i heard you were a wild one. [open]

[june marie kinlaw]

june smiled as she walked into the barn. her newly cleaned black paddock boots clicked on the ground as she approached cody's stall. the chestnut's head popped out of the stall door. "hey there boy!" she said, and pat him on the neck. "i bet your ready to go ride after the big trip, huh?" he blinked his eyes, the crystal blue color being covered for a second.

june opened the stall door, and grabbed his leather halter. cody bumped his head on june's side, and she walked him out to the cross-ties. leaving him there for a second, she ran to the tack room, and grabbed everything necessary. saddle, bridle, half pad, girth, ear covers, splint boots, and her grooming box came with her.

after setting everything in their places, she began to groom. starting with a curry comb, she rubbed it in circles, getting the patches of mud off of his coat. there were not many, so she quickly moved onto the dandy brush, flicking off most of the dust, and getting the rest with a soft brush. down the legs, and to the hooves, june picked out as much of the dirt, mud, and whatever else cody had managed to get stuck in there. cody, being his usual self, refused to pick up his back left hoof. "cody! pick up your hoof!" she yelled to him, and he looked back at her. he batted his eyes, and with a sigh of defeat, he picked it up. "good boy." june said, and laughed. she quickly finished up the mane, tail, and face before tacking him up.

june threw on the splint boots, and tightened them just enough. she threw on her saddle with the half-pad underneath, and tightened the girth. everything went with out a problem, and she slipped the blue ear-covers on. she put the bridle on top, and smiled. "all ready to go!" she said, and took the reins in her hands. she walked him out to the jumping arena and hopped on. the gate creaked open as june walked cody around, and she looked back at someone coming in.

notes ; sorry if i'm missing any Cs, the buttons being a spaz.
words ; 358 !

[Caden Penelope Taylor]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0, true][atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F1BBBA; border-top: 9px solid #A79C8E; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px white; font-family: georgia; color: #6B5344; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px;]caden penelope taylor ;; do you love me enough

[atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F8ECC9; border-left: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-right: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-bottom: 5px solid #F1BBBA; color: #271A09] Caden Taylor threw her hair up and placed her hat over top, concealing any and all blond hairs. Beside her Nico stood absolutely still despite his owner not having any contact with him. She stood back up, clipping her helmet under her chin, and grabbed a rein. The gelding tucked his head down and followed lazily behind her. The pair clip-clopped past Fiona, Finn, and Lacey who were all quietly munching their dinners. This was when she was glad she showed her horses every weekend, they adjusted to new surroundings in a snap. Nico's ears pricked up as he tried to reach his nose through his companion's stall bars. Fiona pinned her ears and threatened to take a nip at the older black horse. Nico turned away in defeat; Caden had postponed his meal so she could ride him without any threat of sickness. The girl's tall boots were almost in sync with Nico's front hooves. The sheepskin inside his leather galloping boots was visible as it contrasted against his dark coat, as was the custom sheepskin half pad with baby pink trim. All of Caden's schooling pads had it. She couldn't say that she wanted the ring to be empty because she didn't. Nico was fine in crowds, and so was she. And the more people that saw her, the more people to impress. So Caden wasn't disappointed when she saw another girl already in the ring. She kind of recognized her, but couldn't put a name to her face. Oh god. She was wearing paddock boots. Black paddock boots to be exact. Who wore paddock boots over the age of twelve anyway? And why black? You can't show in black paddock boots, or you shouldn't at least. Yeah, maybe Caden rode in paddock boots and chaps at home, but those were the keywords. At home. This was the big leagues. Go big or go home. Or in this case, go tall or go home. "Gate," Caden called, not really loud enough for anyone to hear. If the girl wasn't paying attention and fell off, her loss. Being able to control your horse wasn't Caden's problem. She tugged Nico toward the mounting block and got on, taking a second to roll her ankles and adjust her right stirrup. It just felt shorter to her. She pushed Nico into a solid walk, aiming him toward the rail on the other side of the ring furthest away from the girl and her stallion.

