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candychronicles · 5 years ago

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deal // d. kaminari

A/N: My part in the soulmate au bnharem server collab!

CHARACTER PAIRING: Kaminari Denki x Reader

WORD COUNT: 2,187

WARNINGS: nothing that i can think of? just dumb, sweet fluff

SYNOPSIS: in a world full of heros and quirks, finding someone you can love is very, very hard. it’s even harder when you have a soulmate and the words that are tattooed on you are a nightmare. but still, even in this strange world, love finds a way.

TAGS: @jojosmilktea @redbeanteax

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Want to indulge in some more soulmate ideas? Head on over to the masterlist!

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in a world full of heros and quirks, finding someone you can love is very, very hard. everyone has the first words your soulmate will ever say to you tattooed on your body. there is not one size, placing or font. it just slowly develops into a full fledged sentence, like a birthmark, as you got older and were able to read more.

some people were absolutely desperate to find their soulmate. they would introduce themselves to as many people as possible, trying out different phrasings constantly. there was a whole app created that was dedicated to sharing your tattoo and trying to meet up with people that matched it. most people, however, believed that soulmates should and would come naturally.

when you were 7, your tattoo was finally developed, and you craned your neck in an attempt to see what was written down your spine. it took you quite a while to figure out the words due to your limited reading abilities and more so the fact that it was hard to read in the mirror. when you finally figured it out, you were absolutely dumbfounded.

“aah! stop! i could’ve dropped my croissant!”

what in the peanut butter fudge does that mean?

you decided that at 7 years old, it didn’t matter to you. it wasn’t until you were twelve that it was even brought back up again. a popular six second video platform went viral and, along with that, came the understanding of where your tattoo came from. suddenly, it was very, very scary, knowing how commonplace your tattoo phrase was.

your heart was broken one too many times by not finding your soulmate, despite hearing those very words over and over again from so many people. you had memorized vine after vine, trying out different ones each time, slowly giving up hope as you approached your 21st birthday. while the platform was dead, the creations made on the app were a forever reminder that you were still, in fact, alone.

on one particularly dark and gloomy afternoon, with heavy, overcast clouds, a thin drizzle of cold rain and a calming yet eerie fog settling onto the street, you walked into your secret, hidden to many, coffee shop, or at least it felt like that for you. you tended to see the same familiar faces, knew all the employees and always tried new things, wanting to support a local business.

you were lost in your own thought when a young man, most likely around your age, bumped into you, balancing precariously a plate with treats and a hot coffee.

“aah! stop! i could’ve dropped my croissant!” he screeched, moving his food and drink away from you, not wanting to spill any, especially on the pretty girl he just bumped into.

without missing a beat, you replied with your own vine reference in the most monotone voice you could muster: “you know what, i’m about to say it. i don’t care than you broke your elbow.”

you were so accustomed to replying to that reference, your brain working before you could even think, randomly grasping at the first memorization that came to mind. it came as a complete shock when the random stranger dropped his food and drink on the floor, mouth wide with a grin, eyes alight with excitement.

you cocked your head quizzically, still not understanding what was going on. at that point in your life, you had given up on finding your soulmate, but it became quite apparent to you that he did not believe the same things or feel the same way.

the strange guy with electric yellow hair and a black streak happily rolled up his shirt sleeve to show you that what you said to him was on his body and, in that moment, everything finally clicked. you had to grab the nearest wall just to wrap your head around the situation. this guy is your soulmate?

with shaky hands, you pulled him to the back game room, apologizing to the workers for the mess as you whisked past him. once you were in the room, you shut the door, breathed once, twice, three times, and then slowly lifted the back of your shirt up to show him the tattoo.

the strange man, without thinking about it, slowly reached his fingers up to the back of your spine, slowly tracing the letters of the words in mesmiration. you, on the other hand, were as still as could be, too entranced by the way his soft fingers felt dancing along your backside. goosebumps rose on your skin and you knew that there was no way to deny or argue the automatic attraction that you felt towards him.

it felt like lightning bolts were shooting out of his fingers, giving you just enough jolt to stay awake, your heart pounding from adrenaline. everything felt so surreal but you could feel that this was the start of something, something truly life changing.

slowly, you lowered your shirt, pulling your back away from his exploring fingers and turned around, looking him in the eye.

“what’s your name?” you whispered out, not trusting your voice to speak any louder at the moment.

“Kaminari Denki, but please, call me Denki,” he answered without skipping a beat, eyes brimming with excitement.

“and what’s yours doll?”

“(l/n) (y/n) but you can just call me (y/n). after all, we’re probably going to be spending quite a lot of time together.”

“while your here, why don’t you sit down with me and we can chat? i just met you but i’m so love struck already. i need to know more about you.”

the two of you ended up spending hours in the shop, stuffing your faces full of pastries and sweet drinks, playing board games, asking each other questions, shamelessly flirting all night. it came as no surprise to either of you that you two would like each other, but to be so content telling a practical stranger your whole life story was still a bit overwhelming for you. you two exchanged numbers and on you went with the rest of your night, then the next day, and then the whole week.

it was practically killing you inside knowing that Denki had not called you yet. he mentioned he was a pro hero, so you knew he must be busy, but the thought of never being able to talk to him again drove you mad. little did you know, Denki was thinking the same things, wondering if he was good enough for you, if you really liked him, if you even wanted to see him again.

after all the moping around you did by yourself, you finally gained the courage to call, leaving a polite message in the voicemail box asking for him to call and discuss some things, hoping you could get some answers out of what was going on.

it only took twenty minutes before Denki’s name was flashing across your phone. you tried to play it cool, allow it to ring a couple of times, but eventually caved and answered, trying to not appear too excited or frazzled.

the conversation ended up lasting hours, with plans to meet up later that week. you two both chuckled when realizing you both felt the same way, not wanting to call if the other wasn’t interested.

the week went by quickly, the first official date arriving much sooner than you expected. Denki had told you nothing except to wear comfortable tennis shoes and athletic clothes. you assumed maybe a hike but you were not prepared for what he actually signed up for: rock climbing.

while heights weren’t your biggest fear, they certainly weren’t something you enjoyed, but you were going to push through and have fun. Kaminari brought out the best in you, fueling your adrenaline side a lot more than expected.

the whole experience was going great, Kaminari going up with you a couple of times to show you the ropes, both literally and physically, when he suggested you try one on your own. it was an indoor facility with plenty of padding, safety ropes and trained staff if any issues arose, but still, it was more terrifying than you were expecting.

you set a slow but steady pace, finally reaching the top, Kaminari cheering you from below. you looked down to give him a smile and a wave, realizing that was a bad idea only when you saw how far you had to jump back down. Kaminari saw it in your face and internally panicked, not sure how to help you in the situation, until he came up with an idea.

“just jump! i’ll catch you. i promise!” he yelled, arms outstretched and ready for your descent.

all it took was a few deep breaths before you let go, jumping down the wall, slipping halfway and fearing you would get injured. Kaminari, however, stayed true to his promise, catching you steadily in his arms, a cheeky, self-satisfied grin on his face.

“i’m picking the date next time,” you declared with a cheeky smile of your own, shimmying out of his grasp.

true to your word, your second official date was picked by yourself, something that was still interesting and adrenaline inducing at times without the fear of dropping from big heights: horseback riding.

you had assumed after the first date he took you to that this would be a nice reprieve from his daily adventures, which was true. what you didn’t assume, however, was the fact that Kaminari was mildly terrified of the giant creatures with hooves.

“oh come on! what are you afraid of?”

“getting kicked, getting bitten, stepped on, bucked off, the list is endless…”

“i won’t let anything happen to you. you caught me last time so i’ll make sure to have your back this time.”

as the day went on, you soon realized that you didn’t need to keep an eye on him. he was riding his horse very well, becoming in tune with his posture and seating, overall making the horse happier. he didn’t even want to leave after your trail ride was all over, you having to drag him back to the car as he stared out the window with puppy dog eyes.

when you made it back to your apartment, you turned towards him, ready to thank him for yet another lovely day, when you felt a pair of warm, eager lips attach themselves onto your own. you were dumbfounded for a minute, not understanding what was going on and therefore not responding. Denki almost took it as a sign that he was going too fast, preparing to pull away when your brain and body finally caught back up.

your lips moved in sync with his, wet tongues and teeth clashing. it wasn’t the prettiest kiss you ever had, but it was filled with such passion and longing that you didn’t know how you were able to pull away.

“wow…” Denki said breathlessly, hands coming up to cup your face and lean in for one more kiss.

“there’s plenty more where that came from,” you squeaked, trying to sound confident but coming out overly excited and slightly embarrassed.

Denki’s face suddenly turned very serious and he shifted in his seat to get a better look at you, you doing the same.

“(y/n), i know we’ve only been going on dates for a couple weeks, and i know there’s still so much more that i want to know about you, but i cannot, in good conscience, let you leave this car without me asking if you want to be my girlfriend. so uh, what do you think?”

your body responded immediately this time, your head bobbing up and down in confirmation, composing yourself for a second before you responded.

“Denki, we’re soulmates. i know it’s fucking scary, i know it may seem even weird, but i have never felt this way about anyone or even anything. i want to be your girlfriend as badly as i want you to be my boyfriend. so yes, boyfriend, i would love to go steady with you.”

before he could respond, you raised one finger in silence, commenting, “but, from now on, we pick the dates together.”

“deal! and uh, i know we’re in your driveway already, but there’s this really good noodle place down the road, and i’m starving. would you want to come with me? i’ll pay,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, a light flush on his face.“oh, well, if you’re paying, i guess i have no reason to say no, huh?” you joked back, laughing and sticking your tongue out at him.

you both giggled at that, completely isolated from the outside world. at that moment, it was just you and him. while the relationship was still fresh and new, it felt like you guys knew each other for years and yet knew nothing about each other. it didn’t matter, though, because you two knew that things would only get better from there, and you were both prepared for whatever came your way.

#denki kaminari #kaminari denki #kaminari x reader #denki x reader #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #boku no hero x reader

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mypoisonedvine · 5 years ago

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I Never Danced Until I Met You - Chapter 3

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2]

Taglist: @a-banana-for-your-thoughts @saint-hardy @sophiasescape @letscici @itsametaphorbriansblog @wackiekebab @tinyybiceps @lilredbird101 @ultracolorfulnerdcollection @terrainhead

Word Count: 5.5k

Rating: this is about as E as it gets, people. you’ve been warned!

You woke up to sunlight pouring through the shudders with your head resting on his chest, and you lifted it to look up at him. He was already awake, and looking back at you. As your eyes met, there was a shared moment of ‘did we…?’ between you two.

You smiled, remembering what had actually happened the night before: you’d been up nearly all night talking, reading, laughing- he even played you a few songs.

Of course you had wanted to go further, there were times where you felt compelled to jump him, but it turns out you’re much more shy when it came to those sorts of things than you were about everything else. He seemed to have sensed your nervousness and, thankfully, didn’t push you any further than you were comfortable.

“I’m sorry, I hope your arm hasn’t gone numb,” you apologized sheepishly.

“Don’t be, though it has,” he smiled. “A worthy sacrifice.”

“I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep- I’ve never stayed up that late before, at least not for fun,” you reminisced.

“I can’t believe you’ve fought battles lasting all night, but conversation exhausts you,” he teased.

“It’s different! As tiring as it is, fighting is also energizing,” you explained.

At that moment, you heard footsteps just outside your door, and you instinctively sat up, pulling away from his touch. The door opened and Geralt was on the other side. He didn’t give too strong of a reaction to Jaskier laying on your bed, but you did notice an eyebrow raise a bit.

“I came to ask for a favor,” Geralt stated plainly.

“Anything,” you offered instantly, standing up off the bed and awkwardly smoothing out your tunic.

“Not to speak ill of your troops,” he began, “but they’ve proven less than helpful in my hunt.”

“I gave them to you as a gift, to use only as you needed,” you explained. “Honestly, I expected you to hunt on your own anyways.”

“That would’ve been my preference,” he frowned, “but your sergeant insisted.”

You chuckled, knowing your soldiers were likely seeking glory for taking part in the hunt, even though you made it clear that they would likely not be brought along.

“I’ll tell them to stand down,” you smiled.

“I appreciate that,” he replied, “but that’s not what I came to ask for.”

“Hm?” you prompted.

“I may not need infantry, but I could use a partner,” he continued, crossing his arms as he leaned in the doorway.

“I can recommend my finest,” you suggested.

“I’m surprised you didn’t jump at the opportunity to go out in the field again,” he smiled.

You were flattered, certainly, and surprised. “You were referring to me?”

“Of course,” he shrugged, “I’ve fought with you before. Well, beside you.”

“That was a long time ago; I’m expected to stay in the castle, mostly,” you explained, shifting your feet nervously.

“Hmm,” he smirked, “so you’re all corporate now. No bloodlust left, just politics.”

“You think I’ll fight a monster on a dare? That only works on men,” you scoffed.

“It’s not a dare, just a question: do you still know how to fight?” he pressed.

You grinned, crossing your arms.

“Do you still parry like a drunken idiot?” you countered.

“You said it wouldn’t work on you!” Jaskier protested.

