Narakari rider's snuggery

[Schneemaehne]

Wow, this website is awesome! Although I don't know a cent of the songs listed there... oh well, my loss. Thanks for giving us the link, Teeze!

[Ruby-Skylark]

I was doing a bit of research to try to figure out how to do the current event and I found this site: http://www.equimusic.com
I thought I would share it in case anyone else was having trouble coming up with an idea for the music part.

The page I linked to has the instructions for how to use the search bar but at the bottom of the page you can also browse through songs using the walk, trot, and canter buttons. And there seems to be a pretty good selection of songs.

OMG thank you! The music has had me stumped, this website is awesome helpful!!!

[TheFabulousHorse]

That's very helpful!

I've been working on my narak horns on my piece currently, music will come later. I just realized I also need to draw the rider.. XD

[Teeze]

You're welcome everyone.

I know really nothing about dressage what-so-ever so I'm pretty much just watching a bunch of videos at this point. I should be able to draw the picture just fine and I'm sure I can come up with the music, but I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to do the story.

[Simmarrah]

Official Narakari Owner!


Meet Rowena!

Is anyone willing to resize her and select the right picture to use in my signature. (smaller than the wolf pic)

[Cavy's Girl]

Narakari Spring Dressage Pro-Am Tournament

The morning, that dreaded time where no civilized person could possibly be awake, and yet that awful buzzing had started to leak into her dream destroying the wonderful peace of rubbing elbows with important people and hugging handsome men, she had that problem in her dreams. A groan and she was definitely awake, her husband still snoring beside her as her alarm continued to get louder. She looked at him a moment completely bewildered that it hadn't disturbed him yet. He could sleep through the end of days and be none the wiser.
With a shrug and another groan she rolled out of bed, cracking her back, as pain shot through it. Stupid broken vertebra, she wiggled back and forth alittle to shake the stiffness, and begrudged, went to work getting her riding clothes together. Why in the world would someone be up this early? Only one answer, and as she thought about it the excitement bubbled in her. A dressage show! The day before she had packed everything knowing that her morning self and her night owl self were not friendly, she wanted to make sure she had everything straight, all I have to worry about is Hekate.
Her first show, was she ready? Only slightly, she didn't appreciate being in frame and loved to twist her tails in frustration, until there was an audience. That mare loved to put on a show, suddenly her plodding jog would become a high stepping and magnificent full bodied powerful trot when there were enough spectators. Hence Rin was kicking herself abit at playing with the idea of a dressage show for the mare. But it was the best training she would get for the parades she would very soon be the star of, and Rin didn't have to worry about her taking a chunk out of any of the other horses or 'kari if she was in an arena alone.
She walked out of the house in the brisk spring morning, holding tightly to her nice warm Irish breakfast tea. She took a moment to get her body used to the temperature on her back deck, drinking in the mist rising from the fields. And soon she was making the walk to the barn. Guilt hit her like a ton of bricks when Ty greeted her at the gate. She knew he was more than ready for his debut as her dressage master, but she had by-passed him for Hekate, and it ate at her as she absently stroked his velvety nose. She wandered into the barn, set her finished cup down beside many others that never seemed to make it back up to the house and set to work dishing out the morning rations. Suddenly the air was filled with snorts and whistles, yeah yeah no one cares until the food comes out. She walked to each stall and dropped in the feed. Leaving each door open as she went. Finally she turned to the mare's field and opened the gate.
"come and get it" She called. and it wasn't 2 seconds that 3 bodies came jostling through to dash into their stalls. The mare's were never the problem. Now for the stallions, she went by the 3 doors and shut each one then headed out to get Jolnir and Typhon, they were easily the most polite out of her stallions. And once they were peacefully munching in their stalls she went out to retrieve Bythos and Hades. By was sweet but new to the group so Rin always took care to stay alert around him and Hades, well he was a monster to deal with. She sent him into his stall without even stepping foot in his domain and he still managed to step on her foot. As she silently cursed him she walked back over to Hekate, she had finished and was munching on her bit of hay, the rest was already on the trailer for the trip. Rin grabbed the halter hanging on her door and let herself into the stall, and snagged the mare before she could think twice about escape.
And though Hekate moved slowly out of the stall she knew something was up. Rin led her to the wash stall and her split hooves danced across the concrete.
"Aw now come on my dear, it's much to early in the morning for antics, I don't like showers and braiding just as much as you don't" The mare quieted at Rin's words and stepped into the wash stall. Thank goodness, once in the crossties she could move all she wanted but not get away from Rin. A quick warm bath and she was ready to set to braiding her mane, this is obviously not an easy feat done by a weak heart Narakari mane sticks up and is almost impossible to work with. But Rin had been treating it for a couple of weeks now to make it manageable and it bent to her will with some strong gel. She checked her watch and of course she was late. Rin would be late to her own funeral if it was up to her. Quickly throwing a fleece cooler over the mare's damp shoulders she wrapped her legs in the shipping boots and hurried out to the awaiting trailer. Hekate then took this moment to balk at the trailer.
"Seriously mare? It's the same trailer you've been in for years!" Frustrated that the minutes were ticking down on them. Rin sent her around in a couple of tight circles, hoping like heck the large shipping boots didn't come off, and tangle in Hekate's legs. This seemed to calm both of them down considerably and soon Rin was marching Hekate to the rear of the trailer and she loaded with no more issues. Breathing a sigh of relief Rin scurried to the cab of her dually and started the engine.
She took a sip of her water she had stowed away for the show and off they went.

