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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 28, 2007 22:22:31 GMT
"Um..I don't know..." She said, nervously. She kicked Graphite, and headed towards the medium jump again. She was surprised by how powerful he was, even just walking over to the jump. "Okay, um, here I go, I guess..." She said, kicking him again, making him go into what she wanted to be a canter, but on this horse felt more like a gallop! The horse leaped over the jump, as if it was a pole, lying on the ground. They hit the ground, and Macy looked up at Jude. "How...how was that?" She said, out of breath.
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 28, 2007 22:33:56 GMT
Poor girl looked a little shell-shocked! He fought back a laugh at her breathlessness- after all, it could be taken like he was laughing at her in a mean way, when he really, really wasn't- and stuck up his thumb.
"You're doing well!" he called. "You really are! D'you wanna practice a bit more, or d'you wanna just go wild and do a trick?"
The more reckless side of him begged her silently to pick the second option. Except she was an Academic.
She was probably smart enough to know not to listen to his subconsious!
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 28, 2007 22:45:21 GMT
"Um..I don't know..let me just try to get used to Graphite, first, then I'll try the trick." She giggled, and then turned her face serious. "Come on, Graphite." She said to the large horse. She trotted around the field, but she could feel that the horse wanted to go faster. She tried to slow him, but he was stronger than her. She pretended that she was meant to be going that fast, and finally arrived back to Jude. She had to use all her energy to get him to stop. "Wow, he's so strong." She said. "Okay, I think I'll try to do the trick now..."Even though she was still a bit unsure. "Right, what do I do?"
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 9:46:12 GMT
As Macy had gone for a practice canter (it looked like a canter, at any rate, and he was sort of surprised her confidence on Graphite had shot up so quickly) Jude had led old Tabby back into her stable for a bit of a rest, and replaced her with a younger horse he felt better equipped for this sort of thing. Clarisse was a Clydesdale; perhaps 20 or 21 hands in total, so at least Graphite wasn't going to tower over him. Kicking him in the sides, Jude came out again into the field where Macy was coming back towards him.
"Wow, he's so strong," she said a little breathlessly. "Okay, I think I'll try to do the trick now... Right, what do I do?"
Jude considered Macy and Graphite for a few moments. "Em... how are you with falling off horses on purpose?"
This was the first part. She needed to know how to land in case she did fall, and it was probably one of the easiest things to do. Not to mention, it was a great party trick. Jude used to fall of horses with cries of pain only to jump up again fit and laughing as the stunned crowd broke into applause before him.
Of course, when he said it was 'easy', it didn't take away from the fact it took some guts to do it.
Jude kicked Clarisse in the sides and they started cantering down to the end of the field. "You want to make sure you've got a good hold on your horse until the last second!" he called, leaning forwards and gripping Clarisse around the neck. In a flash, he'd slid down the horse's side and rolled onto the ground, breaking his fall with his arms.
Jumping up he turned and caught Clarisse and trotted back.
"Just sort of slide off," he said encouragingly to Macy. "Like I said- don't let go until the very last second."
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 12:17:23 GMT
Macy stared at Jude falling of the horse, and jumping back up, as if it hadn't even happened. "I..I'm meant to do that?! But..I'll fall off, and break something, or I'll get knocked out, or Graphite will tample on me..or..." she was beginning to run out of excuses. She sighed, then looked how high up she was from the ground. Yes, Jude had come out with Clarisse, an even bigger horse than Graphite, but Graphite already towered over little Tabby. "So, I'll cling to him, and kinda, AHH!" She screamed, as she seemed to let go too early, and fell to the ground. Her instincts kicked in, and she quickly changed into a cat, landing on her four paws with a thud. She changed back, and rubbed her knee, whcih she had hit, coming down. "Owww" She moaned. "That was awful, wasn't it?" She said, trying to find her balance again.
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 13:13:02 GMT
Jude jumped off Clarisse as Macy fell to the ground and rushed forward to see the little cat land on all fours. As Macy reappeared before him, he caught Graphite and brought him back around to where Macy was trying to find her human feet. Moving forward, Jude took Macy's hands and pulled her upwards, until she was able to stand steadily on her own.
Ugh, why was she taller than him? Okay, so she wasn't taller by much, but still- he'd better have another growth spurt...
"It could've been better," he mused, knowing there was no point in telling her anything but the truth, "but it also could've been a heck of a lot worse. You just panicked. But that's okay. Try again, and don't worry, you don't have to move too fast. The sensation takes a little getting used to, after all."
But Jude also knew that- with practice- it could come like instinct. There were four stages in the Training Quadrant (well, duh) and Macy was currently in Stage 2. It went a bit like this...
1. You don't know you don't know how to do something.
2. You know you don't know how to do it.
3. You know you know how.
4. You don't know you know.
"Come on, I'll help you up and you can try again!" he beamed.
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 13:23:34 GMT
Macy stood on Jude's hand, like before, and got back on the horse. "Right, so what exactly am I doing?" She asked, as before she really didn't know what she was doing. "Right, I'll put my hands here...and I'll kinda hang of..." she was saying the intstructions out loud, but still to herself. "...And I think I'll sort of..um.." She could feel the horse getting impatient of the girl who was hanging off his side. She finally let go, and fell to the floor, but this time, she didn't change into a cat. She sort of half-rolled, half-fell-on-her-face. She got up, and rubbed her left arm now. "That was sort of better...I guess..."
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 13:36:31 GMT
Jude patted Graphite and gave him a sugar cube. "Y'all need to learn to be patient," he told the horse sternly, then grinned at Macy. "Yeah, it was better. A lot. I mean that."
