[Flashback] Keep us In (Solo)

[Cara]

Spring 28, 507 AV Again, the children had gathered alongside Cara on the rounded hill. Again, Cara stood, towering over them. Her eyes a soft violet as she took them all in. As the sun bore down on them, baking their skin. Causing their brows to sweat. "Are all my little chickadees here now?" Cara asked, as she clapped her hands together in order to get everyone's attention. For many of the children were still talking amongst themselves. Turning their attention away from each other, and to her now, the Vantha could see that their eyes were sparkling, as they clasped their hands in their laps. Many of the kids nodded. "So we shall begin. Picking up from where we left off yesterday... but so as not to bore your attention-deficit young minds, we shall simply skim over the next portion of the lesson, about the gateways to a paddock. For you know, getting in and out of a paddock is a rather nice feature, no?" The kids nodded. "Gateways must be wide enough to allow not only horses to pass through them with ease, but various, unwieldy tools as well, such as wagons filled with extra food, etc. In the name of safety, it is best if a field's gate is kept away from busy roads. Gates crafted of wood or metal are both suitable for a horse's paddock. However, they should all have crossbars, for added strength." "Thus, you may want an expert to craft the gate, to be sure that it does not sag over time, drag against the ground when swinging open or closed, or swing once it is latched closed. Gates should open easily, otherwise, a horse may attempt to push his way out of the paddock, while its master is still trying to make his or her way out. The safest way to hang a gate would have it be to swing open inwards, into the horse's pasture. This will keep the horse from pushing it open, as soon as one unfastens the catch. Also, you need this to be sturdy, because people do steal horses sometimes, and you don't want that, do you?" Cara asked. The children shook their heads. "Alright, does anyone need anything to be clarified?" Cara asked. "Expanded upon?" "Oh yes... I just want to learn as much as I can about gates, so that I can keep my imaginary pink pony safe," one of the younger boys replied sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. Cara pointed a single menacing finger at him. "Don't tempt me child. Because I will light your sorry behind on fire. Until it melts into a pool of sickly red nothing, all over the grass and your mama's lap. She'd like to clean up after you some more, now wouldn't she?" The child fell silent. Cara gave him one last, angry glare with her eyes, now largely red, before she wore on. "When wild and free, horses use natural occurrences, such as rocks and trees to protect themselves from the elements, and escape flies. Thus, for horses left in a paddock, it is essential that they too, are able to find a form of protection from the elements. Most domesticated horses, if not all of them, retain their natural instincts to shelter themselves beside a hedge, or beneath a tree if the weather gets rough. They tend to do this over choosing to go inside a nearby manmade structure. However, not all paddocks have natural shelter, so in some cases, a more unnatural one may be the only alternative." "Horses tend to be happiest when in the company of other horses, thus, field shelters need to be large enough where they can accommodate more than one horse, without risking squabbling or overcrowding. The shelter should be kept on terrain which drains well, whenever possible. If this is not at all possible, the floor of the shelter, and the area adjacent to it, may require a hard surface. The shelter should be built with its back to Zulrav's whistling wind. It should be well crafted, built strong, and treated with natural preservatives. The ceilings should be fairly high so that the horse's heads have enough room. So that they will not bump them, and acquire an injury. It should slope towards the back of the shelter, so that rainwater flows away from the shelter's entrance. Open faced shelters are best..." Cara stared at their unblinking eyes. Their mouths, held open. Tongues exposed. They didn't understand a word I just said, did they? Cara wondered with a subtle roll of her eyes, as she wore on. Skipping everything else she had intended to say. "Alright... so much like us, horses can be poisoned. Does anyone know anything that a horse cannot have, because it will kill them?" Cara asked. "My papa says that if a horse eats a buttercup, it's stomach will explode!" a little girl called, as she swept her arms up, into the air, and then circled them, to express her thoughts all the more. "Well not quite..." "So is yew! It makes its stomach explode too!" the girl went on. "Well no... but it is poisonous..." "Acorns make their eyes pop out!" a boy called. "No..." "Privet makes them cry blood. Laurel gives them boil necklaces. Box makes their bodies square, and then crushes their insides. Nightshade turns their eyes black and makes them crazy, and then they run into things and kill themselves..." all the kids seemed to be shouting at once, and as much as Cara tried, by clapping her hands and screaming, she couldn't seem to get their attention. Growing frustrated, she could feel her magic bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Rising up her body, into her arms. Her fingers. Djed spilling out of the tips, forming res clouds which wavered. Until, with dark intent, she ignited them. Instantly, the clouds roared to life. Flame flickered. Dancing yellow and orange. She could feel the heat as the children grew silent. The fire reflected in their wide eyes. "Glad you're all still listening," Cara hissed. She could hear the fire crackling, as their mouths dropped. Some of their bottom lips quivering. "I wasn't kidding before children. I shall have your intention, and none of this insanity. You will speak one at a time, if at all. Got it?" Cara asked. The kids nodding vigorously, some of them gulping down the clumps of saliva that had gathered in their throats, as she snapped her fingers, and the magic fizzled. Disappearing into a thin puff of smoke. "Wow! Do it again!" A boy in the back insisted. "No," Cara growled, simply.

