“Uhh, are you sure I’m not too big?” She glanced at the horse in front of her. He seemed like a sturdy mount, and clearly bored with whatever the mortals around him were doing. She had asked the older human to learn to ride, and he said he would teach her, she just thought it might be on a bigger horse.
“Yeah, miss six foot, you’ll be just fine.” He said, patting the horse’s nose for a brief moment. He came up to her shoulder, and the horse’s shoulder came up to her shoulder as well. Regardless, she felt a little large, she always felt a little large. “Yeah, what are you waiting for, hop on and I’ll walk you around the camp.”
“Okaay.” She feigned confidence. She had never ‘hopped on’ a horse. She typically sat in the cart, she always sat in the cart, horses were hard. Lani reached out to brush the horse’s fur on its neck in front of its saddle. There was a warm dry feeling to it and she could feel the dirt clinging to her fingers, but didn’t mind nearly as much as if it was oily. In perhaps the most awkward fashion she could emulate, the mixed girl stuck a right foot into the right stirrup, placing one hand on either side of the saddle and prepared to pull herself up. She could feel the horse shift to brace itself beneath her, but the human interrupted her before she even started to get on.
“Woah, woah, what are you doing?”
“Getting on a horse?” She asked, unsure of what she did wrong.
“Not like that, you aren’t. Have you ever gotten on a horse before?”
“… Not from the ground…” Lani reluctantly shared, unsticking her right foot from the stirrup and stepping back.
“Okay, that’s fine. Watch me.” He said, directing her towards the front of the horse so she could see. He did not hand her the reins, but clutched them in his left hand. In a smooth, experienced movement, he placed his hands on either side of the saddle, and stuck his left foot in the left stirrup. He pulled himself up with his arms and swinging his right leg over the saddle, inserting his right foot into the stirrup off of memory. “Mount the horse from its left near side. Place your left foot in the left stirrup and launch your body up and over. Next, lift the right leg gently over the horse's back and insert your right foot into the right stirrup.”
“You make it look easy.” She said, watching him dismount on the same side, and then motioning for her to switch places with him.
“’Kay, go for it.” He nodded to her, still holding the reins. She followed his movements and instructions as exactly as she could, sticking a left foot in the stirrup. She was flexible so it was fine, but she could already tell this stirrup would be too short for her. Hoping the saddle wouldn’t move, she squarely placed a hand on each side and ‘launched’ herself up. She miscalculated, and ended up having to gruelingly slowly pull herself upright, before swinging her right leg over the back of the horse. It took her a minute to find the stirrup with her right foot, and she tried not to kick the horse while she did so. She felt the creature shudder under her when she tightened her thighs, but the human soothed the horse easily.
“Yeah, miss six foot, you’ll be just fine.” He said, patting the horse’s nose for a brief moment. He came up to her shoulder, and the horse’s shoulder came up to her shoulder as well. Regardless, she felt a little large, she always felt a little large. “Yeah, what are you waiting for, hop on and I’ll walk you around the camp.”
“Okaay.” She feigned confidence. She had never ‘hopped on’ a horse. She typically sat in the cart, she always sat in the cart, horses were hard. Lani reached out to brush the horse’s fur on its neck in front of its saddle. There was a warm dry feeling to it and she could feel the dirt clinging to her fingers, but didn’t mind nearly as much as if it was oily. In perhaps the most awkward fashion she could emulate, the mixed girl stuck a right foot into the right stirrup, placing one hand on either side of the saddle and prepared to pull herself up. She could feel the horse shift to brace itself beneath her, but the human interrupted her before she even started to get on.
“Woah, woah, what are you doing?”
“Getting on a horse?” She asked, unsure of what she did wrong.
“Not like that, you aren’t. Have you ever gotten on a horse before?”
“… Not from the ground…” Lani reluctantly shared, unsticking her right foot from the stirrup and stepping back.
“Okay, that’s fine. Watch me.” He said, directing her towards the front of the horse so she could see. He did not hand her the reins, but clutched them in his left hand. In a smooth, experienced movement, he placed his hands on either side of the saddle, and stuck his left foot in the left stirrup. He pulled himself up with his arms and swinging his right leg over the saddle, inserting his right foot into the stirrup off of memory. “Mount the horse from its left near side. Place your left foot in the left stirrup and launch your body up and over. Next, lift the right leg gently over the horse's back and insert your right foot into the right stirrup.”
“You make it look easy.” She said, watching him dismount on the same side, and then motioning for her to switch places with him.
“’Kay, go for it.” He nodded to her, still holding the reins. She followed his movements and instructions as exactly as she could, sticking a left foot in the stirrup. She was flexible so it was fine, but she could already tell this stirrup would be too short for her. Hoping the saddle wouldn’t move, she squarely placed a hand on each side and ‘launched’ herself up. She miscalculated, and ended up having to gruelingly slowly pull herself upright, before swinging her right leg over the back of the horse. It took her a minute to find the stirrup with her right foot, and she tried not to kick the horse while she did so. She felt the creature shudder under her when she tightened her thighs, but the human soothed the horse easily.