“I don’t want to go because he attacked my ego,” you defended, “I want to go because I need to kill this beast.” You turned back to Geralt: “pray tell what it is?”

“What it is is doomed, once you’ve got your sword in hand,” Geralt quipped. You laughed.

“So you don’t want me to bring my pole-axe?” you presumed. His face curled into a toothy grin.

“Oh, definitely bring the pole-axe.”

Both of you were looking pretty rough when you returned to the castle, riding in through the gates on your horses, covered in gore and dirt. You’d managed to avoid significant injury, as had Geralt, aside from some scrapes on his hands and a gash on your shoulder.

“Sir Protector! Sir Geralt!” a soldier at the gate announced when he saw you riding in, “Should I call for a healer?”

“Bath first,” your reply came all scratchy and hoarse.

“Yes sir, yes sir,” the soldier bowed to each of you, dashing inside to order servants to prepare your baths. You didn’t even question that he called you sir: it was normal for your position, plus any feminine grace you had left was probably lost when you were wearing chainmail and covered in blood.

Your bath was nice, as was to be expected in royal bathing facilities. You were about halfway through when a maidservant knocked on the door and entered.

“I’ve brought oils for you, sir,” she announced meekly with a curtsy.

“No need for the formality, but thank you,” you nodded, motioning for her to set them down beside you.

“Would you like help washing your hair?” she offered.

“You must have other duties to attend to,” you dismissed.

“No, just attending the baths,” she explained.

“Baths, plural? You’re attending to Geralt as well?” you asked.

She blushed a little. “Yes, I was to bring the oils to him next.”

“Have a male servant do it, please,” you requested. “A maidservant without her maidenhead is… just a servant, I suppose.”

“What are you implying?!” she stuttered.

“Prostitution is illegal here- if it wasn’t he probably wouldn’t have spent any nights at the castle,” you scoffed.

“And what of my integrity?” she asked, seeming offended.

“Integrity is something that people think they have until they are challenged,” you frowned, “and Geralt presents… quite a challenge.”

The maidservant stepped forward, delicately touching your scalp and motioning you to dip it into the water. As you came back up, she used some soap to wash you.

“A woman as progressive as you- I’m surprised you’re concerned of things like maidenheads,” she giggled.

“Who said I was progressive? Knights are usually quite conservative, aren’t they?”

“Yes, but they’re usually men,” she explained.

“Of course. But I’m rather traditional, I think. My troops would certainly think so: many of them have adopted some modern concept of justice, conveniently laden with gray areas and blurred lines, usually surrounding their own twisted ways.”

“And what do you think?” she pressed, her fingers lathering the soap on your head.

“I think that there’s right and there’s wrong. Good and evil.”

“And you are so sure that you’re good?” she mocked.

“Of course not,” you chuckled, “I do evil things- I kill people, pretty often.”

You heard the maidservant gasp.

“Good cannot protect itself. Some of us live on the border between the two, using evil to protect what is good. Good is pure and beautiful, but weak- much like yourself,” you explained.

“Sounds complex,” she sighed. “Say, you’re apparently traditional, but you’re an independent woman, so tell me: is it good or evil to long for a man?”

“Don’t get caught up in that,” you denounced.

“I don’t know if it’s as easy as that. If we could choose to have no desires, we would all choose chastity,” she considered, “and yet, many of the maidservants are actually, erm, ‘just servants.’”

You pondered that. More than ever, you were starting to understand that love is not a choice.

“Love is good; lust is evil,” you decided.

“What’s the difference?”

“Love compels us to do kind things, but lust compels us to do cruel things.”

“I mean, how would I know the difference?”

“Don’t ask me, I’ve never loved a man,” you shrugged, and although you believed it to be true, you felt guilty saying it as if it were a lie.

The maidservant groaned, unimpressed with your advice-giving skills.

“But to long for a man? Is it sinful?” she continued.

“A woman longs for a man, it’s natural I suppose,” you sighed, “just, be careful. Men are…” you trailed off, lost in thought. Fighting in wars and enforcing the law rarely made one sympathetic to men as a group.

“Hm?” she prompted, bringing you back to reality.

“Wait for a kind man, a gentle man,” you recommended, and you turned to see her smiling. “Just be prepared to die waiting,” you added. Her smile dropped.

You decided not to join the rest of the castle’s guests and staff for dinner, sneaking a leg of lamb out to the training fields to sit in silence. Of course, sensing that there was someone enjoying silence somewhere, Jaskier was obliged to appear and ruin it. You still smiled to see him, though.

“Dinner together, what will the others think?” you asked sarcastically.

“I hope you know that one of your soldiers waited until you left to give me a stern talking to about having spent the night in your quarters,” he revealed as he sat down beside you.

“Preposterous! Who?”

“How should I know? A guy wearing armor, if that helps you at all,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, only one of my soldiers wears armor, that really clears it up,” you groaned, taking a bite of the meat.

“He said that if I ‘besmirched your honour’ by ‘laying with you’ before ‘legal betrothal’ that he would be forced to prosecute me for damages to and theft against the Queen,” he recalled. “How ridiculous is that?”

“Technically, my, erm, ‘honour’ is her property, yes,” you explained.

His eyes went wide.

“Does she actually enforce that?” he asked nervously. You laughed.

“No, she’s got much bigger issues to deal with. We have a head of staff who would be responsible for that sort of management.”

“Well, does he actually enforce that?”

“We had to decommission a soldier a few years back for impregnating a maidservant and then denying the child was his,” you remembered. “Then again, I only really knew about that because it was my soldier. I hear that perhaps many of the maidservants have managed to get away with,

“And where do you hear things like that?” he asked with a mischievous smile, surely imagining some sort of sultry, girlish whispers of midnight encounters.

“Not somewhere nearly as exciting as you’re picturing,” you scolded. “A young woman wanted my advice, for some reason. That’s all.”

“I think you make for a great role model,” he defended.

“Perhaps not in terms of romantic exploits,” you frowned.

“I couldn’t judge you on that, certainly,” he chuckled. “What did you tell her?”

“To wait for the right person,” you shrugged. “Not sure it’s actually good advice, but it sounded believable.”

“‘Wait for the right person,’ how quaint. You’re secretly a romantic, aren’t you?” he smirked. You scoffed, but didn’t say anything. “I bet you dream of someone riding up to your window on horseback, throwing stones, confessing his love for you.”

“Sounds melodramatic,” you grumbled with an eyeroll.

“A little melodrama never hurt anyone,” he shrugged.

“Clearly you’re not very well-read,” you chuckled. “Many wars can be traced back to melodrama. If not all of them.”

“Well, at least you have job security!”

“I honestly wish I didn’t,” you admitted.

He looked at you a little more seriously. “So, you don’t want to live this life forever?”

You thought about that question for a moment. It was not a simple answer, certainly.

“I love my job, I just wish that it came with a sense of completion. The day I stop doing what I do won’t be the day that my Queen is safe, or that the nation is free from crime, or that wars will cease forever. It will just be the day I’m too old to protect anyone,” you sighed.

He seemed to have a change in perspective after that.

“What about the day you want to retire? Live a simpler life?” he considered.

You had never really thought about that before, honestly, and yet as soon as he asked, you felt yourself more drawn to it than ever. You could imagine settling down, maybe even having the time to travel and explore instead of being tied to the castle all day. Marriage, children, the whole fairytale ending: you chuckled to yourself, realizing you might be even more traditional than you thought.

Just as you were about to figure out what to say, you looked out to the sunset and realized you were probably running late.

“Shit,” you whispered, sitting up dusting the grass off.

“What?” he asked, though it was more of a reaction than a question.

“I have plans, with Geralt,” you explained. You looked at him but he looked away.

“That explains a lot,” he scoffed.

“What’s that supposed to mean? We’re going to play some gwent, talk about the old days; nothing too interesting.”

“Where are you meeting him?” he asked quietly as he stood up.

“His quarters,” you shrugged.

He sighed.

“Have fun,” he said, but it didn’t feel encouraging at all. Before you could respond, he was already walking away.

You had a lovely time with Geralt, though you were a bit distracted as you kept thinking about how Jaskier had been acting strangely. You were so distracted in fact, that you ended your card-playing a little earlier than either of you had expected. You hadn’t been back to your room very long when you heard a knock at the door. Thinking maybe you’d left something of yours in Geralt’s quarters, you were surprised to see Jaskier standing there.

“Jaskier!” you announced with surprised.

“Who were you expecting?” he asked nervously.

“Geralt,” you replied.

“Of course,” he mumbled. “Listen, I came by to apologize,” he stated with an air of formality, almost.

“What for?”

“I should’ve backed off sooner, in regards to pursuing you,” he explained. You felt humiliation rise in your stomach as you realized he must have lost interest in you.

“Oh.”

“I misinterpreted the situation, I suppose, and I think that’s my fault,” he continued.

“Right.”

“I hope we can stay friendly-” he began, but stopped himself. “I take it back. That would be too painful.” He sighed and dropped his head, before giving a somber laugh and turning away to walk back down the hall.

“Wait,” you called out to him, and as he turned, you pained to see the sadness on his face. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“When I showed interest in you, Geralt told me to stay away,” he recalled. “Whenever Geralt comes by while we’re together, you act so humiliated that he would see us, like you don’t want him to get ‘the wrong idea.’ And now you’re always spending time with him, alone.”

You looked at him, perplexed: this shade of paranoia was not flattering on him.

“I know what’s going on between you two,” he announced. “You’re having an affair.”

“I- what?” you sputtered.

“If nothing else, he’s fallen for you,” he decided, as if that was some sort of step down in terms of insanity.

“That’s preposterous!”

“It makes plenty of sense: you’re strong, and scary, and beautiful-” he enumerated, and you tried not to let yourself react to the last word. “Your parents, where are they?” he asked.

“Dead,” you replied quietly.

“Perfect!” he shouted, and your eyes widened at the wholly unexpected response. “You’re exactly his type!”

“And what of it? What if he’s not my type?”

“Oh please. I know the effect he has on women, I’m the poor sap who has to see it every day. He’s a big brooding bag of masculinity and everybody wants their chance to try to fix him, to soften him. You’re the only one I’ve seen get even close, the way you make him laugh,” he grimaced.

“You don’t know me as well as I thought you did,” you sighed as you shook your head in disbelief.

“Can you honestly say you don’t care for him?” he challenged.

“Of course I care for him: I love him,” you explained. Of course you were going to clarify that a bit more but he interrupted you.

“I understand,” he said sternly as if trying (poorly) to feign composure, “Geralt is better for you. You two make sense together. I won’t get in the way.”

You looked at him, truly astounded.

“Jaskier, he’s like my brother.”

“Maybe so! I don’t know how you people roll in this kingdom, but the way you look at him-”

“Don’t speak ill of my people,” you growled.

That seemed to snap him out of it a bit.

“I’m sorry,” he said weakly as he looked to the ground.

“Geralt is my friend,” you explained. “I love him with a sort of love you only understand when you fight with someone, when you face death together. I love all my soldiers that way, I love many who lost their battles- may their souls rest in peace- so much that I could die from the love, the terrible painful love, that I feel.”

He looked at you, his eyes bloodshot and glistening with tears.

“Jaskier,” you said softly, hearing more tenderness in your voice than you remembered even being capable of, “my type is sensitive, thoughtful, creative, passionate…”

You stepped closer to him, admiring his expression, heartbroken to think he was so sad over you when all you wanted to do was see him be happy.

“Funny, kind,” you continued, “not a hundred years old.”

He chuckled a bit at that, and you smiled back, close enough now to run your fingers down his cheek, which you did because it seemed like something you would enjoy at the moment.

“Most men see me as an unworthy knight, Geralt respects me, as do a few of my subordinates,” you explained, “but you… you never saw me as a fighter at all. You just listened to me, and got to know me, and cared more about who I am than what I do. Please don’t compare yourself to Geralt, you’re nothing like him- and that’s okay, it’s wonderful.”

“Women want him over me, usually.”

“Women want protection, usually,” you responded, “they like someone strong who can keep them safe. I’ve been alone my whole life: I learned quickly that the only person who was going to protect me was me.”

“And yet, you don’t want to be alone, do you?” he asked you quietly, his gaze running down from your eyes to your lips.

“No,” you whispered back.

It was a very slow moment, one where you felt hyper-aware of every movement and every split second. His hand was on your waist, pulling you closer, and your hand moved from his cheek to his neck, your fingertips running into soft chestnut hair.

Your eyes were open longer than they probably were supposed to be in the moments leading up to a kiss: maybe because you knew that once you closed your eyes you were vulnerable, that this was going to happen, that once you kissed him you would fall for him and there was no coming back from that.

His lips were so soft, and they brushed against yours so deliberately, with precision. He tasted like honey and cherry wine and the way incense smelled, and you quickly deepened the kiss in search of more of him. You felt his hands, holding you close at your waist and hips, tighten their grip. You made the softest sound against his mouth; you hadn’t even really noticed that you had let it out, but he certainly did, kissing you harder and deeper in response. As you stepped back into the room and shut the door behind him, you felt something you hadn’t felt in a long time (at least before Jaskier had sauntered into the castle for the first time a few nights ago and turned your entire life upside down): an unmistakably warm and tingly sensation emanating from your most sensitive areas. You thought this part was supposed to be pleasurable, but the feeling was sort of uncomfortable, crying out for more, more, more, entirely unsatisfied with this trivial kissing nonsense. You felt your leg instinctively raise to wrap around him, as if that would somehow make it possible for him to take you immediately and calm this hunger burning inside you. A hand ran down to your thigh, encouraging you, and your body seemed to want to lift the other leg as well, as if it didn’t realize that would knock both of you over. As a compromise, you leaned back, hoping that Jaskier would get the hint and lead you both to the bed.

