The Finer Points of Learning to Ride (Keeva Lesant, Private, Closed)

[Morrigan]

OOC: Permission to post here granted by GM Justice, as per request, I'll be modding this thread. However, I'll only train in ONE skill at a time: Horseback riding first, mounted archery second.

He awaited her with the patience of an elf, pacing around with a light step. It was mid-afternoon and the sun's were well past highzenith. He wondered where she was. She'd arranged to have riding lessons with him this afternoon, this being the first of such sessions. He did have other students to see today as well, his time being valuable, he didn't particularly like tardiness.

His horse, snorted and stamped a hoof lightly. A fine-boned black stallion, he arched his neck proudly, and flicked his long, wavy tail. Ebony was a high-spirited, but well trained mount which hailed from a very old, very proud bloodline of breed of horses. Standing around sixteen hands, with long, well muscled legs, a sleek and glossy black coat, the stallion was certainly a prize for any stable.

"I wonder where she is...she said she'd be here at these stables a quarter past Sunzenith, and still no show. Well, I'll give her a bit, maybe she got lost.." the elf said more to himself than his horse, which he really didn't expect to understand him.

Master Rhafael Tir'Shalis was an excellent rider, dressage competitor and equestrian champion. He taught others to ride privately and owned his own stables on his small estate. He was paid handsomely by noble families to teach their children how to ride, how to train horses, how to fox hunt, and how to win at equine competitions. Rhafael decided he'd give her a few more moments, then he'd move on to the next session time...

[Keeva Kaldres]

Inwardly, Keeva cursed herself. She knew she was late, and hated herself because of it. She hated her mind for being so fickle and fleeting, and even looked up with an unspoken epitaph to the suns, blaming them for being in the wrong places at the wrong time.

'Maybe I should have chosen to train in the art of direction-taking...' She mumbled to herself ruefully between sharp intakes of breath as she ran gracelessly on her way to the stables, lacking even a trace of the air of a proud soldier.

She expected that her teacher would be angry with her, and she genuinely would not even think to censure him for it. Tardiness was the last thing one would expect from a disciplined soldier in the Imperial army, after all.

That thought stuck with her as she finally burst into the stables, flustered and red-faced. Trying to remember to breath, she walked, with a litle more digity, towards the elf who was presumably her teacher.

'Sir! Private Keeva Lasant...reporting for training, sir.'

A simple 'Serale' never seemed to suffice anymore, and, as she raised one hand to make some semblance of a salute, she hoped to Diana that the man would not be too mad at her.

[Morrigan]

Rhafael had been checking the tack upon Ebony, making sure it was secure, but not overly so. If it was one thing, he made sure that his mount never had to suffer the indiginities of improper horsemanship. The elf took far too much pride in his knowledge and love of equines to let that happen. It was then that he heard a light female voice say:

'Sir! Private Keeva Lasant....reporting for training, sir!'

And the elf turned around, his raven locks rustling softly, sharp green eyes boring into the young human woman's, handsome face frowning only slightly. Rhafael was dressed in his riding leathers and had no weapons at hand. Horses frightened easily with weapons nearby and the elf, though he had been a cavalry soldier, and did continue to serve every once in a while, was more than retired really.

"Ah, so there you are then, Miss Lasant." he spoke, his voice a quiet tenor, soft, but easily heard, a slight tone of disapproval underneath. "Alright, listen up. I shall overlook your tardiness this once. I do not care what excuses you have as to why you are late today, that is moot. However..." he paused, and his eyes narrowed just a bit, "You are not my only student, and the next time that you fail to show on time for your session, you shall forfeit that time accordingly to the next student. It is your responsibility to see that you get here, not mine." the master told her sternly, though he didn't raise his voice, there was something sharp in his tone that cut like a knife.

Having addressed that matter, Rhafael's mood quite suddenly shifted and he gave the girl a smile and a slight bow.

"Now then, Miss Lasant. I am Rhafael Tir'Shalis, and it's a pleasure to meet you. This is Ebony, my mount. I don't suppose you have your own mount, do you, Miss Lasant?" he asked her, his green eyes still as sharp, but his voice much more pleasantly conversational. "If you don't, you can always use one of mine...if needs be." he told her as an afterthought and waited for her answer.

[Keeva Kaldres]

Keeva had braced herself for the inevitable onslaught of Rhafael's ire and wrath. She was expecting bellows and shouts, such as those she had been battered with before for being late for some patrol or drill. The least that her mind had envisaged was a raising of Rhafael's voice, but even that had not come. The result, however, had almost the same effect. There was somethinng in Rhafael's voice, something softly austere, if that was possible, that struck her. Private Lasant would think twice before displaying her inate skill for being late again.

