#vanner's work

[ohseumi]

happy 5th anniversary VANNER ♡

[qazastra]

wait I’m dying I just took a closer look at those riize teasers I think I have that same brand of gloves from when I was pulling down invasive vines in college… RIIZE THE WORKING MAN’S BOY GROUP

[topazadine]

Writing Research Notes: Horses

I have complained before about fantasy writers (and others) using horses without really knowing anything about them, so I'd like to share some basic Horse Facts. These aren't things about horse physiology, because you probably don't need that for your specific story, but things that you can add into your story for verisimilitude.

I'm not a horse trainer or Horse Expert, just someone who loves horses and rides on a regular basis. This is a casual guide to help give you some inspiration (and know what to look up for more information.)

So, what will we discuss in this embarrassingly long post? This.

General horse knowledge

Approaching and sanitizing Horse

Tack, the Horse Accessory Kit

Putting the tack on Horse

Getting on Horse (second best part!)

Riding Horse (best part!)

Being nice to Horse (most important!!)

General Horse Knowledge

Horses are generally classified as hotblood, warmblood or coldblood.

Of course, being mammals, they are all actually warm-blooded. This is more about temperament and size.

Hotblooded horses are lighter, bred for speed and maneuverability. Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses are hotbloods. They're known for being a bit more temperamental, but they are also very fast and responsive.

Coldblood horses are larger, stockier, and more even-tempered. This includes draft horses like Percherons, Gypsy Vanners, and Clydesdales.

Note that a big horse doesn't necessarily mean they're a good war horse, because war horses need to be fast and light. Draft horses are meant to pull, not carry. In a military series, you can use them as cannon horses or cart horses.

Warmblood are crossbreeds of hotblood and coldblood, giving them a good temperament but also relatively good speed. They're often used for hunting, dressage, and showjumping: disciplines that require both maneuverability and a strong working relationship between horse and rider. Quarter Horses, Tennessee Walking Horses, and Irish Sport Horses are warmbloods.

Horses are herd animals and need friends.

Having a singular horse all by themselves is going to cause them distress and lead to mental problems. This is why people who only own one horse often stable them so that they can get social stimulation and professional care.

Like humans, horses have buddies, acquaintances, and enemies.

There is often a pecking order in a herd, with a leader and followers. Horses may make friends, break up with them, reconcile, etc, just like people do.

And horses, of course, have people they like more than others. To get a horse to like you, be gentle and mindful of their boundaries, pay attention to their feelings, groom them, and speak in a soft friendly voice.

Horses aren't mindless animals: they think, feel, and strategize.

They're actually very sensitive and empathetic animals who can get jealous, have their feelings hurt, or need a little bit of TLC on a hard day. And yes, they can scheme.

Similar to dogs, horses are a bit like toddlers: they need firm but compassionate guidance.

This is why you need to think both for yourself and the horse when riding, keeping your mind clear and focused on your goals. Horses can notice when you're not paying attention and they will do their own thing.

Therapy horses are chosen for both their good nature and their sensitivity to human emotions. They will notice when the rider is getting upset or losing focus, and they will stop what they are doing until the rider is back in the right mindset.

They should get as much outside time as possible.

Horses will come to accept and even like their stalls because it's a safe, quiet space for them, but they should be allowed free time outside as much as possible.

It's important to make sure that their pasture is clean, free of dangerous plants or pesticides, and safe from tripping hazards (horse legs are very delicate).

Make sure they are not gorging themselves on grass, though, as this can cause colic. Horses cannot throw up: they've got a one-way digestive system. Intestinal blockages are a medical emergency.

Horses do like working with nice humans.

This isn't cope, I promise. Just like dogs, they have been bred over thousands of years to look to humans for guidance and to see us as caretakers.

Horses who are treated well like having a job, just like dogs who are treated well will like training sessions. Jobs offer them mental stimulation, offer them praise and rewards, and keep them busy so they're not bored.

You can see this in happy horses. The therapy horse I use, Truly, used to be a jumper and hunter before she came to the therapeutic stable, and she gets really excited if she sees vaults because she loves doing that! She gears up for the trot; you can feel it in her stride. She's ready and wants to go.

But, this implies that you're treating your horses well, praising them regularly, and bonding with them outside of sessions.

Horses that are being mistreated will balk at work because they associate it with pain and fear. Horses that are treated well will happily come out of their stall, ears forward and eyes bright, because they associate work with fun and stimulation.

Approaching and Sanitizing Horse

Horses have a blind spot in front of them and directly behind them.

Unlike humans, their eyes are on the sides of their head because they are prey animals. This means approaching a horse directly from the front or directly behind them may make them spook - and, if you are by their butt, kick you.

Generally, younger riders are taught never to pass behind a horse for safety reasons, so you go around them in a wide circle or duck under their neck. You can also walk behind them if you are out of kicking distance (about 3-4 feet) or right up against them so they can't get their leg up to kick you.

When tacking up or grooming, you should keep a hand on the horse as you move.

This lets the horse know where you are if you are in their blind spot and is especially important if you are around their butt so they don't spook and wonder where you went.

With grooming, you go with the curry comb and hold the bristle brush where you intend to go next so they know what to expect.

Grooming improves circulation and is a good bonding activity.

You use a curry comb, which is a rubber comb with little nubs, and then a brush. The curry comb is moved around in a circular motion to lift dirt and shedding hair, then the brush is angled with the grain of the hair to sweep it away.

Don't use a curry comb on a horse's face, legs, or stomach, which are sensitive areas. If you do want to use a curry comb in these areas because they are super dirty, be VERY gentle and light.

Horses generally like to be groomed because they do this to each other in the wild. It's a good way to make a horse like you.

Picking a horse's hooves, and having regular farrier checks, are crucial for their health.

Like human fingernails, horse hooves grow continuously; they're made from the same material as our hair and nails, keratin. They have a V-shaped "frog" in the middle of the underside of their hoof that is sensitive, but the rest of it isn't very sensitive unless you, like, stab it.

Farriers will file down a horse's feet so they are even, and they will also apply horseshoes if necessary (not all horses wear shoes). You can't just put any old horseshoe on a horse: it has to be fitted to their particular foot. This is a specialized job that not everyone can do, so if your character is not a farrier, they're not going to apply horseshoes themselves.

Cleaning a horse's hoof involves a hoof pick.

When picking a horse's hooves, you take an angled piece of metal called a hoof pick and dig out any dirt or manure or whatever has gotten stuck around the frog, then brush it out with a small brush. If they wear horseshoes, you also need to make sure you get the crevices underneath the shoe.

Generally, we pick feet both before and after riding.

Horses need to be trained to give you their leg. This usually means leaning your body weight into their shoulder, sliding your hand down their leg, and squeezing at the soft indent right above the hoof. You might also need to say "pick it up" or whatever command they've been taught to use.

It's a little scary for a horse to be off-balance like that; how would you feel if someone made you stand on one leg while they clipped your toenails? Be mindful that they may get nervous or put their foot down before you're ready. If this happens, just try again until their feet are clean.

Keep your feet and hands out of the way of the horse's hoof!

