Closed How To Not Fall Off (Kyber)

[Samuel Longwell]

How To Not Fall Off Date: 77th Winter 516AV Location: Windmount Track and Field Samuel Thoughts Others Samuel ran his brush over Dan's black coat, speaking softly to the Tiaden as he did so. The great warhorse had grown accustomed to Samuel and now greeted him whenever the knight came to visit. The bald knight did wonder if that was just for the fruit that he always brought for his mount, but even so he felt that there was a tentative friendship forming between the two. Indeed, the knight already felt a great deal of affection for the stallion and he saw occasional glimpses of the affection being returned. The cleaning process was probably not strictly necessary, the grooms took good care of any horse that was stabled with them. However, the knight had come to find the process soothing so he always made sure to bring his brush when he was going to do any riding. He smirked, thinking back to when, as a squire, he'd hated cleaning the mounts. The fear of getting kicked was the main reason for it, but as long as you were careful only the most unruly mount would have a chance to kick you. Once he was happy with the cleanliness of his mount, the knight went and grabbed his saddle. He lifted it onto the Tiaden, then began to strap it on. As he went about securing the various straps and clasps, he gave a glance over to the other mount standing nearby. The brown gelding, docile and sleepy, stood calmly where Samuel had left him. The knight smiled, it was a perfect mount for a new rider. Finally the saddle was attached, but when Samuel checked it he noticed that it was loose. It wobbled under the slightest pressure from his hand. Frowning, the knight walked round the Tiaden to check all the straps. It didn't take long for the mistake to become apparent, Samuel had managed to miss one of the crucial straps. Once he'd rectified this, the saddle sat much more securely on the horse's back. Pleased with his work, the knight stood calmly to wait for the squire. Samuel had arrived early to get Dan ready, so there were still a few chimes before the arranged meeting time.

[Michael Kyber]

The ability to ride was perhaps one of the most commonly learnt skills in all of Mizahar. It was obvious why of course; on horseback one could move far faster than they could on foot, which made traveling so much easier. It order to pass as a knight one was required to learn to ride to a decent standard for a multitude of reasons, mainly for an advantage in combat and to react quickly to threats outside the city. Like a true Zeltivan city boy, Michael had never been one for land travel. The only times he'd been out of the city were during his voyages to the other cities along the Mura route, and they'd all been via sea. In fact Michael was pretty sure he'd never rode a horse in his life. Fortunately for him the order provided squires with free use of the Windmount Stable's facilities to train themselves with, and were happy to help set up lessons with proper teachers. Which was why his patron had set up an introductory lesson in riding today with one of the other knights, Ser Longwell. Honestly speaking the idea of sitting on the back of another living creature and clinging on for dear life as it ran about the place didn't sound too appealing to him, but it was necessary for his training so there was no choice but to grit his teeth and bare it. Who knows, he may even come to enjoy himself once he got the hang of it. It was exactly at the arranged meeting time that Michael arrived at the track and field. There weren't too many other people using the track today, so Michael was able to recognize the knight waiting patiently by a pair of saddled horses as the one he was looking for right away. After double checking himself to make sure he looked presentable Michael made his way over to the waiting knight. "Ser Longwell?" He gave him a quick, respectful bow. "I'm Michael Kyber. I believe I have a lesson in riding with you today."

