Elizabeth Inglee-Richards's Blog, page 4
September 10, 2014
Primitive markings and colors
I thought this was a good place to stick the primitive European horse. I have to admit that the ‘primitive’ horses have always fascinated me. So before I start talking about eastern horses I thought we should talk about the primitive markings.
Plus it gives me an excuse to talk about my horse. I’ll talk about her more when we get to modern New World horses.
First I should define wild and feral.
Wild animals have always been wild, individuals may be tamed, or even domesticated but as a whole the populations have not been interfered with by people. Zebra are wild.
Feral animals come from stock that was domestic once but now run wild. Mustangs are feral.
Two other terms domesticated and tamed.
A tame animal is an animal you can touch, but pretty much that is all you can do with them. Chincoteague ponies are tame. You can go to the park and touch them, or at least some of them.
Domesticated animals live and work alongside humans. We are interdependent.
There is a lot of controversy about whether or not there are any true wild horses. I don’t really care if there are or not, but if I was pressed I would fall on the side of there aren’t wild horses.
I know it is semantics.
Anyway back to primitives.
Primitive breeds include the Przewalski’s, Tarpan, Konik and Heck Horses. That isn’t an inclusive list, some primitive breeds are going to be covered in other posts and I mentioned them when I was talking about the Viking horses.
TarpansThe Primitive horses are small with shorter legs, straight shoulders, high backs and strong necks and they have primitive markings.
They are generally dun.
A dun has the body color from a sandy yellow to a steel gray, they have darker legs manes and tails. All duns have dorsal stripes, a stripe that runs down the horses back.
Other primitive makings are guarder or zebra stripes on the legs, shoulder or transverse stripes crossing at the withers, dorsal barbs that come off of the dorsal stripe, rib marks, varnish, soot or shadow marks, darker marks on the horse’s body, zippers of light colored hair that runs up the back of the horses legs and with the zippers are often pared with light colored guard hairs in the main and tail.
Sometimes you will see a line running along the belly matching the dorsal stripe.
Faces are usually darker on the lower half, the ears will have darker markings (matching the dorsal stripe) and they may have light markings around the muzzle and eyes (mealy mouth and eye spots).
Primitive duns may have white or cream bellies.
Not all duns are primitive and not all horses with primitive markings are dun. My American Quarter Horse was a roan (mixed white and dark hairs all over the body) she had almost all of the primitive markings. If I had to classify her body type it have been more on the Baroque side. My little war pony.
Sausage showing spider webs and eye patches 
Sausage showing guard hairs and garter marks Tarpans in VA
August 24, 2014
blogcation!
I'm taking a small Blog-cation.
I will be back in a week with what may be a bit of a wordy post about ancient and native horses. Should have done it before the Viking horse, ah well.
I will be back in a week with what may be a bit of a wordy post about ancient and native horses. Should have done it before the Viking horse, ah well.
August 19, 2014
Vikings: big boys, small horses
I was originally going to cover the various northern breeds separately but I just couldn’t quite bring myself to do it that way. My Mother’s favorite breed is the Icelandic Horse. And in the middle of getting a degree in Agriculture I took a class in Nordic Saga and Myth so I could go on about this topic for a long long time.
The Northern War Horses I would say are the Icelandic Horse, the Nordlandshest, Fjord horse, Shetland, Exmoor pony, Konik, Highland Pony, Connemara, Yakut, the Coldblood Trotter and Faroe Horse.
Yeah, you saw the word pony there quite a bit. The smallest of these breeds is 11 hands the largest about 15 hands (44 - 60 inches). Yeah, the Vikings went all over the world on war horses that were smaller than some dogs. I am exaggerating, but not by a whole lot. I’ve seen Icelandic horses fall and the riders just put their feet down on the ground until the horse gets up below him.
I will come back to the Konik and Yakut when I talk about the Eastern horses and Shetland, Exmoor, Highland and Connemara when I talk about the British Native ponies.
The Icelandic, Nordlandshest, Coldblood Trotter and Faroe Horses are all extremely strong and hardy. The Nordlandshest, Faroe and Coldblood Trotter are all totally diffenrt but that is mostly becasue the people breeding them have focused on a different thing. The Nordlandshest is a small draft horse as is the Faroe. The Coldblood Trotter is a racing horse.