Arriving at the show grounds it was a flurry of motion, equines of every shape and size moved every which way, kids ran across in front of her while their flustered parents gave chase tugging along 3 or 4 waddling ponies. The nervous butterflies returned as she pulled up to the parking boy, who was slightly clueless. The best answer to her parking question was a vague point to "over there" So she drove down to the end of a long line of massive trailers and found some shade. She sat in the cab for a minute to just breathe, but it didn't last long because Hekate was banging around in the back, tired of being stuck in the small cave. Rin hopped out, popped open the escape door and she barely had it open before Hekate had her head out and making her presence known, very loudly. She only got 3 replies, which seemed to perturb the mare, but before she could call out again Rin lightly grabbed her nostrils, causing the powerful whinny to squeak out in a not so flattering way. Hekate flipped her ears back in annoyance but Rin was already at the back of the trailer letting the gate and rails down. She returned to the front pushing past Hekate and untying her.
"Okay, take it easy, I don't need anymore broken fingers." Not that a 'Kari had ever broken her fingers, nope a chestnut thoroughbred mare had that honor, but the fear for trailers in Rin was very real. And luckily Hekate backed off nicely.
She thought a few minutes about tying her to the trailer without a hay bag, it was obviously a risky gamble because the mare wasn't paying a lick of attention to her, prancing at the end of the line. He coat was darkening for the start of a nervous sweat but Rin knew if she caught it soon she could brush it out and make a nice shine, with a little elbow grease. So not willing to rick an escaped Narakari in the fields she grabbed the clip for the hay bag and clipped it to the side of the trailer and began a tight wall knot to hold the mare, who didn't even notice, until Rin walked to the tack room on the trailer. Quickly Rin gathered the grooming supplies and was back at Hekate's side just as she had reached the end of her lead rope. Rin straightened her back out and got to work polishing her blueish hide. She worked a brilliant shine into the coat then sprayed the braids once more for good measure. Luckily all of them had made the trip with out a lot of stray hairs. She grabbed a soft cloth and got to work on the mare's face, and horn until she gleamed. And once more into the trailer to gather the gear she would wear. She tossed the bleached white pad on the mare, feeling the crunch of time. And Hekate wasn't happy about the sudden move. She balked and pulled hard on the wall knot. But it gave slightly and this seemed to calm her. Rin took extra care with the saddle and slowly drew the girth so as to not spook the mare anymore. Another jaunt into the trailer had Rin's hair net, helmet and stock tie being added, and the jacket to top everything off. Hekate happily munched at her hay and seemed upset with Rin when she offered the bridle and bit, but with a little coaxing Hekate was convinced it would just be easier to accept. Rin gently tucked the bridle up around her horn, and the nervous butterflies were back. Maybe she should have lunged her first. Well to late now, if she was fussy, Rin would just have to work it out in the warm-up. Another glance at her watch alerted her to the quickly approaching stage performance. 