Welcome to Choteau, Montana, in 2018. What was once only a small city focused on fossils, has now started to turn into an equestrian mecca. Everyone still knows everyone, so the question remains, what will you become?
06/04 - Site opened 18/04 - Update log #01 including new features! 27/04 - A New skin has been released!
To enter please include this line in your post [b]Class Name[/b] - HORSE NAME HERE ridden by RIDER NAME And then your post describing your round below. It should only be one post, and no other posts should be in this thread.
[attr="class","ws-tempcredits"]CRAFTED BY ALISHA OF ADOXOGRAPHY
Having done her bit in the dressage ring, with both Bo and Ike safely back inside the truck, her two other equines were the dupe. She'd seen the poster for western dressage, and it sounded fairly fun, and she was eager to give it a shot, especially since it seemed to be a fairly lowkey affair with relatively few participants. Precisely what she wanted for the first outing of not only her three year old Quarter mare, but also her far older mustang mule. Sassy had her moments, both good and bad, but she wasn't meant to be just a farm ride. Today was going to be a big test to see if the palomino mule could cope with the pressure and atmosphere of a show, albeit a small one, and if she could perform satisfactorily. She had requested that her ride with Sassy took precedence of her ride with Shiloh; the young Quarter only battled insecurity, as opposed to Sassy's more complicated behaviour.
She took her time preparing; she'd changed clothes in the back of the truck, slipping into comfortably worn black jeans, her riding boots hidden underneath, a tight long-sleeved teal button down and a borrowed black gilet (she didn't think Celeste would miss it today) and her regular black helmet, blue inserts fitting with her top. Realizing that if ever there was a place where such a belt buckle would in its place, she'd donned the Road to the Horse champion buckle, not quite getting the whole buckle thing, but proud of it nonetheless. And really, Shiloh's saddle had RTTH stamped all over it; the belt wasn't that loud. She'd borrowed a showy teal pad as well, planning to use it on both horses, and had even been bold enough to replace the stirrup leathers on Sassy's Aussie saddle with fenders, lest she be disqualified for having the wrong tack. All in all, preparation-wise she was ready for it. The palomino was shiny and seemingly happy, which was always a good thing.
Though going bitless was apparently allowed, she'd decided to opt for a bit with Sassy. No bit in the world was strong enough to stop a determined mule in her tracks, but it would be better than a bosal or a sidepull. The mule let it all happen in a rather relaxed fashion, ears pricked forward with interest at the music and crowd noises coming from beyond the truck. Though potentially very rude, she walked her mule down to the warm-up and waited for a bit just off the entrance, letting the mule see the ring and horses within it, and similarly letting the horses get a whiff of mule. It wouldn't be the first time a horse unfamiliar with mules panicked a little at a floppy long-ear strutting in their midst. Only after a handful of minutes did she mount and enter the ring, not in a hurry to get Sassy movin' about. This wasn't about winning, or even placing. This was all about a good first experience. She'd gotten some good trotting (well, jogging) and a decent canter (well, lope) behind her, as well as having fielded a number of questions about her mule when her number was called. "Time to shine, girl," she murmured, praying to heaven and hell Sassy didn't kick up a fuss when she was alone.
Beginner - Rae Carrigan on Sassafrass Shenanigans
Though the test itself was pretty straightforward and, dare she think it, easy, it was something that was new to both herself and her mount, and while she could trust Shiloh blindly, that wasn't the case with Sassy. Not yet - she had high hopes for the mule, even in the show ring, even if the mule was balking at the entrance gate. "Let me," she nearly ordered the ring official who was trying to be helpful - but a stranger so near her head was not something her formerly feral mule really appreciated. She planted her hooves deep into the sand, almost sitting down before she finally flicked her rather oversized ears back, listening to Rae's quiet reassurances before she leaped over the threshold as if it were a five foot high oxer set on fire. It was a stark reminder to Rae why she preferred jumping saddles above all else, as the horn poked rather harshly into her stomach, but she remained seated nonetheless, glad she wore her helmet, and with a smile that probably looked rather foolish considering her explosive entry, cued her mule into a trot. No, into a jog. Given that her trot was comfortable, the saddle fitted well, and the mule was mature and well-balanced she sat it out, pretending nothing at all had happened. She did take her time getting to the A, waiting for Sassy to relax again. Not that she had that much time, but she was at least a little amenable to listening to cues.
Good enough.
The whole Enter working jog, X halt salute was close enough to a regular test, except that a few steps of walking were allowed. Sassy wasn't quite her confident self, not yet, but she followed Rae's cues well enough, stopping in a halt that was far from square, but at least rock solid as she waited for another cue. Rae saluted swiftly, picking up her reins again before cueing another trot jog. At C, she turned right, only a little wobbly before changing reins again at B-E. The corner was a little sloppy, but she got Sassy straightened out (and paying attention) in time to ride a nearly perfectly round twenty meter circle. Well, eighteen meter, before she sat down and pressed her calves to Sassy's sides, asking for a canter lope. There was a tiny, tiny buck accompanying the transition, but she didn't mind. She repeated the circle, now in a lope, sticking to the track she had laid before, sitting deep and heavy and leaning back a little as they neared the A again. Once out of the corner she repeated that little trick, slowing Sassy down back to a walk. At B, she moved off of the rail, aiming diagonally towards the corner as she gave Sassy a bit more freedom to lenghten her walk a little, swinging easily through her body. Her mind may not be all there yet for this kind of adventures, physically she was in the best shape of her life.
