The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Horses
The Secrets Only Insiders Know
WRITE IT RIGHT #1
Becky Burkheart
Previously published as Sue L. Huffman
Copyright
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Copyright Copyright 2008 by Sue L. Huffman
Copyright Copyright 2011 by Becky Burkheart
All rights reserved.
Epub ISBN: 978-1-936507-10-8
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Text and Cover design: Holly Lisle
Cover Art: Photo image Copyright Becky Burkheart
Photo credits: Becky Huffman, Dan Stanfield, Jacob Huffman
Major Photography - Austin Texas, Leslie Stauffer
First printing 2008
Second Printing, 2011
Becky's first pony came along early in her childhood and by her late teens she was teaching and training professionally. Since discovering AERC endurance riding in the late 80s, running wild through the woods has remained her true love while she's flirted with everything from 4-H, dressage and barrel racing to more esoteric sports such as jousting, mounted archery and Cowboy Mounted Shooting - all on horses she's bred and raised.
Sue has a unique perspective into the relationship with a horse, not just from the many horses she's handled over the years, but from the untold hours of riding cross-country, day and night, in varied terrain and under all kinds of conditions.
* My email: BLUESue22@gmail.com
* My website: http://bluesuel.blogspot.com/
The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Horses
Mistake Eight - Falling Off (a)
Mistake Ten - Diggers and Bucket Bangers
Mistake Eleven - Communication
Mistake Twelve - Gender Bender
Mistake Thirteen - Illness and Injuries
Mistake Fifteen - Drinking & Exercise
Mistake Sixteen - Mares in Labor
Mistake Eighteen - Breeds and Specific Types
Mistake Nineteen - Consistency
Mistake Twenty-One - Anthropomorphization
Mistake Twenty-Two - Pedigrees
Mistake Twenty-Four - Fantasy Horses
Mistake Twenty-Five - Harness Horses
Mistake Twenty-Six - War-mares
Mistake Thirty - Daily Care & Inanities
Mistake Thirty-One - Does Size Matter?
Mistake Thirty-Two - Injuries to People
Mistake Thirty-Three - Don't Try This At Home
Welcome to A Conspiracy of Authors
To my SHADOWFAX,
He taught me to listen to what horses had to say.
Acknowledments
Many Thanks to Leah Breamal http://leahbraemel.blogspot.com/
Tamara Woodcock http://www.aelfleahfarm.com/
Val J http://endurovet.blogspot.com/
Anne McGoy http://www.briarwoodarabian.com/
Sheila Harmon at http://www.destinyarabians.com/
Theresa Chappell, DVM, Kitty Myers, Sue Stewart, Pamela Klein, Christine Warren, Robin and Robin with RWA Elements, and special thanks to all the ladies in the Garden.
A roomful of horsemen will disagree in five ways on three subjects, and for the most part, it's not a matter of right or wrong, but of personal experience and perspective. And that makes it difficult for authors to know which experience applies to which situation.
What makes my perspective worthwhile? I've been involved with horses a long time, since the '70s and most of what I've learned has come from the school of hard knocks. If there's a mistake to be made, chances are, I've made it.
I'm competitive, but also in it for the fun, and that makes me prone to dabble. I've done ring classes in all kinds of shows, some dressage, lots of fun cowboy stuff like rodeo and speed events and a little cow work. Even medieval and western reenactment - I've used the lance, axe, bow and gun from horseback.
My long time abiding love is the trail and I've been riding AERC Endurance since 1986. So I know about being on horseback all day, galloping in a crowd and being alone in the woods with a horse. I've ridden for miles and hours under the worst kind of conditions and I've ridden when I was so sick I couldn't stand up if I wasn't sitting in the saddle.
I've trained professionally and been a riding instructor, as well as having bred my own horses since the early '90s, so all this fun has been had on a variety of horses, both good and bad.
In writing this book, I'm offering to let you apply my screw-ups, experiences and expertise to your writing. Because I've lived the range from success to the worst wrecks, because I've seen the usual suspects make the same wrong assumptions and errors over and again - both in riding and writing - this book will help you avoid the writing mistakes and show you ways to use the riding mistakes to strengthen and deepen your equine characters and interactions.
I'll answer the questions you didn't know you needed to ask.
Horses are living, breathing, thinking creatures with strong individualities. They have rigid social structures within the herds and will, on some level, transfer that to the people and other creatures in their world. They're emotional animals with a strong flight instinct that conflicts in many cases with a strong protective instinct.
Throughout our real history, there have been cultures and individuals who celebrated the horse and others who didn't. Fictional horses and horsemen, however fantastical or realistic, should fall within those guidelines. Yet many authors tend to use them only as a type of velveteen window dressing or a passionless means of transportation.
Not just getting the basic facts and terms correct, but giving your horses a little personality can add layers, depth and realism to your world and will help it stay in the readers mind.
It seems standard fare to mount the hero on a stallion, but this is a point where authors need careful attention to their cultural nuances and worldbuilding. Most modern heroes aren't going to be riding stallions unless they're equine professionals or male chauvinist assholes with self-esteem issues. European, Middle-eastern and South American cultures are less prone to geld their stallions and Medieval or Fantasy worlds may legitimately mount their heroes on intact males. But many authors use the designation without understanding what a tremendous source of conflict having to manage a 1000lbs or more of testosterone gives their hero.
Riding a stallion is like driving a high performance sports car that has ADHD. I have a stallion; he's the light of my life. He's optimistic and energetic and ambitious. He's personable and sexy beyond all reason. But he demands 120% of my attention at all times. If I needed to cross the mountains to get medicine to the children, I would take him because between me and the mountain, we could keep him focused. If I'm going to an event we've trained for - he does well for me, but he's not a lazy Sunday kind of horse. If you haven't seen Shrek II, watch it. Eddie Murphy plays a fantastic stallion with all his attitude and prancing and posing. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. He was perfect.
* I think the main issue authors need to understand is that stallions are all about sex. Certainly they can be trained to behave and not talk trash or posture and strut for the mares, but they are still thinking about it. Every minute. It's simply how they are and it's what they do.
* You'll seldom see a stallion standing quietly and napping unless he's tucked in at home, and then he'll be masturbating - eyes half-closed in a sweet dreamy way as he thumps his erection on his belly. They can't be tied on the hitching post in front of the saloon and they can't be put in a box stall next to a mare or another stallion. They tend to be very destructive. They squeal; they rear and strike and kick; they blow and sniff and snort. They'll flirt with any horse within range, or any scent on the air, or with any person standing nearby. They love the smell of mare poo. If they aren't acting on these urges, they're thinking about them. You'll see it in the bow of their neck, the perk of their ears and the twinkle in their eyes. If they aren't allowed that, they're likely to turn sullen.