[atrb=style,background: #271A09; border-bottom: 14px solid #6B5344]

[atrb=style,font-family: arial; text-align: center]coding by just-breathe of caution 2.0

[june marie kinlaw]

"Gate." June barely made the word out as she looked over, seeing a girl walk in. She led in a beautiful black warmblood. June cocked her head slightly, but looked away quickly, not wanting to stare. She'd seen that horse before. She walked Cody a few steps before realizing that that was Nico, Caden Taylor's horse. She looked back at the girl, just for a second to make sure it was her, and it was. She shook her head, clearing it. She'd have to step her game up, just to say that she wasn't as terrible as the rest.

She moved her stallion into a nice walk, pushing her heels down. Her equitation was practically perfect as they walked around, stretching out a bit more. June asked Cody to put his head in a frame, and he did, looking magnificent while he did it.

After moving into a working walk for a few steps, June pushed Cody into a trot. She posted perfectly, moving back and forth with his legs. The two were in sync, and for once, Cody listened to the first commands.

She softly stroked his neck, telling how much of a good boy he was being, and began to do circles on each end. She asked for a nice bend, and with a twinge of persuasion, the paint did it nicely.

After a few times going around and doing the circles, June asked for a sitting trot. Cody definitely had trouble with this, as he loved to be forward going. June sat absorbing the shock. She leaned back slightly, and put pressure, on and off with both her legs and hands. As soon as Cody got the concept, she let him walk a bit.

notes ; super late reply.... i give up on tablesss.
words ; 291 !

[Caden Penelope Taylor]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0, true][atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F1BBBA; border-top: 9px solid #A79C8E; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px white; font-family: georgia; color: #6B5344; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px;]caden penelope taylor ;; do you love me enough

[atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F8ECC9; border-left: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-right: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-bottom: 5px solid #F1BBBA; color: #271A09] Caden kept her eye off the other girl and focused on Nico for a couple minutes, getting him to leg yield on and off the rail to make sure she had his attention. With Nico nothing bad would happen if she didn't, but Lacey on the other hand.. you could be absolutely perfect, but then lose focus and end up in the dirt. It would be a long drop from atop the Warmblood who stood at just over seventeen point two hands. Caden ignored any headset/frame issues, he was a jumper, a frame wasn't really needed, and pushed him into a trot. She let him go his own pace, not asking for anything special yet. The gelding's large trot stride bounced her an extra inch out of the tack with each post, so she sank her heels down even more. She contemplated trying a sitting trot, but immediately closed out that idea with a silent laugh. A sitting trot? On this horse? Ha! Finally as she passed the girl in the opposite direction she took a quick glance at her. Nope, no idea who she was. The horse was a paint, but not one of those ridiculous loud ones that everyone around here seemed to own. She swore she was going to make a school rule saying that your horse must be either solid black, grey, bay, or chestnut, and of warmblood type. Because everything else did not belong here. Caden asked Nico for a canter along the straightaway and rubbed him with her knuckles when he got the correct lead. He'd been having difficulties in this direction. The pair cantered quietly around the ring twice before Caden turned him up a diagonal, the one with no jumps, and asked for a lead change immediately. The black warmblood did so. Then she asked for another, and another, and another, and another, all the way down the diagonal, so it looked like the horse was skipping. She shot a quick grin at the other girl before flopping her reins and letting Nico settle himself.

[atrb=style,background: #271A09; border-bottom: 14px solid #6B5344]

[atrb=style,font-family: arial; text-align: center]coding by just-breathe of caution 2.0

[june marie kinlaw]

June looked up at Caden, and an impressed look came over her face. Jumper horse doing tempe changes? Impressive. She thought to herself and laughed quietly. She played with Cody's mane for a second before gathering her reins back up. June asked her gelding for a forward walk, and he picked it up fast.

