A Silver Moth To A Silver Flame

by **Kelski** on September 3rd, 2018, 11:58 pm

Timestamp: 1st of Fall, 518 A.V.

Tieria Sunstrider was not as Kelski expected. She didn’t like venturing to this part of the city, deep into the heart of Sun’s Birth territory, but she had a need. The horse she had with her also had needs and Kelski wanted to see to them. So she lead the thin silver and grey horse along behind her as she walked into the stable yard and waited for her appointed time to happen. A woman whom Kelski presumed was Tieria came out to meet her, looked over the horse, and frowned slightly.

“I have an appointment for driving lessons and lessons about owning a horse.” Kelski said softly glancing over at the gelding she had in tow. The gelding was half-starved, scruffy, and wore part of a driving headstall rather than a halter. “I know nothing of horses, but I acquired him yesterday and I mean to feed him up and get him to feeling better then use him as a cart horse to pick groceries up. I would also like to know how to ride him though.” She said, not sure the horse would allow her to do so.

Tieria assessed the situation, took in Kelski’s coloring, and nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She said, turning on her heel and disappearing into the barn a moment. Then she returned with a halter and actual lead rope on her harm. Walking up to the horse, she demonstrated to Kelski how to loop the lead rope around the animal’s neck, unbuckle the driving bridle, gently pull the bit out, and then she handed the halter to Kelski. “Halter him up. Slip the nose band over his nose, and the brow band over his ears and buckle it all together.” Kelski fumbled but managed to do what Tieria asked, fastening the buckles, then glancing at the woman. “Make sure you can slip at least two fingers under the leather halter everywhere, though the chin and throat pieces can be even looser.” She said, and Kelski checked, nodding thoughtfully.

“I understand. I didn’t have anything else to lead him with so I left that piece of his harness on. I cut the rest off of him because he was tangled in it.” Kelski explained, knowing the horse was in a sorry state. Tieria nodded, and handed Kelski the lead rope after she let it slip from the horse’s neck.

“Hold the lead in your left right hand, near his chin, then hand the extra rope to your left hand. Always lead him on your right side. Don’t let his nose go past your body. He should be behind and to the side of you.” The Drykas instructed, getting Kelski used to safely leading the horse. “Now follow me.” She said, beckoning both Kelski and the horse, where she walked them to a big arena and opened the gate, letting them in.

Kelski lead the horse through the gate and paused on the other side while Tieria fastened it closed. “So.. . what I see you needing is some basic horsemanship, some basic riding, and some basic driving. That will be thirty gold to learn from me… and I can keep giving you as many lessons as you want until you are comfortable. The horsemanship can come as we teach riding and driving. I know this horse. I also know his bastard owner. I’m surprised he sold him to you. The horse is a good one, young, though Scalis never fed him much though he worked him daily. You are lucky because carriage horses are often not broke to ride, but this one is.” She said, stopping to stroke the horses’ neck. “Did he tell you his name?” She asked.

Kelski shook her head. “No…” Then she paused, looked thoughtful, and added. “I didn’t buy him. I claimed him after I killed the man beating him.” She said softly. The Drykas nodded, wincing, as she ran her hand down the horse’s flanks and gingerly touched the welts from the whip.

“He loved his whip.” Was all she said, her words soft. Kelski nodded. She’d felt the bite of it as well.

“I don’t know how to care for him, but I want to do a good job.” Kelski said softly, glancing at the woman appealing to her nature. Tieria nodded.
“Well, first off his name is Moth. He has… almost a matching coloring to you.” The Drykas said with a grin. “He’s a good size and age for you as well. I think with some food and care, he will make a great mount. First, you know how to lead him and put a halter on him. Lets tie him.” She said, leading Kelski over to the rail and taking the lead rope from her. She demonstrated how to tie the horse to the rail so she could free him with just a single pull on the rope. Kelski nodded, then untied him and copied her motions several times until she had the idea.

“Got it.” She added, then looked for Tieria to see what was next.

“We brush him and pick his feet. If you don’t care for your horse, especially his feet, he won’t last long.” Tieria said, digging a brush out of her back pocket and showing how to use it on the horse by stroking his coat in the way the coat grew. Kelski started at his head, worked her way down his neck, across his shoulders and belly, down his legs, and finally his mane and tail. Then she picked up each of his feet and used the pick to scrap out debris stuck next to the triangle shaped bottom of his hoof called ‘the frog’.

