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 14 - Aquariums

Welcome back!

    The massive heat waves we’ve been experiencing recently made me wish I could find a way to cool down. So to get our minds off the debilitating temperatures and ridiculous humidity, I figured why not focus our imagination on more interesting things, like summer vacation! With my own vacation just around the corner, I decided to base this month's inspiration post on one of the highlights from last years trip to Chicago. I still have plenty of photos to share, so this is a great opportunity to show you all what else we encountered while in the Windy City.

While in Chicago, one of the great locations Linda and I had the opportunity to visit was the Shedd Aquarium. Conceptualized by John Graves Shedd, the aquarium was which bears his name was inaugurated in 1930 and has seen two expansions since. It is located in Grant Park, not far from the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.

With a neoclassical style, the building is made out of white Georgia marble and terra cotta. There is a fountain near the main entrance, depicting a man holding a giant fish, which greets visitors as they approach the aquarium. Once past the main doors, we enter the main hall, with its white walls, marble floors and high ceilings, giving the room an appearance that is both sophisticated and imposing.

    There are many things to see once you are past the ticket lines. First, we will take a look at some of the exhibits, displays and interactive kiosks available.

    The goal of a public aquarium is to showcase aquatic life for educational and scientific purposes. Thousands of different species are displayed in hundreds of different aquariums of different shapes and sizes. Also present are human sized sculptures of aquatic animals, either to indicate the content of a nearby tank, or to help visualize the actual size by comparison. There are also interactive kiosks, one of which was Linda’s favorite, sting ray petting!

 

 

 

Next we come to the most obvious component of an aquarium: the marine life. A wide variety of species, ranging from fish, to invertebrates, to amphibians, to mammals, can be seen up close. Their holding tanks are meant to imitate their natural habitat, which not only to makes the animals more comfortable, but increases the experience for the visitors as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, a trip to the aquarium, especially one as big and impressive as the Shedd Aquarium, can be especially beneficial for any writer. Maybe you are searching for references on neoclassical structures, or the layout of a public aquarium for a particular scene. Perhaps you need to study underwater environments for a story taking place at sea, or take a closer look at some aquatic life for a character concept (good fictional fish examples include Jaws the shark, Nemo the clownfish, or the classic white whale from Moby Dick).

    I hope you enjoyed this month's inspiration post as much as Linda and I enjoyed visiting the Shedd Aquarium. I strongly encourage you to go out there and experience it for yourself.

Until next time.

Cheers,

            Patrick Osborne


***all pictures are taken by myself. Copyright Patrick Osborne, 2015***

Inspiration Part 10 - Field Museum

Welcome back!

            Since March had no theme per se, I was left wondering what to talk about in this month’s inspiration post. Going over my files, I realised there is still plenty of content from my trip to Chicago that is still unused.

This presented itself as the perfect opportunity to share these pictures. I had taken hundreds of photos, so deciding which to chose was not easy. But then it dawned on me; the Field Museum was mentioned in the book I reviewed last month (The Time Traveler’s Wife), so best cover it now while it was still fresh on everyone's mind.

First let us take a look at the building itself. The outside has a strong greco-roman feel to it, giving it an appearance that is both sophisticated and imposing. Once past the main doors, we enter the main hall, with its white walls, marble floors, high ceilings and the presence of giants (two elephants, totem poles and of course SUE, the T-Rex) succeed in making you realise just how small you are. Truly an awe inspiring experience.  

              Further inside, the main hall divides into several exhibition areas, each showcasing displays with different themes. There was obviously way too many things to list here, so I will stick to some of the most memorable. In order to try and include more content, the picture I will be posting will be panorama’s, so sorry if the images seem a bit distorted.

             First on the tour we have the animal displays. Large rooms with multiple aisles, each composed of large glass displays. Each display contained real, stuffed animals from various regions around the world. I believe it was mentioned somewhere that all of these animals had died of natural causes, either donated from zoos or wildlife reserves (but don’t quote me on that, since my memory has been known to be hazy). For those who have read The Time Traveler's Wife, below you will see Bushman the ape, who was mentioned in the book during Henry’s first encounter with himself.

             Next we had my favorite exhibit: dinosaurs! I have had a love for dinosaurs ever since I was a child, so I was super excited to see this exhibit. I have posted only a few pictures here, as I plan on making an inspiration post in the future centered on bones and archeological research, so I don’t want to give too much away. For now, enjoy some of the panoramas I took.

             The museum had two floors, a large portion of the area was dedicated to exhibits featuring cultures from different countries from various time periods. Among them were Ancient Egypt, Tibetan artefacts, the african slave trade, native indians and so much more. I wish I had had the time (and memory on my camera) to take more pictures from each display. These displays contained a plethora of potential reference material.

             As you can see, a trip to the museum, especially one as diverse as the Field Museum, can be especially beneficial for a writer looking for inspiration. Maybe you need references for a period piece taking place in Ancient Rome, various animals for a jungle setting or maybe just the layout of a museum for a particular scene. Bottom line: go visit one, you'll be surprised at what you will find.

            I hope you enjoyed this month's inspiration post and that I encouraged you to go out there and experience it for yourself. Until next time.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne