g.reener p.astures.

[Cole Green]

cole, unprepared for the direction change, had looked away for a second, then, once he looked back, found jackie to not be there. eyebrows raised a bit, he looked over his shoulder, then laughed.

are you honestly trying to ditch me already? he joked as he pressed his legs into the paint's side and turned him around. cole pressed his legs against the paint's barrel, sitting the trot a few strides to catch up to tequila and jackie. at the same time, cole has spoke, and here i was thinking that we where getting along. he smiled, which was an obvious sign that he enjoyed someone's company. he was really one to keep to himself, so this was sort of a rare occasion: him being talkative, and himself, really, with jackie having only known her not even an hour. patch fell back into a walk.

where did i come from? cole spoke to himself, then, more pronounced, answered jackie's question, looking up and at her as he did, i'm from ohio: the land of nothing, but originally, i'm from montreal, canada. and as he announced his birth place, cole then said, releasing his small french accent over his english at the same time, hence the accent. cole, and his sister ryan, both are great at hiding their french accents from the people around them. in canada their entire family had spoken both english and french, so cole was fluent in both languages.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie listened with a small grin on her face as she heard cole asking if she was ditching him already, she couldn't help but laugh. Nooo..... Jackie said with a funny suspicious smile on her face coaxing Tequila towards the gate. Then pulling her up and halting her while she waited for Cole and patch to catch up along side the two of them. When they did she smiled and said; No, of course I'm not ditching you.

She the listened to Cole explained about where he was from, before he'd come here to canterbury. He said he was from Ohio, Jackie and her family lived in Arizona- and never really traveled to the eastern part of the united states much, except for a visit once to Chicago; but thats about. Canada, hmm? She never been out of the united states either, ha. And cole had been all over the place.

When he mentioned living in Canada hence why he had the accent, she hadn't even really notice his accent until he mentioned it; then she replied with- Well don't you know all girls love guys with accents, she said with a laugh and smile on her face. One of her few female friends from back home had always obsessed about wanting to date a guy who had an accent.

[Cole Green]

cole smirked, i just think that it sounds weird, that's all. i've got no problem with the ladies liking it. he had once more gone back to concealing his accent beneath his tones. in all honesty, people tended to pay more attention to him for having an accent, and he didn't like that. he defiantly didn't want people talking to him because of how his voice sounded. he wanted people to talk to him because they where interested in who he was as a person, now how he spoke.

cole halted the gelding next to tequila, who didn't object to the lack of movement. patch's head fell down to relieve an itch, and cole gave him the entire rein so that he could do so. with a sigh, cole sat high in his saddle and watched jackie for a moment, then asked, so, where are your roots at? as he asked this, his feet slipped from the sturrips and fell behind his mount's shoulders. patch raised his head once more, allowing cole to drop the buckle of his reins just in front of the gelding's withers. the teen's short finger nails began to make small scratching motions on both direct sides of the horse's withers. patch grunted within the first second; which showed how much he enjoyed this pampering, just like his old horses had.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

After Jackie saw that patch had relived his itch, Jackie moved Tequila up slightly into an easy calm walk, that patch would be able to keep pace with. Jackie was truly have a fun time out here today with cole and the horses. As she heard Cole then ask her where her roots were from, she leaned forward on tequila's neck and patted the mare lovingly before answering his question. Well- I've lived all sixteen years of my life in the hot, dry air of Arizona, she said with a laugh. She did love Arizona it's all she know her whole life, but at times it just got to hot, and she hated it when it was too hot and she could'nt go out and work the horses.

So, do you have any other hobbies; besides riding? Jackie asked him as they continued to walk the horses around the ring. Although Jackie's absolute main passion was horseback riding; she was quite a creative girl and loved to draw, but also something very few people know about her, is that she loves to read. Even though at times she may seem like a tough girl on the outside; she never passes up the chance to see inside every once in awhile to read a good book.

[Cole Green]

cole chuckled, i've never even been down south, let alone to arizona. it looks pretty cool, though. the teen coaxed his horse into an easy walk, although tequila and jackie remained ahead of them, which cole thought would be okay. his horse would work in a few minutes, after they where done talking. he might as well give him the illusion of doing no work for the time being. when he was asked for his hobbies, cole didn't hesitate to jump in and state the things that he loved, besides horses. i'm into photography. i take my camera, one of those big ones, cole spoke in simpler terms instead of invading her mind with professional camera terms. and at the same time, he gestured with his hands, determining the size roughly for her. his gelding was only moving forward because of the leg he had applied onto patch's barrel, the reins fell on the gelding's neck. but other than that, i love all types of art, writing, and i can appreciate a good book. he smiled faintly, how about you?

