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Tattered-Dreams — Long Way to Go
Published: 2012-11-25 13:35:25 +0000 UTC; Views: 1966; Favourites: 45; Downloads: 0
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Description
Stable: Lakewood Farm
Horse Number: 1
Horse Name: Kiwi
Entry: Optional
Storyline:
1. Mandatory: First Meeting
2. Optional: The First Steps
3. Optional: Interlude - Things for the Future
4. Optional: Breakthrough
5. Optional: Building Trust
6. Mandatory: Mishap - Halter Training
7. Optional: Progression
8. Optional: Mishap - Early Saddle Sessions: You are Here
9. Mandatory: Backing
10. Optional: Mounting Up
11. Mandatory: Flat Training
12. Optional: Jump training
13. Optional: Christmas Hack
14. Optional: Kaimanawa Hack
15. Optional: Beach/water riding
16. Optional: The Future
"That horse wasn't built to tread the earth
He took natural to the air
And every time he went aloft
He tried to leave me there"
~ unknown.
I've always liked that poem, and it fits oddly well, I thought
Well, I said I'd try to do a quick sketch of this stage, and this morning (between watching The Hole) I sat down with my sketchbook with the thick, grainy paper and *gasp* a photo reference to draw this. It got a little out of hand as a 'quick sketch' but I was really happy with how it came out.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any good pictures of horses bucking with english saddles, so I adapted a western bronc rider and completely invented the saddle.
Anyway, this would be Kiwi in the first few sessions with her saddle. It is out of chronological order in regards to posting, since this happens before the image of Alec long reining her. And though it may not have occured to some people, I was deliberate about not using the yellow girth. While Kiwi's unpredictable like this, we were using leather girths only, so they could be more trusted to break if she had enough of a freak out.
Sketched and rendered on paper and flat colours added in PS CS5 - sketch layer set to multiply.
A couple of hours, maybe 3.
This used as a ref for the pose and shading: [link]
Art and character copyright to *Tattered-Dreams
Character design copyright to *LeavingNeverland
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.
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Comments: 49
This is truly amazing, I absolutely adore your art style and pictures!
Keep up up the fantastic work!
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Thank you so much! This has been up a long time (and its just one example of the styles I like to play with) but I'm glad you like it so much
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Hehe, yup; she wasn't too happy
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poor thing. She's been tramautized .
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Yes, they're an evil lot, the Lakewood bunch XD
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Yes, they're an evil lot, the Lakewood bunch XD
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What a fun pose! Kiwi doesn't look too happy about that saddle though xD
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Thanks! And haha, she isn't all that impressed, no XD
Thankfully, she got better
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Well good luck with the training! She's a real beauty!
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Training's all that's left to go now, so thanks! We'll be needing all that luck
And thank you; her design is all Nev, but I'm always oddly proud when people think she's pretty/adorable ^^
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I love how this looks! It's so beautiful with the sketch still showing all that beautiful texture detail from your original media. I thought it was all traditional until I read the artist's comments.
This is my fave pic of Kiwi so far
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Thank you so much!
I do have a soft spot for pencil sketches and renderings, so I'm glad you like that. Lol, as for the colouring - I had to do that in PS, not only because I thought colouring on the sketch might ruin it, but also because my traditional colouring leaves a bit to be desired - I'd never have gotten her colours right (and birdcatchers don't show up well in pencils).
I really like this one, too, so hopefully there'll be another in this style
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If I'd known you'd wanted refs of bucking horses with saddles I could have lent you some of my friend's old horse Cruz!
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If I'd known you had some, I'd have asked! XD
Thank you, but I didn't even know I wanted some 
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Tons - she was a bucking machine! lol
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A friend of mine had an ex racehorse mare; beautiful with amazing paces - on the rare occasion she actually went forward and not *up*. She could buck for the Olympics.
