#instead of dressage to event its event to dressage

[windforestsso]

I still believe SSO should have rotating events instead of either having them same each time but leaving the players bored or try to one-up themselves to try to keep players interested but would mean the workers work on something that doesnt matter in the long run.

Having there be atleast two years between the same type could make players more excited. Like distance makes the heart grow fond or the like.

With the equestrian festival as exempel.

They could focus on four different riding styles: dressage, western, jumping and terrain. One for each Soul Rider.

Dressage would only have dressage, and not have Sabines races. Anne could have a quest where she teach the mc her routine she was supposed to do in the competition if she wasnt kidnapped (if the player havent saved Anne yet it could be Derek instead and he say something like "I dont know much about dressage but I would watch Anne practice and thought I should set this stuff up in her honor. I miss her") could also add some kind of rivaly with Jessica/jay as they where her villian in the old ssl games

Western would like wise only have western stuff and of players havent saved Lisa yet it could be her dad setting things up. This could be over done with camp western being a thing now. Could have a quest with Sabine. Scott buttergood can be included here with the farm animals running away.

Jumping would have Linda (who is she close to that can hold in stuff if shes still in the castle?) Linda didnt have anything against a dark rider in the ssl game so it could be Erissa. But as she comes to the game so late maybe its best if its mr Sands instead.

And Alex would have terrain. Her quest could go up against Katja. I thought it could be fun if this included outfits thats covered with mud.

If four different equestrian festivals is too much it can instead be split up to two. Like have one version with Dressage in jorvik stables and jumping in moorland. And another version with terrain in jorvik stables(or in greendale) and western in Moorland (could be in starshine ranch but to not have it too much like camp western its probably better for it to be in moorland)

With Halloween it could be that every other year Ydris can take over again to have his party, and those years would focus on the party aspect of halloween, with costumes and tales around fire pit.

And the other years it focus on the more scary part of Halloween, ghost and spiders. Have more tales about jorvikian history.

Dont know how to best split up winter event.

It can also be a complete flop of course.

With people getting mad or frustrated that the current years version of an event is less popular and need to wait about year to play the version they like.

[gabessquishytum]

That equestrian dream ask coupled with the fact that I live in the west gave me an idea. Equestrian!Dream and Rodeo Bronco Rider!Hob where they both work with the same ranch. Dream is all about elegant training and perfect presentation while for Hob its a good day if he lasts 6 seconds on a horse. Its a very tension filled stable and grounds and if Matthew finds them eye fucking one more time he Will lock them in a paddock. Eventually Dream finds out that Hob does indeed ride dick as well as he rides horses.

💳 anon

Aww I love this contrast!!! Maybe Dream is into showjumping or dressage?? Anyway he's very precise and proper and perfect. His outfits never have a speck of muck on them and he practically smells like old money.

Then there's Hob. Practically raised in a barn, kitted out in the same old clothes week after week. There's a permanent streak of dirt on his face, and he's always bandaged up in some capacity from a dodgy landing. He doesn't let it stop him!

Dream has no respect for Hob whatsoever... but this is simply because he doesn't understand the whole bronco thing! He has a basic idea of the concept and thinks its very silly. He has absolutely no idea that Hob is an exceptional competitor, regularly scores in the 80s and 90s at events.

Until someone (Matthew?) explains to Dream that Hob is a very talented man, actually. And Dream finally pulls his head out of his arse and starts looking.

It takes a while, but Hob has tamed wilder beasts than Dream. Although he does still refuse to fuck in the stable, prissy little princess that he is. They do it in the tack room instead. Hob bends over some old boxes and Dream has him from behind, gripping him by the hair and manoeuvring him back and forth on his cock like a toy. Poor Hob is ruined for any other man after that. How can he make do with wannabe cowboys?

Fortunately Dream intends to keep him, so there's no need to worry. He can't wait to see however Hob’s stamina and flexibility will pan out in the bedroom...

[m1ckeyb3rry]

NPC!!! boytoy on npc status is crazy LMAOOO Im assuming the horses’ names are announced during competitions I think it’d be hilarious to hear them announcing boytoy during an official event LOL

Kaneshiro drop the opp deets gotta do some enemy recon work LMAO imagine we actually get profiles or at least appearances of their family members omg…

LMFAO Otoya’s “I can’t be seen with this” is killing me but CRYING imagine karasus reaction to otoya rizzing up yayoi “get yer ass away from my sisters she dgaf”

CHRIS PRINCE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION LMAOOO I’m crying at the sylveon origins too that had to have been the worst reveal of them all like he preps all that only to end up with a pretty pink pokemon instead of his “shadowy sneaky pokemon that mirrors his own coolness”

THANK YOU I’m bookmarking this link LMAOO

I’m crying Karasu villain era pokemon au yukis off the hook now it’s Karasu’s turn LMAO

OMFG THE AUDIO??? BRO it’s fr Barou and reader (I also dgaf abt satosugu whoopsies guess we’re in the hot take club together) but im CRYING if there’s a way to post audios here you should fr link that song in the final chapter and be like “ok listen to this while you read”

LMAOA I remember being so confused when the four move rule was broken in the anime the jolly gyarados fr scaring the shit out of other trainers and pokemon LMAO (bonus points if it’s so happy it closes its mouth and smiles therefore looking even more cursed) gyarados being able to learn electric moves while being water flying is actually crazy LMAOO

The pokemon au world building team arranging grind is insane it’s so funny though like im literally pulling up bulbapedia to get a list of all the pokemon from a specific type

Choosing scrafty was just meant to be I didn’t even think about the typing LMAO

Ok but now that you mention it why does it fr feel like there’s less pokemon than I remember LOLL like on top of the fire electric dilemma I was trying to come up with another steel type just to see if I could think of one and indeed I could not ok but the teams you made fr go hard

Ok but also pause any people you think would have any shiny pokemon? Lowk kinda just curious I remember it coming up occasionally in the anime too where some people had shinies but I wanna hear if anyone screams “I have a shiny” to you LMAO

- Karasu anon

HAHA yes they usually do announce horse’s show names at hunter shows (i do dressage now but when i was younger i did hunters) and races!! boytoy was a mini so he never showed unfortunately…most horses have different show names and barn names actually and some of the show names are INSANE (especially with racehorses) i think my fav racehorse name is this really famous (in the horse world) stallion named fusaichi pegasus who passed last year…idk why but that’s just a crazy name to me DRJKSKS racehorse names can’t be repeated if another horse is still alive with the name (or if the name gets retired in the case of super famous racehorses) so people get VERY creative with them…and then 99% of racehorses get retired and it’s considered bad luck to change a racehorse’s jockey club name so people will show them under their goofy ass race names (i once saw one named richard cranium which was basically just dick head but fancy DKFHSJSJ)

nah because i need to know more about nagi’s parents what are they even up to that requires them to be away from their kid for that long??? it’s not even like they’re that rich either nagi was a scholarship student at hakuho 😭😭😭 maybe they just don’t like nagi or smth because genuinely i don’t see what the point is like how is MR MIKAGE the literal CEO of a BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY more present in reo’s life than nagi’s parents are in his??? ceos literally have 0 free time and yet he somehow manages (not that reo rlly wants him to but yk)

otoya is def soooo reluctant to capture the mareep but tullia and reader are like “noooo it’s so cute stop you can’t break its heart” and the mareep is just staring at him like 🥺🥺🥺🥺 and karasu’s just like bro you gotta do it LMAOAOA omg imagine they walk into yayoi’s gym and otoya’s like DAMN WHO IS THAT FINE BABE and karasu’s like that is my SISTER shut the FUCK UP (bro got reverse bfb’d…otoya in his yukimiya era fr) omg wait bonus points tullia is definitely like “yo she just looks like a female karasu 🧐 otoya do you have something to tell us…” and reader’s just like “GAY 😱🫵🏻🏳️‍🌈⁉️” HAHA deadbeat dad otoya x single mother karasu is so real and canon tbh (reader and tullia are their “kids” who have 0 interest in being parented or taking advice from a couple of dumbasses who are barely two or three years older than them)

no because you CANNOT tell me chris prince wouldn’t have one of those online courses you can buy that like shows his journey to being an e4 member + his training regimen + product placements (he’s definitely sponsored by ness’s poffin company) and he gives gifts to his top subscribers (otoya is one until the vulpix incident + yukimiya overhears the ness poffin commercial chris is doing and he’s like lmao those suck nobody actually good uses them which changes otoya’s life as he comes to the harsh conclusion that celebrities can lie)

HE WAS SOOO PREPARED FOR THAT UMBREON TOO he was so hype to finally have another greninja-esque pokémon and then his poor eevee evolves into a sylveon and he wants to be upset but like. he CAN’T be because a) he should’ve expected it atp and b) it means his eevee loved him so much that it had no choice but to evolve into a sylveon (maybe he’s battling reader’s houndoom too because he wants his eevee to get into the dark-type mindset but then it evolves into sylveon and he’s about to crash out but then sylveon ohko’s houndoom because it’s a fairy type and he’s like 😮☝🏻 wait a minute…) LMAOO wait but another otoya slander moment is karasu’s garchomp FJSKJSSJ basically while reader and co are out and about they happen upon a gible which ofc makes both reader (who doesn’t have dragalge or gyarados yet so she still rlly wants a dragon type + garchomp is widely considered to be one of the best pokémon) and otoya get into a huge argument over who gets to capture it and while they’re fighting there’s the sound of a pokéball and they turn and fucking KARASU is standing there with his dumbass smirk like “you snooze you lose 😜😏” because they just assumed he’d only want to capture flying types like his sister (this is pre-lucario obv) so they didn’t even consider that he’d try to capture the gible LMAOAOAO so yet another moment where otoya misses out 😭 it’s funny because reader and co all have their one or two signature pokémon that are super super intimidating (reader’s houndoom and gyarados, karasu’s honchkrow and garchomp, and tullia’s infernape) meanwhile otoya’s signature pokémon was SUPPOSED to be his greninja but in practicality is his sylveon because she’s a fairy type so he’s alwayssss throwing her out since she has so many advantages especially against the evil team

side note but i think i’m going to name the evil team “team x” as a call back to barou’s team in first selection HAHAHA i think it’s funny + i’m setting the au in kalos because that was my first pokémon game + we’re basing it on xy/oras lore but kalos fits the vibes of the au better than hoenn for some reason (def changing the order of gyms and whatnot though…like for example i came up with nicknames/taglines for all of the gym leaders based on their canon nicknames so like luna’s the “scion of santalune” the way he’s the scion of real madrid in the show which means santalune is where the seventh gym is for reader and co even though it’s the first gym in the story)