The Icelandic comes in three distinct types; a small draft animal, a riding and showing horse that is naturally gated and an animal raised for food. The Icelandic horses are the other three breeds wrapped into one.
The importance of the horse in Viking society can not be overstated. The God Odin had a horse. A mare was mentioned by name in the Book of Settlements (her name was Skalm) in the 12th century. People conquered on these horses (leaving remnant herds in various places)and they fit into boats. And yeah, they eat horse.
I know that sounds weird to people in the US but people do eat these animals.
The Icelandic horses also tölt (a single footed gate) and race at a pace.
When it comes to war horses, bigger isn’t always better.
I picked this video because I sold a bit to the chestnut horse in it.
The Coldblood Trotter I love this because you can hear him talking to his horse.
Fjord horse pulling farm equipment Fjord Horse
The Northern War Horses I would say are the Icelandic Horse, the Nordlandshest, Fjord horse, Shetland, Exmoor pony, Konik, Highland Pony, Connemara, Yakut, the Coldblood Trotter and Faroe Horse.
Yeah, you saw the word pony there quite a bit. The smallest of these breeds is 11 hands the largest about 15 hands (44 - 60 inches). Yeah, the Vikings went all over the world on war horses that were smaller than some dogs. I am exaggerating, but not by a whole lot. I’ve seen Icelandic horses fall and the riders just put their feet down on the ground until the horse gets up below him.
I will come back to the Konik and Yakut when I talk about the Eastern horses and Shetland, Exmoor, Highland and Connemara when I talk about the British Native ponies.
The Icelandic, Nordlandshest, Coldblood Trotter and Faroe Horses are all extremely strong and hardy. The Nordlandshest, Faroe and Coldblood Trotter are all totally diffenrt but that is mostly becasue the people breeding them have focused on a different thing. The Nordlandshest is a small draft horse as is the Faroe. The Coldblood Trotter is a racing horse.
The Icelandic comes in three distinct types; a small draft animal, a riding and showing horse that is naturally gated and an animal raised for food. The Icelandic horses are the other three breeds wrapped into one.
The importance of the horse in Viking society can not be overstated. The God Odin had a horse. A mare was mentioned by name in the Book of Settlements (her name was Skalm) in the 12th century. People conquered on these horses (leaving remnant herds in various places)and they fit into boats. And yeah, they eat horse.
I know that sounds weird to people in the US but people do eat these animals.
The Icelandic horses also tölt (a single footed gate) and race at a pace.
When it comes to war horses, bigger isn’t always better.
I picked this video because I sold a bit to the chestnut horse in it.
The Coldblood Trotter I love this because you can hear him talking to his horse.
Fjord horse pulling farm equipment Fjord Horse
August 12, 2014
Baroque, it’s not just music
First off I admit to using Wikipedia for this entry. I’ve been useing hte term “Baroque Horse” since at least 1989. When I went to Harcum College for Equine Studies we had a class called Horsemanship, in that class we traced the interaction between horses and people.
The Baroque Horse is incredibly important to that history. It is the bridge between the war horse of the past and the riding horse of the present.
The Baroque Horse is the courser, or the small war horse. The courser was used for pitched battles. They were quick and could be trained not just to carry a warrior, but also to be an active participate in battle. They were, and still are, sometimes taught the haute ecole, High School of dressage, a discipline focused on bringing the horse and rider together as an integrated single unit. Some of these horses were (and are) taught Airs Above the Ground, a sort of Marshal art for horses. The moves include:
Pesade: The horse rises up on its hindquarters tucks its forelegs evenly and holds its body at a 45 degree angle.
Levade: Basically the same move but the body is held at a 30 degree angle. This is a modern move that is a test of strength.
Mezair: This is like a series of levades, the horse goes up strikes forward and then comes down lightly before raising its forehand again. The horse moves forward.
These moves sound like very controlled rears, but they are really not. The rear is a sign of resistance and the Pesade and Levade are moves that shows submission and tests strength and balance.
Croupade: The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground, legs tucked up under the body.
Ballotade: The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground legs held so you can see the horses shoes if you are standing behind it.
Capriole:The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground and the horse kicks out behind it.
Courbette:The horse hops on its back feet.
As an aside, a horse can kick with the force of a hand grenade.
