|
Post by wildthing on Jan 26, 2010 15:34:53 GMT -5
"Mind if I leave the truck here?" He didn't mind moving it, but as he'd be leaving in an hour or so anyway, he didn't think it would be that big of a deal. Jim hadn't missed the fact that the stable owner was quite attractive, but a bad marriage had burnt all of the flirting from him. Sean was always trying to convince him that there was a difference between a relationship and a one-night-stand, but Jim had never been the sort for casual sex. Right now, he was pretty content with his horse and his dog and didn't that just sound like a bad country song. "Well if you don't mind some company, I'm still not very familiar with the trails here yet." Baldy was an easy going old man and Jim had no interest in showing. He'd learned a long time ago that he enjoyed a leisurely trail ride a lot more than frantically preparing for a show.
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 26, 2010 15:40:20 GMT -5
She shook her head. "I don't mind at all." she didn't care if he left his truck there. To be honest she was laid back and didn't care about much. She was different then most horse women she'd learned she'd rather be trail riding then showing though showing paid the bills so she didn't have a choice. A nice gallop down the beach always did her soul good. "i don't mind company at all. It'd actually be quite nice. I don't socialize much." she laughed. Though she was laid back and somewhat social it was just to make the time go faster when she found herself at the local bar and most of the time it was with Zane her best friend and the bartender at the loose shoe. "Theres a few good ones around here. I love riding the trails." she smiled and looked up toward the barn. Her mare stood in her nice cozy stall currently since she'd be turned out later tonight. She was sometimes a handful but then again what thoroughbred wasn't. She began walking toward the barn looking back over her shoulder to see if the other was following.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 26, 2010 15:49:14 GMT -5
With permission to leave the truck where it was, Jim grabbed his chaps from the front seat and then locked the truck, pocketing the keys. "I know the feeling. They don't tell you in vet school that if you wanna work with horses, you better be ready to be called out at all hours of the night." Not that he was complaining. He enjoyed his job and socializing wasn't that high on his priority list. Especially since he had Beck and Sean to drag him out whenever they felt like he needed to spend a little time with "actual sentient bipeds." Those two kids drove him nuts most of the time, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. "Yeah, I've never been much for the ring. Baldy used to do reining, but all we do is trail now. How about I meet ya here in about 15? Baldy's turned out so I gotta go get him."
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 26, 2010 16:04:16 GMT -5
Riley laughed. "Yeah i know what you mean." she hadn't been to vet school but being the owner of a barn meant she was on call if something happened not only to her own horse but it also included the boarders as well. She nodded as he suggested meeting back here in 15 minutes. "that sounds good. Foxy is already groomed in her stall so it'll just take me a few minutes to tack her up." she walked off toward the barn a slight limp to her step but that was so normal to her she didn't even notice anymore. Her life had been anything but easy. She sighed after everything that happened she just wasn't sure interacting with humans is something she wanted to do on a regular basis. She walked down the barn aisle and was greeted by nickers. she smiled it always made her happy when she walked into the barn and heard them all. It made her feel welcomed. The horses were her life she treated them like her own children. She walked to the stall which housed a buckskin mare and she slid open the lock grabbing the mares halter as she did so. She slipped the halter over her nose and fastened the crown piece. she led her into the aisle and cross tied her. she saw a brush sitting on a stool and quickly ran it over the mare dusting off any straw that had clung to her. She was a good looking mare but tall compare to riley who stood just shy of 5'3". She was short but that's what had made her ideal to be a jockey oh how she had loved that career. Maybe that's why she seemed to own just thoroughbreds. She walked to the tackroom grabbing her saddle and bridle she walked back into the aisle. she tacked the mare slowly taking her time since jim had to go catch his horse. She finished tacking her and then pulled the reins over her head grabbing her helmet and half chaps along the way out of the barn. She stood at where they agreed to meet and waited. she slipped on her half chaps and placed her helmet on her head not fastening the chin strap yet. It was an off habit but she had to always wear a helmet she felt naked without it.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 26, 2010 16:19:17 GMT -5
Jim nodded and headed past the round pen to the paddock where Baldy was grazing with a couple other geldings. He gave a loud whistle and the chestnut's head shot up and he trotted to the gate. Jim rubbed the white forehead and unwrapped a peppermint for the gelding to crunch on. Baldy would never turn down a treat, but he had a real sweet tooth and peppermints were his favorite. Jim opened the gate and let the chestnut walk out, closing it behind him. He rarely used a halter on the gelding any more and it wasn't far to the barn. Baldy walked along a step behind him, nose almost on his shoulder. He led the horse into the stall that was only used at night and grabbed the grooming box that sat just outside the stall door. It didn't take but a few minutes to brush down the gelding and pick out his hooves. He clipped a stall guard across the stall and got his tack from the tack room. He used a special therapeutic pad for Baldy's back, but his western saddle was plain brown leather that matched his hackamore. Baldy was a breeze to tack up and it took only a minute to put on his chaps. Jim draped the reins across the saddle horn and then headed back to the round pen, Baldy following along behind. Jim never wore a helmet and only rarely wore a hat. He knew it wasn't good practice, but he'd never gotten into the habit. When he got back, Riley was waiting with a nice looking buckskin mare. "Alright, so where are we headed?"
