You Never Know What You'll Find (D7, EM)

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru smiled faintly when she finally got on the horse, trying to show that she's comfortable. Calabbering on the horse might have been a slight ordeal but once she on it, then the lesson can finally start! She gave a small anxious chuckle at Kemuri's question, still recalling the last incident when she was on a horse. "Well! I've been taught how to make the horse go...which I just give it a slight tap with my heels....and I've been taught to steer it with the reins..."

She took the reins carefully, nice horsie? "And...to make him stop, pulling on the reins, carefully."

[Shinjo Kemuri]

He nodded. "Keep you back and your shoulders straight. You'll get used to the motions of rising with practice. Sarangerel will keep things slow for you. Go ahead, Bayushi-sama."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Oh, one of those horses that help you do the riding? she mused to herself, know absolutely nothing about horses.

"Okay..." she said in careful agreement and gave the horse a light tap with her heels to send him forward at a slow pace. She wanted to make sure she would walk before she could think about running. The temptation was there to charge off galloping but she had to reign in on her need for speed. "Like this?"

[Shinjo Kemuri]

The horse moved florward in command.

"Hai, you have it." he smiled. "Nudge him. to go faster when you feel ready."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru eyes wandered for a moment as she looked a little unsure, keeping the horse at a slow walking pace. "If you don't mind me thinking differently, Shinjo-san...I get the feeling that I should probably learn how to stop or slow down before we go that route..." Because it didn't end so well, last time. "Let's just say I was going really fast and I want to stop all of a sudden, how do I do so without almost falling over?"

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"The simplest solution would be to not stop all of a sudden.." he chuckled. ""When you do want to stop, shift your weight, sitting deep in the saddle. Sarangerel will know what that means and anticipate your command. You can pull on the reins, if necessary, leaning back to counter the change in speed."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Oh!" She exclaimed in surprised, wondering why something like that wasn't so obvious to her in the first place. "You mean, I shouldn't be pulling on the reins if I want to stop? All I have to do is sit down and he'll know automatically that you'll have to stop soon?"

Oh my Kami, or maybe Sarangerel is one of those better models of horses? She thought to herself as she gave a few affection pats to his mane, rather impressed that a horse could almost ride itself, so to speak.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"Hai. He'll know you intend to slow down. You'll still need to give the command, but it won't surprise or confuse him and the stop will not be as abrupt." he explained.

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Oh, fair enough!" She said with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. "Your horse is extraordinary but probably not a mind reader!"

"Here goes!" She gave a few nods and gave a few more taps with her heels to quicken Sarangerel to move a little faster than his previous pace, to bring him closer to a galloping speed. Going faster was probably enough but stopping was going to be the real challenge that she was concerned about. She didn't want to get a faceful of horse hair from breaking too hard or even flying off the saddle.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"You're doing fine, Bayushi-sama!" he called out. "Just remember to position yourself properly!"

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"D-do...Should I be standing up?!" Hotaru called back to Kemuri, her voice affected by the ride on the horse slightly. Placing pressure on the stir-ups, she lifted herself slightly from the seat better brace the impact of the ride. Her legs really ached last time she went horse riding. She still got the feeling that she wasn't doing it completely right.

"Left! Left!" She called out to the horse, thinking that he'll follow her verbal command to return to Kemuri.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"As he goes faster, it will be best to alternately rise slightly and sit, basically bouncing with his movements." he instructed. "Pull the reins with your left hand and squeeze him with your right leg."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

"Uhm, right! I mean left!" She called back, when she was given instructions on how to turn the horse. It was for the better that she mistakenly thought she could steer the horse on command as she wasn't so sure with the reins and could have accidently yanked on them wrong. Using the given commands, she placed some pressure on her right leg and gently tugged with her left hand to send Sarangerel circling back so that they could stay close to Kemuri.

[Shinjo Kemuri]

"The movements become natural with practice." he assured her. "You really are doing well."

[Bayushi Hotaru]

Hotaru did finally circle back to Kemuri, to only find herself walking past time as Sarangerel kept going without the given command to stop. "...Thank you! I'm hoping to become more of a natural before my time here is up."

She placed pressure on one leg in hopes of getting the horse to circle back once more, continuing her thought as she circled back "...It's not every day where almost everyone around here has their own horse! It's usually officers, magistrates and kuge. They're not going to lend their horses so easily."