Moth let her do all of this without much issue. Kelski enjoyed it and relaxed around Tieria, talking to the horse as she worked. Then, Tieria vanished and returned with a bridle, saddle, and a saddle blanket. “Lets do riding first. I’ll show you how to saddle him.” The instructor said, putting the saddle over the rail and handing Kelski the saddle blanket.

“Now drape the saddle blanket over his neck and push it down his back in the direction of his coat until its resting across his withers and back.” Kelski did as she asked, understanding immediately this was because they didn’t want the coat brushed backwards, maybe uncomfortably so. Next, Tieria showed her how to set the saddle gently in place, tighten the girth, and check to make sure it was solid. Then she had Kelski untie Moth, walk him forward, and tighten the girth again. She got another six inches out of it and realized Moth had been holding his breath to make his belly bigger so his saddle would fit loose.

by **Kelski** on September 4th, 2018, 12:42 am

“Everything I teach you about horsemanship and riding is going to pertain to driving too, Kelski. The care is the same, fastening the girth on the harness is the same, and so too is things like bridling him and steering in the saddle verses steering in the cart. I even have a small cart here I can teach you with. And if you are interested in buying something nicer, like a carriage or something, we can get you fixed up.” She added with a smile and Kelski nodded.

“Yes, I will be needing a cart and the gear to ride and care for him with.” She said, growing more confident. Moth was gentle, easy to get along with, and not really any sort of problem to do anything with.

Tieria moved the lesson along. “Okay, lets bridle him. I want you to put your bridle for either riding or driving on over his halter. You won’t need to take it off. So leave him tied and let me show you how to offer him a bit and slide the headstall up over his ears.” She said, turning to Moth and demonstrating for Kelski. Then she removed it, stepped back, and let the Kelvic try. Kelski gently asked him to take the bit and Moth did so, watching her suspiciously, as she fastened it under his chin, realizing the whole piece was adjusted to fit the horse and nothing else was needed to be done other than a chin strap after the fit was correct.

The instructor gathered the reins up, draped them over his neck, and turned the stirrup out offering it to Kelski. “Take your left hand and grab the front of the saddle called the cantle, hook your foot in the stirrup, and with your left hand grab the pommel…. Then pull yourself up, swing your leg over when you let go of the pommel, and sit in the saddle lightly, hooking your foot through the other stirrup.” She advised. Kelski did as she asked, finding the whole process fairly easy, and reached down to pick up the reins.

“Good, very good. Now keep your reins in your left hand. You are right handed and fight that way right?” Kelski nodded. “Now, always mount from the left because you don’t want to drag a weapon over the back of your horse… so mount on the side you wear the weapon so it will fall neatly on the side of the horse and not tangle with you when you slide on.” She said, noting Kelski didn’t appear to be armed. The Kelvic was, however, and rarely took her dagger off.

“Now, there are two ways to steer. You can ‘neck rein’ him which is simply laying the reins against the side of the neck. Horses yield to pressure, so if he feels them against his neck firmly, he will turn away from them. That’s called neck reining. Ride like that most of the time because you want him to be out of the way of your weapon coming to your hand. You can also hold the reins in both hands, like you are driving, and keep firm contact with his mouth…. In neck reining you always leave the reins slack… no contact… but this way you have firm contact and he can always feel what you are doing with your hands. Just closing a fist, opening that arm slightly in the direction you want him to turn can indicate your direction request. If he ignores it, ask again more firmly… I think he will be good for you though.” She added, then set Kelski off at a walk, calling directions to her on where to steer and having her change from neck reining to direct reining depending on where she was and how long she’d been using the other method. Tieria also called other instructions.

“Sit up straight. Imagine a string running down the length of your body…. Pull it tight and sit up as if you are a marionette doll and someone is holding you aloft. Hold your hands like they are fists… but like you are going to punch someone thumbs up… as If you are holding the delicate stem of a wine glass… reins come in from the top and fall out of the bottom of your fists… never the other way around… you want thumbs and forefingers on the reins… applying soft pressure. He can feel it… okay… ask him to move out by squeezing him gently and kissing to him. He might start trotting… don’t panic… simply stand in the stirrups every time you feel him trot forward and it will smooth out the ride.