[Cara]

"Now," Cara wore on, her voice only marginally nicer than her before, at least, in tone. "As you all know, if you have any sense at all, horses need to drink just like we do. Now, what is their favorite drink in the whole world?" Cara asked. "Water!" a girl replied. "Good, and they need plenty of it, which means, you as their tender, need to supply them with it. Sometimes, a portion of land will have a source, say in the form of a stream, or a pond. Streams are good, the water runs, constantly cleaning it out. Ponds don't move. They gather scum and other nasty things. Things which will make your horse sick. Fence those areas off. Now, not every bit of land has those things. So, you need to supply them water. With buckets or troughs, stuff like that which need to be tended to regularly. Changed, so nothing icky gathers inside and makes them sick. Ok?" The kids nodded. "Now, just like a horse needs to drink, it needs to eat. So, when it's outside, you may not need to bring it food, why is that?" Cara asked. "Because there is food all over the ground!" a little girl replied. "Right, and what's that called?" Cara asked, inwardly groaning now that she knew she had to tone it down a bit, or risk losing her job. "Grass!" the girl replied. Cara smiled, just for her, causing the little girl to smile back. "Right, and they need lots of it, which means, your fields have to be managed, unless you want your horse to run out of food," Cara explained. "Or suitable land to enjoy. The best pasture is one in which several seeds have been mixed together, and grown specifically, for the use and consumption of horses and ponies. A basic mixture, which tends to carry out this purpose rather well would contain approximately 50% perennial rye grass, and another quarter of creeping red fescue. The rest should be a mixture of crested dog's tail, meadow grass, and wild white clover. Another grass, known as Timothy, should also be used if you plan on pulling hay away from the paddock." "Rye grass tends to prosper in most areas, although, in lighter, poor soils, it will begin to diminish after a few years, should it not be fertilized properly. Two different types of grass should be included in such a mix. The first is creeping red fescue, a plant capable of surviving in the most difficult conditions. Again, two different types of fescue should be used in order to receive the best results. Smooth-stalked meadow grass is another alternative, as is clover," Cara explained. "Even though you may have the best mixture of grass, for a horse, possible, you are not guaranteed success. For, the amount grazed, and the quality of what the horse has to eat can vary due to a number of outside influences. Examples of this include the type of soil you plant the grass in, the amount of rain your area receives, the amount of wind present at any given time, and altitude. Soil should be tested, just to be certain that it will promote the growth of grass, and then perpetuate its existence, once fully grown. For example, if the soil proves to be far too acidic, the terrain will require a treatment of lime, during which time, horses must be kept away from the paddock. They may be allowed back once the lime treatment has been washed away by a bout of rain." "If that's true, the land should be, what?" Cara asked. The kids shook their heads, not getting it all. "It should drain well." The kids nodded, not sure why they were receiving such an in-depth lesson on grass. "Now... what else should you do when caring for a horse in a paddock, to be sure it stays healthy? I'm sure your parents did this for you when you were younger, and may still do." "Clean for us?" a kid asked. Cara nodded. "Good, horses can't really clean up after themselves, so they need our help, so that they don't wind up living in a nasty pile of stinky rubbish and poo." The kids scrunched up their noses. "EWWWWWWWW," they all said in unison. Cara groaned. "You know your mothers and fathers wiped your behinds and picked up your poo when you got it all over the floor, or tossed it against the wall to make your pathetic finger paintings," Cara hissed. "Like a bunch of simple-minded baboons." "GROSS," a boy commented. Cara rolled her eyes. "Just be sure you clean up after them, so they don't get sick. Or so you don't step in their shyke every time you go to visit them, and feed them a treat, so you'll be their favorite, alright?" The kids nodded, if somewhat reluctantly.

