Eager beaver

[femalefred]

Duke was not behaving. He seemed frustrated that it was so late and that he'd been cooped up in his stall for so long - it was nearly 6 in the evening now, and the gelding was refusing to stand still. Ella was attempting to pull her gloves on and hold the young horse at the same time. He didn't appear to be having any of it. He could smell that they were at the edge of the trails, and he was ready to go and did not want to stand still for any longer.

"Stop it, beast," the young woman muttered, tugging gently on the gelding's reins before returning to her second glove. She did feel a little guilty for not having exercised the dapple so far today, but she'd been working the school horses and she'd had to give a couple of lessons to younger kids after school. There was a little girl who'd nearly thrown a fit that she wasn't riding Flo, who was apparently her favourite, even though the little mare was too arthritic to last for the entire length of the hour's lesson. That hadn't helped her mood, and now Duke was being a pain himself, even though she'd been quite looking forward to galloping the gelding as far away as possible.

Finally prepared, she swung up onto the horse's back.

"Yellow today, I think. C'mon," she murmured, clucking quietly and nudging her mount forward. He didn't need telling, and strode forwards with confidence.

[DJ]

OOC:: I think Dazzle is basically Hope's horse. I don't like RPing with Dixie because it's totally not like her in real life, so it's pointless. Besides. I love Dazzle.

BIC:: Hope came around the corner already mounted on Dazzle. The young grey seemed excited today, even in the heat. Hope walked her to Duke and Ella, pressing her helmet father down on her sticky head.

"Off we go?" she suggested to the young woman on the excited young gelding.

[femalefred]

Ella turned in the saddle, momentarily surprised. She'd entirely forgotten that she'd arranged with Hope to take the trail together, but it would be nice to have some friendly company. She was frustrated today, but Hope rarely antagonised her and Duke was happy to have the company, whinnying shrilly to the mare.

"Good day?"

[DJ]

Dazzle's ears pricked forward to the other horse's speech. She nickered back politely, nostrils flaring. She jogged to the gelding and Hope pulled her back laughing at her eagerness.

"Very good day," Hope commented grasping her shirt and flapping it lightly, fanning herself in the hot sun.

She started off, half-halting the prancing mare. Preforming her own take on a piaffe towards the trail. Hope rolled her eyes are the eager mare and let her trot forward smoothly when reaching the trail.

[femalefred]

At the excitement of the other horse, Duke's nostril's flared with excitement and he picked up a short striding, fast moving trot that really wasn't that much faster than a regular walk but seemed to expend about three times as much energy. Ella grimaced, half halting the gelding and sponging a little as he slowed, trying to get his head down. He ignored that, not wanting to bother with anything that actually required focus, and flew into a showy, high-stepping trot when they actually reached the trail.

"What did you get up to? Haven't seen you about. But then, I've been teaching and working the barn horses in the round pen so I guess I wouldn't!"

[DJ]

Hope posted smoothly to Dazzle's prancing.

"I'm sure you've seen but I picked up four new horses at the auction."
She cringed listening to the way she said it, sounding like a horse buyer and seller not caring about the quality of the horses. "Wow; That sounded weird. I bought two new quality Warmbloods. They'll be great jumpers and I'm thrilled about that. And I got a new large pony for lessons. He's so cute. And a neglected horse I couldn't turn down for a full fifty dollars. He's really a great horse and can't imagine the owners. He was so under fed but he's such a lovely equine."

She sounded awkward talking and shut herself up. "Ready for the show season?" she asked Ella, quickly changing the subject. She squeaked a bit as Dazzle jumped sideways hitting Hope's leg against Ella's. Dazzle avoided a hazardous plant laying alone the trail just waiting to reach out and eat her hoof off.

Hope looked to Ella sympathetically, not meaning any harm. She brought the mare to a walk not meaning to spook Duke.

[femalefred]

She smiled, nodding. She had noticed the new arrivals, and had been especially pleased to see a big pony. Some of the current ones could be rotten if they wanted to be.

"I did notice, yup. It'd be-" she was about to continue but Dazzle suddenly spooked to the side, fairly knocking into Duke. The young gelding's head shot up, as usual in these situations, but rather less usually his front legs also shot up and he almost seemed to be standing up in a full rear, ears pinned back, ready to fight whatever foe had shocked his companion so.

It was pretty easy to see the fear on Ella's face. She'd instinctively clung on to the reins, which she was trying to force herself to release a little, fearing for her horse's mouth, and was gripping as firmly as possible with her thighs and calves. It was all over in a matter of seconds, Duke dropping back down when he saw Dazzle slow to a walk, kicking out in a fidgety way at nothing in particular and almost prancing on the spot as Ella asked him to slow to a walk.