Kelski did as she asked, but it was a lot to remember, back straight, heels down, legs out, toes straight, wineglasses in hand. And the bumpy trot was a bit scary… but she smoothed it out with her body. When Tieria asked her for more speed she was a bit scared, but the canter the horse broke into was so smooth and soothing that Kelski had to smile. Riding a horse fast was a lot easier than riding a horse slow. And it felt a little like flying without wings and so she laughed, the sound startling the horse.

He gave a bit of a buck, taking Kelski by surprise, and she sailed right off. Tumbling head over heels, she dropped her shoulder, tucked her body, and ended up with a dive roll into the dirt rather than getting truly bucked. She was on her feet in an instant, chasing after the horse who took off running. Tieria watched the pair chase around the ring twice before she held her fingers to her lips, blew hard in a sharp whistle, and the horse halted suddenly. Kelski then caught him, grabbed his reins and fixed them over his shoulders like they should be… and swung back into his saddle.

Tieria nodded in approval. “Good good….now walk him to cool him down. You can’t just stop doing a lesson with a hot wet tired horse and know it will be okay. You need to walk him until hes not breathing hard, isn’t sweating, and then give him water as you take his tack off. So walk him…” She called and marched over so Kelski was riding Moth in a circle around her instructor. At that point, Tieria extended the lesson while Kelski was cooling down Moth and started naming parts of the saddle. She required Kelski to repeat them, touching them as she did so. Tieria knew she had the right part when she touched the saddle in the right place after calling out the part of the name. Before long, Moth was cool, Kelski knew the parts of a saddle and was learning the parts of a bridle, while Tieria called it a lesson.

Kelski dismounted, under Tieria’s instruction, and together the women untacked the horse. Kelski then groomed moth down, removing the saddle marks and sweat, while Tieria got out a harness. Tieria carefully arranged the harness on Moth and began naming parts for Kelski. Harnesses were broken into two parts.. the front half of the horse and the back half of the horse… they started with a girth much like a saddle and had a backband a saddle that was no bigger than her hand. The saddle contained the rein terrets and held the backstrap which contained the crupper, crupper dock and suspended the loin straps which held the breeching.

by **Kelski** on September 4th, 2018, 2:03 am

“The forward momentum in a harness comes from the breeching while the brakes come from the breeching. Each must be fastened on correctly or you risk injury to yourself, your horse, or the people around your cart. What you must do is harness up the horse first, then bring the cart to the horse, hook the horse to the cart, and mount the cart and drive off. It’s the easiest way to deal with things. Never try to back the horse into the cart unless the cart is something like a heavily loaded wagon you can’t pull over to the horse yourself.” She said gently, and then carefully moved the harness showing Kelski how to do it. Then she handed it to Kelski, keeping it neat, and the kelvic was able to drape it over Moth’s shoulders then attach all the front stuff in the front position and all the back stuff in the back position like Tieria had shown her.

Tieria then moved forward, and together both girls checked the fit, adjusted the harness until it was custom fit to Moth, and Tieria was satisfied. “Now as you put weight on him by feeding and relaxing him, you will need to adjust out his girth. His belly band, breeching and breast collar will need to be adjusted out as well. His crupper might as well, depending on how much weight he takes on. Now… just be aware and check for tightness. Adjust it each time you drive so you can get a feel for how he’s doing size wise.” Tieria said, running her hands along the harness for a quick check.

“Now, Kelski always carry a dagger or a blade of some sort. If your horse gets tangled in the traces or even in the harness itself, you’ll want to cut it. No harness is worth the life of a horse. Harnesses are easy to replace and inexpensive. Horses are not. Also, leather wears out. You need to check the harness each time you drive. Sometimes they get chewed on by rodents or damaged by the horse themselves. Sometimes the leather has a weak spot in it and just breaks. If it looks like it will break, replace it… that goes along with your saddle… girths wear out. That goes for bridles too. Both riding reins and driving reins wear out. Replace them often, inspect them every time.” She said, moving over to give Moth a pat. Kelski listened at Tieria’s elbow, listening attentively, filing everything away.

“So leather is a weakness around owning horses.. its nice for their tack, but it has issues and can be dangerous. I understand.” She said, running her hands along the harness, then wondering what the cart looked like. Tieria saw Kelski looking around and shook her head. “Oh no… first I’m going to teach you how to work a horse from the ground, not a cart… carts can be scary, especially to Kelvics.” She said and then reached up and pulled off Moth’s riding bridle. She hung it over the fence and handed the driving bridle to Kelski. “Put this on…. Careful of the really long reins.” She added.. indicating long lengths of leather bundled up.