Pay attention to where your feet are in conjunction with the horse's hoof so they don't slam their hoof down on your toes. Horses may not even realize they stepped on you because they don't have a lot of sensitivity down there.

Never curl your fingers around the horse's hoof; that's a surefire way to break your hand. Hold it like you're cradling a baby's head.

Do not wear steel-toed shoes in a stable.

It's a common misconception that you should wear work boots or steel-toed shoes; after all, big horse very strong very heavy smash on foot!

Yeah, but a furry hydraulic press will crunch that steel right into your damn foot, and then you have guillotined all your toes.

Wear special riding boots instead. These don't have the ridges that hiking shoes or tennis shoes have, so they won't get caught on the stirrup. Cheap short ones cost like $40 and will last you a few good years. No need to go whole-hog on the long dressage boots if you're a casual rider.

Horses are usually taught to be groomed, tacked up, and mounted from one side.

This may not apply to therapy horses, who are trained to accept whatever way is easiest for the rider.

For dressage horses, they are taught to be groomed, tacked up, and mounted from the left. You should stand on the horse's left side when leading them. You'll dismount from the right.

Tack: The Stuff That Goes on Horse

No matter your discipline, you'll have these general things:

Halter. This is for leading the horse around before you tack them up. Generally, you will tie up the horse to cross-ties while you're grooming and tacking them. It is removed right before you put on the bridle.

Saddle blanket/pad. Western uses saddle blankets, but with English, you'll use a pad. Sometimes, with older horses or those that need a bit more comfort, you will have a blanket and a pad. This goes on before the saddle.

Saddle. Western saddles are very big, made for riding long distances. They are made mostly of leather, including the stirrups, which are attached directly to the saddle. English saddles are much smaller and lighter, and they have more removable parts. I won't get into all the specifics of them because it's probably irrelevant to your story.

There are also more specialized saddles, like jockey saddles.

Girth. Old-school Western saddles have cinches that you tie with the same knot you use for a necktie, but modern ones that detachable girths just like English saddles. They have buckles on both sides. One side will have leather straps; this is the one you put on first, from the left. The other side has elastic so it's a bit stretchier. This goes on the right side.

Bridle. How you control horse. Goes over the face and you hold onto the reins. This is put on last, right after you remove the halter. Put the reins over the horse's neck so you have something to hold onto after you remove the halter!

Bit. This is a metal bar that goes in the horse's mouth, over the tongue. Snaffle bits are the most common; they are made of two parts that meet in the middle. They aren't as uncomfortable for horses as other types. Some people are moving away from bits entirely and using bitless bridles.

Putting Tack on Horse

English stirrups are "run up" when tacking up and leading a horse.

The metal stirrups can bang against things and hurt the horse if they are not pulled up against the saddle by running them up the leather strap they hung from. You'll then tuck the excess strap into the stirrup to hold them in place.

Stirrups can be adjusted with a buckle hidden under the saddle seat. You'll run them up, pull the buckle down to a comfortable height, and then adjust as necessary. Then pull the stirrup down to the bottom, put your hand against the seat, and lift the stirrup up to run along your arm. It should brush against your armpit for most people.

Most dressage stirrups have numbered holes so you can remember what your height is.

Western saddles have leather stirrups that may or may not be detachable or adjustable.

Never tie a horse's reins to anything.

Don't listen to old Western movies that show this. If the horse spooks and they are tied up, they could rip the bit out of their mouth and really hurt themselves.

Horses have bars in their mouth - a blank space with no teeth. This is where the bit sits.

To get a horse to accept a bit, you can stick your thumb into this blank spot to make them open their mouth, just as you can do with dogs.

You then pull the bit up over their front teeth and settle it in there so it's comfortable.

There should be a small bit of pull you can see from the wrinkles around their mouth, but it shouldn't be squeezing them to death. Gentle pressure, happy horse.

Tighten the girth (the strap around their tummy) right before you get on.

Horses like to "bloat," meaning they suck in a bunch of air when you're putting the girth on, then relax so that the girth is loose. You don't want this, because then you can slide off. So put it on loosely at first, then put it up a few slots once you're about to get on.

Don't rachet it up to the highest possible setting you can reach, and don't yank on it, because this hurts the horse. Gently pull it up until it's tight enough to hold on, but not so much that it becomes a corset. You should be able to slide three fingers between the girth and the horse's stomach.

Getting On Horse

Lead the horse to where you want to go by bringing the reins over their head and holding them under the chin.

Do not use a death grip! You don't need to. Loose and happy. Keep the excess in your other hand so it's not a tripping hazard.

Then, of course, put the reins back over their head when you're ready to get on.

Mounting blocks are convenient and safer for the horse.

These are kind of like step stools, and they get you closer to the horse's back. Mounting from the ground puts a lot of pressure on the horse's back and should only be used sparingly.

The procedure is like so for English:

Gather the reins in your left hand, which should be placed near the front of the saddle.

Put your right hand near the back of the saddle for balance.

Put your left foot in the stirrup.

Swing your right leg over.

Settle your right foot in the stirrup.

Don't jump up; you might fall the hell over, lmao. Gentle easy swing.

The stirrup sits on the ball of your feet, with the heel pointing down.

This is true for both Western and dressage. You want it on the balls of your feet so you have leverage and can pivot your ankle to lightly tap the horse on the side, and you want your heel down to help maintain your balance.

A lot of riding boots, including cowboy boots, will have stitching that runs across the top of the foot. You can align this with the stirrup so you know that you don't have your foot too far back in the stirrup.

Your leg is slightly bent when in the saddle.

You do not have your legs straight out, because then you don't have leverage and can't maintain balance.

My instructor says it should feel like you're kneeling, and then when you post (rise out of the saddle during the trot or canter), you should feel like you're coming out of a squat. You're not springing all the way out of the saddle and standing up, because then you will fall over.

Your leg should stay as still as possible, with your heels pointing down to the ground. You shouldn't move them up or forward when you're trotting, a common beginner mistake.

When training in a ring, you don't have a right leg and left leg: you have an "outside" leg and "inside" leg.

Outside leg is the one closest to the wall (or fence), and inside leg is the leg closest to the middle of the ring. This keeps you from getting confused when you change directions.

Horses also have an outside leg and inside leg that you use to determine when to post or perform other maneuvers.

Horses need to be trained to go both clockwise and counterclockwise.

This helps them maintain balanced muscle tone on both sides of the body; otherwise, it's like doing leg exercises with only one leg. When getting a lesson, your instructor will ask you to change directions once you've done a certain exercise so that you can try it the other way, too.

Actually Riding Horse

You shouldn't yank on the reins like you're in a tug-of-war.

This can really hurt the horse and, paradoxically, make them more disobedient. It's like someone put their fingers in your mouth and then stretched your lips as far back as possible.

Keep your body loose.

Your horse is listening to your body language and will feel when you're tense. Every little movement means something to the horse. If you're tight, they think they should be nervous too.

Stay calm, upright, and loose. Legs slightly bent, elbows flexible, hands in line with the sides of the horse's neck and a bit above the front of the saddle.

Squeezing or tapping the horse is called impulsion.

