taking the green away:::OPEN

[booster]

Parking his truck and trailer in a space near the track stables, Erik shut off his truck. He jumped out wearing blue and white racing silks. He went to the trailer. Lowering the ramp he lead a beautiful grey thoroughbred gelding down the ramp. He tied the gelding to the side of the trailer. He removed the blue blanket and folded it. He placed it in the bed of his truck. He checked the racing tack to be sure that it was still on right. He bent to remove the travel boots. Then put them with the blanket.

He bent again next to Silver Jet to check his legs before getting ready for a nice and good workout on the track. He straightened up to walk to his truck to get his goggles, gloves, whip and helmet. He glanced around wondering if he was really the only one here to work his horse before the upcoming races.

[coraline]

april grinned excitedly as the horse box came into view, he was finally here! she jogged over, her boots clicking on the hard surface she was on. as a man hopped out of the truck she greeted him with a quick hug, smiling at him quickly, "great to see you again jon! so where's my baby boy?!" she half sprinted round to the back of the huge box, wondering when they bought such a beast down on her grampa's ranch. when she reached the back the ramp was just being lowered down, april stood on her tip toes to see inside. and there he was, turning around was her beautiful black boy. a wide grin popped up on her face as she moved towards him. his onyx ears flickered towards her as she cooed at him, clicking him forward. he slipped out of the box perfectly, his walk down the ramp amazing. the colt quickly began to tug on the lead rope, obviously remembering who april was. she'd fed him from a bottle when his mother passed after giving birth to him and ever since they had been inseparable. well, obviously until she moved. walking slowly towards him she held out a hand, but he thrust his head into her body and she hugged him while laughing, "i'm gonna have to teach you some manners mister!" she'd never named him, because she thought her grampa would've sold him once she moved. but he didn't and she decided she wanted him with her. patting the thoroughbreds neck she glanced over him and noticed another horse being led out of the truck.

pulling away from her boy she walked over to it an stroked its nose before asking, "and what's this one doing here?" she didn't want another horse! bruiser and this colt would be a handful as it was. jon, who had followed her round to the back, chuckled, "old joe figured you wouldn't want this baby, so he said to tell you to sell her and keep the money." april stood wide eyed, not really believing what she was hearing. the thoroughbred mare was gorgeous, her body in perfect form and her eyes alert and taking everything in. she was a little older than the black colt, nearly five years old to be exact, but she looked so experienced and amazing. april desperately wanted to keep her already, but she knew it was impossible. sighing she patted the mares chestnut neck and frowned, "whats her name? is she good on the track?" jon smiled and told april the mares name was 'lively lookin' luck' and he explained she was amazing on the track. just as april had thought. grinning at jon she asked him to saddle both the horses up, but take the reins off the colts bridle. she ran off to her car to grab her gear, grinning all the way.

~~

sitting on the mare she felt small. she wasn't a jockey, she was a little too tall, but even this mare made her feel tiny. she was a whopping 17 hands, but a perfect ride. just before she took the colt with her she dismounted and asked for someone to walk him up and down for her. watching him carefully she saw how beautiful he had become and how gracefully he moved, he was estimated to make 16.3 hands, though april doubted he'd make it for he was 16.1 now. she figured he'd be 16.2. frowning she called out, still focusing on the colt, "what happened to his back leg?" he wasn't limping at all, but she could see there was no coat and just his skin, a scar had formed. jon quickly explained he'd caught it on a piece of metal a few months ago, but it was all fine. nodding slowly april carried on frowning, not at all pleased by the new imperfection. but he was still perfect to her and she called over for someone to put his saddle back on.

clicking the line onto her own saddle she smiled, she was going to ride the mare today and see if the colt matched up to her at all. she clicked her tongue once and the mare trotted forward, her strides long and powerful as she did so. she was going to canter around the track once, then go back to the truck and check the colt over before working him at gallop. a quick, light nudge on the side and the mare was off, desperate to gallop but restraining herself to a canter. the mare was good, very good. she cooed softly as she scratched her fiery neck, "you're rather good lucky, too good almost." grinning she looked back at the black colt, who's head was just by her foot. he was keeping up well so far, seeing as lucky's stride was so long and graceful, she covered ground well. when they were on the last furlong april slowed them down and turned them to go off the track. once they were held by jon and another stable hand april hopped off the large mare and landed with a light thud. tying her hair back she grinned, "lucky's amazing, you're right. and the colt seemed to be following really well." smiling she walked off quickly to her car, only to notice someone else there with their own thoroughbred. it was a gorgeous grey, she was jealous already. everyone thought that her colt would become a dapple grey, but he stayed pitch black. but she couldn't complain, for she had a soft spot for the black horses. smiling she walked over slowly and lent against his car,"pretty nice grey you got there."

[sorry its so long, i guess it was when the colt arrived etc, the others will be alooooot shorted. lol.]

[coraline]

posted.

