Riding-Liz & Marc

[Elizabeth]

Quota stomped her hoof on the concrete, as Liz clipped the cross-ties to Quota's Halter. Quota pushed her left leg foward, and rubbed her leg with her head. Liz grabbed her grooming brushes, and curried Quota. Fur rised off of the mares back, and dust arose. After she was done curring, she took the hard brush and swept over the mare. The hard brush was to get the fur and dirt off the horses coat. After that she took the soft brush, and went over her again. That brush was to make the horse shine, and get the reast of the dirt, and fur left over.

After Liz did that she grabbed the hoof pick. She squeezed Quota's leg, and leaned into her, Quota leaned back. Liz sighed, and tried again, as Quota leaned into her Liz reached up, and smacked her hindquaters. She picked her hoof up, and Liz picked out her feet, all four of them. She brushed her tail, and mane, and went over her face with a small soft brush.

She put the tack back in her locker, and grabbed her saddle pad, and the saddle. She positioned the saddle pad, and saddle. She lft it there and went to get thr girth, and bridle. She hooked the girth to one side, and went aroundthe mare. She reached under her belly, and grabbed the girth, she pulled it tight, and buckled the other side. Quota streched her head out, and acted as if she was going to bite. She tightened the girth, and then she made sure it was tight enough.

She grabbed the bridle, and put the reins over the horses head. She un-clipped the halter, and put it over her shoulder. She slipped the bit in the horses mouth, and put the bridle on. She tightened the throat latch, and nose-band. She sighed, as she hung the halter up, not even holding on to the reins. Quota was ground hitched, meaning she stayed put if someone dropped the reins.
~
As Quota entered the outdoor ring, with Liz leading her, she held her head high, looking around. She snorted, and then swished her tail at the one fly, that pestered her. Liz let her sturrips down, and measured them to the right length. She held her crop in her left hand, and held the reins tight, as she-with out a mounting block- put her foot in the sturrip, and boosted herself up on Quota's back. She put her feet in both sturrip irons.

She adjusted her reins, and looked around, there was no sign of Marc. She squeezed Quota's sides, asking her to walk aout. She walked around the ring, wating for Marc. She made Quota stop, and back up, warming her up, before she later cantered, and jumped.

[Marc]

Marc almost completely followed suit to Elizabeth's routine, only coaxing Blaze into the stables was a bit harder to do the second time. The dark ebony horse was very timid, and he was still unsure of everyone in the place. Marc kept on gently coaxing him, and managed to get him tied up to the cross ties. Seeing the materials, he guessed that Elizabeth had already been here, and shrugged. He grabbed the curry comb and started off on his horse, taking off a lot since they had been riding for a very long time. He took a medium-strength brush and quickly brushed off Blaze, his horse rubbing up against him whenever he got close.

As Marc went towards the back hooves, he clicked his tongue as he leaned gently into Blaze, and Blaze's hoof rose with his hand. There was a bit of loose mud and dirt to clean out, but nothing marjorly serious, but Marc went to work cleaning out all of his hooves. Afterwards, a comb came from his pocket, and Marc throughoughly brushed out all of the tangles and slight knots in Blaze's mane and tail, even combing his forelock to make him look nice.

He rubbed Blaze's snout, praising him for doing such a good job while he was grooming him. Unfortunately, because Marc and Blazing Fire had just come, Marc hadn't had time to move in any of his riding equipment. So, Marc, after reassuring that he would be back in just a minute, bent under the cross-ties, and ran out to his truck and his trailer, opening the silver doors of the trailer and pulling out the saddle pad and the saddle, and throwing the girth and the bridle on top.