The Baroque horses are small and strong with an arched neck and straight or even convex head. I had to look up the Baroque breeds, I knew the Lipizzan, Andalusian and Lusitano but I had to look up the others: Frederiksborger, Ginetta, Menorquin, Kladruber and Murgese.
The Baroque Horse is incredibly important to that history. It is the bridge between the war horse of the past and the riding horse of the present.
The Baroque Horse is the courser, or the small war horse. The courser was used for pitched battles. They were quick and could be trained not just to carry a warrior, but also to be an active participate in battle. They were, and still are, sometimes taught the haute ecole, High School of dressage, a discipline focused on bringing the horse and rider together as an integrated single unit. Some of these horses were (and are) taught Airs Above the Ground, a sort of Marshal art for horses. The moves include:
Pesade: The horse rises up on its hindquarters tucks its forelegs evenly and holds its body at a 45 degree angle.
Levade: Basically the same move but the body is held at a 30 degree angle. This is a modern move that is a test of strength.
Mezair: This is like a series of levades, the horse goes up strikes forward and then comes down lightly before raising its forehand again. The horse moves forward.
These moves sound like very controlled rears, but they are really not. The rear is a sign of resistance and the Pesade and Levade are moves that shows submission and tests strength and balance.
Croupade: The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground, legs tucked up under the body.
Ballotade: The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground legs held so you can see the horses shoes if you are standing behind it.
Capriole:The horse hops forward body parallel to the ground and the horse kicks out behind it.
Courbette:The horse hops on its back feet.
As an aside, a horse can kick with the force of a hand grenade.
The Baroque horses are small and strong with an arched neck and straight or even convex head. I had to look up the Baroque breeds, I knew the Lipizzan, Andalusian and Lusitano but I had to look up the others: Frederiksborger, Ginetta, Menorquin, Kladruber and Murgese.
August 6, 2014
Another Great Black Horse
Last week was the Great English Black Horse this week is another destrier that has made it to modern day. The Friesian horse or Belgian Black. The Friesian is smaller than the Shire, standing between 14.2 and 17 hands (58 to 68 inches)at the withers. They are almost always black.
The breed originated in the Netherlands and was linked closely with the Friesian Holstein cattle. The breed was developed from native horses who were later mixed with other large war horses and later with Spanish horses.
I think (from looking at the breed) that they are a breed that links the heavier destrier with the smaller courser. It has a “Baroque” type conformation. Like the Shire, it is larger than it was in the Middle ages.
If the English Black Horse was renowned for size strength and the ability to trot for long distances, the Friesian was known for being quick and nimble for the size and power they offered.
This breed stared in the movie Ladyhawk.
This lovely breed has been gaining in popularity throughout my life. And it cuts a dashing figure under saddle or in harness. I think this is an awesome choice for a fantasy horse, he can carry a knight or a lady or even as a cart horse.
Don’t let the fact that they are smaller fool you, the first time I met one of these animals was at a show. His groom had brought him out for a bath and the horse didn’t want one so he just lifted his head and walked off with the groom hanging from the lead line.
He just lifted his head. That is the kind of power these horses have.[image error]
[image error]
The breed originated in the Netherlands and was linked closely with the Friesian Holstein cattle. The breed was developed from native horses who were later mixed with other large war horses and later with Spanish horses.
I think (from looking at the breed) that they are a breed that links the heavier destrier with the smaller courser. It has a “Baroque” type conformation. Like the Shire, it is larger than it was in the Middle ages.
If the English Black Horse was renowned for size strength and the ability to trot for long distances, the Friesian was known for being quick and nimble for the size and power they offered.
This breed stared in the movie Ladyhawk.
This lovely breed has been gaining in popularity throughout my life. And it cuts a dashing figure under saddle or in harness. I think this is an awesome choice for a fantasy horse, he can carry a knight or a lady or even as a cart horse.
Don’t let the fact that they are smaller fool you, the first time I met one of these animals was at a show. His groom had brought him out for a bath and the horse didn’t want one so he just lifted his head and walked off with the groom hanging from the lead line.
