Ask Me About Horses

[gavintonks]

Please do not believe what you see in the movies. They have 5 different horses to play scenes and spray paint them to look the same.

A galloping scene in a movie is a carefully prepared stretch of sand probably built up on layers with hidden sprinklers and people with buckets of mud throwing it around for effect.Their are spca and animal rights representatives on scene, hundreds of technical people and camera dolleys for the close ups. The horses are trained for at least a month before and acclimatised to the equipment and scene.

They also have casting roles for the horses.
Mud is slippery and dangerous or glutinous and sticky, either way 800kg on 4 legs galloping at between 440 and 40k [for a 1km stretch at a time, is not going to splash through a difficult terrain
Plus your weight on the animals back and what ever else you are carrying

Hollywoood has always added the emotion into the scene for entertainment value
Same as Zirro just follow the hoof prints horses make tracks running up and down the same paths they quickly cut a 2inch pathway and compact the soil

 

[BWFoster78]

Okay. Thanks for the input.

I'm minimize the amount of mud.

Thanks!

 

[gavintonks]

hahahhha have a road as there are always road links between towns for cartridges etc

 

[gavintonks]

sorry carriages and they can splash through the water

 

[gavintonks]

Journey to The Super Bowl - YouTube behind the scenes of budweiser commercials to get an idea of a horse centric film set and the set ups which are later edited to be what you see in the ad

 

[Callan37]

I'm not sure if this has been asked, but I only skimmed through most of the posts to this point, so my apologies in advance if this is a repeat:

I'm curious how far a horse could travel with a rider on its back in a week's time. I know almost nothing about different breeds of horse, so if that would make a difference, I would love to know that as well.

Thank you!

 

[dangit]

similar to the question about desert horses, My MC is a horse archer and I was wondering what breed of horse would be best if going through forests of mountains as well as plains for long periods at a time.

Thanks for any help:cloud9:.

 

[CupofJoe]

I'm not sure if this has been asked, but I only skimmed through most of the posts to this point, so my apologies in advance if this is a repeat:

I'm curious how far a horse could travel with a rider on its back in a week's time. I know almost nothing about different breeds of horse, so if that would make a difference, I would love to know that as well.

Thank you!

Callan37
I've read that 30 miles a day for a week would be considered good. but of course any distance will be affected by weather and terrain just like it would be for humans walking. I have also read that every week or so you have to give your horse a day to rest.
I have found this site a mine of information.... The Care and Feeding of Fictional Horses
and this site can be useful... The Long Riders' Guild

 

[Scribe Lord]

I have I quick question. In my story I have a man trying to cross a desert on a horse. So basically, how long could a horse last traveling through a desert? He's going to have to navigate through hot sand and rocks, and with no water and very little food. What reaction would you expect to get from the horse as time goes on?

 

[BWFoster78]

Can one ride a horse and sleep in the saddle? If so, how difficult is it to accomplish? Any kind of description of what it would be like?

Thanks.

Brian

 

[mollymortensen]

I read in a fantasy novel where experienced horsemen had learned the trick of sleeping in the saddle. No clue about actual horses though.

 

[SeverinR]

Can one ride a horse and sleep in the saddle? If so, how difficult is it to accomplish? Any kind of description of what it would be like?

Thanks.

Brian

My daughter and her best friend slept on long trail rides many times. They went on night rides and day rides. I dosed on a horse, until my horse started falling asleep while walking.(slowed down and drifted off trail) so even horses can sleep walk.

Basically the lead horse is boss, everyone else follows.

 

[wordwalker]

The Mongols used to do it (or, everyone said they did-- it might not have been literal). Still, they were some of the best horsemen in history, so that doesn't say how hard it is for other people to learn the trick.

 

[SeverinR]

I would add, its not a restful sleep, because there is a part of your mind keeping you balanced, deep sleep would mean falling asleep with a painful awakening. (and as any time you fell off the horse, the horse would look at you like your stupid)

 

[BWFoster78]

From these responses, it appears it would be difficult for my novice horseman character to accomplish, especially considering he's clumsy as a rule. Would you agree that the most accurate representation would be to have him nod off and nearly fall from the horse?

Thanks for the responses!

 

[SeverinR]

My daughter slept on her third trail ride, her third time riding a horse.
Its not something you learn, you just get tired and bored and your mind drifts off.

I think anyone riding a long time, would eventually drift off, but a clumsy person could fall off. Staying on a horse requires balance.

 

[wordwalker]

Then again, you could tie yourself in the saddle. Whether tipping over would wake you up or make the horse stop might be harder to say.

 

[gavintonks]

dozing and nodding off is easy. sleeping is hard your head weighs about 25kg for an adult so it drops like a stone when you nod off making it very uncomfortable
you can use a hypnotic trance to sleep in the saddle so your muscles remain controlled in the process of riding but your mind is in a state of rest
it would rquire simple self hypnosis techniques

 

[Nihal]

dozing and nodding off is easy. sleeping is hard your head weighs about 25kg for an adult so it drops like a stone when you nod off making it very uncomfortable

You forgot a dot here, otherwise more than half of my weight would be my head, haha. Anyway, the head of an adult should weigh between 4.5kg and 5kg (10 to 12 pounds).

 

[BWFoster78]

Next question:

My intrepid heroes are compelling their horses through a cave. Previously in this thread, I've gotten advice on how the horses would react, so thanks for that!

The cave gets tight in one area and the biggest horse is going to be a tight fit. I'd like one of the characters to stay behind the horse while another leads. I'm wondering if this makes sense, however. Is there any reason for him, logically, to do so? Maybe he could provide light from behind and see from that angle where the horse is encountering difficulty?

Thoughts?