The sudden, apparent change in Rhafael's mood worked perfectly to confuse the young woman's already befuddled mind further. Was he still angry with her? The smile and softer tone of voice suggested otherwise, and she was keen to retain the sudden air of pleasantry on her behalf.

'It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sir Tir'Shalis,' Keeva responded, exchanging Rhafael's smile for a tentative one of her own. 'No I don't have a mount...yet, although I was thinking of paying the Leaps and Bounds stable a visit sometime soon. So, if you truly don't mind, I'll need to use one of yours...for the time being.'

Mentally, she kicked herself. She should have thought of buying her own horse beforehand. Then, she could have used these lessons to get to know her mount, and become accustomed to riding it. Indeed, it seemed as though acquiring a horse had suddenly shifted to the top of her 'to do' list.

[Morrigan]

Rhafael merely nodded at her lack of her own mount and motioned her to follow him. He led Ebony behind him and walked at an easy pace, the horse following dociley along. They walked past a barn and down the row of stables, which housed horses of all kinds. Those for riding, working, hunting, and even a few war steeds. One of the many grooms which dashed about stopped at the sight of Rhafael and bowed low.

"Greetin's m'lord. What can I be doin' fer ye?" he asked, a young lad of 18 patterns, a smile on his face. Rhafael waved such formalities aside, he told the groom:

"Bring me the young mare, Firelight, make sure she is tacked and ready to go." was all he said. The groom nodded and hurried off to do as his lord bid him. Rhafael turned to Keeva, saying: "In a few moments, you shall have your mount. And we shall then begin your first lesson in riding a horse." He told her, then waited for his groom to return.

They didn't have long to wait, for here came the groom leading behind him a splendid and sleek little bay colored mare, fully tacked out for riding. She was a pretty little thing, her neck arched proudly, her tail held high, her coat gleaming with good health, and her dark eyes shining with intelligence. Her hooves clopped along the stone walkway sharply.

"Miss Lasant, this is Firelight. You will be using her for all your riding lessons. She will remain here after the lessons are finished. But you will be the one who cares for her from now on while you are here. You will learn to saddle and bridle her, you will learn to groom her, feed her, and take care of her. She's your charge now. While you are not here, the grooms shall see to her, of course. But part of learning to ride a horse is also learning the upkeep of one. Do you understand?" Rhafael asked Keeva and waited to hear her response, meanwhile taking the reins of Firelight's bridle and holding them out to Keeva, also waiting for her to take them.

[Keeva Kaldres]

Keeva was only too happy to oblige, relieving Rhafael of Firelight's reins. In her eyes shone a sort of awe; this would be her first time riding a horse, and she had never expected her initial lesson to be with a beast this lovely. She took in Firelight's beautiful dark eyes, her healthy bay coat, and a smile pronounced itself on her face. She was definitely sure that she would enjoy these sessions immensely.

'Yes, sir. I'll take good care of her.' Keeva could scarcely imagine doing otherwise, even though she had close to little knowledge about how to look after a horse. For now, she was extremely keen to begin learning to ride, and turned her gaze to her tutor, hafael, in anticipation of what was to happen next.

[Morrigan]

OOC: I realize this is a long post to reply to, but alot of it is instructions. I wouldn't want it said I didn't teach you properly!

The mare, Firelight, snorted and shifted nervously at first, but as she got used to Keeva's presence, she seemed to settle. The mare was already decked out in full tack; which included: a leathern riding saddle, chest and rump bands, and what was called a 'bitless' bridle. Rhafael explained the function of each piece of horse barding, especially the bridle and his choice to use such.

He went over saddling the horse first, saying to Keeva:

"Alright, when saddling a horse, make sure your mount is securely tied to a post, tree, or in his stall. When saddling a horse, do not throw the saddle onto their back, as that can hurt the animal and cause them pain. Place the saddle over the horse's back carefully, making sure straps and buckles don't get caught within each other or trapped in the horse's mane if it's long enough. Slide the saddle until it rests in the middle of the horse's back, then reach under and grab the girth straps and buckle them. Cinching them too tight will affect your horse's breathing, so you don't want to do that. You just want to make sure they are secure and well buckled. Then we shall move onto bridles if you understand the mechanics of saddling the horse." the elf said and paused for a few moments that Keeva may take in his words.

