The Diary of a Shadow II (Real)

She's a french saddlebred. The first ever horse I rode was one of them. Iliana certainly is fast, I thought I was gonna fall off again when she started cantering! I'd estimate that she's about 1m70 - 1m75 to the garrot (dunno what that is in english. I think it's the withers, but hey). I love grooming horses, it's strangely soothing. I once spent two hours grooming and braiding a horse for a competition...

Yeah, they can go fast! My first horse was a Haflinger.. Very cute and sweet one! It's so amazing how the horses have their own unique personalities.. Only once I met an absolutely messed up horse.. He was abused; it was so sad. He didn't tolerate people anymore..
I know the garrot! In our slang we use some French words.. (hehe) It helps creating a bond with the horse. Aegir first didn't like people too (he was also abused.. Got hit with his 'single'[?]) So I first had to spend days walking around him and taking care of him. It was tough, he tried to squeeze and crush me while I cleaned his stable.. But in the end he became so gentle. It was all worth it!

I knew a pony like that, and I know a horse like that now. The pony could have been mistaken for just being troublesome, but if you looked closer at his body language it was clear that he was actually scared. I hated it when I watched other riders whipping him and all that... I got to know that pony really well actually...
The horse was actually the one that threw me, a reformed trotter. She can't stand things around her head, and you can tell why. There are scars down her cheeks, it's awful...
I agree with you completely that all horses have their own personalities. That's another reason I love them so much!

How people can be cruel enough to do something like that! A horse isn't 'evil' or something.. An owner once came to our manège, screaming that the goddamn beast just wouldn't listen. He had bought the horse, Helion, from the stables.. He rides very well so no one thought he'd be able to do something like that. Helion never became the same again.. I hate such people. How? Just how are they capable of torturing a horse like that?

Oh my god, poor animal.. That she still wants to ride.. So brave of her. Horses are very special. . When I look them in their eyes, and they look back, I get such a peaceful feeling. Very strange, but pleasant.

People do. Not everyone can see that a horse, when loved, will give all that love back and more. Horses actually seem to understand humans better than humans do. There's a horse at my stable. You could put a two year old on her back and she wouldn't put a hoof out of line, but someone who's been riding for years, it's almost a different horse altogether.

Well, I actually prefer horses over people.. They are always honest and have such a strange, interesting vibe around them.
We had such a horse too! He died last year of polyps.. But he had lived 22 years, so we 'excpected' it a bit.. Still, it was a very big loss. All newbies had to ride on him. He knew exactly what he had to do and when the lesson was over! He's great. He loved to drink cola.. Haha.. I still remember, every time I had a bottle and walked past him, he managed to drink some of it xD

I just get so angry at people like that.. I mean, a horse! Can't they feel how special it is? What privilige it is to ride on them? (I'm a bit freaky about that..)

I'm kinda the same actually. Horses don't pretend to listen to you. They make it clear when they don't want to listen to you. Horses don't lie.
I did my work experience at my riding stable, and when we handed out the evening feeds, the older stablehands would open all the doors and then take the buckets round. The horse at the end knew that he was always the last to get his food, so he walked out, picked up his bucket and walked back again. I was completely gobsmacked!

Indeed; they are the most noble creatures I ever met. The bond you can share with a horse.. It is so much deeper than human friendship. To me it is.

I wish I could have seen that! So awesome! We have a Shetlander, Guust, he's one hell of a little bastard xD (great pony, really) He's only friendly to the youngest kids. Whenever someone else tries to control or ride him he runs away. Then you meet him in the cafetaria or something.. Funny situations always.. But not out of fear, he does because he knows that they can't do anything about it. He stands where he wants to. The most insane thing with him I saw was when all the horses were put in one big meadow (it was because the stables burnt..), he was the leader. Even the heaviest horses listened to him.

