where oh where has my bandito went

[[€.C.H.O] ♥]

R o x y

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I slipped from the passenger side of my dad's Dooley. Ugh, I hated that thing, but unfortunately my Mustang couldn't pull the two-horse trailer. I shut the door with haste and rushed to the back of the horse-trailer, blue eyes softening at the sight of my boy. Easy pretty boy, you'll be in your stall in a bit. I patted him gently across the side as I walked up beside dad. I guess this is goodbye. You see me and my dad have never had a great relationship, and honestly I was grateful to be able to board here. I quickly hugged him and listened as he spoke of all the things I should and shouldn't do, of course we both know these things were going in one ear and out the other. I nodded, a broad smile stretched across my mouth as I grabbed the red threaded lead rope. My hands were clasped tightly around the leadrope as I clipped it genuinely hesitantly to Bandit's halter, then motioned for dad to open the door, which he did accordingly.

Bandito backed out, and immediately dragged me a few feet, he was slick with sweat and his normal black shade was ten times darker. I could see he was anticipating something and I reached up with my callused hands and stroked him, Easy boy. I spoke in a soothing manner as I turned and began to pull on the lead rope, but to my surprise Bandit followed me. I stepped into the stable hall and sought out stall number 20, ahha there it was. Bandit was easing forth, side-stepping and doing anything else that could make my own job more difficult. I fumbled with the latch before finally the door eased open and I lead Bandit in, unlatching the rope and then quickly stepping back outside the door. See that wasn't so bad now was it? I crooned to him from across the stall door. He was still frantically pacing, but seemed to find my presence calming so I slid down in front of the door and waited, because with Bandit this would be a while.

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[jazz]

"The Saddle Club doesn't have anything on me."

Chris had been up since dawn.
It had been her normal routine ever since she had arrived at Desert Sun, fresh and ready for a new start. She would get up at 5:30 in the morning, get ready and immediately go out to the stable, and spend most of her day there with her best friend and companion, Dyre.
Today she had caught wind of a new person(and a horse) arriving at Desert Sun.. Whether it was a boy or girl, she didn't know but she was still excited and after her morning chores around the barn, she had taken Dyre out to the paddocks and lazed around for a while, spending her quality time with the lovable stag to waste time.
Now she walked back to the stables with his crown at her shoulder, the lead rope lain across his withers, not really needing it to make him follow. She mearly kept a hand softly under his chin, stroking the soft skin there, making his eyelids droop and his gait seem lazy. It always made her laugh to see him in such a state, and he would mearly snort, as if he knew he was more regal than she saw him.
Walking with her horse into the stables she spotted someone leaned up against stall 20; someone she did not recognize. She immediately perked and thought it lucky that the new girl seemed to have her horse stalled somewhere close to her own. Across the walkway, one stall down.
"Hey! You must be new! Hold on."
Chris said easily with a wave, opening Dyre's stall quickly and letting him inside, closing it right behind is long tail, before turning back to the girl. Moving a bit closer she crouched down her her level and held out her hand.
"Hi! I'm Christina. But everyone calls me Chris!"
She said before turning her head at the snort that sounded from the stall behind her, and the sound of a dagger banging lightly against wood. Dyre had his head as far out of the stall as he could tossing it to get her attention before pausing to look at her, as if wondering what she was doing.
"And that's Dyre.. don't mind him, he likes attention."
Chris added with a laugh, turning back to the girl, glancing up at the opening of the number 20 stall, curious about the new girl and her own horse, before looking back down to her.

[[€.C.H.O] ♥]

A lazy sigh filtered between Roxy's lips as Bandito was still making chaos in his stall. She leaned her head back against the door and was startled to find that Bandito was lipping curiously at her blonde ponytail. She giggled lightly and waved him away with her hand, his snorts were the only thing echoing through the stable hall until the familiar thudding of another horse became present. She lifted her eyelids seeing another girl and a rather large stud. Sitting erect with her elbows resting upon her knees she replied, Hi! A hesitant smile fell upon her as she watched intently the stud who seemed so much more calmer than Bandito. I craned around to watch Bandito, he was now neighing and rearing, banging his flint into the stall door with anticipation to go greet the newcomer. I reached up to shake her hand, but before I could speak her horse, Dyre, was begging for her attention again.

