(Open) "Courage is not the absence of fear...

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. From now on you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey.”

Meg Cabolt

Walking into White Oak, Cara headed straight for the tack room and collected a bag she had stashed in Mouse's locker the day before. She then headed down to the grey Holstiner's stall. "Wake up, beautiful." She whispered as she looked over the door and say the mare was dozing contentedly in the corner. She picked up the mare's blue-violet rope halter and matching lead from the hook by her stall and entered the stall as the mare opened her eyes and bobbed her head up and down, even if she didn't lose the relaxed pose. "We're going to do some work on your suriphobia."

Rather then walking up to the mare, she waited just inside the door until the horse walked up to her. She slipped the nose band over the mare's nose and flicked the poll strap over the mare's poll and fastened it in a slip knot. She then clipped the lead onto lead line loop, led the mare out of the stall and out to the round pen.

She had now owned the mare for a good couple of weeks and this was the first time the small girl had had the mare in the round pen. Contrary to popular belief, the girl didn't work horses in pens like this before she did any other form of work with them. She preferred the freedom of working a horse at liberty in a small paddock or even in the arena.

Removing the lead rope, she allowed the mare to trot away from her and go to inspect the pen at her own pace. Keeping an eye on the mare she opened up the small bag she had taken out of the mare's locker. She closed her hand around the treats in the bottom of the bag and tipped it out, allowing the toy mouse to fall into her hand. She turned the toy over in her hand, inspecting it from all angles. Sure, it looked real enough, but she hoped the fact it wouldn't move wasn't going to be an issue.

Dropping the toy onto the ground, she tucked the bag back into her jacket pocket and walked over to where the mare was sniffing at the snow that had built up against one of the posts. "Come on." She said before she got too close. She held out her hand for the mare as Mouse turned her inquisitive head to look at the girl with deep brown eyes. "Let's get to work."She clipped the lead back onto the halter and then looped it over the mare's back so that if she walked off she wouldn't stand on it. She then began running her hands down the mare's body, just building on their bond, and seeing how far the mare trusted her out in the open like this.

When the mare was relaxed and happy, Cara walked to her head and closed her hand gently around the rope. She didn't pull on it, but clicked her tongue and stepped forward, asking the mare to walk with her. She smiled when Mouse stepped forward happily.

The walked across the arena like this, with the girl's hand barely holding the rope. Cara knew where the toy was, and ordered herself not to predict the mare's reaction to it. However, no matter how calm the girl remained, the mare threw her head up into the air and screamed out in terror as she reared up,pawing the air, before she landed on the ground, spun around and took off to the safety of the fenceline.

As the mare pulled away, Cara opened her hand from the rope and just let the mare be taken over by her fear. She remained as still as a statue as the horse spun, only just missing knocking the girl with her hindquarters as she spun.She watched the tension in the mare's body as Mouse's terrified gallop slowly transitioned downward to a canter and then a high-stepping trot, ever line in her body still rigid with fear, her ears back, eyes wild as she looked toward the centre of the pen every now and then.

[Deleted]

A scowl curled at his lips as he stalked around his room, anger the only thing the male was feeling right now. Exclaiming in anger in the form of a less than intelligent swear, Bradley yanked on his sneakers and stormed out of the room, slamming the door tightly behind him. He'd left behind a torn up magazine, again with a story about himself. However, this time, his brother had commented. What frustrated him most? His brother had not spoken to him in months, but he found the time to give the paparazzi a degrading comment about his own flesh and blood instead of just calling him. Brad kicked the wall in frustration, but then forced himself to relax. It was no use hurting himself over this. He needed to be in perfect condition to keep training. A few broken toes certainly wouldn't help anything. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he decided to go for a walk to calm himself down.

Walking toward the pastures, Brad hoped that a visit with Lemon would calm him down. He gave a sharp whistle when he saw that the mare was right at the other side and gave a slight smile as she rose her head. The regal looking creature turned so she could see the sender of the familiar call. She seemed to be deliberating whether or not to approach Brad, taking a few steps before stopping. The process repeated before she realised Brad didn't have any treats. The mare turned on her heels away from him and trotted back to the furthest corner of the field. Bradley sighed, his hands sliding into his pockets and curling into fists. Now he felt lost. Tempted to go to the gym, he continued the walk around the pastures which led to a place he was yet to explore.

Bradley looked intrigued when he saw the round pen grow larger as he continued to walk. He hadn't been able to find this part of the academy yet, so was glad that he finally knew where it was. Lemon could use a little work in there. As he drew closer, he realised there was a sound of hooves thundering around the arena. He rose a brow as it eventually begin to slow and then stop. Interested, he walked closer and then sighed when he saw the figure in the middle. Of course. It would be Kitchi. Disinterested with annoying her today, he glanced over to the obviously terrified mare. "What's the matter with her?" He asked without thinking. He'd heard that Cara had a talent with horses. It wasn't really showing right now though. He glanced at Cara, and then back at the mare, waiting for a reply. His expression wasn't as bright and mischievous as it usually was, now more guarded and cold. It was quite obvious that this was not the usual Bradley Grey.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara watched the mare, waiting for her to stop stressing out. She was so intent on watching the mare through her lashes, that she hod forgotten to watched for the approach of people and jumped at the sound of a voice and then cursed herself for reacting like that. She ground her teeth as she turned to face the owner of the voice - the last person she wanted to see right now - and bent to scoop up the toy off the ground, carefully tucking it back into her pocket. "She has suriphobia, a fear of mice." She replied in an emotionless voice. "And I wanted to see how she reacted, thinking in here is better than in the arena." However, the mare's reaction hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be, and she would have easily remained in the saddle if it had been in the arena.

She walked over to the mare, stopping before she got to the grey and held her hand out, letting the sensitive horse make the last few steps. Picking up the lead rope, Cara led the mare back to the centre of the round pen. "What's eating you?" She asked, the question directed at the boy not the mare, as she ran her hands over the mare's face and massaging her ears, folding them over in her hands. She glanced over her shoulder. "You're not possibly afraid that you aren't the top dog in the gym any more?" She knew that the question was cutting, and not the tiny girl's normal approach, but Cara felt safe in the round pen with the fence and space between here and the male on the other side of the fence.

She unclipped the mare's lead rope and made a shooing motion with her hands, sending the mare away from her. When Mouse was walking around the track, she stepped toward the mare's hindquarters and nodded when the grey broke into a smooth flowing trot.