>signal horse attack garg
A steel grey horse rears up to its full height, staying there with perfect balance, it hops forward on its hind hooves, forefeet lashing out at a granite gargoyle. The hoof lands a light hit to its right leg!

A steel grey horse settles back down to all four hooves but only for a moment.

A steel grey horse leaps into the air, lashing out with its rear hooves at a granite gargoyle.


Granted Mirra only got a light hit, and missed the second attack. But WOW! This has potential.

I am guessing that the difficulty of this attack means that the horse must have more skill to do it well, against creatures that they normally attack easily, when using their normal move.

I have more details for the Horse GM, but will post that over in the horses folder. Just wanted to show you all.

Candidus
_____________________


Raellia lowers her head briefly before unleashing a roar hinting at a fatal following.
You are frozen with fear!
Tigo, Rufhelous and Grasimnio appear frozen with fear.

Rufhelous says, "That's not good."

>>A steel grey horse rears up to its full height, staying there with perfect balance, it hops forward on its hind hooves

LMFAO!!!!!

are you serious? a horse hopping? come on people, do a LITTLE research.

brandon

---

Heck no, that would ruin my destruction of the guild. I'll be aiming for the trash that everyone throws out.

Moon Mage GM - Talian

>are you serious? a horse hopping? come on people, do a LITTLE research.

It's called a corbette and it's one of the classic 'airs above the ground'. Talk about research. <g> (The other maneuver is called a capriole, btw)

Vale, player of, who's seen 'em ... riding 'em is ... well, exciting, even the piaffe

For the written description as a warhorse would perform them ...

http://www.brightfuturesfarm.org/Airs.htm

For pictures ...

http://lena.barrycaplan.com/airs_above_the_ground.htm

>but i just can't seem to believe a horse can hop on it's rear legs like a dog. i can only image only the lipizzaner horses could do something like that.

<chuckle> It's pretty amazing what a horse can do, although the airs above the ground take a tremendous amount of strength, which is why, now, it's usually only Lipizzaners and Andalusians that perform the leaps. (Corbette, capriole, and there are few more) However, that said, the originally these maneuvers were for the exigencies of battle. In that case, well, they're no where near as neatly done but rather are done for pure effect, which can provide a lot of help in getting a horse to do such things.

All of the airs, as well as the movements of classical dressage, are based on things horses will do on their own. That's how I managed to ride a horse doing a piaffe ... my mare volunteered it out of being a total idiot. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever felt in years of riding horses. But, she was a massively strong mare.

And, if you really want to know exactly all the airs, how they're trained, and anything else about the training of horses Alois Podhajsky's _Complete Training of Horse and Rider_ is the book to read. (at least for classical dressage) I can't count how many times I've read that book. <g> For more about the personalities and background, Podhajsky's _My Dancing White Horses_ is an excellent read. (It's a good read just for the history. Podhajsky had an unusual view of WWII, to say the least.)

Dio, player of

>i guess the only question i have now is, how many horses can really do this? could an average horse be trained to do this?

Hmmm, in correct style? I'd say a tiny, tiny fraction. Lets see, Lipizzaners, Andalusians, a very few Morgans, some Lusitanios ... mostly smaller, heavier horses, typically stallions. In the way a warhorse would, which isn't as controlled, from a pool of warhorse candidates, maybe a few percent have the capability. Which is about right, since only the officers would normally have a horse that could do things like that.

For an actual warhorse, the training is different, because in that case it is the effect, not the style that counts. Most warhorses had/have a rather aggressive personality, so it becomes more a case of channeling that aggression rather than teaching them to perform a specific maneuver with no other reason than obediance to the aids.

Insofar as average horse? Not a chance in this lifetime or any other. During the time period we're looking at here the 'average horse' was a sorry nag that would be glue today. Even the average horse today couldn't come close to these maneuvers. However, I assume that horses for DR characters are picked from the same pool as the characters. They're exceptional animals that are up for whatever the characters do with them. By the prices on them, this does seem to be likely.

Dio, player of

<<Does your relationship to your horse affect your jousting ability?>>

Not that I could tell from my last joust with Candidus.


Cavalier Calemnon

I picture Mirra as a Friesian if I have to equate her to any RL breed. Big chested, but not that tall. Yes 16 HH horse is fine.

If any of you have ever see the movie Ladyhawk, Rutger Hower plays the knight in that movie. His warhorse is a friesian. Very beautiful, strong, elegant horse.

Candidus