Kelski slipped on the bridle just as she had the other one, but this time noticed it had wide cups that sort of blocked Moth’s vision behind him and to the side of him. “What are these?” she asked, curious, indicating the blinkers. “Those are blinkers… Sometimes horse hate seeing carts and things coming up behind them so they toss their head and refused to move. Blinkers help with that. None of them want to see the cart being pulled behind them.. it unnerves them… so we blinker them. They can see it if they turn their head at extreme angles, but they usually don’t worry about it.” She added, then pointed at the rein turrents. “Next step is to thread the rein on either side of him through the rein turret on his belly band saddle and then play them out. Once you get them out, stand behind him a good three or four feet and we’ll walk around ground driving him.” She said, moving out of Kelski’s way so Kelski could unfurrow the reins and feed them through the metal lofted hoops that seemed to hold the reins neatly over Moth’s back. She awkwardly stayed on one side, reaching up to thread the reins, then payed out the lines until she was standing behind him with Tieria.

“Okay, give him a little kiss and if he doesn’t walk forward, tap him on the rump lightly with the reins… but go gently, hes ass is covered with those nasty welts.” She said, indicating the raised portion of Moth’s rump. Kelski nodded, not wanting to hurt the horse, and pursed her lips, trying to imagine what she looked like kissing Kynier, and her tongue popped out. Heat infused her face. Tieria looked at her, laughed, and shook her head. “No, like this…”

Tieria made a kissing noise, Moth’s ears flicked back, and he started walking forward and seemed almost startled there was no heavy load to pull. Kelski almost dropped the reins because they started sliding through her fingers. “Hold them!” Tieria called and shoved the Kelvic forward gently, so they were both walking side by side behind the horse. “Now… drive him by steering… just like I showed you when you were riding… tighten your fist on the way you want him to turn.. if he doesn’t, hold that hand a little firmer and gently bring it back towards you… while moving the opposite one forward, releasing pressure on his mouth that direction. He’ll bend and turn.” She added.

Both girls kept pace, even as Kelski asked him for more speed and Moth broke into a gentle trot. Both ladies did as well, and Kelski started to really enjoy herself. Tiera called a halt, and then hand Kelski hold Moth at a woah… and left to get the cart. The Kelvic was surprised at how light it looked as the woman moved it between the shafts like it weighed nothing. She brought it up closer to Moth, slipped out from between the shafts, and drew the shafts up to the horse. She quickly fastened the hame and tug on the side she was on, then passed to the other side and fastened that one as well. Then she brought the traces back and clipped them to the cart. Then she brought the breeching strap back and clipped it to the eyebolt in the shaft that was meant to receive it.

Then the whole process was carefully explained to the Kelvic. “The traces pull the cart. The shafts steer the cart, and the breeching breaks the cart by not letting the shafts slide any further up the horses’ body. Forward motion, stability and steering, then breaks….” Tieria pointed out. Kelski understood completely. She wasn’t an idiot, but horses and harnesses weren’t what she was used to dealing with and she’d never paid them much attention.

by **Kelski** on September 4th, 2018, 2:40 am

“So Kelski… now that you have Moth hooked to a cart… what else do you have to worry about?” Tieria said hopefully. Kelski looked thoughtful. “I don’t want anything pinching or rubbing. I think I’d prefer his tail braided up out of the way too because it looks like it could get caught in the reins or tugs even traces. I’d watch for him to fidget, as if something was uncomfortable. But everything looks really great. How do I know if the horse is backed into the shafts far enough or if hes too far out?” She asked, curious, not knowing how Teiria picked where to start binding the traces and breeching at.

“Ah.. easy. Line the ends of the shaft up with the points of his chest, forming a straight line across… to far in and hes too deep in the shafts… to far out with the shafts and cart are too far back from him and he won’t be able to control its motions easily. Plus the force on the traces and breeching might snap the leather. Its like a fulcrum… you have to gain balance and apply the right consistent pressures to be a good teamster.” Kelski nodded, understanding now.

