Chapter 89: A Horse Called Troublemaker
Baiyin and Buhe nodded. With the help of their temporary riding tutors, the four models pulled their horses to the track slowly.
Calling it a track was an exaggeration. It was basically an unsurfaced road created by local riders.
In 1999, horsemanship was still foreign to the Chinese. It was only a luxury for rich men. The horsemanship competition was actually an attempt by the Bashang Grassland to promote its tourism. Domestic horses, Chinese scenery, local riders and international rules constituted the international horsemanship endurance competition.
As a noble, natural, amusing sport, horsemanship was a combination of competitive sports, outdoor tourism, high-end social communication, pet feeding and stimulating decompression. Therefore, it didn't seem likely to fail to become popular.
The committee of the competition had invited most of the local riders, eager to hold the grand event. The riders had all grown up on horseback, so the competition level had improved greatly. Baiyin and Buhe were among the best riders and contestants.
Baiyin patted his horse on its back and asked it to stand still before he began the lesson.
"Check the horses’ harnesses before mounting them, in case the saddle moves around. Then put the pedals down and adjust them to the right length. Make the saddle wings even."
"Don’t touch the horse’s body when you put down the pedals. Just loosen your grip gently and let them hang down beside its ribs."
Baiyin gently pulled his pedals down. His students followed his movements with their eyes.
"Stand near your horse’s forelegs and make sure both reins have the same length. The inner side of the reins should be pasted to the horse’s neck, and the stiff bit should touch the corner of its mouth gently. Hold the reins with your left hand and insert your index finger between them to grasp the horse’s hair and the whip."
"Turn your pedals clockwise with your right hand until the outside faces you. Then push on the pedal inwards to mount the horse." He lifted his left leg to push on one pedal.
"Be careful! The next step is essential! Don’t touch the horse’s body. Instead, hold the right side of the saddle bridge with your right hand. Your left tiptoe should be under the belly band. Push against the ground with your right foot and jump up gently," he said as he jumped up to mount the horse’s back.
His students were listening to him carefully. Baiyin got on the horse easily, comforting the nervous young men.
"It seems simple." They all let out a relieved breath. Qin Guan memorized what Baiyin had said carefully with both his brain and muscles.
As he rode on the horse, Baiyin taught them how to maintain a sitting posture while running. When he saw everyone nod in understanding, he asked them to have a try themselves with his and Buhe's help.
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