around the other half of the ring, Laurena decided she couldn't take the cold anymore. But, she felt compelled to at least make an effort to introduce herself to the other girl riding in the ring, who was busy doing figure eights.

It's my first week here, and I have zero friends. It'd be nice to at least meet someone...

[/right]
Laurena slowed Lady to a walk, and let her have some head. She dropped her stirrups, and relaxed her shoulders. After a couple of laps around her half of the ring, she started heading to the middle of the arena, towards where she first mounted. Lady perked up as she realized she was going to be going back to the stable, so she picked up her walk to get to the center faster. Laurena dismounted, and loosened her girth. While she was running up her stirrups, she figured she better make a move to talk to the girl.

Uh, are you going to be done soon? It's a little too cold for me out here.

[/right] She chuckled.

If you want, we can maybe hang out or something, afterwards?

She waited for the girl's response.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara finally had Ember moving nicely, the mare's neck flexed perfectly and the large pony working nicely on the bit - proof that the Academy mount really could do flatwork when she really put her mind to it.

Their nice work shattered though when the silver dun pony noticed that the other horse was moving into the middle and Ember's beautiful frame vanished as her hindquarters fell into the circle and the pony flattened from a flowing trot to a lazy walk, sending her rider up the pony's neck.

Cara shook her head as she fixed her position and turned the mare away from the other mount and made her walk a circle - even though the Welsh fought her hands and legs the entire time. Cara clenched her teeth and pushed her seat into the saddle, forcing her weight into her heels as she applied pressure with her inside leg to stop the mare from being lazy and falling in on the circle.

The sound of the other's rider's voice caught the girl's attention an while keeping the mare working on a circle she shook her head. "I still need to do a bit of work with Ember, I am sorry." She replied, her clipped English accent sounded a little strained as she still battled with the nappy mare. "And I have gymnastics as soon as I have finished with her." This is where she would normally end her side of the conversation, but the girl was obviously new and Cara didn't want her thinking that the school was full of snobs. "Another time, maybe?" From the way the other girl spoke of it being cold, made her think that she must come from the Pacific coast, as Cara thoroughly enjoyed the warmth that the indoor arena offered, but it would still be chilly in here for someone who was more used to warmer climates.

[Laurena Sithis]

Laurena watched as the other rider's pony gave her rider a hassle. She chuckled, but not too hard. She didn't want to appear rude or anything.

Haha, you've got quite a fireball on your hands, don't you?

[/right]
When the girl said she had something going on after her riding session, Laurena felt as if the girl either didn't want to talk to her. The fact that the girl has an accent could be the source of the distance she was placing between them, but nevertheless, she felt pretty awkward.

Another time? That sounds fantastic! By the way, where are you from in England? I may be a yank, but I'm not ignorant enough to assume you're from London.

[/right]
She smiled, trying to make the girl feel as comfortable as possible. She figured, this may be one of her only chances to meet someone new, in her element.

You know, I can stay until you're done riding, and then maybe we can go untack our horses together? I'm just really new, and well, friendless.

[/right]

Ugh, I hope I don't sound too desperate.

[/right]
She looked hopefully at the girl, who had collected her frisky pony back into a neat circle. Laurena looked to Lady, who was chewing her bit impatiently, as if to say "What gives, owner? We always leave after you dismount!"

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara's head shot up at the comment about the mare being a fireball, she knew that the other girl was just making an observation and that she shouldn't take it personally. "Ember has issues with flatwork. She loves jumping, but as soon as I ask her to collect and do anything related to dressage she gets a little moody." It wasn't that the pony couldn't do flatwork, she just didn't like doing it.

As soon as Ember gave her a perfect circle, Cara straightened her out and they rode along the track. She bowed her head slightly. "I spent a few years in a boarding school in Birmingham." She replied offhandedly. "And then spent some time travelling around Europe, and the English accent stuck."

Cara eyed the other girl's horse and shook her head slightly. "Thank you, but I'm thinking your mare has other ideas of what you should be doing." She said, as it was obvious that the mare wanted to be anywhere other than standing in the arena. "And I think they are in different barns." She recognised the mare from when she had gone to White Oak to feed her two mare's that morning. She raised her eyebrows at the girl's comment about being friendless. "If you are as friendly toward everyone as you have been toward me, then you shan't remain friendless for long." Even though she didn't give the smile that should have gone with those words, her tone was soft.

[Laurena Sithis]

She watched as the girl rode around the ring. She was surprised to learn that the girl picked up the accent while visiting England, and not actually from living there.

That's really interesting! Not many people just pick up accents like you do.

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She smiled as the girl finally got her pony to do a circle, a really pretty one at that.

So, are you training to eventing or something like that? Or do you just school on the flat occasionally?

[/b]
She realized the girl was busy riding, but the felt compelled to keep talking to her.

I don't jump, I never have, and I probably never will as long as I ride Lady.

She glanced lovingly at her mare. Even though they would never become Olympic jumping stars, they could do other amazing things, like Dressage. She smiled at the girl's comment about her being really friendly. That was the plan, afterall, to be as friendly as possible and as easy to talk to as possible. Making friends is something Laurena wants to do so bad, and to be reassured that she is on the right track made her feel really good.

Alright, then. I guess I'll see you around. Nice to meet y-. Oh! I never caught your name! I'm Laurena.

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