He smiled against your lips, moving down to kiss your neck.

“I thought you wanted to take it slow,” he teased, letting his lips just ever so slightly graze the parts of your neck and shoulder exposed by your blouse.

“I just meant the relationship overall,” you explained breathlessly, remembering the thinly-veiled discussion you’d had the night before when he stayed over, “but if we’re going to do this, I don’t see any reason to wait.”

He tsked in faux admonishment, unlacing the back of your bodice to allow it to slip off. Of course, he didn’t actually take it off all the way, just kissed along your collarbones and shoulders more.

“If you don’t see any reason to wait, then you’ve never been properly seduced,” he smirked.

“I cannot make this any more clear to you: I’ve never been seduced!” you whined, looking down at him. “I’m not the rare catch you think I am, I’ve never been sought after- you’re the only one, er, seeking.”

He stopped kissing you and looked back, and even though the kissing had been so much less than you wanted, having it taken away wasn’t much better.

“You don’t mean to tell me no one has made love to you before,” he whispered in disbelief.

“I told you, women of the castle are expected to maintain a certain level of decency.”

“Well, that can be hard to upkeep when someone wants for you.”

“No one has wanted, best I can tell,” you shrugged.

“Surely someone was willing to, when you wanted them,” he countered.

“I’ve never wanted for someone,” you explained, “before now.”

The sound he made was something you hadn’t known he was capable of. It was low, and deep: a growl.

“Is that… bad?” you asked hesitantly.

“It’s fucking wasteful is what is,” he mumbled, planting more kisses on your chest before he continued. “I know you said not to speak ill of your people, but they truly have no taste.”

You chuckled, though it turned into a gasp as he bit lightly at the skin just where your breast started to meet your ribcage.

“And you…” he continued, “I suppose now is not the time to question your judgment. But, you shouldn’t have told me that if you wanted me to go faster,” he smiled as he ran his hand up and down your thigh, never quite going high up enough for you. “I feel spoiled now; I’m almost entirely sure that I am not worthy of this honour.”

“Oh please, it is given more-than willingly.”

“My cup runneth over,” he proclaimed.

“So does mine,” you replied, entirely aware and intending the innuendo, “care to drink from it?”

He growled again, and the sound sent shivers up your spine in the most incredible way.

“If you think you can distract me from my task, think again,” he scolded.

“Task?” you questioned.

“I’m savoring a grand feast, and I won’t rush through the courses no matter how much you try to tempt me,” he clarified.

“I’m the feast in this allegory? I don’t know if I find that flattering,” you frowned.

“Interesting criticism coming from the mind who brought us ‘genitals as goblet,’ but alright, no metaphors,” he obliged, bringing his lips to your ear to whisper into it. “Would you prefer a more literal approach?”

You nodded.

“I’m going to kiss every part of your body I can find. I'm going to taste your need for me, lick you senseless until you're begging for me, and then keep going for a while longer just to be sure. I'm going to feel you from the inside, deflower you as thoroughly and thoughtfully as I can, ravish you until you've reached any limit I can find. I'm going to make love to you: not just sex, not just fucking, but love-making worthy of a thousand ballads, and hopefully, it will be enough to show you what you really deserve."

You felt like you'd had the wind knocked out of you, your innermost muscles clenching around nothing.

"Now I feel spoiled," you whispered. He smiled, nipping gently at your earlobe.

"It's only just. You need to be appreciated properly," he explained. His fingers traced down your spine through the fabric of your clothes. You moaned but it was also a sob, nearly in tears from how long he'd been holding you on the edge.

"I know, darling, I know," he soothed, fingers running down your arm and squeezing your hand.

"I'm not sure you do," you groaned. "How can you stay so calm?"

"You have quite the effect on me, love, even if I am blessed with patience," he answered.

"And what effect is that?" you smirked. Instead of answering he simply guided your hand to his erection. You gasped, feeling the shape through his trousers and smiling at how hard it was.

"This has been difficult to get rid of ever since I met you," he confessed.

"I want it inside me," you hissed, "I want you inside me."

"All in due time," he promised.

He guided you back to the bed, but before he laid you down on it, he finally removed your blouse completely. You felt a little chilly being exposed to the air, but your nipples were already so hard from arousal, the cold didn't add that much to it.

He smiled, cupping your breasts in his hands which were delightfully warm. He massaged them slowly as he kissed your neck, occasionally twirling the hardened buds with his thumbs. Everything he did felt like it was somehow directly connected to your arousal below: no matter where he touched you, it seemed to send sensations to your inner walls which flexed and fluttered in response. Soon he began unlacing your trousers, and you blushed, wondering if it was peculiar that you weren’t wearing a dress. He didn’t seem to mind as he slid them down and smiled up at you.

“Beautiful,” he observed, and though you felt very exposed, you didn’t feel nearly as nervous as you had expected. He stood up and was about to pull you into another kiss, but you pushed him back.

“As a defender of equality, I’m going to have to ask you to undress,” you smirked. He smiled back, stripping himself of his doublet and chemise but conspicuously leaving his trousers on before laying you onto the bed.

“Don’t trust yourself without those on?” you teased.

“I don’t trust you to keep your patience without these on,” he replied back, hovering over you while you looked up at him, laying on your back. You indulged yourself in running your fingers across his chest, admiring the thick layer of dark hair, the lightly-toned muscles, the freckled skin.

“So you’re saying you don’t want me to wrestle you down and ride you?” you smiled. He bit his lip.

“A great idea for another time,” he compromised. He leaned down and kissed your neck again, but then moved quickly to cover your chest. He really did make good on his promise to kiss you everywhere, though of course he was clearly saving all the interesting places for last. He whispered your name against your skin, showered you with praise and affection, held you tightly in his arms. Your entire body felt hot, and yet your skin was cold from where the remnants of him picked up the breeze.

“You look incredible like this,” he murmured at one point, his lips against your calf while he held your leg in the air. Having him sitting between your spread legs was glorious torture.

“Like what?” you asked.

“Desperate,” he smiled.

“Don’t mock me; it’s all your fault anyhow,” you frowned.

“I’m not mocking! I’m nearly done, only one leg left.”

You whined. “And then?”

“You can’t rush art,” he sing-songed, giving the lightest bite to your skin before dropping one leg and picking up the other. This one, though, he started at the ankle and moved his way up. Your breath hitched each time he got closer to where you needed him so desperately.

“Please,” you whispered.

“Soon,” he promised.

“You’ll fuck me soon?” you clarified, sounding a bit more excited than you meant to. He laughed against your thigh.

“Oh, no, that’s still a ways out,” he corrected. “I’ll touch you where you want me to soon, that’s all.”

You threw your head back in desperation, resisting the urge to pull his face into you by his hair. That said, you did have to pull his hair, mainly to stabilize yourself, when he started to leave bites and kisses on the deepest corner of your inner thigh. His nose started to brush against the hairs there, which you only then realized were entirely coated in your arousal.

“I need you,” you whimpered.

“I noticed,” he replied, giving one experimental lick through your folds. You nearly cried out, sensitive enough to react so strongly to a simple touch like that.

“If only I could write a song as beautiful as those sounds you make,” he encouraged.

“If only I could write a song that would make you get on with it,” you growled.

For the first time perhaps in your entire relationship, he obeyed, wrapping his lips around you and giving broad licks to your most delicate places. This time you really did cry out, the hand in his hair pulling on accident, the other gripping the sheets tightly enough that you feared to rip them. He moaned against you, finding the bundle of nerves and sucking on it. The sensation was overwhelming, you even started to feel light-headed. He continued until you were teetering on the edge of something that you couldn’t describe, but that you sensed was going to be wonderful.

“Yes, yes, Jaskier,” you chanted without even really meaning to say anything.

At that moment, he stopped, pulling back with a smile.

“Enough of that for now, I think,” he teased.

You laughed, some sort of strange reaction to your growing frustration as you felt yourself falling off the wrong end of the edge you’d found.

“You’re insufferable,” you sighed.

“I thought you wanted me to fuck you?” he asked, feigning confusion. You sat up pulling his face towards yours until you could kiss him, your taste masking his own. You kept pulling him back and he stumbled to adjust his position in time, though you were finally able to get him on top of you and wrap your legs around him. Your hips kept trying to meet his, even though his trousers were in the way. You reached down to push them off and were almost surprised he didn’t fight you on it. As they moved out of the way you could finally wrap your hand around his length, and you moaned just feeling it in your hand. The skin was so soft, and yet the member itself was nearly hard as bone. You revelled in knowing that he wanted you so strongly. Without breaking the kiss you pushed it down to line up with your entrance, but he pulled away.

“You’re sure that this is what you want?” he asked.

“Would you like me to spell it out for you?” you countered with a raised eyebrow.

“Couldn’t hurt,” he smirked.

You gave him a quick peck on the lips before you said it.

“Please, Jaskier, I want you to make love to me,” you stated. He smiled, a little sigh coming out as well, as he pulled you back into the kiss. He pressed forward, and in one fluid (though not necessarily fast) motion, he was completely inside you. Having taken so long to get to this point, there was no pain, though the feeling of him stretching you open was very apparent. You moaned so loud you worried someone would hear, or at least you would have worried about that if you could think about anything but the man in front of you and how incredible he was making you feel.

It wasn’t long before you were climbing towards that edge again, this time willing to do anything to dive into the pleasure you knew lay on the other side. He was certainly encouraging, breaking the kiss to suck on a nipple or bite at your neck occasionally. You figured it would leave a mark; secretly, you hoped that it would.

He pulled his face away when he sensed you were close, not kissing you anymore but holding you close and examining your face. You did the same, appreciating his slack-mouthed, nearly shocked expression as he continued to press into you as deep as he could.

“Jaskier,” you whispered, not having any purpose to say it aside from how good it felt on your tongue. You held his face, laced your fingers into his hair, and did your best to keep looking at him as you reached your peak… much faster than even you had anticipated. He kept going, even through that, and it made you want to scream- in a good way. Just as you wondered if you could take any more of this, pleasure building past the point of reason, his movements stuttered, and he grabbed your thigh as if he could somehow press even deeper into you despite your bodies in the way. He made this gorgeous little sound that you planned to play on repeat in your mind for the rest of your life if you could. He kissed you again, and fell down beside you. You didn’t remember the kiss ever ending, or falling asleep, and yet you awoke the next morning to sunlight pouring through the shudders, with your head resting on his chest.

[final chapter]

#jaskier x reader #jaskier x oc #jaskier imagine #dandelion x reader #the witcher

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griffinequestrian · 5 years ago

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The Power of Turnout: Why I Chose Pasture Boarding

By Justine Griffin for Heels Down Mag

I grew up riding at traditional hunter/jumper show facilities. Not all fancy places, by any means, but farms that had had a lot of love and strict schedules for the show ponies who lived there.

My horses over the years were turned out a few hours a day. Some right after breakfast, usually in big grassy fields, and then brought back into the barn at night. Some were turned out at night with a few buddies and stayed inside under the fans during the day. Some went out in dirt lots. Others were in paddocks by themselves for maybe just a few hours.

Every horse is different, as is every turnout arrangement at a boarding barn.

So when I decided to let my imported, former show horse live a pasture-only lifestyle, it was a big change for both of us.

My Hanoverian mare spent the majority of her life in a stall before I purchased her. She was black, so during show season, she was never turned out during the day for fear of bleaching her coat. She was also a broodmare for many years, so her pasture schedule was always very strict when she had a foal at her side.

Even when she was turned out, it was always alone, for fear of injuries.

I wanted my mare to relax in her late-teen years. We still rode regularly and competed on occasion. But I was convinced that more time outside, moving around, was better for her in the long term than being cooped up in a stall.

So I opted to board her at a facility where she was turned out all night and all day with two pasture buddies on five acres. They had plenty of shade under many massive oaks trees. They cooled off in a pond near the front of the property. My mare was kept in her stall twice a day for about an hour each time during her morning and evening feedings.

At first, the transition to a pasture board scenario was strange for her. She stayed close to the barn and only ventured to the farther ends of the pasture when she was following her new buddies. But after a little while, I don’t think she could ever go back to being stalled all day.

My horse was happier when she was outside. She was stalled enough — for vet visits, when we groomed and tacked up, etc. — and she was handled enough to remember her ground manners. Nevertheless, she was always eager to be back in her field.

I noticed the changes in her behavior even under saddle. She was braver on trails and enjoyed working out of an arena more and more, to the point that I even took her cross-country schooling, a feat I never considered doing with her before.

Most of all, my mare was less stressed in this environment. I saw first hand how more turnout changed my horse.

