Closed Riding Lessons (Naiya)

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

"Maybe we can find some plantain the next time we go foraging?" Seirei suggested.

If it could be used for both animals, and Drykas, then it seemed like something they would want to keep a ready supply of. The amount of belongings they could take with them was limited by what they could carry, so things that had multiple uses were better to keep since it meant having to carry fewer things when they moved on.

Seirei grinned at her friend's teasing. But she was all business again when Naiya began demonstrating how to put a yvas on correctly. She had put a yvas on a strider before, but she could never be quite certain she was putting it on the right way. It seemed to slip off a lot when she put it on. Part of that was the trick that Kairi liked to play on her, but it was quite possible that it was partly due to a mistake on her part, as well.

As Seirei watched Naiya tighten the straps of the yvas, Thunder trotted over to see what had caught her interest so completely. He offered a soft, respectful greeting to Wildfire, then tossed his head in confusion, clearly trying to figure out what was going on. Seirei couldn't help but laugh softly at the young foal's antics. Not too far away, Kairi kept a sharp eye on her foal, and Wildfire, uncertain how the stallion would feel about her foal's curiosity.

"You're too young to have to worry about this just yet, Thunder. You can watch if you want to, though, as long as you don't get in the way."

Seirei wasn't completely certain how much Thunder had understood, but he didn't approach any closer. Instead, he was content to stay where he was, and watch the strange antics of the Drykas. When it was time for her to mount, Seirei signed her thanks for the hand up. She had mounted Kairi in the past, but the mare was smaller than Wildfire was. It was enough of a difference in size that Seirei was uncertain of her ability to mount him without assistance.

It took her a few chimes to get settled when she managed to mount Wildfire. But even once she was settled, she could tell that she wasn't balanced very well on Wildfire's back. If he wanted to, he would be able to toss her off with very little effort.

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[Naiya]

Naiya nodded, agreement in the shape of her shoulders. "It's a water plant, perhaps when we go out to wash." She suggested, but the comment was light, the thought one with little pressure for completion. Her eyes followed the foal, moving back to his mother. She was never sure the intentions of the mare, she was protective, sure, and fierce. She seemed to get along with the other horses, her streak of stubbornness seemingly reserved for Seirei.

Wildfire, for his part, blew a soft greeting towards the curious foal, bobbing his head softly in seeming invitation to follow. Repeating the sound as Seirei readied herself to mount.

Seirei took a few moments to steady as she mounted, her movements sending unclear messages to the horse who took a few tight steps forward before realizing his rider was hardly attached. He shook his head, dropping it low, but not so low as to make Seirei's seat worse, more an apology.

He held still after, despite the shifting of the rider waiting for a more solid signal before taking any action. Naiya offered him comfort, reassurance. "Be careful with your feet when you mount, I know it is difficult, but if you kick while you mount, Wildfire will still move. I have jumped on his back and sent him into a run before my leg was even all the way over his back." She said to explain what might have felt like a mean trick on Wildfire's part.

She placed a steadying hand on Wildfire's side, moving forward to show Seirei a better way to sit. "Your legs are too far back," here she offered on hand for balance as she helped her shift her legs forward along the stretchy band of the yvas. "Between the shoulder and the barrel, it should keep your ankles, calves, and hips all in one line.". She adjusted the woman's leg, her hands showing the woman what she meant. "Keep your toes up, it helps keep your calf pressed against the horse."

She let the woman adjust, waiting again for her to settle. She watched for a moment, trying to decide where to continue. "Keep your knees and your hips relaxed, if you squeeze with your knees, your balance will change, and you'll confuse your mount and might fall. If your hips are tight, the horse won't move as well, the tightness interferes with his ability to move." She paused, realizing she had missed a large chunk of information. "There are three main points of contact with your horse, legs, hands, and seat. Drykas don't rely on their hands like others, instead just legs and seat. Your seat is where your hips make contact with the horse, and using it to stay out of the horses way is the most important part. Loose hips help, so we'll just focus on that today." She grinned, "After you learn to keep your hips loose, everything will be easier, horses listen best to that."

She placed her hand back on Wildfire's shoulder, reassuring him that he was doing a good job. "When you're ready, try to lift your seat, and tighten the muscles in your stomach. Then give a squeeze with your calf, together those things ask him to move forward. When you're ready to stop, lower your seat back down, letting your weight tell him you want to stop."

"Turning is as simple as turning your head, because it moves your hips enough to shift his body, if he doesn't listen to that, you use your leg to help block his path." She paid close attention to make sure that Seirei seemed to understand what she was saying. "Press your calf against the side opposite of the way you want to turn, so that your leg pushes towards the way you want to go." She plucked at a number of signs, the accumulation of which was encouraging.

"If you want to go faster, squeeze and release quickly, turning is a press and hold. Later we can work on your strength so you can pick yourself up off the horse with the strength of your legs. It'll improve your riding if you strengthen your stomach as well. That's for another time, though." She moved back letting Seirei put all the thoughts together in her mind so that she could start riding.

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Naiya space Pavi | Common | Tukant
other space Pavi | Common | Tukant

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Plantain was a water plant. Seirei made note of this new bit of information. Once she knew what to look for, she could keep an eye out for it when she went to the river to harvest more willow wood. But that was for another time.

Thunder's stance suggested that he was very pleased with Wildfire's invitation. He moved a bit closer, indicating that he did indeed intend to follow them. Kairi kept her distance, but continued to watch her colt. Despite him being nearly a year old, the mare was every bit as protective of him now as she was when he first emerged from the silver chest, and bonded to Seirei.