It should be used lightly and with just enough pressure to get their attention. Don't kick the horse with all your might. The more movement you need from the horse, the more intense your impulsion will be.

Don't squeeze with your knees.

Pressure on the horse comes from the thighs and calves, not the knees. Your knees are there to bend.

Yes, your inner thighs will be super duper sore when you're done. It gets better though, prommie.

In dressage, you post at the trot in rhythm with the horse.

This reduces pressure on their back so you're not banging on their spine with each hootbeat. You post when their outside shoulder comes forward and lightly land back in the saddle when their inside shoulder rises: not sitting all the way down, just crouching a bit lower.

When you want the horse to walk again, you will sit down and pull (gently!!) back on the reins. The added pressure makes them not want to trot anymore because it would hurt them when you bump around on their back.

Being Nice to Horse (so Horse Is Nice to You)

Respect a horse's personal space and power.

They are big strong animals that can break your spine if they buck you, or crush your foot, or give you brain damage if they kick you in the head. Healthy respect (not fear) is crucial.

If a horse is pissed off, leave them alone. If they're scared, treat them kindly and speak soothingly. If they're not doing what you want, find a way to redirect them instead of screaming at them and making them more anxious.

And remember that they are prey animals despite their size and power! They may get nervous about things that you wouldn't even consider. Truly, the horse I ride on the regular, gets freaked out by jackets hanging over fence posts and barking dogs.

That's okay and natural; I just have to reassure her that she's going to be alright. You are the leader and caretaker of the horse, making them feel confident.

Training tools like whips, crops, or spurs should be used sparingly.

Any trainer who tells a beginner to use spurs as soon as possible is an asshole who doesn't actually know how to train horses. They don't know how to teach riders to control their body pressure, so they go right to the aversives.

I left a stable because the trainer demanded I buy spurs after like two lessons; my current stable doesn't use these at all, ever.

You should be able to control the horse with your hands and feet without these tools before adding them, and they should always be used as gently as possible: a slight tap with the spurs or crop, not beating the horse with a crop or digging your spurs into their sides. Horses are very sensitive animals and will respond well to a light kick with your heels if they are properly trained.

I've developed such a good rapport with the therapy horse I use (and she's such a good girl) that she can tell when I want to her trot. I start working her up to her "party walk" as my instructor calls it, and then click my tongue, and she's off. No kicking necessary.

Reward, Don't Punish

Same as when training dogs. Don't yell at them and say "no!! bad horse!!" Instead, offer a small correction, like checking the reins, or redirect them.

Do not hit or kick horses when they don't do what you want. They are trained that tap means go; you're going to make them gallop instead of stop.

Give them a pat on the neck and say "good horse!" when they do a good job. You can also talk to the horse while you're grooming and riding, offering them compliments and assurance.

Again, horses look to riders as leaders. They want to know the're performing correctly; if you've built up a good relationship, they want to make you happy and perform well.

Most of the time, horses are not trying to make you mad. You're just miscommunicating with them and need to figure out how to make your commands clearer.

Abusive training tactics are counterintuitive in the long run.

This makes for a nervous, flighty, disobedient, and anxious horse who may become dangerous. They're 1,200 pound animals, and if they don't like what you're doing, they will kick, buck, or bite.

Kicking, hitting, excessive use of spurs or crops, and screaming at horses doesn't make your horse respect you: it makes them fear you. You want your horse to be excited to work with you, to look forward to your training sessions, and to have fun.

I've created a masterlist of writing resources that you can peruse at your leisure, all for free.

The posts I write can sometimes take me hours - they're always intricate, always thoughtful. This one took me about three hours to complete.

I do this as a labor of love for the writing community, sharing what I have learned from almost 15 years of creative writing.

However, if you'd like to support me, maybe you'll consider buying my book for $1.99?

9 Years Yearning is a gay coming-of-age romance set in a fantasy world. It follows Uileac Korviridi, a young soldier training at the War Academy. His primary motivations are honoring the memory of his late parents, protecting his little sister Cerie, and becoming a top-notch soldier.

However, there's a problem: Orrinir Relickim, a rough and tough fellow pupil who just can't seem to leave Uileac alone.

The book features poetry, descriptions of a beautiful country inspired by Mongolia, and a whole lot of tsundere vibes.

Oh, and horse!!! Horse love!! SO MUCH HORSE LOVE.

You can also check it out on Goodreads for a list of expanded distribution.

If you do purchase my book, don't forget to leave a review!

Reviews are vital for visibility on Amazon and help to support indie authors like me. Whenever you love a book, be sure to let the author know! It's much appreciated.

[yj-polycule]

No One Asked but I have over 300 kpop albums and am not above shoving my two interests together so uhhh. Batfam and what kpop groups / style of kpop they listen to:

Bruce: He’s into the classics, a true 1st Gen enjoyer. Give him that good H.O.T and BOA. He doesn’t keep up to date with the current stuff but he will go out of his way to listen to any remakes of 1st gen songs that newer groups will release (Think Candy by NCT Dream)

Kate: 2nd Gen Purist. She refuses to listen to anything modern, stating Kpop peaked in the 2nd gen and hasn’t been able to recover since. Shinee, 2ne1, Bigbang, the whole works. She loves her 2nd gen and will only listen to new releases from those groups and their solo stuff. Nothing else.

Dick: MY MANS A GIRL GROUP STAN THROUGH AND THROUGH! It does not matter the generation, the style, it does not matter, if it’s sung by Woman he is seated and ready. He probably has a soft spot for 2nd Gen / Early 3rd Gen. Definately a Reveluv.

Barbara: She isn’t all that big into Kpop as a whole but will happily take recommendations from the others. Most of her kpop playlist consists of Gfriend or Seventeen, but she will listen to anything once and adds what she enjoys. (She is also the designated Ticket getter whenever tickets drop. She has ungodly good luck with Ticketing)

Cass: She goes one of two ways, either the softest most heart wrenching ballads you can think of or the loudest, most obnoxious noise music and there is no in between. Her playlist is a disaster, easily going from IU’s Love Wins All to NCT’s Sticker and you are given 0 time to prepare.

Jason: With his whole chest will claim he listens to underground K-Rap or K-R&B and then you listen to his playlist and it’s the most bubble gum kpop you can imagine. Twice and I.O.I are 90% of his playlist this man is not fooling ANYONE!

Tim: K-Bands all the way, especially K-Rock. NFlying, Day6, Xdinary Heroes, you name it and he has probably listened to their full discography over and over again. He doesn’t really search out the groups all that often but if he had to name a favorite Group it’d probably be Dreamcatcher.

Steph: GIRL POWER GIRL GROUPS. EXID, (G)-Idle, Le Sserafim, IVE. If their concept is woman empowerment she is eating that shit up like no ones business. She has forced Tim, Cass and Duke to learn dance covers with her and she will not stop. She will be blasting Queencard over the coms during patrol don’t think she won’t. She also has a soft spot for ZB1 and will refuse to elaborate in the slightest.

