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Description
My entry for the Winter Trail Ride. I thought it was only right that I did something too.

This picture nearly killed me. Those who watched me do it will have seen varying degrees of stress, anger, sadness, hissy fits, and joy.

I adore how Cracka came out. So much so that this is going to be his ref image when I tweak the shading. Piccy... well I didn't do her justice but whatever.

This is the first peek from Mapal of what Junither horses look like!

Story

Chase had been up since the early hours of the morning. Aithne had made them all get up and get to work and an ungodly hour. It was still dark when he had started work, but as people woke up, and more people arrived, the day turned out bright and cold. A few long-distance travellers had stayed the night before the ride, and their horses greeted Chase with small grunts as he walked down the aisle of the stallion barn with Cracka's tack. The huge stallion had his head over his stall door as usual, his large antlers rattling gently against the partition as he turned his head to look at Chase. They had to adapt the stallions stable for his antlers, removing the metal bars that normally ran along the front of the stall so he didn't get tangled in them. The shire built horse didn't spend much time in his stable, with it being generally just too small for him. The problem was he didn't fit through regular stable doors very well, so he had to be in the barn instead of on the yard, and the barn had no extra large stalls.

Chase rubbed Cracka's nose as he placed the saddle on the door and let himself in. "Hey, boy," he said enthusiastically as he rubbed the horse's thick, muscular neck. Cracka whickered lowly and went to sniff the man. "We're off for a ride, in the countryside and in the forest." The horse's ears flicked at the mention of forest, and he nudged the bridle in the man's hands. Chase laughed and unhooked one side of the bridle before slipping the bit in the stallion's mouth. He flicked the leather head piece behind the horse's ears, and then fastened it back into place. He quickly unfastened the buckle on the reins and reattached them around the horse's neck. The antlers often did prove to be a bit of a faff, but at least Cracka didn't mind things taking a little while. Chase placed the saddle up on the stallion's high back, and fastened the girth, with some difficulty as the horse sucked in wind. "Cracka, behave," he grumbled, hitching the girth tighter as the stallion let out a bit of air.

After a small delay, Chase led the horse out of the stall and towards the exit. Others were in getting their horses ready, and he nodded to a few as he passed. As he led Cracka out of the barn he spotted Michelle with Piccy, chatting to one of the other participants. He felt his stomach twist slightly but ignored it. It was not his normal behaviour to get flustered, in fact Lee often thought he was some sort of robot. "Hey Michelle," he said calmly as he halted Cracka in front of the large doors of the indoor school. Aithne was inside lungeing one of the horses before she had to head out. Michelle spun to looked at Chase, muttering a goodbye to the person she had been talking to.
"Oh, just the man!" Her voice was probably a little more high pitched than she had intended. She regained herself slightly and continued as Chase put his flourescent jacket over his leather coat. "I need a leg up," she sighed. She had been warming Piccy up earlier, but as far as Chase was aware she had been wandering around for a while with the mare, waiting for things to start. The man smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Cracka, wait there a sec." He left the horse to stand by himself, and the stallion just casually watched what the pair was doing, one ear listening to Aithne in the school. Chase moved over to Michelle and patted Piccy's neck.
"Thanks," the woman said with a small sigh, positioning herself as Chase hooked his hands under her leg.
"Ready?" She answered with a nod and he easily pushed her up onto the mare's back. Michelle adjusted her seat slightly and rested a hand on the reins as the horse shifted slightly. Chase helped her put her foot in the stirrup, his hand warm against her leg. She felt her cheeks flush but hoped it could be covered up by the redness caused by the cold.
"Thank you, I guess I need to learn to have stretchy legs like Aithne." Chase laughed and shook his head, letting his hand linger for a moment before moving it and rubbing Piccy's neck.
"Are you kidding? She just vaults onto big horses. She has spring legs." The both laughed, but at that moment the swinging doors to the indoor school opened.
"Hey, I heard that," Aithne said with a stern look as she led Isadore out of the ring. Chase smirked and moved Cracka out of the way.
"It's only the truth," he chuckled as he ran his stirrups down.
"Aww, want a leg up?" Aithne said with a pout. Chase rolled his eyes and easily launched into the saddle with his long legs.
"I think I'm good," he said as he looked down at the woman. Aithne nodded and looked from him to Michelle and then back again.
"Well, you kids have fun!" She laughed as she led Izzy towards the mare barn. Chase rolled his eyes and looked over at Michelle. She grinned at him and turned Piccy around. People were starting to gather on the yard, so they headed over there together. It was almost like a hunt was starting, with horses gathered everywhere, some a little more excited than others, and even the odd dog running around (including Logan, Aithne's excessively large Great Dane). Chase and Michelle sat on the side lines, chatting as they waited to get off.

Omg, story came out crappier than I ever imagined.

