Curlicues

[Martijn van der Berg]

Tijn smiled at the mare after he'd finished the lengthy process of brushing her, "You're lucky you're such a good girl, Radio." He patted the Curly on the shoulder affectionately, then left her in the cross ties to grab her saddle from the tack room. He'd finished his chores for the morning, and he was looking forward to taking the academy's mare out for a nice trail ride.

After he finished saddling her, he grabbed his helmet from Sybren's stall and returned to unclip the mare. He led her out to the trails and mounted, picking a trail he hadn't been on for a while. He may not have enough time to reach the waterfall, but it was still a nice trail.

[Bradley Ryman Palmer]

Jasper needed the work, and Bradley really needed to ride. A good trail ride would do them well. Brad leaned on the door of the gelding's stall, and looked over the dark bay. He really was a gorgeous horse. With a terrible attitude, but he suited Bradley well. Jasper nudged Bradley as if he was ready to go. Brad nodded, and grabbed his grooming kit. He brushed the horse out, picked his hooves, and then saddled him up. He grabbed his helmet, and led the horse out of the stall to the trails.

He mounted the gelding, and sat for a moment, unsure of which trail to pick. He decided the waterfall trail would be a good one. Not too easy, but also not too difficult. He headed out on a slow trot. Not long after beginning the trail, he ran into another horse and rider. "Hey, sorry," he apologized, slowing the gelding down. He hadn't meant to interrupt another's ride. "Didn't mean to barge in," he said, half-smiling.

[Martijn van der Berg]

Radio could obviously hear something approaching from behind, so Tijn wasn't surprised when another rider trotted into view, and slowed as he approached, "No apology needed." Tijn shifted Radio over to the side of the trail, "Radio and I were just enjoying the time out, you're welcome to join us if you want, or pass if you'd rather." He really didn't see it as 'barging in', either way. Company was nice on trail rides, "I'm going to guess your horse lives in the White Oak barn, since I'm not familiar with him." He grinned, "I'm Tijn."

[Bradley Ryman Palmer]

Brad shrugged. "I'll join you, if you don't mind," he said. "Company is always good." He didn't mind riding alone, but someone to carry on a conversation with while enjoying the ride was always good. And the other horse might help distract Jasper from any of his quirks. He really wasn't a bad horse, but he had an attitude on him.

He nodded at the boy. Bradley hadn't even entered the Red Oak barn, though he also had no reason to. But it could explain why he didn't recognize the other boy, or his horse. "Yeah, this is Jasper," he said, "and I'm Brad."

[Martijn van der Berg]

Tijn shrugged. It was all the same to him, at the moment. Radio was getting out and stretching her legs - That was the point of the exercise. If he socialized or not was irrelevant to her. "A pleasure, Brad." He smiled, "This is Radio. Yes, she's a curly horse." It was something novel for most of the riders to the school, and Tijn figured he'd preempt any questions, "She's one of the Academy's mounts who is currently unassigned."

[Bradley Ryman Palmer]

"Nice to meet you as well," Bradley said, and turned his attention to his own horse. Jasper wasn't a horse who could sit still for very long. He wanted to go, and there wasn't much stopping him. He worked well with Brad, but he took others who weren't used to him for a ride. He tended to be a one person horse. "She's different," Brad commented. "Pretty though. I like how unique she is compared to the others," he said. "It's good of you to take her out on a ride. I'm sure she doesn't get out much.

[Martijn van der Berg]

Tijn nodded as he turned part of his attention to the trail - He hadn't stopped Radio when they were approached from behind, simply shifted her over on the trail. At Brad's answer to the mare's situation, Tijn raised an eyebrow, "She gets out regularly enough, considering that it's part of my job to make sure she does so." Not always a trail ride, but between him and the other barn hands, most horses got worked at least every other day.