THE AUDIO FITS SO WELL IT’S SICKENING reader and barou are like satosugu on crack because they’re literally FAMILY like that final battle is the culmination of three generations of brothers and sisters loving one another i fear i am sososo obsessed with them…can’t watch barou edits without crying and NOT just because of how hot he is…also thinking that after her houndoom kills barou reader just passes out and she has a dream of when she and barou were kids and had sleepovers and it’s the next morning and he’s waking her up and she tells him she doesn’t want to wake up because she’ll have to leave him once she does and he’s like “yeah but eventually you’ll have to” and then she DOES wake up and for a second she still thinks it’s barou shaking her and asking her to wake up but it turns out its KARASU because he pulled up with his garchomp after nagi told him to check on reader (he’s the only one left with healthy enough pokémon that he can go back and doesn’t need to be escorted to the pokémon center) and apparently her houndoom dragged her over so that she could be next to barou’s corpse because it’s houndoom culture (??? wtf is it called when animals do something…anyways ykwim) to stand vigil over a corpse (hence why her houndoom is standing over barou’s houndoom’s body and howling as well as why houndoom are associated with death) and it knew how much she loved barou so it thought she’d want to do the same for him even though she was knocked out 😞 unfortunately karasu thought she was dead because she was just lying next to the actually dead barou so he was freaking out and that’s when reader realizes what she did and starts crying but this time she’s not alone (unlike when she was fighting barou) because karasu’s there and she realizes that through her search for barou she managed to find a new family and she kinda wonders to herself if barou is the one who sent karasu (i’m imaging karasu and reader specifically have a very ridiculous meeting…like tullia and otoya join the gang in a normal way but karasu and reader have a dumbass coincidental meeting that had a 0.01% chance of occurring) to look after her when he couldn’t anymore 😩

THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING like to reader gyarados is just serving “😄🥳🥰🕺🏻” energy but to literally everyone else it’s giving “🤬😤👹🌪️” HAHAHA tbh all of the gen1 pokémon have such weird moves that they can learn like rhyhorn can learn surf fsr?? so odd

HELPP me on serebii.net with my magnifying glass like 🧐 who can fit on this random team…the way i still have to come up with mr mikage’s team too 😭 and at least a signature pokémon for the rest of the e4 candidates (kunigami kaiser and bachira)…okay i’ll do that in between our asks and let you know in the next one what i’m thinking for those!! at least they’re not limited by type KDDJSJSJ because isagi is an e4 candidate w a mixed team so we’ll follow that logic and say the other candidates are like that too and ofc the champion always has a random team

no literally how are there like 700 something pokémon in gen 6 but yet none of the types we need?? ig there’s a lot of random useless types and not as many of types such as steel and electric as well as all legendaries and mythical pokémon were excluded but still it’s crazy

okay so there’s definitely a few that scream shiny now that you’ve brought it up and one that i’m actually going to say IS shiny in the story because it makes things funnier and yk that’s my brand

so firstly out of everyone tullia as a breeder definitely would have a shiny since her whole thing is desirable pokémon!! maybe shiny pokémon have like a rare gene that causes the mutation so people are biased towards breeding to shinies since they think it’ll give them a chance at having shinies of their own even though it’s still a very low chance…i can see her lanturn being a shiny!!

now hear me out w this one: hiori + shiny metagross…no particular reason other than shiny metagross is SOOO gorgeous like the white and gold 🤩🤤 maybe his parents splurged and went all out and bought him a shiny beldum for mikage-levels of money 🤔

if this were animated i could see barou having a shiny houndoom just to differentiate between his houndoom and reader’s in their final battle (although it wouldn’t be a big deal because only reader is able to mega evolve her houndoom…barou was able to when he was alive but now that he’s dead the ghost pokémon possessing him doesn’t have the bond required w houndoom to get it to mega evolve)

nagi and shiny goodra just because shiny goodra’s yellow and pink theme is so pretty and so nagi somehow??? actually shiny whimsicott lowkey screams nagi too LOL i could see him with either!!

yukimiya + shiny steelix…come on it’s literally all gold…would go CRAZY in contests!!

shiny aegislash is cool as hell so i can def see reader having that!! it kind of fits the whole isekai magic sword theme like the black sword and all…regular aegislash is cool too with the purple but shiny aegislash fucks severely

HOWEVER the one that i would actually make canon (does it count as canon if this is a fic?? pokémon-au canon anyways) is reader’s gyarados!! mostly because shiny magikarp is all gold so imagine the fisherman tricks her into trading with him by being like “yeah this is a completely new species never been discovered super rare probably powerful” and she’s like yooooo and she trades for it but then tullia and karasu are like WTF 😭 because yes it’s a shiny but it’s still just a magikarp…they try to convince her to sell it to a fancier who would use it as a pond decoration or something (which is what the fisherman should’ve done but maybe the town is in the middle of nowhere and he’s not that smart so he didn’t realize that he could’ve gotten way more than just a pikachu from the magikarp) but reader’s like HELL no this is MY pokémon and i love it even if it’s useless 🤬 galvantula already carries it doesn’t matter if the rest of my team can’t do anything 😩 LMAOAOA okay probably not that part but the sentiment is the same so tullia and karasu just give up (otoya’s just glad he’s not the one who got duped/stuck with a bs pokémon for once) and then ofc her magikarp eventually evolves and she’s like HAHAH told you so 😜 (now otoya’s jealous because how come all of HIS pokémon evolve into cuddly cute things that couldn’t intimidate a child but reader’s useless golden fish that she got scammed into taking is now this massive monster of a sea serpent????) i think her gyarados being red further adds to the intimidation of it being special for being happy…like holy shit not only is her gyarados “insanely angry” it’s also RED people probably surrender as soon as they see it enter the battlefield 😰 also that makes houndoom and gyarados kind of match which is cutesy!! but tbh idec abt shiny gyarados i just think the shiny aspect to magikarp makes the scam sm funnier and also more believable

[leverageclips]

The Olympics ended a while a go but I finally wrote this out!

Olympics!Leverage

Parker is a world famous artistic gymnast, an absolute monster on the balance beams and the definition dexterity on the floor. Became a meme because of her terrible track record in interviews, it's not that she's actively trying to be rude or awkward, she just doesn't know how to hold back the adrenaline from performing the perfect floor routine.

Alec Hardison is a nerd through and through and has no shame in revealing in an interview that he only picked up the bow and arrow when he was 12 was because he thought (and still thinks) that Legolas is the coolest character ever. Nana enrolled him in a local archery class to help him with his ADHD, turns out internally roleplaying as Bard the Bowman was great therapy. He likes the recurve bow but his true love is the compound.

Sophie Devereaux is a dressage legend. Her first olympics was as a eventer but she decided her that true passion lies in dressage. She competed in 10 olympics total (7 of them in dressage, won gold in 5, silver in 2 and bronze in 1). Has ridden many horses in many games but her heart will always belong to Griff (short for Maximundo Grift Valegro LAM 15B9) a true white Lusitano Arab mix stallion, they won gold in 2 Olympics together (eventing and dressage). Sophie retired after the tragic death of her husband (and olympic gold medallist sailor) Nate Ford, decided to follow a career as an equestrian games commentator, trainer and social media sensation. Was invited by the BBC to be the main tv host of the Olympics coverage alongside the experts of their respective sports.

Eliot Spencer is a veteran that found himself in cooking and Taekwondo. He still feels like a newcomer, its hard not to when your peers became third-degree black belts at 15 and you discovered the sport at 23 and fresh off war. But goddamn Eliot tries his hardest. Now he is 31, it’s his second Olympics and he’s not going to settle for silver this time, his first and only goal is Gold (the second goal is having fun).

Breanna Casey is a skateboarding prodigy. She’s 16 and thrilled that skateboarding is finally being recognized as a legitimate sport and can finally rub on those mean boomer’s faces the she is an olympic athlete now (take that, you raisins!). She’s super nervous but she’s been on the international competition scene since she was 11, she got this... right? She’s a social media Menace with a capital M, 2 million followers on twitter and brand deals helped her so much with her sport expenses, Nana can only help so much with plane tickets and skateboard equipment. A shitpost master and posting in the middle of competitions is her Brand™ and the public loves it.

Harry Wilson feels like a deer in the headlights of a 12 wheeler truck and the only way out is to narrate what’s happening and he LOVES IT. He won a ticket to the golf preliminaries, got lost on the way back from the bathroom, met a lady he swears he saw on TV once and somehow he’s on national uk television commentating alongside an olympic legend and other experts now. He’s having the time of his life and if someone noticed the odd one out here they haven’t snitched yet. 

The majority of the crew doesn’t have a criminal background (I’m looking at you Parker) but when they notice that judges are being very unfair and showing favoritism they couldn’t sit still. They bump into each other while snooping around. 

Plot twist: turns out the judges are being paid off by a multibillion dollar company to tip the competition towards athletes sponsored by this corporation and that would bring them the most profit.

The payments are made in hard cash envelopes and hand delivered to avoid any paper trail. 

The grand heist is to intercept the 8 suit cases full of cash being delivered in the next 7 days, expose the judges and donate the bribe money to the wronged athletes.

Everyone is trying to be very professional and careful. Harry’s still having a great time.

[cosmoscourge-a]

Coordinating as an Olympic Sport

a long-overdue meta which i absolutely have to post during the olympic games

so here’s the thing about the olympics: it’s not just stuff like gymnastics and soccer. there are other sports, some uncommon and some that are not necessarily associated with an official competition, such as archery or--this year--street and park type skateboarding. but the beauty of the olympics is that the definition is open-ended enough to include that wide range of events. to qualify as a sport to the olympics, the sport needs to be overseen by at least one international nongovernmental organization. then, to be accepted, a sport must be proven to be practiced by men in at least 75 countries + 4 continents or women in at least 40 countries + 3 continents. the sport must also increase the “value and appeal” of the olympic games, adhere to its modern traditions; it also cannot be a pure “mind sport” such as chess or dependent on any type of mechanical propulsion. sports can also be submitted as a sport (ex: aquatics) or a discipline (ex: swimming and synchronized swimming as disciplines underneath the ‘aquatics’ umbrella).

working with these definitions and how widespread coordinating is in the pokéani, i think it’s fair to assume that there is at least one international nongovernmental organization that oversees coordinating. there’s also reason to believe that coordinating would be practiced by men and women in enough countries and continents to hit the olympic minimum. it would increase the value and appeal of the olympics because of its ubiquity in the pokémon world, and while some coordinating routines may benefit from mechanical aspects, coordinating does not have to include mechanical parts--so those parts could just be banned from the olympics. moreover, coordinating itself would be an umbrella sport, being subdivided into riding and stage routines. riding is further subdivided into individual and team floor dressage (english-style riding), floor fancy (russian-style riding which i notice has similarities to mongolian-style riding), aerial dressage (english-style flying pokémon riding) and aerial fancy (draconid-style flying pokémon riding). stage routines are further subdivided into individual and team double body (with a pokémon that has a human-shape) and single body (with a pokémon that has a nonhumanlike body shape) floor routines. like modern equestrian sports, men and women compete together.

the riding categories are judged with elements of the judging for other artistic sports such as IRL dressage, artistic swimming and artistic gymnastics. there are four judges on the panel. the first judge scores technical precision, the second judge scores artistic quality (choreography & synchronization with the music), the third judge scores difficulty, and the fourth judge scores synchronization with the pokémon (which counts whether the pokémon looks happy as well as whether all your moves are in time). individual events are just that, individual; moreover, in team dressage, each person performs only one at a time. but in team fancy, you and your other 3 (for dressage) or 5 (for fancy) teammates and their pokémon partners are all on the floor at the same time and you must all move in conjunction with one another; the fourth judge here scores overall team synthesis. the team fancy events are particularly entertaining, because they feature all four riders riding around in a circular arena and performing one trick per circle as they pass in front of the judges. the final round of team fancy involves team formations instead, where each team submits a single formation such as stacking everyone on top of each other in a pyramid.

the stage categories are judged in a similar manner--though it bears some similarity to figure skating as well. as with riding, there are four judges on the panel--for technical precision, artistic quality, difficulty and synchronization with pokémon. as for how each routine appears, the initial precision round routines are similar to artistic gymnastics, with contestants being able to jump and twirl on the floor for anywhere between 1.5 to 2 minutes. the big point-getters are the mandatory tricks (various leaps, twists and flips) that you can choose from, with five tricks allotted per performance. but the dancing that you do with your pokémon in between is also important, as that will also add to your artistic quality and synchronization scores. the freestyle round portion is less formal and somewhat more similar to traditional coordinating than olympic gymnastics; it can last from 2 to 3 minutes, though it still has the aspect of mandatory elements that the precision round has. the winner is determined by who gets the best score in each round.

whew, that took mountains of research to write. coming up next: a post about where feiyun fits in these!