Duke: Definately a 4th Gen Boy Group Stan. Man loves his Stray Kids, Ateez, Enhyphen and so on. But he also is the type of person who will hunt down the Nugu Boy Groups and support them with his whole chest, the threat of them disbanding got nothing on him. Vanner, Drippin, you name it. He also is tied with Steph in knowing the most choreographies. Those two do a mean troublemaker cover

Damian: The actual KR&B listener in the family. He loves DPR IAN and Big Naughty but will listen to R&B style releases from standard groups. He also has a soft spot for Red Velvet’s Velvet-style tracks (mostly due to exposure because of Dick).

Maps: Bright concept Boy Groups and Nugu Girl Groups. She loves fun and bright songs. Think boy groups with TWS or The Wind and Nugu Girls like Saturday or Alice. She also is the biggest fan of Orange Caramel (unaware it’s a subunit, Broke Steph’s heart with that) and had done a full on Catalena cover with Steph and Cass.

Alfred: Probably the boring and predictable answer, but man listens to Trot. We respect some good Trot in this house and Alfred is a man of taste. He is also a Lim Young Woong fan much to the dismay of the rest of his family (nothing against his music, they just hate how he dominated the charts constantly)

[gummy-bwear]

Mouthwashing AU about Centaurs

Centaurs are common in the world in this AU, though it’s debated on whether they should be treated as animals or as people.

Pony Express is a freighting/transport company for equine products and creatures (though it’s legality is… a tad questionable). Centaurs are some of their biggest profits because transporting them costs a lot of money.

Curly is a Gypsy Vanner centaur who was once wild and was the leader of his herd, was captured by humans and is being transported by Pony Express to another country to a company specialising in centaur racing (a controversial counterpart to horse racing), due to interest taken in his strong build and stamina. Generally dislikes humans, tries to escape often whenever the train stops for fuel or supplies.

Jimmy is Curly’s main handler, responsible for keeping him calm and tending to his needs. Rather uncaring and annoyed at Curly for being so ‘difficult’, but despite this is still possessive of him.

Anya is the on board veterinarian, because there’s quite a few living equine creatures on a freight at once. Feels bad for Curly and doesn’t like how cruelly centaurs are treated. However her interactions with him are scarce because of Jimmy and with all of the other creatures to tend to.

Swansea is the on board mechanic. Makes sure everything is in working order on the train and takes inventory on what items are meant to be on the train, also usually takes care of fuel. He’s quite apathetic towards centaurs on the surface but underneath pities them.

Daisuke is Swansea’s apprentice, and a lot more openly friendly then him. Spends a lot of time with Curly because he’s new to seeing centaur’s up close and is curious (even if Curly will usually just grumble and turn away from him, especially at the start).

I can’t draw them well but I hope y’all see the vision

[ahedderick]

Hanging in there.

While I did get a few things done yesterday, it wasn't near as much as I hoped. I have a small mountain of clean laundry in my room to put away, more gifts to wrap, several farm chores, and we still haven't gotten our tree. We were going to get it yesterday afternoon, but it started pouring cold rain again. I just feel - like I could sleep for a full day. Can't seem to make any progress on regular chores OR holiday ones.

Yesterday K got her grades. She had a 74% in chemistry (required for her major), but her final exam dropped that to 71%. Unfortunately, there are stricter passing requirements for medical/veterinary classes than for ordinary degrees. To 'pass' this course, she needed a 73%. We are both really upset about that, given how HARD she worked all through the semester.

Chance is licking a hot spot on his front leg. I took him to the vet for that a while back, and Vet thought he had some mites. Treated for the mites (Bravecto) . . saw some improvement temporarily . . but now he's back to worrying his leg raw and Lady's doing it occasionally, too. I was putting Rosalie's (adjustable) cone of shame on him, but he seems to have found a way to ditch it while he was outside. It's a big, blue cone - I can't see it anywhere around the yard or pasture. He may, honestly, just be bored because of his limited mobility (arthritis, we're medicating as much as possible), and licking because of boredom. Oh, buddy.

Rocky has an odd spot on his ear that won't heal. I need to get him to the vet about that. Areas with white fur tend to have pink skin underneath, and where the fur is shortest there is some risk of skin cancer. Hero had cancer near his mouth, years ago, which is when I learned that.

Just not feeling terribly jolly right now, I guess.

In better news, Roommate got the go-ahead to pick up Leo the Frisian/Vanner cross (from somewhere in New York state) and bring him here. He will arrive sometime in the middle of the night tonight. That means three horses in the pasture temporarily, then Missile will depart in a few days. Roommate is going to Reverse-Horse-Rustle him; taking him to his real owner's pasture and dropping him off. The guy has been refusing to take Roommate's calls, and he can't figure out any other (legal, ethical) way to do this.

I will, of course, get photos of Leo for you as soon as possible. He is black and white.

[xxnomadsxx]

so floyds colors in the movie look just ever so slightly duller than they did when the brozone bros were younger (at least to me) and that coupled with the down facing ear tips leads me to believe he’s a little gray himself (not surprising after…everything)

maybe thats one of the reasons he didn’t come back? he used to be the sensitive one, most likely the peace maker of the family who tried to talk things out (as seen when he tries to talk vanner into letting him go) and put on a smile to hide his own issues

what if he didn’t come back because he couldn’t do that anymore? that the issues he kept to himself were starting to affect his color and he thought others knowing would cause more issues then it would solve? that is until he was kidnapped and physically couldn’t.

now don’t be fooled im not defending him leaving branch alone by any means it was still a terrible thing to do im honestly just speculating with the little screen time floyd got

i love your au and the fun ideas that come with it keep it up with the amazing work!

also may i be dubbed 🐝 anon?

Thanks for the love!!! And don’t worry I’ll keep it up!

Floyd definitely had to have been grey right?!!?! Especially for a good period of time since his ears were deformed similar to Branch’s and when the other trolls went grey there ears stayed the same so he had to have been grey for a good period of time (maybe he turned grey during a rough patch in his solo career and felt like a failure leaving Branch for a failing career)

Honestly it would be hypocritical of me to hate on Floyd for not coming back because he was ashamed of being grey (when a part of the grey village au is how all the grey pop trolls are to ashamed to go back to pop village)

I give the brothers a lot of hate as you can see in my past posts with how the village is shown to despise them! When in reality I do LOVE them to!! I just have a lot of hate for their actions and feel they should be given consequences for them, such as their brother moving on and getting a new family (plus an entire village that hates them) Honestly I think it’s fine that they left, family can’t be forced to stay with you your entire life (like when your siblings go to college) my problem is how they left during an ARGUMENT! How they cut contact, How they left A BABY!!! In a town with a yearly genocide of trolls (and their grandma) He was left in the care of an old lady, an old lady who was old (I have nothing against grandparent caretakers) She would have had a difficult time raising a baby with her age (not to mention being a gambler, weird thing to learn about her) She seems to have done really well raising Branch from flashbacks in the show or when she’s talked about BUT STILL!! She also could’ve dropped dead any second (who knows what a trolls life expectancy is?!?!?! She could’ve been on death’s doorstep for all we know!)My point is they left him in a bad environment where he could die by the hands of troll eating Bergens Rosie did good, but she was old (also she let all her underage grandkids leave LIKE WHAT??!!?!! She was just playing rummy during the fight too 😦 wtf Rosie!!!)

