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Equestrian Basics - Day One
OOC: Welcome to the Equestrian Basics In Character Lecture Series. As this is a lecture series and not a class, you do not have lessons to complete. So, if your character knows how to work with horses and how to ride, but you don't, then you're free to read this and see if there's anything here that can help! There are places to ask questions, and they can be In Character (if your character attends) or Out of Character. The choice is yours. The majority of these lessons matches the Equestrian Basics resource page, but it doesn't cover all of it, so I would advise that you take a look at that for those things that aren't covered here to supplement your OOC understanding. Equestrian Basics If you have any questions that you don't want to ask on the board, please feel free to email me! Bella (spitfire.scorpio@sbcglobal.net)

Day One, Part One: Introduction
Although it was almost unheard of for a Saldean, Gareth had come to discover that there were several members of the Tower who came here without knowing how to handle a horse, or even how to ride. The actual reasons varied, of course, but the most common were always reasons of economy. It was either those who were too poor to own and tend a horse or those so wealthy that they never had to take care of their own. Many of the latter had always ridden in carriages and never upon horseback. It was then a rough awakening when they came to the Tower and almost all travel was as such. Gareth, for his part, knew how to handle a horse and more than most, since he had much experience in placing shoes and you had to know how to handle a horse, or you end up kicked in the face. He did not ride as many of his fellow nationals, but that was twofold: he rarely traveled, and he was large. Many of Saldean stock were small. Draft horses were still sturdy creatures that could bear him easily, but those were general required for farm work and not for riding. All the same, he did know how to ride and was comfortable upon a horse's back. At present, Gareth was now in the stables. There was one stall with its usual inhabitant still inside for the sake of his lesson today. The others in this stable, for the most part, had been turned out to pasture for some time grazing, but this was to be his 'visual aid' for the lessons he would today give, under the approval of the Master of Soldiers. He now waited for the class to gather of those who he would be teaching today. After a time, everyone seemed to have gathered. Gareth cleared his throat, and it was the only sign shown outwardly that he was feeling anxious or awkward in the least. His great height allowed him to see the whole of the class, even though they all remained standing. "Good morning," he greeted in his rumbling voice. "I am Dedicated Gareth Tomosan," he continued to introduce himself, his head turning slowly to look at everyone. "You have all gathered here to learn more about the basic skills of working with horses and riding. As I was born in Saldea, I grew up around horses and have a great deal of experience. I was a blacksmith's apprentice, so I had to know a great deal about the temperaments of the creature before they would allow me to shoe them." He paused. "I tell you this so that you will better know why I am qualified to teach you today. "I will be starting at the very beginning, so that even those of you with no experience with horses at all will be able to follow along," he went on. "If anyone has any particular previous experience that they wish to share before I go on, now would be the time."

Day One, Part Two: Proper Procedure
Moving on, Gareth moved to one of the stalls. "When you wish to remove a horse from their stall, it is best to make sure that the horse's head is towards the front. If you approach a horse from behind, they may startle and you could get kicked." He rested his hand on the top of the door, looking in to see that the horse inside, a chestnut colored pony, was facing the back of the stall. He didn't open the door, but instead made a clicking noise with his tongue against his teeth. The pony lifted her head and turned around to come see him. Now Gareth opened the stall door and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He held up the halter. "This is the halter and it is how you can control the horse while leading, but without the tack for riding being upon him." He moved to the horse's neck, turning so that horse and human faced in the same direction. "Always move steadily though cautiously. A horse can sense fear and they will become afraid. Be steady, and he will be steady." He opened the halter and slid the bottom loop around the pony's nose, pulling it up and pulling the top strap over the neck space just behind the ears, connecting it to the matching strap on the other side. "Remember that a horse's eyes are on the sides of his head, so that he has a blind spot directly in front and directly behind him. Try not to approach from these angles, but from the front and side. He will then be able to see you and will be less likely to be afraid, or startled. Stand beside him when putting on his halter or bridle, so he will know what you are doing and will be at ease." Gareth paused, looking at the placid mare who stood beside him. Even Einion, years past now, had always said that Gareth had a calming effect on the horses, despite his intimidating size. "A horse is just like a person in many ways. If you treat them well, they will treat you well." Reaching over the stall door, he pulled a lead rope from the hook on the other side. Bringing it over, he connected the hook to the loop at the side of the halter and then opened the stall door, leading her out. "You will see that I hold the lead rope from close to the hook at the harness, and then hold any excess in hand, so that neither horse nor human trip on it. Lead from the side and not from the front, for the reasons that I outlined earlier." Once the two of them were in the aisle, it now seemed very crowded. Gareth nodded for the students to walk out of the stable aisle and into the small corral just outside. He and the pony followed until everyone was inside the fenced circle with the gate shut. A stable hand was waiting to assist by taking the lead rope and holding the horse while Gareth would move on to the next portion of the lesson, and the part that was required to be in the corral and not the stable. Before he did so, he paused to take a look around at the students who had filed into a loose semi-circle. "Are there any questions before we proceed?" he asked.

