What Every Gypsy Should Know [Jehan]

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Late Afternoon on the
33rd of Cryxatum in the
Season of Summer

The summer was still fresh and new as the Chumomisto kumpania wound its way across the border between Enamoria and Centripax. Further south the weather was growing hot--perhaps a little too hot--and here the winds were a little cooler with long stretches of grassland mingled with pockets of woodland. It was nice to see stretches of trees rather than hill after hill after hill of grass and weeds and Gitana welcomed the scenery as she climbed onto Kizzy's back, hauling herself up with a push of her feet against the hard turf, one hand wound in the colorwash's mane, the other sliding along the curved back. She almost fell back down again, but after a final bounce of her toes she managed to sling one leg over and climb onto the mare's bare back, legs clasping the barrel-waist and as she took up the rough rope of the makeshift reins.

It hadn't always been quite that easy--if one could call it easy since her height still put her at something of a disadvantage when it came to climbing a horse. When she'd first learned to ride there had been no question of her ability to climb onto a horse unassisted--it simply didn't happen. She'd been seven at the time, a demanding little creature that had refused to be excluded when her brother, older by an era, had been offered riding lessons by a much older cousin. Marko was gone now, not dead but married into another kumpania, but he'd been a good cousin, patient and eager to teach his little cousins a thing or two about what many gypsies did best--tend and raise horses.

Giving Kizzy's ribs a light squeeze to send her into a meandering walk, but this was not enough--she wanted to feel the wind--and soon the pair were trotting briskly along the road, Tana's legs holding tightly to Kizzy's waist. She wasn't alone, the kumpania at her back, but she needed a little time to herself, weaving to and fro aimlessly, guiding the mare's head with the rope and her heels.

It was funny now to think of when she'd first had her lessons, of the way she'd felt jostled about even in a saddle--which she did not generally like to use these brightenings--and how she'd fallen off a time or two. She'd felt so out of control those first few brightenings with Marko nearby, waiting to scramble after a cousin if one or both tumbled from their horses. They'd been perched on colorwashes, a fact much lamented by their own mother for the lack of safety it presented. "Why these, Marko? Why not a pony? The ground is much further away on a pony!" But Marko had insisted--the colorwashes were the breed of the gypsies and it paid for a Air'riela to be proud of their heritage!

The flashback...

"Ah, mira vitsas? See the kushti grasts I have brought for your to ride?" Marko ushered his cousins over to the farside of their camp. They'd settled there that afternoon, preparing to hunker in for an evening or two while they plied their trade and wiles on the gaje in the nearby town. There were two colorwash mares grazing on the grass beside a cluster of ties, untied and unsaddled, simply meandering around the edge of the campsite unsupervised. "Only the best for my vitsas," he announced grandly, the horses lifting their heads and staring at the pair of them through long manes, chomping grass lazily. Saddles and bridles had been arranged nearby.

"Here, Jehan. You shall ride Kanny and you, Gitana, Mangehl here." He pat the one mare's rump and the horse swung her head round, lipping absently at the dark-haired Air'riela standing beside her before snorting and turning away in disinterest. "But! A condition! No riding until you two can show me how to groom and saddle one of these kushti grasts, huh?"

"You don't use a saddle, Marko," Gitana responded somewhat indigantly, frowning in some despair at the height of the horse.

"Ah, but I've had practice, little Tana," he countered easily, laughing as he saw her eying up the horse. "Jehan, you see the box there? All the grooming tools a little manus such as you could hope for. You pick out the ones you'd use to clean its coat if you can, eh?" He gestured towards the handled box carved of wood sitting on the ground besides a tree which was indeed packed full of grooming pieces.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan had grinned at the name of the horse that he had been chosen to ride. He couldn’t have come up with a better name for the large beast if he had all era to think of one. It had been him that wanted to learn to ride and that had made the arrangements to be taught, okay maybe he had asked Marko and he surprised him with the prompt lessons. He couldn’t have had a better teacher, the young Jehan couldn’t remember seeing Marko ever ride with a saddle and he was better that most of the riders he had seen this far in his life. He looked forward to riding bareback, being one with the horse and frowned at the equipment that had been set aside. Surely these weren’t for the two young children who wanted to ride like their cousin.