After a long, heavy silence, she managed to speak again. "I guess I shouldn't leave it til last thing to excercise him.."

[DJ]

"Sorry." Hope mumbled; really embarrassed about Dazzle's random spook.

They walked forward in silence, until reaching a small steam. Hope pushed Dazzle up to it. The horse hesitated, wobbling herself back and forth refusing to move forward over the bit of water. She spun around, taking off down the trail.

Hope yanked her head around to her leg and Dazzle twisted, slowing down.

"God I didn't know she was going to be such a puke today," Hope commented, walking back to Ella.

[femalefred]

Ella nodded quietly, herself spooked by Duke's sudden apparent fit of pique. "It's ok. Not your fault."

He'd never reared with a rider on before to her knowledge, and certainly not in the year that she'd owned him. True, he'd been green-broke when her parents had bought him for her, and there was always the possibility that he'd done it before, but for now she was trying to ignore that and urge him forward. When they reached the stream, the gelding almost seemed eager to step into the water, and crossed without really a second thought. He was getting very good with water now, and had stopped spooking if he jumped into it - though Ella hadn't tried that again at a canter yet since the first time she'd tried it on the cross country course.

When they reached the other side, she turned, smiling and shaking her head a little at the mare's bad behaviour. "Probably just having a bad day. I know Duke gets more than his fair share of them."

[DJ]

"I'm sure." Hope frowned patting the mare, calming her down before kicking her barrel again. Leg legs quivered like she wanted to move, but she was glued.

She wobbled around again before throwing herself over the water, a good three feet over it. Hope pulled herself up off the mare's neck and continued down the trail next to Duke.

[femalefred]

Ella shook her head at the mare's reluctance to cross the stream again, watching her leap manically over the stream. It was odd that Duke was being so calm about crossing water now, even if Dazzle jumping had enlivened his pace again. He was eager to trot, probably even to canter and gallop, and she could see a log coming up about three hundred yards away.

"Canter that log?" she asked Hope, not really waiting for a reply and nudging her gelding into a trot. His ears were pricked and she knew that if she let him have his head completely he'd be straining against the confines of his martingale. She waited to ask for a canter though. It might be safest to keep the two hyperactive young horses to a slightly slower gait for now.

[DJ]

"Sure!" Hope called to the rider who was ahead of her.

Dazzle pranced forward, trying to catch up to the gelding. "Chill," Hope murmured trying to calm the mare. She extended the trot, thrashing her head trying to go faster. Hope sat lightly and the mare immediately picked up a canter closer to the log. And pricked her ears as the reached it. Her eyes grew, but she popped over it cleanly, keeping Hope balanced an seated smoothly.

"Nice job," Hope clapped the mare on her neck, asking her to walk.

[femalefred]

When Hope called her assent, Ella barely had to ask Duke for a canter. He flew into the three beated gait, eyes and ears pinned on the log and his nostrils open with excitement. The young woman had to half halt him to keep him at a reasonable speed now - they were already ahead of Hope and Dazzle and now they were probably opening up ground. When they finally reached the log - which must've been less than 2 feet high - he hurled himself into the air, probably jumping about 4 feet.

Shaking her head as they landed, Ella sat up and back, trying to use the dressage training she'd been having with Lyris to keep more control of the gelding. With a little concentration, she managed to bring him down to what was probably more of a working canter than the rather madcap one he'd been using before.

Ella was finally getting into a better mood. The mild insanity of her horse, while occaisionally terrifying and sometimes incredibly irritating, was also probably the reason that they got on so well.

"Is yours going insane today as well or is it just mine?" she called back to Hope, grinning.

[DJ]

"Well, the log was better," Hope grinned, "But she's still maniacal of everything else."

Dazzle bounced forward seeing Duke canting and Hope posted low trying to keep the mare at a working trot rather than an extended gait. She bounced along the trail and halted suddenly, locking her knees, lifted her head in an unhealthily high pose. Her eyes grew and ears pricked forward. "What?" Hope asked, trying to refocus the mare. "Dazzle..." Hope followed the mare's stare and saw what had upset her.

A deer in the forest was in the same pose as Dazzle, staring back at her.

[femalefred]

Duke was beginning to fuss again now that Ella had let her concentration slip back to the other rider. He was skittering about all over the track, and it was only when Hope suddenly stopped talking that Ella gave herself the opportunity to look back rather than trying to control the gelding.

"What is it?" she asked, Duke apparently unaware of the deer and she now unable to see it, having turned back to look at Hope. "Dazzle looks fascinated by something.."