This is me riding Booker for my second lesson after not riding for nearly 12 years. I have rediscovered muscles I didn’t know I have.
You can see in this picture I am wearing half-chaps. These are leather protectors for the bottom half of your leg. I used to wear these back in the day, but last week, I thought, “Meh, what do I really need those for. Sounds self-indulgent.”
Spoiler: Not self-indulgent. That part of the legs does a lot of the work while riding. Hmm. Possible origin for the word, legwork? Anyway, I bruise like a ripe peach. After my last ride, I was black and blue on my lower legs. So half-chaps this week.
Booker is a trooper. I keep pulling on his reins (means stop) and kicking his sides (means go) at the same time, and he just gives me the side-eye as if to say, “Make up your mind, lady.” But he keeps going. Good boy, Booker.
I have forgotten how much work riding is. And how many things there are to remember. Keep your heels down, hands up, reins loose. Pull toward your hip (not toward the sky!). Heels down. Kick. Kick harder. Heels down. Look where you want to go (not at the ground). Heels down!
My heels don’t go down. Sigh.
We won’t even get into what a bone-jarring ride trotting is when you don’t know how to post. I’m pretty sure I look like a bad cartoon, where the saddle and I meet with a great slapping sound, over and over again.
They make it look so easy in the movies, as if the horse does all the work and the rider just lounges around on its back. I can attest, that is not how it works.
The good news is I wasn’t too sore the next day. And I shall persist. You might be hearing about a novice rider’s woes in an upcoming book.
You can see in this picture I am wearing half-chaps. These are leather protectors for the bottom half of your leg. I used to wear these back in the day, but last week, I thought, “Meh, what do I really need those for. Sounds self-indulgent.”
Spoiler: Not self-indulgent. That part of the legs does a lot of the work while riding. Hmm. Possible origin for the word, legwork? Anyway, I bruise like a ripe peach. After my last ride, I was black and blue on my lower legs. So half-chaps this week.
Booker is a trooper. I keep pulling on his reins (means stop) and kicking his sides (means go) at the same time, and he just gives me the side-eye as if to say, “Make up your mind, lady.” But he keeps going. Good boy, Booker.
I have forgotten how much work riding is. And how many things there are to remember. Keep your heels down, hands up, reins loose. Pull toward your hip (not toward the sky!). Heels down. Kick. Kick harder. Heels down. Look where you want to go (not at the ground). Heels down!
My heels don’t go down. Sigh.
We won’t even get into what a bone-jarring ride trotting is when you don’t know how to post. I’m pretty sure I look like a bad cartoon, where the saddle and I meet with a great slapping sound, over and over again.
They make it look so easy in the movies, as if the horse does all the work and the rider just lounges around on its back. I can attest, that is not how it works.
The good news is I wasn’t too sore the next day. And I shall persist. You might be hearing about a novice rider’s woes in an upcoming book.
Book News
A Knack for Metal and Bone: Edits continue. This is epic fantasy with a minor romance going on. As such it’s turning out longer than the Valkyrie Bestiary books, probably about 95k words (as opposed to 80k for VB Books) This means that editing is taking longer too. I am hoping for an October release, but it might go to November. I will have a better idea at the end of this month when (hopefully) I will have a solidly edited draft. Check out the cover and characters at https://kimmcdougall.com/Knack.
Worlds Don’t Collide: Audiobooks are coming online for the last Valkyrie Bestiary book. It’s listed on most audiobook sites now, except for Audible which can take 3-6 weeks. Find it here: https://kimmcdougall.com/Worlds-Don-t-Collide
Valkyrie Bestiary Box Set 1: The box set with books 1-3 plus a bonus prequel is on sale all month long for only $4.99. If you’ve already read the series, this is a great time to suggest it to fantasy loving friends and family. Here’s a shareable link: https://kimmcdougall.com/valkyrie-bestiary
Book Fairs & Events
Yesterday was International Cat Day. According to Grim, every day is Cat Day, but whatever. Check out the first book fair for some great cat-related fantasy!
Spotlight Books
Duty to the Dead
An Egyptian Empire STory
by Laura Greenwood
Is learning the art of mummification everything Dhara wants it to be?
After Dhara is chosen as one of the newest apprentices at the London Temple of Anubis, she's thrown into life at the temples, from learning about embalming, to the protective amulets used for the dead.
With the help of her mentor, she learns precisely what she needs in order to make it to ordination and to become a full Priestess Of Anubis.
Get Duty to the Dead Now