As he returned with his mountain-load of equipment, he placed it down for a minute, and then put the saddle pad and the saddle on, watching Blaze shift it for a moment, and the rearranging it. He fastened the girth to the saddle, and made sure to make it tight, slipping a bit of his hand between the girth and Blaze's stomach and making sure that it was tight. As Marc talked to him, he took off the halter that Blaze had been wearing, and after dropping the reins behind Blaze's head, he gently pulled the bridle on, using his hand to guide the bit into Blaze's mouth. "Come on, boy," he said, after securing all of the bands and putting away the halter.
~

Marc's and Blaze's tall forms came out of the stables, the area being a bit nicer now, since it was staying the same windy day. Blaze's hooves collided with the ground, making gentle clicking sounds. Marc saw Elizabeth, called her name, and waved, seeing her already on Quota. He placed one foot into the stirrup, and then hoisted himself up, plopping himself onto the saddle. Blaze was hesitant to move forward, but after a few coaxing words and a few nudges, he started forward. "You ready?" he asked, hitting the top of his helmet, making sure it was secure.

[Elizabeth]

Liz patted Quota's neck, as she quietly walked aroud the ring. As Quota turned the bend in the end of the ring, her ears pressed foward, her head was held i nthe air high. She whinnyed to Blaze. Her gait changed without Liz asking her. She started to trot, and then canter. Liz pulled back on the reins quickly, sitting back in the saddle, heels pressed down. Quota felt the tugging on her mouth,and dropped back to a walk. It was a working walk, but Liz let her slid with that. Quota pulled at her reins, fighting for her head. Liz held the reins tight, not giving it to the mare.

Liz turned her to the left, to stand next to Marc, and Blaze. Liz said, "I see she'll be a handful today. Yep, I walked her around a few times, I think I'll trot her now. Unless you want tme to walk, until you decide to trot." A smile swept across Li'z face,she looked at Quota, who stomped her front hoof impaitently. LIz did not wear a helmet when riding, only because she usually never fell off, but occasinally she did. She had her hair tied back in a pony tail, so it would not blow in her face, enabling her to see.

[Marc]

Seeing Elizabeth struggling with Quota once more, Marc let out a few chuckles, managing to keep most of them to himself. He patted Blaze's shoulder once more, and then looked as she came closer to them, feeling Blaze fidgit underneath him. He wished that he could somehow silently coax the horse some more, knowing that Blaze always had a hard time around others until he had gotten really used to them. The only exception was Elizabeth, but Marc had felt the same way too.

"I think Blaze and I can stand a trot for a while, right Blazen?" he said, looking down towards his horse. Blazing Fire's audits flicked backwards, and then forwards, and with a slight nudge, he moved off into a walk. Marc clicked his tongue twice, and he started off on a trot, Marc almost instantly going onto posting. "Come on, Elizabeth!" he called, slowing Blaze a turning him a bit, to show that he wasn't going to trot around without her.

[Elizabeth]

Liz smiled, "I'm comming, and yes I see she is going to be a handful today." She shook her head, and squeezed Quota on, clicking to her a few times. Quota walked out, and instantly started her even gaited trot. Elizabeth immedatily picked up the right diaganial on posting, and flowed with the mares gait. She passed around Blaze quickly, "The question now is are you comming?" She turned bac karound, watching in front of her. (SSS I'm SO brain dead....I've not been on the comp for a week)

[Marc]

Marc, who paired up with Blaze, could never turn down a challenge, came up behind her and forward, waiting for her for a moment. "Of course, of course," he said, looking over his shoulder, and then looking forward, matching his posting with Blaze, and then kept going. He knew that Elizabeth would catch up quick enough, but Blaze's trot had definitely slowed a bit.

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth smiled, "A race huh? I would but I've taken her off the track for a reson, even know she's won many races, she's one of the famous race horses, but she stays here now." She patted Quota's neck, the mare nickered, and extended her trot to catch up with Blaze. "I think she likes him, she likes to be near him." Liz smiled, as she slowed Quota's trot. (SSS)

[Marc]

Marc took a hard gulp as she suggested a race, but then took it back. A relief feeling washed over him, and he kept the trot with Elizabeth at her speed. Hearing her thoughts about Quota and Blaze, he looked down towards his Quarter Horse. His auds were flicking back and forth, and his mud-brown eyes kept glancing towards Quota.

"Y'know what?" he started, a smile reappearing on his tanned face, "I think she does as well, and vice-versa." He laughed, and looked away from Elizabeth for a moment, staring around them. After a few minutes of looking around, he turned back to her, the smile still present on his face.