Day One, Part Three: The Animal
The next part of the lesson was soon set to. Gareth walked up to the pony. He guessed that the little shaggy pony was just about thirteen hands tall - nearly six hands shorter than Gareth himself at the withers, though the ears made her seem taller. She was a pretty shade of red. Her ears were perked forward as she kept her head lifted to watch him, not bothered by the movements around her. She had been a lesson pony and was very accustomed to a lot of movement around her. Standing beside her on the side facing the students, he put his hand on her neck just behind her ear and scratched her. She turned her head and rubbed the length of her gently scooped nose against his stomach. He kept his footing easily and smiled. "This is Rose," he introduced. "She is going to help me demonstrate the proper methods for working with horses, but first you need to know a little bit more about horses themselves. "This is the horse's withers," Gareth said, stepping back and resting his hand against the bony bump that rose just at the end of the mane and before the curve of her back. "You measure horses from this point, so when you say that a horse is thirteen or sixteen point two hands, you know that it's from ground to withers. A hand is a measurement of four inches, and any horse that measures thirteen and a half or less is actually called a pony, like Rose here." He scratched her again, as his long arms could easily reach her ears, but her head couldn't swing towards him this time. "There are as many parts to a horse as there are to a person, so I'll just only discuss the parts that you'll need to know about particularly," Gareth went on. "Watch the ears, because that's one way that the horse will tell you how he or she is feeling. Forward, like Rose's now, means that they are happy or content, alert. Slightly back can mean that they're trying to avoid flies, or if you're riding, they're listening to you. When they lay them flat back against their head, it means they are very unhappy and the dangers of being bitten or kicked is very high. "Mares and geldings are more even-tempered and are better for newer riders," he went on. "Rose here spent several years at the Mylls' farm just outside of Elman's Creek as a lesson pony, teaching little children how to ride." He smiled at the image. "A stallion is always a high-spirited and sometimes bad-tempered, or just very aggressive, creature that only an experienced rider should work with. Geldings are usually the calmest, and then mares - though the latter can be moody at times, and particularly if they are with foal or have a foal with them. A mare, like any mother animal, can be very protective. "There are many different kinds of horses as well," he went on. Rose interrupted when she gave a shudder under his touch. His hand had been sitting too lightly so that she thought it was a fly and tried to shake it off. He moved it before continuing. "To cover the general categories, though, you'll find your ponies like Rose here, and then your usual riding horse that is of average height and temperament, and are used for riding and pulling small carriages, or for light cavalry, like the Saldean cavalry horse. Then there is the draft horse, like the Dhurron, who are usually tall, but always very heavy set. These are horses made for work, pulling heavy carts or farming equipment. They can be ridden, but are often used for such brute work. Finally there's the fine draft, like the Tairen Bloodstock - they are on the taller side of average or are tall, leggy, and more powerful than the average horse but not so heavily set as the draft. They can pull, but are usually used for riding. Tairen Bloodstock are usually racers, while other similar yet slightly fuller bodied breeds are classic warhorse breeds - strong, steady, swift." He paused and let all of that settle in before moving to the next part. "Rose's fur, as you can see, is an orange-red color which is known as chestnut. There are many colors and markings that horses can come in. I won't go into them all, because you don't need to know the name of a horse's coat to ride it, but to just cover a few of the common ones: you'll see black, chestnut and grey as common. There is also the follow up common bay, which is brown with black mane and tail, and the palomino, which is a golden color with a pale mane and tail. There are also different markings on the head and legs that are different from horse to horse, but I won't get into that here." Stopping here, he took another breath and looked around. "Does anyone have any questions, or anything you'd like to know more about?"