”We are not going to ride gaje horses” Jehan had continually insisted whenever the idea of riding a pony was even slightly mentioned. There were of coarse gypsies that rode horses other than colorwash, though most tried to if they could stay with the horses that they were most responsible for. It was often an honor thing for gypsies to been seen riding these beautiful beasts and it was an honor that the young Jehan wanted to abide by.

”Why can’t we just learn to ride?” the young boy complained as he lazily made his way towards the box and began to dig through it looking for anything that he had remembered seeing. He pulled out a pick and looked at it but knew that wasn’t for the coat of the beautiful horse but couldn’t remember what it was for. Shoeing them or something…he shrugged and pulled out a brush. People brushed horses all of the time therefore the young boy thought it would be best to do so.

He held the brush and began to walk towards the horse with the funny name; Kanny. However Marko stepped in gently grabbing Jehan’s wrist. ”Always know before you do my lad” Marko insisted with humor as he took the comb from Jehans hand. ”This here is a mane-comb, you don’t need that yet.”

Marko himself pulled out a Currycomb and handed it to Jehan. Jehan examined it and nodded, he had seen this comb being used and knew what to do. He went back over to the bucket again and picked out and Dandy brush and a body brush and held them out to his older cousin who smiled and nodded.

”C’mon Gitana” Jehan motioned with his head to get her over here to pick out her things nothing thinking that his cousin would mind. They might as well do it together and speed things up! That was the young Jehan’s thoughts anyway.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Gitana fidgeted as she watched Jehan take the grooming pieces and began to rid the coat of its dust, firs with currycomb, then with the brush. As Jehan beckoned her to join, Tana wasted little time, didn't even cast a glance at Marko to see if he approved, simply darted up to the box and dug around for the ones her brother held. They were big and clunky in her smaller hands and Marko had to step forward to correct her, curling fingers here and plying fingers loose there. "There. Like that. You see?"

Gitana approached her horse eagerly, not at all showing any signs of being afraid of the large, thick legs that Mangehl stomped idly, bending her head to chew grass. She was a gypsy and raised around such beasts, what reason had she to fear being trampled? Although it did happen, especially when horses were spooked. She watched her brother--although she tried not to let anyone notice--one brush resting against the horse's side. Marko noted her reticence and chuckled. "If you watch your prala then what are you showing me of what you are learning, little vitsa? Show me how you would groom this ghasti, Tana," he urged her, patting the dusty horse's rump, which simply gained him a snort and toss of the horse's head.

Tana nodded, though she snuck a little look back towards Jehan when she thought Marko wasn't looking, hoping she wasn't doing poorly, as she did her best to groom the horse. She was short and this was problematic, but Marko had no problem emptying out the box and setting it on its top so that she could climb on top of the box to reach the horse's back. He lifted her for the highest of places and offered the same service to Jehan. "I know you are a big manus, vitsa mine, but still so small! I don't think your little arms will reach so high. Shall I help you?"

Whatever happened, Marko would not let them continue onward until they'd both done a fine job currying and brushing their horses. So odd to be swirling the hard currycomb against the coat and brushing back the raised dirt with the brush, then cleaning off said brush by rubbing currycomb and brush together. A few times the resulting dust agitated Gitana's nose and she sneezed, wiping at her face to try and get rid of the dirt that clung to her.

"Why are they so dirty, Marko?" Gitana demanded, pouting a little when she was led over to the other side of the horse to clean the over half of Mangehl.

"That is because we Air'riela ride so far over so many droms, we cannot help but pick up souvenirs along the way, little Tana. The droms treat us well and cannot help that they do not wish to part with us, eh?" He grinned, laughed, chattering with them, correcting the movements of their brush, helping them occasionally until the coats were clean and only the manes were left to be tended to.