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Hahaha! Cruz was the epitome of the 'chestnut mare' - sharp, cunning, highly intelligent and a joy to be around...if she was in the right mood. XD
She was sold last year but her new owner didn't get on with her after a couple of months and she was passed onto a dealer and now we don't know where she is. I miss her so much.
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Definitely sounds like a chestnut mare
Sorry to hear about that, though. My friend's horse, Genie, was worse in some ways. She started off as an amazing horse - great considering her racing background, but gradually she deteriorated until you literally didn't have time to sit in the saddle before she was launching upwards, all four hooves at once. But she was still like a lamb to interact with from the ground. I helped her where I could and we tried everything; we checked her bit, her feet, her bridle fit, her saddle, her back...she had all sorts of tests done, we tried working her less than usual, then more than usual, and then resting her and restarting much more gradually; we lunged her to build up possible weak muscle over her back and had tons of vet and chiropractor opinions. As far as any of us could tell, there was nothing physically wrong whatsoever (though bone development problems were a concern because she'd been raced at 2yrs). We thought it was some kind of psyhcological thing she had. But she was wasted while she couldn't be worked, so after some time off, my friend moved her, to see if a new place would help. When that failed, she sold her, but she was sold back because she was pining as well as going nuts.
In the end, she couldn't afford to keep her and she wouldn't be sold, so they had to put her down. She was seven. My friend and her mum who'd had her for years and watched her fall apart were just as angry at her as they were upset because it was like Genie didn't realise the situation she was making for herself...
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[link] XD
Oh that's awful! 
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Eeee, I love that! Epic expression, and she's just so pretty ^^ I have to ask - can I use it as a ref/inspiration for a HARPG picture? Either Poe or Kiwi, I think
A fair few horses I've ridden sound like her. One I really loved in fact (Blue) tested you in the same way - he'd be a complete twit when you got on him - hollowing his back, throwing his head, darting side ways and generally napping and refusing to settle. If you rode quietly and sympathetically which tends to be how I ride naturally, he just quiets down himself and we really clicked. But some people would wind him right up until he'd just throw bucks for fun and unseat people. Some horses you can sit to and Blue wasn't too bad. The problem with Genie was you couldn't even work her through it slowly - she had such high, spine wrenching leaps you just couldn't sit them at all. My friend tried, I tried and my friend's boyfriend at the time was known at college for sticking to the nutters, but even he came off.
With Cruz, I get why that unknown is such a scary thought. The best you can do is look on the bright side and hope that somewhere along the line, she was passed to someone who rode her in a way she respected and she's happier. That is the good thing about letting different people get on a horse; there's more chance you'll stumble on someone who can click with them.
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Of course! Feel free to use any in that set as reference.
I think that's it in a nutshell - you need to find a horse and rider who click perfectly and it's often difficult to see past the immediate flaws when you first meet up. My friend backed Cruz and seeing her buck with her all the way round the school freaked me right out and I was convinced that I'd never ride her because of it...but I ended up being the first to ride her bareback in a HALTER so I was totally mistaken! lol
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Exactly that. I literally walked into the barn on Sunday yards years ago and just had to lay eyes on Sai, a chestnut Arabian gelding, to know I wanted to keep him. Nothing got me down and when I finally got to ride him, he was scatty and a complete fruitcake who spooked at his own shadow, but I just loved him more. With Blue, I used to be fond of him and then I wasn't around him for months, during which time he reportedly went 'nuts' and was now 'temperamental' and 'unpredictable'. I was a little nervous to get on him again, but as soon as I did and he darted side ways just like Sai, my nerves vanished and I knew everyone was talking rubbish - he was just playfull and fussy and wanted someone on him who wouldn't hang onto his mouth.
There's a horse at my local stable though, Barney, who has thrown me off four times. I'm the only one he prats about with - for everyone else he's very sweet (a tad stubborn, but not loopy). In the end, I think we just don't click and he likes to be ridden in a different way than I naturally do so I stopped pushing myself on him.
