ties that bind. open

[emma lynn hamilton]

[atrb= border,0,true][atrb= style, border: 8px solid #77558c;][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,5,true][atrb=style,background:#C4C4C4,true] . It took Emma in the term of months to get up the nerve to work with her mother's mare, Faith. She wasn't nearly the trainer her parents were, but she went little by little with the help of her aunt and her own intuition. The four-year-old Thoroughbred was off the track, a dud in the racing world. Janelle Hamilton bought the mare right out from under the nose of killer buyers and started retraining her for the world of show jumping. Well, a month into that training tragedy struck and Faith was left forgotten until the time came for Emma to make the decision about their farm. She figured the mare would give her something to occupy her time. Her own horse, Apollo, was distraction enough but since she wasn't preparing for shows, she had too much free time on her hands until school started up again. Emma brushed the mare down, talking to her and giving them each a pep talk while she tacked up. Leading the mare into a vacant round pen, Emma grabbed the lunge whip from the center. Faith was used to being lunged, it was what Emma had to do before getting in the saddle or else there would be an explosion. She really wasn't in the mood to get dumped today. As soon as Emma raised the whip, the horse tossed her head and skirted to the outside and began trotting around the perimeter. Emma followed her around for a few circuits before stepping in her path and forcing the mare to change direction. She raised the whip a little when Faith seemed to hesitate and stepped closer into her personal space. The explosion that would have otherwise occurred with Emma in the saddle, happened just then as Faith broke into a canter around the pen, throwing bucks and crow hops every few strides. Standing in the center, Emma didn't need to press the horse on, letting her get herself settled. She simply stood and watched the magnificent black mare show off, seeing ever bit of what her mother had seen. There was no doubt that after proper training this horse would be going places. TAG - OPEN

[joseph matthew adams]

Joseph had been biking back to his dorm from his second day at university when the idea came to him, and he was glad he'd acted on that impulse and veered off campus to get to the stables. It hadn't been a very good day. He'd just discovered that he'd ordered the wrong Math textbook off Amazon, and he'd had a lot of awkward brushes with kids he'd met during orientation - the kind of encounter where you could say hi but you didn't know each other well enough yet to have a real conversation. He knew he wasn't very good at being a new kid. At least there was some consolation in knowing everyone in his class was having the same struggles he was. What he was good at, Joe thought, was getting to know horses, and on the way back to his one-room double he'd decided to go ahead and get that over with this afternoon. He hadn't finalized his lessons at Pine Hollow, but it would be good to check the place out and maybe meet some kids he'd be riding with.

Joseph had worked with horses for a while before riding because his mom thought it would be a good idea to join a foal watch volunteer group at the local veterinary hospital, which he did until it became uncool to hang out with your mom. By that time he had jumped into a phase of wanting to be a polo player, which wore off when he learned basic equitation and gained respect for the hunter/jumper world. The one thing that never changed, however, was his appreciation for watching other people work with horses they knew well. He knew he had a long way to go before he could call himself a good rider, and he liked learning by watching more experienced people at work.

This was exactly what he stumbled upon while looking for a discreet place to park his bike. He stopped at one of the outdoor arenas when he realized someone was out there, and hopped off his bike, pushing his hands into his pockets and walking over to watch. He kept his distance, not wanting to distract horse or horsewoman, but he couldn't help notice that the girl in the middle of the ring didn't have to do much to get the horse moving. He also didn't know much about conformation or what 'good' gaits were supposed to look like, but he could tell the mare was moving well, and relaxed and happy doing it. Joe shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He wanted to watch some more and see if she did anything else with the horse, but he didn't want to be intruding on a boarder's time.

[emma lynn hamilton]

[atrb= border,0,true][atrb= style, background: #e0e0e0; border: 1px dashed #808080; border-top: 7px solid #77558c; border-bottom: 7px solid #77558c;][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,4,true][atrb=style, background, true] Emma held the lunge whip loose at her side, waiting for Faith to let out all of her pent up energy through bucking and galloping around the enclosed pen like a wild horse. She didn't understand how the mare could be so high strung every single time Emma tried to ride her since she was turned out every night. Whenever Emma released her in the pasture she would take off like a firecracker was lit under her tail. Still, it was that energy that got her over a course of jumps... or would when she was trained that far. She had half a mind to just let her loose in the arena with a full set of jumps set up just to see what she did; if she would jump them or weave through them like slalom poles. But that would be something she'd have to do when the farm was quiet, like over a major holiday. Finally, the mare snorted and dropped her gait to an extended trot, stretching her neck out in front of her then stopping and shaking roughly, sending the reins and irons flapping around. Emma just grinned and shook her head at the mare, lifting the whip again and advancing toward the horse. "Walk on." She commanded with a click of her tongue, sending Faith off again at a more reserved pace. After a few steps to raised the whip again. "And trot." The mare obliged, keeping herself in a collected gait. As Emma turned with the horse to keep her moving, she noticed someone hovering on the other side of the pen. It was only a few seconds before her back was turned toward him again but when she came to face him she waved. "Hey, how are you?! Did you need help with something?" She felt like she had seen this face before, but at the moment didn't try to figure out where as she was more focused on Faith. Still, she would stop working if he was in need of some assistance, it was what she was around for, especially since her aunt was out at the mill picking up their grain order. tag: joseph matthew adams

[joseph matthew adams]

Joe watched the mare settle down and listen to her owner - he assumed - who seemed to be having fun watching the horse mess around a bit. She smiled as she gave her commands, voice loud and clear above the muffled hoof beats. He wondered if he'd seen her around. It was entirely possible, since he was so bad at remembering people... uh oh, he thought. I guess this could get awkward if I'm not so sure. The minute he thought this, the girl's eyes flicked his way, and she called out her next words in his direction. Joseph cringed as if she could tell what he was thinking. He took a moment to reply - which she didn't seem to mind, being absorbed in her horse, thank God - and stepped closer to the ring so she wouldn't have to take any more attention off the mare.

"Hey," he said, and then added, quickly, "No, keep working, I didn't mean to butt in. I was just looking around... gonna start lessons here soon." There, he thought to himself. Not being creepy at all. He watched the mare complete a few more circuits, the rest of the afternoon light settling on her dark coat and her owner's back. "She looks like she's having fun," he put in, and then wondered if the bucks and kicks meant the complete opposite. Had that been a stupid thing to say? Why did everyone else always have to seem like they knew every last thought that went through their horses' brains? When was he ever going to get that good? Joe thought of the lesson horse he'd been assigned and hoped Flash wasn't some ironic pseudonym for another stable nag who would dedicate his life to making Joseph look bad in his riding lessons. At least, not in front of girls like these.