[Cara]

"Now, sometimes, people don't have the space to make a nice paddock for their horse, so they may have to do something else with them. Keep them somewhere else. If you don't put your horse in a paddock, you can have them live where?" Cara asked. "The stables!" the kids shouted in unison. "Right. Now a stable provides an animal with shelter from the elements. But it keeps them in smaller spaces, among other things... sometimes, the material a stable is made out of is not comfortable for a horse, so we, as their caretakers, must make it more comfortable for them. So, instead of sleeping on a hard floor, we let them sleep on, what?" Cara asked. "A bed, just like us?" a boy asked. "Not just like our beds, but similar," Cara replied. "You see, their beds could be made out of a number of things. The softer, typically, the better, because then a horse will want to rest, and quit straining their bodies, and risk harming themselves. Now there are many types of bedding we can use. Each can be good for a horse, and bad. Straw tends to be the most popular form of bedding within the stables. It tends to be the least expensive form of bedding, and is also said to be the warmest, and most comfortable bed for your horse or pony. It also allows for free drainage. It tends to be a readily available material, but will become less so during times in which it is particularly wet. Wheat straw tends to be ideal for a horse or pony, for they are not as likely to eat it as they are to try eating barley or oat straw. Each of these forms of straw, also, contain awns which may get into a horse's eye, or cause their skin to redden, and become irritated." "Straw also tends to be easier to dispose of than other bedding materials, for it may be burnt. Just be sure to do this in a safe, secure location, that is away from the stables, hay stores, your home, etc. Contractors may also use the old bedding as a mushroom compost. But, sometimes fungus, grows in it, which can create problems for a horse. How do you know if your horse is having problems with its straw bed?" Cara asked. "It'll cough, like when you get a cold!" a girl replied. Cara nodded, and offered a small smile. "Wood shavings are another option. They tend to be dust free, and horses won't try eating the shavings, as they may a straw bed. But it's not as warm," Cara explained. "Auboise is effective because it soaks up any liquids confined within a small area towards the bed's base. The top layers of the bed, thankfully, remain dry. It saves a horse owner a great deal of time in effort, in the field of maintenance, since cleaning it out consists simply of the continual removal of the horse's poop, and a delicate raking over, just to be sure that everything remains relatively level. Also, when it rots, it becomes a compost, meaning it would be good for people who live on?" "Farms!" "Where they grow what?" Cara asked. "Plants!" "Great! Now... Shredded paper is another good alternative, since it tends to be the most dust-free sort of bedding possible. Due to this simple fact, it is often used with horses who have allergies to straw, or other respiratory problems. The cost of paper bedding tends to be lower than that of wood shavings, although, a deeper bed is necessary, since the paper becomes saturated more quickly than a bed of wood shavings or straw. However, it is light and easy enough to handle, and provides a rather warm bed for your horses and ponies. A negative aspect to this sort of bedding exists in the fact that most of it seems to be made from printed paper, which may stain a horse's coat, especially in the case of greys. This will cause you to have extra work, cleaning your horse, and sending it off to the groomer. Being so lightweight, it is also difficult to muck out this sort of bedding when Zulrav decides to shower the world with one of his windier days. In the end, this sort of bedding requires about three bales a week to maintain," Cara explained. "Now, that's not all we can use as bedding, what are our other two options?" Cara asked. "Peat moss!" a girl called. "My papa uses it in our stables!" "And mine uses rubber matts!" another girl called. "Good, good," Cara said, hoping to demean them with her flat tone, the fake flash of fire in her eyes. She didn't want them to hold out any hope that there was kindness in her heart. That she liked them, or that they could ever win her over.