"You see how long and fine the manes of the colorwashes are, mira vitsas?" he prompted, running his hand along the long, feathery manes of the horses. "The mane comb helps you smooth out the tangles and dirt that gets caught in the hair. The mane, too, and the fine hair at their legs. Our colorwashes are unique, mira vitsas. You will not have to do this for all horse, whose manes and tails do not flow as long and free, but it is good to keep in mind to clean the hair every so often. Here, you clean their manes. Tana, I will hold you so you can reach it. Jehan, you may use the box to stand on, if you have to. Clean the manes and then I shall show you how to pick the hooves."

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan looked over his shoulder at his sister but one time, to make sure that she was doing it and smiled at her and went back to his work brushing the horse as much as he could and as high as he could without assistance. Speed he knew wasn’t important but getting it clean was, and these horse were very dirty. He coughed at the dust that came off and blew into the air and onto the ground after flying into his face.

He nodded when his cousin asked him the question. He was still such a small boy, he wouldn’t be able to reach the top of the horse without help and he knew it. But what was more important, at least in the mind of the young gypsy bow was that he wouldn’t get to ride the horse if he didn’t do this. Marko lifted up the light boy with ease and he brushed the back of the horse with no less urgency than he did the sides and as high as he could reach earlier. Though he wanted to learn to ride as soon as possible he also knew that caring for horses was a gypsy gift as well and so he wanted to do it well. He was proud of his heritage, and he wanted to be like his cousin Marko who knew very much of gypsy culture and knew how to do much of it.

He dirt didn’t cause Jehan to sneeze though a few times he had to fight it. Often times when he allowed himself to sneeze once he went into a small fit of sneezes before it stopped then his eyes would be runny. She he caught it but had to wipe the dirt from his face. He did everything as instructed by Marko, cleaning the horse, cleaning the brush to the best of his abilities. He took the chance to smile again at his sister.

“You are doing very well Pena” he complimented. Though he loved his sister and his family very much even at this age it wasn’t often that he complimented his sister even when she was doing things right. It would more eras from not that he would turn into the (sometimes over) protective brother. At this stage of his life he teased her over small things but never failed to comfort her the best that he could when he needed to. No tell her or any of the family that he loved them before he went to sleep. It was something he always did, even after an argument that had taken place and had not yet resolved itself. Something the present Jehan still did.

“Arvah” Jehan responded to Marko when he asked about the manes. Jehan went to the box after the explanation was done. He knew what he needed to pick out, he had picked it out the first time. But the warning that Marko had given him when he made the mistake caused him to show Marko the brush before he did anything.

“That is correct vista” he smiled now knowing that at the very least that lesson had been learned.

Jehan pulled the box over to the front of the horse and stood on it gaining him just enough height to be able to comb the mane fully which he did. He was careful, he didn’t want to hurt the horse so when it got caught he removed the comb and started again gently working through the knots that had been created in the made. When he was done with the head he moved to the tail using the box as well so he didn’t have to stretch to much. Many children would be afraid of being behind a horse even to the sife, afraid of being kicked as it stormed off, but that was only one of the many differences between gaje and gypsys. Gypsys were unafraid of their horses at any age. Thus making his mothers suggestion more obvious that she had lived with a gaje for some time.

He also combed the feather hair on the legs of the horse more gently than he had the rest as the legs kept moving as they felt the pull on the hair. He would get it though and make these horses worthy of being a gypsy’s horse. Better than the gaje’s!

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Gitana beamed broadly at her big brother as he praised her, her chin lifting slightly as she set about grooming the horse, more than happy to hear such praise from someone she so obviously looked up to! It gave her a little burst of energy and set about tending to the horse with a renewed vigor that made Marko laugh and at one point instruct her to go a little slowly, that the horse will not run away before she could clean it!

