And 'lo, She Rode Upon A Black Horse (Closed; Ambrose&Paige)

"Sorry, I'm going to get a little bit handsy." She said, greeting him with a kiss to the cheek before she'd start rolling up his sleeves to just below his elbows then going around behind him to gather the loose fabric of his hoodie. She'd gather a ball of fabric and would secure it with a spare hair elastic before tucking it into the back of his pants. She'd step back again and would give a brief nod of approval.

She'd go to the hag's head and would run her hand down her snout to let the horse sniff at her finger's before the horse would resume munching on grass. She'd grab a bag that was hanging off a post. "This is Evangeline, your horse. And this.." She says, going to the gelding and loosening his tether before walking him to the side of Ambrose. "This is Richter. Always move slow, at first, like you would for any animal. If you're going to show a horse your fingers, either have your hand flat." Here she'd demonstrate by grabbing a half of an apple from the bag and feeding the horse, palm up and fingers held with tension away from the powerfully munching teeth. "Or the back of your fingers, with your thumb tucked in." Richter snuffled happily at her fingers but shook his powerful head in disappointment at no more snacks.

"We're riding English, so there's no pommel or horn for you to rest your reins on. Always check the girth," Here she'd point to the fat leather band that went around the horses stomach. "With two fingers, like so. Any more room than that and your saddle can slip. Grab your reins with your left hand and a chunk of his mane at the back of his neck, closest to the saddle, and you're going to use this to help hoist yourself up into the saddle. Left foot in, swing your right leg around but don't plop into the saddle. Once you have both feet in the stirrups, you're going to push your heel down and toes to the sky. This will help with balance." She'd look down to him from on top of the large gelding with a smile before she'd dismount. "Same thing. Grab your reins in one hand, little bit of mane, swing your right leg down and make sure you're sturdy before you take your left foot out of the stirrup." She'd loosely held Richter's reins and would offer Ambrose a half of an apple or a half of a carrot; his choice.

"English riding compared to Western riding is mostly in the terminology and saddle. An English saddle is sleeker, used for dressage and hunting. Western is used for ranching and herding; they have a pommel, or horn, for them to wrap their reins around so they can lasso their target." She'd unbury her phone from her back pocket and would show him the two different saddles. Richter would paw the ground and toss his head with a small whicker, extending his long neck to snuff at the apple in Ambrose's hand.

"He'll just follow you." She stated, amused, and would place a hand at the small of Ambrose's back to cease his retreat. "Fingers spread wide with tension, you're going to practically shove the apple into his mouth." She'd murmur to Ambrose like she would a spooked horse.

Paige compressed her lips in a desperate attempt to not break into a fit of laughter. "You're doing great, Ambrose! Good job." Clearing her throat. "If you put your hand out, he'll put his nose into your hand. He'll snuffle at it but remember to pet him like I showed." Here shed do the fingers curled around the thumb. "Fingers sticking out look too much like carrots."

"There is no rush." She'd say, feeling slightly guilty in realizing that just because she loved horses didn't mean everyone else did. "I'll let you choose you pace, hun. You're a little skittish now but you may get more comfortable with it." She's take Richter by the halter and would lead him away, tethering him beside the hag before she'd bring the hag to Ambrose. The energy was markedly different; patient brown eyes would look to Ambrose before sounding a soft whicker in greeting. "How about you treat Evangeline here to some snacks; this is your horse, after all." She dropped Evangeline's reins and the horse stayed put, simply dropping her head to munch on some grass.

Paige ran her hands along the grey horse's long neck, digging her nails in as she started to scratch after Ambrose gave Evangeline a piece of carrot. Visibly enjoying it, Evangeline would lean into the scritchies before extending her neck, lips trembling as she started to lip the air. "Horses really don't run away or try to buck their rider's unless they're a) being mistreated, or b) seriously spooked." Her hands were nearly black with dirt and dandruff. She'd pull a rag off the post and would start scrubbing at her hands. "Okay so start by checking the girth belt, that's the big fat run around her stomach. How many fingers is there supposed to be room for?" Standing to the right of Ambrose so she can be in view of everything he was going to be doing.

Realizing finally that this may take a little longer than she anticipated, she'd show him by placing two hands under the band. "Two fingers, yup you got it. And this is to make sure the saddle is snug enough and doesn't slip as you ride her." She'd flip the reins over the horse's head until it settled around her neck. "When you're ready to mount, you're going to grab the reins and a little bit of mane. This gives you momentum. You'll put your left foot in." Looking over her shoulder to make sure he was paying attention. "And you're going to push with the muscles in your left leg." She'd step out of the stirrup and would drop the reins to the ground. "If you've got it, give it a try. Just what I showed you there, with the reins and mane and your left foot in the stirrup. We'll build from there." Giving him an encouraging smile.

Evangeline would step from foot to foot, ears flicking in uncertainty. Each shifting of weight felt like a sway, Paige grabbing the halter to keep the horse still. "Okay, not... Terrible." Grimacing at her own terrible attempt at a lie. "Maybe do it a couple more times? Remember to keep the tension in your left leg as your pulling yourself up. A lot of core and leg muscles needed for this. So dismount as you would mount, but be more.. conscientious. You don't need speed right now, you just need practice."