Writing About
Horses
--getting to know your equine characters--
Christie Halle Devlin
www.halledevlin.com
Images in this presentation are copyrighted and are used under the “fair use” doctrine
Section 107, U.S. Copyright law (see http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html)
I hope to help you:
 Portray horses accurately
 Create interesting equine characters
 Avoid common mistreatments:
 Horses are not motorcycles!
 Horses are not furry people
The best way to write about something
is to understand the experience
My Qualifications
Our Hero Rides to town
• I'll illustrate horses within
the context of a little story,
starring:
Bænsóng Fjordî 
--an intrepid adventurer
known for his hijinks in the
forest of Waäåæhl--
• Our story:
Bae rides to town!
(exciting)
• What would Bae’s
experience be like if he
rode a real horse?
http://curlyr.blogspot.com/2007/12/vikings-are-losing-chill-down-champagne.html
A little historical context…
 Where Bae is in history can determine :
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How Bae will ride
Equipment
Breed of horse
How Bae uses his horse
 Plow horse
 War horse
 Pleasure horse
--Horse domesticated 5,000-6,000 years ago
their use has changed over that time
Historical Uses in Agriculture
• Horses initially herded for meat and milk
– Last of common herding animals to be tamed
• Why? Horses are bad!
• Not long after, people began riding and having them pull stuff
– 1st chariots at least by 3,000 B.C.
•Collar invented ~700
(Oxen plowed before that)
•Increased horse pulling
power by 3-4 X!
•Horse could pull as much
as ox but faster
•Their need for oats changed
what was grown
•->three crop rotation
Advent of shoes ~1000 allowed
horses to work more
Historical Uses of Horses in War
Greeks:
•~500 B.C. started
riding/cavalry
•War chariots ~3000 B.C
•1st Mesopotamians,
Then Egyptians
•Xenophon
•first to value breeding,
confirmation, training
and care
Stirrup invented ~300 A.D. (east)
~700 A.D. (Europe)
Attila the Hun ~400 A.D. and ff.
Armor well-developed
by ~1100
-stirrup helped rider take
force of lance and
stay in saddle
Picture credits:, The Complete Pony Book, The New Encyclopedia of Horses, The Compleat Horse
Horses in Religion
Norse gods rode horses
--Thor rode 8-legged
horse
Warriors often buried with
their horse(s)
--Native American
practice
Horse Variety
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=471121&in_page_id=1770
Different Types of Horses – Modern Breeds
Appaloosa
Shire (draught)
Thoroughbred
Peruvian Paso
Hanoverian
These pics from www.worldofhorses.co.uk
Different Types of Horses -- Ancient
Breeds
Akhal-Teke –
Turkmenistan
(steppes)
Arab -- Arabia
The Mongolian Wild Horse
(Przewalski's Horse) -- Mongolia
Fell Pony
(related to European Wild Pony)
-- British Isles
What kind of horse would Bae have?
•Given that Bae is a
warrior/knight in Europe in
the early middle ages,
probably something like
this “Friesian”
•A little on the heavy
side, but not draught
•Shorter than modern
Friesian
•Until ~1800,
most horses
were 13-15
hands
(<5’ @ shoulder)
1 hand = 4 inches = common measure of horse height (other than cm)
Pic: http://equinerpgm.proboards51.com/index.cgi?board=stats&action=post&thread=269&quote=1199389317&page=1
So now we know what Bae’s horse
looks like….
• Now Bae has to find
and catch him….
– Even if kept in a stall,
most horses turned
out regularly to
play….
– And of course,
“Vedra” is out…
Wyoming wild horses from
http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/ScienceInYourState/Wyoming/WY-brd.htm
How do horses think?
• The three lenses a
horse sees the world
through:
– FOOD
– Tigers!
– Herd
Photo credit: The Compleat Horse
Possible Horse Personality Traits
 DIRTY!!
 Timidity/dominance
 pushiness
 spookiness
 driven by stomach
 Affectionateness
 Spiritedness
 Willing to please?
 intelligence/cleverness
 These can apply to both other horses and
people
What do horses do in pasture?
Photo credits: The Compleat Horse (B&W) and http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2005/08/24/green-grass-and-horses/ (color)
Photo credit: The Compleat Horse (B&W) and www.gla.ac.uk/external/EBF/ (color)
What do horses EAT?
(it’s all about their tummies…or is it?)
