Inspiration part 20 - Horses

Welcome back,

 

Animals have made their appearance in stories of all genres, playing many different roles. In some stories, animals have proven to be so charismatic, that they are portrayed as the protagonist. Some play the role of loyal companion, and can be used as a plot device to help the progression of the story. Others have a symbolic role, representing an aspect of society or humanity. Lastly, they are used as visual elements supporting the accuracy of historical stories.

 

This particular article will focus on one of the most popular animals on the planet; the horse (Equus ferus caballus). Humans began to domesticate horses around 4000 BC, and these creatures have been playing a major role within human cultures ever since. Historically speaking, the horse has served in everything from transportation, agriculture, sports and warfare. Their likeness has also appeared in everything from coats of arms in heraldry, religion of many cultures, mythology and even the Chinese zodiac. Furthermore, many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.

 

           In order to properly include horses into literature, I recommend doing some research, as there is a lot of facts to consider. Let us take a closer look at various aspects of this animal:

 

Physical appearance:

 

Over the course of their evolution, the horse's anatomy developed several traits to better escape predators. A few quick facts about horses; they have a good sense of balance, can reach speeds in the 40 mph range, have close to a 350° range of monocular vision and are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. Horses reach full adult size by age five, and have an average lifespan of 25 30 years.

 

©Ashley Blair

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

Horses move naturally with four basic gaits: the four-beat walk,the two-beat trot or jog, the canter or lope, and the gallop. Besides these basic gaits, some horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. There is also several four-beat "ambling" gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Knowing the difference between gaits will help describe their movement in stories.

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

Horses were historically used for transportation, sports and warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed. Using different styles of equipment and methods, equestrians honed their horsemanship skills, focusing on control and balance of both horse and rider.

 

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

The proper equipment is paramount for communication between rider and mount. Horses are usually ridden with a saddle on their backs to assist riders with balance and positioning. A bridle or related headgear is used to assist the rider in maintaining control over the animal. Many horses are also driven, which requires a harness, bridle, and some type of vehicle (example: carts, wagons, carriages or chariots).

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

 

Source: Library and Archives Canada/Credit:Ronny Jaques/National Film Board of Canada Fonds/e000762521. ©Public Domain

 

Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water and shelter. This could be useful when describing the setting in storytelling, using examples such as barns, enclosures or pastures.

 

©Ashley Blair

 

 

©Ashley Blair

 

©Ashley Blair

Source: Library and Archives Canada/Topley Studio fonds/a009677. ©Public Domain

 

Although mechanization has largely replaced the horse in modern society, there are certain jobs that still require them. For example, law enforcement officers such as mounted police, search and rescue organizations, park rangers or game wardens still use horses as they are effective for certain types of patrol duties and crowd control. Cattle ranches still require riders on horseback to round up cattle that are scattered across areas of rough terrain where vehicles are less effective. Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sports, both competitive and noncompetitive recreational pursuits. They may also be the only form of transport allowed in certain wilderness areas, as horses are quieter than motorized vehicles and do not disrupt terrain as much. Horses are still being used today for agriculture practices, such as cultivating and logging. And obviously, horses are still the preferred form of transportation in areas of rough terrain where motorized vehicles are ineffective.

 

 

Source: Library and Archives Canada/Topley Studio fonds/a013052. ©Public Domain

 

Source: Library and Archives Canada/National Film Board of Canada Fonds/a157798. ©Public Domain 

 

Source: Library and Archives Canada/Ministry of the Overseas Military Forces of Canada fonds/a001310. ©Public Domain

 

Source: Library and Archives Canada/National Film Board of Canada Fonds/e010976130. ©Public Domain

 

As you can see, learning as much as you can about horses can be especially beneficial for a writer looking for inspiration. Maybe you need references for a story taking place in the wild west, a secondary character helping a protagonist in a fantasy or maybe clues for a murder/mystery.

That is all for this month's Inspiration post. I hope you enjoyed it and managed to  learn something in the process. In closing, I would like to thank each of you for dropping by, it is truly appreciated. I would also like to extend a special thank you to Ashley Blair, for providing most of the source material for this article.

Until next time.

Cheers

Patrick Osborne.

 

BOOTCAMP LESSON 14: From Fact to Fiction

Welcome back,

    For the past few years, I have been writing various forms of fiction; either working on my own novel, or creating content for Missing Worlds Media. One of the things I have been doing a lot when writing, is doing research into historical people, places and events. Adding a touch of real life to your fiction helps root it into the audience's reality, making it easier for them to grasp the timeline of your story and get emotionally involved.