I think its brilliant that you had such a turnaround with Cruz, though! To go from freaked at watching her to willingly hopping on her bareback is just great ^^
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Awwww! 
Well, I wouldn't say 'hopping on' lol, it took some manoeuvring and a lot of ear pinning but we got there in the end! XD I'd only ever ridden bareback once before in my whole life and it was only Cruz's third time too so she was remarkably relaxed about it. (although a car backfired at one point and she spooked and if I hadn't just adjusted the leadropes so they weren't too long I'd have been face first in the dirt. XD)
But yeah, when you think of how she went from this... [link]
...to this [link] in only a couple of years with a first time horse owner as a trainer is pretty remarkable! I'm generally a really nervous rider after a really nasty fall when I was 15 so it seems odd that the horse that gave me the most confidence was the one who to everyone else seemed like a bit of a dangerous creature!
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That's really true, sadly.
I haven't done much bareback riding, either. A chestnut Arabian called Asti was hand reared, so he has no idea what field heirarchy is and will get really worked up with another horse nearby. I rode him with a pad and though he shot sideways now and then with pinned ears and nose in the air, he was mostly very sweet and easy to move with. But years before that, I rode a friend's quarter horse gelding completely bareback. My friend shared him, and his proper owner didn't want him ridden in english tack, so he just had a huge western saddle. We tried bareback to take the weight off because it was really warm, the school surface was deep and he was light boned and young. But he was so supple and loose through his back without the saddle that I almost rolled right off several times just turning him on a circle XD.
Lol, those pictures are great! I love the differences they show in her. And I wouldn't say its odd - there are so many factors involved. Where they say humans have five senses (and the debated 'sixth sense') it is said that horses have over 70; monitoring pheremones in the air, for instance. Its entirely possible that Cruz acted 'dangerous' around most people, not because they were afraid, but because they were determined, felt challenged or thrilled when working with her and she's actually a very sweet horse who - when she sensed real fear - wanted to help, rather than take advantage.
I've had some nasty falls and interactions (not broken anything yet *touchwood*) but it seems to be that I only get nervous in certain situations. I was terrified jumping higher than 2ft on the resident superstar pony at college, and though I don't like high fences anywhere, I really love schooling the difficult ones over jumps when I'm not on the college yard. One of the school ponies everyone labelled 'nuts' - she had no brakes but other than that, was safe as houses - no bucking, rearing, napping or darting sideways... she just didn't like stopping. Everyone would have a war with her in lessons, but I used to get on fine with her because everytime she tanked, I let the reins slip. She had nothing to lean on and she'd stop on a dollar, but no one believed me when I told them to let their reins go. She hit a stride wrong to an oxer one day (at my stable, not college) and sent me into the whole fence, taking it almost completely out. I got back on and it never even occured to me to be nervous of her after that. At college, I had to jump a green horse over a tiny cross pole. She overcompensated and leapt the height of the wings, sending me right off. My tutor made me get back on, but even though she calmed after that and started to take the fence really nicely, I didn't stop shaking.
In short, nervousness and fear manifests in many ways, and a horse can usually tell in all cases. How they respond to that fear depends on that horse's core personality - some take advantage of real fear, some take liberties with slight nerves (like cheeky kids ponies) and some horses are so honest that they just want to help you through it. To me, it sounds like Cruz was a very honest mare under it all, and liked to give as good as she got when someone challenged her, but when it counted, she knew what you needed.
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lol, Cruz was all hairy when I rode her so I kinda stuck there but the one time before when I'd done it was literally just walking to a field and the horse had THE most prominent backbone ever. Getting off was...interesting. XD
Yeah, before she was sold we put one of the yard's really nervous riders on her as she'd always said how much she'd wanted to ride her but was too unconfident about her abilities. Cruz did buck with her a little when she cantered but she sat them really well and didn't put a foot wrong the rest of the ride and you could tell by the smile on her face that she'd had a brilliant experience.