He just lifted his head. That is the kind of power these horses have.[image error]
[image error]
July 30, 2014
war horse part 1; the English Great Horse
The term ‘war horse’ is beyond broad. I think we all know that, but we all use it anyway. People have been using horses in war as long as we have been using horses. This topic is so flipping huge that I had to think for week or so before I could even come up with a way to get into this topic. I’ve decided to start with The English Great Horse.
Until recently we didn’t have breeds the way we do now. Yes, we kept track of bloodlines and and yes we had types. That said, a lot of the types have now been codified into breeds.
The English Great Horse would have been a destrier, the largest of the charger types. At the time the Horse stood between 15 and 17 hands (between 60 and 68 inches) at the shoulder. This isn’t the horse you would ride to battle it would carry a rider in full armor and would have been the medieval equivalent to a tank. And an eighteen wheeler, but that came later.
This horse has become the Shire horse breed and they look like this:
[image error]
You can see by the picture that the breed is still used for some military uses, admittedly now in a ceremonial roles. They are also bigger than they were as a destrier. Now they start at 16 hands (64 inches).
In its old and new versions the Horse is a strong trotting animal and can go long distances. This is probably what most people think of when they think Charger and even in its larger modern draft form it is built like a riding horse writ large. The Great Horse was the pinnacle of destriers and went on to influence many other breeds and types of war horse. Next week I will tell you about some of the other breeds and types of destrier.
Post one about me
When Horses were cars
July 23, 2014
When horses were cars, some very general info
There was a time When horses were cars.
Really, that is the way you should look at it. Tolkien did a good job with this, few of his horses were named and when they were it was an exceptional horse or pony. Anyway, some of us are good with our cars, getting new tires and oil changes and some of us aren’t. That is exactly the way people looked at the horses people used.
Not everyone owned a horse. You could get cabs and hire horses at livery stables. If you look at older cities you can see that they were designed for foot traffic. Horses are expensive and they take up space and they take food and care.
First off a little general info about horses.
Horses eat 3 to 5 % of their body weight in a day. Most of that should be roughage, grass hay and whatnot. A horse will drink between five and ten gallons of water a day. These can not be given after riding a horse hard, if you feed or water a horse that is hot there is a chance it will sicken and die.
If your horse dies on a quest you are kind of stuck.
After a hard ride your horses should be walked for a few minutes before you let them stop.
The four ‘natural’ gates of the horse are:
Walk: a four beat flat footed gate.
Trot: a two beat flat footed gate where diagonal pairs of legs move together.
Canter: a three beat flat footed gate with one forefoot ‘leading’ or hitting the ground farther forward than the other front leg.
Gallop: a four beat flat footed gate. In this gate there is a moment when all four feet are off the ground. A horse gallops around thirty mph.
Other gates: these gates only appear in some breads or need special training:
Pace: a lateral two beat gate, the rider is rocked side to side the pace is generally faster than the trot and sires that are pacers breed truer than trotters so if your stud paces his babies will probably pace as well. This gate is natural in the Icelandic horse and the Standardbred (fast) and the Peruvian Paso (slow)
Ambling or single footed gates:
This group of gates are four beat gates where three feet are on the ground at the same time the gates can have equal beats or there can be a pause between one of hte beats, they can be lateral or diagonal. These gates are normally faster than a walk but slower than a canter, they are very comfortable for both horse and rider and can be maintained for a long time.
These gates include the Fox Trot, Running Walk, Rack, Slowgate, paso fino, paso corto, and paso largo, paso llano sobreandando, marcha picada tölt and the revaal.
A horse can travel between 20 to 40 miles on roads, and about 10 to 30 miles off roads. A horse can be pushed for a day or two for things like the Tevis cup race of 100 miles in a day (winers are normally somewhere around 17 hours) and the 2,600 mile endurance race from Ashkabad to Moscow but many horses will be injured or even die in an attempt at either of those races.
Ages and Sexes: this is something huge numbers of writers get wrong.
Stallion: this is an adult intact male. Stallions can be very temperamental and aggressive but like anything each stallion is an individual.
Mare: an adult intact female. Mares can be temperamental, but that is normally limited to a few days a month.
Gelding: a neutered male horse. These guys are the most reliable of your riding horses.
Foal: this is a baby horse of either sex.
Weanling: a baby horse who is no longer nursing.
Yearling: a year old horse.
Colt: a colt is a male horse under two.
Filly: a female horse under two.