"Kushti, mira vitsas! Kushti," he declared once the manes had been cleaned, the tangles pulled through, the chunks of dirt discarded on the ground beside them. Their coats were clean, no longer dusty, although Marko picked up a brush and swept away a small patch of dust that remained at the very top of Mangehl's withers. "I have never seen cleaner grasts in all my long life, I swear to you," he praised them, laughing brightly as he discarded the brushes into the box at their feet, picking up a wooden tool with an angled metal piece at its end, a brush of stiff horse hair fixed just opposite the metal on the same end.

"You see this? This is called a hoof pick. You use it to pry the dirt or rocks out from the soft spot of their hooves. You see, it does no good at all for a horse to have a rock stuck underneath their hooves, pressed against their frogs. You know what a frog is, eh?" He stood towards the withers of the horse, facing the front end and ran a firm hand down the length of a leg. The horse shifted its weight, easing up the foot he squeezed gently and he grasped it against his leg. With the pick in his hand, he used the metal pick to dig out the dirt from the indented center, gesturing for the two to watch. "The frog is this delicate 'V' right here in the center of the hoof. You see?" The dirt was cleared and he gently touched the tender area. "A grast can go lame should a rock lodge itself here and dig in. You must always check the hooves before you right to make sure there is nothing that can do such damage! Also, when you check the hooves, look for cracks or pus or other such things that do not belong. Kanny's hoof here is healthy, you see?"

He let them look before allowing the hoof to drop back down to the hard soil. "Did you see how I had Kanny lift their hoof for me? Some horses will understand immediately what is required of them and as soon as you touch their leg they might lift up the foot, but sometimes they need urging. Kanny here is a bit stubborn, but should you move your hand down the length of her leg and squeeze the back of the leg here, she should lift it for you." He demonstrated and again Kanny proffered her hoof.

"Now, mira vitsas! Should I let you do it yourselves, eh? Or are you too small, perhaps?" He looked at them thoughtfully, shrugged. "Well, let us see how you can handle it, huh? I shall stand beside and watch. But one at a time! I cannot watch both of you! Here, Tana. You try first. I'll be right here, eh?"

He gave his littlest cousin the hoof pick and hesitantly she approached Mangehl. "Which hoof, Marko? Does it matter?"

Marko grinned. "All hooves need cleaned, little one, but why don't we try the front hoof, eh? Lighter, I think and Mangehl is at least not inclined towards biting the rumps of those trying to pick her hooves!" He laughed some and guided Gitana over to the front of the horse, showing her how to do the correct placement of her hands on the leg, how to squeeze if she needed to. The hoof was heavy and Gitana let it go a time or too, the heavy appendage nearly stomping her tiny toes. Her face looked red, as if she'd cry, until finally Marko held the hoof for her, but left the pick in her hands.

Her fingers were clumsy on the pick and she nearly jabbed the frog too hard, but Marko was gentle, understanding, and eventually all the dirt and rocks were removed--not so many, really. "See, little Tana. That was not so bad, eh?" He ruffled her hair and she stuck her tongue out at him indignantly, wrapping her arms around herself. "Perhaps we shall hold off on having you clean the other two, eh?" He chuckled and handed the pick to Jehan. "Here, you show your pena that it is not so hard, eh?" Marko hovered nearby, offering help in case it was needed.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan’s smile glowed with pride at the compliment to his cleaning of the horse. He had made sure to do the best that he could as he wanted his horse to represent what many generations of his kind have been doing. Marko’s complement sent him over the edge with excitement and hoped that it was time to mount and ride the horses now and then ride them bareback. However, it wasn’t that time yet.

The hoofpick had been the first thing he had seen when he had gazed into the box, and though at the time he clearly didn’t know what it was he knew for sure it wasn’t a comb. Now however he was getting his chance to find out. He listened carefully to Marko when he spoke He didn’t want to mess this part up. If a horse wasn’t clean right that was easy enough to fix, but causing damage to the foot of a horse could render the horse impotent and it may be dis-guarded.

