Morning Ride [Open]

[!<~MIDDKINS~>!]

Kc sighed softly as she rolled out of bed, and looked at her alarm clock on her night stand. It read about four thirty in the morning. Grumbling softly, the eighteen year old slid towards her dresser, and put a pair of jeans on then, a tank top. The tank top was blue, along with the t-shirt she slid over that. The sweat shirt she put over it was marroon, and had her last name in bold letters on the back 'Ness'. Grabbing her boots, Kc slid them on, and headed down towards the barn.

Once she reached the barn, Kc opened the doors, and slid her body into the barn. Blinking a few times, Kc let her self get used to the darkness of the barn, before moving toward's Dark's stall. The black and white paint stallion was swprawled out on the bedding of the stall floor. Hey Dark. Kc said with a smile as she looked down at the paint stallion. Yawning quietly, Dark lifted his head, and turned it to look at her. A soft nicker came from the equine as he lifted him self onto his legs, and stretched, then stepped towards his owner. Yea.How's my boy? Kc murmured quietly to the paint, then kissed him on the nose.

Grabbing the stallion's hatler, Kc slid it into his head, and then clipped the lead rope to it. Opening the stall door, Kc lead Dark Intentions out of his stall, and tied him up. Then working a brush over his coat, groomed him. By then it was about 5:00. Then briefly brushing through his black and white mane and tail, Kc grabbed the paints bridle. She slid it into his mouth gently, and then lead him out of the barn with only the bridle on, no saddle.

At the arena, Kc shut the gate behind her, and swung up onto the paint's back, with out using a mounting block. Clicking her tongue, Kc walked Dark out at a walk along the fence. After a good fifteen minutes of warming Dark Intentions up, Kc stopped him in the middle, and leaned forwards. Flicking his ears back and forth, Dark turned his head around to see what his owner was up to. Kc slid the bit of out Dark's mouth, and then un-clipped one of the reins. She set the rest of the bridle towards the side, and then put the rein around his neck.

Kissing a few times, Kc put the stallion in a lope. Dark pricked his ears up happily. Leaning forwards, she urged him into a faster lope, and moved him around in a few circle's. Tuning the paint down the middle, Kc kissed urging for speed, then at the middle of the arena, the eighteen year old sat back and said "Whoa." Sittting down on his hind quarters, Dark made a easy slide of about fifteen feet. Good Boy Darkster. Kc murmured to the paint, and patted his neck. Tossing his head, Dark nickered and pranced, waiting for the next cue to be able to move.

[<Amy>]

Aaron McClain && Queen of Hearts

Aaron sighed as he moved into Heart's stall. The quarter horse mare raised her head, her bodice covered in bay and white markings in the fashion of a paint though most of her markings were small splashes of white on her sides and neck with a broad blaze on her face. Aaron clicked his tongue softly, a barcoo bridle in one hand. It was a stock bridle used on western-style horses that lacked a nose piece but was just as effective. Heart accepted the bridle easily, flicking her ears as he adjusted the straps one-handed.

Why one-handed? He broke his wrist a few days earlier in a rodeo with his uncle in Tulsa and than drove back to Ravenhook. After a few days of resting, Aaron had decided break or no break, Heart needed a workout. He had checked his prime rider, Comanche but the stallion still suffered a sprained ankle. Since Aaron mostly rode one-handed anyway, it didn't make much of a difference to him other than it took longer to saddle Heart.

Gathering the reins, Aaron led Heart out of her stall, reins held in his good left hand since his right wrist and hand was braced and stiff. In the yard, Aaron boosted himself into Heart's saddle, a little clumsier than usual but he managed. Clicking his tongue again, Aaron guided Heart around the yard once to give her a second to stretch her legs. Nickering softly the antsy mare did as asked until Aaron urged her toward the western ring. They would probably do pole bending or maybe trot the barrels but not gallop like usual. Aaron didn't know if he'd be able to keep his balance well enough to stay in the saddle and avoid breaking his wrist again. If he did, his uncle would know he had been riding and officially kick his ass.

Sighing, Aaron looked around and reined Heart to a halt at the fence only to find the pen occupied. Heart let out an irritated squeal, not happy about any kind of horse but especially not stallions. Aaron sat back in the saddle to keep her from trying to rear, murmuring to the bay paint. "Easy girl, easy."

Heart tossed her head, black mane flicking as she stomped her hooves unhappily, snorting at the big stallion. Yes, little ol' Heart was far from a sweetheart. She despised other horses until she was forced around them long enough to tolerate them, sort of. Even her tolerance was fickle and she was liable to still lash out if anyone got too cozy. It was a lingering effect from being a rodeo horse for the first two years of her life until Aaron got his hands on her.

Again Heart squealed and tossed her head, prancing unhappily. Aaron sighed, knowing the mare's misbehavior probably made him look like an idiot.

[!<~MIDDKINS~>!]

After stopping the paint stallion, Kc picked up on the reins, telling him to back up. Softining through the pole, he backed quietly, his ears pricked up as he did so. Pressing her spur gently against the paint stallion's side, Kc spun him around in a few circle's. The paint spun on his inside hind leg correctly, just how a reining horse was supposed to spin.Whoa Dark. Kc murmured, and flicked her spurs out to the side, and sat down on the paint's back agian. Dark stopped quickly, his ears pricked up as he did so. Leaning down, Kc patted his neck and then walked him to the side of the arena.