I stepped up, Hey, i'm Roxy. And this.. I turned my head to Bandit, Is Bandito. Bandito was now struggling to push down the door and I stroked him across the face, gently scratching beneath his chin, which seemed to make him stand still for the moment. His large eyes were focused on the other horse, ears firmly erect, and although he was still pressing against the door he was being still and had stopped being his normal rebellious self. Its nice to see some faces around here, I was beginning to think I was the only one. I added with a smile.

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[jazz]

Chris smiled and stood as Roxy did, taking in the large new stud whom had been dubbed Bandito, whom seemed a bit more restless in his new home.. Chris smiled at Roxy's last comment.
"Nice to meet you Roxy, Bandito.. Yeah, it can get pretty quiet around here when people are out.. That and it's the first of the year, so a lot of people haven't arrived yet."
She explained easily with a nod, reaching out her hand to Bandito's nose, not touching, so he could get more familiarized with her scent.
"Wow, he's very handsome, what's his breed?"
Chris asked before a protesting whinny sounded from behind her, and more pawing against wood could be heard. She couldn't help but to give a small smile.
Behind her, Dyre was still pressed eagerly against his stall door, audits fully focused on the newcomer. His crown tossed again and he snorted, following his whinny with a nicker of greeting. Would the new Stag be friend? Or foe? The meeting would be crucial to determine this fact.
Of course, if his filly and the newcomer's filly decided to become herd-mates, then it would be hard to get along with a foe, but he would have to, so being friends would be the easier choice. Audits flickered back and forth a moment, before focusing again, trying to catch hints of the conversation the two yearling's where having with one another.

[[€.C.H.O] ♥]

I nodded, a smile still plastered across my lips as I watched her present her scent to Bandito, who eagerly stuck his maw upon her hand, you could see in his expression that he was working on placing her scent deep in his memory, for i'm sure it would be one to remember. I laughed silghtly and then spoke, [bThank you, he is an Andalusian. My mom gave him to me for my 14th birthday, i've had him since he was able to walk.

[/b] I glanced back up and over to her own horse, he was odd in coloring and to say the least he intrigued me, And what about your jealous boy? I laughed a bit and leaned up against Bandito's stall door, he rested his crown gently upon my shoulder, giving up trying to fight me. Needless to say it was nice from his usual misfit demeanor.

Bandito returned the gesture of greeting, large mocha orbs locked on the other stags. The feeling of mutual friendship between my filly and his was easily recognizable and I knew that regardless of what me or the other stag desired, we would have to be companions. Perhaps it could work out for the better. I sniffed in my filly's ear, easing my cranium upon her shoulder easily.[/center][/size][/color]

[jazz]

Chris smiled at the mention of her jealous horse and after letting Bandito take in her scent she turned and looked to her own stud.
"He's a Frieclyd(Free-Cl-i-d). His dam was a Friesian, and his sire was a Clydesdale. I've had him since I was fifteen, he was three then.
She explained easily walking over the short few steps to stroke his velvety nose softly. He eagerly snuffled her palm and lipped her softly, taking in the scent of the other stag..
"He looks a beast, but he's really just a big teddy bear. So, does Bandito have any specialties in the ring? Or is he just a trail horse or what?"
She added after a moment turning to look at Roxy again with a smile. Her question was just curious, wanting to know what her friend could do. Maybe they could train together sometime, and even have friendly competitions every now and then.. It all sounded pretty fun..
Dyre seemed to neither agree nor disagree with this, as he watched his filly continue to interact with the other. The other stag seemed completely at ease, and friendly as well, and he took this as a good sign, and relaxed as well. His crown lowered and he began to lip and chew the hood of Chris' jacket, knowing that she often kept treats there, hidden from him. Of course, by now he had taken them all, and only the faint taste was left, but he liked to chew, and his favorite chew toys where Chris' clothing.
Today, because of the chill outside, and the slight chance of snow, she had worn her favorite black pull-over hoodie with the white embroidery of a fine Equine face with a long wavy forelock. The letters DEP where stationed at the bottom with lovely cursive stitching; this was outfitted with a pair of beige English riding pants(with darker brown inner thigh grips), and tall black riding boots.
Chris had planned to go out on a few trails today, and possibly try either a bit of Hunting(outside) or Jumping in the ring today. She wondered if Roxy would want to come too, it would give Bandito a chance to look around and for the two girls to get to know one another better.

