Post by Fox on Nov 7, 2010 6:19:29 GMT -8
The autumn weather was so much more tolerable than the height of summer, Seronaph mused, as he flapped in lazy circles over the Winglet barracks. No longer the muggy heat of summer, but not yet the chilly extreme of winter; the air that morning was crisp and cool and a delight to his feathers. With a lazy mental nudge, the red took his customary, well-worn pathway into the minds of his Winglets, and there was the briefest sensation of a yawn preceding his words. Gooooood morning, Winglets. Congratulations; our lesson today will be all about the glorious art of horseback riding. K’ean waits by the animal pens, so hurry up. Chicks, you may come if you wish, so long as you do not spook the horses.[/color] A snort, then Seronaph did a wingover and started on his way to the pens. On the other hand, you could always spook them on purpose. Your riders could probably learn from the excitement.[/color]
As the three Winglet pairs arrived at the pens, K’ean looked up from where he was rubbing the nose of a stocky bay gelding with a white stripe down his face. A short ways away, Seronaph had settled to watch the scene with interest, looking forward hopefully to the prospect of someone making things interesting and perhaps making a fool of themselves. It would be a break from the monotony of watching the winglets circle round and round on horseback, at least. A disapproving glance was shot the red’s way, as K’ean had been privy to a good deal of that, but for now he would leave the red to hope for a show. They had Winglets to teach. ”Bravo Class, as Seronaph already told you, today you will be learning how to ride a horse.” Gesturing for them all to enter the pens, the redrider backed the horse up apace, keeping a firm hold on the gelding’s bridle. Blandly, K’ean observed his three students with amused blue eyes. ”I’m going to assume that none of you know how to ride. In any case, today we will be conducting our lesson bareback; I trust that you all will find some way to mount up.” A faint smirk accompanied this slightly sarcastic remark as a snort from Seronaph floated over to them. Using the nearby fence as a mounting block and bracing his hands against the horse’s withers, K’ean vaulted neatly into the saddle as the horse remained unfazed beneath him.
”Alright." He said gamely. "So once you’re on, remember to try and keep balanced. It’s alright if you slip or fall off… If you feel yourself about to fall, remember not to fight it. Do as Ts’kal taught you, and remain loose; it’ll hurt less that way. And don’t ever, ever pull back on the reins if you’re falling; the result will not be pretty.” The ominous statement was left dangling. K’ean had had a friend once who had made just that same mistake. The horse had reared, lost its balance, and fallen on him, and while the wingletmaster was fairly sure the anecdote would induce his Winglets to be careful, it would probably also accomplish the goal of frightening them away from horses. Which was not what he wanted. Clicking his tongue at the gelding, a nudge of his heels sent the creature into a comfortable amble. He led it in a circle around the winglets, making them follow his progress. ”Guide your horse with your reins and your calves, but be sure not to put too much pressure on either. You might irritate the horse and then where will you be?” K’ean indulged in a flash of a grin before settling his horse again in front of the winglets. Comfortably, he settled back in his seat, the reins loose in his lap. Then he nodded to the other horses milling about the pen; there were more than the three required. Five more horses were there to choose from, so the Winglets could make the choice however they saw fit.
There was one more thing to address, though. K’ean turned back to his winglets with an eyebrow raised. ”If, however, you can ride, there will be no heroics. At most, go at a trot. Even if you’re only just starting but you want to be adventurous… Stick to a trot.” He didn’t want anyone breaking their necks because they wanted to show off. If any of them actually did that… Well. K’ean would keep them alive only to berate them again for their stupidity. Hopefully, he could trust them to be sensible, though. His group was, thankfully, a rather calm bunch, as K’ean was beginning to notice. Thus, he wasn’t too worried. ”So go choose your horse, and remember that riding your siomurvs won’t come until you all prove to me that you can ride a horse bareback to my satisfaction.” he said, nodding to them to begin their task. Seronaph yawned and mused idly that it would be a long day, if they were relying on his rider’s satisfaction. K’ean was very... exacting in his standards.[/size]
As the three Winglet pairs arrived at the pens, K’ean looked up from where he was rubbing the nose of a stocky bay gelding with a white stripe down his face. A short ways away, Seronaph had settled to watch the scene with interest, looking forward hopefully to the prospect of someone making things interesting and perhaps making a fool of themselves. It would be a break from the monotony of watching the winglets circle round and round on horseback, at least. A disapproving glance was shot the red’s way, as K’ean had been privy to a good deal of that, but for now he would leave the red to hope for a show. They had Winglets to teach. ”Bravo Class, as Seronaph already told you, today you will be learning how to ride a horse.” Gesturing for them all to enter the pens, the redrider backed the horse up apace, keeping a firm hold on the gelding’s bridle. Blandly, K’ean observed his three students with amused blue eyes. ”I’m going to assume that none of you know how to ride. In any case, today we will be conducting our lesson bareback; I trust that you all will find some way to mount up.” A faint smirk accompanied this slightly sarcastic remark as a snort from Seronaph floated over to them. Using the nearby fence as a mounting block and bracing his hands against the horse’s withers, K’ean vaulted neatly into the saddle as the horse remained unfazed beneath him.
”Alright." He said gamely. "So once you’re on, remember to try and keep balanced. It’s alright if you slip or fall off… If you feel yourself about to fall, remember not to fight it. Do as Ts’kal taught you, and remain loose; it’ll hurt less that way. And don’t ever, ever pull back on the reins if you’re falling; the result will not be pretty.” The ominous statement was left dangling. K’ean had had a friend once who had made just that same mistake. The horse had reared, lost its balance, and fallen on him, and while the wingletmaster was fairly sure the anecdote would induce his Winglets to be careful, it would probably also accomplish the goal of frightening them away from horses. Which was not what he wanted. Clicking his tongue at the gelding, a nudge of his heels sent the creature into a comfortable amble. He led it in a circle around the winglets, making them follow his progress. ”Guide your horse with your reins and your calves, but be sure not to put too much pressure on either. You might irritate the horse and then where will you be?” K’ean indulged in a flash of a grin before settling his horse again in front of the winglets. Comfortably, he settled back in his seat, the reins loose in his lap. Then he nodded to the other horses milling about the pen; there were more than the three required. Five more horses were there to choose from, so the Winglets could make the choice however they saw fit.
There was one more thing to address, though. K’ean turned back to his winglets with an eyebrow raised. ”If, however, you can ride, there will be no heroics. At most, go at a trot. Even if you’re only just starting but you want to be adventurous… Stick to a trot.” He didn’t want anyone breaking their necks because they wanted to show off. If any of them actually did that… Well. K’ean would keep them alive only to berate them again for their stupidity. Hopefully, he could trust them to be sensible, though. His group was, thankfully, a rather calm bunch, as K’ean was beginning to notice. Thus, he wasn’t too worried. ”So go choose your horse, and remember that riding your siomurvs won’t come until you all prove to me that you can ride a horse bareback to my satisfaction.” he said, nodding to them to begin their task. Seronaph yawned and mused idly that it would be a long day, if they were relying on his rider’s satisfaction. K’ean was very... exacting in his standards.[/size]