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others Samuel smiled in greeting as the squire introduced himself. “Aye that's me lad,” he said, “you must be Ser Mortmer's new charge then?” The knight reached forward to shake the young man's hand, examining him as he did so. Michael stood a fair few inches shorter than Samuel, which was not unusual due to the knight's formidable stature. He was slimmer too, but his figure hinted at a previous occupation where a fair amount of physical effort was required. Samuel's first guess would have been farmer, had it not been for the fact that the squire had no experience with horses. From what the young man's patron had said, Michael had little to no combat experience and was possibly even more lacking in the riding department. “We're gonna start with the basics and work from there.” Samuel said kindly. “This is going to be your mount for today.” As he said this he gestured to the brown horse standing nearby and walked over to it. The gelding stood about 15 hands high, and so was noticeably smaller than the knight's great warhorse that stood nearby. It was mostly brown, with a few splotches of white near its hind end. “This is Billy, he's of the Zavian breed and is extremely well behaved.” Samuel explained. “They're nearly all dependable and versatile so he'll be a good way to start you off.” Samuel beckoned the squire to approach the horse. “One of the first things you should know about horses is to not approach one that doesn't know you from behind.” Samuel explained, “They could spook, or worse, kick. There's no chance of Billy doing so, he's a timid thing, but you walk up behind a Tiaden stallion for example and you could be in for a world of hurt.” With this last phrase he motioned with his head towards his own horse. “Once they understand that you're not a threat then you'll be fine, you just need to go slowly to start.” Samuel explained, “Right, what I'd like you to do first is take this brush and give Billy a thorough cleaning ok? It's an important part of taking care of a horse. And if you take care of them, they'll take care of you.”

[Michael Kyber]

“You must be Ser Mortmer's new charge then?” "Yes Ser, that's me." Michael replied, shaking Samuel's offered hand. Ser Longwell had a strong grip befitting of his size, and looked every inch the image of a hardened knight with his short hair and scars. If he were charging at you with a war cry Michael could easily see the man being very intimidating, but the smile on his face negated that effect and gave him more of a grizzled-but-nice kind of vibe. Michael listened intently as Samuel introduced him to the horse that he'd be riding today; Billy. Despite his reservations about riding Michael found that he quite liked the look of Billy: he seemed more sturdy that fast, and had a kind of placid calm about himself that matched Samuel's assurance that he was well behaved. Compared to the breed standing behind Samuel that looked like a mountain of muscle Billy looked like he'd be a walk in the park to ride. At Samuel's beckoning Michael approached Billy, taking care to go slowly and approaching directly from the front in light of Ser Longwell's warning. Billy didn't seem to have a problem with his presence, and so once he was close enough Michael lightly patted his mane as people seemed to do around horses in his experience. He had the feeling he should also say something to the horse, maybe a hello or other greeting, as he'd seen other people do, but the idea of speaking to a horse in a language it couldn't understand just seemed... weird really. Ser Longwell's next instructions were to take a nearby brush and use it to give Billy a clean. Michael hadn't really expected to have to do that, he'd thought that riding lessons would just involve actually riding the horse without looking after it, but Samuel's explanation as to why made sense. It was easy to see how a horse would be more receptive to the commands of someone who'd taken the time to look after it. Picking up the brush Michael did as instructed and began methodically brushing down Billy, his strokes long but pretty light out of worry of hurting the horse. "Like this?" he asked Samuel, looking away from Billy for a second.

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others Samuel watched as the squire began to brush the horse's body and nodded appreciatively at the care the younger man was taking. Nodding in response to his student's question, the knight stepped forward with his own brush to join in. “For most of the horse's body what you're doing is perfect.” he said, “But for the mane you'll need to put a bit more strength into it.” With these words the knight demonstrated, pulling his brush down firmly through the mane. Small clumps of dirt fell to ground, dislodged by Samuel's efforts. Once he had finished his demonstration, the knight moved round to the side opposite Michael. Working together, the two men made quick progress and before too long the gelding had been well groomed. Samuel smiled in satisfaction, then turned to the squire. “People might tell you that it's below a knight's station to groom a horse,” the knight said, “but starting down that road is dangerous. Being a knight isn't just about orders and violence, although those things are a part of it. So when you get an opportunity to be gentle or kind, take it.” Samuel shrugged, a little embarrassed at his emotional outburst. He often found that those knights who were too proud to care for a horse were also those that seemed apathetic to the needs of the general populace. Samuel grabbed the saddle and hefted it up onto Billy's back. “Watch how I attach the saddle,” Samuel instructed, “it'll be something you'll have to do yourself next time.” For the next few chimes, the knight methodically secured the saddle. He tried to explain what he was doing at each step, taking Michael through the process slowly. Once he was done, Samuel dropped to one knee and looked up at the squire with a mischievous grin. “Time for you to hop on up lad.” Samuel said, making a cup with his hands for the younger man to step on. The knight supported his hands on his upraised knee, making a stable structure that would make the mounting procedure easier. “Once you're up there, stay calm and slip your feet into the stirrups.” he said, “Then we can really begin.”

