nexus_stables | Party at the Nexus Stables! ((Open to everyone!))

Ellie had rushed over from work, and had been delighted to find that Mr. Dobson, Nat, and Jinian had already begun setting up for the party. The old cowboy had already fired up the grill in preparation and the girls had set out bread baskets and salads to start. There were tables with hurricane lamps set up near the house, and some additional ones down by the pond. And with clear skies, it was going to be perfect for stargazing even if you never left the table.

Several of the horses were frolicking in the paddock, and she wondered if any of their guests might like to go riding. She was definitely game, and had decided to try riding Bucky this evening. He was a beautiful Palomino, but also quite mischievous too. She was still getting to know the horses and Mr. Dobson had helped her choose which horses would be best to introduce to their guests.

While she waited for Michael and the others to arrive, she climbed up onto the fence of the paddock and watched the horses play.

((~~Thanks for playing with them! Simon-mun and Ellie-mun need sleep, and will be back to keep playing tomorrow if y'all like!~~Back!))

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"Sure, good choice! Now you've never, ever ridden before, right?" If he's never even touched a horse, she'll go easy on him and use the Western saddle and have him walk around the paddock at first.

"Never-ever. For what it's worth, I learn fast."

Sadly, Jason was the Robin that made Batman realize that recruiting acrobats was a good idea. He's got some athletic skill, but the real reason Bats got him was because he had a whole lot of mad to work out.

"Alright then! I prefer English saddles to Western, but for your first time ever and on a horse as large as Beer, Western might be a little easier. Let me go ask Mr. Dobson to saddle him up. Be right back!"

Stepping away for a moment, she talks to the old cowboy and asks him to please saddle up Beer for Robin. Usually, she'd do it herself, but she can't even see over Beer's back.

"Beer's too big for me to saddle myself, so give him a few minutes and then we'll be ready!"

"Got it!"

When Ellie sees Beer reemerge with his saddle and bridle on, she leads Robin towards the stables and the gate of the paddock. At least since Bucky is also quite large himself, and she'll be riding alongside Robin, she'll be right there if anything happens.

"I think Beer is the largest horse I've ever ridden. He's great though, even though I need to a foot stool to mount him!" Robin will too actually. Pretty much anyone shorter than six and a half feet tall will.

If Bear were not a living animal, Jason would just hop up on it and seat himself using his omg semi-acrobaticprowess. Instead, though, he grabs and makes use of the stepstool, carefully swinging his leg up and.. almost over.

".. Argh. Jeans. Not used to maneuvering in them." Carefully, he gets his leg over, and sits in the saddle.

"You okay there? If you end up liking riding, jodhpurs are so the way to go."

She mounts Bucky next, and guides him over next to Beer. "Okay. For Western, you can actually hold the reins in one hand, but I'd recommend using both tonight. To get Beer to start walking, you can gently kick your heels back and he'll go. To get him to stop, pull back ont he reins. Sound okay so far?"

"Heh - yeah, just not used to missing flexibility. S'all good."

Jason holds onto the reins in both hands, and almost brings his heels back. He senses, however, that there is more to be heard first. So he waits.

"Got it. Gently. Pull back."

"Beer's pretty tall, eighteen hands high! He's really meant for pulling carts or plowing fields, so it's a bit different to ride a horse like him."

Nodding, he's holding the reins just right too. A natural!

"Those are the basics. You don't post -- like rise up and down in the saddle -- with Western saddles, if Beer starts trotting. Want to try walking him around the paddock?"

"Yeah - I can get that. But it's worth it, for the view. I feel like I'm ten feet tall."

He makes sure he's set in the saddle, and brings his heels back carefully into Beer's broad sides. The horse takes a step forwards - and then another.

"Whoo!" Sometimes it's easy for Jason to forget he's just a teen - trying to act all adult and gritty and grim can wear him down.

This, though - reminds him you can have fun.

"That's pretty true, right now!" The view from Beer's back is rather incredible, actually.

Ellie clucks and kicks her heels into Bucky, urging him to start walking too. It's a nice, easy pace, and if Robin feels comfortable with Beer after a couple of walking laps around the paddock, they can try trotting too. His reaction makes her smile, reminding her a little of Michael's first ride on Muscat.

"Good so far?"

Party at the Nexus Stables! ((Open to everyone!))

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