[twinkleallnight]

Marshmallow

(Part-12) Hope

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC, Drake x Hana

For previous chapters: catch up here

Prompt 1: This fic is my submission for this week’s #WackyDrabbles. The prompt is appears in bold.

Prompt 2: This is a submission for choicesweeklychallenge. The prompt appears in bold.

Word count : 1916

Tags: @ao719 @aloneautumn @bebepac @charlotteg234 @choicesficwriterscreations @choiceskatie @cordonia-gothqueen @cordonianroyalty @sfb123 @drakewalker04 @gardeningourmet @gkittylove99 @glaimtruelovealways @kat-tia801 @hopefulmoonobject @hopelessromanticmonie @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @idontknowwhysblog @islandcrow @jovialyouthmusic @jaxsmutsuo @kingliam2019 @lovablegranny @mrswalkers-blog @mom2000aggie @no-one-u-know @ntoraplayschoices @princessleac1 @ritachacha @speedyoperarascalparty @shanzay44 @texaskitten30 @queenrileyrose @sanchita012 @theroyalheirshadowhunter @wackydrabbles @xpandabeardontcarex @yourmajesty09

I get behind the wheels while Max is yelling something from his SUV. My phone buzzes right at the same moment. I roll down the glass to listen to him, and receive the phone call with my other hand.

“Hello!” says the sharp voice over phone.

“Livy?”

“Happy birthday…” her sound is drowned against the shout out from Max, “Happy birthday grumpy guy!” Hana and Riley laugh out loudly.

I give him a glare and roll the glass up and focus back on the call.

“Umm… thank you.”

“I see you are busy with someone.” She says with a sarcastic tone. “Since when did you start partying? Seems you are a changed man.”

“Look who's talking!” I sneer back.

“What do you mean?”

“At least I don't keep secrets.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. Anyways, I think I should leave you with your commoner friends to enjoy. Bye.”

And just like that she drops the call.

“What the hell!” I shout at my phone.

Why did she call? To wish me or to irritate me? Why does she spoil everything! Damn! I was so happy, for once, but she had to call up and mess it all. I rev up the engine and hit the road with a surge of anger. I drive down to the Applewood manor and decide to call it a day.

-----------

Morning comes with a fresh start. The court and nobles are all busy celebrating the Apple blossom festival with their king and queen while I keep myself occupied by the stables. I check the horses selected for next day’s event -the foxhunt, where a mountain trail is to be covered on horse’s back. I know as soon as they conclude the festival in orchards, the excited nobles will turn to stables to tend to their rides for tomorrow. I want to make myself scarce before that.

I am about to leave when Riley visits the stables with Bertrand. She is the first one to come, as she doesn’t have a horse of her own. Liam follows them.

After exchanging pleasantries, we get to business of choosing her ride.

“I love horse riding but I have no idea how to choose the horse.” Riley says perturbed.

Liam takes the opportunity before Bertrand can reply. “Why don’t you let me do it instead?”

“That will be great!” Riley claps excitedly.

They both start looking at the unclaimed horses, and Bertrand tags along. I observe the couple keenly. They are so relaxed in each other’s company. Liam forgets all his worries around her, and Riley is like a live wire in his presence, full of energy and enthusiasm. I love to see them together. I wish…!

They turn around and Riley jumps up. “Hey Walker, I am not just borrowing, I am buying a horse.!”

“Really?” I look at Bertrand wide eyed.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.” Bertrand says in an annoyed tone, looking between Liam and Riley.

“ Congratulations!” I try to distract Bertrand.

I help Riley by checking Belle, the horse she selected. While Bertrand starts discussing official things with Liam, Riley is enraptured in narrating the events that she experienced at the festival. “You should have been there. We had such a good time. I was in Olivia’s team.”

I am busy inspecting Belle but I stiffen on mention of Livy’s name. I curse myself for the reaction. I need to get over the differences between us. I promise myself to act better next time.

Riley continues, “ We made an apple pie and you won’t believe our team won. I think our winning streak was Hana’s specially crafted roses on the crust. I tell you, that girl has so much talent!” I can see Riley’s eyes trying to find some reaction from me but I simply nod in agreement.

I pat Belle and give my approval to Riley.. “Here, all good to go!” They wrap up the deal, and we all walk out.

There are other nobles who pay visit. The stable boys help them out. There is nothing major, where my services are required. So, I take a stroll around the lush gardens of the manor. I have my plans to sit near the lake, my favourite hideout since childhood. But when I walk down to the edge of the gardens, my eyes fall on the figure who has seized my special place already.

She is lost in her thoughts, her eyes staring far away into the horizon, where the sky is pink and the golden ball of sun is about to drown itself into the unknown lands. The ebbs in the water are shining with the ochre reflections. Her calm form is adding into the serenity of the landscape. I stand there absorbing the beauty of nature for some time before I walk towards her, as much discreetly as I can.

“Hana!” I call out softly. I don’t want to disturb the tranquillity surrounding her.

She turns to look at me. Our eyes meet and she beams, “Marshmallow!” She stifles a laugh. Her teasing brings a smile on my face.

I rub the back of my neck, beaming at her. She moves making space next to her and pats her hand guiding me to sit beside her. We both sit there quietly, listening to each other’s breath, till she leaves a sigh, and shakes her head, as if disagreeing with her own thoughts.

“What is it Hana?” I ask with concern.

“I don’t know what to do. Since my childhood, I have been trained to be part of the court. Each class, each lesson was meant to place me at a higher pedestal in front of the nobles. This continuous struggle to achieve something, fulfilling their expectations” she purses her lips, “it’s tiring. I want to live a carefree life, where I live for myself. Where it is okay to make mistakes. Where I can build up a small house and fill it up with my desires to make it a home.”

“That’s a beautiful wish. What is it that’s stopping you?”

“My parents want to see me married to some noble.” She lowers her eyelashes avoiding eye contact with me. “I know they anticipate of something I can’t live up to.”

“It’s your life Hana, your parents should not be the ones making decisions for you.”

She gets up, frustrated, and takes few steps towards the waters. “That’s the whole problem.” She says. “The culture from where I come is very different. Its closed environment with families dominated by parents. It’s hard for me to explain that even if they pressurize me to do things, I still love them. I don’t want to hurt them. I want them to understand my choices.”

I walk up to her, and clasp her shoulders to turn her to me. Her usually peaceful eyes seem to be deep into some storm, piercing into mine, searching for the shores. Yet, it doesn’t falter my mind, instead it seems to be encouraging me to make stronger resolutions. “Take baby steps. Break your desires into tiny goals and try achieving one at a time.”

Her mind is still out on a wild chase as she rests her soft little palms on me. Her touch acts like a pacifier for my pacing heart. Her lips quiver to pour out the questions her eyes have stored. “How will I answer them? What will I say if they ask?”

“We will cross the bridge when we reach there.” I reply. I see the storm in her eyes calming down as the soothing honey colour dances in them again. She closes the distance between us. Her head rests on my chest and our arms embrace each other.

My eyes take in the view at the horizon. The pink of the sky has changed to purple. The waters are dark and the twilight sparkles over the lake. The storm that left her eyes suddenly is hitting the waves of my mind. 'We will cross the bridge… I said to her. Why did I promise myself into it? What am I doing? I am letting myself fall into valley of flowers, except that these flowers are going to be roses, roses with thorns. I don’t know how many wounds they will create before the eternal bliss.

“Thank you for being there for me.” Her mellow tone creates another smooth wave, overpowering my self-destructive thoughts. ‘We WILL cross the bridge…' a voice inside me resonates.

We start walking back to the manor. “Ready for tomorrow’s hunt?” I ask her.

“Yes. It’s going to be fun. I can practice my dressage.”

“You have a training in horse-riding?” I stop in my tracks and turn to her, wide eyed.

“Yes. Why are you so shocked?” She says in a casual manner.

“You never cease to amaze me.” I shake my head and start walking again. “It’s definitely going to be fun tomorrow.”

----------------

We start early morning with the trail. There is a long line of nobles trotting on their horses across the countryside. Liam is up ahead with the king, while I am at the tail end of the group with Max. We are talking about the turn of events since our new york trip just before the social season.

“What made you take that instant decision of sponsoring Riley for the social season?” I ask Max.

“Have you ever seen Liam so happy? Have you observed the way he looks at her?”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same the other day.”

“It was this look, that made me take the decision.” He confirms as our eyes gaze at Riley riding beside Hana at a distance ahead of us.

I have another question in my mind, and ask,“What is wrong with Bertrand though?” I remember his annoyance at the stable a day ago. “He is so serious nowadays.”

“House Beaumont is juggling a bit with some financial matters and since father left, Bertrand has taken it up as his sole responsibility to keep up the name.” Max's expressions brighten up, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing much. Lord Maxwell is here for the rescue.” He strikes a knight pose riding his horse.

We laugh it out. Max makes sure to keep everything cool and under control, always. A quality, I admire.

------------

“You are not the one to lose. What’s the secret?”

We have covered mountain trail, and reached the tiny village. Hana did not fail to impress with her horseback skills. But when the king announced the horseback race at the last leg for the suitors, Hana finished second.

Throughout the trail she has been either with Riley or Penelope or Kiara, and now finally I get a chance to talk to her. That is when I ask her.

“You noticed.” She smiles. “I would be sitting with the prince for the dinner had I won.”

“So?”

“So, who would have given our poor little marshmallow a company?” she pouts her lips.

I know I am grinning, ear to ear, with that comment. “Thank you Lady Hana for giving me the honour!”

We sit down for the feast. My friend’s all around me. Riley and Liam making me believe that there will be that one person in your life who will make a difference. Max, bringing the best out of worst and Hana, my new person, making me realise that not all is lost when there is still one thing that keeps us going – hope.

[ginnyzero]

Completely Harmless Ch. 49

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Forty-Nine The Lull Before The Storm

The food was proving to be very popular. (As were the floating lanterns, Kylie had to set up more stands at each beach party and recruit her friends to man them. She was making a killing.) So popular, that they had to get more supplies as the days went on. Loretta complained about having to go to Jorvik City to shop, but Lily just gave her a look. Loretta had volunteered for that part of the food.