Tons of turnout doesn’t work for every horse. And there are risks of course, to being outside all the time. But studies show that horses benefit from being outside. After all, they are herd animals, and are designed to be grazing and walking all the time.

It was important for me to give my mare an opportunity to just be a horse, after so many years of being a tried-and-true show competitor. She deserved it.

#horse #horses #horse back riding #equestrian #pasture boarding #pasture #turnout #hanoverian #dressage #show horse #full board #Heels down Magazine #hunter/jumper #eventing #Heels Down Mag

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pencils-and-ponies · 6 years ago

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We Forget how to Walk 2018

Since I’m currently in the process of rewriting We Forget how to Walk, I figured I would post the original chapters (that I have, since I never finished the first draft...).

I’ll try to tag things as needed when they come up, but do be aware this story will eventually have graphic injury description and animal death.

CHAPTER ONE

“You waitin' on the ferry?”

Looking up from the horizon, I saw an older man approaching me. He looked to be in his late seventies, and had a kind face that had been left lined and weathered by decades spend on the ocean. Jerking a thumb over my shoulder into the bed of my truck, loaded down with all my belongings, I nodded.

“Moving to Specter Island today.”

He turned the face the ocean and smiled faintly, a look that conveyed a sense of fondness that could only come from years of living in the same place without ever wanting to leave. For an almost uncomfortable length of time he stared out into the fog that stood like a wall between us and the island. Then he shook his head abruptly, frowning.

“I wouldn't”

Well if that's not a ringing endorsement, I thought wryly to myself. Of course I wasn't going to let one old man sway my decision. Growing up in a small town I'd learned pretty quick that the old timers weren't always as welcoming with newcomers, and would often try to come up with ways to convince people to live elsewhere. This likely wouldn't be any different. “I just got a job with Olsen Performance horses. I figure after 20 years of living in Wisconsin, there's nothing an island can throw at me that I can't handle.”

He gave a short, bark of a laugh and sat down on the tailgate beside me. “I don't mean the weather. I mean the name- Specter island. Ever wonder how it got it?”

“Not particularly, no. I guess the fog, now that I've been here.”

“Nah- you can't see it from the mainland anyway. No, there's something… off about it.”

“You mean like it's haunted?” I had to admit, he'd caught my interest. While horses had been my passion my entire life, taking me on the five year journey that had lead me here, I did have other interests. And ghost stories were right at the top of the list.

The man didn't answer for a bit, instead taking off his cap and scratching at a tuft of air clinging stubbornly to the top of his otherwise bald head. Then putting it back on he sighed and gestured to the ocean before us. “I've been sailing these waters a long time, and I ain't never seen anything like that place. An' I seen a lot, let me tell you.”

“What was it then?”

“Now I've never actually set foot there, an' I never will, but I've been off the coast more than enough times. There's something that appears on the shore. Not all the time, not even that often. But every time I see it, someone returns to the mainland in a wooden box.”

For a moment I was a little concerned. Ghosts were one thing, but death omens were a little bit more than I was hoping for.

“How many times have you seen it?”

“Oh, about three, maybe four times. Of course I don't see it every time someone dies, but if I do, within the month someone comes home for the last time. No one gets buried there.”

He'd just answered my next question. Superstition and coincidences, that was all there was to it.

“I think I'll take my chances then,” I said, nodding in the general direction of the island. Off in the distance, there was a low, almost mournful call from the ferry's foghorn. As if that was his cue to leave, the man got to his feet and held out his hand.

“I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, by the way.”

“Naomi Oxley- although most people call me Nox,” I said, reaching out to shake his hand. He had a surprisingly firm grip.

“Well Nox, I wish you the best. Just don't say I didn't warn you. If you're ever back on the mainland, look me up. I'm curious what that thing looks like up close. Benjamin Alda; most folks know me.”

“If I see it, I'll be sure to report back.”

He smiled again and, without another word, turned and walked off into the fog.

After parking my truck below, I made my way up to the passenger deck, and then out to stand at the bow and watch for my first glimpse of my new home. There weren't many people making the crossing with me, although I hadn't expected a whole lot. April was still considered the off season, and most tourists wouldn't be arriving until the middle of May. The few people who were onboard shot me mildly suspicious glances as I passed, and I assumed they were locals. My only company outside were a couple seagulls, hitching a ride on the railing a few yards away. They ignored me.

While it wasn't the friendliest of welcomes, I did not feel discouraged. There was something alive about this move in a way I hadn't found before. It was something I could feel, the same way I felt the spray from the ocean on my face, and tasted the salt in the air. I'd felt it the same thing the moment I'd started my interview with Keith on the phone.

My previous experiences with starting new jobs had been less than ideal. While I'd known going into this path that a career with horses took a lot of time, tears, and plain old hard work, I'd never imagined that the people would be the worst part. The barn that I'd grown up riding in had been like a fimily to me, and I figured that finding another place like it would be a piece of cake. However, my first job had been at a lesson farm that was starving their horses to death; the second had me living in her basement, which doubled as a bathroom for her dogs; the third was run by a woman who would be from praising you to hurling curses in your direction multiple times per day. It had been an eye opener, to say the least.

This time would be different. It had to be. I'd done a lot of research on Keith, and on OPH, before taking the position. There was no record of him being accused of abuse, no one showing off the truth that he kept hidden behind closed doors. He was open and honest about his business and what was expected of me, and he even gave me a live tour of the place during our video interview. It was all so simple and yet so rare to find in the horse world.

That, and he just happened to be running one of the best ICTHA training facilities in the country. How could I turn that down.

The International Competitive Trail Horse Association hosted the most popular equine sports in the world, extreme competitive trail. A three day event that tested a horses stamina, bravery, and trust in it's rider, there was nothing else out there that could really showcase what horses are truly capable of. The first day was an endurance ride of varying lengths, although 30 miles was the standard. The following day was an arena course with some of the toughest obstacles imaginable, including rings of fire and the giant inflatable tubes typically seen outside of car dealerships. The final day returned to the outdoors for a much shorter race with obstacles along the way. The horse with the best overall time, performance, and vet scores took first place.

There were no shortcuts in extreme trail. You couldn't focus all your energy on one thing and expect to win, and you couldn't use drugs to mask lameness or pain for the sake of winning a trophy. It took years to train a winner at the top level. And Keith had managed to have one of his horses place in at least the top three ten years running. If he lost, it was to one that he had sold. That kind of success didn't come from training with force or starving your horses, that was for sure.

The call of the foghorn, deafeningly loud now that it was directly behind me, startled me out of my thoughts. And then I heard the reply, surprisingly close but still just out of sight

The island emerged from the fog a couple minutes later like a ghost ship, a solid beam of light swinging around from a lighthouse on the coast to welcome us in. There were other lights in the distance as well, houses and other buildings in town, the docks. I tried to imagine it on a clear day, with tourists and vacationers at every corner.

Someday, I would see it that way for real.

#wfhtw #my wips #writers of tumblr #writeblr

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deadinsidedressage · 7 years ago

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Anonymous Barn Drama #39

Adults Are Petty, Don’t Board with Them

I used to board my horse at Barn A (clearly a real barn name), and when I was there I met S & D. S is one of those older, eccentric horse ladies who talks a lot and is kinda... out there (probably into crystals tbh). BUT she was really sweet and she loved my horse (and me!)--- she found my horse colicking one time and stayed to walk him for me until I could arrive and just overall she was really helpful in the beginning of my stay at Barn A. I was a first time horse owner and she just was so good about that.

Now, D is a trainer with six horses at the barn who gives lessons pretty much all day long on Saturdays. The arena at Barn A was pretty small but she insisted that I could still ride in there when she did lessons (which was, nice if not a bit of a hassle). Eventually, I struck a deal with her that I’d clean up her horses’ stalls on the weekends in exchange for lessons. Which worked out nicely since I could not afford lessons on top of board at the time. Barn A was, however, set to close last October. S moved her horse to a different facility, Barn B, in August because of some weird random reason? Like her horse was getting bullied or some shit? Why she didn’t just move her horse into a different run... lord nows. Anyway, she told me how great Barn B was and blah blah blah blah, and eventually I was like oh well why don’t I move my horse there?? I ended up not though because I discovered Barn C (aka, my last resort). So, October comes and the barn owner tells us that we don’t actually have to move out until March because there was an issue with zoning. Okay, cool? I moved out in October anyway because I’d already made the arrangements and done all the paperwork, put a deposit down for my spot in Barn C (which was a really nice facility and I didn’t want to lose my spot). I keep doing work in exchange for lessons at Barn A while boarding at Barn C. It was all good and dandy, but eventually Barn A did close. D needed a place to go that was affordable and where she could give lessons, so like S she ended up at Barn B. I helped her move all six of her horses (and all her goddamn hay)... and let me tell you something about Barn B... It’s a total shithole. Horses don’t have their own water tanks, owners have to provide their OWN, the runs are all tiny and cramped with the wire panels (just waiting to catch legs up), all the shelters have dark, leaky low ceilings, and the only nice thing is the arena (decently sized)... but you have to pay the owner $20 any time you want it dragged. Anyway, here I am helping D when I see S! I hug her and chat with her, whatever normal stuff, and this is when S tells me there is ALREADY drama at Barn B. Apparently, she and S weren’t getting along. S had texted D asking when she was coming (probably to... help out?) and D snaps back that she didn’t want to deal with S being “nosy”?? So, S is telling this story which means it’s probably NOT the truth, but whatever. S had also told D that other people that other people use the arena and she can’t keep it all to herself when giving lessons. Which????? Had never been a problem at Barn A? Like, S hardly ever even rode at Barn A and never used the arena--- she just went on the trails. Then the following weekend when I’m out to have a lesson with D, my mom was there talking to S. For the entirety of my lesson, S is just complaining to my mom about D. D “doesn’t pick up her hay”, so S has to do it. D’s “minis were running around the arena” when S wanted to have HER horse turned out in there and this was just the WORST thing to ever happen to anyone ever. Basically, a bunch of petty shit and I am glad I ended up at Barn C and so I don’t have to constantly deal with it.

#anonymous barn drama #horsblr #horseblr #horses #eventing #dressage #jumping #hunter #jumpers #barrels #barrel racing #western gaming #western #western riding #western pleasure

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5scowgirlgrit · 5 years ago

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Maintaining the Realm of the Known

Curbing Competition and Travel Anxiety

For today’s article, I am writing on a topic requested by our friend Lynn Rutlader in Portland, Oregon (Thanks Lynn!), who wrote in requesting some thoughts and ideas about how to manage anxiety in a horse when traveling to competitions. I am so happy that this topic has been brought to the table! I think anyone who knows me well as a horseman will describe me as being a bit of a naturalist. What I mean by that, is that I am not one to pump my horse full of supplements and medication to attempt to fix behavioral issues, and I’m a huge advocate of letting horses be horses while maintaining their health and happiness. One behavioral issue that I see people try to address most commonly with medical interventions is anxiety in horses that travel frequently for competitions or adventuring in general. Let me say quickly that we should always eliminate injury or illness as a cause for anxiety before seeking out training interventions. In my experience, however, a vast majority of riders that I meet who are struggling with horses who are anxious in new scenarios and in new places are dealing with issues which can be attributed to holes in their training.

Every Ride, Every Time

Anyone who has ever been to one of my clinics can tell you that the very first thing I teach them is the warmup routine that I use every day. Regardless of whether I am working with beginner riders, green horses, finished show horses, or behavioral modification cases, I start every clinic with the same warmup routine. Over the past decade, one thing that has become very evident to me is that so many problems that riders and horses have stem from a lack of consistency. When I am training any horse at any level, I get on and flex them laterally and vertically, move their hips, ribs, shoulders, and work on stopping and backing with my seat. I am a huge advocate for adding and maintaining tools for your “training toolbox,” and I build those tools and maintain them by testing them every ride. The reason for this warm up routine is two-fold though. By starting my rides this way every time, not only am I building a foundation and ensuring that my horse will establish the muscle memory necessary to smoothly and efficiently complete these maneuvers down the road, I am also establishing a routine that allows my horse to mentally get in to “work mode.” Something people will hear me say often is that, by using the same warm up every ride, every time, I am establishing “the realm of the known.”

In to the Unknown

Like us, it is natural and healthy for a horse to be inquisitive, nervous, and energetic in a new place. I think too often we focus on how a horse being nervous or afraid is a negative thing, and we spend a lot of time hyper-focusing on curbing or eliminating fear. I have always told people to remember that a horse has the right to be afraid. I think something that people fail to understand is that the world in which the average horse lives is pretty damn small. Most people have their horses at a boarding facility, and the extent of their daily experience is limited to their same group of friends, the same group of humans, the same smells, sights, and sounds. Every time I take a horse to a new place, I like to think that I am making their world a whole lot bigger. New horses, new people, new sights, new sounds, new smells….it can be OVERWHELMING! Much of the time, this inundation of outside stimuli is accompanied by a rider that feeds off of their horse’s nervous energy, and that adds to that stress by then riding in a totally different way than they do at home. 3-2-1 blast off! Houston, we have a problem! Horse implodes and proceeds to embarrass mom or dad with behavior that mom and dad aren’t equipped or confident enough to handle. Horse is labeled as naughty, mom and dad stop taking him places, and round and round we go. Here is where an “Every ride, every time” warmup routine becomes extremely important. By starting every ride off the same, we flip that brain in to work mode, and we take our horse’s mind off of the great big scary world and we bring them back in to the realm of the known. If we are consistent enough, what will begin to happen is that new places/horses/people will begin to be secondary to what your horse already knows. He will begin to understand that your expectations are the same no matter if you are riding at home, at a competition, or heading out for a trail ride. By keeping your horse’s brain anchored to the real of the known, you exponentially increase his ability to think about the world around him instead of just reacting to it.