When Wildfire began moving unexpectedly, Seirei felt herself slipping off balance. She grabbed onto the yvas, holding on tightly until the stallion stopped moving once more. Wildfire shook his head as if in apology, and Seirei stroked his neck gently, as if thanking him for stopping when he did. Then she readjusted her seat until she was balanced better. But she was still tense, and one hand continued to grip the yvas firmly.

Naiya's cautionary words about kicking while she mounted made Seirei even more nervous than she was before, but the advice on how to sit properly helped to reassure her. When Naiya adjusted her legs into the proper position, Seirei took careful note of what it felt like. She wanted to know how to sit properly on her own in the future. The lesson continued, and Seirei soon found herself struggling to understand what she was being told. Knees and hips should be relaxed. Squeezing with your knees will change your balance, and confuse your mount. Tight hips were bad because they prevented a strider from moving freely.

Naiya must have seen Seirei's growing confusion because she backtracked, and explained what she meant. There were three points of contact with your mount; legs, hands, and seat. But the Drykas didn't use their hands. Seirei guessed that this must be because they used a yvas instead of the reins, and saddles people had used in her caravan. From what Seirei remembered of watching the caravan guards ride, the reins might make it easier to control the horse. But striders weren't horses. For one thing, they were much smarter. So perhaps reins weren't needed when one was riding a strider. After all, the Drykas managed without them perfectly well. And from what Seirei could see, the yvas made it possible to get closer to the strider than a saddle would. It seemed like an important distinction.

The lesson continued. The seat was where the hips made contact with your mount, and using it to stay out of the strider's way was the most important part of riding. Seirei nodded to show that she understood, but she qualified that understanding with a how do I stay out of the strider's way?. Loose hips were mentioned again, and Seirei realized that they were a key aspect to riding. Naiya clarified by telling her that horses listened better to loose hips. That was a very useful thing to know. Seirei would feel better about it if she could relax enough that her hips were loose. But as nervous as she was, it was a struggle.

Trying to lift her seat was a lot more challenging than it sounded. Seirei did her best, but her thigh muscles trembled and ached with the effort, and after a little over a chime, they gave out, and she fell back into the yvas. She tried again, with a similar result. On the third attempt, she seemed to get the hang of it a bit better, and managed to squeeze Wildfire with her calf while lifting her seat as directed. But again, she couldn't hold the position for long, and had to sit back in the yvas.

"That's harder than it sounds..." she muttered softly.

Too weak. Need to practice more.

Turning by turning her head sounded easy enough. But Seirei paid close attention to what Naiya told her about what she needed to do with her legs if her mount didn't listen to that. Remembering to press her calf against the side opposite of the direction she wanted to turn in rather than in the same direction would likely take her some time to master. It seemed more natural to press your calf against the side you wanted to turn towards. But she was determined to succeed. And Naiya's explanation of your leg pushing towards the direction you wanted to go in made a great deal of sense.

Once again, Seirei attempted to lift her seat. A few ticks after she had managed to request that Wildfire move forward, she tried to tell him to turn once in each direction, using what Naiya had taught her about how to use her legs. But as before, simply keeping her seat raised was a challenge, and she wasn't able to do it for long at a time.

Seirei listened closely to the explanation of how to go faster. Squeeze and release quickly sounded easy enough. Doing so while trying to life her seat wasn't so easy. And when she finally managed to give the correct command, it was as much by accident as on purpose. She was so startled about the sudden increase in speed, that she lost her balance, and fell heavily into the yvas.

"Maybe I'd better try practicing at a walk first." she said ruefully.

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[Rufio]

　　

◃ g　r　a　d　e　s ▹

s e i r e i

xp

Observation +5
Logic +3
Intelligence +1
Rhetoric +4
Socialization +4
Horsemanship +3
Philosophy +2
Planning +3
Animal Husbandry +2
Bodybuilding +1
Riding, Horse +3

lores

Drykas Fashion: Drykas decorate their clothes with beads & embroidery
Seirei: Afraid to be a burden
Drykas Culture: Drykas children learn to ride as soon as they learn to walk
Horsemanship: Safe approach
Kairi: Protective yet willful & tricky
Wildifire The Stallion: Spirited & good-natured
Striders are intelligent animals
Horsemanship: Using Grass-sign to give commands
Naiya: Trustworthy
Drykas Culture: Striders, The Web & Reincarnation
Seirei: Wishes to be tied to The Web
Animal Husbandry: How to groom a horse
Horsemanship: Putting on yvas
Ticks: Tiny insects that cause infection
Botany: Plantain grows by water
Herbalism: Plaintain poultice eases painful bones
Medicine: Treat swelling with a cool compress
Riding, Horse: The right way to sit for balance
Riding, Horse: Keep hips loose
Riding, Horse: Signalling Start, Speed-Up, Halt & Turn

n a i y a

xp

Observation +5
Sewing +2
Drawing +1
Horsemanship +3
Animal Husbandry +3
Riding, Horse +2
Negotiation +1
Rhetoric +2
Socialization +2
Planning +3
Tactics +1
Leadership +1
Teaching +5
Storytelling +2

lores

Sewing: Ixam scale armour
Negotiation: When to haggle and when to settle
Drykas Culture: Drykas children learn to ride as soon as they learn to walk
Naiya: Warm & expressive
Horsemanship: Safely approaching a horse
Seirei: Modest
Wildifire: Spirited, good-natured & sometimes impish
Storytelling: Striders, The Web & Reincarnation
Lian Windrunner: Hateful man who treated Seirei poorly
Herbalism: Plaintain poultice eases painful bones
Medicine: Treat swelling with a cool compress
Teaching: Explaining as you demonstrate
Horsemanship: Putting on yvas
Riding, Horse: Good posture for balance
Riding, Horse: Keep hips loose
Riding, Horse: Signalling Start, Speed-Up, Halt & Turn



If you feel I've missed anything in this grade feel free to shoot me a PM~