Post by Head Moderator on Jan 31, 2012 23:45:53 GMT -5
Ponies
Halfling Pony: The halfing pony is a highly intelligent, overly curious, friendly, eager to help (even if you don't need it) pony. As comfortable carrying the shorter folk (gnomes, halflings) through the wilds, or pulling a pony sized cart behind it. Their colors runs the entire spectrum for ponies.
Alzorc Pony: Few breeds of horse or pony can match the Alzorc for sheer stubborn will to survive. These scruffy, long haired grey or black ponies can be found among the mountain heaths and alpine meadows of Alzorc. Originally bred centuries ago for use in mines, the pony is too small for adult humans to ride comfortably, though the pony itself is strong enough to carry a normal man. With hard hooves, a thick coat, and a strong stomach, the Alzorc can survive foraging in the wilds and as such, the breed has flourished in what is otherwise a grim and inhospitable place.
Bryony Pacer: Being more calm and tame than other ponies, this pony is seen more in active use around the lands. The Bryony Pacer is a pleasant animal bred to be an easy ride, and narrow through the body for passage through the vineyards without damaging the valuable plants. The Pacer has a pacing gait that is slower than a gallop, but as easy to ride as a trot. The horses tend to be white with large brown or black spots called skewbald and piebald respectively. Not surprisingly, the horses love to eat grapes off of the vine when no one is looking.
High Moor Pony: This breed of pony is a favorite of the nomadic and proud people of the High Moors of Rumeria. The High Moor Pony is bred to survive the brutal conditions of the Moor, especially in the winter months. The Pony is capable of navigating the steep and treacherous terrain of the Moor. The High Moor Pony is a tough little horse, able to carry a hundred pounds of cargo on its back. The Pony measures 13 to 14 hands in height, and is usually a bay or gray color. The clansmen usually breed the High Moor Pony during the summer months in an enclosed corral with the aid of clan druids.
Light Horses
Obsidian Standard: The Standard is breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. It has a raw and natural ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; though beyond that it begins to lose it's speed. This horse is the most popular breed in the lands, and has a loyal and mild tempered way about it.
Ahern: The Ahern is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing, they live to run! If an Ahern is not allowed to run at least once a week, they become very stubborn and irate. Aherns are considered a "hot-blooded" horse, known for their agility, speed and spirit. Aherns are used mainly for racing, but are also bred for other riding disciplines, such as jumping and fox hunting. They are also commonly cross-bred with other breeds to create new breeds or to improve existing ones, and have been influential in the creation of many important breeds. Ahern racehorses perform with maximum exertion, which has resulted in high rates of accidents and other health problems. Aherns are prone to other health complications, including bleeding from the lungs, low fertility, abnormally small hearts and a small hoof to body mass ratio.
Pyrois Firemane: Hailing from Thanes Desert, the Firemane is considered to be good horse breed and is often used as a cavalry horse. Most of the breed are a bright chestnut color which sun-bleaches down to a softer light bay color in the coat. The mane and tail are most commonly affected with the deep to light red mixture of color, which gives this lean-built horse breed it’s name. Firemane's have narrow faces, large ears and nostrils, and are spirited and dangerous to inexperienced riders. The Firemane, being a thin-skinned desert horse, is vulnerable to colder temperatures and do not do well in cooler climates. Firemane stallions are considered valuable as adding a stallion to another breed almost always improves the breed in question.
Thane: Found among the gem-strewn Thanes Desert, this desert horse is the main form of transport for the desert nomads and some say it is the namesake of the desert, when the sands were overrun with wild thanes. These magnificent horses are long and lean with the large ears and expressive eyes of other desert horses, but differ in that there is a streak of elemental blood in them. Attuned to the earth, Thanes are immune to all but the most virulent of poisons and toxins and only in the most extreme circumstances become ill. The breed is highly susceptible to suffering from colic, and it is a leading cause of death for the breed, especially outside of the desert. This breed has an ability to withstand the chaotic sandstorms that whip across the desert. Over the years it has developed the ability to close it's ears, nostrils and drop a protective lens that covers the eye. By calling out to it's earthen bound blood the horse lays down and becomes as unmovable as the earth itself.
Madder White: The Madder White Horse was specifically bred to come in only one color, white. An average carriage type horse, the Madder White is most often seen pulling the wagons of out of the salt flats of Madder. When a large shipment of salt is made, most often the horses pulling the wagons are Madder Whites, complete with large salt crystals tied into their manes.