Day One, Part Four: Proper Care
"Oftentimes," Gareth then began again as he walked a few steps to the side and lifted a wooden box from where it had sat on the ground, "you will have the capable stable hands and grooms of the stables to take care of the following matters, or at least assist in them, but I believe that it is important for anyone who is to use a horse to know all the basics about caring for that horse." He set the box down in the dirt again, closer to him now as he had gone back to Rose's side. "First, I want to discuss the health of your horse," he went on, folding his arms across his broad chest, as this being the best place for them at that moment. "The stable hands will take care of this while your horse is in stable, but keep these things in mind when out in the world: horses, just like people, can be very susceptible to the heat and the cold. When the weather is cold, you may need to put a blanket on your animal. If a horse is not ridden often and kept outside a lot, he will grow a shaggy undercoat, but if you ride and groom him frequently, keeping him mostly inside, he will not grow this and will need help to keep warm when outside and not being ridden. "In times of heat, make sure that your horse has plenty of water, and try to not over-work him. A horse can over-heat, just like a person, and fall ill because of it. Over-heating is also why that in all weather after you've worked the horse - by ground work or riding - you must walk the horse out to let him cool off before you put him back in his stall." He paused, going through his mental check list. "I have a list made up of common ailments that happen to horses and the signs to watch for," he said, pulling a parchment from the box and handing it to one student with a gesture to pass it around. "Particularly be careful of colic. Horses have very sensitive stomachs and no capability to regurgitate something that's going wrong, and colic - basically, a stomach ache - could possibly kill your horse, so one must be vigilant that this does not happen. Stable hands will also keep an eye on each animal, and will know where to summon an animal healer, though it would be good for you to know as well. Gareth fell silent again, giving each student a few moments to read through the list. "Before riding, if possible, you should groom your animal. There are a few common tools for this task, and it doesn't take much effort to be thorough and it's better for your horse." Leaning down, he pulled a hand brush from the wooden box. "This is for the coat," he said. "You'll want to start near the top of the neck and work your way down to the rump. Behave the same way you do on approach - steadily, no movements to quick so you don't startle him." He demonstrated in setting the brush to the top of her neck, the side the mane did not fall over, and he brushed over the fur in quick, long strokes. On a warm day like this, red hair was shed and drifted to the dirt. It took him a few moments, moving from neck to rump and brushing the legs before he moved to the other side, moving around the front of the horse, and repeating it - including under the mane as it fell over the neck. "You'll also want to brush the mane and tail," Gareth went on, taking a comb and brushing out the long red hair. "Keep in mind that if you tug too hard on a knot, or just pull too hard, it will hurt the horse, just like when you pull a brush too hard through your own hair." Rose had already been groomed earlier, so there was no trouble to brush through it now. After a few moments, he moved back around the front and then he walked to her rump. "To brush out the tail, do not stand directly behind the horse. Instead, stand to one side and take the tail, pull it up to you. "There is a bone through the very top of the tail, called the dock, but everything else is just hair, so you can pull it towards you to brush it out. Particularly keep in mind about pulling too hard on this part, because if you hurt him here, he will likely kick out." With the tail brushed, he let it fall again. Returning to the wooden box, he changed the comb for a small metal pick that looked like a hook with a straight top. "The last major component of the grooming is cleaning out the horse's hooves. This is particularly important in case there are any stones or other things caught there that might cause him pain while he walks. The outer edges of the hoof are like a person's fingernails and the horse has no feeling there, but the very center is very sensitive - so be careful to not hit that. "It is particularly important to be