The essential joy of being with horses is...
Blaise was dreading this with his whole being. It had been years since he'd been on a horse, but Grace had been wanting to ride hers for a long while, and now that everyone was home for the summer and the big Zabini family dinner had been moved back a week, he figured now would be a good time.
This is why he found himself in new riding garments and his old riding boots about to take Grace, Mina, and Sarah to Glenlivet Stables to get them riding. He had gone out in early May and purchased a mahogany Latvian stallion from the man who bought most of Blaise's horses when he was 18. He'd ridden it around the Manor a bit to get used to being in the saddle again, but it was still a bitch on his legs.
He sighed as he entered the sitting room. "Everyone ready?"
"These pants are too tight," Sarah remarked. "Everyone will be staring at my hind end."
"Everyone does that anyhow," Mina snapped. "Why should today be any different?"
James started chuckling from behind the book he was reading. He had no interest in riding a horse. He was glad Balise had not insisted he join them. Kristen was already at work at the bakery, and he went in this afternoon.
"Though I do like this," Mina said, slapping her riding crop against her boot.
Blaise blinked. Mina with a riding crop was a thing of his nightmares, although he did feel a bit better about her dating years.
"Where the hell did you get that?" he asked, ignoring the swear jar.
"Hannah said I could have it."
Sarah was snickering. Hannah was getting pretty good about Mina. It was a little scary.
Blaise rolled his eyes. Mina and Hannah were starting to get along better now, and it was making him nervous. She was able to adapt far easier than he was.
"Right, we're going by portkey. The stables use them instead of floo so you don't have to worry about soot all over your new riding clothes. The horses have already been moved there."
He picked up Grace and held her tight and then held out the small invitation he'd received from the club house. They were deposited right outside the club house and he could see the large stables to his left. Blaise kept holding Grace, because he didn't want her running off and getting trampled on.
The stable-hand had the instructions to ready the horses, because Blaise really didn't feel like getting two horses ready while the girls watched. He was pleased to find his own horse and Grace's in adjoining stalls with two practice horses ready to go across the way.
He finally put Grace down and she rushed over to her own pony. Blaise turned to Mina and Sarah and motioned to the two horses. "Take your pick."
Mina just stared while Sarah hurried forward, cooing and talking softly. The horse was bigger than she'd anticipated. Mina walked towards the one Sarah was not baby-talking to. The horse eyed her suspiciously. As she neared, the animal started having some sort of fit.
"Oh to hell with this."
Blaise rolled his eyes and quickly tied the reins of his own horse and went to Mina's. He grabbed the reins as it reared back on its hind legs. Once the horse was a bit calmer, Blaise sent a droll look at Mina. "Scared?"
"Smart. That thing could stomp me to death. I have a keen sense of self-preservation."
A groom had already helped Sarah into her saddle, probably with a bit too lingering a look at her backside.
"You've never ridden before? Really? You have a seat like a natural."
Sarah smiled at the young man. His ears turned pink.
Mina grumbled and headed closer to her horse. Its giant horsey nostrils flared. Mina rolled her eyes.
"I'd rather be eviscerated," she muttered.
"And I think at this point, it rather would be too." Blaise helped Mina into the saddle and gripped her calf as she found her place in the saddle. He grinned up at her. "Not too bad, right? It's a training horse, so it knows what it's supposed to. Don't worry about leading it. Just hold on to the reins and let it do what feels natural."
Mina snorted. The horse retorted a snort and danced a bit.
Grace was dancing herself as the groom let her pet Marshmallow. He was under strict instructions that Mr. Zabini would seat the wee one.
Once Blaise was sure Mina wasn't about to be bucked off her horse, he walked over to where Grace was. He knelt down but leaned back when her damned pony started to sniff at him. "Do you want to ride yours first or ride with me for a bit? We can do a bit of galloping around. Maybe show off for your sisters?"
Truth was, he was nervous about Grace riding a pony by herself. He had ridden his first horse alone when he was three, but his mother was a bitch and would have done it earlier if she could have.
"With you, but I have to ride Marshmallow. She'd be sad if I didn't."
Sarah was smiling as she watched.
