Onsite Training (Miranda, Cara, Open)

[Demeter Carr]

Demeter was standing outside the Equine Clinic wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a Sinful Charmer baby-tee. The vet truck and four horse trailer was parked not too far away and she had her phone in her hand, sending a message through to the two girls she was waiting to see if they were going to accompany.

A friend a couple of towns over, where she had previously been training, was helping out at a horse auction and had called the young vet up to help with well... vetting some of the horses - the ones that always seemed to slip through the radar - as her friend wanted to make sure that she was selling animals as healthy as the piece of paper said they were.

When she had been asked to help, Demeter thought that this would be a perfect opportunity for her two students to not only get away from campus for the day, but to also get some hands-on work done. She had sent them both a text letting them know what she was doing and if they were interested, just to show up in the morning and the text she had just sent let them know she planned to leave in ten minutes.

Demi's gaze wondered toward the yards that contained the clinic residents during the day, sweeping over each animal with a practised eye. Her gaze finally landed on the Frisian Sporthorse that she had found at the same auction as a number of the others in their own respective yard, she tipped her head to the side as she watched the piebald gelding sniff at a patch of dirt, blowing out through his nostrils and causing the dust flying up to give him the impression of blowing smoke out of his nostrils. She didn't know what it was about Tau that had made her bring him home, and keep him out of the class as her own special project, but she hoped that whilst she worked with him what ever it was would unveil itself.

She looked up at the sound of feet on the gravel and grinned at the approach of one of her girls.

OOC: This thread is open to anyone else who wants to join. I was going to be super organised and have a huge selection of auction horses, but winter has hit and I have caught something and ran out of energy so there is no set list of horses... Which pretty much means anything is up for grabs (within reason of course).

[Miranda Florin]

Miranda rolled out of bed and glanced at the alarm next to her bed. She had beaten the wake-up call by about a minute, so she turned off the alarm option so that she didn't wake Alexis, then got up and got dressed, leaving Kalle and Nox to snuggle in the warm spot she had left on the mattress. She headed to the bathroom and washed her face first, then dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt from Yosemite that read "Go Climb a Rock" and had a simple black and white sketch of Half Dome on the back. She grabbed the notebook and pen that she had laid aside, then exited the room, slipping the key, her wallet, and her phone into her pocket as she walked away.

She made her way across towards the equine clinic. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out, checking the screen and smiling. As she walked, she typed a short message, 'Already on my way!' She came around the corner just as she hit send, and saw Dr. Carr standing there with the truck and trailer, "I think I beat my message over here!" She grinned and came closer, "Thank you for inviting me to come." She saw that Cara wasn't there yet, and wandered over towards the runs, looking for her appy. She whistled quietly as she approached Aros, and saw his ears prick. He walked towards her slowly, and Miranda rubbed his nose, "Hey, boy." She smiled to see him looking healthy, and then walked back towards Dr. Carr.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara stretched and yawned as she walked out of the gym. Her shoulder protested the movement and she wished she hadn't stretched. She heard the phone in her gym bag buzz and she quickly pulled it out - just in case it was a message from her social worker - and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the vet's name flash on her screen. She blew out a breath as she read the message, knowing that she would either have to miss the trip to the auction or go as she was dressed, in a clean leotard with a school tracksuit over the top. It didn't take long to make up her mind and she headed in the direction of the clinic as she pulled her wet hair back into a pony tail and then wound it into a messy bun - as even though she had showered in the gym after gymnastics, she was on her way back to the Blue House for another shower and to fix her hair.

She stopped off at White Oak Barn to change out of her tennis shoes ad into a pair of jodhpur boots before she continued on to the clinic. She could see the horses in their yards before she saw the humans, and a ghost of a smile touched her lips as her eyes landed on Risk who was nosing the salt lice that Cara had hung from the tree that offered both the mare and the gelding in the yard next to her shade when they wanted to be grazing.