There is so much we could learn from horses. Their whole herd heirarchy for a start. Thye live peacefully. Sometimes even stallions get along with each other! But the most shocking/funny thing about Viscento getting his own bucket was the fact that he actually picked the right bucket of feed! Intelligent horse...

It's so true.. Okay, sometimes they fight, but it's always necessary.. I know! I mean, people are very surprised when they see two stallions, but I know a lot of them who're best friends! (just don't get the mares near..lol) Smart horse! Kenji always showed the places where his saddle and stuff had to be hanged to the little ones.. So sweet. They were completely panicing because they were still new and didn't know where everything hung, then the horse shows them. Priceless.

Ah, good times with horses. We've got a horse living just up the road, called Isis (I actually know her owner as well). One day there was a storm, and she jumped the fence. I was at school, and I got the phone call saying "We've got a horse in the garden!". I really wanted to burst out laughing because I'm the only one in my family who knows how to control a horse.

Anyways, I'll have to continue this discussion tomorrow. I've got to get an earlyish bed because I'm sitting the Brevet tomorrow, urg. G'night!

Oh no! So awesome!! I saw a horse walking in the city one day.. I guess it also escaped; it was really funny because it also went in restaurants and cafés.. Hahaha.. People's reactions are great to study.

Is okay, till tomorrow! Sleep well

I wish you much luck!

I hope I'm not the only one that's completely lost in this conversation... Whilaroo, Prism, Toryn, Naveion, DE, Gabby... Please, don't leave me out like this. Don't you feel the same sentiment of complete bewilderness?
Haha, lawl.
Can't understand anything that's going on here. You can't blame me, though. I've only ridden a horse like, 3 times in my entire life, and I was like, 5... xD The only thing I know about horses is that they have four legs (hopefully), their real feet are just one big 'toe' (or am I wrong once again...), their skeleton resembles the one of a human greatly (did anyone else than me, okay, I'm an anatomy freak, but who cares, notice that the horse bod is just like the humans' only with shortened, lengthened bones, some slightly deformed than one's of a humans', and some added? But they all basically have the same shape, aye't), that they are in the equine family (used to say ecuine, lawl...), and that befoe, horses had paws... But, with evolution, they began living in flat areas (or hilly areas, but not with many, many obstacles) unlike in the past, where the ground was very unstable, had rocks everywhere, etc, etc... Where they lived.

You're quit right, CnP xD I studied their anatomy as well (I'm a freak too) It is amazing that they look so much like us. The Hyracotherium was a fox-like creature.. I'm curious to how it would've looked like.. I'm happy horses aren't extinct. lol

Lol, lucky you that you're just a freak about anatomy! In France, you pass exams with horses, and the one I'm at now, I have to know all the muscles and bones of a horse's structure...

I had to study it too for an exam! (forgot which one it was though) I like to see how the muscles move in their legs.. We had to show it on a real horse O.o (was tough)
When's your exam?

During the summer, while I'm away on the riding holiday. It's optional, but you can't go up a level if you don't pass the exams.

Of course.. Personally, I found it annoying we had to pass the exams to get in a 'higher' level. I mean, if you can ride, you can ride. With theory only you don't get to jump properly (in my first manège we had a theory exam!) Now, luckily not anymore.. I hope you make it.. You should, it isn't really that hard normally. Just the bones.. lol

Lol, thanks! Quick question, you wouldn't have read the house of night series by any chance?

No I didn't.. Never even heard of it before. Who's the author? (the title seems interesting)
What's it about?

It's a series by Kirsten Cast. It was your name that triggered it. Nyx, in the house of night, is the goddess that the vampyres worship.

Hmm.. Sounds like a very interesting series! Well, I actually had the name from Greek mythology. She's one of the primordial forces, born from Chaos. If you're interested; here's a link to the Wikipedia article.

Nyx Wiki

Ok, thanks!

lol No problemo.. I'm not only a horsefreak xD

This has been continued on my blog, lol... I'll post a link here at some point.