[open] Trailriding, Training, or Exploring?

[lukas john thatcher]

Trail riding had always been one of his favorite things to do. He loved getting out and getting lost on the trails, letting time fly by and sometimes not coming in until it as past midnight or later... but he wasn't home anymore, and there were rules about riding late like that here at this place.

But, he wasn't exactly riding. Lukas had arrived in California three days earlier, but had spend the last two days with his grandparents (and, he'd admit, they drove him batty) before coming on to this... school. It was nice enough, he guessed... but he hated the city and longed for the country.

He'd dumped his stuff in his dorm and had immediately went to the barn upon arriving. There, he'd checkd on his horses, smiling in relief when they appeared to be settling in well. So well that he'd decided to take his mare and her two week old foal out for a walk, leaving his gelding to graze in the pasture. The foal was partially halter-broke, meaning that he wore a halter, but didn't lead very well just yet, so Luke decided to take the mother and son out to the trails and work on lead-training.

On this day, while most people were attired in English style clothing and riding English… something Luke had never done… he was dressed only as he knew. Cowboy. Complete down to the cowboy hat, boots, jeans, and spurs. The only thing that was missing was the shirt… indeed, he actually wasn't wearing a shirt. It was, he'd deemed, too warm for that particular article of clothing.

He'd started off walking both mare and foal, both of them wearing a halter and lead. Halfway down the trail, though, he'd jumped up on the mare's back, bareback, and rode her while still leading the foal, going slowly, though, in case the little deon decided to resist, which he had a few times.

Now, though, he'd stopped near a creek to give the mare, a twenty-two year old palomino Paint named Penny, and her two week old foal Kojack, a break. He'd let both horses go, as he'd spotted a small clearing just off the trail and very near the creek to stop and rest, and had the leadropes laid on the ground near where he sat, back against a tree, enjoying watching the foal explore things... the water, a butterfly, the rocks... Penny stood grazing near the water, one eye constantly on her sorrel and white youngster.

Luke didn't have to worry about the mare running off. she was an older mare who knew what she was expected to do. She wouldn't take off, he knew, unless it was to round up her little demon and herd him towards Luke himself. Penny was an excellent mother and had been an excellent broodmare and nursemaid mare for years, ever since Lukas had graduated up to other horses when he was ten.

Words: Several hundred
Tagged: anyone
Notes: not the greatest, but it works

[skylar makenzee romero]

skylar couldn't help but be excited. it was her first ride on blue for a while. she grabbed blues bridle, and a stiff brush. she quickly groomed her mare before grabbing her towel. skylar wore a bikini, and simply draped the towel over blues back. they were going to the creek today, a supposedly quiet and pretty place. happily, she mounted. skylar didn't have a helmet, or boots for that manner. only her floral bikini, sunglasses, and flip flops. she loved the gentle breeze.

although blue's gates were incredibly big, skylar knew how to ride bareback. she loosened her reins, and smooched her big blue roan mare into a steady lope. the two jumped over stumps, dodged boulders, and enjoyed the wind rushing past them. it was like you were flying. skylar especially loved bareback, because moving with blue felt amazing. the pair pulled to a stop as a little creek rushed through a sandy wash.

"easy girl." skylar murmured to blue. the mare snorted in response, and splashed through the 4 foot wide creek. "were almost there." the bulky mare trotted through the wood, ears pricked. this was an unbeatable feeling.

as they neared the creek, skylar's lips curled into a smile. as far as she could tell, no one was there. skylar dropped the reins, and did something she had much experience with on blue. "easy." as they neared a lower branch, skylar grabbed onto the brown bark, and let blue walk right out from under her. when blue couldn't feel the girls feet anymore, the mare stopped. skylar dropped down and led her mare down the bit of trail to the creek. as she rounded the corner on the trail, she saw another person. he was sitting alone, possibly bored. surrounding him was a foal and mare, grazing. skylar could be shy.

she tied her mare to a root, and blue grazed solemnly. "that's a girl." she whispered. skylar grabbed onto the tree the root came from, and began to pull herself to the first branch. quietly, skylar pulled herself to where another trees branch wrapped around. she put a bit of weight on the other branch, and once she was assured it was safe, she climbed to that branch. skylar continued with this pattern until she was above to boy. she was scratched all over.

skylar watched the boy for what seemed like hours, even though it was a couple minutes. she snapped a twig on accident, and pissed herself off. "god dammit!" skylar mentally kicked herself. the boy sat, as it seemed unknowingly. she sighed in relief. "thank god." skylar let her head roll back, and smiled. a gentle hush came from the creek. hush...hush...hush...shhh, it seemed to say. skylar pictured the face of the boy. it was a nice feeling. as if she was invisible to the world. skylar knew she wasn't. she pulled herself down, until she must've 5 feet above him.

skylar pulled herself up. she was testing the waters. she pulled herself up until she was buried in a bunch of branched and new growth. invisible.

now in a playful, happy mood, she fidgeted a little. leaning up against the trunk, she did her best snort, and the sound of pounding hooves was made against the trunk. "hi." she whispered quietly, just loud enough for the boy to hear.