Here are some examples based on my personal research using historical facts:

• Researching feudal Japan in order to make Ninja/Oni inspired criminal syndicate.
• Researching the Italian Mafia to help with a character’s background information.
• Researching Ancient Egypt for creating a realistic setting in a scene.
• Researching the sinking of the HMS Eurydic for use as a pivotal event in an origin story.

    So today’s writing prompt will be about taking moments from history, and using them to create fiction. Given that July celebrates both Canada Day (July 1st) and Independence day (July 4th), I decided to focus on those dates for our historical resource options.

BOOTCAMP LESSON 14: From Fact to Fiction

The basics of a story is a plotline which follows the exploits of the main characters as they attempt to resolve a conflict while making their way to their intended goal. When we write a story, it is our job to come up with these elements. However, pulling inspiration from actual events, current or old, can be a great start to building a storyline and helps anchor your story in history.

In the following exercise, you will have to create a two different versions of your short story, using one of the historical events listed below. For the sake of preventing copyright infringement, I only used dates that are over a hundred years old.

So, here are today's guidelines!

1. Below are six historical dates. Choose at least one you wish to work with
2. Using the historical date you have selected, write two different short stories using different approaches:
1. Write a story that is realistic, using themes appropriate to the era.
2. Write a story that is fictional, can be from any genre (horror, comedy, sci-fi, etc).

     3.   You can add as many elements as you want.
     4.    The core of the story must revolve around the historical reference.

Historical dates:

• July 1st, 1863: Beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg which was fought by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War.
• July 1st, 1867: Canada Day, a national holiday commemorating the confederation of Upper and Lower Canada and some of the Maritime Provinces into the Dominion of Canada.
• July 1, 1893: President Grover Cleveland undergoes a secret cancer surgery aboard a yacht in order to remove a cancerous growth in his mouth. The entire left side of his jaw was removed and replaced with a rubber prosthesis.
• July 4, 1776: The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, allowing the 13 American colonies to cut their political connections to Great Britain.
• July 4, 1863: The surrender of Vicksburg to General Grant and the Army of the West. With the Union in control of the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in two, cut off from its western allies.
• July 4, 1882:  The "Last Great Buffalo Hunt" began on Indian reservation lands near Hettinger, North Dakota as two thousand Teton Sioux Indians killed about five thousand buffalo.

For those who aren’t afraid to share their entries, feel free to submit them in a private message to me via facebook, and I will post them here. Remember, this is a game, so no posting bad comments about other people's entries.

Now go! Create! And most importantly, have fun!

Until Next time!

Cheers,

            Patrick Osborne

Inspiration Part 5 - Landmarks

Welcome Back!

This months Inspiration post comes straight from Chicago! During my stay in the windy city, I took well over five hundred pictures; everything from museums, buildings, landmarks, trains and so on. Now don’t worry, I won’t post all of them at once, I will be separating over several future posts.

Today’s posts will be different from what I have been doing previously, since this will focus on public areas such as landmarks, fountains and statues. The following pictures were taken in Millennium park and it’s surrounding areas. Of course, one cannot visit Millennium park in Chicago without seeing Cloud Gate, also known as “the big bean”.

    While walking from my hotel to the Art Institute Museum, a came across a few beautiful water fountains. Most notable was the Buckingham fountain, which was so big, it could be seen from several blocks away. Some were somewhat victorian style, making them contrast from the more modern fountain that was closest to the Cloud Gate. The modern one was made of glass bricks, and allowed overheated sightseers to get a nice cooling spray.

    The parks also had a large variety of statues. They ranged from historical figures, to decorative ornaments, to artistic expressions, with styles varying from victorian to modern.

 

 

 

    I loved every minute of exploring downtown Chicago, as I got to experience so many landmarks. Familiarizing oneself with public areas such as these is important for writing stories, as it can help you learn important historical backgrounds of the area, or help in gathering details for describing story settings.

In a situation like this, it is important to remember to not just look at your surroundings, but to experience them. Smells, sounds, tastes and sensations are also important information to remember, as they will come in handy when trying to describe the surroundings in your story. I personally will be using Chicago in a story, so when exploring, I tried noting everything I came across.

That is all for this months Inspiration post. I hope you enjoyed it, and I am looking forward to sharing more pictures from my trip!

Until next time,

Patrick Osborne