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 26, 2010 16:28:25 GMT -5
She looked out toward the woods. "well it's your choice you said short trail ride so i'm thinking maybe just out toward the creek that eventually leads down to the beach or we can head back up behind town toward the loose shoe saloon both ways are in the woods and peacefuly and about the same length." she pulled the reins over the buckskins neck and patted her. she led her toward a tree stump and stepped up onto it and got her foot in the stirrup. She pulled herself into the saddle rather gracefully and landed on the mares back lightly. the mare danced sideways and riley gathered her reins a little tighter. "Behave yourself fox." she warned the mare softly. She was a good horse but the thoroughbred came through every once in a while. "i'd have taken my Quarter horse but she was out earlier so i figured she'd enjoy the afternoon off." she glanced back toward the barn where she saw her palomino running through on of the pastures. She was rileys horse that she wouldn't part with. The little three year old had a special place in rileys heart as did a stunning grey out in the field with her. "So how long have you been riding?" she figured she might as well start up a converstation since going in silence the whole way would be a little tense.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 26, 2010 16:42:04 GMT -5
Jim didn't really care one way or the other, but he'd been on the creek trail once before so he figured he might as well learn a new route. "How 'bout towards the saloon. I don't think I've been out that way yet." Jim didn't need a mounting block to get on. Baldy wasn't a particularly tall horse and Jim had long legs. His foot found the stirrup and he swung up lightly, settling in. Baldy stood quietly. It took a lot to rile the good-natured old gelding. Jim held the reins loosely in his left hand. The gelding responded to leg pressure as well as he did the reins. After about ten years, Jim was pretty sure the gelding could just about read his mind. "Looks like you got a handful there." Jim handled horses every day and he was pretty familiar with the different breeds and personality types. He preferred the more laid back Paints and Quarter Horses himself, but he could see the appeal of a more hot blooded animal. "Well I don't really remember the first time my dad put me on a horse, probably before I could walk. He's a horse vet too so I grew up with 'em. Did 4H til college and have just done trails since then. How 'bout you?" Jim was never a big talker, but he could hold up his end of a conversation.
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 26, 2010 19:25:27 GMT -5
She nodded. "Yup thats fine. I still haven't found all the trails around here i'm still fairly new." she thought of how she'd really established this place in only two months time. Riley watched the other mount and watched a little enviously she'd always ridden taller horses so she'd never had the ability to just mount from the ground until she'd gotten her little quarter horse mare. She laughed "Yeah she can be but i like a challange." it was true she loved riding but she always liked to be challange once in a while a nice leisurely ride was nice. "Well that explains your choice of profession." she smiled warmly over at him. She shook her head. "I grew up on a racing farm my dad was a trainer and my mom took the race horses who werent cut out for the track and retrained them. So i've been walking since before i could walk or remember. I rode hunters for a while showed in some local shows but then i went to ride at the track for a few years." she blushed a little. "sorry i know i like to talk. i guess it helps me out with running the farm." she steered the mare into the woods as she pranced lightly. "She'll settle down in a few." the mare always did she'd prance for the first few minutes then settle down into a nice trail horse.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 26, 2010 23:03:23 GMT -5
It hadn't been great circumstances that had brought Jim to this town, but he found himself liking it. It was a laid back little place that revolved around horses. The people seemed pretty friendly for the most part, even if a few of them [Sean] could stand to be a little less friendly. "When I get a weekend off call I think I'm gonna take Baldy and camp. Just kinda wander around and see how lost we can get." He'd always loved the outdoors. He watched the mare jog in place. "Well me and Baldy here have had plenty of time to work all the kinks out." He nudged the gelding forward, letting the reins hang loose. Baldy moved forward at a sedate walk, his head down in that nice Western pleasure set. "And that explains your liking of a challenging mount. I started out on the track after vet school, but it's a tough world. I like it here a lot better." Her company was relaxing and even if he wasn't grinning back, he wasn't scowling either. Which Sean thought was his only expression. "Nah I don't mind." Jim was a good listener as long as it wasn't Sean talking his ear off. Then he was likely just to tell the kid to shut up.