Sarkotos Dancer: Found in the noble stables of Navahla, the noble Dancer is bred purely for appearance and ability to perform show dressage. Tall and greyhound lean, these horses have a high gait and carry their heads arched in what is considered proper noble style. This comes at a high price to the horse as after two or three years, this style of riding causes joint problems as all of the movements are not natural. Sarkotos Dancers are also afflicted with a large degree of inbreeding due to irresponsible line breeding stallions to their own foals. They love to show off, and anytime there is at least a few people to watch, will do so by prancing and leaping about.
Avilon Timberhorse: The islands of Avilon are well known for ship building. It is much less known that the island has it’s own breed of horse, the Timberhorse. Stout and barrel chested, these dappled gray horses are bred to be very strong for pulling timber to make ships and stone to make the walls and towers of the ever growing towns and cities. While strong, the breeders also tried to keep the size of the Timberhorse down as much as possible to facilitate moving the animals on ship, and to reduce the amount of food that the horses would consume.
Heavy Breeds
Drowser: The Drowser is a breed of draft horse derived from the farm horses of Drowsing, Doxenia and named after that region. Thought to be over 500 years old, the breed was extensively used for pulling heavy loads in rural, industrial and urban settings, their common use a familiar sight pulling the carts of milk and vegetable vendors. They have been exported to other kingdoms, where they are live up to their promise of wonderful heavy horse either for work or trained for battle. These draft are noted for grace and versatility; they stand on average between 16 to 17 hands in height (the largest one record was 20.2 hands) and can weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds.
A Drowser has an elegant head with a straight profile, small ears, large, dark eyes, and a heavy forelock. The neck is long and slightly arched, the chest deep, and the shoulders are well sloped and muscular. Perhaps the most widely recognized feature of this breed's appearance is the abundance of feather, the long hairs that fall from just below the knees and hocks to cover the hooves. Drowsers may be of several possible colors, including various shades of bay (sometimes called brown), chestnut (sometimes called sorrel) or black. They have a range of characteristic white markings which are generally present regardless of body color. The most distinctive are four white feet and a blaze, most often a full blaze or large, white "bald face" marking which extends to the lips and chin and may also extend to the eye region. White on the legs sometimes does not extend much above the feather, but in many cases, it can extend up the greater part of the leg and even merge with a white underbelly. Drowsers are gentle creatures.
Ironburn Draft Horse: A thick-boned and heavy horse, the Ironburn Draft is a young breed from the vicinity of Ironburn, Bryony. As an area of stone and rock construction, there was a need for a strong horse to pull the loads of stone removed from the mountains and hills when new homes and buildings are created. A few stallions were imported to breed with the locally available mares and the Ironburn Draft was soon realized. As with most drafts, the Ironburn is docile and easy to handle, it also has a rather long coat that is predominantly gray, though there are piebalds (white with large black spots) to be found among some of the herds. They have also found work as a plow horse, a carriage horse, and is increasingly popular among the lesser ranking knights in the area for it’s strength, level temperament, and ease of care as well as being much less expensive than Rumerian Steeds.
Kyngfeld Shire: This breed comes in many colors, including black, bay and gray. They are a tall breed, with mares standing 16 hands and over and stallions standing 17 hands and over. The head of a Shire is long and lean, with large eyes, set on a neck that is slightly arched and long in proportion to the body. The shoulder is deep and wide, the chest wide, the back muscular and short and the hindquarters long and wide. There is not to be too much feathering on the legs, and the hair is fine, straight and silky. Smaller Shires, under 17 hands are generally preferred for working horses, while taller horses, especially those over 18.2 hands are used for show and promotional purposes. The breed is known for its easy-going temperament.The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling. Throughout its history, the breed has been popular for pulling brewery wagons that delivered ale to customers. This practice continues today, with the breed also being used for forestry, leisure and promotional pursuits. As much as this breed loves pulling ale wagons, it loves drinking it! To keep a shire happy, give it one tankard a week!
Madder Heavy Draft: The Madder Heavy Draft is a breed of draft horse which comes from Madder, of course. It is a strong horse that is an all-around draft horse of medium size. This quick-maturing, strong, heavy horse is popular for draft work. The head is large and long, with a Roman nose. The neck is strong and long. The back, although broad, can be weak. The croup is long, with a definite slope. The limbs are strong and feathered. Bay is its most common color, but some can be black and chestnut. It stands between 15 and 16.1 hands high. They normally bond with only it's rider, and lash out at all others - animal or person.
