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.

 

Inspiration Part 11 - Pets

Welcome back!

Keeping in line with April's Comedy inspired theme, this month's inspirational post will be about something that manages to make a lot of people smile. I am talking of course about our furry family members, more commonly referred to as pets!

Everyday, thousands of pictures, videos, jokes and “memes” are uploaded to the web about domestic animals, either doing hilarious things or captioned with funny comments. Family pets are often good for a laugh, popular examples would be the Grumpy Cat or Doge, which everyone with an internet connection has surely heard about by now.

Pets play a big role in people's lives, and the same can be said in litterature. Domestic animals have made their appearance in various forms, playing different roles in stories of all genres. Here are a few examples.

Main Characters. In some stories, animals have proven to be so charismatic, versatile and intelligent, that they occupy the main role. In these tales (har har!), the animals usually progress the story by interacting with the setting or secondary characters, in order to achieve a goal. Popular examples are Lassie, the Littlest Hobo, the Black Stallion, Flipper the dolphin or Skippy the kangaroo.

Companions: Just like real life, animals in literature can play the role of loyal companion. In these cases, they are often used as a plot device to help the progression of the story, either by performing an action the main character cannot, pointing out an important element to the story that is otherwise unseen by the protagonist, or simply being a friendly ear to which a character can talk to. Popular examples are Tintin and Snowy, Harry Potter and Hedwig, Dorothy and Toto, or the Lone Ranger and his horse Silver.

Anthropomorphic: These characters have animal abilities and\or characteristics. They can be either animals with human traits or humans with animal traits. Their animalistic features usually help accentuate their roles in one way or another. Examples are Scooby Doo, Salem from Sabrina, Babe the pig, Captain Carrot and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Symbolic: Any character whose very existence represents an aspect of society or humanity. They may also embody the theme, moral or idea of the story. Good examples are the cowardly Lion, the Tortoise and the Hare, Garfield, King Kong and the big bad Wolf.

Now on to the visual reference part of my inspiration post. I will be using my own furry family member, my dog Dimitri, in order to better demonstrate how animals can be an inspiration when writing.

First we will take a look at how expressive animals can be. Even though Dimitri can’t talk, he does a fine job of getting his point across, using his big boston terrier eyes.

The ever popular head tilt.

Squirrel?

Sleeping in the most uncomfortable places...

… or sitting in awkward positions.

You wouldn’t like me when I’m Hangry!

 

Da fuq?

    Domestic animals are like children, and like children, they love to play. Watching an animal entertain themselves can be both amusing and funny as hell. Not to mention playing with your pets can be a great stress reliever, and the welcomed distraction can help with writer's block.

Rearranging the bed.

Playing fetch in the lake.

Peek-a-Boo!

I haz a hoop!

No work, rest now.

Personification is the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman. Pet owners do this all the time, dressing up their animals in costumes or sharing pictures of their pets doing “human-like” things. The results are sometimes cute, often hilarious.

Bath time.

Can I eat candy cane?!!!

Dog in the hood.

 

Wassup?!

Doctor Dimitri

It’s not what it looks like!

    Some people say that dog owners often make connections that don’t exist, such as claiming their pets look like them. Though I don't believe their is actual scientific proof behind those claims, one can’t help but wonder…

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.

Until next time.

Cheers

Patrick Osborne.

***All pictures are ©Patrick Osborne 2016***