Sorry this was a bit of a rant- and I don’t mean to offend anyone with how I think it was bad that grandma Rosiepuff was made his guardian because she is old!! I was mostly speaking through my cousins experience with how grandparents can’t be as attentive as they should when taking care of a kid (let alone a baby) because of their age, they will try their best they just have problems due to being older (I mean their bodies aren’t exactly as they used to be)

[cybertr0nian]

Has mun ever broken anything.

{: I've broken my pinkie before when I was little ( like 5-6 ) playing catch the saddle at horse camp...and if you have ever been around horses or rode one before, then you know how heavy saddles can be especially the western ones with horns.

I fuckin hate english saddles....no offense I just like the western ones, they're big, pretty, cool, and they have the horn to hold on which gives me added security.

I used to have a horse, she was an Arabian and her name was Kara. She died towards the beginning of 2020 at the age of 29 but she was a good girl, I rode her to school, my mom rode her to work and to go shopping or went to drive throughs with her. ( all in Florida ). She used to be a champion hunter jumper, but she got an injury and her owners saw her as useless because she couldn't perform anymore. So they wanted to get rid of her and told me if I could ride her to my farm that I could keep her, so I did and that's how I got Kara.

If I had another horse I would get a Gypse Vanner or a Friesian. But that's once I get land and stuff, I know my mom would get another Arabian.

Anyways that was longer then intended.

[cowboyimp-and-canaryangel]

Since I'm waiting on a response for the sketches I sent out for commissions, I decided to draw Solrina while also practicing on hellhorses. While it's true that Solrina will get a hellhorse in due time, I'm still figuring out what kind of design I want to give her hellhorse, Calamity. Her hellhorse is definitely going to be inspired by the Gypsy Vanner because those manes are really pretty and I thought 'Those manes would probably look like a wall of lava' and that sounds like a fun experiment. Of course, the hooves are also going to have to be worked on since Vanners have feathered hooves similar to a Clydesdale.

Like I said, it's going to be a lot of trial and error for me in figuring out Calamity's design. For now, I'm going to mostly practice horses.

[whywishesarehorses]

Kiger Mustang at Work - Parade

From the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Facebook page

"Look who was in the Rose Parade! This pair is BLM volunteer, Sue Watkins of Riverside, CA, and her mustang, Dime, who comes from BLM Oregon & Washington's Kiger herd. This year was Sue’s first time in the Rose Parade, and they rode as part of the Cowboy Channel’s Cowgirls Rule float entry.

Riding in the Rose Parade requires lots of preparation-think applications, veterinary health certifications, shoeing requirements—that take months to complete, as well as lining up for the parade starting the night before. When some of the original riders were unable to make the parade, Sue and several new riders were added three days before the parade to the Cowgirls Rule equestrians. They managed to get everything lined up, literally, in time for the parade.

Sue is an essential Bureau of Land Management - California wild horse and burro volunteer who helps with everything from adoption compliance to serving as an ambassador for the program. In addition to volunteering, Sue is also a competitor and carded judge for the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, Equine Trail Sports, and Working Equitation. She and Dime compete in Equine Trail Sports and Working Equitation. Dime is a national champion Working Equitation horse!

Sue and Dime, congratulations on a great first Rose Parade and thank you for showing the world the value of the trained mustang!"

[riddles-n-games]

Aside from western riding, the Hawthorne brothers also have equestrian pursuits that fall under the English discipline and others that don't fit either.

Nash-He sticks to western for the most part but he does draft horse and pleasure driving alongside endurance riding. He prefers working with the drafts and his favorite breed to work with are Clydesdales. In pastimes, his brothers, at least, when they were younger loved to join him for rides when he practiced for shows and competitions. Meanwhile for pleasure driving, his beloved Texas Dream is his chosen horse and she shines with ease in the ring but after every comp, she demands a carrot as compensation when the judge comes around.

Grayson-As mentioned before, he excels at dressage and his trusty Saddlebred, Sadie, is used for this mostly. His favorite move is the extended canter. While he had participated at the Grand Prix level, after seeing the amount of abuse and lack of regulations, he quit the top and settled for lower level comps. However, he also did polo with an Appendix Quarter called Penny and he somewhat enjoyed it but it never quite fully spoke to him the way dressage did. He also hated seeing Penny's mane roached time and time again so he retired her from it and repurposed her for cutting.

Jameson-His specialties are cross-country, showjumping, and vaulting. Yes, vaulting. His gymnastics background certainly comes in handy and with his light build, he can perform fantastic feats with his vaulting mare, a Lipizzaner/Gypsy Vanner cross named Arrow. He's had a lot of fun in this sport especially being able to do all these crazy acrobatics on a horse no matter how crazy his brothers and friends thought him to be. To be fair, he's done worse. But cross-country gives him a rush, not nearly as much as motocross but certainly the thrill is just as great when he gets first.

Xander-As far as horse sports go, for once, Jameson wasn't the craziest one. That honor goes to his younger brother who decided pursuing skijoring was a great alternative to the Drop, at least, for a while but he loved having some of his grandfather's old racehorses, a Thoroughbred and a Standardbred, Looney Tunes and Border Sunset. He competed in a few comps over three winters and won a few but safe to say, he lost interest in it although he had the time of his life for sure. The horses were gifted a lot of sugar cubes and apples as compensation for their time and effort.

[haganezukawaifu]

Rosa Dolce Chapter 2

~ Previous ~ Masterlist ~ Next ~

Bella. The same Bella since I was six. The same Bella I use to play with in the park and sleepover. I haven't seen her since she moved to Arizona. I always wonder how she was doing. She looks just like Renee except without short brown hair.

"Now today's topic is themes," Mr. Mason said. 

Everyone in the class groaned, maybe the class anticipated watching a movie based on a book we read. "Now class, themes are significant in English and  literature." I sat up intrigued. "Theme is the idea, concept, or lesson that repeats throughout a story. It relates to the protagonist's journey. It lies deep in their concerns, passions-their soul. Take "The Alchemist" for example, Santiago's desire to seek buried treasure, or in "Lord of the Rings", Frodo's only motivation was to destroy the one ring," Mr. Mason explained. 

"But that's not all, poems also have themes. Give Mr. Poe for example. His work "The Raven." I'm sure someone in the class can quote a line from The Raven," Mr. Mason said. The class was silent. "Come on. Anyone?" No one answers or bothers to raise their hand. I sigh as I fiddle with my pen. As I look down at my desk and said the line;

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing." 

 I could feel all eyes were on me at this moment.

"Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there was spoken was the whisper word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore?"-

Merely this and nothing more."

Silence fills the room once again as everyone looks at me, some awe. "Very well Ms. Anderson. Now class," Mr. Mason as he continues to teach. I notice that Bella is staring at me, and I turn to look out of the window. After the last 3 to 5 minutes of being in English, you think English class can't end fast enough. In class, I wasn't often outspoken, but only in subjects I was passionate about like literature. Oh, how I adore it. For the last 45 minutes, the bell rang but not before Mr. Mason assign us a book to read for the week. As I gathered my belonging, I heard a sudden and surprising voice.