Blaise doubted that, but picked Grace up and placed her in the saddle. As he mounted behind her, he had to take a deep breath. It had been years since he'd ridden and he was a bit nervous himself, even after the practice. One hand securely around Grace so she wouldn't fall, he led his horse past Sarah and Mina towards the arena.
"Just a quick squeeze around the midsection and they'll start to walk. No spurring them into a gallop though."
Sarah had never felt so certain of anything. The animal was almost like and extension of her. "Why? I think I could."
Mina was grinding her teeth. She did not like this at all. It was jarring, and she didn't feel like she could hold on properly.
Blaise glared. "No galloping. I don't want to go chasing after you. If you feel up to it, we'll trot and I'll teach you how to post a trot, but that's it for today. If you want to gallop you can ride behind me on Arron."
He looked over at Mina. "Hanging on there?"
"Whatever," Mina snapped. Her butt was already starting to smart.
"But I really think I could," Sarah protested. "This doesn't feel at all awkward. Perhaps I rode in another life?"
Grace was giggling and playing with the horse's mane.
"I said no. What part of no do you not understand? You've never ridden before, and I have. One step at a time."
Blaise hated being so harsh, but Hannah would kill him if Sarah fell off and broke something because he let her do whatever she wanted.
"If Fancy Pants wants to break her neck, let her," Mina snapped. Then maybe they could stop.
He sighed. Some people could handle horseback riding and some couldn't. Maybe if he got her on the back of his horse she'd enjoy it more. "Would you rather watch from the side? Your sisters want to learn how to ride."
"Thank the gods. Get me off of this thing. It smells like arse."
The swear jar appeared and looted her.
Blaise turned the horse around and lead Mina and her horse back into the stable. Mina slid off and glared at the horse, which Blaise thought had been a nice choice for her.
"Come out to the arena where I can keep an eye on you. I wouldn't put it past you to get into trouble. And don't think you're out of the woods yet. You're going to ride with me when we're done. I want to see if you truly don't like it."
Mina sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. She didn't like it. It didn't seem as if it was for her. Plus she was hungry, but Blaise had said they would have lunch at the clubhouse after the riding lesson. Who knew how long that would be.
{SUMMARY} Blaise takes the girls riding.
This is why he found himself in new riding garments and his old riding boots about to take Grace, Mina, and Sarah to Glenlivet Stables to get them riding. He had gone out in early May and purchased a mahogany Latvian stallion from the man who bought most of Blaise's horses when he was 18. He'd ridden it around the Manor a bit to get used to being in the saddle again, but it was still a bitch on his legs.
He sighed as he entered the sitting room. "Everyone ready?"
"These pants are too tight," Sarah remarked. "Everyone will be staring at my hind end."
"Everyone does that anyhow," Mina snapped. "Why should today be any different?"
James started chuckling from behind the book he was reading. He had no interest in riding a horse. He was glad Balise had not insisted he join them. Kristen was already at work at the bakery, and he went in this afternoon.
"Though I do like this," Mina said, slapping her riding crop against her boot.
Blaise blinked. Mina with a riding crop was a thing of his nightmares, although he did feel a bit better about her dating years.
"Where the hell did you get that?" he asked, ignoring the swear jar.
"Hannah said I could have it."
Sarah was snickering. Hannah was getting pretty good about Mina. It was a little scary.
Blaise rolled his eyes. Mina and Hannah were starting to get along better now, and it was making him nervous. She was able to adapt far easier than he was.
"Right, we're going by portkey. The stables use them instead of floo so you don't have to worry about soot all over your new riding clothes. The horses have already been moved there."
He picked up Grace and held her tight and then held out the small invitation he'd received from the club house. They were deposited right outside the club house and he could see the large stables to his left. Blaise kept holding Grace, because he didn't want her running off and getting trampled on.
The stable-hand had the instructions to ready the horses, because Blaise really didn't feel like getting two horses ready while the girls watched. He was pleased to find his own horse and Grace's in adjoining stalls with two practice horses ready to go across the way.
He finally put Grace down and she rushed over to her own pony. Blaise turned to Mina and Sarah and motioned to the two horses. "Take your pick."
