Realm Horses

R

ealm horses were a surprise to the dragon folk. The folk had seen horses in Old Earth before, but they were always too small for the Giants to ride. But the horses from the New Realm were massive in comparison to old earth's counterparts. These majestic creatures still had no value to alphas and omegas, but commoners were delighted to discover them.

T

hese massive animals towered over the tall common people. They had sturdy legs with defined muscles. They had muscular chests and defined flanks. But what made them unique were their leather- like armour that added valuable protection. This armour covered their chest, then thinned out under its underbelly. The horses also had this armour on their lower legs. This was very useful, as the weakest part of a horse is often the legs. The armour also started on the horse's forehead and went down its snout. Their manes were long like the horses on Old Earth and they came in different colours.

These animals were wild and had seen nothing that resembled the dragon folk. Naturally, they were afraid as they could sense that the folk were predators and they were prey. It took a long time for the folk to break them in. Yet, with patience and compassion, the horses connected with the folk and they bred some of the tamer horses.

Horses have a hierarchy in the pack. There is the main stallion and then the leading mare. Typically, the stallions are hard to manage, but mares are a lot more subdued. Horses eat all day. This makes them perfect animals for grazing in fields. Their manure is also excellent as fertilizers once it has been “cooked” or otherwise settled for a year before using. The folk would also collect the urine from pregnant mares to mix with clay and other herbs to make a mixture for dry skin. These beautiful animals became a force of power in transporting goods from one place to another.

Basic Information

Behaviour

Horse Behavior
It is important to understand how horses behave. Understanding them will make training and riding easier, but it will also keep the rider safe. Riding a horse comes with risks and we can mitigate the risks by learning the horses cues, behaviours and body language. A horse deserves respect, but the horse must also respect the rider.
Vision A horse does not see well.The lens of the eye is not as flexible as a humans eye. Additionally, the size of the eye, along with the width of the head and body determine how much a horse sees. The horse's frontal vision is determined by the width of the forehead and how the eyes are set. A horse has two blind spots: directly in front and directly behind.
If you were to stand infront of the horse, keeping a distance of about 1 metre. the horse can see you by using binicular vision. This means that the horse can see you with both eyes, creating one image of you. Because of the lens in the eye, the further away you stand, the more blurry the image is. If you were to come closer to the horse and stand directly infront of the horse, you will be in the blind spot of the horse. This is because of the postion of the eyes and the width of the forehead.
The horse can also see from the side. This is called monocular vision. They can see one image from one eye and then a different image on the other side. This type of vision is based on the postion of the eyes on it's head. Becasue horses are prey animals, this is a useful survival tactic to watch the surroundings as they graze.
Behavioral Responses of Horses Based on Their Vision
Beacause of their limited vision and shape of the eye lens, the postion of the eyes on the head, the size of the head and the horse's body, and the width of the forehead, there are several key points to remember when working with a horse.

1. Avoid placing yourself directly infront of the horse and directly behind. This is the horses blindspot.
2. When walking around a horse, the horses vision will change from monocular to binocular quickly and could startle the horse. It is therefore important to be mindful of the visual surroundings, and to minimize spooks.
3. Experienced horse handlers will often speaks to the horse as they walk around the horse, groom or saddle the horse. This reassures the horse and tells the horse where the handler is.