That wasn’t all Loretta complained about. Justin and Alex also happened to be her next complaint. Loretta was trying to be the better person. Alex was just a phase. Justin would get over and come back to Loretta. Loretta loved him and always had.

Lily exploded. “You two were never together for him to come back to you.”

Loretta looked taken aback.

Lily took a deep breath. “Loretta, you’ve known Justin for a long time now. If anything was going to happen, it would have happened already.”

“You’re saying I don’t have a chance against Alex.”

“I’m saying that if you love him, truly love him, you’ll want him to be happy. Even if him being happy takes him away from you and to Alex.” Lily raised a brow at Loretta.

Loretta frowned. “But I want him to be happy with me?”

“Loretta, are you really in love with Justin? Or are you in love with the idea of Justin? Or even the idea of love?”

“We’re perfect for each other!”

“How?”

Loretta sputtered and rattled off a few superficial things about their riding capabilities, their looks, how they could be the Moorland riding power couple and win the Claymore Challenge and so on and so forth. Plus, Catherine Moorland had done the books like Loretta was doing now.

“That says nothing about Justin as a person.”

Loretta blinked. “What does that have to do with it?”

“Ohkay, your character is severely deficient. You aren’t bad, Loretta. You’re shallow. You don’t love Justin. You love the idea of being popular and being on top. You can be popular and on top by yourself. You don’t need Justin for that. You just need to be nice.”

Loretta looked at her blankly.

“You need to stand for something. Because right now, you don’t stand for anything at all. You don’t have any substance. You don’t care about Moorland Stables for more than it can give you, which is a tiny amount of power. The same goes for Justin, because he’s a symbol of the stables.”

“I don’t like you.”

“Mutual.”

The last day of the party came far too quick. A huge crowd gathered on the beach at the Dews Farm in Epona.

Maya had managed to drag her family from the Forgotten Fields for the event. Everyone was there, all the corporate sponsors, the Baroness. Even the Winterwell family and the Buttergoods had deigned to show up. The Li Family was hugging the Dews and chiding them for running off without explaining the situation to anyone.

Luciana had invited Ms. Drake of G.E.D. to come to Epona. She didn’t want Amelia’s cover blown.

Amelia and her club were making sure to not stick out in the crowd by wearing hats, sunglasses, and civilian style clothing they’d picked up over the week.

The atmosphere was jubilant.

Ms. Drake was brought up to the stage to join Luciania (proudly decked out in her Flying Fox Dressage Uniform), the Dew Family, Baroness Silverglade, and Baron Winterwell. The blonde woman in her sharp blue suit didn’t look pleased.

Not that the Baroness cared. She smiled sweetly at the younger woman. “Ms. Drake, on behalf of the Dew Family Race Challenge Sponsors and Event staff, we wish to present to you this money on the behalf of the Dew Family to cover their loans including interest towards the G.E.D. with the understanding that in taking this money that their debt to you is clear and their land is their own again.”

The crowd waited with bated breath as Luciana stepped forward with huge check to her.

Ms. Drake surveyed those on the stands and the crowd. She had no choice and been outmaneuvered. “I accept it gladly on behalf of the G.E.D.” she said her tone conveying that she wasn’t glad at all.

“This is the woman who sent a Rainbow Week card to herself,” Lily muttered.

Regina elbowed her.

Luciana handed the check over.

The crowd cheered.

Mrs. Dew burst into tears as her husband wrapped his arms around her to rock her back and forth.

Luciana grabbed another check.

“Mr. Dew,” the Baroness said kindly. “Not only were we able to raise enough money to cover your debts. We have enough to help you re-establish you in your rightful home.”

Luciana held the check out to them.

Mr. Dew took it with shaking hands. “I, I, don’t know what to say. You,” he gulped. “You didn’t have to do any of this. This is beyond any helped we cared to dream for our foolish actions.”

The Baroness sniffed.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Dew said hoarsely slapping her husband’s arm. “What he means is thank you.”

A group of girls ran up the stage. “Mr. Dew, Mrs. Dew,” they said together.

“We can help you. We want to be the riding club at your lovely farm,” they said. “Please?”

Mr. Dew looked overwhelmed.

Another group bounced up and down. “And we know animals, Mr. Dew. We can help at the other farm!”

The Baroness’ lips twitched. “What do you say, Matthew? I can tell you from experience these girls once they get the bit in their teeth give it their all and will do more than you ever thought possible. They also aren’t going to take no for an answer.”

Mrs. Dew beamed.

Mr. Dew swallowed hard. “We’d be honored to have help.”

The girls cheered jumping up and down. They smacked hands and hugged.

“Astro Monkeys!”

“Snoop Dogz!”

“Go!”

The Baroness leaned over. “I think the phrase is, roll with it.”

Mrs. Dew burst into laughter.

“All right everybody,” DJ Kai said through her microphone. “It’s time to celebrate!” She turned up the music. “Everybody dance now!”

It was an auspicious end to an auspicious week.

--

It didn’t take quite as long to take the decorations down as it had the last time during Rainbow Week. They were figuring out the routine. Everyone had so much fun with the Dew Family Race Challenge that there was talk of making it a permanent part of the Midsummer Beach Party.

Mr. Dew and Mrs. Dew were all right with that, but they were going to find some charities to give the money to instead of keeping it for themselves. The Astro Monkeys and the Snoop Dogz were working hard on cleaning up and opening up the two different farms.

“Not that they’re going to sell any horses,” Pauline said. “They don’t have the money to invest in stock like that right now.”

“I think we have enough options to choose from,” Lily rolled her eyes. She leaned against the fence and rubbed her neck. “Well, now what?”

Tyra leaned against the other side kicking her foot up lazily. “Agnetha says that we can’t put in the gardens for the race track until it’s done. And that looks like it won’t be done until after Happy Horse Week.”

“Which we need to plan for,” Lily said.

“Right. It’s a big event, but a completely different type of event,” Pauline nodded. “We celebrate Jorvik’s horses and Jorvik’s founding by Jon Jarl.”

Lily snorted. “As long as we aren’t celebrating that blowhard.”

Pauline’s brow furrowed. “How do you, no, never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Jorvik Stables always has an open house.”

“Right, and we’re expanding that for every stable in the county.” Lily nodded.

“All the races are special races to show off the eventing capabilities of the county horses,” Pauline spun the shovel by the handle.

“Maybe we should do something educational? Like, do a lunging event while someone gives a talk about the history of the Jorvik Warmblood Sport,” Lily toed the ground with her boot.

“Ohhh, good idea,” Tyra nodded. She reached over and slapped Pauline’s shoulder. “Notes.”

“We’re going to need horse themed decorations,” Lily cracked her neck. “And we’ll need a cross country style event. Did we ever set up your races around Grape Mountain?”

“Nope,” Pauline popped her lips.

“Hmm, sorry.”

Pauline grinned. “We’ve been super busy, you know.”

“It’s important to you. So, thus, I’m sorry. Okay, a lunge event in the paddock to talk about the Jorvik Warmblood Sports, a dressage event and a showjumping event in the Riding Arena.”

“Since we have one.”

“And then we’ll set up some special cross country races around the Manor that won’t interfere with the Rose Garden Trail Ride too much, I hope.”

“At Jorvik Stables, they give beginning riding lessons.”

“We can use the Rose Garden Trail Ride for that then,” Lily waved her hands. “I take it this is going to be more hands on.”

“We can rotate shifts,” Pauline said her fingers flying over her phone as she leaned against the shovel.

“We’ll have to take pictures for Jorvikgram, and have a lost and found.”

Lily nodded.

“Moorland usually has another big feast and a huge cake,” Pauline said. “And we hide Golden Horse shoes all over the county.”

“And there’s the Light Ride over in Cape West.”

“We should do that together as a Club and include Linda and Alex,” Lily said.

They nodded.

“Okay, but this is in August and it’s June now.” Lily stretched her foot. “What are we going to do until then? I mean, we’re suddenly bereft of things to do and I don’t want to step on any toes by interfering with the other club’s domains.”

Tyra and Pauline just gave her looks down their noses.

“I like keeping busy.”

Tyra snorted.

Pauline raised a brow. “We could, I don’t know, train our green horses for the Claymore Challenge.”

Lily blinked. “Oh, right,” she blushed. “Um, how does one go about that?”

“Well,” Tyra drawled. “We have to earn ribbons.”

“There are three areas to the county,” Pauline said. “And every area has their events. In order to qualify for the Claymore Challenge, you need to beat a certain number of events in what they call the gold medal time.”

“I mean, for faults for showjumping it’s by not making any mistakes and under a certain time.”

Lily licked her lips. “So, we travel around the county earning ribbons and training our horses and if we have enough we make it to the Claymore Challenge?”

“Herman keeps track of it.”

“Or he’s supposed to,” Tyra muttered.

“We should um, make a route,” Lily scratched her head. “And a schedule so we don’t over extend the horses. Does that make sense?”

Pauline laughed. “Total sense,” she nudged Lily.

“Then let’s adjourn to the library and figure this out,” Lily rubbed her hands together.

They laughed and sent a text about a club meeting to the rest of the girls.

--

They were spending their time training around Jorvik for a couple hours each day and that meant they could check in with the other clubs, ask if they needed anything, or pitch in if the others seemed overwhelmed. Most the other clubs were doing the same. It was the Northern Golden Hills Valley, Firfall, and the Dews Farms that were rushing around trying to get things ready to show by Happy Horse Week.

They were grateful for the help.

It felt like a lull though before, something. No one was sure what. A shoe to drop, a storm. Something was coming.

Lily rode about with Alex to check the rune stones sometimes. Alex’s mother wasn’t doing so hot. She needed therapy and probably meds. Both of which were hard to get her.

“It’s why we all try so hard,” Alex sighed. “But she doesn’t want to accept the help.”

“You can’t force her. She has to want to do it. That’s the difficult thing. All you can do is love her and be there for her when she needs it,” Lily said.

“Are you speaking from personal experience?”

Lily shrugged. “I’ve seen it a lot growing up.”

“You don’t like to talk about it.”

“You don’t like talking about your childhood either.”

“Growing up poor on the wrong side of Jorvik City,” Alex snorted. “You don’t need to hear about that.”

Lily glanced over. “Alex, I’m a military brat. I’m lucky if I stay in a school two years. Stable doesn’t exactly describe my life and the towns that grow up around military bases aren’t known to be the safest.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Woah. I mean, I guess I should have guessed or, I dunno.”

“By what? My love of legalism. My tendency to take charge, have schedules, or the love of mystery books and bad cop shows?” Lily laced her voice with sarcasm. “Dad’s an MP. Mom’s a nurse and works the military hospitals so that she’ll at least always have employment wherever dad is deployed. I’m lucky. They’re still together and don’t cheat. At least, as far as I know, they don’t.”

“The book thing?”

“You never know what you’re going to find drifting around a military base,” Lily shrugged a shoulder.

Alex turned back to the rune stone and concentrated taking the energy into herself. “Sorry, I assumed too much.”

“Because we don’t like to talk about it and most my clothes I’ve picked up here,” Lily rolled her eyes. “No offense taken, Alex.”

