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Doing more actual art for stories is proving to challenge me, which is great. Backgrounds are the bane of my existence, and I'm trying to push myself more and more. The more I do, the better it'll get.

- Brielle -

    “Brielle, what even was that?”, Madison shook her head and rubbed her temples with a frustrated sigh. “You’re letting her fall apart a good four stride before the fence, and then just throwing the reins at her. She’s looking for you for support, and you’re jumping ship.”
    Embarrassment flushed Brielle’s pale cheeks tomato red as she brought Winnie to a walk at the far end of the arena. She bit her lip as she watched Madison set the jump she had knocked back up. It wasn’t big, only maybe three foot. Stuff like this never used to be a problem for her. So why was she so in her head about it? Warm up and flat work was fine, but lately, anything jumping related seemed to haunt her. Her green eyes shifted down to her horse. Sweat darkened the filly’s’ neck. They had been at this for almost an hour and a half and had not cleared anything.
    The woman on the ground in the arena stood back from the jump when she finished putting the painted wooden poles back in the cups, but this time she lowered it down to a crossrail. Her crimson hair was piled in a wild bun on top of her head. She wore worn out tall boots that were covered in arena dust, tan breeches, and an tank top. It had been a long day, and she was ready to be done with this.
    “Look, just trot it, okay? She’s happy and willing to take it, but you’re losing confidence before the fence.” The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “If you knock this one down, or she refuses, we’re going back to poles.” There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. “This is getting ridiculous..” She muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
    Brielle’s eyes shifted to the bleachers along side the arena. A girl she hadn’t seen here before sat watching, her feet propped up on the rail like she owned the place. How long had she been there? Her face flushed again. Trotting cross rails because you can’t keep anything up is embarrassing. Tears threated to make an appearance at the thought of making a fool of herself again, now with an audience.
    With a sigh, she pushed the Hanoverian into a big trot down the rail, passing the new girl and making sure not to make any eye contact. She was determined to make this jump. With everything she had, she forced down the bubbling storm that was forming in her throat and stomach.
    Madison’s icy blue eyes were locked on Brielle as they made their way around. “Okay, she sees it and that it’s different. Half halt there. Again. Good, see how she dropped her head some and came back to you? Don’t let her speed up. And….. There. See, that wasn’t hard.”
    Winnie hardly picked up her feet, treating it more like a big trot pole than an actual fence. Still, the pride rose in Brielle and she couldn’t help but grin as they trotted off. She brought her to a walk and patted her wet neck.
    “That’ll do for today.” Madison called rubbing her face. “Cool her out, she’s pretty warm.” and with that, she walked out, completely ignoring the new face.

    —

    When Winnie was cool enough after wandering the arena for a while, Brielle figured it was time to gather up her courage and go say hello. The girl hadn’t moved from her lounging spot at the rail, so it was obvious she was waiting for her to finish her ride.
    “Hey.” Brielle greeted sweetly with a smile and a little wave as she rode up to the fence. When she stopped, Winnie sighed and immediately shifted her weight on one hip, tired, but relaxed.
    “Hey.” Maisie responded. “You pretty new to jumping?”
    Brielle’s cheek burned. She had showed in hunters since they moved to the states, and had ridden dressage as well as some hunter back in Ireland and never had a problem, but lately something had changed. Her confidence had been shaken. “Uh.. not quite. New horse, you know? She’s still young and we have a lot to work on. Just taking it slow, don’t want to ruin her.”
    Maisie raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. It was obvious what she was thinking, that Brielle was full of crap. “Right. Well. Anyways. Brielle, right?”
    Brielle nodded, looking down and fiddling with Winnie’s mahogany mane. With that response, she was wondering how much of her ride she actually saw.
    “Maisie.”
    Then it clicked. This was the girl who was moving in with them. The girl who had just lost everything. The conversation she had this morning with her mother came to mind.
    “It will be like having the sister you always wanted!”
    She didn’t know how true that would be, but if she could be a friend in this dark time, so be it.
    “I’m really sorry about your mom..” Brielle finally said meekly. She was surprised when Maisie stood up, shrugged, and walked off without a word.

Maisie, Madison, Brielle, and HB Winter Warrior belong to me.
Saddle pad by DeSejr

Description

Doing more actual art for stories is proving to challenge me, which is great. Backgrounds are the bane of my existence, and I'm trying to push myself more and more. The more I do, the better it'll get.