"Christine."

I looked up and it was Bella right in front of me. "H-Hey," she said. "Hey." "It has been a while since we have last seen each other," Bella said as she grip the strips in her bag. 

'It has been years.'

"Yeah. I thought you were moved to Arizona with Ms.Renée." "Mom got remarried and she couldn't spend much time with Phil so I decided to live here with Charlie," Bella said. I see. Make sense, her father Charlie Swan is the Chief of Police in Forks. "H-How about you? I wasn't aware you were staying here now," she reply. I sigh in response. "It wasn't my idea to move here but Cordelia decided to open up a flower shop here," I said as I gripped my books in my hand. She hmm in response. There was silence between us. We haven't seen in years. Before I could say anything, I was interrupted. 

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you."

From the sound of it, it sounded like Eric and it was Eric, another classmate of mine.  "Bella," she corrected him as he nod. "Right. Hey Christine," he said. "Right. Um, I guess I will see you around, Bella. Who knows we might have another class together but we should catch up." "Yeah sure," she replies with a nod in response. I smiled before walking out of Mr. Mason's class and heading my way to my Trigonometry and Calculus class taught by Mr. Vanner. Math. Ugh. Mr.Vanner seems to want to make the class harder than it seems, but it isn't. In terms of that, I'm probably the smartest student in the class. If not the first, then maybe the second or third.

As soon as I arrived at my class, I sat in my usual seat. Following the final bell rang, Mr. Vanner announced that there will be a pop quiz.

'A pop quiz on a Monday. How typical to start the day.'

But it was nothing new for Mr. Vanner. Give us a pop quiz on something conceiving or something we don't know, then teach the class about it for four days and then the actual test will be Friday. Mr. Vanner held out the paper and as soon as I took a look at the paper, it was about the Pythagoras Theorem. There were only 5 questions. I already know it.

'This should go by fast as always.'

I answered every equation easily and finished. I stood up and walked to Mr. Vanner's desk but as soon as I place my paper on the desk, another paper was beside mine. And the owner of the paper was Cullen. Edward Cullen. I look at him as he looks at me with those golden eyes and nods his head and walks away. I did the same but with a small smile. Edward and I were always the first to finish. Then it would be Angela. But the crazy part is that I don't know much about him. He's like a closed book in my case. The family moves here two years ago from Alaska, and the moment they came, they became the talk of the town you can say. Our first interaction was quite awkward, the only time we spoke was when we both had a history together and we both were partners. He wasn't much of a talker last year.

'He's not much of a talker this year either.'

Soon as the quiz was finished, Mr. Vanner reviewed the quiz in hand and taught us the formula, as if I didn't know it. After the last 45 minutes in class, the bell rang and it was time for Biology. Then it was Government. When will this day ever end, I thought to myself. And now it's time for lunch. I grabbed my lunch and sat at my usual table... by myself. I always sit at the same table by myself and eat my lunch and read. It's more peaceful that way and I can enjoy my book. I grabbed my book and started reading. It was a classic called "Little Woman." I quite enjoyed it. As I was reading, I saw someone approaching my table and standing there. I looked up and it was Bella.

"Hey," she said. "Hey, Bella." "Umm... You mind if I sit here," she asked. I nod my head in response as she sat down in front of me. "I'm surprised you're not seated with Mike, Jessica, and the rest." "I was until I notice you were seated by yourself and wanted to catch up. So what book are you reading," she asks. I lift the book and say "Little Woman." She nods her head in response before she looks down and starts fiddling with her tray. I close my book and place it on the side. "So, what do you want to catch up about?" "Well, how have you been? How's Cordelia and Anthony," she asked.

'Oh.'

"I have been doing good. Cordelia is doing well. Anthony, he moves out when I turn 14. I haven't heard much from him or seen him since then." Bella nods her head. "And you. How was life in Phoenix." "Phoenix is great. Kinda missing it right now," she said. "Not used to rain and wet weather huh." Bella shook her head. I don't blame her. In California, I was used to the heat and it only rained so often but now I move here, all I see is rain. Boy, do I hate it? "You know Jessica and Mike told me something," she mentions.

'Oh boy.'

Immediately, it caught my attention, I knew what she was saying. "Let me guess. Did they mention I was a witch?" Bella looked a bit surprised when I revealed it before she did. I chuckled at her reaction. "Before you say anything, I'm not. I swear you work in a plant shop and people think you're a witch." "So how come they think you are," Bella said. I sigh at the question. New students are normally warned about me.

'I'm surprised that Jessica and Mike haven't told her why.'

"A girl in my sophomore year climbed a rope during gym class and I watched her while everyone did their own thing. She was climbing so high and my eyes couldn't leave her. Suddenly she stopped, then got dizzy. She start to let go of the rope and fell. Someone caught her, but one person said I probably caused her to fall because I watched. Since then, I was known as the 'witch'. Ridiculous thing if you ask me. Not to mention the cylinder incident." As my head flops down on the table, I sigh. "Everyone thinks I did that when honestly the heat was too high and it exploded." I sigh as I mumble down. I think that is the most I've ever explained myself. Soon I heard Bella sigh. "Well...I don't believe you're a witch." I gave her a soft smile before I nodded. "Thanks."

'At least someone doesn't think I am.'

Then the bell rang. Lunch is over already. "The bell. What's your next class." "Umm biology," she said. "If you like I can take you there. I have Spanish next. And I don't know, maybe after school, I can show you the flower shop. I'm sure Cordelia would be happy to see you." "Uh sure," she responded with a nod. We gather our things and exit the cafeteria. It was nice to talk to someone at lunch. I honestly haven't done that in forever. So maybe things might change.

or will they...

[toon-tales]

I’m not sure if it’s already thing but do you think Poppy would learn that not everyone changes.

Like, what if there would have evil troll that doesn’t have a redemption arc, like maybe a pop troll.

Poppy thought she would help them change but she realized she can’t do that, and learn that not everyone has happiness in Trolls.

What do you think? My apologies if it’s not enough-

I know we had Velvet and Vanner, that one of them changed but other didn’t but they’re not Trolls so yeah, just some thoughts.

Just some thoughts? Anon, these are some of the best thoughts that I'm gladly going to talk about... in analysis form!