Alex finished with the stone. “I wish she’d get help.”

“She’s an adult,” Lily said. “And we teenagers aren’t supposed to be the ones with all the common sense.”

“Since when were we ever teenagers,” Alex drawled.

Lily nodded.

They rode in companionable silence.

“Thanks for listening, it helps.”

“Hey, if you can’t rant at me about Elizabeth, your crazy siblings, and your mother, who can you rant to? Linda? Maya? Justin?”

Alex huffed. “All right. All right. I get it.”

“Thanks for trusting me,” Lily nodded at her. “That means a lot. I mean, we weren’t predisposed to liking each other back when we first met.”

“I was worried you might be a stuck up like Loretta,” she paused. “Or Anne.”

“And I thought you were being a bit too hard and dismissive of your brother,” Lily sighed.

“As long as you didn’t think I was as conniving as he was!” Alex widened her eyes.

They both laughed.

“He’s a little shit,” Lily said. “But, he’s getting better.”

“Having his own horse that doesn’t take any excuses, helps a lot,” Alex grinned. “He adores that horse.”

“You think that they’re going to have all the hunting stuff ready for Happy Horse Week.”

“Definitely,” Alex nodded. “He’s even got these cute horse and dragon plushies on order.”

“I think the girls that like spiders have found most the babies,” Lily shuddered. “And tagged them with a GPS chip and IFRD chip tag, or whatever that acronym is. Just, no thank you.”

“The three of them are pretty driven about all these hunts,” Alex stretched out her legs. “All for the good, I think. It will give people who love exploring the area something to do and search for.”

Lily nodded.

Alex’ phone buzzed. She lit up in a huge grin. “Justin’s off work. See yah!”

Lily laughed. “Later alligator,” she called after Alex. She rolled her eyes. At least that seemed to be working out.

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

[writingonjorvik]

Can We Discuss The Possessed Pumpkins?

I think this will be short? But I wanted to talk about the new possessed pumpkins from the Halloween event stuff, so if you haven’t played that content yet, maybe skip on this if you don’t want spoilers.

I do want to acknowledge that there are some serious technical bugs with this system and I think that should be noted. I had to wait 40 minutes in game today to get my pumpkins just to do their daily reset before they spawned as they should. I do think that the timer not running while you’re offline is rough. Some friends on the WOJ Discord got them to respawn by doing absurd chains of events which weren’t always recreatable. I do think the devs need to spend more time with beta testing new features like this to make sure that releasing features with timers like this don’t go missed and turn people off from the mechanics. I also think that the devs need to switch to a different release schedule, but that’s another post.

That said, I love all of the little systems that went into this update work and what it could mean for SSO’s development down the line. Just a few I noticed:

Spawning arenas 

Updates to mob following

Enemy health bar system

Enemy-player targeting

Just hostile mob coding in general

Player activated timers

Maybe I’m reading a little between the lines here, but all of these systems are the basis for a good core gameplay loop, typically used in combat. Normally that would be combat in most MMOs, but I’d like to believe SSO will be a little different. Maybe things like pacifying wild horses or stunning Shadow Seekers, but it definitely means that there can be a more robust stealth system if getting caught doesn’t reset you, but instead give you a window to have to get back out of line of sight of a Dark Core or G.E.D. worker.

Or we could see an expansion on the cracks system. As Garnok continues to fight back, creatures start coming out of the Pandoric cracks, and an arena spawns around you when you get close enough to send it back or capture it. Or just adding passive mobs, like wild horses and deer, which can run away from you if you get too close, or vice versa, bears and wolves that will chase you off if you enter their arena. Could you imagine how much more populated SSO would feel if there are bigger creatures wandering around in the forests? Think about how much more populated just adding birds made the game feel.

Not to mention think about the quests around this could mean. Clearing dangerous areas of wild animals with the Rangers, bringing in wild horses to the Rescue Ranch, any and everything that could happen with Pandoria and creatures there. I’m hesitant to say wild horses being able to be tamed, but that would be an interesting way to combat price bloat by having wild herds you can grind daily to become friendly with and then individual horses you could befriend to eventually tame. It would need to be a long process but it could potentially be free.

Internal timers could mean all kinds of things for achievement hunting and potentially login rewards, but I really like it for dressage. There was another discussion in the WOJ Discord about dressage changing from the current system to something like a memory game. Internal timers based on the player and when they switch gates or reach checkpoints could be an interesting way to revise the system to be more interesting and focus on memorizing a set over following instructions.

Not to mention that now that we have mobs who can have their own health bars, that means NPCs could have it too. What if moving forward in quests, NPCs like the Soul Riders also have their own health bars and protecting them becomes part of the quest objective? It would make their powers, and ours once we got it, feel a lot more important outside of a macguffin that we can’t use. Give some agency to the player, you know?

I’m hesitant to say I want to see combat in SSO because I think one of the ways it shines is by avoiding combat. I think pseudo-combat would be fine, like sneaking around and stunning enemies, but killing things is antithetical to the game, at least to me. There are so few noncombat games already, not to mention noncombat MMOs, that I hope that something interesting and inventive comes to SSO that utilizes these mechanics, but in a way that supports its core themes without switching 8 years in to a completely different game.

I dunno. Been weirdly excited about the game lately, and these features got me really excited about the future of the game, so yeah. I’m interested to see where it goes.

[griffinequestrian]

Why Everyone Should Have To Ride In The Hunters

By Justine Griffin for Heels Down Mag

The hunters. It’s where so many Americans begin their riding careers. From the pony ring to the transition to the equitation arena, the hunters is the gateway to other disciplines for a lot of riders. It also plays a major role in America’s longstanding equitation foundation in high performance show jumping.

I grew up riding in the hunters, so maybe I’m biased. It’s always been the ring I’ve enjoyed the most, even though I also compete in dressage and now eventing. But so many of my dressage and eventing friends turn up their nose at the hunters. I get it – the methodical pace and precision of the hunters isn’t for everyone.

But anyone who calls it “easy” doesn’t understand it as an art form.

I was watching my trainer give an adult semi-beginner a riding lesson the other day. This new rider at our farm wanted to jump, and had goals of competing in the jumper ring sometime soon. “I want to go fast!” She said excitedly when my trainer asked her why the jumpers instead of the hunters.

“Anybody can go fast,” my trainer replied.

Little did this new rider know, but my trainer was going to make her graduate from the hunters before she allowed her to compete in the jumper arena.

“Anybody can ride in the the jumpers. But everyone should start in the hunters. It teaches you to be light in the aids.”

The first time I heard my trainer explain this, it really stuck. It makes a lot of sense to me. The hunters teaches the rider to ride light in the saddle and on the bit. It trains the rider how to find a distance and ride confidently for the number. It teaches the rider how to balance a horse properly without forcing an artificial “frame”.

The hunters get a bad rep for a number of mostly valid reasons: the drugs, the insufferable body standards, the high price tags of the horses.

Dressage and eventing bring their own complexities, of course. There’s no fair way to compare one style of riding to another. But in its purest form, the hunters is the most challenging type of riding I do. I am a better rider in the dressage arena and out on the cross-country course because of the foundation I logged in the hunter ring.

[femcel404]

Jason Todd x Dessage rider!reader Headcnnons for @crankynewt

He met you at the Gotham library, you were reading Shakespeare and he complimented your taste.

Was super impressed when you told him you ride horses

You two fell in love instantly

1 year later, and you two own 5 acres to the south of Gotham with 4 horses

He helps you wash the horses before competitions, and it always ends in a bubble fight, with you two hiding behind the horses with buckets of soapy water in hand

He goes to all your competitions and cheers for you

Tells everyone “thats my girlfriend there. Yes that one who just did A pERFecT ciRcLE”

He wears flannel shirts when he’s around the horses, and his arms barely fit inside the sleeves (its super hot)

He loves how your butt looks in those tight white pants

He carries all your tack with one arm, just to show off

It’s really hot

The sarcasm is everywhere

“Hey y/n i wish you’d spend more time riding me instead of your horse” “Jason shut up of I’ll whip you, I’m trying to learn a dressage test!” “Whip me will you? That’d be hot.”

He helps you learn your tests

Always asks if you want him to read your test over an earpiece because “y/n its so confusing! How do you remember this shit?”

He’s impressed at like, everything you do

He is still afraid to ride a horse

“The mighty Red Hood is scared of.. a horse?

Damian loves to visit, and you often practice your dressage tests with him

This makes Jason very jelous, because the demon spawn is spending time with his girl

So he asks you to teach him how to ride horses

Turns out he’s a bit of a natural

Plus it helps that the horses love him

You two go for weekend trail rides when he’s not busy with Red Hood stuff

You use you horse-rug repairing skills to patch up his suit

He was so proud and ecxited when you qualified for the Olymipics

Dick, Tim, Damian and Bruce all came along for support

Dick loves the horses, they remind him of the circus

Jason literally growls at Dick if he gets too close to you, even though he knows Dick and Babs are together

Jason is very protective

Tim will not go near the horses, he is literally terrified of them

Bruce is the same as Tim, and it makes Jason laugh so so hard

He cries happy tears when you win the women’s dressage event of the Olympics

He is just soooooo soooooo proud

When you are on the podium, he sneaks past the police and runs to you

He drops to one knee and proposes to you right there and then

Of course you say yes

The ring is a simple gold band, and its perfect because you can wear it when you ride (it fits under your gloves)

You two marry on your farm the next spring

The wedding photos of are you two on the back of one horse

And then one of you both falling off the horse

You two live happily ever after

A/N: this is shit but its also super cute. Hope you like it @crankynewt !

[salty-medley]

SSO - Why do I hate their recent updates ?

So there’s more precisions about the fact I don’t like their last updates ( and by last I speak about the updates of the last 2 years, not only the last ones ) as, just as you can see, the comments on Tumblr are quite limitated and you need a lot of them to explain something, which isn’t practical at all.

Just before starting please take a look on the five games I’ll use in examples and comparison:

Alicia Online: I speak about the new one, as I didn’t play to the first. Horse racing game with barn/ranch management, a breeding system and few small quests. It’s free.

Guild Wars 2: This game isn’t horse related but you can have mounts if you buy the Path of Fire extension. The basic game is free. MMORPG between medieval ages and steampunk where you have to fight dragons and their minions.         The base is free but you have to buy an extension for 29€99/33$22.

Aion: Back when I started it you had to buy it like normal games but it’s a free to play/pay to play if you want all the options now. MMORPG fantasy with mounts, including horses. You fight as a daeva against Balaurs and the opposite faction. Free + optional suscription 

Wizard101: A very kid friendly game inspired by Harry Potter where you can have //ugly// mounts including horses. You have cards duels and have to fight the evil. MMORPG with a weird discussion system.                                        Free for the first levels/zone and you need to pay 7€99/8$85 per month after or using one of their other offers : 19€99/22$15 for three months and 59€99/66$46 for six months. As you can see it’s less expensive if you take the longer option.

Riding Club Championships: I played it on facebook/gameroom but it’s on steam too, it was a game with more options before. You basically can train and ride your horse in various tracks, show jumping and agility ones. Cross is a peculiar thing that they needed a certain amount of suscribers to create. As I remember the never did it but you can easily create cross tracks with the agility option so it remains playable for free. The cool thing is that you can create your own tracks and share them with all the players, and have likes for it.                                  Free.