[Michael Kyber]

Brushing down Billy was actually turning out to be a rather pleasant experience. There was something soothing about the repetitive brushing process, and from his little whinnies Billy was clearly appreciative of the clean. Samuel was right; Billy really was a good horse, he was just so easy to like. It was easy to see why he was used to help train beginners. With Samuel's help went quite a bit faster, and after trying the harder brushing Sam had advised Michael felt that he'd gotten the hang of grooming. As they put back the brushes Ser Longwell gave another piece of advice about taking opportunities to be kind when they came. While it was important to maintain certain standards in order to uphold the image of the knights, Michael couldn't see why anyone would deign to place themselves above grooming their own horse. Surely taking the time to groom your own horse would only increase your reputation as a skilled horseman? The same was true with being kind when possible; as long as you balanced out that kindness with shows of force so people didn't think you weak being kind could only benefit your reputation. "I'll keep that in mind Ser. I imagine though that being a knight gives you plenty of chances to do the right thing, right?" He watched Ser Longwell as the knight explained to him how to attach the saddle, occasionally interjecting when he didn't quite understand something until he was fairly certain that he'd be able to do his own in the future. It was then that Samuel announced with a grin that it was time to get to the main event; the actual riding. Michael stepped into his offered hands, putting his hand on the side of the saddle for extra support as Samuel helped him step up into the saddle for the first time. It was strange sitting on top of a horse; his balance felt a little bit off, and the thought of how easy it would be for the horse to simply shrug him off and send him crashing to the floor bellow made Michael a little nervous, but thankfully the time spent brushing him had done a lot to reassure Michael that the Billy was such a nice horse it wouldn't throw him off without very good reason. As commanded he slipped his feet into the stirrups, experimentally shifting his weight gently from one foot to the other to get a feel for them. He still didn't quite feel like he was secure enough to stay balanced if the horse started moving, but fortunately Billy didn't take a step, patiently waiting for a proper command to start walking. "It is supposed to feel this... precarious, Ser?" Michael asked, trying to find a more comfortable manner to sit in with his back straight.

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others “Aye, and the responsibility to take those chances too” the knight said in reply to the squire's question. “We are all that stands between the people of this city and destruction. Without us, they would be lost.” As the squire stepped onto his hands the knight lifted them, giving the younger man a boost onto the gelding's back. Samuel watched as Michael tentatively placed his feet into the stirrups, noticing a faint look of apprehension on the squire's face. “Relax lad” Samuel said, “you learnt how to sit when you were a child. This is no different.” The younger man had made a typical mistake, tensing his body once he was in the saddle. As a result, it felt like he was less stable. This naturally led to more tension and a vicious cycle ensued. Thankfully once a rider started to relax it usually became apparent quite quickly to them that they were secure as long as the horse wasn't moving too fast. “Billy can feel the tension too, so you'll have a hard time getting him to move if you don't loosen up.” Once the squire had gotten used to the feel of the mount beneath him, Samuel continued with the instruction. The knight would start the younger man off with the simplest gait, perhaps at the end of the lesson Michael would be ready to try something a little more adventurous. “Next we're gonna get you two walking,” he said, “You'll still be in no real danger of falling off, just remember to stay relaxed and your body will move with the motion quite naturally. What you need to do is gently squeeze once with your lower legs and Billy will begin to walk. Keep a loose grip on the reins, I'll walk beside you just in case.” Samuel wasn't sure whether that last sentence was necessary. As long as the squire followed his instructions nothing would go wrong. But some people got worried if someone more experienced wasn't on hand to step in. On the other hand even the suggestion of something going wrong would make others nervous. It all depended on the student, but the knight didn't have the experience to decide whether the younger man would be affected either way by his words.