Yes, horses love grass, hay and grain, but
horses also will gnaw on other things…
For Entertainment
•
•
•
•
Each other's tails and manes (foals especially)
Tree bark
Wood
Wild onions (my horse loves them!)
and other non-grass plants
• Your favorite flowers
• Horse-poisonous plants
And yes, this can drive their owners batty!
How do horses express
themselves?
• Ears
– Go where attention
goes
– "Pinned" =
annoyance/anger/
agression
– Floppy ears =
relaxed/bored
This pic is from esc.rutgers.edu/publications/general/fs525.htm
--good info page about horse behavior
More horse expressions
• Muzzle/nostrils: how
they interact w/world
– blow/sniff in greeting
– snort at frightening
things
– nuzzle in affection
– nip in affection or
annoyance
– bare teeth/lunge/ pin ears to threaten
or bite
– “flehmen" or "sniff-tasting”
– yawn
More horse expressions
 Eyes
 whites exposed when scared
 half-close when resting
 Position of head/neck
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extended straight out = aggression
raised = startled, excited
hanging naturally = relaxed, content
physical pleasure = raising/stretching out head
and neck, twitching/tensing/extending upper lip,
half-closed eyes
 lowered to eat grass = happiest
 Tail
 swishes when annoyed, angry
 up/flagged when excited and proud
 does not wag
Horse Noises (pardon my french)
 Neigh
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loud! trills from high to low pitch, long
head usually high, nostrils flared
when members of their herd leave or return
horses are not always neighing
 Whinny
 shorter he he he, higher pitch
 often for a known human coming
 Sometimes for other horses
Horse Noises (continued)
 Nicker
 short chuckle, very low pitch, quieter
 Affectionate, happy, eager
 almost always when they think you're coming to
feed
 When horses do not make noise
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They don’t neigh often (not like dogs barking)
When they feel pain
When they’re frightened
Wild-born horses neigh less than tame-born
Horse Parts
Photo Credit: The New
Encyclopedia of Horses
Catching Horses
• How hard is Bae’s
horse to catch?
Depends on:
– the horse's
mood/personality
– what the horse expects
will happen when caught
– previous training
– even well-trained horses
can sometimes be
difficult to catch
Picture credit: www.antiquebottles.com/rl/tc/kickapoo.html
Catching Horses
 What do they do when they don't want to
be caught?
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turn their head away
run away
circle 'round you
dynamics with other horses important
 Much easier to catch in stall or paddock
 most horses don't resist in stall
 Treats also work
Haltering
 How to lead a horse (in ascending order
of level of training) :
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Halter
Rope around neck
Pulling mane or forelock
They will just follow because you’re their
beloved master…
Grooming
 Now that Bae has his horse in hand, he
has to get him ready to ride
 First step: Groom horse
 Why brush?
 Dirt under tack can hurt horse, cause misbehavior
 Horse reactions to brushing vary
 Sensitive horse may avoid it
 Most horses enjoy it,
 Pick hooves
 Stones in hooves can bruise
 Check for problems (i.e., thrush)
 Horses must be taught to pick up foot
Tacking Up
 Second Step: Tack up
 What kind of saddle, bridle, and other
tack would Bae use on Vedra?
 Tack comes in dizzying variety
 Form follows function
 A different saddle/bridle for every
pursuit
 Saddles, bridles, and bits all come in
different sizes, so you can fit your horse
 Bits are also designed for more or
less “control”
Tack Parts
Credit: The Complete Pony Book
Bits, bits, and more bits….
Tack Parts
What were saddles like before
modern age?
• Medieval Knight’s
Saddle:
– Hay for seat
cushioning!
– Enforces a standing
position
• First “saddles”:
– Blanket or skin tossed
over back
– Initially no girth
– Native Americans
used similar
This is a historical reconstruction of a medieval saddle, produced
by Wasson Artistry. This pic and reconstructions for sale at
wassonartistry.com.
More ancient saddles
Bae Mounts!
Finally!
Picture credit:
http://www.vikingsofmiddleengland.co.uk/combat.html
Riding
• How much training to get
here?
– For Vedra:
• About 90 days from “halterbroke” to “under saddle”
• 1-2 more years until not
“green”, longer for higherlevel training
• Lipizanner horses train for
at least 6-8 years to get to
“High School” Dressage
Horse Training
 Many different Horse Training Methods
 Rough methods common from Asian steppes to
American west
 lasso tie horse struggles man wins horse submits –
“broken”
 Native American, Monty Roberts method
 establishes man as horse’s leader
 speaking “equine” language
 focus
 trust via relationship
 Slow training from birth
 Modern conventional method
 Halter break baby, lunge at 1 year; ride at 2 or 3 years
Riding
 How much training for Bae?