Beyond the Warmup

When we think about the best and most broke horses in the world, I think most of us envision a horse who is “old reliable” whether he is in the show pen, bee-bopping around with the kids in the yard, or exploring new trails. While I would argue that some horses are just born a little more grounded than others, what I can tell you is that the common thread with these old reliable type horses is that they have been owned and/or trained by people who have made consistency a top priority. Finding a warmup routine that you can replicate no matter where you go is a fantastic first step but, ultimately, we have to strive as horsemen to find this level of consistency in everything we do with our horses if we want them to become worldly. If we ride one way at home, we need to ride the same way when we get somewhere new. A horse that has a rider who is consistent is a horse that will look to the rider for structure when the rest of the world gets a little scary. Introducing a horse to the great big world out there while maintaining their “realm of the known” is paramount to creating a horse that is confident in new places and able to take new situations in stride. We also need to be cognizant of the role our own anxiety plays in how our horses adapt to new places and situations (See our article “Fear and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy”). It is important that we are consistent not only physically in the way that we ride, but in the attitude and level of confidence with which we ride in new scenarios.

The Take Away

When you’re headed somewhere new, here are some words to live by:

1. Be the rock your horse needs you to be emotionally. If you aren’t worried, he won’t have any reason to be.

2. Maintain the structure of routine which he has become accustomed to. Ride the same no matter where you are!

3. Be forgiving. Remember that his world is small and every new trip makes it a whole lot bigger.

4. Find the win! Focus on the positive strides he makes when in a new place, and build upon them everywhere you go

Keep those questions coming in y’all, and happy riding!

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horsecenta · 4 years ago

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Everything You Should Know About Buying a Horse

Buying a horse can be a very complex task. For those people that may think a horse is horse could find themselves facing big problems. Each horse is different and needs to be looked at in such a way. All horses will have some problems, it is a matter of do you have the skills to properly deal with them.

Let me say up front one big secret I think there is to having a great horse; it's all in the relationship. If you want to have a successful and fulfilling relationship with your horse you have to get along. The famous Will Rogers quote, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man." That is true quote but you must remember that the opposite can be true also; you could begin to dislike and even hate a horse you are not having fun with. The remarkable thing about a horse is that over time they will begin to represent a mirror image of you. If you don't know how to handle a horse then your horse's problems can grow. A horse has a wonderful knack to exploit your imperfections. That why it is imperative to have the horsemanship skills and tools to be able to "train" a horse. From the selection, training, management and to horseman, I have defined four sections to examine in order for you to take the steps to excel as a horse person. miniature donkeys for sale

Selection: The horse you choose is the horse you must live with and deal with on a daily basis. If you select a horse with many "challenges" then you must embrace ways to develop and learn to possess the skills to correct those "problems". There is no horse that is challenge free or problem free. Some horses just have less challenge then others. Your first horse should not have challenges that can in injure you. Challenges can be in many forms:

Age - Breed - Health - Abuse - Attitude - Neglect - Never Trained - Poorly Trained - Time to devote to the horse - Facilities not available

It is best if you shop around and educate yourself on what you really want in your horse. Love at first sight is not a good buying strategy for a horse. Inexperience in horse selection can be anything from unpleasant to very painful, including death. The wrong horse in the wrong hands can be a deadly combination. The average horse is ten times more powerful than you. Horse ownership should be an absolute joy and not filled with fear and anxiety. Selection of your first horse is paramount to having a good horse experience. The old saying of a green horse and a green rider soon turns to black and blue was founded on truth. miniature horses for sale

Psychological Selection: We may unknowingly be psychological mirrors to the horses we gravitate towards, or the horses may be psychological mirrors of us. Either way it is very common for the person buying a horse for personal use, to select a horse for subconscious reasons. I only address this here so you are aware of it. It is too complex an issue to discuss in its entirety here.

Cost: Good horses are expensive to purchase. But the initial price of the horse may be shortly eclipsed by the constant cost of the routine expenses it may take to properly care for a horse. Veterinarian bills, feed bills, farrier bills, continuing education fees, tack, stable fees, etc.

Time: The time you spend with your horse is important. The horse's favorite companion is routine and habit. For a horse to develop well, he should also be mentally and emotionally stimulated. It takes time to teach a horse something new or to refine prior learned tasks. It takes lots of time to build exceptional communication between you and the horse. Again learning in horsemanship is a two way street, you must also develop your horsemanship skills. My personal goal as a horseman is having people to try to figure out how you got the horse to do that maneuver, with no obvious signs of a cue. When people always ask you how it is you have the best mannered and such a well trained horse, that is when you are becoming a horseman. In my opinion there is no nobler quest than to be a superb horseman. Pat Parelli considers a horse green with less than 1,000 hours of training. If you work/train/ride your horse one hour each day, it will take about 3 years to reach 1,000 hours. mules for sale

Breed selection: There is no perfect breed. Each breed always has pluses and minuses. Each breed has its limitations and attributes. Some breed organizations are large, others are small. You should select your horse based on your intended use and individual flare. Arabian horses will make poor roping horses, but they make superb endurance racers. Quarter Horses were originally bred to produce an all around ranch horse that was extremely fast running a quarter mile. Walking horses make excellent trail horses, their gait and endurance allows for a long pleasant trail ride. Each breed may have their temperaments; some may be "hot" or "cold". Horse shows, fairs, television programs and the internet are just a few places to learn about different breeds. Most people will be more than happy to embellish enthusiastically about "their" breed of horse if asked.

Age: Young horses can be very enjoyable, most of the time they are "baggage free". They can also become nightmares in the wrong hands. Raising a young horse from weanling to riding age can be the best thing ever, to both you and the horse, if handled properly. It is not wise to have your first horse be a horse younger than six years old that has been properly trained. Your first horse should never be a green horse. A ten year old well seasoned horse is worth its weight in gold. They are usually very mature and commonly have only a few veterinary problems. Your first horse should be your buddy. Horses that will help you learn at your pace. A green or young horse will learn at their pace. If you are unprepared to teach the horse, let someone else start and train your horse. But you must be in on the process. If you don't know how to train or ride a horse you really need some professional guidance.

Horses are one of the greatest gift you can buy for yourself. A lot of thought and research should go into this very important purchase. Educate yourself so that you will have a fulfilling experience and know the joy of horse ownership.

VISIT HERE: ranch horses for sale

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passionatewayhorsemanshipllc · 5 years ago

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LISTEN TO YOUR HORSE (trailer loading)

LISTEN TO YOUR HORSE

TRAILER LOADING CONVERSATIONS

PAX

Yesterday afternoon I was going to bring one of my clients, Jazmine, to another facility to utilize their indoor arena. The plan was to load up her horse on my trailer and head over. I asked Jazmine to be there an hour before I was expected at the other farm. It would take fifteen minutes to get there and I would not have wanted to be late, as I had two other horses trailering in for lessons starting at five o’clock.

I was not prepared to do a “trailer loading” lesson and even though Pax is new to us, Jazmine was told he trailer loads just fine. Since he seems so well versed in his other training, I really was happy to assume the information was accurate. With that being said, I opted to wait until 4:20 to start to try to load him.

When I first brought him to the trailer he told me that he was used to someone getting in and leading him in. He might have loaded just fine had I not told him that he needed to “self load”. I spoke it out loud, so Jazmine knew I was asking him to do something he might not have thought was normal. I only self load horses so I’m never in a situation where it’s only me trying to take a horse somewhere. Kind of a safety measure for me, in case there would ever be a need for an emergency trip to the vet clinic and I was the only one able to take them.

Anyway, as I asked Pax to load, he said, “No!”. Then as I continued to ask him he said, “NO!!!”. Then when I continued to ask him he said “no!” and then reared up on the ramp with an ever so slight suggestion of a strike. I would guess he had struck at someone once and got beat for it, because I saw him change his mind. Although, I had another horse, Miles, who was known to strike, but after years with me, he realized I was not the enemy and didn’t want to fight so strongly with me. So, with that being said, it’s possible that Pax changed his mind because he knew I wasn’t deserving of that level of protest. Either way, he reared and it was not ok.

The effort was becoming an issue, as the clock was ticking. As I continued to ask him to load, he started habitually rearing. I had to address that by backing him with a VERY stern “NOOOOO!!!”. That needed to stop.

Being more aware of time than I like to be, I finally told him that I would lead him on. I asked him to follow, he thought about it and came half way in. Then popped up and backed out. I asked him again, and he went in with me but my quickness to duck under the chest bar is not up to par. He backed back out. I went back to insisting he learn to self load and we were back to protesting. One last time I said I would lead him in… he came in and pinned me against the chest bar, then even pushed harder after I thought he was in. I struggled to get under the chest bar but before I could get to the back of the trailer he was wrestling with Jazmine, who had taken the lead when I climbed under the chest bar. He threatened to rear in the trailer in his protest so I sort of yelled, “Let him go.” Jazmine did and I caught him on his way out.

What I had done wrong was not tell Jazmine where to be if he went in as a result of my “leading” him. She was at the trap door up front, not at the buttbar behind us. Had she been back there, ready to get the buttbar in place, we might have been able to secure Pax and head out. That was my fault to not have been a better instructor for Jazmine.

Unfortunately, I trusted information about this horse, chose to make it different than he told me he understood and failed to be a better teacher for Jazmine. Needless to say, we had to abort the mission. I had to disconnect from my trailer and race to my lessons that I ended up being five minutes late for.

So that was one example of the horse telling you something and kind of ignoring it, when “time” was a factor. We are scheduled to have a “trailer loading” lesson tomorrow. I will be video taping it, for those of you interested.

TANGO

Another time I was asked to help with “trailer loading” was a horse who had always gotten on the trailer but was suddenly refusing. He was a well seasoned trail mount who went out a lot. The owner called me when I was on the road, and seemed to “need” this fixed now. I told her that I would head straight there, but needed to stop to grab something to eat on my way.

When I got to Tango, the trailer was all hooked up and ready for us to start. I was given a brief description of the last time out where he refused to get back on the trail out on a ride. Laura had to have her husband actually come out to help, it was that much of a problem. Laura had told me that he was refusing or protesting ever since she had brought her other horse to my facility. I wasn’t sure what the connection could have possibly been, but it did end up offering us the timeline of what the problem indeed was.

I walked Tango over to the trailer and he came with me just fine until about three feet away. Then he told me something was wrong. He looked with concern and balked, but didn’t refuse right away. After he told me something was wrong I told Laura that. I said, “He just told me something is wrong.” She told me that she didn’t know what it could be. She insisted that he never gave her grief before. Then I simply said, “He told me something is wrong and horses really have no reason to lie.” I believed him, but as Laura insisted that nothing had happened to him in the trailer and that he just suddenly had this issue, I wanted to believe her too. I don’t think either of them were lying, but something was definitely wrong as far as Tango was concerned.

I spend over an hour trying to convince him that nothing was wrong. He would not trust me. That’s when I did something I never do, I doubted the horse. I began to believe that he was lying. After so much time with little progress, we sort of decided I would have to come back. He had made enough positive effort so we had a place to quit for the day. Laura offered to try. She and I finally got him in. Then, as I always do, I told her we would take him out and reload him a handful of times. So I instructed Laura to back him out and THAT was when he told us WHAT was wrong. I told Laura, “He just told you he was scared to back out.”. The trailer was a step up and he was terrified to back out. That’s when the lightbulb when on for Laura about what was different. She had totally forgotten that just before bringing Helios to my place she had gotten the center divider fix and reinstalled it. Tango had been trailered without the divider before and when it came time to “unload” he was allowed to turn around and just “walk” off. Walla, we had our answer.

So now it was time to address his concerns. We ended up teaching Tango that we would assist him in KNOWING when the drop off from the trailer to the ground was. We taught him that we would “tell” him to step down when he was expected to step down out of the trailer.

It turned out that he was terrified of the surprise of the floor not being there when asked to back up. With each outing and return home, after the divider was replaced, he grew more and more afraid of THAT PART, that he just stopped being willing to get on.

The moral to this story is “Listen to your horse. He might be trying to tell you something.”

POPCORN

This horse was a seasoned barrel horse, who was certainly familiar with being trailered places as well. I was actually at the farm for a lesson with a different horse but happened to come when Popcorn was getting loaded to go to a show.

I stood and watched as Popcorn continued to refuse to load. I heard him say why, but I debated if I wanted to interfere. After the young lady tried to get him on, Kate said to me, “He does this sometimes and it’s really becoming an issue.” Then Kate stepped in and attempted to load Popcorn herself. I watched but again, was unsure I would get involved. Popcorn kept saying what the problem was to the point that I had to say something.