Now let’s start with a Q&A based on comments:

If you don’t like SSO why do you still play it ?

I never said I don’t like the whole game. I used to love the game but I deeply hate their recent updates and the way they choose. Which are two different things.It’s not the game which annoys me but what they changed in the game. Plus as the lifetime suscription was quite expensive I certainly won’t leave 

Why do you bring money in that topic ?

Maybe that some of you won’t understand how 60€/66$48 could be that expensive but I was a student back then and those 60€ were money I saved specially for the game for months. I used to be a quite poor student and my family didn’t have any money to give to me for hobbies. My job was only here to pay my room and my bills so yeah, that amount of money was more than 3 weeks of food for me. That game is freaking expensive when you look at Guild Wars 2 for example. If SSO was a free game I won’t rant because I would already be grateful to play for nothing. But it’s not the case here.

SSO is made for kids, it’s normal that it’s like that.

No it’s not normal. Kids aren’t dumb, they can understand and handle lot of things. Plus they are more curious than older people and it’s a good way to help them learning things while having fun. Comparison time ! Let’s take the kids friendly game of the list, Wizard101. Wizard101 is clearly ugly and it’s one of its signature looks. But unlike SSO, in Wizard101 you don’t have to wait a whole year to have a new quest. This game offers a lot of things to do, you have to find groups for some fights, crafting, redo some fights to drop an item & cie. The lines are easy to understand but not as cheesy as in SSO and the characters are various and not all dumb.The theme is classical, the foes could sometimes scare the most sensible kids ( snowflakes in training ! ) but it’s never too much.

I played it for one year or more and never meet agressive persons or too big dramas, unlike in SSO where you have plenty of it.

So, no, it’s not normal that SSO is that empty and dumb. It’s just a bad choice and very contemptuous to assume that kids can’t have better.

They only are focused on the graphics for the moment, be patient.

How about a nope ? The fact they don’t put enough quests or activities isn’t recent, that problem was already here 4 years before. So the graphics aren’t a good excuse. I think that after 2 years of nothing to do for that price I think I was enough patient.

It’s their responsability to release a paying game with not enough content to keep their clients busy.

But there’s things to do in SSO, we have races, chat, clubs...

Yes and no. But mostly no sadly. Sure there’s races, horses to train, championships, clubs and chat but that’s once again an empty shell.

Races don’t give you XP several time so you can’t level up your horse as you want. You NEED to log each day to have enough XP, which is pretty inconvenient when you only play the week ends. In a normal intelligent game you could gain XP each time you do it.

Championships are only at some hours. So when your log time is late evening because you work, you know the thing which help you to have money, or study, then you can’t enter it. No, not everybody is free after 15H/3PM...

Clubs are just a group of people, you don’t have any advantage of being in a club. There’s not special races, special contests or activities like with guilds in other games. This is just a guild without the things wich made a guild interesting.

The chat ? Is that a joke ? Between the censorship and the fact that almost all the players are agressives dramaqueens you can’t expect something good from the chat. It’s the den if teenagers/pre teens who wants to pretend that they are adults, swearing ( yeah the censorship is really bad, you can find ways to swear with other words), speaking about sex and love because, hey !  It’s a horse game so why couldn’t we spoke and play something totally not related to the game ? Oh and I remember that lot of them love to make fun of the younger players or new members. What a great community !

And dailies ? I doesn’t give you any XP. Only few shillings and it’s extremely repetitive as it’s the same for all the stables. 

But all the games have dailies which are repetitives ! 

Once again yes and no ! Sure they have that type of activities but it’s mostly fighting so you still have a challenge. Here it’s just clicking... Plus in other games it gives XP...

SSO isn’t a fighting game, why would you want fights ?

Because we are supposed to be trained to fight evil creatures as the chosen one and reincarnation of Aideen maybe ? Yeah, you know the guys in dark clothes who threaten to invade the world and change it into a paradise for a nasty alien full of tentacles ! How do you want to save the world ? By making flower crowns and pastries with a shady woman ?

It just doesn’t fit the plot, if the story was something like “the war is done, now you have to make this place a happy place again and help the inhabitants to have normal lives “ yeah that would clearly fit and be a good thing, as it would be quite innovative and original. But don’t say that you have to fight the evil while you can’t fight !

The characters aren’t dumb, they are just pacifist !

Well if in your eyes all pacifists speak and act like that, that’s pretty insulting to them.

But it’s for kids, fighting is soooo violent !

Well just take a look at Wizard101. It’s for kids, there are fights but not in a violent way. You fight in cards duels instead. Pretty intelligent way to make magical fights without blood. Here in SSO we only just run around a foe... Yeaaah fun...

We have magical time, remember.

And even a wand. Right ! But a useless wand we never use and which join the batch of useless stuff. We are the most important person of the team but no, we don’t do anything. Linda did magic, Elisabeth did magic, Alex did magic, Lisa threaten to do magic, Anne survived to a freaking world like a queen. And us ? We just flight on a horse. Great. 

I’m supposed to be the chosen one, not a sidekick without any power or decision-making ability. 

All games have quest lines to follow.

What about to not all the time ? Let’s take Guild Wars 2 in comparison you have a story line with quests that you have to follow BUT you have options to build your own story. Of course the options are limitated but you still have some. Plus we have a lot of events that we are free to enter to gain XP and stuff. But in SSO you don’t have choice. Your personality is already decided by the staff. You are a doormat, a person saying yes to anyone even when they exploit you.

In Wizard101 you choose your magical type and school of magic. In Aion you choose your faction and alliances. In all of those games you choose your gender too ! ( please read the next post about the game about that ) 

So no, in the other games we have a story but we can make some choices.

Why don’t you like the new graphics ? The others were so OLD !

Yeah they were old, but they were way more realistic than this plastic/play-doh style which seems to be from a cartoon for babies. 

Plus I don’t like the fact all the NPCs lost their personality and physical details to blend into a “canon” beauty. To me, a character without any personality is just a huge fail.

There’s not any other thing to say, they just chose something very modern and childish, but not in the good way. Plus I hate how the places are empty now.

They just try so hard to please their players !

Oh yeah ? It’s been years that a vast amount of players ask for having halters but instead we had emotes. And dressage ? We have dressage horses and a hall but still not the activity . And regarding to all the persons who left the game because they are disappointed by the staff or still rant I’m not sure that they are pleasing their customers. All the games have unhappy customers of course, but in SSO I just noticed few “funny” things:

- the persons posting happy comments are almost all the same each time. And lot of them have youtube channels and want to be noticed. Or they beg for SCs right after their compliments.

- the persons who aren’t happy don’t have any logical or related reply by the staff. They never really reply, only thanking them for their opinion while they always write something personalised for the happy comments. So we know that they just deliberately ignore questions which aren’t at their taste. 

Plus they already said several time that all the things and updates are planned for a long time. Don’t say me that they’ll consider your desires ... They don’t do anything BECAUSE they planned to made you feel bored in order to incitate you to buy more SCs to have horses to train, as it’s the only thing you can do.

Stop believing that you are their pretty little player, you’re just a money bag for them.

But what could they add more ? 

A thing that players used to ask for years before maybe ? Like the opportunity to create our own races tracks maybe for our clubs . Like we can do in Riding Club Championship .

We already have lot of stuff like restaurants, clothes and discotheque.

So in a game where you are supposed to save the world for an imminent attack your first decision is to make shopping to buy non equestrian clothes and drink a fruit juice ? Wow, if the hero supposed to save me acted like that I think I’ll learn myself how to fight...

Same for the discotheque, why did they created that place ? You can’t do more than clicking on an icon to try to dance, you don’t even have a mini game with arrows to click on time.

But you don’t understand, it’s for role play !!! 

How do you expect to role play when almost all the words are censored ? I take few french words ( as I’m obviously playing in french ) like “gruyère”, it’s forbidden. Gruyère is a cheese. A fucking damn cheese. You can’t speak about a cheese !

So why did you join SSO in fact ?

Because this game was about horses. Just like I said my family was poor and couldn’t afford horse riding lessons so I just basically go with my friends and helped them with their stuff, watching them taking their lessons before going back to something I could do too like going to the beach for surfing ( my only prized item back to that time, my family didn’t have computers so my activities were pretty only reading and drawing or going to the beach ). Even know between my schedule and my salary I can’t take lessons. The things I know, I just read or watch them.

So a game about horses in a not too fantasy or management ( like Equideow ) version was a good idea to me, just like the celtic/nordic atmosphere and lore. I tried it for few months, then instead of paying the months played in free to save money for buying a lifetime. And I have to admit that back then I was pretty satisfied, sure the game needed lot of things to be good, but they’ll do it in future updates, right ?

Well, it never happened as you can see now.

Just be P-A-T-I-E-N-T !!

By Merlin’s underpants I have been more patient than I have to be ! 

Now just few small clarifications:

First stop thinking that children are weak sensible little angels. They are sometimes even more mature and able to handle things that lot of teens. And some of them are bratty devils capable to insult you if you don’t tolerate their whims. Or lying in order to try to make you ban too... I remember a video made by a girl crying that people were so mean to her while she just keep to try to glitch to enter into a SR area and was mad about three others saying her to not do it.

Then I saw something I don’t like with people those years mostly on internet: using very strong words like “hate” for something wich isn’t. Hate, like racism or discrimination and sexism are very serious topics and using those words for things like that kinda make them to not be taken as seriously as they should be. No being quite abrupt or ironical isn’t being hateful. Hate is something else you don’t want to see. 

And finally, as it doesn’t seems clear for some of you, there’s a difference between a blog post and a complete feedback you’ll send to the staff. A blog post is more spontaneous and lively than a feedback which is a constructed and detailed message. If your blog posts and feedback messages are the same I feel sorry for your followers and the team.

( Edit please excuse my mistakes, I’ll correct the whole post later, english isn’t my language ) 

[pearls-and-polowraps]

Haflinger and Kladruper!

Haflinger - I’ve been a show groom on the AQHA and A/AA hunter circuits, and I’ve done a bit of work for a couple of eventer friends here and there. There are a few basics that never change, no matter the breed or discipline: good nutrition, a solid training program, and thorough daily grooming. Some of my methods are probably a little old school - I believe that nothing from a bottle can bring out the shine like a good curry, followed by a rub-down with a cactus cloth and sheepskin grooming mitt - but I’ve been happy with the results. 

If I’ve got to do a body clip, I want it done at least a week before a show and with an Andis’ T-84 blade. I think it gives the coat time to regain some of its natural oils, and the 3/32″ cut prevents that “freshly peeled” look. All of the horses get bathed before they leave for the show grounds, and particularly gross individuals may get another bath the morning of. (I’m looking at you, Stetson. Jerk.) I try to avoid the wash racks at shows unless absolutely necessary, since they’re usually a little hectic. Instead, I keep grooming wipes and a small bathing bucket back at the barn for quick touch-ups.