Image and Characters © =mapal
Michelle © *amour-interdit

Description
My entry for the Winter Trail Ride. I thought it was only right that I did something too.

This picture nearly killed me. Those who watched me do it will have seen varying degrees of stress, anger, sadness, hissy fits, and joy.

I adore how Cracka came out. So much so that this is going to be his ref image when I tweak the shading. Piccy... well I didn't do her justice but whatever.

This is the first peek from Mapal of what Junither horses look like!

Story

Chase had been up since the early hours of the morning. Aithne had made them all get up and get to work and an ungodly hour. It was still dark when he had started work, but as people woke up, and more people arrived, the day turned out bright and cold. A few long-distance travellers had stayed the night before the ride, and their horses greeted Chase with small grunts as he walked down the aisle of the stallion barn with Cracka's tack. The huge stallion had his head over his stall door as usual, his large antlers rattling gently against the partition as he turned his head to look at Chase. They had to adapt the stallions stable for his antlers, removing the metal bars that normally ran along the front of the stall so he didn't get tangled in them. The shire built horse didn't spend much time in his stable, with it being generally just too small for him. The problem was he didn't fit through regular stable doors very well, so he had to be in the barn instead of on the yard, and the barn had no extra large stalls.

Chase rubbed Cracka's nose as he placed the saddle on the door and let himself in. "Hey, boy," he said enthusiastically as he rubbed the horse's thick, muscular neck. Cracka whickered lowly and went to sniff the man. "We're off for a ride, in the countryside and in the forest." The horse's ears flicked at the mention of forest, and he nudged the bridle in the man's hands. Chase laughed and unhooked one side of the bridle before slipping the bit in the stallion's mouth. He flicked the leather head piece behind the horse's ears, and then fastened it back into place. He quickly unfastened the buckle on the reins and reattached them around the horse's neck. The antlers often did prove to be a bit of a faff, but at least Cracka didn't mind things taking a little while. Chase placed the saddle up on the stallion's high back, and fastened the girth, with some difficulty as the horse sucked in wind. "Cracka, behave," he grumbled, hitching the girth tighter as the stallion let out a bit of air.

After a small delay, Chase led the horse out of the stall and towards the exit. Others were in getting their horses ready, and he nodded to a few as he passed. As he led Cracka out of the barn he spotted Michelle with Piccy, chatting to one of the other participants. He felt his stomach twist slightly but ignored it. It was not his normal behaviour to get flustered, in fact Lee often thought he was some sort of robot. "Hey Michelle," he said calmly as he halted Cracka in front of the large doors of the indoor school. Aithne was inside lungeing one of the horses before she had to head out. Michelle spun to looked at Chase, muttering a goodbye to the person she had been talking to.
"Oh, just the man!" Her voice was probably a little more high pitched than she had intended. She regained herself slightly and continued as Chase put his flourescent jacket over his leather coat. "I need a leg up," she sighed. She had been warming Piccy up earlier, but as far as Chase was aware she had been wandering around for a while with the mare, waiting for things to start. The man smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Cracka, wait there a sec." He left the horse to stand by himself, and the stallion just casually watched what the pair was doing, one ear listening to Aithne in the school. Chase moved over to Michelle and patted Piccy's neck.
"Thanks," the woman said with a small sigh, positioning herself as Chase hooked his hands under her leg.
"Ready?" She answered with a nod and he easily pushed her up onto the mare's back. Michelle adjusted her seat slightly and rested a hand on the reins as the horse shifted slightly. Chase helped her put her foot in the stirrup, his hand warm against her leg. She felt her cheeks flush but hoped it could be covered up by the redness caused by the cold.
"Thank you, I guess I need to learn to have stretchy legs like Aithne." Chase laughed and shook his head, letting his hand linger for a moment before moving it and rubbing Piccy's neck.
"Are you kidding? She just vaults onto big horses. She has spring legs." The both laughed, but at that moment the swinging doors to the indoor school opened.
"Hey, I heard that," Aithne said with a stern look as she led Isadore out of the ring. Chase smirked and moved Cracka out of the way.
"It's only the truth," he chuckled as he ran his stirrups down.
"Aww, want a leg up?" Aithne said with a pout. Chase rolled his eyes and easily launched into the saddle with his long legs.
"I think I'm good," he said as he looked down at the woman. Aithne nodded and looked from him to Michelle and then back again.
"Well, you kids have fun!" She laughed as she led Izzy towards the mare barn. Chase rolled his eyes and looked over at Michelle. She grinned at him and turned Piccy around. People were starting to gather on the yard, so they headed over there together. It was almost like a hunt was starting, with horses gathered everywhere, some a little more excited than others, and even the odd dog running around (including Logan, Aithne's excessively large Great Dane). Chase and Michelle sat on the side lines, chatting as they waited to get off.

Omg, story came out crappier than I ever imagined.

Image and Characters © =mapal
Michelle © *amour-interdit