#ravendale

[olreid]

unfortunately..... another trc/riverdale post

[thehopefulraincoat]

A little study I did in miscellaneous time I had at Lake Retreat, when the higher hills disappeared partially into the fog

[dat-assize]

I’m very sad that there’s no Wind-up Corvid/Crow/Blackbird of any kind. There needs to be. Jenivieve needs it. IT’S IN HER NAME.

[oakforest-n-friends]

Ravendale looking handsome as ever in his Bucas set, stretching his legs a little before getting shipped off to Epona for a cross country training session

[oakforest-n-friends]

what can i say he be a dressage ponpon (feedback would be very much appreciated!!)

[oakforest-n-friends]

R A V E N D A L E

{rā′vəndāl} n.

A pitch black valley.

A valley filled with large birds located in the Northern hemisphere.

My first true love.

➳ THE PAST Year One. Wealth and riches were something Raven was introduced to before he was even able to be haltered. He had only known his mother for a short period of time, a few months. Just about the time when he had his first bite of Epona grass, his mom was moved away. Or rather, he was moved away. His new pasture was full of juicy grass and new friends. Even though he couldn’t understand a single word they said, they had the most fun. Year Two. When he turned one, he saw his mom one last time. She was obviously distressed while being loaded into a trailer. He yelled out to her, but couldn’t make out what she neighed back. A young, handsome lad -whom he had never met before- lead him to a new pasture. No grass this time. Just sand and a large rope in the middle. Little did he know the following year would mostly be spend in that exact pasture with that exact same lad. After 8 months he got to meet the bit, and after one month more he met the saddle. He felt slightly uncomfortable, but he remembered the way his mom used to move so gracefully through the other paddock, tacked up with the exact same gear as him. Year Three. The day he turned three he lost most of his friends. As if they were nobody’s they were loaded into a massive trailer. Raven had never seen a trailer so immensely big. He was ready to go with, but the same young lad who had been training him lead him a different way than the rest. He went back to the no-grass pasture. He kept yelling to his friends, and tilting his head back as far as he could. He used to be one of 6, now he was merely one of three Lippizans left at the Dew’s farm. This time the pasture wasn’t as empty as it used to be. A stunning lady was standing in the middle of the pasture, the young lad gave him a stroke on his nose, before slowly mounting him. Raven was in shock, not with the full-grown man on his back, but with the feeling that stroke left on him. He had never been touched by a human, except for the harsh tugs left on his face by the halter. He tried to be left alone, but to no avail. The bit hurt too much to be a bad boy. Year Four. For the past two years he had been taken out of his pasture every single day, and the last year he had been ridden. He was good, he had talent. They tried training him for show jumping, but he was too anxious for the big crowds. He froze when confronted with them. The lad didn’t know what to do, so today Ravendale was sold. He didn’t hate his time there, but he still remembered the stroke he got on his first ride. It was not only the first, but also the last one he ever got. Right until now. An even younger girl than his lad turned up, he hadn’t ever seen her before, but he went with her regardless. She cleaned his feet, combed his mane, and cushioned his legs. He loved it. She kept telling him he was going to be her best boy, and how pretty he was. He had never felt so loved. Year five. Dakota was her name. He had been going with her on trailrides and lessons for months now. She never pressured him, so he never denied. Every single day he was told that he was loved, he could do it, and he was the prettiest and bestest boy she had ever met. She helped him find his true calling; Cross Country. He was able to jump the highest of jumps, the largest of lakes and the widest of gaps. He wasn’t afraid of crowds anymore, and was able to finish his first Show Jumping course. He loved the sensation it gave him, he didn’t win, but he did it anyways. For her, he’d do anything and everything.

➳THE PRESENT Raven is now six and he has never felt so loved before. He is training everyday, and he loves doing so as long as it’s with her. He is racing amongst the best of Jorvik, and he is wearing the most expensive tack. He has dozens of friends in the same stable, and he is never afraid of losing them anymore. He still misses his mom, but he doesn’t need her anymore. He is a full-grown Lippizan, he does the Levade on the regular and won his first championship last month. He is happy. R A V E N D A L E 4. The prettiest, bestest boy alive.

[oakforest-n-friends]

[chupacabra111]

two "t's," an "x," and three "v's." - litchfield, ca - september 2017 #california #ca #litchfield #ravendale #reststop #restarea #road #roadtrip #driver #drivers #driven #roads #roadtrips #drive #drives #driving #journey #journeys #treetrunk #trees #tree #treestump #stump #rings #anunfamiliarlandscape (at Litchfield, California)