as he finished speaking by asking her a question, cole pushed the gelding beneath him over, and asked for a small trot. the gelding barely picked up his feet, and was able to even keep pace with the mare next to him as he slowly jogged along.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie pulled her feet from her stirrup irons for a moment stretching her legs out, then placing her foot back in the iron and setting her heels down where they should be. She listened closely as cole talked about his other intrests, as he finished speaking of his photography she added; really? thats awesome; I've always been in such awe at how well some people can take pictures, she said with a smile. Then cole added that he loved art too, and he appreciated a good book- jackie couldn't help but smile then add with a raised eyebrow; are you a mind reader or something? should I be worried? she said trying to hold back a laugh. You probably can't tell from just looking at me, but I love to read; any time i'm not out with the horses, I'm usually reading, she said smiling at cole.

Jackie that fixed Tequila's mane and set all of it on one said like it was suppose to be, then she turned to cole and added; I don't know about you but I better get this mare working, before she gets to lazy- she said smiling and looking at patch too- who could definitely use a little bit of work too; he definitely seemed like quite a lazy pony. After letting cole know that she was going to go ahead and do some more work with her mare, Jackie eased Tequila up into a nice working trot; and began to posting easily on her back.

[Cole Green]

cole had been looking down as jackie spoke, but had glanced up during her speech just so that she knew he was listening. because he was. he was interested in her, and what she liked, and didn't like. even though he was yet to figure out her dislikes. she, too, seemed to be interested in him. the signs where good for a potential friendship. they shared common interests, and had both opened up a pretty good deal for each other in just the first thirty minutes of knowing each other even existed on this planet.

okay, sounds good. cole didn't reply to what jackie had said, but instead lifted his feet back into his sturrips and collected a bit of the reins. pushing his heels into the paint's barrel, the teen clucked his tongue and got the gelding to pick his feet up and push his weight forward. cole pushed his outside leg into patch's side, beginning to circle him once more, and using the single jump, a small oxer of about two and a half feet as the center. after completing the circle twice, cole side passed him from the quarter mark back onto the rail.

patch was beginning to pick his head up, and cole was able to collect more and more rein, keeping them taught so that he could have a good feel on the paint's mouth. as the went into the corner, cole sat down and kissed, squeezing his legs against the barrel of the gelding in the appropriate fashion. patch leapt into the canter, even achieving the correct lead. bon garçon, cole praised in french, rewarding the gelding by giving him a bit more of the rein back.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie nodded slightly towards cole as she heard his last few words, they continued on the rail with Tequila and kept working her in a post trot. Then after moving through the far curve of the arena, Jackie sat deep in her saddle and asking with her outside leg she moved the mare up into the canter. Unfortunately she didn't have the most comfortable canter, guess that's what you get- either a horse with an amazing trot and uncomfy canter- or a bouncy trot and a wonderful canter. Tequila seemend to definitely be the first choice great trot, bad canter. So in results to fix the problem Jackie sunk into her heel and pushed up into an easy two point postion and canter easily around the ring.

After cole had circled with the paint gelding, and when the center of the ring was clear Jackie took Tequila through the diagonal at the canter, and pushed her right leg back and flicked her rein gently, coaxing her into a flying lead change, hoping that Tequila knew how to do them first off. The mare swished her tail and attempted the change but didn't get it. Tequila then became frustrated and picked up her pace. Jackie sat in her saddle a few strides and steadied the mare. Then moved acorss the diagonal again asking for the change and the mare succesfully got it this time. She closed her fingers on the reins, and moved her down to walk and let her walk out on a long rein. She patted the mare's neck and praised her for working hard today- she would jump Tequila next time she rode her. Good girl, she cooed to her softly.

[Cole Green]

the gelding's canter was decent. cole was happy to see that patch remained at the same pace around the ring, occasionally slowing in a corner, but not attempting to race. he tended to become frustrated when horses raced constantly, and was very pleased to see that patch was not one of those horses. cole asked for a downward transition. patch's pace slowed steadily. a barn cat dashed across the gelding's path as he passed the arena gate, and patch spooked. bolting forward, he pulled the reins from between cole's bare fingers and sent two enormous bucks up behind him. thankfully, cole had been granted a few seconds to collect himself before the gelding's small episode, otherwise he would have surely been in the dirt. leaning back, cole was easily able to bring the gelding back down to a trot, and he circled him into the area near to the gate. once the gelding noted that the cat wasn't going to eat him, and that the gate was not a cat vending machine, cole let him break down into a walk. glancing across the ring to look at jackie, cole laughed, did you see him? what a sorry loser. cole leaned forward and patted the gelding's neck. bon garçon, patch, cole whispered to the listening ears of the paint horse. after that, cole decided to not push his luck. he would save jumping for another day. glancing down now at his own fingers, he saw that they where red from patch ripping the braided reins through them. damnit.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie was done for the day with Tequila, the pretty bay mare had done a good job and she'd proven herself that she was a hardworker, and was done what she was told too. Jackie's main attention was focused down upon Tequila besides a few ocassional glances over to patch and Cole. But before she knew it; she heard pouding hoofbeats along the arena dirt. She turned to see that patch was bolting beneath cole, and then threw to powerful bucks. She was glad to see that Cole easily brought the gelding back, and didn't end up in the dirt.