 1 session to learn basics, a few weeks to be
able to ride walk-trot-canter
 A few years to be “good”
 Ride uncooperative horses
 Learn nuances of riding
basic riding cues
 squeeze with both lower legs/feet = go
 pull back on reins = stop
 press with one lower leg and pull with
opposite rein = turn
 more advanced riders learn to use seat,
weight, more refined w/reins
 stay on horse by mixture of balance,
gripping with thighs/knees, and stirrups
 Most difficult part for me: the seat
 sitting all the different gaits securely
 staying balanced
 using my balance to direct the horse
How does it feel when it's right?
• You're a jedi, the horse is
the force
• You can feel and control
all of him
• "Talking" contact
through reins
• “Glued” to the saddle
– your hips roll with his
back
– Your legs wrap to his
sides
• Every cell in your bodies
is connected
• His mind is a subset of
your mind
This is a photo of Albano, a German Dressage horse, from http://www.oldenburghorse.com/Oldbrg-Success-Legends-Insert.htmm
How does it feel when it’s wrong?
• Disconnected
– Your link with the horse is static-y
– Horse’s body feels disjointed
• Stiff
– Hoirse’s body is stiff
– You get stiff (defensively)
• Makes you bounce
photo credit:
http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1166/the-tale-of-a-stubborn-horse.html
What’s it like for a new rider?
 Unsteady!
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hands/arms high and bouncy
Pull too much
stiff
legs bouncing against horse's sides,
bouncing on horse's back
 Also true for tense, experienced riders
 tense rider tends to create tense horse
 relaxed rider can help relax a tense horse
How does it feel to run?
Mix of Fear and Elation
• Not in full control
• Hard to sit
• wind can pull tears from your eyes
•horse is all motion
•huge momentum
•communal
experience of speed
Picture credit:
vanelsas.wordpress.com/2007/10/
How does it feel to ride a runaway horse?
can't sit
easily
can't steer the
horse
standing not
as secure as
sitting
can try to lean in
the direction you
think he'll go.
not as much
pulling power
If you're
wrong, you
may fly!
Picture credit: www.gutenberg.org/files/23353/23353-h/23353-h.htm (also neat horse poetry!)
The Act of Riding
• What makes the
difference between this
…
And this?
Answer: How well the rider reads and reacts to horse
You can tell how the horse is
feeling about you…
 Happy horses:
 Tip one ear back in order to pay closer
attention to rider
 Relax
 Generally quiet
 easy, flowing gaits
 content with speed rider asks for
You can tell how the horse is feeling
about you on him…
 Frustrated horse:
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Generally bad
Hard to stop or keep going
Tossing head/ high head
Jig
Swishing tail
Buck or rear
 What makes them unhappy?
 Uncomfortable
 Distractions
 Confusing directions from rider
What’s the worst that can happen
on Bae’s ride?
worst things that can happen:
Sure, Bae can fall off, but let’s make it interesting….
• horse spooks and bolts
• galloping along and bridle
breaks
• Horse can rear and fall back
over on you
• horse is limping after a run
 another horse decides he doesn't like the
horse you're on, and kicks you!
 your horse stops too fast -- you end up
hanging in front of him
 All these things happened to good riders
 could control the horse in normal situations
What might Vedra do
while going down the
road?
 look at things around
 try to eat passing greenery
 tendency to do this varies from horse to
horse
 **spook**
What do horses spook at?
 Anything unfamiliar
 Things that make noise
 Sudden motion or sound
 Water
 Pinto horses
why do horses spook?
 horses see differently
 can't tell deep from shallow
 see things rider can’t
 instinct to run from predators
 bad experiences
 breeding, individual temperment
what horses do when
spooked
 look and blow
 sidle away from it if on side
 little upward jump/land on splayed feet (if
startled)
 jump to the side
 refuse to get nearer to the spooky thing
 whirl around
 turn and run
Bae’s Adventurous Ride to
Town…
A simple ride to town can become very exciting,
just because a real horse is in the picture
--equine personality
--different goals from Bae
--how Bae interacts with horse
When making your equine characters:
-research breed, training, setting
-horse has will of his own