[booster]

Erik patted Silver Jet's neck gently. "Thanks, he's a pretty fast horse too" he said. He stood up straight and looked to her. Silver Jet seemed to be enjoying the little attention he was getting. He snorted and slammed his front left hoof into the cement under him. He wanted to run. Erik carefully and easily placed an orange thin blanket on the gelding's back. He then placed his almost brand-new looking racing saddle onto the now jumpy gelding. He tightened the grith and patted the horse's shoulder. "His name is Silver Jet by the way. Mine is Erik" he said.

Silver Jet heard his name. He pawed the ground and tossed his head and whinnied happily. His ears were forward with interest. He then nudged the seventeen year old jockey slightly. Erik rubbed the gelding's nose for him and sighed. He easily pulled his racing gloves, helmet and goggles on. He tightened his gloves before taking his whip into his hand. Silver Jet was as ready as ever. But, for some reason Erik wasn't going to be testing his gelding today.

A jockey walked up and untied the jumpy gelding. Silver Jet snorted and half reared when the unknown jockey mounted him. Erik held the leather lead line and rubbed the gelding's forehead. "I saw that black colt of yours following a mare. He looks almost fast enough to beat my gelding around the track" he said.

[coraline]

april smiled, nodding in reply. the gray looked like a good runner, he was very keen to start on the track. april scratched the horses muzzle affectionately, quickly flicking her eyes over his whole body. he'd got a nice shape too. turning her attention back to the man she grinned as he spoke again. ah, so this was erik and his colt. "ah erik, we meet at last!" she winked as she chuckled a little, watching him closely before speaking again, "i'm april, we spoke online?" she smiled softly, knowing she was a bit out of it when she spoke to him. she'd had a couple of drinks the evening, thats all she was gonna agree to. april watched as the gelding got a bit restless, obviously itching to get going on the track. smiling she was about to speak when erik mentioned her colt. she grinned at the praise, the colt had only been here an hour and already someone had noticed him. beaming she spoke once more, "ah he's my baby, the one i was telling you about," she paused, glancing over her shoulder at where the mare and colt were being checked over, she wanted desperately to gallop around the track on the chestnut, with her black colt in tow. she'd yet to see him at top speed, but her grampa had said he couldn't half move around the paddock. smiling to herself she turned back to erik, "the chestnut's for sale, though i'd give anything to keep her. they both came from my grampa's ranch, i bottle fed the colt when he was just a baby. we're close, real close." she smiled at the memories, thinking back a few years when she hadn't a care in the world. she figured erik wanted to get going, seeing as his own thoroughbred was going mental, so she turned to go, "i'm about to gallop the two of them around the track, see if the colt can keep up. lucky's got a powerful stride, she can go real fast. i'll let you get on with your own colt." grinning back at him she started to make her way over to the pair of horses, desperate to get on that chestnut and gallop.

[booster]

Erik sighed. He remembered now. "Do you have anyone riding your colt. I've got someone else riding my gelding on the track for me. I bet I could get your colt to a higher speed if he hasn't been at top speed yet" he said. He took the lead line off his gelding and patted his shoulder. He told the jokcy on his horse to take him for his workout. The jockey on Silver Jet got the gelding to walk to the track to get on it. Erik knew for a fact that online he had said that he would test out her colt for her. He hoped that she remembered that. Silver Jet crow hopped once on the track. The jockey on the grey thoroughbred got him to trot a bit before getting into a gate. He waited and hoped she needed someone to ride her colt.

[coraline]

as erik spoke again april grinned, glad that he remembered their conversation. turning back to face him she watched as a jockey led the gray away, she patted him on his shoulder as he passed her. turning back towards where her two horses were she headed over, watching as the colt shook his head at her arrival. grinning she unfastened the line and let jon know what was going on, jon nodded and set about taking off the line from the chestnuts saddle. hopping onto lucky april patted her neck as her feet were placed in the stirrups, the reins of the black thoroughbred in her other hand. clicking her tongue the chestnut mare moved forward into a walk and the three of the headed back over to erik. easing the reins back slowly lucky came to a halt and april smiled down at erik, "here you go." she let the reins dangle down from the colts bridle as she dropped them, figuring erik would pick them up. the black colt stood silently, eyeing erik before pushing his nose into his chest. april grinned, "enough with the hello's you silly colt, you need to be galloped." smiling she turned the chestnut mare around so she faced the track, "he hasn't got a training program at all, i'm not fussed what you do with him really. you could just gallop him around and try and see what his top speed is." before trotting off toward the track april turned around in her seat, "no need to use a crop on him, i've heard he responds to your leg or words pretty nicely." grinning she nudged the mares sides and trotted towards the track again.

[booster]

Erik smiled. He tossed his crop back to his truck. He put the reins over the colt's neck and mounted. He patted the colt's neck gently. "Alright, let's go onto the track to see how fast we can get you going" he said. He got his feet into the stirrups and held the reins the way he normally would. He looked ahead to see his gelding still in the gates. He knew now he had to keep a close eye on his own horse and the one under neath him now. He grinned and used his feet to ask the colt to walk on to the track.


OOC: sorry for the shortness. i'm running low on muse for Erik.