[[€.C.H.O] ♥]

Roxy smiled affectionately at Bandit before directing her attention back towards Chris and then on over to her stud, Dyre. My he was a pretty one, unique. I nodded, Frieclyd, never heard of such but i'm glad I have now. I followed her over to Dyre's stall and lent my hand out for him to gather my scent. I laughed lightly, that was about like Bandito. I turned and looked back into Bandito's own stall, he had been guzzling the water when I had left, but was now making ruckuss again, knocking against the stall door. I looked back at Chris, Well if you haven't already noticed, he is young just a three year old. He has had soft training in basic Dressage and started in jumps, he has an acceptable form and is already making his way comfortably over 2', so now its just working on his nerves and flatwork. But he still has a way to go. And how about your big boy? This whole conservation was quite interesting, and by the looks of it me and Chris were making out to be pretty great companions, though only time would tell.

Bandito's appendages shuffled beneath him, carrying him back to the stall door he neighed in haste to get his filly back to where he could safely watch her. His deep visionaries were stuck to the other stag as his filly lifted out her hand, his muscles tensed, well definied beneath his sleek ebon coat, he would fight if the matter should come down to it. My instincts to protect were pushed into the shadows as the stag's interest turned to his own filly. Good. I stretched my long serpentine across the door, lipping the air in an attempt to get my filly back in safe range.

Roxy was outfitted in a pair of tan English riding pants, almost identical to Chris'. She had a Georgia Bulldogs hoodie stretched across her old stable sweater, with her tobogan stuffed into the hoodie pocket. Her tall black riding boots squeaked from the floor, but she was just fortunate that it was warm inside the stable. Her eyes darted from horse to horse, they held many similiarities, but also differences. Bandito's well defined muscles were easily visible, as the other stags were too. However Bandito was more lithe than Dyre. Roxy had an itching to go trail riding upon her arrival, and Bandito seemed he would do fine. Although she needed to get his training schedule back into play as soon as possible, it would be a little too much to put on him today. Though Bandito was a complete handful out on the trail she turned back to Chris, Care for a little trail riding?

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[jazz]

Chris listened to Roxy's description of Bandito's qualities in the ring, and nodded when appropriate, taking in what she said before being asked almost the same question.
She glanced to Dyre, whom had snuffled and lipped Roxy's hand gently, taking in her scent and storing it to memory. It would be a foolish thing to hurt the other stag's foal, for the fact that he had no reason to, and that it would disappoint his own filly to do so..
"Well, the Englishman I bought him from trained him mostly in Dressage, and a bit of jumping.. around 2' as well.. So when we brought him home I mostly worked him for dressage and such; but I saw him leap one of our 3 1/2 to 4' fences after a dog about four months later, so I started him on Show Jumping. He's pretty good, although I don't like to push him over too much, because of his size.. Right now I'm getting him out on Hunts and Cross Country courses, to see how he fares.. he's been doing good.. Leaps like he thinks he's a Thoroughbred or something."
Chris explained with a laugh, and Dyre pushed his muzzle against the side of her head, as if asking her what she was laughing about. Surely not him? For how could he be anything but regal and unlaughable? She gave him no answer, and mearly stroked his nose softly as his audits went to work, flickering back and forth before becoming still..
At Roxy's suggestion, Chris perked and gave a grin, giving an enthusiastic nod.
"I was planning on asking you the same thing. I would love to!"
She said and Dyre seemed to pick up on her excitement. He tossed his head and a smile formed upon his leathery black kissers as he pawed against his stall door again.