Tieria got up In the cart, showing Kelski how to do so, and the Kelvic followed, the reins still in her hands. “Now… keep ahold of the reins, but drop the excess down at your feet. You’ll from here on out keep the reins in the cart unless you are hooking him up or unhooking him. If you go to a business and stop and leave him outside, tie him up with his halter. When you aren’t using the lead rope attached, just tie it loosely around his neck. But not so loosely that it comes loose and drags as you drive him somewhere. Now… pick up the reins and like we did on the ground, ask him to move out. Steer him around the arena in a circle going my way… and I’ll show you some basic moves with the cart.” She said, and Kelski bravely tried the kissing noise.

Moth started forward, again surprised at the light cart behind him. He moved out lightly, ears pricked forward, and Kelski drove him in a big circle around the large arena. When they completed it, Tieria had her gently halt him and then they turned narrow circles with the cart barely moving and Moth doing all the work. After a while, Kelski grew more confident, and Tieria hopped down and set out markers in the arena, having Kelski drive around them and through them, sometimes circling them broadly, sometimes tightly, and then running the line of them weaving in and out of them. It wasn’t hard work, but it was mentally strenuous which left Kelski sweating and really concentrating. She could see how useful the skill would be going to town for supplies or even taking all of them together rapidly through the city without having to hire a wagon or cab. Even riding Moth would be fun and she wondered what kind of shelter he’d need.

Tieria rejoined her on the cart to drive the patterns and Kelski asked her. “What do I need to keep Moth happy and healthy?” She asked thoughtfully, glancing at Tieria. The woman looked thoughtful and seemed to glance at the Kelvic before she spoke.

“You’ll need to get him out of the bad weather eventually. A lean-to or even a stable would be best. But he can survive in a small horse shed designed for one horse. If you have others living with you, I’d suggest having someone like Rodgers and Rodgers put you up a stable. He’ll need some place to graze, but if you don’t have land, you can buy feed from us. Hay from the farmers and they will deliver it or put you on their delivery schedule. He needs grain in the morning and night to get him fattened up and all the hay or fresh grass he can eat. It would be best if you had a small paddock or a bit of acreage for him to roam on. Keep his gates locked. Thieves like to steal horses in Sunberth.” The instructor said, glancing at Kelski and then smiling.

“I guess you know that right?” Kelski nodded, chuckling slightly, and adding… “I’ll have a stable built. I’ll need to have hay delivered though. I only own an acre and I think he’d eat it down fast.” She added, thinking ahead. “Do they get lonely by themselves?” She wondered, knowing she had chickens, but they weren’t the best of companions.

“Horses can do okay alone, but they are happier with another horse. In a pinch you can add something like a milk cow, a goat, or anything to keep him company like that. Just do something with him every day… visit him, groom him, take him for a ride. You’ll need to improve your riding anyhow.” Tieria said. “There are certain parts of town I wouldn’t ride him in, but some of the outskirts or the beach are good… alone I mean, unless you can defend yourself. A horse sometimes might cramp a Kelvic’s ability to get away, doesn’t it?” She asked.

Kelski shook her head. “I don’t run from people, not in Sunberth. You fight. If you can’t fight here, its hard to live here. I’d fight to keep Moth safe. I just have to figure out how to teach him not to run but to stand so he doesn’t get lost or stolen.” She said thoughtfully.

Tieria laughed. “I think I can help with that.” Kelski nodded. She’d be grateful if Tieria would help. At that time Kelski was still circling the arena with Moth, but she had him at a nice trot. Trotting with a cart was a lot more fun than trotting in the saddle… she didn’t feel his bumpy gait but just glided along in the cart. She maneuvered him through some of the harder markers Tieria had set out, though she still hit them sometimes with her wheel. Steering wasn’t as easy as one might have thought.

by **Kelski** on September 4th, 2018, 3:35 am

At this point Tiaria called a halt to the driving, Kelski could have gone longer, but even Moth was looking a bit bored. They stopped and Tieria gave her a quick lesson on unhitching Moth from the cart which actually just entailed gathering up the reins, hanging them off the rein turrets, and then unhooking the traces and breeching and pushing the card back off the horse and moving it out of the way. Then, she studied the harness with Tieria and asked a question.

“Can you tell me how to tell a good fit? You gave me a few pointers on harnessing him up, but overall how do you tell if the harness fits?” She asked, curious.