As she picked up the reins again, bringing her back into a somewhat less open and forward stride, she took a deep breath as she cued another trot jog, putting the palomino mule on another twenty meter circle, sitting out the trot until a few strides before the C, where the pair transitioned into a canter lope with an almost invisible cue. At this point, Rae's smile had turned into something far more genuine and relaxed, and she was completely at ease as they completed another round of the circle. Slowing down to a jog again went a little haphazardly, the mule thinking that a gallop down the long side might be quite fun as well - thankfully she managed to half-halt well enough to get Sassy back into a trot jog, if a few steps too late. She held her tongue as she turned the corner, went onto the centerline and halted at X, saluting with a bright, bright smile. She let the reins slip until the very end, letting Sassy pick her own way to the exit, too busy rubbing and patting the mule's neck to show her appreciation and pride. Admittedly, she'd overlooked the minor issue of how they had entered the arena for a moment, and thus was rather surprised when the mare decided that the line was still quite a bit like fire and leaped over it again. Rae grunted, rather displeased, although at least she'd managed to avoid the damn horn this time. "Clearly you need a bigger challenge, Sass," she muttered a little beligerently, intend on letting the mule cool down in the warm up ring for a bit before she had to go get Shiloh to do the same test.
Tag: ?? || Black jeans, Ariat Sport riding boots beneath her pants, teal button down, black gilet, helmet. Tack is an Australian stock saddle with horn & fender, black, black mule bridle with low port double broken curb bit and this pad. || NOTES: Given they're new to it, beginner level, I used WDAA basic level test 1 ^^
Frankly, Rae had forgotten how stressful show days could be. She was seriously reconsidering her idea to also give barrel racing a shot. She definitely wanted to get Shiloh out there for a spin; the mare had only known the frankly enormous arena back in Kentucky and the open plains of the Texan ranch she'd grown up on. Frankly, the minor roadtrip had been enough of a mindfuck for the mare, but she'd adjusted admirably. The break at Foxtail Meadow had done her quite a lot of good, too. Shiloh had finally put on some weight and her coat was shining again. Frankly, the brindle had never looked so good, and though she wasn't necessarily the most confident yet, she was eager to try her heart out.
So yeah, she'd brought the mare, and walked her around a bit earlier in the day, and now she saddled her. There was the usual surge of pride at how easily the mare accepted the tack, and the sight of the Road to the Horse 2018 saddle, intricately tooled and decorated and standing out quite sharply against the tan black and teal saddle pad. For Shiloh, she had opted bitless, having picked up a pencil bosal to use today. Her smile grew at the sight of the uniquely coloured Quarter horse, rather laid back despite how busy her surroundings were. "Yeah, you've got a great future ahead," Rae agreed with herself as she led the mare towards the warm-up ring, waving at a few vaguely familiar faces. The same ones who had commented on her mule not too long ago also expressed their compliments about the brindle Quarter, delaying Rae a little in her planned warm-up, but then again, she hadn't worked out anything quite that detailed. She didn't mind a bit of chatter in between; it broke up the monotony of tacking up, warming up, doing the test, cooling down, putting the horse back on the truck, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.
She couldn't quite indefinitely postpone showtime either, though, and sooner rather than later her name was called.
BEGINNER - Rae Carrigan on Pride's My Sin
For the first time today she entered the ring completely relaxed, reins hanging loosely, shoulders low, smile in place. Shiloh's walk was smooth and efficient, her ears pricked forward with interest but swivelling back to Rae every now and then as a sign of attention, her head held in just the right position, even when Rae gave the cue for a trot. Having ridden the test not that long ago, it was fairly easy to remember. Enter at A, working jog, working walk before X, halt at X, salute she mentally recited even as she did it, taking her time to do the salute. Shiloh wasn't going anywhere.
Without much of a postural change Shiloh sped up to a jog, down the centerline until Rae asked her to turn right at the end, letting her follow the rail until a little before B, where she turned and headed straight across the ring, turning left when she was at the E, making sure to guide Shiloh with her weight and legs through the corners to make sure she didn't lose her stride or her balance. The mare was behaving perfectly so far, and Rae felt herself relax and grow even more confident. They had this. Smiling, she moved her hand a little to the side, a slight bit of reinforcement to the cues she was giving with her body to get the mare onto a twenty meter circle at the A. Once they had nearly completed the circle, she leaned forward a little and pressed her calves to the mare's side, prompting a transition to the lope. The smooth, flat strides covered the ground quite well, and though this particular bend wasn't her favourite she also didn't take the corners square, as it were. Progress even at a show, she couldn't be prouder.
Going back to the jog and then a walk went flawless, the mare paying keen attention as Rae cued a change of reins across a short diagonal, letting her stretch both legs and neck until they were on the other side, now mirroring the earlier exercise at C - first the twenty meter circle in a working jog, then a lope. Rae had to struggle not to praise Shiloh out loud as she took her back to a jog, then a walk, and finally a mostly square halt and salute.
As she exited the ring, reins barely held, her bearing was proud and satisfied, mirroring her feelings. This had been a damn good day.
Tag: ?? || Same outfit as above, same saddle pad, bosal, ornate western saddle & breastplate || NOTES:
Welcome to Choteau, Montana, in 2018. What was once only a small city focused on fossils, has now started to turn into an equestrian mecca. Everyone still knows everyone, so the question remains, what will you become? 
