Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

Eastmark
Training Field

Dicun was so pleased he could burst. He had done it, he had passed his training. It took him a moment to remember his manners and who was standing in front of him. Facing Marshal Shivased, he returned her salute hoping he was doing it correctly. "Thank you Marshal, thank you for your guidance and training. I will continue to work hard and uphold the cavalry oath." With a grin, he hurried over to Aric and gave him a pat. "There we go boy, all done." The horse regarded him carefully, while Dicun found himself feeling a slight pang of sadness. The horse had been a most welcome companion in training, but it was time for him to go back to the stables. He would need to head back to Edoras to report to the Dragon Room and it would be time to get his sister to make good on her promise of helping him find a horse. "Come on, I'll give you a good clean and some treats before I go." He suspected Aric understood the word treats as the horse was rather eager to return to the stable. So was Dicun, the sooner he could return to Edoras, the sooner he could start on the next chapter of his cavalry life.

Aldburg
Training Grounds

Éolath couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his face at the marshal’s words. His shoulders straightened at the brief words of praise and he relaxed his hand on the bay’s rein as he waited for his next task. The question came soon enough, and his brows knit together as he thought.

Before today, he’d have answered that stirrups just were. They were a part of the saddle, and saddles were a part of riding unless you were a child or just running a quick errand. But now he knew more; experience of the day alone told him to think deeper.

“Stirrups help with balance and communication. They, uhm, helped me make those turns better before, because I could shift my weight and the horse knew what I wanted. And it gave me something to balance on when I was reaching with the spear, I didn’t have to worry about sliding out of the saddle even if I leaned.” He chewed his lip, thinking. “And they helped me when I was hitting things with the spear, like leverage, sir. I could stand up and the spear hit harder because …” he tried to puzzle out what he felt instinctively but wasn’t sure how to say “It was like the weight of the whole horse hit, not just my strength and I think that it was because of how I braced my feet in the stirrups. I think that, as well as being able to balance better would help in battle. And the better communication, too, so your horse knows what you want in case you drop the reins or something.”

He glanced at the marshal, unsure if he was being clear enough. “Uhm, they also make it easier to ride longer distances, because you can shift your weight with the horse instead of just sitting there. As for disadvantages…” he trailed off, thinking. “I know that you always have to ride with a boot if you’re in a saddle, so your foot doesn’t go through the stirrup. I knew a boy who died because his foot went through when he fell off and … anyway, father said it might not have happened if he’d been wearing his boots. So, the risk of getting dragged is definitely a disadvantage. Uhm, I suppose someone could try to grab your stirrup to try to unseat you in battle or unbalance your horse. Or it could get caught on something, though I’ve never had that happen to me. I guess maybe someone could get too dependent on stirrups as well, and not be able to ride without them in an emergency.” He frowned, wondering if that was really the stirrups fault or the riders. He smiled hesitantly. “That’s all I can really think of, sir.”

This thread will remain open until the end of Tuesday at least so people can respond to any of the earlier comments and roleplay.

@Shivased; I’m aware that @Éolath is now finishing their training in the Cavalry RPG, however you may wish to reply their recent post so as to tie off the roleplay.

Aldburg, Training Grounds
Éolath felt the smile tug at his lips, confident enough now to let it play slightly. His nervous intimidation had not entirely disappeared, but was well on its way to respect and a blooming sense of camaradarie. The smile broadened into the bare hint of a grin as he returned the salute. "Thank you, sir. I won't slack off on practicing, I promise." He bowed his head respectfully, took up the reins of his bay and started for the town. A bath, a meal, and a bit of sleep then he'd ride back for Edoras.