Dressage sucked. Ali breathed a strand of her hair out of her eyes even as it stuck to her sweaty forehead instead and focused on getting Bambi to sharpen her flying changes necessary for tempi. They were so close to perfecting the four-time ones across the long diagonal but the young horse was still stiff on her change to the right, her hind a beat behind that threw off the rest of the movement. Sighing, Ali sat deep in the dressage saddle, still feeling a bit of an impostor in the tack after years of riding strictly in close contact jumping gear. Somehow, it always pushed her outside her comfort zone, causing her to work her abs even though she was in a pretty athletic shape. At least, she had to admit, the sitting trot was much more comfortable and she had been doing a lot of that. 

Completing a serpentine on the trot and asking for an extended gait across the diagonal, Ali finally slowed to a walk, patting the mare's sweaty neck and letting her stretch out her neck, leaving the reins on her neck as she quickly retied her bun. It was the one thing she allowed herself to do regularly when schooling on the flat, as frowned upon as it was, deciding that if she had to be stuck in the indoor arena working on her least favorite discipline, she would do it without overheating in her helmet. Sighing, she let her eyes sweep around her surroundings lazily before her gaze landed on a figure standing at the door of the arena. 

It wasn't someone she knew - having been back at the barn for a few months now, Ali was convinced she knew everyone who typically came into the stable be it boarder, student or worker. However the man looking at her now was not someone she met before. A little out of breathe to say anything, she sent him a smile and raised a hand in greeting, slowly allowing Bambi to carry her towards the entrance to the arena with her measured walk. 

Made by Time Lapse of Adoxgraphy.

"Oh, well, thank you," Ali smirked from atop the mare, resting her had on the neck. The man was certainly not someone she had seen before and from her first quick assessment, he was certainly not a rider. Was he lost perhaps? With Whittemore's promenance through the years, it was strange that  someone wouldn't know about the stables in Breckenwood. It was prominent in the communit6y and John Whittemore had been quite the benifactor. Which meant that the man before her was most likely out of town. Her mind turned to Mason that she met at the Christmas fair and Ali briefly wondered wher ehe was now. "I'm Ali..ce, and you? Are you lost?"

For a second, Ali wished she was more involved in the running of the barn It had always been her dream to own such a place as Whittemore and train both horses and promising riders, continuing John's legacy. The dreams that she hadn't allowed to surface since she was a kid came flooding back - her stadning in a white dress, facing Charles and saying 'I do'. Shaking her head the hazel-green eyes turned back to the man. "Do you work here?"

Made by Time Lapse of Adoxgraphy.

"Sorry,  I am horrible at keeping up with names," Ali blushed slightly, "Or anything really. The last few weeks have been..." she paused, trying to find the right word. Pathetic? Crazy? Confusing? Sleepless? "hectic." Did she really miss that they got a new worker? Surely Charlie would have told her but she hadn't had a chance to sit down with her couin in weeks to catch up and chat, her mother keeping her engaged with everything involving a wedding with Ali only coming to the barn only to exercise her horses. Thus, every extra hour at Whittemore became a blessing in disguise and she couldn't be bothered with details around her. Her mind was already straining to function. 

"Oh this? This is Bambi," she petted the mare's neck, her eyes softening with pride and affection. "Or Vena, I don't remember which you use on her stall. She's my baby project." Their past show hadn't been a disaster and while they barely placed, Ali was very proud of the young mare who tackled the eventing challenge with no problems. And while Ali would never admit it aloud, she enjoyed the complexities of the sport immensely, able to take it in stride and not have immense pressure to live up to anything. The experience has been a blast. "You said you didn't work with horses before - what did you do?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity. 

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"She is actually not that big - I was expecting her to be a bit taller seeinga s her parents are 17 hands at least. But, what she lacks in height, she makes up with her temperament," Ali patted the mare with affection once again - regardless of what would happen, she was going to miss this youngster when she found her new owner. Seeing his confusion, she laughed gently. "I call her my baby since she is just five years old - my other horses are a bit older. Plus, she doesn't have much show experience though she does have everything you'd want in a horse."

Ali listened carefully as the man briefly mentioned his previous jobs. She had never been the biggest fan of motorcycles, especially since Emil absolutely loved his and cooking had never been her passion but it was quite a varried background. Which surprised her that now it included horses for neither job seemed to indicate any interest in the equestrian world or in animals in general. She really wondered why the man came to work at the barn even though there probably were opportunities more closely aligning with his previous experience. 

Made by Time Lapse of Adoxgraphy.