[coraline]

once april was on the track with lucky she turned the mare around to watch the colt for a minute. she watched as the pair headed towards the track, her smile for her black colt. erik was doing her a huge favour, so she let the smile be for him to. he was a sweet boy, though he did need to learn to socialise outside of the race track. grinning she nudged the chestnut's sides and the mare turned on the track to get ready to gallop. they trotted for half a furlong, then quickly sped to a canter. after cantering a furlong april grinned and whispered to the mare, "come on girl, show me what you got!" clicking her tongue she leaned forward, not needed to nudge the sides of the mare for she lurched gracefully into a gallop, her speed slowly quickening until she was at her top speed. or so april thought. they galloped the whole track, april grinning and occasionally laughing now and then. she hadn't been on a thoroughbred in a few years and it truly felt great to be on such a wonderful horse. she was sad she'd have to sell her, but she was sure she'd see her around the track in the near future.

[booster]

Erik smiled slightly. He got into a postion hoping the colt would know what to do. " Come on boy. Show me the speed you have in you. I know your fast" he said. He glanced to see Silver Jet now exit the gates. The grey gelding was in a full out gallop for the first turn. Silver Jet moved faster each time he got tapped with the crop. Erik put his goggles down and hoped that this colt was faster than his gelding seemed to be. He knew how to gain control over the colt if he took to a too fast a speed. The jockey on Silver Jet kept hitting the gelding with the crop. Silver Jet now had passed April and the mare.

[coraline]

april slowed the mare a little when erik's gelding silver jet over took them, a look of surprise on her face. april realised she wasn't actually going that fast and occasionally the mare would tug on the reins as if to say, 'what are you waiting for?' grinning april nudged the chestnut's sides and lucky immediately took off. her stride lengthened and her head bobbed up and down quicker. the power behind each and every stride propelled her forward faster and faster, the mare still hadn't reached her top speed. speeding down the long side lucky was soon catching up with silver jet, april grinned "come on girl, who cares if you're a few years older, you're still better than them!" laughing april leaned even more out of her seat, indicating for the mare to go for it. and she did. she flew past silver jet in a few long strides, then flew around the corner and down the long side once again. april grinned as she passed her own black colt, flicking her head around to watch erik for a moment or two, before focusing on galloping once more.

ew short.

[booster]

Erik held onto both the reins and a bit of mane now. He used his legs asking the black colt for a bit more speed. He wanted to get the colt at top speed to prove that he was a good jockey. He glanced under his left arm to look back at Silver Jet. The grey gelding was speeding up to a much faster pace. Now, he knew the jockey on his gelding was getting the horse to go at top speed now. This was how that jockey and Erik worked horses on the track. They let the horses go all out then gradually pull them into the pace the other horses go at around them. But, they hold them back in races not during practice or training sessons.

[coraline]

as the chestnut mare slowed ever so slightly april knew it was time to call it quits. she eased the reins back softly, knowing that the mare needed a light hand due to her soft mouth. lucky willingly slowed to a slow trot and april patted her neck affectionatly. they'd only been together just over an hour but already april knew she was going to miss this mare when she was sold. smiling softly she losened the reins and let the chestnut go at her own pace around the middle of the track. as silver jet passed her lucky broke into a gallop, but april slowed her to a canter, not wanting her to go too far. she'd been in that box for a few hours and she hadn't exactly had a long warm up. but she seemed fine and was still eager to get going. slowing her to a trot april turned in her seat to watch the colt gallop behind her. holding the reins back on the mare she smiled as he passed, watching how fast he was going. it was pretty fast, but not his best, even april knew that.

[booster]

Erik knew what to do to get the colt to do his best. "Come on boy. Let's impress your owner. Let's show her how fast you can go. Do your best. Your doing great" he said to the colt. He used his legs to try and nudge the colt to go faster. Silver Jet slowed to be right next to the colt. The grey gelding snorted. The jockey on the grey looked to Erik and nodded. Erik nodded back knowing that the gelding was doing his top speed for the fun of it. The jockey on Silver Jet got the gelding to speed up and get back infront of the colt. "Alright boy. That grey gelding just passed you again. Try and gain on him. You can get past him. Just don't hold back anymore" he said to the colt. He laid himself down more on the colt's neck trying to erge him to gallop faster.

[coraline]

"easy girl, easy," april murmured to the mare as she got a little too excited about the gelding racing around the track. april decided she'd better get her off the track before she tried to do anything stupid. nudging the sides of the chestnut she smiled, "one last go now, okay?" april was grinning as the mare plunged into a gallop, though april wouldn't allow her to go at her top speed, that was too fast for now. galloping around the last corner april noticed erik talking to her colt, she smiled and slowed lucky down as she turned her to come off the track. patting her neck she turned her to face the track again, positioning her behind the bars. "what do you think of these two girl?" she laughed as she snorted and tossed her head, then focused on watching her black colt. silver jet was lined up next to him as they both galloped, a silent conversation going on between the two riders. as silver jet sped past the colt again april watched as he sped up, obviously determined to beat the competition. he must of gotten a good look at the gray thoroughbred and realised he wasn't going fast enough. her smile slowly faded away as she concentrated on her colt, who still needed a name.