She bit her lip as another yawn threatened to escape her and came to a stop by Dr Carr. "I apologise if I am late." She said, her clipped accent sounding as worn-out as she felt. "Coach Hoefflin wanted me to perfect a move before we finished." It was the truth, she just failed to mention how long she had been in there, perfecting said move.

As much as she wanted to go and see her mare, whom she had already that morning when she rushed in to feed her before gymnastics, but she also knew that they were on a time schedule, so rather than going over to Risk, she waited by the back passenger door of the truck.

[Demeter Carr]

Demeter smiled at Miranda and then laughed as her phone went off as the girl spoke about beating her message. "It seems that you did." She said with a chuckle as she flipped the phone open and read the girl's message before closing it again. She shook her head at the young student's next words. "It's my pleasure." She replied. "And not only will it give you a little hands on work, but it will also help me out too. And you won't have to be at my side for the entire time so you will also get to have a look around."

She watched as the girl walked over to the Appaloosa she was working with in class, and smiled as the gelding walked up to her without a moment's hesitation. The two made a good pairing.

She looked toward the gate and smiled as Cara made an entrance. "You aren't late at all." She said. "In fact you're just on time!" She lifted a concerned eyebrow at how tired the girl sounded, but she didn't say anything. "Okay, let's go!" She said once Miranda had joined them again.

Climbing in behind the wheel, she waited until both girls were settled and then started the engine. The drive would take an hour, but she wasn't too worried. "Are either of you on the look out for a new horse?" She asked, trying to strike up a conversation with either or both of the girls.

As they arrived at the large auction grounds, she pulled into a park and jumped out of the truck. "Right, let's head over to the registration tent and find out where Penny wants us." She led the way to the aforementioned tent and grinned as she was greeted by a slim blonde who threw her arms around her with a squeal.

"I am so glad you could make it!" Penny squealed. "Most of the horses arrived last night, if you could just wander around and see if any of them look out of the ordinary. The ones with red crosses on their cards have been vetted and will need further treatment at their new homes." She smiled down at the two girls standing beside Demeter. "You two have lots of fun and listen to Dem, she'll teach you heaps."

Demeter rolled her eyes as she led the way toward the rows and rows of horse yards. "Ignore her, she's a little OTT at the best of times." She looked at her watch. "We've still got the whole day ahead of us. Why don't you two go off and explore, check out the horses as you walk around and send me a text if you find an animal that needs more attention then you can give it. Then we can sit somewhere for lunch and talk over what we have seen and/or been looking for." After all, she had to turn this into a lesson at some point, and she trusted both of the girls to do their jobs without her breathing down their necks the whole time.

[Miranda Florin]

Miranda grinned as Dr. Carr received her message, “Well, that works, although I don’t think it’s the point.” She nodded at the demure response, although it made sense, “Well, I know I’d like to look around, for sure.” She stepped away to greet Aros, and when she turned around, Cara was walking up to the car and trailer, “Morning, Cara!” She got into what was quickly becoming her spot in the truck, then buckled up and pulled a dowel with some wire wrapped around it out of her pocket. She left it on her lap, though, as Dr. Carr spoke to them.

“I’m not sure, but probably not, unless I see something truly spectacular.” She leaned her head back, “I’m barely out of the barn as it is.” She grinned quickly, not meaning it in a bad way, “Of course, I’d rather spend my time there, but with Rikke, Aros, and Cray, and then the other three, I’m not sure if I want another horse added to the retinue.”

As the truck turned into the grounds where the auction would be held, Miranda tucked her dowel and wire away again. It stood to reason that she hadn’t done any work on it, but still, she would rather have it along than not and be stuck for an hour. She stepped out of the truck and nodded, content to follow Dr. Carr on this foreign ground. As the two women reunited, she stood a bit back, not intruding. However, she was listening to everything that Penny was saying, and nodded as she was told that Dr. Carr would teach them a lot, “She already has.” She smiled at the exuberant woman as the trio walked away, towards the rows of horses.