- Brielle -

    “Brielle, what even was that?”, Madison shook her head and rubbed her temples with a frustrated sigh. “You’re letting her fall apart a good four stride before the fence, and then just throwing the reins at her. She’s looking for you for support, and you’re jumping ship.”
    Embarrassment flushed Brielle’s pale cheeks tomato red as she brought Winnie to a walk at the far end of the arena. She bit her lip as she watched Madison set the jump she had knocked back up. It wasn’t big, only maybe three foot. Stuff like this never used to be a problem for her. So why was she so in her head about it? Warm up and flat work was fine, but lately, anything jumping related seemed to haunt her. Her green eyes shifted down to her horse. Sweat darkened the filly’s’ neck. They had been at this for almost an hour and a half and had not cleared anything.
    The woman on the ground in the arena stood back from the jump when she finished putting the painted wooden poles back in the cups, but this time she lowered it down to a crossrail. Her crimson hair was piled in a wild bun on top of her head. She wore worn out tall boots that were covered in arena dust, tan breeches, and an tank top. It had been a long day, and she was ready to be done with this.
    “Look, just trot it, okay? She’s happy and willing to take it, but you’re losing confidence before the fence.” The woman crossed her arms over her chest. “If you knock this one down, or she refuses, we’re going back to poles.” There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. “This is getting ridiculous..” She muttered just loud enough for her to hear.
    Brielle’s eyes shifted to the bleachers along side the arena. A girl she hadn’t seen here before sat watching, her feet propped up on the rail like she owned the place. How long had she been there? Her face flushed again. Trotting cross rails because you can’t keep anything up is embarrassing. Tears threated to make an appearance at the thought of making a fool of herself again, now with an audience.
    With a sigh, she pushed the Hanoverian into a big trot down the rail, passing the new girl and making sure not to make any eye contact. She was determined to make this jump. With everything she had, she forced down the bubbling storm that was forming in her throat and stomach.
    Madison’s icy blue eyes were locked on Brielle as they made their way around. “Okay, she sees it and that it’s different. Half halt there. Again. Good, see how she dropped her head some and came back to you? Don’t let her speed up. And….. There. See, that wasn’t hard.”
    Winnie hardly picked up her feet, treating it more like a big trot pole than an actual fence. Still, the pride rose in Brielle and she couldn’t help but grin as they trotted off. She brought her to a walk and patted her wet neck.
    “That’ll do for today.” Madison called rubbing her face. “Cool her out, she’s pretty warm.” and with that, she walked out, completely ignoring the new face.

    —

    When Winnie was cool enough after wandering the arena for a while, Brielle figured it was time to gather up her courage and go say hello. The girl hadn’t moved from her lounging spot at the rail, so it was obvious she was waiting for her to finish her ride.
    “Hey.” Brielle greeted sweetly with a smile and a little wave as she rode up to the fence. When she stopped, Winnie sighed and immediately shifted her weight on one hip, tired, but relaxed.
    “Hey.” Maisie responded. “You pretty new to jumping?”
    Brielle’s cheek burned. She had showed in hunters since they moved to the states, and had ridden dressage as well as some hunter back in Ireland and never had a problem, but lately something had changed. Her confidence had been shaken. “Uh.. not quite. New horse, you know? She’s still young and we have a lot to work on. Just taking it slow, don’t want to ruin her.”
    Maisie raised her eyebrows and nodded slowly. It was obvious what she was thinking, that Brielle was full of crap. “Right. Well. Anyways. Brielle, right?”
    Brielle nodded, looking down and fiddling with Winnie’s mahogany mane. With that response, she was wondering how much of her ride she actually saw.
    “Maisie.”
    Then it clicked. This was the girl who was moving in with them. The girl who had just lost everything. The conversation she had this morning with her mother came to mind.
    “It will be like having the sister you always wanted!”
    She didn’t know how true that would be, but if she could be a friend in this dark time, so be it.
    “I’m really sorry about your mom..” Brielle finally said meekly. She was surprised when Maisie stood up, shrugged, and walked off without a word.

Maisie, Madison, Brielle, and HB Winter Warrior belong to me.
Saddle pad by DeSejr