cautious here, for both of your sake's. Even a small pony weighs a great deal, so you want to try to avoid being stepped on as much as possible, though working around horses, it's likely to happen some time or another. The bigger thing to avoid is being kicked, which is particularly important to be wary of when working with the back feet. You can handle this without too much trouble by knowing the proper way to do so, and remembering to be calm, steady and firm." Gareth stood next to Rose's shoulder, facing towards her tail. "Touch the shoulder with your free hand to let the animal know you're there. Run you hand down the shoulder and leg, until you reach the hoof. A horse who is familiar with this will react to a gentle tug on the fetlock joint, which is like the ankle." He did so and Rose lifted her foot, which he pulled up a little in the natural curve of the leg joints. "Be quick, though thorough and careful." He ran the hook through the broader semi-circle of the inner hoof, pulling free small clumps of dirt, but without touching the center. "A horse who has shoes on will have them nailed into the very outer edge, which will not interfere." He let the foot drop and moved to the back. "You do the same thing here, touch the flank and run your hand down, a gentle tug and then quick work." He repeated the process on all the hooves before coming back to the front and putting the hook back in the box. Gareth then pulled a small cloth bag from the box and pulled out a carrot. "Your horse will enjoy a treat if he's done well," he said with a small smile. He broke the carrot into small chunks. "There is a particular way to give a horse a treat, so that they don't mistake your finger for one." He put a chunk on his palm and then put his hand straight, fingers together, before putting it under Rose's nose. There was twitching as she sniffed it and then set her lips around the carrot and took it into her teeth, munching happily before searching for another. "Any questions?" he asked as he gave her the rest of the carrot pieces one by one. OOC: Please reference the Equestrian Basics page (Health & Safety Section) for what's on the parchment.

Day One, Part Five: Conclusion
Gareth smiled as he wiped his hands free of carrot juice on his pants, which were sturdy brown work breeches and not the nice black ones of his Dedicated's uniform. "I invite you now to come look more closely at the tools and Rose. Remember what I told you about approaching a horse and try not to crowd her. I will be here to make sure the situation stays calm and safe for both you and her. Feel free to ask me any questions further, if you have them. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow for when we discuss and demonstrate the basic skills for riding."

Equestrian Basics - Day Two
And now... Day Two!

Day Two, Part One: Riding Gear - The Person
As everyone once more gathered in the stables, they were re-directed into the corral. Gareth was standing in the very center without a horse at the moment. He waited until everyone had gathered around him and then he began. "Welcome back, everyone," he began with a small smile. "I want to begin the day's work with a discussion about the gear that the person wears." He held his arms out to show what he was wearing. "Ideally, a pair of breeches and a shirt that's not too loose, along with boots with a decent heel, are the best things to wear. I realize that this isn't always possible, though. No matter what you wear, it's best that you be aware of how it can affect your riding. Loose clothes require extra caution. I say this in particular to the ladies among you who will likely be wearing divided dresses, or regular skirts on a side saddle. It's possible to ride as such, but requires much care not just for propriety but so that you don't get the loose edges caught on anything. "Boots with heels are best because of the stirrup, which I will discuss more later. You can ride with a flat boot or even slippers, but like with loose clothing, you must be careful that these things do not get you caught or impede your abilities. Anything other than a boot will not be as firm and will require more effort to signal the horse to move. Again, I'll say more on this later." He paused. "Gloves are often worn, because it eases any possible usage friction from the reins, but is not required. Cloaks you must be careful with for the horse's sake. If it hangs down or touches areas not usually reached during riding, it might startle a horse who isn't properly trained to it." Gareth paused again, looking around. "Any questions?"