She listened to what Dr. Carr was telling them about the plan for the day, nodding in agreement. “That sounds good.” She was looking forward to being allowed to roam the auction grounds, looking at the horses to her hearts content. She smiled at the two other people and then looked in the direction of a large Vaneer horse that was striking enough to have caught her eye, “I’ll start that way.” She smiled at the other two, “See you at lunch!” Then she walked towards the mare, captivate by the beautiful coloring.

I suppose I'm basing it off of This Lady

[William//Adrianna Gibbson]

William shepherded Adrianna into his truck, making sure that she buckled up before walking around and getting into the driver's seat. The girl had been so excited to show him that she could ride, and, while he himself didn't really like horses, or even know much about them, it was obvious that the girl loved them, and here on a school that revolved around riding, she would probably be better off with a horse of her own. William knew about wanting to have animals, and he didn't begrudge the girl that. She didn't know where they were going, though. He could see it in her eyes. For the third time that morning, she asked him, "What's the surprise, Will? Where are we going?"

Will just grinned in the mirror, "You'll see, Ria, you'll see." He concentrated on the road ahead, glancing at the paper in the middle of the car every now and then to make sure he hadn't missed a turn. They arrived at the auction grounds right about on schedule, and William could see Adrianna's eyes grow wide as she took in the rows of horses. Will smiled at the excited girl and then parked the car. As he got out, he held his hand out to her, "Want to go see if there's any pretty horses?" He was hoping to see Demeter here as well, or Cara, or anyone that could help him choose a safe horse. He saw both of the people he had been hoping for in one of the rows ahead. He walked towards them, "Good morning!" He smiled at the two, then looked around, "Adrianna, why don't you go look at that pretty black and white horse over there?" He watched her, then turned back to Dr. Carr and Cara, "She's been learning to ride here, so I was thinking about finding a horse, but I have not the slightest idea about them." He shrugged self-deprecatingly, "I was hoping someone would be able to help her pick someone, and when I saw you two, I thought I would come ask if you might be able to."

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara climbed up into the back seat and fastened her seat belt. She knew the town they were heading toward, she'd had a couple of placements there during the Christmas holidays, and if it hadn't been for the auction she had no reason to want to return.

She glanced up, as a question was asked, before dropping her eyes again and staring at her hands as she thought over the question - and listened to Miranda's reply - she only had two horses in her ownership, four under her care as there was Rikke and Risk, but she was unsure if she wanted the pain of owning another horse. She had finally begun to connect with Goldie - the Fjord mare she had picked up from the last auction that had come to Blue Ridge - but the mare had coliced and not pulled through. And her other pony, the rather assertive gelding, Galaxy, was finally beginning to turn a corner and she was thinking of selling him on as the perky pony would love to live the life as competition mount with a young owner who could give him the time he needed, but she also knew that she would need to take him a few more shows herself first.

When they arrived that the auction grounds, she jumped out of the vehicle and followed the other two, pleased that she was wearing her riding boots. She kept back as Dr Carr was greeted with a rather enthusiastic woman, and nodded her head once at the blonde haired woman's words before she once again followed the other two away from the tent.

She looked up at the mention that they were free to walk the grounds by themselves and evaluate the horses solo, a ghost of a smile touched her lips as she gave a respectful bow of her head. She looked in the direction that Miranda said she would go and nodded her head. She looked around the yards, waiting for something to grab her attention. However, a familiar voice stopped her from moving.

Her eyes were on the ground in front of her feet as the man spoke, but the idea of helping his niece find a mount sounded like a fun idea. "I wouldn't mind helping." She spoke up, as unusual as it was for her to speak up without the words being forced out of her, she had a feeling that the young girl would be more comfortable with her help than she would with Dr Carr. And also, Cara knew that she was the right height to try out a suitable mount for the younger girl.

[Demeter Carr]

Demeter smiled and nodded as Miranda headed off, it seemed that a horse had already caught the girl's attention. She looked ahead and her eyes landed on a leggy chestnut Thoroughbred. She tipped her head to the side as she assessed the animal from a distance, her brow furrowed as her eyes ran down the mare's body, the animal either was pregnant with very bad condition or she had a pot belly from a bad case of worms. The vet would need to be closer to the animal though to work out which it was.