Hopping off, Kc trusted the paint stallion to stay exactly where he was. Making her way towards the edge, she grabbed a set of poles, and set them up in the middle of the arena. It had been a while sense they had done poles, let alone barrels, and other gaming events. Dark tossed his head and trotted after her once he saw the poles going up, his bridle in his mouth. Yea..Yea.. Kc mumbled softly to Dark Intentions, who pricked his ears up and bobbed his head up and down at her words. Sliding the bit into his mouth, Kc grabbed a hold of his mane. Moving to the paints shoulder, she quickly moved forwards, jumped, and at the same time swung her leg. She managed to get her self onto the paint's back.

Leaning down, Kc patted his neck. Good Boy. She murmured softly. Then picking up on the reins, she turned him away from the poles and put him up along the fence. Tossing his head, Dark arched his neck, and pranced in place. Ready boy? Kc asked the stallion, who turned his head to look up at her, and nickered deeply. 'Kay... Lets go. Kc said. At the word's 'lets go' Dark spun around on his hind quarters and took off running towards the poles. He weaved in and out easily, and at the end, he stopped and weaved in and out quickly again. Switching leads each time he went through the poles like a pro. He bucked a few times as Kc pulled him to a stop at the fence. Settle down Dark. Kc warned the paint as she stopped him completely.

That was when she saw a paint colored mare and rider. Kc smiled softly. Hi, She said and patted Dark's neck. You're welcome to use the arena if ya want, we can make room.

[<Amy>]

Leaning back farther in the saddle to keep Heart from earing, Aaron clicked his tongue several times to get the mare's attention. Prancing and twitching her ears, Heart laid her ears flat against her skull but finally became still again when Aaron tugged the reins sharply to bring her back to attention. Heaving a sigh at the mare's tempramental nature, Aaron looked up when he heard the girl call to him from atop the black and white stallion. Aaron swung himself out of Heart's saddle making the mare snort. Leading the rodeo star to the fence, Aaron unbolted the gate and lead Heart in, swinging the gate closed and bolting it once the bay quarter horse was inside. Putting his foot in the stirrup, Aaron scrambled into the saddle one handed so he wouldn't mess up the splint on his right wrist.

Heart snorted unhappyily, eyeing the pinto with distrust. He was a stallion and above all others Heart disliked stallions. Mares were competition and stallions were cruel, that had been her impression for the two years she'd spent in an abusive rodeo show, constantly crammed with other horses in pens too small for the number of contained equines. Still, she went forward to an extent when Aaron nudged her with his heel. She trusted her new human. He didn't hurt her, even when she reared and bucked him out of the saddle over some silly fear.

Aaron smiled at the girl, letting Heart stop a few feet away. "Hi, hope you don't mind. I wanted to give Heart a little workout, she's been cramped in a stall for too long and she's not allowed in the pasture."

The teen winced, remembering the last time he'd set Heart into the pasture. It had been empty at the time but then someone else had set a fancy warmblood into the pasture and he'd come back bitten and kicked up. Aaron could still feel his uncle's accusing glare on him just from the memory of the incident.

[!<~MIDDKINS~>!]

It's fine. Dark's used to sharing the arena, and we don't mind. Kc said with a smile as the boy rode the over towards them. The mare seemed to be a hand ful, while Dark just stood there quietly.. like he was drugged. But of course, the paint stallion wasn't. Kc didn't believe in drugging horses, no matter what they did. Looking lazily over at the other equine, Dark pricked his ears up, icy blue eyes watching quietly. A small yawn came from the paint as he swished his long black and white tail.

Picking up on the reins, Kc flicked them slightly, and Dark lowered his head a bit, right where he was supposed to be carrying it with this particular bit in his mouth. Yawning, the black and white tobiano lowered his head and cocked a hind leg. Looking over at the mare, Kc noticed that she was probably a quarter horse. What's you're mare's name? Kc asked the boy on the mare, while Dark started to doze off. Like always, Kc was boring him with talking to other people rather then talking.

[<Amy>]

"Her name is Queen of Hearts but everybody just calls her Heart or sometimes Queen for short. She doesn't fit her name though." Aaron winced, looking at Heart and seeing her glaring at the much more laid back paint. "She's kinda high-strung right now so she's not exactly friendly." As if to affirm her master's statement, Heart snorted loudly and stomped her hoof, impatient to get going. Aaron rolled his eyes, adjusting the reins slightly and shifting his weight in the saddle with the reins still just in one hand. Heart stilled but looked thoroughly bored now, flicking her black tail impatiently.

Looking around, Aaron saw the barrels set up at one end of the large enclosure, leaving the rest of it free for others to use for poles or other western-based events. Turning back to the girl, Aaron gestured with his wrapped hand toward the barrels. "I'm going to take Heart around there a few times unless you need that end of the arena. If you do that's fine."

Seeing his gesture, Heart flicked her ears and looked over at the old oil drums hopefully. She was ready to go. Since Comanche and Aaron had been and still were laid up with injuries, Heart hadn't gotten her usual exercise which made her grumpier and fiercer than usual which was on its own fairly potent. Aaron was just now getting himself together to ride her again which just hyped the mare more, just the thought of being moving with a saddle on her back and barrels ahead with the clock running. In the saddle, Aaron could practically feel Heart vibrating hopefully.

Chuckling, Aaron patted her neck with his stiff casted hand making her snort. She was a piece of work but Aaron loved her. Besides, now he could focus on he training a bit more so long as he didn't get caught on a horse by his uncle with his cast still on. Uncle Rich would blow his top like no other.