As Cole slowed the gelding up, Jackie moved Tequila into pace along side of the other pair. As Cole asked if she'd seen that, she just shook her head and laughed gently. I would never have imangined that horse could throw powerful bucks and bolt like that. at least you stayed on! she said to cole with a small grin, then looking down at patch, who now seemed lazy. She heard cole swear under his breath and saw that his hands were red from having the reins tugged through them by patch. She hated when that happened, there had been numerous occasions in her riding career where she get done riding and have torn up hands and blisters and what not.

I think as soon as I walk her out a little more, I'm gonna head back into the barn- I'll jump her next time I ride. She told cole as she patted the mare's warm neck.

[Cole Green]

cole looked over at jackie as she spoke, yeah, he's, cole bent over and ran his hand down into the middle of the gelding's chest, he was warm, in need of a cool down, too. cole allowed patch to stretch his neck out, but didn't let him move at his own pace. keeping his leg on, patch matched tequila's stride. cole looked over at jackie, i think that this lazy pony is in need of a reality check. cole smiled as he looked away, glancing down at the paint's head, which was low, for his neck was level with his withers. cole had a feeling that patch was capable of much more than he showed people. hell, he knew it, and so did jackie, from what he had displayed tonight over a mere cat.

so, we defiantly need to hang out. cole threw it out there casually as he glanced back over to the girl next to him.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie laughed gently as cole said that his lazy pony needed a reality check, she couldn't help but smile. After walking the horses another time around, jackie brought Tequila into the middle of the ring and laid her reins at the buckle on the mare's withers. She leaned down and patted the mare's neck once more, before swinging her right leg over and dismounting the mare. She ran both stirrups up and loosen her girth a few holes.

When she heard cole say we definitely need to hang out, She smiled and looked over at him then responded with Absolutely, she was really glad that she made a friend at Canterbury already.

[Cole Green]

nudging the gelding away from the rail, they followed jackie and tequila into the center of the ring. cole remained perched in his saddle after the girl next to him had dismounted, doing some absent-minded thinking, and also trying to delay the end of the riding session. during this time, from the moment when his feet hit the gravel outside the barn, to the moment just after he slid the heavy wooden doors shut behind him, were always the happiest and most enjoyed of his entire day. finally, after a few moments of silence, cole emitted an exasperated sigh, pulling his leg over the hind quarters of the gelding beneath him. cole lay across the seat of his saddle on his stomach for a few seconds, his hands pressed against the leather saddle and holding his chest up, staring at jackie with a blank expression. what are you doing, ah, i don't know, after this? cole was itching to explore the campus, and the area which surrounded it.

cole let himself slide from the saddle, his feet touching down on the hard ground softly, but still aching mildly from the sudden impact. wincing gently, he rolled up his sturrip and tended to loosen patch's girth two holes. as the teen dipped beneath his paint's neck, he glanced at jackie, then tended to his other sturrip.

[jackie .mae. ellison]

Jackie scartched the mare's forehead just under her forelock, and then proceded in pulling the reins over the mare's head. She watched as cole dismounted and fixed his stirrup irons, and then adjusted patch's girth. She stood at the mare's shoulder and listened as cole asked if she was doing anything after this. Well, let me check my schedule- I'll see if I can fit you in, she teased with a small smile on her face. Then she added, No- I'm not doing anything after. Maybe you wanna grab a bite to eat or something? She asked glancing from Tequila back to cole.

As she saw Cole was finished, she began to lead the mare towards the gate to head back to the barn, she pushed the gate open and held it there waiting for Cole and his lazy pony Patch.

[Cole Green]

food hit home in the center of cole's mind, and he instantly craved a good deli-style sandwich. yeah, that sounds great, actually. after that intense workout, you know, a guy has gotta re-fuel. there where obvious tones of sarcasm in his voice, and he emphasized the word intense. the ride had hardly really even been very working. the episode at the end, the part where patch freaked out, that hadn't even been all that exhausting. all though, he would be sure to run his scraped fingers under some soapy water before picking up a sandwich.

cole lead patch out, pausing to wait for jackie to latch the arena gate before tracking back into the barn.