I told Kate that Popcorn said he didn’t like that she got in the trailer first. That he would be happy to just get in if she asked him from outside of the trailer. Kate had no reason to refuse to try what I suggested, so she stood on the left of the open trailer and asked Popcorn to “self load”. He got right on.

Cool, right? He told us what the problem was and all he needed was someone to listen. He has never refused to get on the trailer since.

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anamuseinglife · 6 years ago

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Iditapod: Our 2019 Trail Reporters Reunite in Unalakleet

Casey Grove: Welcome to another extended 2019 daylight savings time adjusted special [airhorn blows] bonus edition of the Iditapod. I’m your host, Casey Grove, we have reached the coast my friends. And… because the theme of this year’s Iditapod is Fun and Friendship, Ben and Zach - that’s Ben Matheson from KNOM and Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes - they have rejoined together in brotherly love, on the coast in Unalakleet. They’ve been sort of leapfrogging each other, using the same plane with our friend Pilot Rob at the controls, and the two of them were together long enough to record an interview kind of catching up. And so, in the spirit of fun and friendship, here are Zach and Ben.

Zachariah Hughes: It’s nice to see you, I haven’t seen you since McGrath, that was Tuesday… and it was brief. What have you been doing since then?

Ben Matheson: Since McGrath, I went into the deepest reaches of Alaska gold rush country, to the checkpoints of Ophir, and Iditarod, and Shageluk, which is a little bit outside of that. But, we find ourselves on the coast now, but there’s been a lot that we experienced that hasn’t made it to any stories or any airwaves.

ZH: Tell me about your night in Iditarod. Take a big sip of coffee and then tell me about your night in Iditarod.

BM: In Iditarod, there’s really no facilities besides a cabin for mushers to sleep in, a few arctic ovens and tents, and sort of a cook shaft. The pilot I’m flying with, Rob -

ZH: Pilot Rob.

BM: Mr. Pilot Rob. Recently had a custom arctic oven tent designed and built for him. So basically, it’s a tent that’s small enough to be a two person packing tent, except that it’s super insulated and has a wood stove inside. The wood stove in this tent is made of titanium, and basically is like an origami experience to put it together, it’s literally fitting extremely thin metal together. This is the first time that it’s actually been tested, so I was very excited to be a part of that. My job was to go find wood to put in this wood stove, and you do have to cut it into very small pieces. So I probably burned, like, an hour and five hundred calories cutting wood into very small chunks to go into this wood stove. But once you fire it up, the tent was blazing hot within two minutes.

ZH: Rob said you were extremely useful at your wood gathering chore, that you were just sawing away, right away.

BM: I’m sure you’re just making that up, but that was -

ZH: No I’m not, Rob said that

BM: So, Pilot Rob is a master in creating a cozy and warm camp setting, basically boiled water for dehydrated meals, Pilot Rob likes his ramen extra soupy, extra wet. [laughs] He asked me how much water I wanted in mine, and I said extra soupy too, because that’s cool. [Zach laughs]

ZH: So you hadn’t been to Iditarod though, before, so was it, was it what you were expecting? And it’s not that cold, but it’s still cold out, you’re way off somewhere. Were you stoked to camp in those conditions, or were you a little intimidated by how spare it is out there? BM: I was absolutely stoked to camp in those conditions, because it truly is dozens, hundreds of miles from any sort of major civilization. I was expecting Iditarod to literally be one, small, old timey wall tent, like one that they used during the gold rush times on the river, so I was a little surprised to see there was the mushers cabin, and a few of those facilities. But it really is a spot that is only used once every two years. And besides that, it’s really just a bunch of ruins on a river, hundreds of miles from nowhere.

ZH: Did you go and explore the ruins at all? BM: The ruins are everywhere, so it’s kind of hard to avoid some old barrels and some old, extremely large piece of machinery that were brought up the river and carried by hand and by horse over really hard terrain. But I had to go see the bank vault in which combination lock on this big steel rectangle, looks like it was literally abandoned overnight like 70, 80, 90 years ago. And when you walk around, you see these bank deposit slips that’s like “Iditarod National Bank: Gold, Silver, Platinum, Cash” and it’s literally this time capsule, that somehow survives the elements. And somehow survives the people, too, that tramp around here every year for this race.

ZH: And what was your night like, because you guys set up a tent, it got dark around 7, 8, but you had to wait until Aliy came in at almost 2 am, right?

BM: So, we had our dinner, we had our fun, we got to sit around and talk with another pilot in the tent. It’s not a three person tent, but we fired up the stove, and had three people inside, and had a really good time. But I did have to go to work and get my stuff in gear, and go wait for Aliy to arrive. By that time, I think it was just before 2 am, so I did have to sit outside in the cold. I didn’t have to, I went inside to, but I sat out in the cold, closed my eyes, and took a few naps, just kind of like those ten minute naps, leading up to that 2 o’clock hour. And then Aliy came, was a little subdued to be honest, everyone was tired and despite it not being cold everyone was still cold, but uh the checkers asked Aliy, after this marathon day, like this 17 hour day over frozen tussocks and a lack of a trail, they asked her, are you staying or are you passing through? And she just lets out an enormous, hearty, Aliy Zirkle laugh.

Checker: You going through? Aliy: [laughing] That’s really funny.

Checker: Well, welcome to Iditarod.

Aliy: Thank you!

BM: It feels awesome to be in Ophir and Iditarod, which are these old timey, literally 100 year old shacks that people bring to life every spring. What’s wonderful is that there’s no wifi there, what’s stressful is that as soon as you’re out of there, you probably should file something, and file something quickly from the day that you just spent exploring some of the coolest places in all of Alaska.

ZH: Have you showered yet? BM: I’ve developed new and innovative ways of bathing, if that’s what your asking [Zach laughs]

ZH: Have you been into a shower? BM: I haven’t been to a shower since McGrath. McGrath, I was at a lodge, so I showered in McGrath.

ZH: So, you’re just going to wait until we go up and sauna in a little while? BM: I’ve been advised to shower before hand, is it a law?

ZH: [laughing] There’s no law on the books in Alaska that says you gotta shower before you get into a crowded, hot box with a bunch of people you only half know. No, that’s not a rule.

BM: I think I know these people by the way.

ZH: [laughing] Uh, Ben, where’s Pilot Rob?

BM: Pilot Rob is somewhere near the headwaters of the Anvik River, on a flight path south of Unalakleet. I don’t know exactly where, but there’s a nasty winter storm that I guess we knew about, but was a little fiercer, and quicker, and stronger than we sort of expected. That sent him down. So he’s maybe -

ZH: What do you mean by sent him down? BM: He had to land his plane as quickly as he could, because it wasn’t safe enough to fly to an airstrip. He’s in a Supercub, it’s made for really short, wilderness landings, but typically you want to follow the flight plan that you set out to do. Um, it’s not any fun when weather forces you to do something like that.

ZH: Rob was dropping me off in Unalakleet this morning and then we loaded up on gas and he was going to fly back to Shageluk, to get you. And then he had to set down about 25 miles south of here. He got a message, to a friend of ours, that it was a little unclear for the first few hours if he was okay - he had said that the plane was okay, and stuff like that, but… I don’t know, the first couple of hours in Unalakleet were spent getting you, or Rob a ride from Shageluk to Unalakleet, and then trying to get Rob’s satellite phone or cell phone or something to ping him. So finally, he let us know he’s okay and is sheltering in place with his wood stove, and uh, hopefully the weather clears and we see Rob soon. You have any questions for me? BM: During the first couple of days in the race, I know you made it to a place called Skwentna, and heard the news from there. But there’s also a black hole of places that have really interesting names, and I want to ask you, Zach, did you personally inspect the buffalo tunnels yourself? ZH: Not up close. I - you can put your elbow down, you don’t need to hold your arm like a boom stick -

BM: Sorry, this is my first interview ever

ZH: [laughing] Uh…. I… I didn’t get up close with the buffalo tunnels, but I saw where they start, kind of. From the sky, it looks like just a bunch of thick trees with a bunch, with these absence of trees, and that’s where the trail is, and I guess that’s part of the ways - somebody told me, I don’t know if they were pulling my leg, but the buffalo traffic through those tunnels. So, I saw those from overheard, and I think, flying in the Supercub, this small plane really close to a lot of the trail but from above, is how I’ve seen a lot of it.

BM: Did Pilot Rob explain to you the difference between plains bison and wood bison? ZH: Yes, we talked a lot about that. Pilot Rob is a very experienced hunting guide and so has a lot of animal knowledge. Wood bison are the bison that are native to Alaska. The other bison were imported from the plains.

BM: We’ve talked a couple of times in the past about sleeping conditions, in the school gym, the sleeping bag in a classroom, but tell us about your facilities on your first night on the trail.

ZH: First night was the worst night. The Skwentna lodge is where a lot of people post up. And unfortunately, by the time I called to make arrangements for Pilot Rob and me, I was a little bit late getting my reservations made. So they said, you can stay, but we’re going to have to put you in this house that’s a little bit aways from the lodge, and it’s, whatever, fine. Turns out it’s like ¾ mile away, and we had to get snow machined there and back, and this house is like, somebody’s half finished three story monstrosity, badly built, it had started to shift and warp? And so you could barely get the door open because it was so jammed and messed around. And that’s, that’s whatever. But inside, they reheated, they started to heat up the beginning, and it’s this giant stove that people just fed wood too. And whoever was in charge, like “get it warm enough so people can inhabit it” just piled wood in. So by the time Rob went back to go to sleep, it was like 100 degrees. That’s what he said, it was probably like 80 or 90, but it was stuffy. And the worst part was that it had woken up all these flies that were living there? So it was hot, and there were swarms of black flies. And just, like dozens in the hallway, going into your room and there were dozens around the lights. I tried killing some, but there were so many, and more would just pour out from whatever sort of crack they live in, and, I don’t know, it was gross. And they told us not to bring our sleeping bags, which was a mistake, because there were beds, but they were just these ruined mattresses, with just these children’s sleeping bags that looked like they had gone through, there were just these stains that I didn’t even bother to try to [sighs] try to identify.

BM: So you left your sleeping bag, what, in Anchorage, or what?

ZH: No, in the plane, in the plane. But by that point it was late, you know, we’d had somebody else snow machine us there, and it’s not like you’re going to go back, walk ¾ or a mile in the dark cold, I don’t know, it just wasn’t worth it. So, Rob went through and cracked the windows while I was still out reporting to cool things down, so it was kind of cold by the flies at least kind of refrigerated. Also, it was just filled with beer cans. Like, I don’t know who normally lives there, I assume it’s just in the summer, but it was just… beer cans everywhere, and it just… It was… [sighs] it was no good. So that was the worst place. Otherwise, it’s been fine. I probably slept more on this Iditarod than any other, and in a lot of beds.

BM: Are there any terms, or words, or terms of phrase that you have felt yourself coming back to or having to stop yourself from using this time? ZH: Mine is hungry country [laughs] Martin Buser said that about the southern route, about Iditarod, and as we were flying over it I thought it was gonna be kind of cool and poetic, and I told Rob over the headsight like [imitates headset noise] man this is some really hungry country isn’t it Rob? And Rob didn’t say anything back [laughs] But yeah hungry country. I mean, he’s not wrong, there is, you kind of leave Takotna and we kind of flew in a straight line to Iditarod, but I mean the tracks drop away, you stop seeing moose, the trees thin out - there’s just not a lot that’s there.

BM: How many shirts did you bring?

ZH: T shirts? Or like -

BM: How many cumberbands

ZH: And then there’s fleeces, nah, I have a whole system.

BM: Did you over or under pack? ZH: I always overpack. But, I always underpack on the things I need the most. So, like, you can’t reuse socks, right, cause they get kind of wet. I mean you can, but you shouldn’t, that’s like one of the things in particular for me. And also in bunny boots, it traps moisture in. I have failed again to bring enough socks. I overpacked on snacks.

BM: Free business idea: disposable clothes. [Zach laughs] I know our materialist culture has gone way too far, but do you not see a use case for disposable clothes? ZH: You really value your clothes, you just stay in them moving from planes to floors to… yeah. Definitely.

BM: Do you ever find yourself wearing, you know, lighter gloves or a lighter hat - or no hat - around the mushers, just to seem cool?

ZH: No, I’ve kind of given up trying to impress them anyways. I look so stupid, I have this giant coat that I wear, and the reason I wear it, most of the time, is that it has pockets filled with things that I might anticipate needing. Uh, it’s been such a warm year I probably could have done most of my reporting outside in a light jacket, and I did a little bit. No, I’ll never underdress to impress the mushers, no. Cause you just look like you’re showing off, they’ve come in from like, you know, some overnight run and they’re bundled up because they’re standing still against the wind, basically. So they’re all built up and stuff like that, you don’t want to be there in like a t-shirt, like ‘I just walked from that warm building inside there, do you want some hot tea? Oh, you can’t have any.’ What about you - did you overpack? You’ve never overpacked in your life.

BM: I thought I packed too much food and snacks, but I did end up eating quite a bit in Shageluk, over the last couple of days.

ZH: What was your favorite thing that Pilot Rob said? BM: We were flying over some creeks and some lakes, and trying to get a sense of what the terrain was looking like, and Pilot Rob could not get over the wet holes. He was like “those some wet holes down there.” Should we kill this thing?