June looked up to see where Caden was with her horse so that she could avoid them, and moved Cody to a safe spot to canter. She slightly moved her outside leg back, and squeezed with it. The paint popped into a steady canter, picking up speed a bit as they went down the long side. June squeezed her fingers closed, putting more pressure on, and Cody settled back down.

She circled him at each end, keeping him balanced by putting a bit of weight in the outside stirrup, and using an opening rein. After cantering around twice, she looked up the diagonal, and steered him to it. At the center of the ring, June asked for a change, and in the air, Cody switched, flicking his tail.

June repeated the exercise, and after finishing the last lap, she brought her horse back to a walk. She gave him a big pat for being so good, and smiled. "That's a good boy." She said to him, and walked him in the direction of Caden. "Caden Taylor, right? I'm June Kinlaw, and this is Cody." She said with a grin. "Those Tempe changes looked really cool!"

notes ; yeah, fail.
words ; 249 !

[Caden Penelope Taylor]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0, true][atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F1BBBA; border-top: 9px solid #A79C8E; text-shadow: 0px 0px 2px white; font-family: georgia; color: #6B5344; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px;]caden penelope taylor ;; do you love me enough

[atrb=style, width: 440px; background: #F8ECC9; border-left: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-right: 5px solid #F1BBBA; border-bottom: 5px solid #F1BBBA; color: #271A09] Nico plopped lazily around the ring while Caden surveyed the jumps and tried to make a course out of them. They were set fairly low, the lowest being two six and the highest at three six. She caught one of the girl's lead changes and they were good. Not that she'd ever admit it, of course. And then the girl came over. "Yeah, Caden." Caden's eyes flickered over to the outside line. Now on the other girl. "Mhm. Ex-Grand Prix dressage trainee, St. Nicholas. You've probably seen him, yes? Either on TV or the cover of Young Hunter Jumper." Caden had Nico at a stand still while she was speaking. The art of intimidation could probably be heard in her words, which were sent confidently toward June. No sense of flicker, no doubt of self-esteem. She was flawless. Caden listened to her reply and spun the black warmblood on his haunches. He started forward at a rocking canter, really trying to engage his hind end. Caden rubbed his withers before setting her hands above the martingale. "Diagonal!" Caden said in the general direction of the other pair. It was more of a 'I'm not afraid to run you over if you're in my way,' then a polite way of saying where she was going. The diagonal was a single standing at roughly two six. Incredibly low for the 17.2hh warmblood, and he was likely to just canter over it. And canter over it he did. The jump didn't break his three beat stride as he treated the jump like a mere pole. Caden was prepared for that, and sat up from her barely recognized crest release. Even though Nico's form wasn't perfect, they did well as a pair. Caden asked for a lead change before she got to the corner and turned in the opposite direction, now heading down the outside line she'd been gazing at earlier. Three foot vertical to a three three oxer. Fantastic. Four strides away Caden was confused at why the warmblood wasn't picking up speed. He was still at a lumbering canter, and while he could get over the jump, it wouldn't be pretty. The blond thrust her hands forward and squeezed with her lower calf. As if to say, "OH RIGHT JUMPING,' Nico's hind end dug in a little more and they cut a whole stride out to the fence. Caden folded over it with the horse at the right time and found herself squeezing again to get to the second fence. "You fat lard!" She muttered in between squeezes. Of course Nico wasn't fat, nor was he a lard, but it was just something you say to slow things, right? The duo jumped cleanly and landed at the slow canter he had tried to enter with. Why was this horse a jumper again? Caden pet the gelding to ensure him her comment in between the fences wasn't meant to harm his feelings, not that he really had many,

[atrb=style,background: #271A09; border-bottom: 14px solid #6B5344]

[atrb=style,font-family: arial; text-align: center]coding by just-breathe of caution 2.0

[june marie kinlaw]

“Yeah, Caden. Mhm. Ex-Grand Prix dressage trainee, St. Nicholas. You've probably seen him, yes? Either on TV or the cover of Young Hunter Jumper." June nodded, “That would be where.” She said, and after listening, Caden started off at canter towards the jumps.