She turned as she heard a familiar voice, and smiled when she saw the owner of the voice. "Good morning, William." She replied. She lifted her eyebrows at the man's words, slightly curious on why he was here to pick a mount for his niece when there were very reputable sellers listed everywhere, but she didn't question his choice on places to buy a horse.

Her eyebrows shot up as the short girl spoke up, offering her time, but she didn't comment. "Well, it looks like you have someone to assist you." She said with a gentle laugh. "Cara's knowledgeable enough to be able to carry out a vet check on the animal too." She held out one of her business cards. "My number's on there if you need my assistance too." She raised her eyebrows. "You going to find a horse for yourself too, William?" There was humour in her voice as she already knew the answer.

[Miranda Florin]

Miranda stepped up to the large Gypsy Vaneer mare, stunned by the bright colors. She looked over the mare first, for what might be in need of treatment, but she didn't notice anything apart from a slightly knotted mane, which wasn't really that unusual in an auction. The piebald mare wasn't too shy, either, coming right up to the fence and looking at Miranda. It felt almost as if the horse was scrutinizing Miranda, instead of the other way around. The girl could only imagine what was running through the Vaneer's mind. Tall, tired, really interested, smells like a bunch of horses, but not like any treats. The mare shook her mane just as Miranda finished the thought, almost as if it had been the exact thing that she had been thinking. Miranda moved to the mare's paper tag and read the name written there, "Hey, Mona." She liked the fitting nature of the name, which conjured up images of the mysterious painting, the Mona Lisa.

A small girl that looked vaguely familiar ran up to the mare's pen as well, her eyes glued to the mare. Miranda glanced at her, wondering why she seemed so familiar, then remembered that this was Mr. Gibbson's niece, "Hey there." She wondered briefly what she was doing here, then looked around. She saw William talking to Dr. Carr and Cara, then looked back at the girl, who had obviously been sent away, "She's pretty, isn't she?" The mare had dipped her head to regard the child, Miranda noticed with interest.

[William//Adrianna Gibbson]

Adrianna looked up at the girl as she spoke, "Hello." She had seen the girl around, this was the vet student. She didn't remember her name, though. Her attention was recaptured by the mare who was studying her now, though, and she stepped up to the fence to look at her. Miranda's words reached her, and she nodded, but didn't speak, as she reached out her hands to the mare. The horse snorted and stepped away slightly, so she pulled her hands away, "She doesn't like hands?"

William was surprised to hear Cara volunteering to help, from what he had noticed, she didn't much like him. He smiled at her, though, "Thank you very much, Cara. I'm sure Adrianna would enjoy learning more about horses from you." He had noticed that Cara knew a lot more about horses than most students, and he wasn't worried about Ria going astray with the serious girl around. He took the card from Demeter, "Thank you, as well, for letting me borrow your student." He stuck the card in his pocket where his phone was. Demeter's comment made him smile, although he shook his head, "Not for me, no thank you. I don't mind everyone else riding, but I prefer things that aren't so much bigger than me in charge of where we go." He had never felt comfortable around horses, in contrast to dogs, falcons, and all other predators. Horses were just... Big.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara bowed her head at Mr Gibbson's words and took a step back as the two adults spoke to each other. She thought about the man's young niece and remember the first time they had met in the Brown Orchid barn in the middle of a rain storm. She hadn't seen the girl ride, nor did she know how good she was, but she knew that the child needed a mount that she would grow into, rather than grow out of. There was nothing worse than watching a child bond with their mount just to watch them suddenly find themselves too big to ride the animal they had just spent all that time building a bond with.

Leaving the adults to finish this conversation in peace, she silently excused herself and walked over to where Miranda and Adrianna were standing at a yard that held a large piebald Gypsy Vanner. "She's stunning." She commented with a small smile as she looked at the mare's broad face, sleepy eyes, and square muzzle - all signs of a stubborn horse who was so set in her ways that she would spend most of her time teaching her rider the correct way of doing things. "Good luck to her next owners." She glanced down at Adrianna. "I hear that you are here to find a horse. Would you like some help?" She had told the girl's uncle that she would do it, but she wanted the girl's permission as well.