"Bridles with metal bits can hurt the horse's mouth, not to mention they most likely taste horrible. Riders, especially beginners, who are too rough in reining back or yanking on the reins can actually damage a horse's mouth with the bit, therefore, causing great pain." the elf paused and let his words sink in before continuing, "Now, I prefer the use of bitless bridles because they are much more humane. When your horse is galloping out of control or you wish to change her direction, and you rein back, this will put pressure upon the frontal part of the nasal cavity, thus indicating your wish to slow down or to direct the horse in the proper direction." Rhafael finished, then completed his dissertation upon horse tack.

"I will be testing your knowledge over the proper way to saddle, bridle, and vice versa on a horse later on. So ask questions if you have them. The next part of the lesson is the proper way to approach a horse when mounting up." Rhafael motioned to two grooms to come over and hold the reins of Ebony and Firelight. "Now then, you watch me, then you give it a try." he smiled and continued talking as he walked over to his horse from the left side.

"Always approach your mount in a calm, slow manner from the left. Never approach from behind! You are more than likely to be kicked and injured that way. Never run at your horse. That will simply cause to spook and frighten them, and if the horse is a spirited or untrained mount, it will buck and try to throw you off when you try to mount up." Rhafael told her sternly. "But, these two, are quite well trained. But do not let me catch you indulging in such behaviour anyhow. Now, once you've approached the horse and ascertained that both you and the horse are calm, reach up and grip the saddle horn with your right hand and put your right leg up and your foot into the stirrup. Once that's done, pull upwards with your weight and shift your left leg over the horse's back and onto the other side. Then place your left foot into the other stirrup and make sure both are securely in place. Make sure you find your balance so you don't fall off, and you don't want your feet too tightly in the stirrups, as if your horse rears and you DO lose your balance, your feet won't be stuck and you won't get dragged by your mount." And with that, he did precisely what he just described, fluidly and effortlessly.

"See there? It's quite easy once you learn it. Now then, before you try this, do you have any questions? And if you need some assistance, my other groom here can help you up as you try." Rhafael told her and waited to see if Keeva had questions over anything he'd discussed so far.

[Keeva Kaldres]

Keeva shook her head dumbly, her mind still struggling the sudden surge of information that had been imparted on her. For now, she could think of no questions, discern no gaps where Rhafael's explanation was concerned. Maybe later, when she had been given the chance to dwell on her teacer's words, she would be able to come up with a few queries, but not now. Now she merely stared quizzically at the lovely horse that had been provided for her, preparing herself to make an attempt at mounting the beast.

Trying to follow her instructor's advice, she manoeuvred herself in order to approach Firelight from the left, hoping with every essence of her being that thhe horse would not suddenly spook or bolt, although, realistically, she saw that as highly unlikely.

After ascertaining that the horse was calm, and trying to incite the same disposition within herself, Keeva reached out with her right hand for the saddle horn, before proceeding to place her right foot in the stirrup.

The next part she dreaded, but, following Rhafael's instructions, she would continue to try to pull herself upwards, and bring her left leg over the horse's back, until her left foot was firmly secure in the other stirrup. Once she had managed this, she would try to maintain some sort of balance upon Firelight's back, before glancing towards her teacher, hoping he had not done anything too disastrously wrong.

[Morrigan]

Rhafael watched her unsure and awkward movements with the eyes of a hawk. He noted what she did, how she did it, when she did it. He nodded to himself, as if making mental notes about the situation, but didn't say a word, until Keeva had hauled herself into the saddle and was now precariously perched upon the back of the mare, Firelight.

"Alright then, Miss Lasant. You are successfully mounted. The next thing we are going to do, is have your groom, Elbert, there, put Firelight into a walk. I want you to feel what it's like to have the horse moving under you, through each of her gaits. There are three primary gaits.." the elf paused, making sure that he had her full attention. "The first is the walk. A nice slow pace, good for beginners like you. The second is the canter or trot, and is a bit faster paced and rougher than the walk. And finally, there is the gallop, which is an almost full out run. And only more advanced riders should try that gait. However..." and he signalled his groom to release Ebony's reins, "we are just going to have Elbert there lead your mount in a slow, gentle walk so you can feel the pace of the gait. Just hold onto the saddle horn and remember to grip with your knees. You won't hurt the horse, I promise. Watch me." And with that, Rhafael nudged Ebony into a slow walk, going in a wide and easy circle, finally coming to a stop right alongside Firelight again.

"Elbert, if you please." He nodded to the young man, and then turned a kind smile to Keeva, saying, "Now, Miss Lasant, try not to be too afraid, it's quite an enjoyable experience. Just sit back a bit, relax as much as possible, and enjoy the ride. Feel how the horse's muscles move, and move with them, not against them." and with that, the groom Elbert took a long lead rein and snapped it to Firelight's bridle, then with a nod back at Keeva, he slowly tugged on the lead and the mare followed him, her long legs picking their steps daintily, hooves clopping rhythmically on the cobblestones...all the while, Rhafael watched and took note of Keeva's reactions to the horse, the entire session.