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 27, 2010 12:33:28 GMT -5
She smiled. "Yeah that sounds like you'd have. Theirs alot around and it's kind of nice that from here you can ride to the beach. I'll go atleast once a week and gallop on the beach." she smiled at the thought of her hair blowing in the wind as the horse beneath her surged down the beach the sand giving way to the pounding hooves and the waves dancing across thier toes. She looked over at the cute quarter horse gelding and glanced back up at jim. "How long have you had him?" she looked back down at the well behaved horse. He was one of her favorites in the barn that belonged to a boarder mainly because he just seemed so calm. She laughed. " yeah i guess that explains alot. Yeah i guess it's a pretty rough world." she thought about it for a second. She'd grown up in the industry so to her it was everyday life. she steered the mare around a log and then continued on the very old worn path. "So how do you like being a vet?" she was always curious on how people liked thier careers. It was something that intrested her.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 27, 2010 21:37:32 GMT -5
Jim enjoyed exploring and Baldy seemed to enjoy the new scenery too. "I haven't been down to the beach yet. Saving that for when I've got a bit more free time." And it sounded like a nice ride, but Jim wasn't a huge fan of the ocean. Too big and dark and wild. Pretty to look at from afar, not anything he wanted to swim in for sure. Jim leaned forward a little to scratch the gelding's neck. "About eleven years at this point I reckon. He was having some bad skin problems and the owner didn't want to deal with it. I liked his attitude so I offered to take him off his hands. Turns out he was allergic to the rat poison they had all over their barn and I've never had trouble with his skin since." The downside to working with horses was that you had to work with the assholes that owned them. Which was doubly bad in the racing world. Not everyone was bad, but there were a lot of trainers out there that would do anything to keep their horses running and he'd seen some pretty spectacular breakdowns. "Accidents happen with horses, but on the track...I got sick of putting down two-year-olds whose legs just weren't up to the strain. But mostly I like it. It's challenging work, physically and mentally. But ask me after I've been kicked and my answer'll probably be a little different. And not fit for a lady's ear."
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 28, 2010 7:40:00 GMT -5
She glanced through the trees hearing small movement to her right. It was just a bird. She saw it flutter onto a branch. "Yeah that makes sense it's a nice trail there wooded mostly with a rather large clearing in the center. It's one of my favorite trails." She liked the beach growing up as a kid she'd never been to the beach much so she was eager to take advantage of living so close now. She heard him mention at how long he'd had the horse. "Wow you guys must be very close then." she had never owned a horse that long. For some reason they'd just come in and out of her life and she didn't like that but the one she'd managed to sneak away with and the ones zane had smuggled out she'd known since they were born so that had to count for something. She frowned and nodded. "Yeah i agree. Owners of racers seem to be at the top of the bad owner list. They only want money." she shook her head that's the one thing about racing she hated why couldn't the horses just wait til they were a little older or race them less a two year old. she shook her head and then began to relax she was enjoying the ride and her mare seemed to be too. The mare began to lower her head and her stride became more fluid. "Well i think i can say the same thing. Some days i love riding and owning the stable and some days i'd tell you something completely different. Atleast i don't have any hard to please boarders that would make it a little more difficult." she laughed a little she was lucky all her boarders seemed easy to please and none were to picky she liked that.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 30, 2010 14:23:47 GMT -5
Because he'd never been into the whole show circuit deal, if Jim found a horse he clicked with, he'd keep it until the horse retired or passed away. He'd had a couple different horses when he was younger, but he'd had Baldy since college. He preferred having one mount that he trusted implicitly and who trusted him. People were sometimes amazed at what he could get Baldy to do just because the horse trusted him not because of how impeccably trained he was. "Yeah, I like him better than most people I know." The racing world was something that Jim didn't like much. He couldn't change it so it was easier just to ignore it. Let someone else watch the light go out in the eyes of those poor youngsters after a snapped foreleg. Not his cup of tea. There was a lot more money in it than the work he was doing now, but he much preferred the life of the country vet. "You're really lucky that you don't have any wack jobs at the stable. Horse owners can be the most hard headed people I've ever met."
|
|
Riley♠
Full Member
[M:-2130]
Posts: 228
|
Post by Riley♠ on Jan 31, 2010 12:18:17 GMT -5
She laughed and twirled a finger in the mares jet black mane. "yeah tell me about it. I'm always afraid i'm going to get a boarder whos going to drive me absoultely crazy but luckily everyone is very laid back." She shook her head and looked ahead at the trail. The path was becoming more open and straighter it would break into a small clearing then make a hard right and be at the loose shoe shortly after. She racked her brain silently she was trying to find something to talk about but at the moment she was speechless. "Do you do anything else besides work and ride?" she figured maybe getting to know him a little would be nice. She always liked acquaintance and how else to befriend a person then to get to know them.
|
|
|
Post by wildthing on Jan 31, 2010 14:02:22 GMT -5
Jim was constantly putting up with people who thought they knew what was best for their horses, despite the fact that he was the one with D.V.M. after his name. He'd long ago come to the realization that some people just couldn't be reasoned with. He was impressed with how well kept the trails were. This was a very nice area to ride in. He was definitely going to have to make some time for camping. He felt a little bad for making Riley carry the conversation, but he just wasn't a big talker. She seemed like a really nice gal and she seemed to genuinely care about her horses, which was always a win in Jim's book. "I got a hound dog a home, hunt rabbits every now and then. Do a lot of reading. But I haven't had much free time here lately, settling in to the clinic and all."
|
|