Also, I haven't watched any of the series so this is going to be based off the movies

Now, let's take it from the very beginning

Poppy has always known Branch was different, gray, and she's accepted it, though his antics might have annoyed her. And later, much later, it still took him a while to actually open up to her. The thing is, Branch eventually DID change and find the happiness inside him, which, let's say, kind of gave Poppy hope that everyone can change for the better

Now, to the second movie, Twt. Barb. She's what we'll be talking about. Ok, so, in the beginning, all Poppy thought was that Barb wanted the strings for a big party with all the tribes, and she only knew the truth when she saw what Barb did to Symphonyville

You can even see how angry she was at Barb, how she didn't wanna be told she's her best friend

But in the end? Poppy still believed that Barb can change and even threw her her guitar to make her join the party

She helped Barb change for the better, which also added to her beliefs that anyone can change

Moving on to Tbt. I've read a lot of different opinions about Poppy trying to get Branch to reconnect with his brothers, and most of them were that she was still the same old Poppy. And yeah, I agree, but only 50%, though. Like, yeah, she should've understood what Branch has gone through without his brothers, but she also knows how lonely and awful life is without a sibling, so she was trying to help him get better (in her way, yes, but Branch sometimes needs someone to guide him, and I'll be talking about this more in the upcoming Broppy throughout Tbt analysis)

Then later, she leaves the book to Viva, hoping she'll change her mind and join them

Now, here's the thing, Branch and his brothers did not get along as she hoped, but does that mean she lost her faith? Nope, that's Poppy we're talking about. She went to help Branch save Floyd, then ALL his brothers, then Viva JOINED them, then they SANG THE PERFECT FAMILY HARMONY

Things did work out in the end, which, like you should know by now, added to her beliefs that anyone can change for the better

This guy

Now, look, Poppy loved him, obviously, it was clear from the beginning. But the thing is that he literally betrayed them

"At least give him a chance." Poppy still wanted to give him a chance to explain himself, she believed that something was wrong, that he wasn't evil

"I'm selling you out." But he was

You can see how angry Poppy was, and you can't blame her

See how her expression changes from surprise to confusion

But let's rewind a bit, a lot bit, to the first movie

She's looking at him like he's a stranger, like he's not the Creek she knows

Then slowly realizes he is

And I believe this was one of the reasons she went gray

But in the end of the day? Poppy found her colors, she got over it, she sang and danced again, even though Creek seemed like he wasn't going to go good

I just wanted to end with Creek to say this: even though Poppy knew not all people would change, she still gave them a chance, till it got out of hand, then she starts to stand up to them

So, yeah, that's it. Thanks a lot for the nice ask, Anon! Hope you liked it!

As usual, feel free to add or comment on anything!

[acewithapaintbrush]

"Shut the fuck up! You can turn into a horse?”

Lucifer raises his arms as if he needs to defend himself even though the imp only reaches to about his chest. “Well…I'm the king? Shapeshifting is the least I can do.” 

Blitz gasps and his eyes grow even bigger and more sparkly. 

“Earth breeds too?” he asks and doesn’t wait for an answer before he starts counting on his fingers, voice tripping over itself and breathless. “How about Appaloosas? How about a Gypsy Vanner Horse? How about Arabians? How about Shire Horses? How about Ardennes? How about a Dutch Warmblood? How about a Halflinger? Oh oh oh! How about a Jutland Horse? Or a Westphalian? How about-”

Ok, this is getting weird, even for Lucifer. 

*******

I added the tag "Horse Girl Blitz" after this chapter so do with that what you want

[karmaswhiskee]

✨𝓘𝓷𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷✨

ᵕ̈ This is an 18+ only blog. As many others have said on their blogs, ageless and blank blogs will be blocked immediately. If you have added your age or feel you have been blocked unfairly, please let me know.

ᵕ̈ Please refer to me as Karma. I'm a cis woman, she/her.

ᵕ̈ I'm an INTJ and I'm 21 years old.

ᵕ̈ I'm bisexual

ᵕ̈ My ult group is Stray Kids, but I also stan Ateez, EXO, Mamamoo, DKB, VANNER, Xdinary Heroes, Xikers, Dreamcatcher, Aespa, i-dol, and many other groups. I do not tolerate anti/solo stan behaviour.

ᵕ̈ This blog will be exclusively fanfiction written for Stray Kids. I'm Chan biased with the rest of Stray Kids as my bias wreckers. This means that a very large majority of my works will be about Chan.

ᵕ̈ ©karmaswhiskee I do not give permission for any of my work to be copied or reposted. If anyone would like to translate my works, you need to get permission directly from me first.

ᵕ̈ I'm happy to write smut, angst, comfort, etc. I will not write anything sexual involving animals/children/blood relatives, so please don't ask.

ᵕ̈ If you feel like your request has been ignored, feel free to message me and I'll be happy to let you know what's going on with it☺️ I reserve the right to decline any request.

ᵕ̈ I'm writing a sizeable fic for SKZ on AO3 called "Lucky Girl"! You can find me there @ karmaswhiskee (same username as this blog).

ᵕ̈ Everything posted here & on my AO3 account is entirely fiction and in no way represents any member of Stray Kids in reality.

ᵕ̈ I unfortunately don't have a posting schedule. I work full-time and will be restarting uni soon. I will post when I can, so please be patient with me.

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Masterlist:

ᵕ̈ Requests are Currently: Open

ᵕ̈ Requests currently pending: 0

ᵕ̈ Commissions are Currently: Open (please DM for pricing)

ᵕ̈ Smutty Excerpts from "Lucky Girl" on AO3 (coming soon)

ᵕ̈ One shots:

🐺: The Voice Memo, Long Distance Dick

🐰:

🐷🐰: Seo Changbin, the Boyfriend Who Cares

🥟:

🐿️:

🐥:

🐶:

🦊:

ᵕ̈ "Free Use" Series:

- Part One [OT8]: Kiss & A Show

- Part Two [🐺]: (coming soon)

[catch-me-hello]

Build Up, Episode 5:  Time to Floor It.

We have a LOT to cover today.  We have four more duo battles, some kind of death match, and I’m assuming eliminations.  I also tried to send the Best Buy Geek Squad to South Korea to make sure all the earpieces work, and now I’m banned from the store.  Welcome to Episode Five!

Let’s get these final battles out of the way.  Our first team is VANNER member Taehwan and actor Hong Sung-won.  These are two happy, smiling, playful guys, and they’re performing a bummer of a song, “Play” by Lucy.

I thought this was a sad song about depression and losing the joys of childhood.  But these two are singing with big smiles, and the other contestants are smiling and clapping along, so I’ve clearly misinterpreted something.

The judges are reserved in their response.  The score range is 87 and 75.  Yeah, something is definitely off.

The other contestants look surprised.  The judges say this team sang the song well, but it wasn’t very moving.  It didn’t affect the judges emotionally.  I’m wondering If it’s because the positivity of the singers didn’t match the tone of the song.  But no.  They even felt that the upbeat vibe matched the youth of the song.  They just felt “meh” about the performance.

Well, that was a weird start.  On to the opposing team.  It’s former Day6 member Lim Jun Hyeok and current Pentagon member Yeo One.  They’re doing “My Sea” by IU.

Again, their voices are beautiful, but again, the judges give a muted response.  Are the judges just tired?  These battles have been going on for a while.  But they just seem underwhelmed by this team, as well as the previous one, and they’re not sure how to vote.  Maybe they’re just tired of hearing ballads.

The score range is 91 and 75.  Barely higher than the opposing team.  I think we need a hard rock song to shake things up and wake up the judges.  Let’s see the final scores and find out who won this battle.

One point difference.  Are you KIDDING me?  Our Day6/Pentagon team won by ONE POINT?  This is definitely ballad fatigue.  We’ve started this episode with an exhausted whimper.

Unfortunately, we’re getting two ballads again in our next battle.  Someone slip the judges some amphetamines.  We’re starting off with actor Choi Ha-ram and singer/songwriter Hwang In-hyuk.  They’re singing a ballad called “To My Youth” by BOL4.  It’s a song about depression and then pulling out of depression but not being able to enjoy it because of the fear of falling back into depression.  Are there NO happy K-pop ballads?  Could we maybe write one before these judges slip into a coma?