“Well, the breast strap should lie flat against the horse’s chest and the harness overall must not pinch any skin. You’ll start seeing rubbing marks if the strap doesn’t fit right. You need to make sure the harness will bend and flex with the horse. There should be no rubbing anywhere. Your horse shouldn’t fuss with any bits of it, and he should move out solid and steady. When you take the harness off, we’ll clean It by taking it completely apart into its pieces. Clean it with a good saddle soap and warm water then hang it to dry. Then you’ll need to polish it with leather polish.. we sell both here. Also, don’t forget to polish the brass and metal parts as well, make sure they aren’t rusted or damage.” Tieria said, indicating the various buckles and even the rein turrets. “Clean the bit after each use, that goes for both your driving bridle and your riding bridle. You’ll even need to clean your saddle in the same way.” She added, then paused.

“I can sell you this harness here for 2gm and the saddle and bridle we used with its blanket as well. I suspect you’ll want to ride him home so lets show you how to fit a saddle really fast before you do so. I can have a cart here tomorrow for you to look at and if you like it, you can ride him back here, then drive him home with the saddle in the seat beside you and feed for him for a tenday or so… if that works for you.” She added, and Kelski nodded.

Together they unharnessed Moth, lead him over to the rail on the arena where the saddle hung on a rail, and Kelski – under Tieria’s watch, saddled him back up. “Saddles are like shoes are to people. If they don’t fit, they can hurt your feet terribly bad. You have to make sure they are not only wide enough for his back, but not too wide, and also short enough for his back as well. Moth has good sized withers so he needs a larger saddle that’s wider. You have a small butt though so you need a shorter saddle. He’ll take a wider tree, with a rounded skirt… see? “ Tieria noted Moths’ back shape and showed Kelski how well the saddle fit. It was short, sized for a woman’s rump, and wide at the withers to accommodate Moth’s build. Tieria also showed Kelski how to run the stirrups up and down, making them longer or shorter to fit the rider’s leg length. Then she also gave her a quick lesson on how to tie saddlebags onto the back of the saddle so they didn’t bounce or hurt Moth.

Kelski took it all in, asking questions and curiously comforting the horse when Tieria did something that Moth didn’t like… such as move fast or gesture wildly. “Moth’s topline is level, because he’s young, so you won’t have to pad his topline. He’s got a short back though, so the wooden tree in the saddle has a sort of holder for his back on either side called ‘bars’ and he’ll take them shorter. If a saddle doesn’t fit, don’t hesitate to go too big rather than pinching. You can get all sorts of pads that will build up the back or withers to help with comfort for him.. but you can’t take material away to give him more room.” Tieria said thoughtfully, stroking Moth’s nose.

“Hes a good boy… a gelding. That means he has no testicles and won’t be aggressive around mares. Males with testicles are called Stallions. Never keep them with other horses. Because he’s a gelding, he should get along with other animals very well, and as long as you are kind to him he’s too young to have gotten very mean at that man’s hands. Work him lightly while he’s recovering, feed him well, and he’ll make a great horse. “Now, change his bridle out… like I showed you… lets see if you remember.”

Kelski did as Teiria asked, gently unfastening the driving bridle and pulling it free of Moth’s head. Then she hung it with the huge bundle of reins on the fence and grabbed the other bridle, while holding his lead rope, and gently offered him the riding bit, slipped the crown piece up and over his head, and fastened the chin strap. She drew the reins up and around his neck and waited for Tieria.

“Ride him home… bring him back tomorrow, and drive home with the cart if you like it.” Tieria said, with a laugh, holding Moth’s bridle loosely and remembering to fasten his lead rope to the saddle while Kelski climbed aboard. “I’ll get the gate.” Tieria said, laughing as she pushed it open.

Kelski rode the horse out of the gate, scared to leave the safety of the arena, but the silvery grey gelding did nothing bad as she pointed his nose towards home. Traffic was bad on the road, the time of day meaning people were coming and going. Kelski was in a sweat as she got started, steering around people, other horses, and even wagons. But she soon learned if she tipped Moth’s nose in one direction, he tended to go that direction and find his own way through the crowd. She relaxed, slowly, easing up on his reins and moving to steer him more with her legs as Tieria taught her. She managed to make it home in one piece, and as asked, rode him back to the stables the next day, having a far easier time of it with more confidence and less people on the road.

The cart Tieria had there waiting was a lovely three person black thing with a wide cargo space behind and underneath the three seats. Kelski really liked it and bought it outright. She carefully unsaddled Moth, took his riding bridle off, and carefully began to harness him up. She went very slowly, checking the fit of the harness even though it was the one they’d used the previous day and made a few corrections. She turned to study Tieria and the woman laughed.