[Keeva Kaldres]

When the horse first began to move, Keeva's first reaction was to inadvertently stiffen in the saddle, her grip tightening on the reins as she tried her best to become accustomed to the strange movements of the horse as it walked forward. It was an experience unlike any she had had before, and, for that moment, she was unsure that she would ever grow used to them.

With a short, sharp 'yelp,' Keeva recalled Rhafael's words, and tried to sit back in the saddle, and relax a little, feeling the movements of Firelight's muscles beneath her. Closing her eyes briefly helped calm her nerves, and she began trying to move with the movement's of Firelight's muscles, as the mare clopped along the path of cobblestones.

'I can do this...' the young soldier murmured to herself, momentarily envying Rhafael for his blatantly superior horsemandhip. Would she ever be able to ride as well as him?

[Morrigan]

Rhafael could tell the girl was nervous and smiled at her, encouraging her to enjoy the ride, after all, he planned to let her try herself, very soon now. Once the groom had made a few wide, slow circles around the paddock, he had the groom stop and then turned to Keeva.

"Well then, Miss Lasant, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" he grinned and could see that she would definitely have to get used to riding upon horseback. The elf lord reached out and patted the mare's neck. She was certainly a good pick for this young woman, and if she proved herself good enough with Firelight, he'd do what he did to all his students when they graduate and that was to make a gift of the chosen mount they'd been paired with.

"Alright, Miss Lasant, I think that will do for today's lesson now. Do you have any questions? If so, please ask them. I really dislike it when my students are brimming with questions, but don't ask me. So anything you ask me now, has been most assuredly asked before.." he smiled to take the sting out of his words, and waited to see if she had anything to ask of him.

[Keeva Kaldres]

'No, Sir Rhafael, no questions!'

Keeva knew her hands were shaking uncontrolably, although this was more from sheer excitement than any other emotion she could think of. Her first time on horseback had been every bit as enoyable as she had thought it would be, and perhaps more so. She was fully aware, however, that she did need a great deal of practice to refine her horseriding skill, which were still pretty muh negligible at this point in time. But she had the drive, and the enthusiasm, and she was sure taht they would pull her through in the end.

[Morrigan]

"Alright then, Miss Lasant, we shall put Firelight away for now, then. Come along and dismount." and Rhafael showed her the correct way to dismount, swinging his opposite leg over the horse's back first, then removing his other, and landing lightly upon the cobblestone walkway. He then motioned to Keeva to try it and for the groom to spot her and make sure she didn't fall. The young man put his hands lightly about her waist and helped her to steady herself and then dismount, having her land upon the cobblestone way as well.

"Now then, Miss Lasant. Take the reins from Elbert there and lead Firelight towards the stables. Don't be afraid. If you show fear, your horse can sense it. And that wouldn't be good. For the reasons that, the horse will be in control and not the rider. And then it gets dangerous. She could toss you, run you into a tree, or worse." Rhafael told Keeva as they walked slowly towards the stables, he then launched into a story of a former student who had beat his mount and then the mount had carried him off, where he'd nearly died. His voice, though soft, was flat and emotionless...but the two people and two horses slowly walked and the sun's had started to set upon the horizon, casting their shadows long and dark...

The next day...

The appointed time for Keeva's lesson came once again, and this time Rhafael hoped that she wouldn't be tardy. He had a lot of stuff to go over with her and he wanted her to try allowing herself to be lead around the arena this time, which is where he planned to move the lessons. To his indoor arena, amongst some of his more advanced students. Perhaps the young woman would feel more comfortable with other poeple nearby.

And so, he waited patiently, perched upon Ebony's back, with a groom holding Firelight's reins, watching for her, eager to begin this day's lesson...

[Keeva Kaldres]

Keeva had make a strict point of dredging herself out of bed and the comfort of sleep as soon as she physically could, so as not to anger Rhafael, or embarass herself, with her tardiness. With a notioceable hastiness in each of her strides, Keeva made quick her journey towards the stables, where her teacher would be waiting.

When she did arrive, one of the first thing she noticed was Rhafael, perched quite comfortably upon the dark horse, Ebony's, back. The sight was a rather degrading, yet encouraging one, as she hoped with all her being that one day she, too, would be able to ride upon a horse with the same sort of confidence her teacher seemed to exhibit.

Not wanting to waste any more time, the young soldier quickly approached her teacher, offering an abrupt salute, before addressing him.

'Serale, master Rhafael. I'm ready to begin my training for today, sir.'