June quickly moved out of the way, and walked Cody in a circle where she wouldn't get in the way while watching. She watched Caden and Nico go over the diagonal, nodding slightly. Coming up the outside line, Nico lazily plodded along, surprisingly not hitting any rails.

June looked down at Cody. “Our turn.” She said, and took him out to the rail. “Single vertical to the diagonal.” She yelled out. They picked up a nice jumper canter, and headed towards a small single vertical. They popped over it with ease, looking amazing as a pair. They turned to the diagonal, and Cody began to pick up speed. He loved to do this going into lines, and June had gotten used to it. She sat up, and held until he gave her a nice canter, and that he did.

They popped over the first, then in the middle, a bird flew right in front of their path. Startled, Cody took off, taking the next two strides in one, and leaping over the jump. June stayed with him, mostly, and attempted to pull his head up after. He threw a buck, but she wasn’t unseated a bit. She circled him until he calmed down. “You mind if I go over that again?” She said, and headed back over, not waiting for an answer.

She started with a nice, slow canter, with just enough impulsion to make it over. Three, two, one. Folding nicely over the first together, they got a normal amount of strides into the line, and over the second jump in a civilized manner. Pulling him back to a trot, she pat him on the neck. “Good boy.”

Notes; Uhm, bird? She couldn't go perfect when Caden hadn't! LOL, failz.
Words; 322

[Caden Penelope Taylor]

While June was attempting the small course, Caden opened her outside rein to encourage Nico to move to the rail. She stayed on the longside rail where June wouldn't be passing. She halted the black Warmblood, now was a perfect opportunity to practice a lineup. Usually Nico would never be in one, but if he was being as slow as he was a few minutes ago she'd toss him into an eq class. The gelding tucked his nose all the way into his chest and let out a puff of air, startling Caden. He began to walk forward, but Caden slid one rein back, making sure his attention was on her. Once the other pair began jumping he stood quietly.

The first two fences looked alright, and Caden eyes opened wider as the horse spooked, but June didn't turn out of the fence. That was dangerous, even if the jump was tiny. Caden gave a 'go-ahead' motion with her hand as June asked to try again. This time it lacked the spooking.

Hm, now what was she going to jump? Oh! She had it. Three foot single vertical and a rollback to the two nine oxer. Then up the line with the three six vertical to the three nine oxer. Fantastique. They were big jumps, but not any bigger than what she'd be doing at shows. Next year they'd be in a higher division, but for now it was Children's jumpers. Unlike her best friend, Tobin, Caden did sometimes get nervous. But now wasn't one of those times. It was three nine. She jumped a foot higher, at least, at home.

So she asked Nico for a canter from the walk and rounded the corner before the vertical. "Vertical to rollback, then judge's line." She said, actually speaking clearly and loudly. The course was all over, there was no place you could stand to avoid the whole thing. Except maybe in front of a jump she wasn't doing. But anyway, starting now.

Nico had a nice forward canter, definitely enough to clear the simple vertical and did so with ease. Caden turned her head over the fence and bent the gelding around her inside leg to get to the smaller oxer. One more stride and they were over it, looking for the line.

This was it.

Nico was moving quickly, but any interference with his pace would throw him off, so Caden let him go however he wanted. They folded together over the vertical, now covering the space in between to the bigger jump. The height didn't bother her. Really it was the spread. The jump had to be at least three feet from pole to pole. Huge. The monster of the ring at the moment.

Five bounding strides and Nico propelled himself up and over. Caden gave just enough release to the black warmblood, and they both landed with a bit of a jolt.

Overall, the course was beautiful. You'd have to get seriously nitpicky to find any real flaws, and that was just the way Caden liked it. She snuck a daring grin toward June. If the other rider was too scared, ha. If she was stupid enough to do it on that horse, then kudos to her, but Caden knew June couldn't do it any better than her. That was what the daring look was about. Not if she could do it, but how.