I want my manes pulled (or cut, if we’re talking jumpers or dressage) and tails tamed before we arrive. Bridle paths and whiskers are done at home, too. Horses shown with natural manes should have them cleaned, conditioned, and put up prior to the show, so that being ring-ready is just a matter of undoing a few braids and running my fingers through the hair.

I know some people who braid the night before, but I’d really rather not if I can help it. I’d much rather be up at 3-4 AM because I’m putting braids in a well prepped mane, than because I’ve had a nightmare about some cheeky little pony rubbing half of his hair out. I try to plan my braiding around the class schedule, rather than braiding every one at once, and I take my braids out as soon as a horse is done for the day. I think that saves a lot of wear and tear on the hair, especially late in the season.

I keep a fully stocked ringside bag full of hoof oil, hoof picks, grooming wipes, various towels, and a couple of brushes. Those cactus cloths are particularly useful for giving the saddle area a quick once-over before the jog. 

Kladruber - Sam’s a giant puppy who is particularly fond of licking my forehead until I engage him in a rousing game of grab-the-tongue. Weirdo.

[baronmpontmercy]

15 Questions, 15 Mutuals

Tagged by the lovely @mamzellecombeferre !

Are you named after someone?

Yes, one of my birth middle names is for a deceased family member, and I’m thinking of incorporating its male version into my name now. (it’d give me an excuse to have ‘Jehan’ as a name, anyway)

When was the last time you cried?

Ten minutes ago, because I got overemotional about a piece of music.

Do you have kids?

Nope. I’m also 19 and a broke student, so kids aren’t really a great idea rn.

Do you use sarcasm alot?

Not as much as I used to, actually.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

If they smile back when I smile at them in greeting

What’s your eye colour?

Eh...bluey grey? Grey, really. 

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings, but on the whole, I prefer bittersweet ones instead of just plain happily ever after

Any special talents?

Well, I’m a professional actor and singer, so...that? I guess I’m a decent artist too. I’m not a bad marksman either. 

Where were you born?

North London

What are your hobbies?

Costume design and cosplay, asoaif nerding, etymology and linguistics stuff.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat called Lilly, who I miss every day while I’m at university

How tall are you?

5′5″ or about 166cm tall. I’m a small, small man.

What sports do you play/have played?

I used to do horse eventing and dressage, hockey, football, netball, tag rugby, tennis, and cross country. I’m still pretty out of shape.

Favourite subject at school?

Depended on the year and the teacher. Some years it was english, others latin, others history.

Dream job?

An employed actor, hopefully in Les Mis at some point.

I’m not sure I even have 15 mutuals but here goes:

@thinkofaugust , @kabukikuroo , @ranichi17 , @oldbookist , @poundlandvodka, @combeferre

[paultsblog]

The Complete Beginner's Guide to Martingales

Ashwa Official - 12/01/2022



What are martingales?

A martingale is any equipment used to control head carriage in horses. Martingales can be found in various equestrian sports, including driving and riding. It is a type of horse equipment consisting of a strap, usually made of leather or nylon, affixed to the horse's headgear. The martingale ensures that the bit stays in contact with the mouth by constricting if pressure on the reins is eased.

The standing and running martingales are used to control the horse's head height and prevent the horse from throwing its head so high that the rider is struck in the face by the horse's poll or upper neck. The martingale applies pressure to a horse's head as it rises above a certain height, making it more difficult or impossible to lift it higher.

A martingale is primarily used for control. It will not make a horse go faster, but it will slow them down if they increase speed. It will also be employed to keep the head up when desired, such as dressage. It's worth noting that many people misuse martingales, and it can cause problems, especially with horses who are sensitive to their mouths.

Martingales are a type of horse tack most often seen in the equestrian world. They are most often used to prevent a horse from raising its head and throwing its head in the air.

There are two major types of a martingale: The single-jointed or loose-jointed Martingale and the double-jointed or tight Martingale.

The single-jointed Martingale uses one strap around the horse’s chest to attach to a noseband with two or three straps. The double-jointed Martingale uses a strap around the horse's chest, one strap going up over its neck and another waistband going down under its neck.

 

The standing martingale

 



A single strap is fastened to the perimeter, goes between the horse's front legs, and is fixed to the back of the noseband in the standing martingale, also known as a "tiedown" or "head check.” It also features a neck strap to keep it from catching on to other items. Instead of a neck strap, a version is attached to a breastplate. When set adequately for English riding, the martingale strap should be able to reach the horse's throatlatch.

A tiedown is a version of the standing martingale that is virtually only seen in western riding disciplines. A tiedown is adjusted much more quickly than a standing martingale, and it's designed to keep the horse's head from flying up when it's requested to halt or turn suddenly in a speed event. According to users, it also offers the horse something to hold against for balance. It comprises an adjustable strap with one end attached to the horse's breastplate and the harness’s noseband. The noseband can be made of leather, but it can be made of lariat rope or even plastic-covered cable, making the western tiedown harsher than an English-style standing martingale.

When the horse raises its head above the desired point with both pieces of equipment, the slack is taken out of the strap, and pressure is applied to the horse's snout. The standing martingale is acceptable in the United States for show hunter and hunts seat equitation riders over fences, in the United Kingdom for show jumping competitions, and fox hunting, polocrosse, horse ball, and polo. It's also seen on some military and police horses, partly for fashion and tradition, but also in the event of an emergency that requires the rider to react quickly. It is not permitted in flat classes.

Safety and risks

Because it cannot be loosened in an emergency, the standing martingale is more restricted than the running martingale. Because its range of motion is limited, a horse that trips in a standing martingale may fall more easily. If a horse falls while wearing an inappropriately fitted standing martingale, it will be unable to stretch its neck entirely and have difficulty getting back up more challenging.

The martingale strap is never fastened to a drop noseband due to the risk of harm to the nose cartilage. It should also not be attached to any form of "figure 8" or "grackle" noseband due to the risk of both nose and jaw damage.

When used in conjunction with other pieces of equipment, any martingale can cause pain to the horse. When used in conjunction with a gag bit, a standing martingale can trap the horse's head, forcing it to raise and lower its head while providing no relief in either direction. This combination can be seen in polo, some rodeo events, and even the lower jumping levels on occasion.

Overuse or misuse can cause the muscles on the bottom of the neck to overdevelop, resulting in an unfavorable "upside-down" neck that makes it more difficult for the horse to work correctly under the saddle. It can also cause the horse's back muscles to tense up and force him to move awkwardly, especially over fences. This can place too much strain on the horse's spine, diminish the limb anatomy's shock-absorbing capacity, and eventually lead to lameness. Accidents are also a possibility: if a horse is sufficiently "caught" by a combination of a too-short martingale and a too-harsh bit, the horse may attempt to rear and fall, potentially harming both the animal and the rider.

The running martingale and German martingale



The running martingale is made up of a strap attached to the perimeter and runs between the horse's front legs before splitting in two. The reins pass through a bit of metal ring at the end of each strap. A neck strap or breastplate keeps it in the proper posture.

The running martingale is adjusted such that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse's head is kept in a specific position. The reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring when the horse's head is at the proper height, and the running martingale is not in use.

When the horse's head is held in the normal posture, the running martingale is adjusted so that each "fork" has about an inch of slack. When the horse's head is at the correct height, and the running martingale is not in effect, the reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring.

The running martingale consists of a girth-attached strap that runs between the horse's front legs before breaking in half. At the end of each of these straps, the reins pass through a bit of metal ring. It is kept in normal posture by a neck strap or breastplate.

The running martingale is the only type of martingale used in eventing and horse racing because of this safety factor. Some show jumpers like the running martingale because it gives them more mobility. Outside of the competition arena, running martingales are used on young horses being schooled in Saddle seats, Western Riding, and a variety of other disciplines

A split fork that comes up from the chest travels through the rings of the bit and attaches to calls on the reins of the bridle between the bit, and the rider's hand makes up the German martingale, also known as a Market Harborough. It works the same way as a running martingale but with more leverage. It is mainly used as a training aid.

Safety and risks

Rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops put onto the rein between the bit and the martingale's ring, are commonly used with a running martingale. At Pony Club and British Eventing events, rein pauses are required. They're a crucial safety feature that prevents the martingale from sliding too far forward and catching on the bit ring or the buckles or studs that secure the reins to the bit. According to sanctioning organizations, if the harnesses are buckled to the bit, a running martingale must be used in conjunction with rein stops.

The inability to elevate the horse's head in the event of bucking is the main disadvantage of using a running martingale. If the reins are adjusted excessively short, lateral use may be hampered. The stress imposed on the horse's mouth by the running martingale can be harsh if mishandled, which is why the standing martingale is preferred in some circles. Use on the reins of a curb bit is an example of improper use, as is adjusting the equipment too short, causing the horse's head to drop below the correct position.

The Irish martingale



In the sense of a device that affects the rider's control over the horse, the Irish martingale is not a true martingale. As a result, it's sometimes referred to as a semi-martingale. It's a straightforward short strap with a ring on each end. Before being buckled, the reins run through a call on each side. The goal of the Irish martingale is not to control the horse's head but to keep the reins from going over the horse's head and causing entanglement if the rider falls. It's primarily utilized in European horse racing.

Buy from exclusive collection we have available at the ashva website here: https://www.theashva.com/pages/martingales

[akashiims]

Martingales | The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Martingales — the ashva

A martingale is any equipment used to control head carriage in horses. Martingales can be found in various equestrian sports, including driving and riding. It is a type of horse equipment consisting of a strap, usually made of leather or nylon, affixed to the horse's headgear.

The martingale ensures that the bit stays in contact with the mouth by constricting if pressure on the reins is eased. The standing and running martingales are used to control the horse's head height and prevent the horse from throwing its head so high that the rider is struck in the face by the horse's poll or upper neck. The martingale applies pressure to a horse's head as it rises above a certain height, making it more difficult or impossible to lift it higher.

A martingale is primarily used for control. It will not make a horse go faster, but it will slow them down if they increase speed. It will also be employed to keep the head up when desired, such as dressage. It's worth noting that many people misuse martingales, and it can cause problems, especially with horses who are sensitive to their mouths. Martingales are a type of horse tack most often seen in the equestrian world. They are most often used to prevent a horse from raising its head and throwing its head in the air.

There are two major types of a martingale: The single-jointed or loose-jointed Martingale and the double-jointed or tight Martingale. The single-jointed Martingale uses one strap around the horse’s chest to attach to a noseband with two or three straps. The double-jointed Martingale uses a strap around the horse's chest, one strap going up over its neck and another waistband going down under its neck. Buy from the exclusive collection we have available at the ashva website here: Martingales.

The Standing Martingale

A single strap is fastened to the perimeter, goes between the horse's front legs, and is fixed to the back of the noseband in the standing martingale, also known as a "tiedown" or "head check.” It also features a neck strap to keep it from catching on to other items. Instead of a neck strap, a version is attached to a breastplate. When set adequately for English riding, the martingale strap should be able to reach the horse's throat latch. A tie down is a version of the standing martingale that is virtually only seen in western riding disciplines.

A tie down is adjusted much more quickly than a standing martingale, and it's designed to keep the horse's head from flying up when it's requested to halt or turn suddenly in a speed event. According to users, it also offers the horse something to hold against for balance. It comprises an adjustable strap with one end attached to the horse's breastplate and the harness’s noseband. The noseband can be made of leather, but it can be made of lariat rope or even plastic-covered cable, making the western tie down harsher than an English-style standing martingale.