[Cara]

"Now, just like with the fields, it is important to change bedding, and clean up after your horse so they don't get sick. Bring them food and water. Alright?" Cara asked. "No need to get into the details of bringing a wheelbarrow by, and scooping their droppings up with an over-sized unwieldy shovel, eh?" The kids nodded. "Good, so lets move onto the sorts of things they may eat inside, when not out at pasture, ok?" Again, the kids eagerly nodded. "Horses are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants, no meat. If a horse was left in the wild, and allowed to live only on its instincts, it would spend every waking hour of every day of its life grazing, slowly transferring its majestic form from one place to the next in search for the best food source, or sources. Since they have smaller stomachs, they eat little bits at a time, and quite often. When in the wild, horses tend to put on weight when there is a surplus of food, and lose it when they cannot eat at regular intervals, perhaps due to a scarcity of food, or even, sickness. A horse's owner tends to place unnatural conditions upon their companion. One of these happenings would be the fact that most of Mizahar's races cut them off from a constant source of grass and/or vegetation, and the need to burn up extra energy by working hard, in the fields, or out in the forest, hunting alongside their master or mistress. Thus, a horse must be given access to a decent alternative to grass and other vegetation, if they are to be expected to survive. Feeding horses can be a rather complex matter. Much like Mizahar's many races, horses are individuals, what one horse needs as far as quality and quantity of food is concerned in order to maintain their health and fitness, another may not need. One may like a certain type of food, while another does not, it all depends on the horse. Despite this, a domesticated horse's diet tends to consist of a number of different types of food, which include roughage, or bulk food, and concentrates." "Roughage is what?" Cara asked. "Hay is one type," a kid replied. "Good, good. Horses get most of their roughage from hay, or dried up, what?" Cara asked. There were blank faces. "You're sitting on it right now, as I crush it beneath my feet." "Grass!" the kids shouted. Cara nodded. "Hay comes in two forms. The first is seed hay, and the second is called meadow hay. Seed hay is best for horses who are forced to work hard throughout the course of the day, because it is slightly more nutritious than meadow hay, which is cropped from a more permanent pasture. Meadow grass contains a greater variety of vegetation than seed hay, a great deal of these of lesser quality than that which is found in seed hay, causing it to have a tendency to be less nutritious, and better-suited for animals that don't have to work that much, throughout the course of their daily lives. Chaff or chop is another form of hay, which may be left on its own or mixed with oat straw in a 1:3 ratio, which has been chopped into fin pieces through the use of a chaff cutter." "How about concentrates, does anyone know the name of some of those?" Cara asked. "Oats and barley!" "And they offer a horse lots of what? Like you have right now..." "Energy!" Cara could only smile. She knew their hour would be up soon enough, and it was making her rather blissful. Or rather, as blissful as the cranky Vantha could ever hope to be. "Maize is another option, and although it is high in starch, it lacks protein and fiber. It is usually offered to a horse once it has been flaked, or micronized. It can cause the animal to heat up, and should only be given to them in small portions, every once in awhile. Bran, one of wheat's many by-products, is another option which is high in the fiber department. It is often given to horses who no longer work, or have been placed on a low-protein diet. It may be served to a horse, dry, in small amounts, or mixed with the horse's other food. It may also be served as a mash, much like barley. However, this particular mash is produced by placing the bran along wit a handful of salt within the confines of a bucket. Boiling water is then poured over the mixture, but not enough to make the mash sloppy. The pail should be covered, allowing the mixture to steam, and then, eventually, to cool," Cara explained. "What else? Three more." "Linseed!" "Sugar beet!" "And, what's the last one?" Cara asked. "It's quite sweet. Kind of like a syrup, that you may smother your breakfast in." "Molasses!" "That's right," Cara answered, as she energetically flicked her arm towards the gathered children. "Now, many things determine how much your horse should be eating, what are some of these things?" "Size!" "The horse's age!" "And what else?" Cara inquired. No one answered, an awkward silence stretched between them. "The sort of work they'll be doing, and for how long. We won't get into much detail, but... there are some rules for feeding, which I will rattle off to you." And you'll soon forget. "Can you guess any of them... though, before I tell you, based off what we discussed before?" Cara asked. "Don't feed them too much, they have puny stomachs... does that mean I get to eat whatever they don't wanna?" a boy asked. "Only if you want to eat hay," Cara replied. "What else?" she asked. "Divide what they're eating up." Cara nodded. "Make sure everything is clean." Again, she nodded as the kids fell silent. Slowly, she began to state what they missed, counting on her fingers. Tugging them back slightly as she spoke. "One: Feed your horse at the same times every day. Never leave uneaten food with a horse. Two: Never feed a horse directly before a time in which they are supposed to exercise, they need at least two hours to allow for digestion. Three: Never feed a horse directly after a time in which they have been forced to work, they should have at least an hour to cool down before they eat anything. Four: Don't suddenly change a horse's diet. Five: Don't leave a horse for more than eight hours without food." "Ohh... oh... make sure they have clean water then! At all times!" A child cried. Cara smiled. "Six: add variety by offering them treats every once in awhile, they really like apples, and carrots." The kids smiled, apparently, they did too. Cara could see them salivating at the thought of sinking their tiny little teeth into them.