I looked up the song the opposing team will be singing.  It’s called “Moon,” by The Stray, and it’s about a relationship falling apart.  Is everyone in South Korea okay?

Settle in.  Let’s start with “To My Youth.”

I honestly don’t hear how this is any different from the other ballads, but the judges are going nuts.  They love it.  They applaud enthusiastically.  The score range is 100 and 85.  Maybe I’m the one with ballad fatigue.

Now for “Moon,” being sung by trainees Park Ju-he and Kwon Eui-bin.

Just when I think they stand a chance of winning this battle, Park Ju-he holds a note and suddenly bursts into tears.  The music finishes without him as he drops his head and cries, his tears dropping onto the stage.

My heart breaks for him when one of the judges says to the others, “Oh, he couldn’t finish the song, right?”  They’re going to deduct points.  We FINALLY get a song that provokes a powerful emotional response, and now they’re going to deduct points.

The other contestants mutter that he shouldn’t have gotten overwhelmed by his emotions.  The only compassionate response comes from Judge Wendy of Red Velvet, who says, “Gosh, I want to give him a hug.”

Park Ju-he can’t stop crying.  I look through my notes and remember that he is our 18 year-old show maknae.  He’s been competing with famous idols and facing a crazy amount of pressure, and he’s barely an adult.

The judges vote.  The score range is 90 and 80.  Much lower than the opposing team.  When it’s time to give their feedback, the first question we hear is, “Ju-he, why did you cry?” and I want to grab that judge’s mic and give him something to cry about.

Ju-he recovers and tries to blow it off, saying he doesn’t know why he cried.  Another judge says, “This may sound cold, but …” and I feel the urge to kill rising.  The judge says he’s disappointed that he missed the last part of the song because of the crying.

I hate the entire panel.

The tears cost the team.  They lose the battle, 648-607.  Park Ju-he breaks down again at the final score, and the judges call him a soft, sweet baby boy.  Well, this is healthy for a young man to hear in front of a worldwide audience. 

Two more battles to go.  The show suddenly decides to move this along, because we don’t get to see the battles.  We get clips.  Jang In-tae of 415 and Lee Min-wook of NewKidd win their battle.  Singers Taewoo and Lim Sang-hyun win theirs.  It’s a relief to have this mission over with.  It started with epic performances and ended with the maknae sobbing onstage and having his adulthood questioned.

We’re shown all of our losing teams, who are now at the risk of elimination.  Half of them will now be cut from the show.  Here are the ten survivors, determined by the judging panel.

Jay Chang.  Right off the bat, another unanimous vote.  In their deliberations, the judges say he’s memorable, has a good voice and a different vibe, a good body, and a lot of talent.  No argument here.  In a confessional, he says he’s shown the judges that he can sing pop, but now he wants to show them that he’s good at singing Korean songs.

Now the show seems to glance at its watch again, because we race through the rest of the names.  It’s hard to keep up.

Jay Chang, Seung-hun, and Neon

Seung-hun.  Another one of my favorites!  Our YG survivor and vocalist for CIX.

Neon.  The singer/songwriter who was Seung-hun’s partner in the duo battles.

Bitsaeon.  MONT member, and Jay’s battle partner.  I’m so glad he’s one of the survivors after being overshadowed by Jay in his battle.  He was very professional and mature about it, but he deserves to shine on his own.

Lee Gwang-seok.  YES!  Justice after his earpiece fritzed out!  He’s getting another chance.  Screw you, Best Buy Geek Squad!

Park Ju-he:  Our maknae who broke down!  He’s also getting another chance.  Thankfully, he manages to keep it together this time.

Kim Seo-hyung.  Our musical theater actor who stunned the judges with the final lyrics of “I Don’t Love You,” sung into the stillness.

Sunyoul.  One of our UP10TION members.  His team lost to Team Sherlock, but the judges want to keep him a while longer.

Bitsaeon, Lee Gwang-seok, Park Ju-he, Kim Seo-hyung, and Sunyoul

Lee Dong-hun.  ACE member and Sunyoul’s battle teammate.  And finally,

Woong of AB6IX.  Wow.  He’s one of the Kick-It Team members who phoned it in.  I’m really surprised at this.

Lee Dong-hun and Woong

Okay!  We’re down to thirty singers now, which should make the next mission go a lot faster.  It’s time for the Triple Death Match.

We go back to our winning teams, still sitting together in pairs.  They’re told that in this 3-vs-3 match, the losing eams will be eliminated immediately.  Wow, this show is really speeding things up.

Each duo will need to recruit one of the ten survivors to form their teams.  Oh, great.  Jay’s going to talk his way into battling Wumuti again, isn’t he?  Jay Chang, I swear to God …

Each duo takes turns going into a voting both, where pictures of the ten survivors are laid out on a podium.  Wumuti and Kang Ha-yoon will be the first to go in and choose.  We learn that these duos have no idea who the surviving ten are until they go into the booth.

It doesn’t take long for Wumuti and Kang Ha-yoon to decide.  They return to the others with Jay Chang in tow.

Jay and Wumuti are on the same team!  All is right in K-pop Land.  Now to see where Seung-hun winds up.

One by one, each duo picks their new team member.  Seung-hun is chosen by Park Je-up and Choi Su-hwan, our winning Team Sherlock.  They’re a bit intimidated by his height, so when they welcome him to the team, they find a way to be taller than him.

Now the teams decide which teams they want to battle, and I skip through this part.  I’m ready for the death match!  Let’s stomp the gas pedal to the floor!

Our six judges are back, minus Sungkwan of Seventeen, because it looks like we’re getting a new guest judge.  Please welcome Lim Seul-ong of 2am!  He’s been watching the show and is ready to get judgmental on this mission’s ass.

Here come our first two teams!  Park Je-up, Choi Su-hwan, and Seung-hun will be performing the BTOB song “I’ll Be Your Man.” 

Kim Min Seo, Bain, and Bitsaeon will be performing the Kiss of Life song “Bad News.”

The losing team will immediately be disqualified, and Seung-hun is one of my picks, so I’m pulling for Team BTOB.  They’re up first, and thankfully it’s an upbeat song.  AND they’ll be singing it in front of BTOB’s main vocalist, Judge Seo Eun-kwang.

Oh my God.

The three-part harmonies are crazy.  The rapping is insane.  The energy and passion should be locked up in Arkham Asylum and forced to fight Batman.  I may be going a bit overboard, but after the ballad snoozefest that started this episode, I love the fire of this performance.

The judges are stunned.  Their first word is “WOW.”  Several stand up to applaud.  “It was just like a concert!” they marvel.  “I almost cried!”

The party is finally back.

The voting is done differently this time.  The judges will wait until both teams have performed.  The episode ends here, so we’ll have to see Team Kiss of Life next time.  Just when the show finally wakes up, we’re out of time.

We have a lot to look forward to next episode, including this dapper-looking team’s performance:

I’m excited.  See you next episode!