Perfect Manners (open)

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"Good manners are those which show the greatest sensitivity to others and makes them feel at ease; which avoid all actions which annoy them, force unpleasantness upon them, remove their freedom of choice or make them feel smaller. At the heart of true good manners lies an underlying respect for others and for their rights"

Modern Etiquette, Moyra Bremner

Cara walked down to her assigned pasture. In her right hand she held the lead rope that was attached to Ember's halter, the left over rope was coiled in her left hand. Tucked under her right arm was a book she had purchased recently at the saddlery in town.

The mare was walking behind and slightly to the left of the girl, her ears flickered everywhere at once. They flattened when she tried to barge past and the girl seemed to double in size and she went back to following.

The book that the girl was holding was Perfect Manners, by Kelly Marks. The teen wanted to see if she could work through the mare's issues with her manners, through other ways than joining up with her. Cara got the idea that doing a join up would do nothing with the mare as Ember wanted to be top dog as she had already made clear and wouldn't appreciate having to battle for that position and a join up would turn into that battle.

She opened the gate to the pasture and gave a small squeak as the mare slammed into her as she charged through the opening. "No you don't!" The girl said in a growl as she dug her feet into the ground and sharply pulled the mare around. "You are so lucky that you are wearing a nylon halter. Maybe that is the first thing I will change." She said as she looked the mare in the eye, the two of them staring the other down, even though she knew full well that the pony didn't know a single word that she had spoken. "Out!" She sent the mare back out the gate, closed it, left the book balanced on top of the post beside the gate and led the mare back in the direction of the barn.

Once they had walked half way back to the barn, and Ember picked up her stride as she worked out where they were going, Cara halted the mare, asked her to flex her neck and then had her to yield her hindquarters and then turned her around and walked back to the pasture. She paused as she unhooked the gate and swung it open. She held the rope short as she knew that habits were hard to break and the mare would shoot through at the first chance she was given. After waiting a couple of minutes, she led the mare through the gate, turned her around and closed the gate - still keeping the pony on a short rope. Picking up her book, she led the silver dun into the middle of the pasture where she finally unclipped the lead. Sitting on the ground she opened the book and began to read.