Day Two, Part Two: Riding Gear - The Horse
Nodding, mostly to himself, Gareth moved on to the next part of the day's work. "You are not the only one who has to be dressed to go riding," he said with a small smile of humor. "There are many different things that a horse can be outfitted in, depending on the task set for him, but there are two components that are always standard for riding." Lifting a hand, he gestured at a stable hand who was carrying these two things out to him. Gareth took the saddle. "This is the saddle. It sits upon the horse's back and allows you a better seat for staying on the horse." He lifted the stirrup, a piece of metal formed like a D turned on its side and attached to the saddle by a strap of leather. "This is the stirrup. You put your foot in it to help you keep your seat, and for other things like posting or using a bow from horseback, but we won't get into that right now. This is why boots help - to better utilize it, you must keep your heels down." He put that down and lifted the cloth strap attached by buckles on one side. "This is the girth. It's what keeps the saddle on the horse. "There are many more parts to the saddle, but these are the basic components of the basic saddle and what you need to know for today's talk. There is a shop in Elman's Creek and a farm just on the outskirts where you can go to learn more of the details if you like." Turning to the stable hand, he traded items. "This one," he began again, holding the bridle up, "is the bridle. It goes over the horse's head and is used to direct the horse's movement. This," he pointed to the curved metal at the bottom, "is the bit. It sits in the horse's mouth, fitting right into the gap between the teeth in the mouth. When placed properly, it does not hurt the horse in any way." He next pointed to the leather straps connected to the bit. "These are the reins. They are your connection to the bit and bridle and what you will use to direct the horse." Once more, he looked around. "Does anyone have any questions?"

Day Two, Part Three: Tacking Up
Gareth now took the saddle as well while his assisting groom returned to the stable, returning a few moments later with a large Dhurran draft horse, near sixteen hands with withers to Gareth's chest. The gelding plodded patiently behind the stable hand and into the center of the corral. The stable hand moved around to the front, holding the halter. Gareth slid the bridle onto his shoulder and moved from the draft horse's shoulder to middle. "This is Alcair," he introduced the horse. "Most of you will not ride horses of his size and breadth, but given my own, he can hold me best." Gareth gave a slight sheepish smile. "First we'll put on the saddle, which sits on top of a saddle pad when on the back. The pad is just to keep the leather of the saddle from chafing the horse's back. You set the pad and then the saddle on the withers," he did so, "and then slide it back into the dip where it'll rest comfortably. You do it this way so there is no fur disturbed and uncomfortable for the horse. Once it's in place," he went on, kneeling to reach under Alcair's belly to take the girth, "you buckle the girth - not loosely, but in contact all the way around. You tighten the girth one hole at a time until it's so snug that only your fingers can just slide between the skin and girth." He did so. "To know that the stirrup is the right length for your legs, you put the bottom of the stirrup under your arm," he said, lifting the stirrup and setting it under his armpit, stretching his arm to full length. "Your fingertips should touch the connection of the stirrup leather and the saddle. That's the proper length." He set it down again. Pausing, he turned to face the class. "Once you're ready to start riding, check the girth again. Some horses inhale and expand their bellies when you first tighten it, then let the air out after so that when you mount up, the saddle may very well slide under his belly." Gareth moved to Alcair's head, unhooking the halter enough to remove it from the nose but re-buckled it around the neck, with the stable hand still holding it. "This is normally done in the cross-ties of the stable aisle, but there's not enough room for a demonstration, which is why we're doing so here. This is something you'll have to do when you're out of the tower, but should be done with caution if the horse should wish to move." Standing next to Alcair's head, facing the same direction as the horse, he took the bridle in one hand by the brow band and then curved that arm under Alcair's neck and around to the front. "A well trained horse will open his mouth by your just touching the bit to his teeth, though other horses may require more. You can slide your thumb into their mouth at the point of the gap and this will encourage them to open their mouth," Gareth said, using his other hand to bring the bit to Alcair's teeth, which opened obediently. "Thankfully, Alcair is well trained and even tempered." As soon as the bit was in the mouth, Gareth pulled the bridle up and the top over the ears. "Be gentle with the ears. The top of the bridle needs to sit comfortably behind them, but make sure you don't twist or tweak them in the process and that the fur is smooth." There was a thin leather strap hanging on the opposite side that he now pulled around and connected to the bridle on the side he stood. "Every bridle, like every saddle, is different for each purpose. This is the most basic. I encourage you to research this more on your own in the future on both saddles and bridles, as well as other equipment and gear." He paused. "Are there any questions before I move on to the basics of riding?"

