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Description
An extra image for fav.me/d8m2n65 by . Joachim is taking Xanadu for a ride to explore the showgrounds. I wasn't exactly sure what they looked like so I decided to be safe and go for flat and grassy I messed up on Joachim's face (as far as you can see it) and his shoulder facing the viewer but.... heh? I kinda regret hiding his face but it was like that in the reference I used and I wasn't daring enough to change it.

>>STORY<<

"What are you wearing?" Jesse's voice asked Joachim in horror as the young German walked into the barn aisle. Joachim looked at him, then, with a big grin, replied, "Clothes?"
"They're so bright, geez. And your hat just 'bout matches the sky," Jesse grumbled, shaking his head while getting up.
"Vell, I did buy it as 'sky blue' so I'd hope it does," Joachim smirked, making Jesse huff in amusement.
"What do you think 'bout takin' Xanadu out for a little ride?" he asked, opening the stall door. Xanadu poked his head out curiously, letting Jesse slip his halter one and lead him out to the cross-ties.
"Are you being serious?" Joachim frowned in surprise.
"Yup. Rush is out so he can't stop us. Plus we need to give mister here a little peek 'round the grounds," Jesses confirmed, walking over to the tack box. He tossed Joachim a brush and they groomed Xanadu thoroughly.
"Sure," Joachim nodded while combing his mane. Jesses tacked him up, and they led him out. It was fairly cloudy, though a few rays of sunlight peeked through the clouds now and then, and there was a slight breeze. They walked Xanadu through the busiest part of the show grounds by hand, Joachim on the left side of his head and Jesse on the right, and stopped in a small empty paddock. There was a track long the fence and the rest of it was grassy.
"Up you go," Jesse told Joachim, bringing the stirrups down and giving him a leg up. Joachim swung onto Xanadu's back, settling into the saddle quickly, and took up the reins. He'd only ridden a few times since he'd arrived at Sterlingwood Equestrian Acres, so he wasn't too sure if this was Jesse's best idea. But he really didn't want to argue; Xanadu was a dream horse, and riding him could prove to be pretty awesome, right?
"Just walk him a few laps, let him check out the surroundings but make sure he knows you're on his back. Keep the reins short so you have good contact," Jesse told him, wandering out into the middle of the paddock. Joachim did so, pushing his heels down. Xanadu kept his ears perked, head raised and nostrils flaring in curiosity as horses walked by. He pranced a bit, throwing his head, but that was the worst.
"Alright, Joey, bring him up into a trot. We don't want to keep him out here too long, in case anything happens before the big day," Jesse called out. Joachim touched his heels to the stallion's side, making him spring up into a flashy trot, dropping his head and arching his neck.
"Very nice," Jesse muttered to himself, nodding. Joachim could see a few people had stopped by the fence to watch, but he did his best to ignore them, focusing on Xanadu completely. The horse was calmer now, ears swinging back and forth in a relaxed way. They changed direction, did a few circles, then came to a stop by Jesse.
"He's looking 'mazing," the man said, "Go cool him off, then we'll bring him back in. 'Fore Rush eats us alive." Joachim grinned and took Xanadu for a few more rounds before dismounting and leading him back to the barn.
"Where have you been?" a familiar voice asked sharply when he entered onto the aisle. Joachim looked up in surprise.
"Um...," he started, seeing Rush standing there with his arms crossed. He added, "Jesse wanted me to take Xanadu out for a quick ride, so he could get to know his surroundings better." Rush raised one eyebrow.
"How was he?" he grumbled, helping Joachim take Xanadu's bridle off and put his halter on.
"Really good. A bit jittery at ze beginning but nothing major," Joachim smiled, straightening the stallion's forelock out and feeding him a piece of apple. Rush muttered something to himself, taking off the saddle.
"At least you had the right idea and didn't take him out too long," he finally decided after they'd brushed Xanadu off and cleaned his face with a wet rag. Joachim didn't reply, leading him into his stall.
"Good boy. You'll do just fine tomorrow," he whispered to him, gently pecking the horse's nose before taking the halter off and exiting the stall.

Long story I might redesign Joachim's tattoo a bit but I like the idea I have here. Triskele with a design around it. And Xanadu's head is too small... I had my I'm-going-to-draw-horse-heads-too-small-and-there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it day yesterday. Gotta' love those.