And he did. Stepping forward, he took her arm and examined it. It was okay though. Maybe a bruise by tomorrow, but it was nothing life-threatening. Nothing the Carers couldn't sort- or the good lady Gornray, God bless her. Once Macy was back on Graphite once more he winked at her.
"Third time's the charm."
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 13:46:52 GMT
"Augh, let's hope." She said, adjusting her helmet. Who could Jude ride without one? Macy had been brought up that you always had to put safety first. She walked Graphite out into the field. He was beginning to get a bit used to her, but Macy knew that her and Tabby just clicked.
She wrapped her arms around Graphite's neck, copying what Jude had done earlier. She then slid of the horse and finally let go, landing on the ground, slightly more gracefully than before. She jumped up, full of energy. "Aha! I did it! Well, sort of, but that definatly better!"
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 13:53:34 GMT
With a yell of triumph, Jude rushed across the field to Macy and high-fived her. Turning happily to Graphite, he patted the horse and muttered a quick, "Well done," before slipping him another sugar cube. Although he should maybe stop ransacking Macy's supply...
"Feel like moving onto the more advanced stuff, or shall we call it a day?" Jude asked her, laughing at her happy expression.
Personally, Jude was getting more and more excited by the minute. Already, he was mentally mapping out lesson plans inside his head- wondering wildly how much he could teach Macy, and whether or not he could make Jill proud...
Jill was a swell teacher. He always wished they hadn't lost contact after Billie had died.
But what better way to remember her than to pass on her knowledge to those who were willing to learn? Macy could be a good pupil... and maybe... maybe he could help her to enjoy riding, and to start doing it for herself- not her mom.
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 14:11:38 GMT
"Um, I don't care. I'm not doing anything for the rest of the day, except probably reading some books, or something." She said, laughing. "I'm such a geek. Well, I think we'll have to be back for lunch, soon." She looked at her watch. 12.23pm? It was 10.08am a minute ago...
"We've been here for so long, I didn't notice! I usually just stay until about 11.15, or so. But usually I just do a few laps and a couple of jumps, making sure I still remember how to ride a horse. But now..I can fall off a horse gracefully." She laughed again. "Okay, I'll try to do it one more time, and I'll go back for lunch. Is that okay?" She asked, waiting for Jude to help her hoist herself back on the massive horse.
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 14:17:55 GMT
Jude smiled warmly at his new friend. She wouldn't be reading for the rest of the day if she didn't want to- he'd happily follow her about all day and keep her company unless she told him to go away. Helping Macy up once more, he ran back to Clarisse so that he could take the horse for a few more laps. The guy wasn't quite as impatient as Graphite, but still, he deserved a bit more of a canter.
"I'll do it with you this time!" he called to Macy, bringing his horse up beside her. "Y'all ready? Okay! 3... 2... 1..."
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 14:26:15 GMT
"Ahh, I'm not ready!" She screamed. She hated when people were like 'oh, I'll do it with you!'. Like when you're at a swimming pool, or something, and they say 'oh, I'll dive in with you' and they count to three and either you'll jump in and they won't, or they'll jump in and you won't.
She got herself posistioned on Graphite, like before, and looked over at Jude. He looked like such a professional at it. "Okay, I think ready now..." She shouted. They counted down from three again, and she slid off the horses back,and let go. Hitting the floor, less gracefully this time, she looked round for Jude again. He was already standing up. "Augh, you're so quick!" She shouted in pretend annoyence. "Right, I'm going to put Tab...oh, you've already done it." She had just noticed that her horse was gone. "Thank-you. Well, I'll put Graphite away, then. You coming?" She called back. She didn't know if he was going to stay behind, or walk back for lunch.
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Post by Jude Dorrian on Oct 29, 2007 14:32:17 GMT
Jude hadn't meant to rush Macy, and he hoped she wasn't mad at him or anything. He kicked at the sides of Clarisse and looked back at the field.
"I'm going for a quick gallop, then we'll walk back up to the school together- unless you don't want me to come," he added quickly.
He didn't want to be too forward with her, or too abrupt. He got the feeling that Macy may need some time to get used to him; just like she needed some time to get used to riding on Graphite. It was the same sort of principles.
Turning, he made a quick dash across the field with Clarisse and back, before finally jumping off his horse and leading him inside his stable.
Once both horses were back where they belonged, Jude thanked Farmer Heckles (who told him loudly that he should come back tomorrow and help out with some 'jobs', i.e. mucking out) and the two of them began to heade back up towards the school.
"So..." said Jude, smiling at her. "Did you find that any more enjoyable than it usually is, or did you hate it?"
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Post by Macy Deltine on Oct 29, 2007 14:41:11 GMT
"No, it was fun. Now I can go back and show those pompous know-it-all's how to properly fall of a horse." She said, laughing. "No, it was nice having someone to ride with. Usually, I'll just go down by myself, do a few laps by myself, come back by myself, eat lunch with Steve Ritzski, and then read. I'm not a very social girl." Gosh, I sound pathetic, She thought.
"But I think it'll be a while before I start doing those hand-standing things. I can hardly do it on land, how am I meant to do it on a horse's back?" She looked back, as they walked up the hill towards the school. The scenery around the school was beautiful. She could see some clouds in the distance, heading towards them. "It looks like rain." She said, pointing towards the clouds. "We better get back soon, or we'll get caught in it." She had actually worked out, then it should be raining where they were in appox. 10 minutes.
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