[Demeter Carr]

Demeter laughed gently at William's reply to her suggestion about him getting a horse. "Sorry, I was just teasing." She told him as she shook her head.

She watched Cara retreat in the direction that her other student had walked off in, the direction the man's niece had also gone, and turned back to William. "Cara knows what she's talking about, which is why I am letting you have her. Miranda, my other student over there, also know what she's looking at. Listen to what is behind what Cara says." She gave a tight smile. "The child talks in her own cryptic language at times, but when you actually listen to the words that she doesn't say there is a lot there to listen to." She laughed again, knowing that her words were about as cryptic as the child's. "Oh, one more thing. The girl may seem obsessed with the horse's face, but what she sees is important." She shrugged her shoulder half-heartedly. "Don't ask, 'cause I can't offer anymore." She looked at the chestnut mare once again. "If you'll excuse me, I had better get back to why I'm actually here." With a smile, she patted his arm and headed toward the chestnut mare.

Stepping up to the yard, she reached out her hand toward the mare.

[Miranda Florin]

Miranda shook her head, "She probably doesn't like things going at her too fast. You flinch if something comes at you too, don't you?" She glanced up as Cara walked over and smiled at her fellow vet student. She saw Cara examine the horse, and couldn't wait to hear her opinion of the mare. By the cryptic wish of luck, Miranda guessed it wasn't too encouraging, but Cara was talking to the younger girl, so Miranda would wait to ask about what she had seen. Instead, she looked at the horse's face herself, and tried to understand what Cara could see and determine in a few moments. She didn't understand it, though, even though the mare was looking at her. Instead, she listened to what Cara was saying to the younger girl. Mr. Gibbson was letting his niece get a horse? Word around the school was that the campus security officer didn't like horses, so it was interesting that he would allow his only remaining family member anywhere near them. She turned her mind away from that and stepped towards the next horse in the row, examining the next occupant.

[William//Adrianna Gibbson]

William grinned and shrugged, "I know. I won't be infected with horse fever like the rest of you, but I don't mind it that you have it." He wasn't going to dislike someone because they enjoyed spending time with the beasts, as long as they didn't try to force him to ride. He couldn't really afford to, anymore. He was working at a horse school, after all. He watched Cara walk towards Adrianna as he listened to Demi, nodding slightly. Cara was mysterious, he would agree to that. He hadn't watched her around horses, but he was ready to believe what the veterinarian was saying. "Thank you, again, Demeter. I'm sorry for keeping you." As she walked away, he looked over to where Adrianna and Cara were, then walked back to the car. Cara would watch the girl, he knew, so it would be alright.

Adrianna nodded absently, then looked around as Cara spoke to her. She remembered the girl from that rainy night, in the stallions' barn. As the girl looked at her and offered her help picking out a horse, Ria blinked twice, "What?" William hadn't said anything about buying a horse, but that might have been his surprise, "Okay!" Her shout of joy made the mare in the pen shy away, but she didn't notice. She looked at Cara, "Will didn't tell me we were looking for a horse."

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara gave a small shrug. "I may have misunderstood him." She said. "He may have just only said that I was to help you look at horses." She looked at Miranda and nodded toward the mare. "I'll tell you later." She said. "Just put it this way. This girl would make a mule look obedient."

She turned her attention back to the young girl. "Can you tell me about your riding lessons?" She asked lightly. "What are you doing in your lessons?" It didn't matter to her which of the Academy ponies the girl had been riding, as she had a good idea which one it was. "And just between the two of us. What's your favourite horse colour?" She knew that a horse was never a bad colour, but if they could find the right horse for Adrianna that was in her favourite colour, it would just be the icing on the cake.

She began to lead the way through the yards of horses toward where the large ponies small horses were penned. She would have a look at all of the animals at the same time. "Iknow they might look big, but you won't ride little ponies forever."