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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lady Diamond" data-source="post: 59698" data-attributes="member: 216">Diamond chuckles. "Yes, I don't blame you.  The first horse I ever rode was a rough nasty little beast who threw me off twice during the first lesson.  To this day I still think one of the other girls at court paid one of the stablehands to set me up with that nasty little pony. No matter, I stuck with it."Diamond slowly paid out the line as Vanor circled, giving Spirit plenty of time to see the jumps and line up for them.  Diamond watched intently as Vanor and Spirit became one over the first jump, the horse balancing her neck and hindquarters beautifully, front legs tucked under with plenty of clearance, her rider leaning forward at exactly the right moment and keeping his seat firmly on the landing.  Diamond threw back her head and laughed joyfully, this was the part that had worried her almost as much as the stirrup demonstration and it had gone very very well.She let the pair make a few more jumps, each flowed more smoothly than the last.  Satisfied, she started taking in line and slowed Spirit to a halt.  Grinning, Vanor looked down at her from Spirit's back.  "We're done already?  We were just having fun!" he smiled and patted Spirit's neck firmly.  "You're a natural, beloved.  I'm very pleased."  Diamond smiled.  "The rest of the lesson is very easy.  The hard part is finished.  Please dismount."Vanor threw his leg over Spirit and landed gracefully, taking Diamond into his arms for a brief but very satisfying kiss.  "Mmm", Diamond sighed happily.  "No distracting the teacher", she said warmly, gently freeing herself from Vanor's embrace.  "More later perhaps", she smiled.Running the stirrups back down their leathers she made sure they were adjusted for Vanor's legs and whistled Striker to attention.  He'd become bored and had taken to eating wisps of grass between the stable ring railings.  "Come here lazy one", Diamond chided gently.  Neighing indignantly and shaking his neck he pranced over to Spirit's side.  "Oh yes, put on a show, you know you're being watched", Diamond chuckled.She vaulted up onto Striker's back and said "mount up" to Vanor.  He mounted Spirit and took the reins in his right hand.  "How do I steer?  Won't this take awhile to learn?" he asked."Well if Spirit were some iron-mouthed plow horse, perhaps.  She has a fine mouth and responds easily, so what I have left to say is more to keep her mouth in good shape.  Keep a light hand on the reins, never pull any harder than you need to, and never lift your rein hand up higher than your navel.  Try it right now, lift the reins up".Vanor lifts his hand up high, and Spirit throws her mouth up high as well.  "See how you pull her head and neck out of balance?  To travel well with her legs under her she needs her balance, and lifting the reins up too high destroys that.  Shorten the reins by pulling with your other hand if you need to, but keep your rein hand low.  If you want to go left, lay the right rein against her neck, if you want to go right, do the opposite.  Pull gently to slow down, if you want her to back up pull gently on the reins but urge her forward with your heels".Vanor practices a bit in the ring at the walk, then turns back to Diamond and Striker.  "You don't use reins at all.  How do you let Striker know where to go?"  "It depends", Diamond replies.  "At times I lay my hands on the sides of his neck as if they were reins, other times I use knee pressure or body weight.  Shifting my weight back is the signal to stop.  Striker is trained to respond without bridle or saddle.  If you wish I can train Spirit to perform the same as well, it will take a bit more time since its much easier to train people than horses.  Usually", she smiled."Shall we take them outside beloved?", Diamond asked.</blockquote>

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