20 minutes, she so hoped Hekate was good. She moved up the hill to the entry tent and got her number, and handed over the CD with her music set up. Out of the tent again she swung into the saddle easily and found her center, her happy place. She took a tighter hold of the reins and put pressure on the mare's mouth waiting mere second for a response. Hekate was soft and dipped her head easily to Rin's prompt. Rin was pleased and with a squeeze from her heels the mare moved off at a trot to the warm-up area. She had less than 10 minutes to warm her up, but that's all she needed. Hekate was on her game today, quiet but quick with her movements, and a happy lift and prance to her moves. The mare really did love to show off, and she was definitely drawing a crowd. Rin was too focused to worry about the awe in people's eyes, and the dropped jaws. Her number was called over the loud speaker and she was suddenly really worried about everything that could go wrong. It made her pause, but Hekate would have none of it, she wanted to move so with some shuffles Rin gave in and sent her trotting up the hill to the arena. The sand was pristine outside of the black fencing and was slack jawed taking in the large mansion, the years old owner of the show grounds house. It looked more like a palace to her. And the wonderful red flowers that skirted the arena were brilliant. She was a little daunted by the sight, but Hekate knew it was her stage and moved forward without the prompting from Rin. The mare's calm confidence made her feel better and after 2 turns and a small bell signaling for her to start, Rin nodded to the DJ, and her familiar music began. Soft at first and she sent Hekate forward into the arena, stopped perfectly square, which would have impressed Rin if she hadn't been so focused on hitting her points. As soon as the music dropped she sent Hekate off in a large trot. Hekate throwing her front legs out almost straight, with huge air off the ground. it looked like she was floating, and Rin smiled, confidant and strong. She crossed the diagonal and pushed her to go bigger, holding her front in but driving her from behind, and this had the desired effect of lifting the mare's front end for an even larger ground covering trot. she did this once more, then the music slowed and she showed how freely the mare could walk on a loose rein, Rin quietly squeezed each calf muscle willing Hekate to take longer strides as she walked. This too went off with out a hitch. She turned the mare and had her trotting once more and did to large circles, even on all sides. By this time Rin was beaming and a large crowd had gathered on the bleachers and along the rails, whispering about the red eyed 'kari. Rin felt confidant and although she hadn't practiced the canter, the music changed again and she couldn't help herself, she urged the mare on. Luckily she landed on the correct lead. Another large circle and the music dropped again, accidently Rin got into Hekate's mouth a little to hard and the mare's transition wasn't pretty. She tossed her head in protest, but gained her composure and moved off at a walk down the center line, Rin realized that she was a little ahead of her music and slowed the mare more, sending her almost all the way down the center until the music went into the last few cords, here she stopped square and saluted. Directly on the music. You couldn't have had a much better end. And breathless Rin was beaming as she turned Hekate on a loose rein toward 'A' and to exit the arena, praising her at each step. It had been a successful trip!

Escala - Kashmir



-dies-

[Queen Vivane]

Cavy. Just wow! The writing and artwork are both so beautiful <3

[Cavy's Girl]

Eeeeeee Thankies!!! <3 it's 4am and I'm alittle delusional so I had no idea if it would be any good!!! <3

[Simmarrah]

It is stunning Cavvy

[Yamaneko]

Official and gladly patient Narakari Owner!

Fixed it. ^^'




Yay, first complete entry.
@Fire at Heart: Don't forget our story part.

@Cavy: I'm not kidding. THIS is my all time dressage inspiration song. (And the track on my playlist which forced me to run this event. XD) Somehow... similar? *giggles*