ZH: Yeah, let’s kill this thing.

Casey Grove: Yep, yep, time to kill it. That was a good talk though, guys. Again, that was Alaska Public Media’s Zachariah Hughes and KNOM’s Ben Matheson in Unalakleet. I’m your host, Casey Grove, please stay tuned for another episode of the Iditapod. Thanks for listening.

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sharonchteh · 6 years ago

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~14th February 2019~

So what’s with the 5:30am party. I was woken up by loud raggaetón music playing not far away from the campsite. I thought it was around 2am and perhaps a group of people had brought their party to the campsite after being chucked out of the club but nope. About half hour later, I heard what I thought was a motorcycle backfiring but later was told that it was a combination of that and the guard firing blanks or something as warning shots for the group to disperse. Most of us were up and we witness some exchanges with some of them just made us chuckled, it was like Laurel and Hardy.

What a start for Valentine’s Day and we have a relatively long drive with a border crossing into Brazil to Foz do Iguaçu. The drive and border crossing were uneventful except for the fact that this was the last border crossing for the trip. By the time we arrive it was quite late and we were given the option to camp or dorm room for accommodation. For a small extra, I was keen on just staying in the dorm room for the next couple of nights.

Barbecue was organised for the night as well as a speed dating since we have three Dragoman trucks on site. A quick walk around the hostel, Hostel Nature, there were lots of things set up for us to play. They have the slack line, zip line, wobbly bridge and water sport as well. Dinner was amazing with the variety of meat and sides on offer and it was good to eat proper food rather than pizza, it makes such a difference.

Dinner was almost over and Jaz, trip leader for Amber, stood on a chair started talking about the speed dating and giving instruction on how it’s going to work. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Dee and Lisa slipping out moving away from the dining area. Dilemma, to join or not to join. Maybe one round and I could bow out after especially it looked like there were too many ladies anyways. It was a great first round, where I got to know David who is working with Jaz on leading the Amber group. Finishing the two minutes on a high, I bowed out knowing it would be best before I made a fool of myself or got too tired and testy.

~15th February 2019~

Kylie and the trip leaders had planned for us to go to the Brazilian side of the Iguaçu falls first then the Argentinian side the next day, apparently it’s better on the other side. The plan was for the truck to drop us off then we make our way back ourselves.

It was amazing to see the power of water through the waterfalls. Words would fail to describe the scene and the feel of the place. It was a nice bus ride from the entrance and even though it was raining, we were all still excited to see the falls. The viewpoints provided the view from different angles and we could see the Argentinian broad walk where we’re going to be the next day.

After the waterfalls, some of us went to the bird park just opposite the entrance and this bird park is one of the best that I’ve been to. Some of the areas were open to people to interact and it was just simply amazing just to see the colourful macaws up close.

The bus services back to the hostel was simple enough and the one we took was just filled with people from Dragoman. Once we were back at the hostel, it was time to play with the slack line and the stuff they have setup around the grounds. I managed the slack line pretty well but with support as there was a line to hold on to, which was great since the line was higher than the one in Pucon.

~16th February 2019~

We’ve seen the Brazilian side, now it’s the Argentinian side and to do that we had to cross the border back to Argentina for the day. All three groups jammed into a big coach (not a bus or a truck) with a guide that managed all the border crossing and supposedly for the falls too.

Since I’m not doing any additional activities, it’s just simply walking the trail and enjoy the wonderful views of the waterfalls. The place was heaving with people since it’s the weekend so locals would have come and visit the attraction as well. I knew my legs were less than perfect so I’m just doing what I need to see the infamous waterfall section called Garganta del Diablo and what a sight. The view just got better as the day went on.

I had my empanadas stolen by a monkey while in the park. It was the second time a monkey stole food from me, ridiculously fast and cheeky buggers they are. Lucky I had one already and Kylie gave me another to stave off the hunger. I should have been more careful holding my food around all these truly wild animals.

It took a whole day for me to walk two trails very slowly and it really showed how tired I was. Reflecting on it now, I was a feeling the travelling fatigue where there were just too much to see and do that I don’t want to see and do anymore. This feeling continued until the Pantanal.

When we got back to the hostel, it was shower and chilling out on the slack line trying to find my focus. Quite a few people came over to give it a try which was nice and fun to watch. The light hearted evening was just what I needed.

~17th-18th February 2019~

All three trucks were heading down to Bonito at the same time and it was a source of amusement when we spotted the other trucks en route. It was also a long drive day with over 700km to cover and by the time we reached Bonito, I was rather spent. Long drive days were beginning to wreck major havoc with my body.

I passed on the tours and trips available for Bonito because I was feeling so indifferent about doing anything. I ended doing laundry since they have a really good facilities for that and went out on a long walk around the town and at the edge of it. It was beginning to feel like I was travelling on my own again where I started to chat with people and just chill out plus I managed to do some writing as well, which was good. These ‘me’ time days are so precious for me to manage my own well being and my interaction with other people.

Bonito is now on the list of places to go back to so that I could go for the featured activity of rappelling down a cave and snorkel, Abismo Anhumas. It’ll have to be timed so that Rio da Prata will be flooded a little for the walkway to be submerged. After the time off, I was really for the Pantanal.

~19th February 2019~

It was a short drive in the morning to reach Fazenda San Francisco and everyone was in high spirit at what’s to come in the next couple of days. The fazenda is located way out from the main road in a protected land for wildlife with variety of birds and beautiful settings. We were scheduled for horse riding or canoeing for the afternoon and night safari after dinner. But first, lunch and it was one of the best meals that I’ve had for a long time and in fact the food in the fazenda was amazing throughout our stay.

A bit of chill out time and it was time for canoeing. I was thinking with the heat of the midday sun, canoeing will be better than horse riding and tomorrow morning will be a bit more fresh for riding around to look for wildlife. We saw many things along the stream, yes that’s what they called it but it looked and feel like a river. Among them was the rarely seen giant otters that came out to check us out when we past their territory. I started to wonder if the fazenda takes in volunteer because I wouldn’t mind spending some time learning about the wildlife around South Pantanal.

There was time before dinner after the afternoon activity so most of us jumped into the pool to cool down from the midday sun. We were playing catch in the pool and just chilling out. This was where and when I found calmness in water by doing breaststrokes across the pool in one breath. My body responded well to the gentle glide of the water and my breathing improves over the course of the lengths I did. I felt better for it especially after the iffy period in Bonito.

Right before dinner while I was on the way out to the truck to fill up my water bottle, I came across a couple of photographers following something across the fazenda’s ground and it was an anteater. It was just before sunset and by the time the rest of the guys come along, it was dark and I felt lucky to have spotted it before dark. I thought it was a tapir to begin with forgetting that tapir is the one with a shorter snout and short hairless tail.

After a delicious dinner, we were all set for the night safari and it turned out to be one of the best experiences ever. Amando, one of the guide, was the spotter for the night and it was impressive to see him work. We saw many wildlife while we were out. Armadillo, capybara, marsh deer, cayman, anteater, owl and wait for it…jaguar, a couple of them. It was a night to remember especially when it’s a rare occasion to even spot one and we saw two. That ended the night for us on a super high note.

~20th February 2019~

Everyone was still on a high from the night before and after breakfast, I was on a horse again riding through the fields. It’s going to be hard to top the night safari when it comes to wildlife spotting but the anteater in daylight was a treat. I still needed help with the horse riding of course and both Amando and Fino were readily available to help me with the horse.

By the time we were back at the fazenda, Carmen and Amber had just arrived from their morning drive over from Bonito. It was near lunch time then and after that, Carmen group joined us for a boat ride with some piranha fishing. It was a nice afternoon to be on a boat and Fino, as always, was amazing in spotting and telling us about the wildlife around us. It was also fun to have Herald, a trip leader on Carmen working alongside Anya, joking around and playing pranks on people. The piranhas that the group caught were then fed to the caymans and birds on the way back.

Free time was spent in the pool doing lengths to build up the strength of my breathing and to soothe my joints by moving them with less pressure and stress. The rest of the time was spent chatting with the trip leaders which I found to be easier. I would loved to have spent more time at the fazenda and I had to keep reminding myself that the trip was just to sample the places so that I could plan my next trip back. I was looking forward to be back in the continent in a few months’ time and explore it more.

Dinner for the night was a barbecue in the nearby field prepared by the locals and they even had entertainment for the night, dancing. It was food and an early night for me since the place was swarmed with mosquitoes and just not in the mood for socialising.

~21st February 2019~

I woke up early to do a few lengths in the pool before the day safari which was refreshing and it felt good. Perhaps that’s what I needed to maintain my equilibrium for the rest of the trip. A quick shower and breakfast, then it was time for the day safari. There were many wildlife and most we’ve seen over the last couple of days. While it was a nice ride and walk through one of the trails, it wasn’t as eventful as we expect it to be.

We had an early lunch since we had a long-ish way to go for our next stop at Campo Grande and before we left, a photoshoot session of the three trucks for the fazenda. We were supposed to be bush camping but Kylie managed to book us into a pousada for the night but that would mean that we will have a longer drive day to Brotas the next day. Campo Grande was nearer to the fazenda than the bush camp would have been.

When we arrived, Kylie managed to negotiate with the manager so that we could set up in the garage area to prepare dinner and to have breakfast the next day instead of going to the nearby field. It’s a nice pousada with shared double room, a good option until I heard from David about the spot they managed to find for their bush camp. Well, at least I know who would know the spot the next time I need to bush camp around the area.

AR-Brazil: Iguaçu-Pantanal ~14th February 2019~ So what's with the 5:30am party. I was woken up by loud raggaetón music playing not far away from the campsite.

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garynsmith · 7 years ago

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10 things you need to know before buying or selling an equestrian property

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Ranging from modest homes with just enough land to house an aging family pony to multi-million dollar equestrian estates, few types of property require such a specific field of knowledge including equine health care, safety, state liability laws and pasture management.

Most clients looking to have their horses on their own property usually have a pretty good idea of what they want. Most first-time equestrian property buyers already own at least one horse, if not more than one, and they are currently paying to keep their four-legged friend at someone else’s facility.

For any number of reasons, these owners have decided they want to move somewhere where their horse can live with them.

Many horse farm buyers have dreamed of the day they could wake up, make a cup of coffee and go out and care for their own horse. This is a very emotional and exciting process for them, and they will have done lots of research.

Some buyers may even bring their friends, trainers or veterinarians out to see a property before putting in an offer.

The top concerns of the average horse property buyer are for the horse’s health, safety and well-being rather than their own comfort.

Taking care of horses is a full-time job in itself. It never fails to amaze me how difficult it can be to keep a horse healthy, sound and happy, and I’ve been caring for horses for over 35 years.

Whoever came up with the saying “healthy as a horse” never owned one, as few animals are as accident and illness prone as the average horse.

So when marketing the listing toward potential equestrian use, there is a lot that goes into deciding if the property really is suited for horses.

Here is my top 10 list of what you need to know about buying and selling an equestrian property.

1. Know the land

Not all land is conducive to horse keeping — steep slopes, heavily wooded areas and marshy areas consisting of poorly draining soil are all inadvisable qualities in a horse facility.

Steep slopes put undue strain on delicate tendons and ligaments, sharp tree branches are all reaching out to scratch unprotected eyes and soupy soil can cause hoof walls to rot and weaken.

Very rocky soil can cause bruising to tender soles of the hooves and stress and crack hoof walls. Farms with standing water can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can transmit potentially fatal equine diseases.

Do your research, and also find out if the property is going to have adequate water for equine needs. The average horse drinks five to 10 gallons of water per day, so having a deep well with high yield will come in handy filling 150 gallon troughs.

Also, know where the “after effects” of all the grass, water and grain a horse eats is going to go. The average 1,000-pound horse gives off 37 pounds of manure and 2.4 gallons of urine a day.

If there isn’t one already there, have an idea where the most convenient place to put a manure pile will be that fits into local zoning regulations, environmental regulations and potential HOA regulations.

2. Is that a bank barn, pole barn or shed row?

Just as there are different styles of homes, there are different styles of barns. Is there a loft with hay storage? If yes, how many bales does it hold? How many stalls are in there, and is there room for storage or equipment?

Also, in the pastures, are there structures, usually called run-in sheds for the horses to escape beating sun, driving rain or get out of winter winds?

Especially if there is no barn on the property, horses must have some form of shelter to protect them from extreme weather conditions.

3. Where do I keep my tack?

Horse people have a lot of equipment for the care and riding of their horses, and this all needs to be kept somewhere, usually called a tack room. This is where saddles, bridles, blankets, grooming supplies and more are kept.

It is not unusual for a saddle to be $2,000 – $4,000, so tack storage areas need to be secure from not only the possibility of theft but also the potential ravages of critters.

Mice leave behind droppings, make a mess and can chew through delicate stitching and weaken leather.

A tack room should be protected from extremes in temperature, which can also weaken and damage leather goods.

Many riders keep first aid supplies and medications in the barn, and all medications should be kept in temperature-controlled areas to prevent spoiling of the active ingredients.

