Spring 27, 507 AV Cara stood outside on one of Lhavit's larger rolling hills. Several children sat gathered around her. Resting on the round. Some rested on their knees, others had their legs folded beneath them, their feet held in their hands as they rocked themselves back and forth, eager to learn. Their slender eyes sparkled with the radiance of Syna's sun. Inwardly, Cara groaned. She was not looking forward to this. But it was a way to be paid, and she'd do what she must. Fill a bell with information the children were hardly likely to retain. "Alright Mistress Cara," one of the children called in her sugar-sweet sing-songy voice. "Everyone's here. Whenever you're ready our ears are yours!" Our ears are yours? Cara thought, as she rolled her eyes. Great, this is going to be even worse than I imagined, her mind wore on. Inwardly smacking itself against a wall, for not only did she despise children, but she had a hard time with people in general, and an entire hour spent without lighting them on fire for simply looking at her funny seemed unbearable. "Alright kiddies," Cara said, as she forced a smile, and clapped her hands together once, to make sure all eyes were on her. "We are going to begin. Today, you shall be introduced to the horse, which as you know, is tied to the life of just about everyone in Mizahar. You, me, your mom and dad, your aunts and uncles, and their llamas." The children chuckled. Inwardly, the Vantha groaned. "In the beginning of time, horses were seen as another food supply, and as little else. Yet, as time passed, the races began to domesticate them. It is said that the more nomadic races began this change. That they began to breed and raise these animals along with their other livestock, such as pigs. It was not for a long time, that the races came to realize that horses were fast like cheetahs. That they could carry all sorts of things over great distances. It was then that some of us learned how to ride them, and developed things to help us do so. Everything changed then, for as I'm sure you know, we still use horses to serve our purposes to this day. To carry us, to carry things we wish to trade with others, or simply take from one place to another. This, in turn, has brought a limit, and near end to the amount of wild horses still out there." The children's faces seemed rather blank. Just as I thought. I suppose we'll skip the boring historical context then, and run right up to conformation, and more advanced matters. Things they're bound not to understand either, Cara thought with a small sigh. "Conformation, or the overall make up and shape of a horse, varies greatly between the various breeds found within Mizahar. What comprises an "ideal" conformation depends on the sort of work a horse is expected to be able to complete. In spite of this, numerous guidelines may be followed when looking for a desirable equine companion. Most of these guidelines relate to proportion: if a horse is rather proportionate, it will be better balanced, and less likely to prove unsound. It will be more capable of completing the tasks its owner sets before it than a horse that is poorly proportioned. It is not unlikely then, for a horse that has a poor conformation, to be viewed as difficult." A child with long, dark hair, and eerie blue eyes raised her hand. When Cara ignored it, she raised it higher, and started to flutter her hand. Rolling her eyes as the kid stretched as far as she could, the Vantha groaned, "yes?" "What does proportionate mean?" she asked. "Why don't you ask your parents when you get home, instead of taking away from the lesson with your lack of knowledge in the field of vocabulary!" Cara snapped. Whoops, Cara thought, as she watched the child's face droop. Watched her bottom lip tremble as she hung her head. "Now, if there are going to be no further interruptions... A horse is said to have "correct" proportions when specific measures are the same. An example would be if the length of the head and the depth of the body at the girth, among other things, were the same." "Most domesticated horses, if not all of them, are required to complete certain tasks throughout the course of the day, causing certain characteristics of theirs to become vitally important. If a horse is deep through the girth, then his lungs will have plenty of room to expand. This will be helpful when trying to find a good work horse. The length of a horse's back may also be important, especially in the case of a horse meant for riding. If the back is too lengthy, then the horse may prove weak, if it is too short; it may prove to be rather restrictive." "Beginning with the front of the horse, it is important to note that a horse's head should be proportionate to its size overall. If the head is too large and heavy, it will disrupt the horse's balance. The extra weight will force more of it to be taken on by the forehead, which already supports approximately sixty percent of the horse's weight. A head that is too small can also affect the horse in a rather negative manner. The creature's upper and lower jaws shoot meet evenly in the front of its mouth, should they not be even, the horse will struggle to bite and chew its food. Things such as grass and grain. A horse's nostrils should be grand and wide. Large eyes are preferable to smaller ones, for they seem more capable of taking in the world around the horse, etc etc." Another kid, a little boy with deep red hair and green eyes shouted, "I heard that horses with small eyes are mean!" "Is that so?" Cara asked, as she raised one hand onto her hip. She leaned into it slightly, as the other hung at her side. Her eyes turning a ruby red as she glared at the child. The kid nodded vigorously. "It's only a foolish wife's tale. Disregard it completely, if you have any sense." The kid nodded vigorously again, he obviously, had no idea, that he had just been ridiculed by his teacher. "Now... where were we?" Cara asked, "oh yes... If a horse is used strictly for riding, its neck should be both fairly long, and gently curved. A tendency towards fleshiness around the throat should be non-existent, for such a thing would only serve to restrict the flexion, and movement of the head. A long neck is oftentimes associated with a horse's swiftness, shorter ones with a horse's fortitude. Thus, heavier draught breeds have shorter necks than their smaller counterparts, Frostmarch and Gilding. The shoulder should be well sloped. This sort of build allows the horse to take longer strides than one with a straight shoulder, whose movements are far smaller, and more restrictive. A straighter shoulder may also cause jarring, which can harm the forelimb. Horses with straight shoulders also tend to be less comfortable to ride. The shoulder should be somewhat muscular, but not at all loaded. The withers should be of a good height and well defined. If the withers are too high, a rider will struggle to fit a saddle upon their horse. If the withers are poorly defined, it is unlikely the saddle will stay in one place, which can be dangerous for a rider, especially one that lacks any sort of skill. With a larger draught horse, however, a slightly straighter wither is more acceptable, for they tend to wear collars so that they may pull wagons and carts filled with goods around. Their worth then, lies in their ability to pull; their strength." "A horse's chest and body should be somewhat broad, but not excessively so, for in so doing, its movement will be negatively effected. Questions?" Cara asked. All of the children shook their heads. "Good," she muttered, meaning that one, single word. |