A Day in the Life / November 1

[morrobay1990]

Title: A Day in the Life / November 1
Author: morrobay1990
Warning:
Genre: canon/1990
Word count: 230
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack








On Thursday Ennis had lunch at the big table in the tack room – two sandwiches, boiled ham with cheese and spicy mustard – joined by most of the other hands, and he asked Tim if it would be all right to let Ben ride one of his horses on Saturday, Ennis being down to one since Jack died.

Tim said sure, use Thumbtack, an older lesson horse that Ennis knew was used to having kids ride him, and all that entailed – sudden, jerky movements, pulling on his mouth with the reins, flapping their legs to get him to go faster– yet he still had a peaceful disposition, a quiet, sort of distinguished countenance.

Ennis was quick to assure him that even though it was Ben’s first time around horses, he would be taught the right way to do things. It was Ennis’s intention to start at the beginning, show the kid how to treat a horse, let him know that his actions could cause the animal pain and that he must do whatever he could to never let that happen.

It would be a learning experience for both of them, being together, sharing time, and they might only get to ride for a few minutes, but Ennis figured he would be able to make it fun, and, thinking ahead, was sure he could get next Saturday off, too.

Comments

[mazaher.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, making a horseman is quite different from merely making a rider. If kids are hooked by the work *around* the horse more than the work *upon* the horse, you can be sure they will be addicts forever =)

[morrobay1990.livejournal.com]

Right...I remember reading The Horsemasters when I was a kid, one of the first horse books I ever read, first time I heard about dressage...what was that thing they did with twisted or plaited hay...it was to stimulate the horse's circulation or something...they would hit them with it, but not "hit" hit...I don't know, I can't remember, but it had a name...

[mazaher.livejournal.com]

It's "boccionare" over here. You plait hay or long-stemmed straw (not the one from the combines!), then double the plait, then tie the ends together, make small cuts all along to make it fuzzy, then scrub. Quite a workout! They used to do it in the cavalry, but most people nowadays don't even know what it is anymore... (I'm told that they still do it in Russia).

Planning

[joetheone.livejournal.com]

Thinking of Ennis teaching his grandson to respect a horse or any other animal was wonderful. Joe

Re: Planning

[morrobay1990.livejournal.com]

I know! I'm so excited! Ennis is finding something to care about!

thanks!

[gwylliondream.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank goodness for Thumbtack. I can say that, having ridden a docile Arabian this year... the first time I've been on a horse in.... decades...? I went on a trail ride once, when I was in my twenties. I don't really remember much about it. Other than that, I have a picture of me upon a horse when I was 1 year old. My Dad was a jockey. You'd think he would have gotten his kids to ride horses, but alas, it was his job, not the pleasure we take horse riding to be today.