Sizes: Horse sizes are measured in hands from the withers. A hand is four inches and the wither is the point where the neck joins the back of the horse, it is normally the high point of the back but not always.
Pony: a pony is a horse under 14.2 hands (58 inches) or sometimes 14 hands (56 inches)this classification depends on the breed of the horse. The Icelandic Horse is always a horse it doesn’t matter what size. The Mongol Horse is a Horse and it doesn’t matter what size.
A note on the use of the word ‘Pony’ many horse people will use the word to note the horse that you are most bonded to. Sausage was my Pony and even though I work in the industry I have not met another ‘pony’. I don’t know if this use of pony is from ‘war pony’ or from peoples tendency to use diminutives.
Pony is also a verb to lead a horse while riding another and that other horse is called a Pony as well.
Horse: a horse over 14.2 hands (58 inches) or 14 hands (56 inches) at the wither. Also this is the species common name.
Cob: this is a type more than a size but size wise it is sort of an in-between animal. Cob can be a large pony or a small horse. They normally have large bodies with shorter thicker legs. The cob is suitable for riding, driving and work. You may have ponied your warhorse to a battle on your cob.
Next week we start on war horses and to be honest that may take a few weeks there are so many.
Really, that is the way you should look at it. Tolkien did a good job with this, few of his horses were named and when they were it was an exceptional horse or pony. Anyway, some of us are good with our cars, getting new tires and oil changes and some of us aren’t. That is exactly the way people looked at the horses people used.
Not everyone owned a horse. You could get cabs and hire horses at livery stables. If you look at older cities you can see that they were designed for foot traffic. Horses are expensive and they take up space and they take food and care.
First off a little general info about horses.
Horses eat 3 to 5 % of their body weight in a day. Most of that should be roughage, grass hay and whatnot. A horse will drink between five and ten gallons of water a day. These can not be given after riding a horse hard, if you feed or water a horse that is hot there is a chance it will sicken and die.
If your horse dies on a quest you are kind of stuck.
After a hard ride your horses should be walked for a few minutes before you let them stop.
The four ‘natural’ gates of the horse are:
Walk: a four beat flat footed gate.
Trot: a two beat flat footed gate where diagonal pairs of legs move together.
Canter: a three beat flat footed gate with one forefoot ‘leading’ or hitting the ground farther forward than the other front leg.
Gallop: a four beat flat footed gate. In this gate there is a moment when all four feet are off the ground. A horse gallops around thirty mph.
Other gates: these gates only appear in some breads or need special training:
Pace: a lateral two beat gate, the rider is rocked side to side the pace is generally faster than the trot and sires that are pacers breed truer than trotters so if your stud paces his babies will probably pace as well. This gate is natural in the Icelandic horse and the Standardbred (fast) and the Peruvian Paso (slow)
Ambling or single footed gates:
This group of gates are four beat gates where three feet are on the ground at the same time the gates can have equal beats or there can be a pause between one of hte beats, they can be lateral or diagonal. These gates are normally faster than a walk but slower than a canter, they are very comfortable for both horse and rider and can be maintained for a long time.
These gates include the Fox Trot, Running Walk, Rack, Slowgate, paso fino, paso corto, and paso largo, paso llano sobreandando, marcha picada tölt and the revaal.
A horse can travel between 20 to 40 miles on roads, and about 10 to 30 miles off roads. A horse can be pushed for a day or two for things like the Tevis cup race of 100 miles in a day (winers are normally somewhere around 17 hours) and the 2,600 mile endurance race from Ashkabad to Moscow but many horses will be injured or even die in an attempt at either of those races.
Ages and Sexes: this is something huge numbers of writers get wrong.
Stallion: this is an adult intact male. Stallions can be very temperamental and aggressive but like anything each stallion is an individual.
Mare: an adult intact female. Mares can be temperamental, but that is normally limited to a few days a month.
Gelding: a neutered male horse. These guys are the most reliable of your riding horses.
Foal: this is a baby horse of either sex.
Weanling: a baby horse who is no longer nursing.
Yearling: a year old horse.
Colt: a colt is a male horse under two.
Filly: a female horse under two.
Sizes: Horse sizes are measured in hands from the withers. A hand is four inches and the wither is the point where the neck joins the back of the horse, it is normally the high point of the back but not always.