Mina just stared while Sarah hurried forward, cooing and talking softly. The horse was bigger than she'd anticipated. Mina walked towards the one Sarah was not baby-talking to. The horse eyed her suspiciously. As she neared, the animal started having some sort of fit.
"Oh to hell with this."
Blaise rolled his eyes and quickly tied the reins of his own horse and went to Mina's. He grabbed the reins as it reared back on its hind legs. Once the horse was a bit calmer, Blaise sent a droll look at Mina. "Scared?"
"Smart. That thing could stomp me to death. I have a keen sense of self-preservation."
A groom had already helped Sarah into her saddle, probably with a bit too lingering a look at her backside.
"You've never ridden before? Really? You have a seat like a natural."
Sarah smiled at the young man. His ears turned pink.
Mina grumbled and headed closer to her horse. Its giant horsey nostrils flared. Mina rolled her eyes.
"I'd rather be eviscerated," she muttered.
"And I think at this point, it rather would be too." Blaise helped Mina into the saddle and gripped her calf as she found her place in the saddle. He grinned up at her. "Not too bad, right? It's a training horse, so it knows what it's supposed to. Don't worry about leading it. Just hold on to the reins and let it do what feels natural."
Mina snorted. The horse retorted a snort and danced a bit.
Grace was dancing herself as the groom let her pet Marshmallow. He was under strict instructions that Mr. Zabini would seat the wee one.
Once Blaise was sure Mina wasn't about to be bucked off her horse, he walked over to where Grace was. He knelt down but leaned back when her damned pony started to sniff at him. "Do you want to ride yours first or ride with me for a bit? We can do a bit of galloping around. Maybe show off for your sisters?"
Truth was, he was nervous about Grace riding a pony by herself. He had ridden his first horse alone when he was three, but his mother was a bitch and would have done it earlier if she could have.
"With you, but I have to ride Marshmallow. She'd be sad if I didn't."
Sarah was smiling as she watched.
Blaise doubted that, but picked Grace up and placed her in the saddle. As he mounted behind her, he had to take a deep breath. It had been years since he'd ridden and he was a bit nervous himself, even after the practice. One hand securely around Grace so she wouldn't fall, he led his horse past Sarah and Mina towards the arena.
"Just a quick squeeze around the midsection and they'll start to walk. No spurring them into a gallop though."
Sarah had never felt so certain of anything. The animal was almost like and extension of her. "Why? I think I could."
Mina was grinding her teeth. She did not like this at all. It was jarring, and she didn't feel like she could hold on properly.
Blaise glared. "No galloping. I don't want to go chasing after you. If you feel up to it, we'll trot and I'll teach you how to post a trot, but that's it for today. If you want to gallop you can ride behind me on Arron."
He looked over at Mina. "Hanging on there?"
"Whatever," Mina snapped. Her butt was already starting to smart.
"But I really think I could," Sarah protested. "This doesn't feel at all awkward. Perhaps I rode in another life?"
Grace was giggling and playing with the horse's mane.
"I said no. What part of no do you not understand? You've never ridden before, and I have. One step at a time."
Blaise hated being so harsh, but Hannah would kill him if Sarah fell off and broke something because he let her do whatever she wanted.
"If Fancy Pants wants to break her neck, let her," Mina snapped. Then maybe they could stop.
He sighed. Some people could handle horseback riding and some couldn't. Maybe if he got her on the back of his horse she'd enjoy it more. "Would you rather watch from the side? Your sisters want to learn how to ride."
"Thank the gods. Get me off of this thing. It smells like arse."
The swear jar appeared and looted her.
Blaise turned the horse around and lead Mina and her horse back into the stable. Mina slid off and glared at the horse, which Blaise thought had been a nice choice for her.
"Come out to the arena where I can keep an eye on you. I wouldn't put it past you to get into trouble. And don't think you're out of the woods yet. You're going to ride with me when we're done. I want to see if you truly don't like it."
Mina sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. She didn't like it. It didn't seem as if it was for her. Plus she was hungry, but Blaise had said they would have lunch at the clubhouse after the riding lesson. Who knew how long that would be.
{SUMMARY} Blaise takes the girls riding.