He became nervous when hearing about the frog, afraid that he may puncture it when it was his turn to clean the horse hoof. He smiled at his pena as he watched her struggle with the holding of the leg but knew that it may be no different for he. He was only a year older than her and these horse were big, and strong as the gypsy spirit was. He didn’t fear however what they could do to him, rather what he may inadvertently do to them.

He swallowed when it was his turn and took the pick and made his way towards his horse for training. He touched it’s side and pat it to let the horse know that he was there. He then ran his hand down the leg and tried squeezing to get her to lift. Her foot went up slightly and then back to the ground. Marko laughed and guided Jehans hand down a little more. This time when Marko squeeze the leg it rose and he held it there. It was heavy, he could see why Gitana was having such a hard time with it. He was struggling to hold it up as he started to pick away at the dirt.

It was far from perfect however as he dropped the hood. Marko watched this time as Jehan found the correct place to squeeze to have Kanny lift her leg. He managed to hold it this time long enough to clean the entire area but not without stopping to adjust his grip. He pried rocks loose and cleaned the dirt away. He was gentle not to hurt the frog. He was afraid of doing so, he didn’t even know whose horses these were. Surely Marko didn’t trade for these just to teach the two.

“That is much harder that it looks, even for me” Jehan admitted when he was done and dropped the foot. “Gitana,” he directed to his sister having never called her Tana in his life. “I am surprised you could hold it up even for a second! You are strong for a little sister” he laughed kindly. It was a joke but one that was meant to improve the young girls morale.

“Should I do the other ones vista Marko?” he asked looking up petting the large beast again. It would take a while as it took Jehan much longer than it would an adult to do the cleaning. But he was willing to do it if he had to.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"Very good, little vitsa!" he commended Jehan as the lad set the foot down. "You shall be a strong one yet, eh?" He laughed in that good natured way, clapping the boy on the shoulder with a careful roughness.

Gitana was pouting a little at this declaration, her lower lip thrust outword as her fingers worried at the front of her shirt. At Jehan's praise, she sniffled a little, but lifted her chin with a grateful smile at her older brother. "I tried, Jehan! I did, I really did!" she insisted, bobbing her head animately. At least he had realized it and knew it even if Marko could only laugh and find entertainment in it.

"Go ahead, little manus! Show us when you can do. Tana and I will finish up on Mangehl here, you concentrate on Kanny, eh? You need help, you just let me know and I will be there!" He ruffled the boys black hair and ushered Gitana back over to her horse, speaking confidentally all the while about Gitana one brightening being quite capable of picking up those big hooves and doing as good a job as he or Jehan.

Gitana continued at the hooves much as she had the others, with Marko holding the hoof as Gitana poked around at the dirt and pebbles stuck under the hard shell. Marko was effusive with his praise, but in such a manner that he teased, too, and Gitana at times looked close to tossing the pick down and stomping off. But her pride won out and the hooves were soon picked clean.

When this was done, Marko put away the hoof picks and gestured his vitsas over to the tack he'd carefully arranged nearby. "You see these, eh? Can either of you tell me what is what? The bridle? The girth? The reins and so forth? Come, you must know these things by now. You are how old? Five and six?"

"Six and seven, Marko!" Gitana tugged at his arm, protested. "We're six and seven!"

Marko laughed, tossled her hair. "Ah, I see! How could I forget! But that doesn't mean you can't stand there and tell me what is what, Tana. Can you tell me what a girth is"

"Of course." Gitana looked as if she couldn't believe he was even asking. She strode right up to the assembled tack and picked up the loose leather strap with the metal clips on either end. "This is the grith," she declared triumphantly, holding it out to Marko, who grinned, nodded.

"And where does it go?" he pressed.

"Under the belly so the saddle doesn't fall off!" Gitana held it in her hands, the piece flopping a little as she turned it about idly.

"Very important, that is. If you don't have it tight enough you can easily fall off...just like your great gran-da! But what a way for an air'riela to go, eh? On the back of a spirited colorwash, huh?" He grinned, nudged Jehan's shoulder with his fist just slightly. "Ah, but we don't want that for you! Your Daj would spill my insides if I let something bad happen to you, wouldn't she? So we'll make sure the girth is tight when you get to ride, my little vitsas."