Zyon Harness Horse: The Zyon Harness Horse is found predominantly in northern and middle Zyon. Outside the cities, the stout black drafters are used to pull plows and farmers wagons to and from the market, while in Summerglass and other larger towns, the horses are closely clipped and used to pull carriages of the well off. Zyon Harness Horses are pure black horses. They have a horrible ride, no amount of pads or finest saddle will smooth it out. It is obvious after one ride, that it's pulling wagons and carts for a reason.
Icemane: Beauty and white often go hand in hand and in this regard the horses are no different. Seemingly sculpted of white stone, the Icemane is a large and impressive horse descended from the drafters who originally were used to haul stone in to build the palaces and porticos of the lands. In the intervening years, other horses were imported to improve the stock until an idealized horse was created. It’s draft roots are apparent in it’s large feet and stoic temper, but the horses are not good for use in war as heavy burdens on their backs tend to cause them long term problems. The Icemane was bred to pull heavy loads or carry light passengers.
Unique Race Breeds
Dwarven War Horse: These stocky, muscular steeds are an inch or two shorter than ponies and capable of entering underground passages. They are known for being as stubborn and as tough as dwarves themselves. Also, for some odd reason or another, despite being a pony, when a Dwarven War Horse is openly called such, it lashes out, violently. These horses have darkvision.
Fey Woodhorse: These horses have been warped over time by wild fey magic. While retaining the general conformation of a medium built horse, the Fey Woodhorse often has shaggy hair, horns or antlers, and magical abilities. The breed is slow to reproduce as the mares have a strong chance of being killed in the process of giving birth. They are found in the Faerie Forest.
The Thin'elrach: The Thin'elrach breed is known for being healthy, unpredictable, and long lived. Most of these horses live around 100 years or longer. Outside of the elvish lands they are known as "Starry Nights". As individuals, the Thin'elrach are territorial and demanding, be it for attention, mating, or food. The breed can be traced back to three stallions that survived crossing lands wracked by violent storms and saturated in divine essence through Thanes Desert. While their riders perished, the horses fled into Kir'viir and survived to breed with mares in the wild, producing the strong and powerful breed. These horses all have shining silvery manes and tails, bodies are of various colors, and all have a star upon the head. Trainers outside the elves consider the breed to be unable to trained to ride, as the time and span of years it takes to gain the trust of one of these horses has been recorded in the double digits.
Umbran Horse: There are myths and stories about how the Umbran horses were created, but regardless of how they were created they are the most revered horses in all the lands. The people of these lands believe the gods and goddesses watch us from the shadows, and somehow these horses have been permeated by the essence of the shadow realm. These horses are all a charcoal/slate color of gray and their eyes are a milky gray color. The breed is all but blind, but have a highly developed sense of hearing and smell, and are sensitive to movement. The horse can stand perfectly still becoming almost impossible to notice in the darkness and shadows. Like the gods, one never knows where an Umbran is watching you.
Deadmares: Deadmares are the ghosts of any horse that is slain in battle, and they all appear as a jet black horse with an unusually long mane and tail regardless of how they looked living. Most are immune to the bitterness that faces other ghosts, but some (usually the steeds of great and mighty warriors or kings) hold a tenacity with them from their rider, not wishing to move on. The long hair of Deadmares seem to blow about constantly in wind, though none alive will feel it. Their eyes are luminous orbs of light. They move at twice the speed they moved in life. When mortal horses come near Deadmares they become bespelled and will do all they can to rid themselves of their riders, by bucking and even rolling on the ground. They only hunt from sunset to sunrise. They can be summoned and even ridden by powerful necromancers. There are even tales of Deadmares appearing to a hero in need, and allowing them to ride them for one night.
Rumerian Courser: The Rumerian Courser is a cavalry horse, and is agile, strong, fleet of foot, these light calvary horses not only can charge into battle, but maneuver around the dangers easily. These are the finest light warhorse variation in the known world. While not large and heavy enough for full plate barding and charging knights, the Rumerian Courser is a solidly built horse with long legs and impressive endurance. Rumeria has spent thousands of years breeding to get the lines just right. Each stallion that is purchased is gelded before they leave, allowing Rumeria to be the sole breeders of their astounding mounts.
Rumerian Heavy Calvary Horse: The Rumerian Heavy Calvary horse (RHC) is by far the largest equine mount in the world. Thick and powerful muscles, hard and iron like hooves, nothing draws terror or awe on the field of battle as a charge of Rumerian Heavy Calvary horses. These are the finest heavy warhorse variation in the world. Each stallion that is purchased is gelded before they leave, allowing Rumerian to be the sole breeders of their astounding mounts.