Snippet #1804304

Matriarch Lilura Maeve

"Lolita, you need to keep your back straight. Gunter, bent at the knees, not the hips. Children, you can't sit like you are in a chair. Back straight, knees bent, heels down. There we go. Now, put the weight in the stirrups, lean forward a touch and take the jumps ahead of you. Lolita, you are first."

Lilura stood with her arms folded loosely, commanding the first riding class of the day. Her long hair was pulled back into a braid at the nape of her neck, tied with a leather strip. She wore her typical revealing outfit, rural leather of course, and was barefoot. "Alright, let me show you how it's done. Form a line on the west side please, rears to the fence," she called to the group, turning to her own steed, Juniper. "Let's go," she murmured, hauling herself up onto the stallion's back. She rode bareback, and held on with her strong calfs, and the mane of the animal underneath her. Lilura kicked the horse into action, lined up with the jump and the pair soared easily. "You can't lean before the horse jumps. As soon as you feel the forefeet lift, lift your weight out of the saddle, and a little up the neck. Don't lean on the neck though. As you start to land, lean further back, slide the reins to let your horse stretch it's neck and land."

The matriarch stood back and watched Lolita, then Gunter, then Mark leap. Mark leant on his horse, and didn't angle backwards on the land. His small piebald pony whinnied with annoyance, and on the land Mark tumbled forwards over the pony's neck. "Mark!" Lilura called, urging her towering stallion towards the boy. "You alright?" Mark groaned. He was one of the smaller children, aged only about 10. "C'mon," Lilura cooed, reaching down and pulling him to his feet. "Prancer over there wants another go."

This time, Mark landed. As did most of the other students. "Alright, that concludes today. Let's go untack the horses and and wash them down. Well done!" Lilura slid from Juniper's back, leading him out of the ring and towards the stables. She needn't untack the bare animal, and simply began to hose him down.