But even she could see the practical necessity of learning to control the mode of transportation from prehistory right down to the invention of the mass-produced automobile.
Margo finally mastered haltering and bridling, moved on to saddling, then spent twenty minutes exercising her hack on a lunge line to learn the difference in its gaits and learned to judge what it took to control a horse from the ground. By the time she passed muster, she was exhausted Her toes, fingertips, and nose were numb with cold. .
”Shall we break for lunch,” Malcolm suggested, “then try our first ride afterward?”
Oh, thank God.
”Cool out your horse by walking him up and down the lane for about five minutes while John spreads out a blanket Then we’ll water him and rest a bit ourselves.”
At least Malcolm accompanied her on the walk. The horse’s hooves clopped softly behind them. Margo had begun to feel less nervous asking questions. “Why do we have to cool him out? It’s freezing out here!”
”Any time you work a horse, cool him out. Particularly in cold weather. An overheated horse can catch a fatal chill if he’s not properly cooled down afterward. Horses are remarkably delicate creatures, prone to all sorts of illness and accident. Your life literally depends on the care you give your horse. Treat him with better care than you treat yourself. Your horse is fed and watered before you even think of resting or eating your own meal. Otherwise, you may not have a horse afterward.”
It made sense. It also sounded remarkably similar to Ann Vinh Mulhaneys lecture on caring for one’s firearms: “Keep them clean. Particularly if you’re using a black powder weapon. Clean it every time you use it. Black powder and early priming compounds are corrosive. Clean your gun thoroughly or it’ll be useless and that can happen fast. Don’t ever bet your life on a dirty weapon.”