Who: Sumi and Open Where: The Stables When: Tuesday afternoon Warnings: none so far
Sumi had only ventured into town to go help at the animal center or to shop at the market thus far, but today she was not needed at the center which meant she had ventured into town for no real reason. Therefore, she decided that she would explore some of the places that had captivated her interest. She had eaten a veggie burger at the local diner (it was not bad, but she could tell they didn't have a lot of practice with making them), she then stopped by a small game store and purchased a new game to try out, and finally she stopped by the stables. She typically only visited them on her way back to the school after helping at the animal center, so she hadn't actually gotten to truly spend a great deal of time with the horses there. Today she would be able to actually spend time with them.
She waved to the stable managers as she entered. They had grown accustomed to her visits and knew she wouldn't cause any troubles, so they smiled and waved back at her. Today, however, they were in for a bit of a surprise as she actually approached them. "Would you allow me to take one of the horses out today?" she politely asked as she came close enough to them.
"Of course," the male stable manager replied with a grin, "Want me to get them saddled up for you?"
"No thank you," she replied, "I can do that myself." She tended to prefer putting the saddle on herself, especially since she wasn't certain which horse would want to stretch its legs yet. She needed to talk to them all before making any decisions like that.
The manager grinned and nodded. "Well if you need any help, just give a hollar."
The first time she had ridden, she had believed that riding bareback would be the most comfortable for the horse, but after speaking to the horses, she actually discovered that without the cushion it felt like someone was punching them in the back. This was why she learned how to saddle horses properly. When she was younger though, she could hardly lift the saddles, so she would always need help. Typically she would just have someone do the bulk of the work then adjust as needed for the comfort of the horse. Now she could manage it herself, even if it was still a bit heavy.
When she entered the stables she found that she had not been the only one considering a ride that day. Someone else was already there. "Hello," she said nervously, wondering if it would still be alright to speak with the horses or not.