When the horse raises its head above the desired point with both pieces of equipment, the slack is taken out of the strap, and pressure is applied to the horse's snout. The standing martingale is acceptable in the United States for show hunter and hunts seat equitation riders over fences. The United Kingdom for show jumping competitions, fox hunting, polocrosse, horse ball, and polo. It's also seen on some military and police horses, partly for fashion and tradition, but also in the event of an emergency that requires the rider to react quickly. It is not permitted in flat classes.

Safety and Risks

Because it cannot be loosened in an emergency, the standing martingale is more restricted than the running martingale. Because its range of motion is limited, a horse that trips in a standing martingale may fall more easily. If a horse falls while wearing an inappropriately fitted standing martingale, it will be unable to stretch its neck entirely and have difficulty getting back up more challenging.

The martingale strap is never fastened to a drop noseband due to the risk of harm to the nose cartilage. It should also not be attached to any form of "figure 8" or "grackle" noseband due to the risk of both nose and jaw damage.

When used in conjunction with other pieces of equipment, any martingale can cause pain to the horse. When used in conjunction with a gag bit, a standing martingale can trap the horse's head, forcing it to raise and lower its head while providing no relief in either direction. This combination can be seen in polo, some rodeo events, and even the lower jumping levels on occasion.

Overuse or misuse can cause the muscles on the bottom of the neck to overdevelop, resulting in an unfavorable "upside-down" neck that makes it more difficult for the horse to work correctly under the saddle. It can also cause the horse's back muscles to tense up and force him to move awkwardly, especially over fences. This can place too much strain on the horse's spine, diminish the limb anatomy's shock-absorbing capacity, and eventually lead to lameness. Accidents are also a possibility: if a horse is sufficiently "caught" by a combination of a too-short martingale and a too-harsh bit, the horse may attempt to rear and fall, potentially harming both the animal and the rider.

The Running Martingale and German Martingale

The running martingale is a strap attached to the perimeter and runs between the horse's front legs before splitting in two. The reins pass through a bit of metal ring at the end of each strap. A neck strap or breastplate keeps it in the proper posture.

The running martingale is adjusted such that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse's head is kept in a specific position. The reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring when the horse's head is at the proper height, and the running martingale is not in use.

When the horse's head is held in the normal posture, the running martingale is adjusted so that each "fork" has about an inch of slack. When the horse's head is at the correct height, and the running martingale is not in effect, the reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring.

The running martingale consists of a girth-attached strap that runs between the horse's front legs before breaking in half. At the end of each of these straps, the reins pass through a bit of metal ring. It is kept in normal posture by a neck strap or breastplate.

The running martingale is the only type of martingale used in eventing and horse racing because of this safety factor. Some show jumpers like the running martingale because it gives them more mobility. Outside of the competition arena, running martingales are used on young horses being schooled in Saddle seats, Western Riding, and a variety of other disciplines.

A split fork that comes up from the chest travels through the rings of the bit and attaches to calls on the reins of the bridle between the bit, and the rider's hand makes up the German martingale, also known as a Market Harborough. It works the same way as a running martingale but with more leverage. It is mainly used as a training aid.

Safety and Risks

Rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops put onto the rein between the bit and the martingale's ring, are commonly used with a running martingale. At Pony Club and British Eventing events, rein pauses are required. They're a crucial safety feature that prevents the martingale from sliding too far forward and catching on the bit ring or the buckles or studs that secure the reins to the bit. According to sanctioning organisations, if the harnesses are buckled to the bit, a running martingale must be used in conjunction with rein stops.

The inability to elevate the horse's head in the event of bucking is the main disadvantage of using a running martingale. If the reins are adjusted excessively short, lateral use may be hampered. The stress imposed on the horse's mouth by the running martingale can be harsh if mishandled, which is why the standing martingale is preferred in some circles. Use on the reins of a curb bit is an example of improper use, as is adjusting the equipment too short, causing the horse's head to drop below the correct position.

The Irish Martingale

In the sense of a device that affects the rider's control over the horse, the Irish martingale is not a true martingale. As a result, it's sometimes referred to as a semi-martingale. It's a straightforward short strap with a ring on each end. Before being buckled, the reins run through a call on each side. The goal of the Irish martingale is not to control the horse's head but to keep the reins from going over the horse's head and causing entanglement if the rider falls. It's primarily utilized in European horse racing.

Buy from the exclusive collection we have available at the ashva website here: Martingales.

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The Complete Beginner's Guide to Martingales

What are martingales?

A martingale is any equipment used to control head carriage in horses. Martingales can be found in various equestrian sports, including driving and riding. It is a type of horse equipment consisting of a strap, usually made of leather or nylon, affixed to the horse's headgear. The martingale ensures that the bit stays in contact with the mouth by constricting if pressure on the reins is eased.

The standing and running martingales are used to control the horse's head height and prevent the horse from throwing its head so high that the rider is struck in the face by the horse's poll or upper neck. The martingale applies pressure to a horse's head as it rises above a certain height, making it more difficult or impossible to lift it higher.

A martingale is primarily used for control. It will not make a horse go faster, but it will slow them down if they increase speed. It will also be employed to keep the head up when desired, such as dressage. It's worth noting that many people misuse martingales, and it can cause problems, especially with horses who are sensitive to their mouths.

Martingales are a type of horse tack most often seen in the equestrian world. They are most often used to prevent a horse from raising its head and throwing its head in the air.

There are two major types of a martingale: The single-jointed or loose-jointed Martingale and the double-jointed or tight Martingale.

The single-jointed Martingale uses one strap around the horse’s chest to attach to a noseband with two or three straps. The double-jointed Martingale uses a strap around the horse's chest, one strap going up over its neck and another waistband going down under its neck.

 

The standing martingale

A single strap is fastened to the perimeter, goes between the horse's front legs, and is fixed to the back of the noseband in the standing martingale, also known as a "tiedown" or "head check.” It also features a neck strap to keep it from catching on to other items. Instead of a neck strap, a version is attached to a breastplate. When set adequately for English riding, the martingale strap should be able to reach the horse's throatlatch.

A tiedown is a version of the standing martingale that is virtually only seen in western riding disciplines. A tiedown is adjusted much more quickly than a standing martingale, and it's designed to keep the horse's head from flying up when it's requested to halt or turn suddenly in a speed event. According to users, it also offers the horse something to hold against for balance. It comprises an adjustable strap with one end attached to the horse's breastplate and the harness’s noseband. The noseband can be made of leather, but it can be made of lariat rope or even plastic-covered cable, making the western tiedown harsher than an English-style standing martingale.

When the horse raises its head above the desired point with both pieces of equipment, the slack is taken out of the strap, and pressure is applied to the horse's snout. The standing martingale is acceptable in the United States for show hunter and hunts seat equitation riders over fences, in the United Kingdom for show jumping competitions, and fox hunting, polocrosse, horse ball, and polo. It's also seen on some military and police horses, partly for fashion and tradition, but also in the event of an emergency that requires the rider to react quickly. It is not permitted in flat classes.

Safety and risks

Because it cannot be loosened in an emergency, the standing martingale is more restricted than the running martingale. Because its range of motion is limited, a horse that trips in a standing martingale may fall more easily. If a horse falls while wearing an inappropriately fitted standing martingale, it will be unable to stretch its neck entirely and have difficulty getting back up more challenging.

The martingale strap is never fastened to a drop noseband due to the risk of harm to the nose cartilage. It should also not be attached to any form of "figure 8" or "grackle" noseband due to the risk of both nose and jaw damage.

When used in conjunction with other pieces of equipment, any martingale can cause pain to the horse. When used in conjunction with a gag bit, a standing martingale can trap the horse's head, forcing it to raise and lower its head while providing no relief in either direction. This combination can be seen in polo, some rodeo events, and even the lower jumping levels on occasion.

Overuse or misuse can cause the muscles on the bottom of the neck to overdevelop, resulting in an unfavorable "upside-down" neck that makes it more difficult for the horse to work correctly under the saddle. It can also cause the horse's back muscles to tense up and force him to move awkwardly, especially over fences. This can place too much strain on the horse's spine, diminish the limb anatomy's shock-absorbing capacity, and eventually lead to lameness. Accidents are also a possibility: if a horse is sufficiently "caught" by a combination of a too-short martingale and a too-harsh bit, the horse may attempt to rear and fall, potentially harming both the animal and the rider.

The running martingale and German martingale

The running martingale is made up of a strap attached to the perimeter and runs between the horse's front legs before splitting in two. The reins pass through a bit of metal ring at the end of each strap. A neck strap or breastplate keeps it in the proper posture.

The running martingale is adjusted such that each of the "forks" has about an inch of slack when the horse's head is kept in a specific position. The reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring when the horse's head is at the proper height, and the running martingale is not in use.

When the horse's head is held in the normal posture, the running martingale is adjusted so that each "fork" has about an inch of slack. When the horse's head is at the correct height, and the running martingale is not in effect, the reins should make a straight line from the rider's hand to the bit ring.

The running martingale consists of a girth-attached strap that runs between the horse's front legs before breaking in half. At the end of each of these straps, the reins pass through a bit of metal ring. It is kept in normal posture by a neck strap or breastplate.

The running martingale is the only type of martingale used in eventing and horse racing because of this safety factor. Some show jumpers like the running martingale because it gives them more mobility. Outside of the competition arena, running martingales are used on young horses being schooled in Saddle seats, Western Riding, and a variety of other disciplines

A split fork that comes up from the chest travels through the rings of the bit and attaches to calls on the reins of the bridle between the bit, and the rider's hand makes up the German martingale, also known as a Market Harborough. It works the same way as a running martingale but with more leverage. It is mainly used as a training aid.

Safety and risks

Rein stops, which are rubber or leather stops put onto the rein between the bit and the martingale's ring, are commonly used with a running martingale. At Pony Club and British Eventing events, rein pauses are required. They're a crucial safety feature that prevents the martingale from sliding too far forward and catching on the bit ring or the buckles or studs that secure the reins to the bit. According to sanctioning organizations, if the harnesses are buckled to the bit, a running martingale must be used in conjunction with rein stops.

The inability to elevate the horse's head in the event of bucking is the main disadvantage of using a running martingale. If the reins are adjusted excessively short, lateral use may be hampered. The stress imposed on the horse's mouth by the running martingale can be harsh if mishandled, which is why the standing martingale is preferred in some circles. Use on the reins of a curb bit is an example of improper use, as is adjusting the equipment too short, causing the horse's head to drop below the correct position.

The Irish martingale

In the sense of a device that affects the rider's control over the horse, the Irish martingale is not a true martingale. As a result, it's sometimes referred to as a semi-martingale. It's a straightforward short strap with a ring on each end. Before being buckled, the reins run through a call on each side. The goal of the Irish martingale is not to control the horse's head but to keep the reins from going over the horse's head and causing entanglement if the rider falls. It's primarily utilized in European horse racing.

Buy from exclusive collection we have available at the ashva website here: https://www.theashva.com/pages/martingales