[Cara]

"So... a horse needs water too. Did you know that approximately 60% of an adult horse's body is comprised of water, the exact percentage, depending almost entirely on the horse's age and condition? Water is present within each of a horse's bodily fluids, and is needed in order for its blood to function correctly, as well as a number of other things- such as a horse's digestive and excretory system. Much like many of Mizahar's races, a horse is capable of surviving several weeks without an adequate source of food, but it will be dead within a matter of a few days, if it does not receive enough water to drink," Cara explained, as their little eyes grew wide. "The amount of water a horse will need to drink on a daily basis varies based off of numerous factors, which include, what exactly," Cara asked. "What they eat!" "How healthy they are! Papa always says no one wants to eat or drink when they are sick, but usually, they need to all the more to get better!" "The weather!" Cara nodded. "And why would a horse in a paddock more than likely need less than one in the stables?" she asked. No one answered. "What is found in grass that may not be found in hay?" "Water!" Cara simply nodded, holding back her desire to melt their little tongues off so she could have silence. Wishing she could wipe away their smiles, so she could end the fake one upon her own lips. "Horses always need a supply of clean water. They can be fussy, just like little kids who don't want to eat the broccoli their moms and dads put on their plate! They don't want to have dirty, infested water. They would rather stay thirsty!" "Water a stabled horse tends to be provided for them through the use of a bucket, or special basin designed specifically for this purpose. The advantage to using a bucket lying in the fact that one may easily make note of the amount of water your horse is consuming. Buckets for water should be both rather large, and sturdy, rubber being the most resilient . A plastic bucket, although light and easy to use, tend to be far from ideal being that they tend to split, thus, increasing the chances of your equine companion becoming injured. Metal buckets tend to be the strongest, but much like a bin made of plastic, can easily inflict a wound upon a restless horse." "Buckets should be left in one of the stall's corners, although not adjacent to the door, but not too far away from it either, so that they may easily be refilled. The bucket's handle should be positioned in such a manner, that it is kept away from the horse. Some horses may be trusted not to knock their water pail over, even when it is empty, others cannot. These horses, tend to enjoy playing with their buckets. Other horses, are simply rather spastic ones, and will accidently knock it over when they are moving about their stall. Sometimes, a water bucket may be attached to the stable wall via a series of clips, or, assuming the stable is large and roomy enough, may be placed in another container, so that it remains upright." "And make sure to what kids?" Cara asked. "Clean everything!" "Good," Cara said as she clapped her hands together. "That's all for today, let us continue tomorrow." The kids smiled, as they wandered off. OOCSame reference as the start.

[Hermit]

Thread Award

Hey Cara,

I enjoyed this one as well, though I am noticing a trend to follow your reference material a little closely. You had one of the kids mention rubber mats, which are obviously nonexistent in Mizahar. Also, the mention that paper shredding would be cheaper than wood shavings, this is also an anachronism as paper would be harder to procure much less shavings of it whereas wood shavings would be an easier substance to make or come across in the tech level of Mizahar.

You are doing well, however. Just remember the tech level of the world and don't let the modern text you are referencing rule the language of the text.

Skill: Animal Husbandry 2
Reimancy 1
Teaching 2

As always, PM me should you have any questions or concerns here. I would love for you to edit the rubber for sure and maybe keep a close eye over your technology level when teaching. This will serve both your understanding of the game as well as others who read your posts.

Otherwise, good show!

Hermit