The number of horses that just switch off when you give them some rein is incredible, albeit not really surprising - I wouldn't like to be kept on a short, tight contact all the time either! Sometimes it's just about how well you know the horse too - I had a few close calls with Cruz's bucks but it didn't put me off at all, yet I had a horse go a bit too fast (in trot) with me in a lesson and I never wanted to get on her again.
'To me, it sounds like Cruz was a very honest mare under it all, and liked to give as good as she got when someone challenged her, but when it counted, she knew what you needed.'
Exactly. I just wish I could have given her a home.
[link] - soppy video is soppy and excuse my awful position but...
Oh and this basically sums her up. XD
[link]
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Sorry to take an age!
The quarter horse had a fairly prominent wither, but nothing drastic, thankfully XD. I did ride a TB cross with a saddle, and he had such a sharp wither that it was uncomortable even with stirrups! I'm glad I never tried without 
I love it when you see that happen! A little horse that everyone calls nuts just put a smile on a timid rider's face. The pony I mentioned before with no brakes was called Mischief, and she was one of the early ones to do that for me. Everyone told me she was bonkers, but the minute I sat on her I knew they were the ones who were nuts - she wasn't mad, she was just forward and loved to run. I was told a long time ago something I like a lot: "There's two types of horses in the world. The ones you can't start, and the ones you can't stop." Most people prefer one or the other. I prefer the latter
And that's exactly what I mean! Some horses do the slightest thing and your trust is shattered. others get away with murder and you never feel like they're something to fear. It is all about you and the horse. (but I get that bit about tanking in trot! We had an Ardenne mare come to college - she was like an elephant disguised as a horse - and she was hilarious every time she tried to bolt off in trot (because canter was an effort XD)).
Aww; I feel awesome that I got her right 
Those videos are great! She's got such a kick to her, and an adorable cheek, but you can see there isn't a malicious bone in her body. And its great to see the connection she has with you, too. She's a nice mover and she goes so sweetly, she just seems to carry herself long and low. A horse I've ridden recently is like that; he just gets longer and longer the more you work and starts to disconnect, but he's a beautiful mover when you gather him together. Cruz looks like one of those mares who never come from anything special - names, blood or breeding - but they don't need any of that to become special in their own right. Those are the best horses ^^
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Ouch! I used to ride this massive big horse called Charlie who had such a big trot it felt like you stayed in the air for an extra stride every time you rose. XD
"There's two types of horses in the world. The ones you can't start, and the ones you can't stop." - I prefer the former, lol. XD
Aww!
This was the trotting one - nice horse but I was really out of practice as I hadn't ridden in like half a year but the yard had a really bad vibe to it and the instructor spent half her time talking to someone outside the arena and getting frustrated when I couldn't slow my pony down! I think she was a welsh cob or at least a partbred because she had this incredibly high stepping gait which was really hard to slow down. She was SUCH a follower too and every time Deb went into canter I was really struggling to hold her back and didn't manage it at one point because she just took off with me. :/
[link]
My confidence wasn't helped by the fact that she kept doing this every few strides either... ¬¬
[link]
lol, elephant horse! XD
That's the worst part - the not knowing.
Haha, a kick is exactly what she has! XD
[link]
[link]
[link]
Yeah, her dam was a TBx called Witch, lol but her sire was this gorgeous big hunk of a thing. [link] You can see she inherited his head! (and, according to anyone who's handled his offspring, his awkward temperament, lol)
Oh this has nothing to do with anything but omg, it's adorable. XD
[link]
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Eek, finally replying! Sorry this took forever!
Charlie sounds like a blast XD My friend's horse, Diablo - [link] - has what we call a 'sewing machine trot'. He pegs it, with tiny strides and its so difficult to sit to!