Pony: a pony is a horse under 14.2 hands (58 inches) or sometimes 14 hands (56 inches)this classification depends on the breed of the horse. The Icelandic Horse is always a horse it doesn’t matter what size. The Mongol Horse is a Horse and it doesn’t matter what size.
A note on the use of the word ‘Pony’ many horse people will use the word to note the horse that you are most bonded to. Sausage was my Pony and even though I work in the industry I have not met another ‘pony’. I don’t know if this use of pony is from ‘war pony’ or from peoples tendency to use diminutives.
Pony is also a verb to lead a horse while riding another and that other horse is called a Pony as well.
Horse: a horse over 14.2 hands (58 inches) or 14 hands (56 inches) at the wither. Also this is the species common name.
Cob: this is a type more than a size but size wise it is sort of an in-between animal. Cob can be a large pony or a small horse. They normally have large bodies with shorter thicker legs. The cob is suitable for riding, driving and work. You may have ponied your warhorse to a battle on your cob.
Next week we start on war horses and to be honest that may take a few weeks there are so many.
July 16, 2014
small delay
Small delay on my Wednesday post, I will be out of town with no internet connection until Sunday an d forgot to post before I left.
Sunday I promise
Sunday I promise
July 9, 2014
Historical Hump Day - intro
HI my name is Elizabeth and I have an issue with Fantasy (this is where you say ‘Hi Elizabeth’)
I should start at the beginning. I love fantasy, epic, mythic and modern. I grew up with it, I cut my teeth on it and it was what I wanted to read, watch and write, but somewhere along the line things changed. I don’t know I changed or if authors changed but somewhere along the line the way animals were represented in fiction started to bother me.
I have a degree in animal science and I work at two living history museums, at one facility I help care for a flock of historically accurate sheep. I’ve worked for vets and wildlife rehabilitation facilities, I’ve lived on a dairy farm and owned a horse from the time she was nine months to the day she died at the age of twenty seven, I’ve raised chickens and worked with Bald Eagles. I think I qualify as well rounded when it comes to animals.
I don’t expect all authors to be well rounded like that but obvious lack of knowledge will make me not finish a book.
What I am planing to do:
Every week I hope to post about animals and hopefully it will help remedy some of the issues I see way to often. I am going to start with horses because that is an animal that most fantasy and historical authors use and it is a place were I see a lot of errors.
So welcome to Wotan Wednesday - or Historical Hump-day, if you have anything you want me to cover let me know!
I should start at the beginning. I love fantasy, epic, mythic and modern. I grew up with it, I cut my teeth on it and it was what I wanted to read, watch and write, but somewhere along the line things changed. I don’t know I changed or if authors changed but somewhere along the line the way animals were represented in fiction started to bother me.
I have a degree in animal science and I work at two living history museums, at one facility I help care for a flock of historically accurate sheep. I’ve worked for vets and wildlife rehabilitation facilities, I’ve lived on a dairy farm and owned a horse from the time she was nine months to the day she died at the age of twenty seven, I’ve raised chickens and worked with Bald Eagles. I think I qualify as well rounded when it comes to animals.
I don’t expect all authors to be well rounded like that but obvious lack of knowledge will make me not finish a book.
What I am planing to do:
Every week I hope to post about animals and hopefully it will help remedy some of the issues I see way to often. I am going to start with horses because that is an animal that most fantasy and historical authors use and it is a place were I see a lot of errors.
So welcome to Wotan Wednesday - or Historical Hump-day, if you have anything you want me to cover let me know!
July 6, 2014
Re-launch
I will be re-launching my blog on Wednesday 7/9/14. I have a series of Fantasy/Historic posts about livestock.
I know that sounds dull, but when was the last time you picked up a book in either genre that didn't have a horse in it? Heck most of my writing friends write horses without much background.
I will be talking about types of horses, I may use specific breeds as examples, since most fantasy is set in medieval (or medieval like) times most European countries were not following bloodlines the way we do now.
I know that sounds dull, but when was the last time you picked up a book in either genre that didn't have a horse in it? Heck most of my writing friends write horses without much background.
I will be talking about types of horses, I may use specific breeds as examples, since most fantasy is set in medieval (or medieval like) times most European countries were not following bloodlines the way we do now.