He turned towards Jehan. "I wager you can tell me what the saddle is, yes? Well then, you point out to me where on the saddle the stirrups are, eh?"

[Jehan Chumomisto]

“And you did good little Pena” he said smiling the way only a big brother could when he was proud of something his younger sibling did. He may have tormented her from time to time but he never wanted to see her truly sad. They were very close in age which may have helped them be close to one another. Or perhaps it was just the gypsy way.

He went to work holding the hooves up and picking out the pebbles and rocks. It was fairly clean, much better than the coat cleaning was at any rate but much harder to do. He dropped the hoof a few times but always picked it back up and picked at the rocks and dirt. He could hear Marko with Gitana and smiled. He had a way of being loving and tormenting which always made Jehan laugh, unless it is happening to him. He loved his cousin though, he had taught him so much.

By the time Jehan was done he was red faced and sweaty. It wasn’t easy being a seven year old boy holding up the legs of a several hundred pound horse but he managed his way threw it and didn’t call for help though he felt like it from time to time. He wiped his forehead with a smile but didn’t say anything as he took deep breaths.

Jehan laughed at his pena as she protested their age. Perhaps he had heard it more often and was used to it but it was still getting a reaction out of his little sister. He couldn’t remember it but even a year ago when he was her age he did the same thing.

“We won’t have to worry about it for long though. We want to ride like you do vista” Jehan told Marko. “There will be no saddle to come loose.” He was as dead serious as a child of his age could be. He knew they had to know this, perhaps they would need to teach Markos children someday. But he didn’t care to.

“Of coarse. I am not a gaje! I know things!” Jehan insisted at the question. These were trivial things, things that all gypsies would know and yet he was being asked. He walked over to the saddle and pointed to the Pomnel. He couldn’t contain himself for even a second as he burst out laughing “I got you vista! I got you!” he shouted as he picked up the stirrup. “It is used to support the foot of the one that rides it. I even know they are adjustable!” he announced proudly.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Marko grinned, refrained from tossling his cousin's hair as he, deadpan, explained that he would not have to worry about a saddle falling loose. "Of course, of course! My mistake, vitsa mine! You will be riding the winds in no time! Until then, you must humor me and your Daj, eh? I would not wish to explain to your lovely Daj why her son is not getting up!"

He stood by, watching with amusement as Jehan went through the equipment, first pointing at the pommel, then at the stirrups. He had a good-natured laugh, loud, and he nudged Gitana with a nod in her brother's direction. "Thinks he's a funny manus, does he, eh?" But Jehan had got them right and Marko told him as much. "Good, you've not been sleeping, Jehan," he complimented the boy. "Here, you two seem to know plenty so let us just review the different parts, eh?"

He adjusted the saddle so that it was arranged just right, giving them both plenty to see if they stood nearby. "This part here is the pommel of the saddle and this the seat." He pointed first to the upraised part of the saddle at its front, the seat just behind it. "The stirrups are right in here and as Jehan pointed out, adjustable so that even legs so small as yours can fit! He pat the long straps of leather, holes punched into them, with bits of metal attached here and there--metal for the foot holds, metal for the clasps that adjusted their length. "And the bridle! It is a bridle, but there are many pieces to it. This here is the head piece and it sits behind the ears. This part here is the brow-band and goes in front of the ears."

He shifted the bridle, turning it just slightly to give them a different angle of it. "These parts here are adjustable, this cheek piece and throat lash. The parts are as easy as they sound--check piece runs along the long bones of their cheek, eh? The throat lash, it goes under the throat. These bits here are adjustable--fit differently on the horses to make sure that they don't fall off, you see?" He demonstrated the metal bits that changed the length of the bridle. "This metal part here is the bit. It goes inside the mouth. Just behind the front teeth there is a space where this fits right in. I will show you how to properly fit the bit in so you are not hurting the horse--or risking your fingers, eh?" He flashed them a quick smile and completed: "And lastly, you have the nose-band here and the reins, which go over the head of the horse for you to control direction."