4. Why do I need a feed room?

Horses love to eat. If it were up to them, they would eat all day, and most of the night, too. The equine animal is designed to graze and eat slowly and steadily throughout the day.

One of the most frightening scenes to find first thing in the morning is a horse that has somehow gotten into a feed room and gorged on grain.

As humans, if we eat something that may have gone bad, or overeat and get a stomach ache, we may throw up and then feel better.

Horses are not physically able to vomit. This can lead to an episode of colic, or severe stomach pain, and can be fatal. A horse-proof place to store grain is a must. Ideally, the storage should also be rodent proof, as well.

5. Check the fences

My in-laws live down the street from a beautiful horse property that was lovely in every way — except the fences.

One night, their neighbor’s horse broke through the fence, was standing in the middle of the road and was hit by a speeding car. The horse was killed, and the driver of the vehicle was severely injured.

Fences must be strong, sturdy and checked regularly for loose nails, cracked boards or loose posts. Three- and four-board wood fences are the most common types, with electric tape, vinyl and no-climb wire also being popular.

Barbed wire should never be used on an equestrian property — some of the most gruesome injuries I have ever seen were when a horse got tangled in barbed wire and panicked.

6. Ride out?

This is one category that causes more problems for the listing agent than any of the others. Ride out is the term used by equestrians to denote if there are riding trails or areas off the property that are allowed for equestrian use.

I often see agents comment: “Miles of trails!” Unless there is a public park next door that allows equestrian use, do not say you can ride on other people’s property. With increased liability and fear of lawsuits, fewer and fewer private landowners are allowing people to ride on their properties.

The buyer is not going to be at all pleased if the first time they take Mr. Ed on a leisurely trail ride through their neighbor’s acreage they get shot at for trespassing.

7. Find out what the area surfaces are made of

Horses have incredibly delicate tendons and ligaments in their legs, and if they tear or rupture one, it can be a career ending, if not a fatal, injury. Because of this, it’s no surprise training surfaces, like in arenas, now have any number of options to cushion the impact of repeated stress.

From bluestone and sand to synthetic materials including rubber and felt, know what the surface is and how old it is.

Sand breaks down through repeated use and time and will need to be replaced. The synthetic materials can be very expensive and are a major selling point of a property to a serious competitor.

It’s not unusual for a complete arena installation to be between $50,000 and $100,000, or more. Arenas always deserve a mention along with upgraded footing — this alone can be a major selling point.

8. Is there access for vets, farriers and trailers?

Horses require a lot of people to keep them healthy. Farriers trim equine feet and attach shoes as needed every four to six weeks.

Veterinarians usually visit a minimum of twice a year for checkups and vaccines, and many horses also get at least a once yearly visit from the equine dentist.

Having a way for them to easily access your barn and then have a place that is well-lit to safely work, even potentially late at night, is a must.

Somehow, horses know the most inconvenient time to get sick — mine save up their sick time for 6 p.m. on the Friday before a major holiday weekend to have their most serious illnesses and injuries.

Not only do all of these people need a place to work on your horse, they also need a place to park their truck where they have easy access to the tools of their trade.

Having a dirt path to the barn that turns into eight inches of shoe-sucking mud during the spring rainy season will make for a very cranky veterinarian if they get their vehicle stuck at your farm.

Also, if owners plan to have feed and hay delivered, those very large heavy trucks need a way to get into the property and to the place where they need to deliver. If they don’t think they can get to your property without getting stuck, they won’t deliver.

9. Look for farm equipment storage and parking

You are also going to need a place to park all of your farm “toys.” Horse trailers, tractors, mowers, manure spreaders, trucks, arena maintenance equipment and whatever else you have all need a place to live.

Keeping machines covered or in some form of garage will make them last longer and work more reliably.

Some equipment, like a bush hog, will probably only be used a handful of times a year. These are the tools that can and will run forever if properly maintained and protected from the elements.

10. Figure out a bad weather plan

Every farm owner needs a plan for bad weather. Deciding to come up with a game plan for a snowstorm once the flurries begin is way too late.

If homeowners are in areas with wildfires, they need a plan for how to get their horses to safety. In areas that may flood, they may need to trailer their horses out to somewhere higher and drier well before the storm even begins.

If a huge snow is expected where they may be snowed in, they need a plan for how to get to their barn to feed and water the animals. If the barn is two miles from the house, they will need heavy equipment to make sure they can get to their horses in a timely manner.

By addressing these 10 key horse facility concerns in your marketing, you will be helping prospective buyers check off the must haves on their needs and wants list. If the property you are selling is coming up lacking in a certain category, have a plan for what could work for them instead.

For example, does your barn not have a feed room? No problem, be able to tell them where they can buy horse-proof feed bins to put in the extra wide aisle.

No existing tack room? Show the potential buyer where one could be added on after purchase, or maybe the buyer could turn an existing stall into storage instead.

Always remember a true horse person is going to want what is best for their horses.

By accentuating the reasons your listing is the home where every horse would want to live, you will draw potential buyers to your equine property like flies to a manure pile — or more poetically, flies to honey!

Maria Dampman is the owner and manager of Smiling Cat Farm and a Virginia State licensed Realtor and ABR with Century 21 Redwood in Leesburg, Virginia. Visit her on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Email Maria Dampman

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totallymotorbikes · 8 years ago

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American Flat Track Safety: Interviews With Michael Lock And Chris Carr A month ago, we published an interview with AMA Pro Racing CEO Michael Lock about the future of the American Flat Track Series. While the topics covered were wide-ranging, we felt that, given the two fatalities at the season-closing event at Santa Rosa, the section on the series’ safety should be broken out into its own section. Ironically, neither of the Santa Rosa incidents involved the elephant in the flat track room: the barriers at the edge of the track. Still, when the immediate reaction is to think of the barriers, namely the horse rails at the edge of many tracks, upon learning of a major incident at a flat-track race, the series has a safety problem that warrants a serious look. American Flat Track Series: Interview With AMA Pro Racing CEO Michael Lock Pro Flat Track Racer Charlotte Kainz Dies In Santa Rosa Crash Fortunately, the two American Flat Track representatives we talked to are looking seriously at how these issues can be resolved. While no quick fix is immediately available, both Michael Lock and Chief Competition Officer, Chris Carr (who most readers will know for his seven Grand National Championships), say that change is in the works for the series. MO: You’ve also said that you’re planning on trying to move the events closer to metropolitan areas to entice people who may not have experienced flat track racing before. That seems to make a lot of sense. My question is that you’ve specifically mentioned horse tracks. Those haven’t been typically set up for motorsports the way motorsports-specific facilities are. How are you planning to address the concerns about safety? Close racing and the ever-present railing are two of the hallmarks of flat track racing. ML: For sure, safety is an issue, but our two most successful – long-term successful – mile tracks are the Sacramento Mile and Springfield. They are horse tracks. So, it’s not inherently whether it’s a horse track or not that’s the issue. It’s the specifics of it. We’re looking now at venues for the future, and I’m sending Chris Carr and Steve Morehead, who are our two most experienced technical guys, as an advanced party to do an analysis for any potential venue and to do a technical report and say either it’s great or it’s impossible or with these modifications and this addition that we could go there. One of the things we changed between 2015 and 2017, and experimented with in 2016, is a more comprehensive deployment of Air Fence. 2012 AMA Flat Track Season Finale – Video Traditionally, we’ve been running more Air Fence on miles the half-miles, but we’ve been running somewhere in the region of about 50 to 52 pieces through corners 1 to 4. What we did was we progressively stepped that up during the year, and we’re up to about 64 pieces that we deploy on some miles, particularly Springfield, which has got long, continuous corners. It’s almost impossible to see where the corner starts and ends. We’ve been building up the Air Fence deployment, which means that you push further and further away from the apexes, the hay bales. The hay bales are much more effective when they’re not on the apex of the corner where the Air Fence is much more effective. MO: I know that the angle of impact is important for Air Fences. They are better at direct impacts than glancing blows. I’ve been told that sections have been developed that can handle the oblique impacts better. ML: There is an Air Fence that we have had a look at. I’m going to be asking my team to evaluate over the rest of this off season. It’s not an deflatable fence. The Air Fence that we deploy at the moment, all these pieces, are filled with air and then deflated for travel. There is a second type that is basically permanently inflated, which we’re looking at for potential future deployments. The issue of it is a logistics one. If they don’t deflate, man, you need a big truck. Or you need a bunch of trucks. We’re looking at how we could make that happen. Certainly, that’s an innovation for the future that we’re taking seriously. Racing at the Sacramento Mile. Photo courtesy American Flat Track MO: In these horse tracks you’ve got these epic photos of the guys in a freight train right up against the rail with the field trailing into the background, but attached to the other side of the rail are these exposed posts. Do you have any plans for addressing that. Is that going to limit your new tracks? ML: I don’t think so. I think there’s always a solution we can plan in for that, whether it be some kind of board you put in front or whether you use some of these sleeper installations they use in highway repair. So, we’ve got a number of things we’re looking at. Because safety is ever-evolving. You never get to 100%. You just keep trying to raise the bar. MO: For me, since I come from the roadracing side, seeing riders in close proximity to the barriers is difficult to wrap my head around. I know that we don’t want to have things like what happened at Santa Rosa, which was terrible. One seems like it was just a freak racing accident where a bike got airborne, but the other one, I believe, he collided with a post. ML: No, he collided with the ground. MO: It was not a post at the edge of the track? ML: Yeah, he came off the bike and hit the ground fairly hard. I don’t know that there was anything we could’ve done proactively. Obviously, that is something that we’ve been looking at. MO: I had friends that were there when it happened, and they said they thought he hit the post. ML: I think he hit the ground first, but either way, the bike certainly hit the post and took the post out. MO: So, that’s probably where the perspective I was given came from. ML: We’ve obviously reflected long and hard on Santa Rosa. It’s not the kind of thing you ever want to happen. One of the first calls I got was from Wayne Rainey because they had a double accident at Laguna Seca the year before. And it’s devastating when this happens. The first thing that you do is you go back through all your processes and say, “Okay, with the benefit of seeing what’s happened, what could we have done differently?” You do that all the time. The horse railing at the edge of many tracks presents the biggest safety concern. Photo by Brian J. Nelson A Brief Interview with American Flat Track Chief Competition Officer Chris Carr Although Michael Lock was quite forthcoming with his information concerning the safety of riders in American Flat Track, we thought it would be good to hear from a life-long flat-track racer who now has the formidable task of helping to make the sport safer while continuing to grow the series. So, we got him on the phone to talk about safety. Indian Scout FTR750 Ride Review MO: How do you go about protecting the riders at facilities that were designed for horse racing and not motorsports? CC: Let’s use the Sacramento Mile as an example. That’s been a mainstay on the circuit for the better part of 30 years, with the exception of a several year hiatus in the early 2000s. Typically, a track like it and some other horse tracks like it have a horse rail fence that lines the straightaways and corners. If there is an issue coming off a corner, those have typically been an area that has been unprotected. But if you put Air Fence in those locations, it can cause problems for more than one rider. On a glancing blow where you’re coming at a very shallow angle, you tend to have a bunch of deflection. That can deflect the bike and rider out into the racing line. It’s a good situation for the rider who goes down originally to have something along those lines, but for those that are behind him and have this rider deflect out in front of them, it becomes a problem. So, we are in ongoing research on coming up with a way to address both sides of that issue in a responsible fashion. We certainly want to protect the downed rider but not at the expense of those traveling behind him. That is a serious challenge on our part, and it can be looked at from multiple perspectives. MO: So, what do you do to address this situation? We are researching it, and we’re doing everything we can to make intelligent decisions for the future, not only of American Flat Track, but more importantly for our American Flat Track racers. The Springfield Mile features a concrete wall which is less dangerous than a horse rail. When you have another track, in the case of the Springfield Mile. It was around in the ‘60s and took a break for the better part of 20 years then returned in the early ‘80s. Springfield, Illinois is a multi-purpose mile. It’s not just a trotter track. It’s also a race-car track and a motorcycle track. It’s lined with concrete all the way around it. So, we do the best that we can, and that’s the type of track where on rare occasions that there have been crashes at the exits of corners. As a rider, myself, I have seen and personally glanced off the concrete. I had a chance, whereas a horse rail fence can actually bring you in further. A concrete wall you can bounce off of. I recall riding a berm coming off of Turn 2 at the Indy Mile because it was concrete. Had that been a horse fence, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. These are areas that are being looked into. We don’t have a permanent solution, but we’re getting closer to being able to address the problem responsibly. MO: So, do you think the solution lies somewhere between the Air Fence , which you say can bounce people back onto the track, and something harder – maybe not concrete – but… CC: I’d love to be able to tell you that I have an answer to your question, today, but I don’t. We can’t snap our fingers and come up with a solution. We are investigating it. It’s going to be an ongoing process. I know that over time the types of barriers that can be adaptable to our environment are going to change. I think that if there’s any one thing that we’ve seen a lot of with flat-track that people within our paddock are going to have to get used to is change. It’s here, and we’re going to have to adapt to that change in order to continue to hang on to the growth that we’ve seen of late. American Flat Track Safety: Interviews With Michael Lock And Chris Carr appeared first on Motorcycle.com.

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