“So I might have opened it longer and shortened it up a few spots to see if you’d pay attention. You’re doing great. I think you’ve found all my ‘adjustments’ and fixed them back. Now bring the cart to him, hook it up and trade out his bridle.” The instructor instructed.

Kelski did as she was told, marveling at the lighteness of the cart, and had him hooked to it and his bridle swapped out in just a few chimes of careful work. She loaded the saddle and his riding bridle into the cargo area of the cart and then took out the money she owed Tieria for the lessons and equipment plus ten days worth of feed. Tieria also sold her a waterproof blanket and hood to put on Moth in bad weather until a stable could be built. Those were tucked under the cart seat as well.

Tieria walked with her out of the arena, helped her load the feed, and then boosted Kelski up on the cart. “Good luck on the drive home. Come back for more lessons… just take it slow and remember to breathe…” She said thoughtfully and sent Kelski off with a wave.

Kelski returned the wave, picked up the reins, then kissed at Moth to get him moving. The gelding set out happily, probably excited he had to pull a cart loaded with a jeweler and not overloaded with a ton of firewood he wasn’t able to actually move. Kelski wasn’t the best driver. She had to stop the horse sometimes, back up a bit, and take a few turns more than once to get through a tight spot in traffic or to navigate getting on the barge to cross the river home. But she took her time, spoke gently to Moth, and was careful, mindful of the width of the wheels and the space the cart took. Moth didn’t seem to know how big the cart was and would dive into places he could pass but not the cart. She had to be mindful and guide him carefully… but by the time they managed to make it home, both were more comfortable with each other.

When she arrived, took the cart off him, unharnessed him, and set him loose on the acre to graze. Then she put all the tack away in the basement training area on hooks meant for equipment and put the feed away in barrels in her workshop until she could have a place for it. A barn was needed now. A place for Moth to shelter from the abysmal weather and a place to store his gear and feed. For now though, he’d be fine in the acre of grass until she could make arrangements to build.

ledger :

by **Kelski** on September 4th, 2018, 4:06 am

Horsemanship +5, Driving +5, Riding +5, Planning +3, Interrogation +3, Acrobatics +1

NPC: Tieria Sunstrider – Appearance & Temperment, NPC: Tieria Sunstrider: Teaches at Stables, Horesmanship: Haltering a Horse, Horsemanship: Proper Fit Of A Halter, Horesemanship: Leading A Horse Correctly, Horesmanship: Tying A Horse Safely, Moth: Owned By Scalis, Moth: Broke To Ride & Drive, Moth: Perfect Horse For Kelski, Horsemanship: How To Groom A Horse, Horsemanship: How To Clean A Horse’s Feet, Riding: How To Saddle A Horse, Riding: How To Bridle A Horse, Riding: Tightening A Girth, Riding: How To Mount, Riding: How To Walk, Trot, & Canter, Riding: How To Steer (Neck Reining & Direct Reining), Riding: How To Sit Straight, Riding: How To Hold Reins, Riding: Heels Down, Riding: How To Get Bucked Off, Horsemanship: How To Cool Down A Horse, Driving: Parts of A Harness, Driving: Which Parts Control Which Things (Braking, Powering Forward), Driving: Bring Cart To Horse, Driving: Always Carry A Blade For Emergency Harness Cutting, Driving/Riding: Always Inspect Tack, Driving/Riding: How To Clean Tack, Driving: Proper Harness Fit, Driving: Ground Driving, Driving: Parts of a Driving Bridle, Driving: Basic Driving Techniques, Riding: Basic Riding Techniques, Horsemanship: How To Kiss At A Horse, Riding: Unsaddling A Horse, Driving: Unharnessing A Horse, Driving: Proper Shaft Position, Driving: How To Climb Into A Cart, Driving: How To Dismount A Cart, Horsemanship: Moth Needs Out Of The Weather – Stable Or Lean-to, Moth: Needs Companionship, Driving: Trotting Better Driving Than Riding, Riding: Proper Saddle Fit, Riding: Riding In The City Through Crowds, Driving: Driving In the City Through Crowds, Horsemanship: Geldings Get Along With Everyone, Horsemanship: Stallions Are Best Alone, Acrobatics: Recovering From A Fall From A Bucking Horse.

Solo A Silver Moth To A Silver Flame