(TFT) Horses

["maou_tsaou1@netzero.net" <maou_tsaou1@netzero.net>]

"I've got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere, and they say that the horse can do..."

The average Thoroughbred is about 8.5ft long, 1450lbs, and can sustain over 40mph speeds with strides upwards of 28ft.

At 4.3ft per hex this sets an average Thoroughbred at two full hexes in length, covering 6.5 hexes per stride and completing two strides per second or ten per melee round.
Even amongst the racing horses there are specialists over short tracks, distance, and endurance, as well as various styles within the specialties, but these races tend to test an animals speed (MA).

Steeplechases, foxes hunts, barrel riding etc. focus as much or more of the test of a race on a horses DX.
For Quarter horses, cutting horses, etc. DX is more important than MA.

Most horses end up pulling with harness. 
This is by far the most common work for the species.
Harness racing uses two gaits.
The trot is when the horse raises right fore hoof and left hind hoof together, then vise versa.
The pace is when the horse lifts both fore and hind hoofs on the same side together.
Pacing is a bit faster, the trot is a tad smother ride (attacks).
Niatross, a pacer, one mile in 1:49.2 sec. (world record in 80s')
Harness horses can maintain their pace over long distances, i.e. travel.

The early Chariots were more transport oriented and intended to deliver a hero quickly to key areas of the battlefield. Egypt. Heroic Greek. Gilgamesh. Etc.
Bearings, suspension, etc. are technological advances that allow Chariots to act as attack platforms by stabilizing the warrior.
For example, the Hittites developed axles that were moved from the back of the platform to the center.
The added maneuverability proved decisive at the battle of Kadesh. 
Teams of horses for racing and pulling several people, etc.
Revolving fire circles, etc.
Chariot racing was significantly more popular in ancient Rome than gladiatorial events.

Al Jabal (purebred Arabian) won over 6 furlongs (6/8ths of a mile) at 19 years old.
Las Meninas, 1:36.71, fastest 1000 Guineas
Mister Baileys, 1:35.08, fastest 2000 Guineas
Lammtarra, 2:32.31, fastest Epsom Derby
Coronach - Windsor Lad, 3:1.6, fastest St. Leger
Secretariat, 1:59.4, fastest Kentucky Derby

The worlds top races and the first year of their running.

The five English 'Classics'
St. Leger first running 1776
The Oaks, 1779
The Epsom Derby, 1780
The 2000 Guineas, 1809
The 1000 Guineas, 1814

The Queen's Plate, Canadian, 1860
The Melbourne Cup, Australian, 1861
The Grand Prix de Paris, French, 1863
Irish Sweeps Derby, Irish, 1866

The Triple Crown
The Belmont, 1867
The Preakness, 1873
The Kentucky Derby, 1875

Shadowfax would probably possess world class (or higher) ability in multiple areas.

TFT gives the following.
Horse Ranges
ST 14 - 38
DX 11 - 15
IQ 5 - 6
MA 20 - 30
(MA 25 = 21.5fps or ~14.659 MPH)

Now  Laura Hillenbrands "Seabiscut" says this.
Up to 1450lbs and sustained speeds upwards of 40mph.
> 58.6ft per second.
> 293.3ft per turn.
> 65 - 70hexes per turn. (7.2 to 7.7 Battle Maps per Turn)
Record speeds are in the 50+mph range for short track sprints.
Also recall in "The Hex" I mentioned;
"At 4.3ft per hex this sets an average Thoroughbred at two full hexes in length, covering 6.5 hexes per stride and completing two strides per second or ten per melee round."

This is where we get into Running. 

Those "strides" are in fact describing the gallop, a Horses natural Running gait.
Gaits are broken into beats, moments in which one or more hoofs strike the ground making a sound reminiscent of two halves of a coconut shell being clapped together.
But that's an example for flying and Encumbrance.
In the gallop the Horse enters a leaping and bounding type motion during which at some moments all four hoofs leave the ground.
During the first beat one of the Horses hind feet strike the ground.
Weather the left or the right depends on the "handedness" of the Horse.
On the second beat the other hind foot and the opposite forefoot strike together.
On the final beat of the gait the other forefoot strikes ground, then it raises all four hoofs off the ground until the animal repeats the first beat of its gallop.
All horses "run" in this basic pattern, with a thoroughbred or quarter horse being trained to stretch this natural motion, lengthening the stride and reducing the total number of steps required to complete the race, or in other words, they learn Running.
So depending on the speed of the animal in question, it should be possible to get a very decent idea of which square in which hex at which point in the melee round a given hoof falls.
If that's important to you, like in a joust sim...

A well trained ridding Horse will usually know 5 gaits; walk (natural 3-5mph), slow gait (artificial 6mph), rack (artificial 8mph), trot (natural 9-11mph), and canter (natural 11-13mph), with 3 speeds at each of the natural gaits.
Lord knows what a Lipizzaner knows.

A trot is difficult for inexperienced riders to maintain, as this gait usually requires posting, a rhythmic up and down riding motion timed to the trots two beats.
A riding saddle is NOT designed for a full gallop and a jockey plays a balancing act when riding a race, bearing their weight on the balls of their feet and crouching over the saddle.
Having only a couple of months of actual experience with Horses, (so far), I can only venture the guess that "western" saddles would quickly slip out of position.
This little GM ain't gonna try it.

Roughly 15 to 30lbs of hay, 4 to 12 quarts of oats or bran, 10 to 15 gallons fresh water, and about 2 ounces of salt per Horse, per day.

Deremilitari.org (/resources/articles/bachrach3.htm) suggests something like 1 ton of iron and 1 blacksmith per 200 horses per month during the middle ages, mainly for shoes, but also other items of tack requiring metal, like the bit or stirrups, and tools like pitchforks or shovels used in their care.
Loss and recovery rates are an economic question for that ton of iron, as is production rates for blacksmiths.

Vincas, non vincas, te amamus, Polydoxe!
(Whether you win or whether you loose, we love you still, O Polydoxus!)
Tribute to a favorite chariot horse in mosaic on a bath-house floor in northern Africa.






____________________________________________________________
Energy Saving Heating and Cooling Systems. Click for free information.
http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/PnY6rx8oMRbaz6980snplhcL4FBjIXlgwXQ6znJPHd6uBOejJcukm/
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"