[Elizabeth]

Liz shook her head and smiled, as Quota turned her head and nipped Blaze's shoulder. Liz pulled on the right rein, "Sorry about that." Quota jerked her head, and pulled at the reins. Liz knew what she wanted, she wanted to canter, to go faster then this. "Do you canter him? She wants to go, she tugs at the reins when she wants to go."

From the side of the ring, came Kay. she was lurking through the grass. She pounced on a mouse, and made a huge racket. Quota went right by it when the mouse squeek. Quota bucked, and bolted right passed Blaze. Liz sat deep in her seat, and tried to slow the mare. Quota pulled the reins, and tucked her head between her front legs, and bucked again widedly. Liz sat back, used to this kind of behavior. She pulled on the reins sharply, and gots control of Quota's head again.

She made sure Quota could not put her head down. She was able to slow her down from her wild gallop, to a steady canter. She led her by the spot again, Quota side stepped from it, and went passed. She finally was able to stop her. She patted the mares neck, "It's Ok.."

[Marc]

Blaze, surprised about Quota's behavior, jerked away, and caught Marc off guard. "Whoa! Blaze!" he exclaimed, firmly grasping the reins and tugging, pushing his heels deep into the stirrups, getting him to calm down and start trotting again.

As he turned to answer her question, Quota sped off, and Marc's eyes widened with worry. "ELIZABETH!" he shouted, and urged him to gallop and follow Quota. Though they didn't go to a gallop from a trot often, Blaze had been forced to before, and he knew that this could be dangerous for the human that rode Quota, by the look of Marc's eyes and urgency in Marc's voice. As she slowed, Marc ceased Blaze's gallop to a fast walk, and came to Elizabeth's side. "Are you okay?!" he asked, worry in his voice, as in his sapphire eyes.

[Elizabeth]

Liz was smiling, she loved Quota for this, because she was wild, and everything she did was un exptced. "I'm ok, are you ok?" She looked at Blaze, hoping he was ok after Quota bolted passed them. "I'm sorry if she scared you two, it's funny this is excatally why I like her, she is so unexpected, and wild." Liz shook her head, "I'm really sorry."

Quota looked to Blaze, as she swong her head to the left, she nipped Blaze's shoulder again to get his antention, she also quietly nickered. (SSS)

[Marc]

"I'm fine, I would be more worried about you though," Marc said, giving a sigh of relief again. "You should be sorry! I was very frightened!" he teased, but then thought of another thing that his words might have been mistaken for. He flushed slightly, and said, "Sorry..."

Blaze jerked away from Quota, snorting at her. Then, he slowly reached and nipped her shoulder. Marc smiled, and said, "Look, I think they're finally getting along."

[Elizabeth]

Liz smiled, "Well I'm sorry..." She was only joking with him also, "It's ok I picked up that you were joking around." She smiled again, and looked at the two horses, "I guess so, Quota really seems to like him." Liz paused and sighed, "To bad they can't be left alone together...to like run in the pasture." Quota was never fixed, and Blaze was a stallion, sothey had to be kept seperated. (SSS)

[Marc]

Marc chuckled slightly, and looked away from Elizabeth bashfully. He felt very embarrassed that he had accidentally joked around like that, especially with Elizabeth. He was glad that she was able to joke with him like this as well, so that seemed to make everything okay. His sapphire blue eyes stayed on Blaze's form, watching as the horse nickered and nipped gently at Quota. He gently pulled on the reins to pull up Blaze's head, but the horse pulled it back down. Marc's eyebrows knitted, and he gave a disgruntled sigh.

He almost choked on air at her comment, and he looked back towards Elizabeth. It was true; since Blaze was a stallion, and he believed that Quota was still natural. "Well... they always could be... but I don't think that now would be a good time, or any time without some careful planning," he said, a bit slow to let the words out.

[Elizabeth]

(hehe what do you mean by what he said...sorry...brain NOT WORKING!!! grrr..)