"What about those? Saddle blankets?" Gitana pointed at the soft fabrics near the saddles.

"And here I thought you would not need me to tell you something so simple, vitsa mine!" he lamented, nodded. "But, yes, those are saddle blankets! You put those under the saddle so that it does not rub the saddle raw. Now...how would you like to learn to put everything on, eh? Jehan, you first?"

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan smiled and nodded his head “Just for humour though! I am a real Air’riela!” Jehan responded enthusiastically with a giant smile on his face. “I will ride bareback soon, so will Gitana right?” This time he asked the question hoping that they wouldn’t have to learn in a saddle for long. They would have to take their time though. Do what they had been told or they could get hurt. That is part of the reason that Jehan had no fear of horses. He respected them, and even though he wanted to learn he was more than willing to spend the time that was needed to learn

He listened to the lecture of the parts paying attention the best he could, often times looking away to the horse with a smile. He would be on her this brightening without someone behind him, and with any luck without someone walking beside him holding him on it. He had done these things like many children whose family had a horse, or knew someone who had a horse. But to ride it free, that was what he was dreaming about.

“Okay” Jehan said looking at the supplies trying to decide what to put on first. He decided to start with the one thing that he knew had to go on before something else. The saddle blanket. He walked over with it and threw it over the horse flattening out each side ensuring that it was even the best that he could. He walked around the horse 3 times adjusting small wrinkles. He remembered that it was important to was smooth, though he couldn’t remember why.

“Good start vista! But you made a mistake, one a gaje would” he said walking up laughing to the horse with Jehan pulling the blanket up. so that it started between the neck and the shoulders of the horse and smoothed it out once more. “This here is the withers, pay attention to this to Tana!” he called out to his little cousin. “You must have the blanket start here, no? Seems like a gaje would make that mistake. Who are you? And what have you done with vista of mine?” he asked Jehan with a pat on the shoulders.

Jehans cheeks turned red as he looked down at the ground kicking it. Marko laughed kindly and motioned back to the riding gear “You did one thing right vista at least! You knew enough to lift the blanket to love it to not crump up the hair. You are not so bad, do not be hard!”

Jehan walked back over to the equipment still flushed in the cheeks. He guessed that next came the saddle and lifted it. It was big, heavy and very awkward to carry but he managed to get it to the horse and stepped up onto the box he had been on before and went to lift it before Marko stopped him.

“Little vista, you may be a strong manus but know when you need help! You don’t want to be breaking Kanny’s back I hope!” he laughed and helped Jehan lift the saddle by steadying it but actually lifted when settling it down on the horses back. Once that was done Jehan hopped down.

“Thank you for the help vista Marko” he said winded from carrying the heavy thing over. He picked up the girth and walked over to the side of the horse petting it’s side as he fastened it to the saddle. He then walked around and latched it onto the other side making sure that it was tight. Marko checked it as well to be safe when Jehans back was turned.

Jehan paused at the stuff thinking for a few moments before picking up the unlatched bridle. Jehan moved the box and put the horses head before lifting the reins of the bridle over the horses head. He had seen all of this be done many times, he knew the procedure but had to think about it for a few moments. Jehan stood there nor sure what to do.

“You are doing good vista. Now come the part where I show you each how to but the bit in. Come Tana, Jehan get down. look, watch, learn” he said enthusiastically taking the bit from Jehan. “Now, hold the Bridle over the horses nose like this with your right hand. With your left you hold the bridle in your fingers like this” He demonstrated everything as he did so. "There is a space between the front and back teetch of a horse, you will stick your thumb in this space. Kanny is stubborn sometimes so wiggling your thumb will encourage him to open his mouth wider. Not gently, careful to to hit the teeth now vistas! Slide the bit into the mouth and pull the bridle up. Now the head piece goes over the ears, and you just have to buckle now Jehan.”