Day Two, Part Four: Basic Riding
"The first thing to know about riding is how to get on the horse," Gareth began with a half smile. "It seems obvious and for good reason." He took Alcair's reins and held them on the withers. "Keep your hand on the reins so you have some control, but don't pull on them or the horse might think you want him to back up. Rest your hand on the withers, but don't pull on them when you mount. When mounting from the left, you put your left foot in the stirrup," he did so, "and then push yourself up and over. Be quick to not unbalance you or the horse, and be careful when you swing your right foot over that you don't kick the horse's rump." He demonstrated and sat in the saddle. "Note the position of my legs and feet," he said. The stirrup was at the arch and his heels were down, his legs were around the horse but not pressing. "Heels down and legs gently around the horse, this helps keep your seat, but don't push your feet too far forward in the stirrup, in case you need to get your foot back out of them in a hurry. You sit with your back straight and head up. Keep your balance. New riders need to be very cognitive about where their balance is. If the horse startles and hops to one side and you don't know where your balance is? You end up on your backside, if you're lucky and don't end up on your head." Gareth was holding the reins a little up from the back, but not too high. "Keep your reins somewhat taut, so you have control at all times, but not tight. You'll confuse the horse." For a few moments, he let this settle in and then he went on. "To tell the horse to go forward, you give him a gentle nudge with your heels." He did so and Alcair moved forward at a walk. "This is the walk. It's a four beat gait that is slow and easy to sit. Another, slightly harder nudge will put him into a trot, which is a bumpy two beat gait. You have to be careful sitting it or it could hurt your back. The primary option is to post, which means standing and sitting on alternating beats." He nudged Alcair into a trot. The horse's feet lifted on the diagonal - the front left and back right rose together, and then hit the ground as the other two lifted, providing a very bouncy gait. Gareth stood slightly in the stirrups and then sat again at each change of diagonals. He did this for a few moments before pulling Alcair back into a walk. "For the beginner, these are the only gaits that you need to worry about," he said, walking in a broad circle around the group. "The nudge of the heel is how to make the horse go, but to stop, you give a tug to the reins, but not a hard pull, just enough of a tug to stop the horse and then you release." He demonstrated this. "If you pull and keep up the pressure it will make the horse back up." He demonstrated this as well. "But don't pull any harder than you need to, as this can hurt the horse or cause his mouth to become numb to signals. It's the same with nudges to the side - only ever as much as possible, or it might hurt the horse or they may become numb to it. "The reins are also how you turn, a gentle tug to one side or the other will tell the horse to turn in that direction," he said, nudging the horse into a walk and then tugging gently on the left rein and the horse turned to the left, a few moments later and a tug to the right brought him right. Gareth walked in one more full circle before coming up to a stop in front of the class. "The two other common gaits are the canter, a three beat gait, and the gallop, four beats and as fast as a horse goes. Beginners do not need to worry about these gaits, because you'll fall off until you're more experienced and have good confidence in your balance. Lessons are available at the Mylls' farm." He paused, looking around to everyone and letting everything he'd said sink in. Gareth took in a quiet breath. "When all is said and done, the most important thing to know about horses is this. They are creatures of the Creator, just like we are. Treat them well and with respect. Take care of them and they will take care of you." He said this with a solemn expression. "Now, before I call the official talks to a close and let you come up and meet Alcair, does anyone have any questions?"