Getting to the Essence of the topic

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara stood in the middle of Ms Chevalier's field, with Ember and Ella at her side. She knew that both of the horses were now being used by students, but she had ridden one and owned the other during her time at the Academy and knew both well, for their characteristics and their faults, and wanted to use them both for her talk to the students.

She followed Ella's gaze and pricked ears and watched the teacher and her class arrive. Butterflies suddenly flared up in Cara's stomach. Drawing a deep breath in, she placed a hand on Ella's neck. "Rescue Remedy probably would have been good for me." She whispered to the horse.

She returned the woman's smile and smiled toward the students as she was introduced. A lot had changed about Cara since she had left the Academy, the most part was that she no longer hid behind a mask that covered her emotions. She rubbed Ella's nose as she stepped away from the mare to address the class. "I learned about Bach Remedies when I was trying to encourage my mare to trust me." She gave a sad smile at the memory of the beautiful Haflinger mare, Phoenix had been that one in a million horse, and nothing would ever take her place in the girl's heart.

"I had my doubts about it working, but I studied them and tried the remedies anyway. Some worked, where others did nothing." She bent down and picked up one of the black doctor-like bags she had with her and opened it, removing a couple of the bottles. "These are aromatherapy oils." She explained. "The best thing about horses, any animal actually, is that they will tell you exactly what they need." She opened one of the bottles and offered it to Ella, taking the bottle away as the pinned her ears and threw her head up. "This is peppermint, used to treat; Bronchitis, Colic, Fever, Heatstroke, Inflammation, Muscle Pain, and Ulcers, Ella's reaction was very clear that she didn't need it." She opened the next bottle. "Let's try this one." She offered the bottle to the mare and watched as Ella was about to protest before the scent of the oil filled her nostrils and she tried to grab hold of the bottle. "This is Lavender, used to treat; Abscesses, Anxiety, Allergies, Burns, Conjunctivitis, Inflammation, Tumors, and Wound Care. Ella has always had anxiety issues, and by the looks of it, they will be with her all her life." She tipped a little of the oil out of the bottle and massaged it into the mare's forehead.

[Cortney Smit]

Cortney raised her eyebrows at the idea of going outside. Sure, the weather was warming up, but there was still the chance that it could bucket down at any given moment. However, she was't going to make a scene, though she did wish that she had changed into her riding clothes after all.

She walked outside with the rest of her classmates and followed their teacher toward a field where a girl was waiting with two of the Academy mounts. She smiled and waved at Cara. The girl had been gone the Academy for six months, but the difference in the alumni was astounding. She still looked thinner then she should be, but the girl seemed to radiate happiness and calm.

She settled back, leaning against the fence casually as she listened to Cara as she spoke. They had been talking about Bach remedies back in the classroom, so now hearing about herbal oils was taking things on a completely different tract. She was intrigued by the mare's opposing reaction to one bottle and then her almost wanting to eat the other bottle. "Can we just give them the oils straight out of the bottle like that?" She asked, keen to try some with Olé.

[Jayne Doe]

Jayne listened with interest as the others spoke of the horses they rode. It was interesting to hear that most of them all had issues with their mounts, made her feel better as at least she wasn't the only one with a problem horse.

Leaving her books where they were, she followed the others outside and toward the field where their teacher held her Natural Horsemanship classes. Her eyebrows rose when she saw Ella out there, a sudden jealous possessiveness seemed to creep down her spine as she watched how relaxed the mare seemed Cara. The jealousy vanished as quickly as it arrived though, as Jayne remembered that the older girl used to own the mare, and she could feel her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

She listened to what Cara had to say, and arched an eyebrow at the mare's repulsed reaction to the first bottle she was offered, she was going to ask why the older girl had offered her that bottle, but closed her mouth as Ella tried to eat the next bottle offered to her.

Jayne nodded her head to Cara's next words, as the anxiety issues were becoming more of a problem then anything, and no matter what she did - she already massaged the mare with Lavender oil, as that's what she had been told to do by Ms Carr - nothing seemed to make the mare relax about going to an arena. "Is there anything else I could offer her to help her with her anxiety?" She asked, after Cortney had spoken.