Jehan took his time to ensure that the throatlash, noseband and every other buckle was fastened. “I think that’s it” he said looking at Marko who nodded.

“It is true Jehan. You are a useful manus afterall” he laughed turning to Gitana. “It is your turn little vista. Do not be worried of asking for help!”

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Gitana stood back, watching in the typical manner of a girl her age. Fascinating though all of this was, her attention did drift, especially when a group of children went running by, pursued by a pair of playful dogs, the barks and laughters stirring through the resting kumpania with abandoned ease. Wouldn't it be nice if she could take a break and go join them rather than sitting here listening to Marko lecture them on how to saddle a horse!

Her head swung back around as Marko chided her wandering thoughts with a light chuck of his knuckles against shoulder, pouting a little as she restrained a sigh that threatened to slip right out. "Did you hear me little vitsa? Your turn to saddle the horse! See what a fine job your prala did? I am certain you can do just as well, eh? You are a strong little chavi, after all!"

Chin up, Gitana looked determined, sticking her tongue out at her brother as if to suggest that she would do far better than he! "I can put the blanket on, Marko!" she exclaimed and picked up the soft square of fabric, climbing onto the box that Marko had repositioned in front of Mangehl for her. She put it on crooked at first and Marko had to point this out to her. With little fuss she corrected it, smoothing out so that it was free of wrinkles.

Next came the saddle and this was, by far, the more difficult of the tasks for the little girl. Marko had to help her left it and position it, but he left her to fumble with the girth, Marko showing her how to give Mangehl a little nudge to her ribs so that she stopped sucking in her breath. "Horses will do that, vitsa mine because they know that the saddle will be looser if they expand their sides like this, releasing it once the girth is tightened. I don't think you would much like having a thing about your waist, constricting like that, eh vitsa?" He smiled at her, she couldn't but grin back, smoothly running a hand over Mangehl's shoulder before hopping down to the ground to start the next part of it--the bridle.

She was small and the horse's teeth were large, but with Marko's helping hands guiding her, she slipped the bit over the teeth and secured thet fastenings after Marko slipped the headpiece into place--she was too short to reach the ears. And finally Mangehl was bedecked as she should be, saddle and reins in place, much like Kanny's.

"Wonderful, mira vitsas! What say you we start riding, eh?" He regarded Jehan with an amused smile. "Think you that you can get up there with no help and no box, Jehan?" he stood back, arms folding over his chest, waiting to see if his cousin would rise to the challenge.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan nodded to his cousin and swallowed. Why did he have to be first everytime? Gitana should be just as capable, she was only a year younger than he was. What he forgot was that at her age he didn’t know how to ride either, and nobody would teach him not that he pressed the matters to much then. He was just glad that he was finally getting a chance to learn, even if his little sister was learning the same at a much younger age.

He walked up to horse and grabbed onto the pommel placing his foot in the stirrups. He tried to pull himself up but ended up losing his grip and fall backwards into the ground. He tried again this time he tried jumping which resulted in him falling backwards and having his foot stuck in the stirrup. He was getting frustrated but he showed not outward signs on it.

“Little vista mine, pull the mane. They feel no pain there, use it to help” Marko informed Jehan with humor in his voice nudging Gitana “Perhaps he is more gaje than he thought eh?” he asked jokingly. Jehan ignored the joke those his cheeks started to turn red. He didn’t like to hear those things, not even as a joke.

Jehan tried again this time hold the horses hair as he pulled himself up. It was a slow process and he slipped a few times but never fell. “Jump little manus jump” Marko cheered on laughing as he watched Jehan trying to jump onto the house. “The balls of you feet, hope on them and it will help you before the jump” he suggested obviously amused by the situation.

Jehan nodded and did as he was told and pulled himself up, slowly, slowly until he was able to get his foot over the saddle and he lay forward petting the horse’s neck before grabbing the reins. “I did it! All by myself” he proclaimed proud and with a glowing face.