[Michael Kyber]

Forcing yourself to relax was harder than most people gave it credit for. When the body felt it needed to be on alert it tensed itself up instinctively, and even if you forced yourself to relax at the first sign of trouble that tension would be back in an instant. Even so Michael followed Samuel's instructions and forced his muscles to loosen up, sinking a bit deeper into the saddle. Bellow him Billy gave an approving whinny, as if to tell him that he was doing better.

Michael gently squeezed his lower legs, and in response Billy began to trot forwards. Once again though the movement caused Michael to tense up again. Sitting down was one thing, but sitting on top of another living creature as it walked about was a completely different story! Thing that moved when you sat on them aught to be more stable damn it, like ships!

But despite his brain's warning that he was in danger of falling off, a number if seconds passed in which Michael didn't so much as slip. The stirrups didn't feel like they'd be much help for balancing, what with them being so light and easy to move, but as it turned out with most of his weight in the saddle they didn't need to support much weight. As he started to realize that he wasn't going to fall off after all, Michael started to once again relax into the saddle.

"I'll admit, this isn't as unstable as I thought it'd be." Michael confessed. He looked around at the parts of the saddle. "So if a small squeeze is the signal to go, then what are the signals to stop and turn?"

[Samuel Longwell]

Samuel Thoughts Others Watching the squire carefully, Samuel walked alongside horse and rider. Michael rode well for a beginner, staying calm and mostly managing to keep his body relaxed. Samuel nodded in approval. The younger man was keeping his seat well and seemed to be balancing well, he had the potential to be an excellent rider. “Aye, keep it up and you'll be swinging a sword from horseback without worrying about your balance at all.” Samuel said with a smile. Then the squire asked about stopping and turning, and Samuel's grin widened. Intelligent questions pleased the knight, he did like it when squires seemed genuinely interested in what he was teaching them. “These are a little more complicated,” the knight said, “and are often done wrong at first. We'll start you off with stopping I think, it's probably the more important concept.” He paused, trying to work out the best way of explaining how to stop. “The most common mistake is relying too heavily on the reins.” he began, “When you want your mount to slow down or stop you do pull back gently with the reins.” “However,” he continued firmly, “do not pull back hard unless the horse is ignoring you and it is imperative that you stop.” With these words Samuel shot the squire a warning look, leaving no doubt about his views on such behaviour. “As you pull back,” the knight instructed, “you need to stop moving with your horse.” Realising that his last sentence had been unclear, he tried to clarify precisely what he had meant. “At the moment, your body is mirroring Billy's motion. You are moving with your horse.” Samuel explained. “If you stop following his movement, and instead start resisting the motion then he should come to a halt. What I want you to do now is stop, wait a few ticks and then start again. Let Billy walk for a distance, then repeat. You need to be able to stop your mount effectively, so for now this is a good exercise for you to practise.” Instructions complete, the knight waited expectantly for the squire to try and stop.

[Michael Kyber]

Michael listened intently as Ser Longwell explained how to command a horse to stop, especially to his warning to not pull back on the reins too hard. He looked to the reigns in his hand, which until now he hadn't had to use, and tried to decide how much pull was too much.

"Not that I'm going to, but say if I accidentally did pull the reigns to hard, what would happen?"

Very slowly, and very gently, Michael started to pull back on the reigns. However his first attempt had clearly been too light, as Billy didn't seem to notice the pull. Michael tried again, just a little bit harder this time, and Billy dutifully came to a stop.

"Good boy" Michael muttered to Billy, patting his mane as a reward. He gently squeezed his legs together again, and Billy took off into a walk again. As Samuel had instructed Michael repeated the process of stopping and walking a few more times, each time relaxing a little more as he got more comfortable on horseback.

"Okay ser, I think I've got it." Michael called to Samuel as he brought Billy to a halt once again.