Horse: fav.me/d8lsust
Rider: fav.me/d8jwu1w
Ref. used for horse and rider: fav.me/d38x0cp (I love this picture so much)
Ref. used for background: none
Show image: fav.me/d8m49cc

Description
An extra image for fav.me/d8m2n65 by . Joachim is taking Xanadu for a ride to explore the showgrounds. I wasn't exactly sure what they looked like so I decided to be safe and go for flat and grassy I messed up on Joachim's face (as far as you can see it) and his shoulder facing the viewer but.... heh? I kinda regret hiding his face but it was like that in the reference I used and I wasn't daring enough to change it.

>>STORY<<

"What are you wearing?" Jesse's voice asked Joachim in horror as the young German walked into the barn aisle. Joachim looked at him, then, with a big grin, replied, "Clothes?"
"They're so bright, geez. And your hat just 'bout matches the sky," Jesse grumbled, shaking his head while getting up.
"Vell, I did buy it as 'sky blue' so I'd hope it does," Joachim smirked, making Jesse huff in amusement.
"What do you think 'bout takin' Xanadu out for a little ride?" he asked, opening the stall door. Xanadu poked his head out curiously, letting Jesse slip his halter one and lead him out to the cross-ties.
"Are you being serious?" Joachim frowned in surprise.
"Yup. Rush is out so he can't stop us. Plus we need to give mister here a little peek 'round the grounds," Jesses confirmed, walking over to the tack box. He tossed Joachim a brush and they groomed Xanadu thoroughly.
"Sure," Joachim nodded while combing his mane. Jesses tacked him up, and they led him out. It was fairly cloudy, though a few rays of sunlight peeked through the clouds now and then, and there was a slight breeze. They walked Xanadu through the busiest part of the show grounds by hand, Joachim on the left side of his head and Jesse on the right, and stopped in a small empty paddock. There was a track long the fence and the rest of it was grassy.
"Up you go," Jesse told Joachim, bringing the stirrups down and giving him a leg up. Joachim swung onto Xanadu's back, settling into the saddle quickly, and took up the reins. He'd only ridden a few times since he'd arrived at Sterlingwood Equestrian Acres, so he wasn't too sure if this was Jesse's best idea. But he really didn't want to argue; Xanadu was a dream horse, and riding him could prove to be pretty awesome, right?
"Just walk him a few laps, let him check out the surroundings but make sure he knows you're on his back. Keep the reins short so you have good contact," Jesse told him, wandering out into the middle of the paddock. Joachim did so, pushing his heels down. Xanadu kept his ears perked, head raised and nostrils flaring in curiosity as horses walked by. He pranced a bit, throwing his head, but that was the worst.
"Alright, Joey, bring him up into a trot. We don't want to keep him out here too long, in case anything happens before the big day," Jesse called out. Joachim touched his heels to the stallion's side, making him spring up into a flashy trot, dropping his head and arching his neck.
"Very nice," Jesse muttered to himself, nodding. Joachim could see a few people had stopped by the fence to watch, but he did his best to ignore them, focusing on Xanadu completely. The horse was calmer now, ears swinging back and forth in a relaxed way. They changed direction, did a few circles, then came to a stop by Jesse.
"He's looking 'mazing," the man said, "Go cool him off, then we'll bring him back in. 'Fore Rush eats us alive." Joachim grinned and took Xanadu for a few more rounds before dismounting and leading him back to the barn.
"Where have you been?" a familiar voice asked sharply when he entered onto the aisle. Joachim looked up in surprise.
"Um...," he started, seeing Rush standing there with his arms crossed. He added, "Jesse wanted me to take Xanadu out for a quick ride, so he could get to know his surroundings better." Rush raised one eyebrow.
"How was he?" he grumbled, helping Joachim take Xanadu's bridle off and put his halter on.
"Really good. A bit jittery at ze beginning but nothing major," Joachim smiled, straightening the stallion's forelock out and feeding him a piece of apple. Rush muttered something to himself, taking off the saddle.
"At least you had the right idea and didn't take him out too long," he finally decided after they'd brushed Xanadu off and cleaned his face with a wet rag. Joachim didn't reply, leading him into his stall.
"Good boy. You'll do just fine tomorrow," he whispered to him, gently pecking the horse's nose before taking the halter off and exiting the stall.

Long story I might redesign Joachim's tattoo a bit but I like the idea I have here. Triskele with a design around it. And Xanadu's head is too small... I had my I'm-going-to-draw-horse-heads-too-small-and-there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it day yesterday. Gotta' love those.

Horse: fav.me/d8lsust
Rider: fav.me/d8jwu1w
Ref. used for horse and rider: fav.me/d38x0cp (I love this picture so much)
Ref. used for background: none
Show image: fav.me/d8m49cc