Body Language of the Horse
The horse will also demonstrate how it is feeling through various movements. Their body language is often demonstrated with their ears, eys, nostrils, tensity of the face, feet movement, and tail movement.
The ears are the most telling of how the horse feels and horses have good hearing. Ears that are laid back or pinned back can signify fear or aggression. Ears that are alert can signify there is something that they can hear, but the handler can not. Relaxed ears that are moving and are floppy can signify curiousity and calmness.
Nostrils flaring could mean several things, including fear, aprehension, temperment, or respitory issues. Often this includes a tense face, and snorting which also serves as signals of behaviour. Horses have a good sense of smell and can sense danger and other aspects in nature.
Teeth gnashing can also also signify discomfort or fear.
In adittion to the facial reactions, horses demonstrate their feelings through their body. Pawing at the ground with the front hoof, can signal anxiety. Lifting hind legs, bucking, rearing, striking out with a front leg are all signs of aggresion, fear or discomfort. Swishing of the tale or a clamped tail are also bahavioural signs to look for.
A relaxed gate and a low head can signify comfort. A calm walk is also a sign of a trusting horse.
Horses are Herd Animals
Horses are gregacious in nature and live together. This has developed from evolution where horses have better survival rates when together. They share their alerts with each other by running from uncomfortable noices, which intern alerts the others. Horses do not like to live alone.
Touch
A horses skin is also an important sensory measurment. They sense heat, cold and pain through their skin. Most horses are comforted by a friendly, but firm groom. They do not like to be tickled, and this is to be avoided unless a handler is trying to get a response. For example, lifting a hoof for cleaning by tickling the back of the leg. The mouth, feet, flanks, neck and shoulders are the most sensitive ares. Special care must be taken when usung a bite. If a bite is uncomfortable, it can create problems in the mouth such as sores, or worn down teeth.
Handlers Behavior
Just like a handler should be watching the horses behaviour, the horse also senses the handler's behaviour. Nervousness and anxiety can be sensed by horses. A handler must be sensitive and respectful to the horse, but should not show fear or anxiety. Humans are predators by nature and horses are often weary at first. Horse can also challenge the handler by pushing the handler with it's head or ignoring commands. It is important to appear confident and calm. Using different whips and leads help make the handler appear bigger then what they are. Horses have excellent short-term memory retention, making them excllent animals for training.
Stable Vices
Cribbing is where the horse will bite an object while arching it's neck and taking a large gulp of air. This gulp will also come with a charactistic grunt. Cribbers tend to wear down their teeth and are often not in good condtion. Cribbers must be seperated from the herd while in a stall to prevent the other horses from coping the habbit. There are several muzzles, flute bits and cribbing collars that help diminsh the behavior.
Wind Sucking is similare to cribbing, but is done anywhere. The horse arches it's neck and takes in large gulps of air. Flute bites and cribbing collars can diminish the behaviour.
Weaving is where a horse sways from one foot to another. It is a copied behavior and often demonstrates anxiety. The horse is in a situation that creates a costant level of anxiety. This habit can tire a horse with its frequent movements of lifting its feet and swaying its head.
Stall kicking is done out of boredom or being alone. The horse will kick the stall or a person. This is dangerous for a person and can damage the horses hocks. To prevent this, bring the horse outside to graze, pad the walls, use kick chains, have toys, elastic and balls and use ropes.
Nipping is brought on by the owner where the horse bites people and other animals. They may hurt people or animals. To prevent this, feed the horse with a feed tube or hand feed only when the horse is docile.
Tail rubbing can be brought on by external factors such as skin irritations or parrisites. This is where the horse will continously rub its tail on the wall, poles or other fixed places. This can damage the hair and skin and the handler must inspect the area for irritation. Sometimes you can use a taile gaurd and use ointments for skin issues and deworming medication. It is also important to re-evaluate the grooming routine.
Bolting food or gulping down food before chewing could also signify and bad past, irregular feedings, sharp teeth or a greedy horse. This could create digestion problems and affect gut health. Check the teeth of the horse and add hay to the feed. Ensure that feeding times are on schedule.
A horse that refuses to saddle up or be groomed may have had a difficult past. The horse handler must retrain the horse and build a relationship with the horse to build confidence.
Pawing the ground is an instinctive gesture that demonstrates frustration and anxiety. Using a rubber mat can help protect the hooves from this repetitive bahavior.
A mean horse will have it's hears pinned back and will move a lot around the stall. It will go into the defensive position and may kick or buck. Handlers must approach with caution. Sometimes healthy snacks will help build the bond between a handler and a mean horse. Consult experts before approaching a mean horse.

Lifespan

50 years (domestic), 20 years (wild)