That's what I like about that quote - most people can fit in one or the other XD And yeah - it was kinda sad. Missy never kept weight on too well (we think she had some TB in her) and as she got older, she started to fare the winters worse, so it was nicer to put her to sleep before the weather turned a few years back.
In that video it looks like Montana spends a lot of time unsettled in the head and seeking a contact. A mare I've been riding recently does something similar and I really have to connect her hindquarters, but once she steps under, she moves into the bridle much nicer and she settles down a lot. I didn't know nearly as much back in college, though, when I rode an Arabxwelsh cross who moved very much like Montana, along with the follower mentality. I got tanked with a few times - that pony felt like she was on acid every time you sat in the saddle and I felt really powerless with her for months.
I feel your pain
Lol, I love that name for a horse - Witch
And that video is very cute
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COB! ^^
Yeah, better than her suffering out her final years.
She was still pretty green I think (only five if I recall correctly, after being broken the previous year) so that probably didn't help. Although I'd been riding Cruz since she was three, she was a completely different horse and as she was only ridden in the school with other horses once in a blue moon she never gained the follower mentality. It was so weird with Montana though as I felt like I was constantly having to hang onto her head because if she didn't she'd just take off which of course made everything else worse and bleh, not fun. :/
Yeah, I think it would have suited Cruz at times too! XD (although her show-name given by her breeder sums her up perfectly too - 'Trailer Trash' XD)
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Yup
And it was kinder to her. I hated it because you could literally see the weight coming off when the weather turned
She does look green in the video, and I know what you mean. The Arabxwelsh that I mentioned (Roo) was very headstrong and unlike Mischief, if you slipped your reins, she didn't stop fighting - she took what you offered and went for it. She was ridden in a wondagag which definitely offered some braking power, but she had a very developed sternocephalic muscle (underside of the neck) so she could really rear back her head and take all the braking power completely out of commission, so you had to just hang on and pray. Don't even get me started on the trials of hacking out on her 
Witch or more likely 'Wicca' I'd love to use for a horse's name
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There was a lovely old gelding like that at Cruz's yard. He had bowel cancer I think but his owner refused to put him down even though he looked like a welfare case, box-walked until he wore a trench in his bedding and didn't put on *any* weight despite being given three massive feeds a day and hay on tap. I don't think he was in any pain but he just wasn't happy.
'but convincing her that 120mph wasn't always necessary was a challenge.'
Haha, we've all known one like that! XD
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That is sad - the other thing that can cause that is worms (taking up all the nutrients so the horse wastes away, but that's usually accompanied by bloating, I think...). Still, I sympathise with her, because it is hard to accept having to euthanise a horse you love so much. Sometimes people sit in denial until the very last minute possible because they can't face the alternative. In some ways, I'm really glad that I never owned Missy, and the choice was never mine, because I may have tried to hold onto her a bit longer.
The really sad thing with her was that blue chip was working wonders. She had it all through one winter and she regained weight, condition and felt really young again, but it cost too much for the riding school, so the owner refused to buy it the following winter. That's when it became clear she was relying on it to survive. That just makes me think she could have lived longer, if only they'd had the money.
Haha, if you haven't known one like that, you're missing out
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Oh I know and I'd have probably done the same thing if I were in her shoes but the sad thing was that she worked full-time and only came to visit him a couple of times a week, gave him a groom and then went home so it wasn't like she even saw much of him at all. :/
Awwww!
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That does make it a bit worse. I can understand wanting to hold on if you spent all the time you could with him, but it wasn't fair if she was hardly there, just to leave him in his box.
And yeah, Blue Chip really seems to work; I've known a few horses fed on the stuff. I'd love to know what they put in there XD
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Thanks!
And I know what you mean! I find sometimes it doesn't work right, but other times I'm lucky
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I draw on rubbishy refill paper so I think that's about the same thing. It's strange how different it feels, though!
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Oh, definitely! I keep saying I hate trying to draw and shade on this thick paper, but I still can't stop doing it XD Just takes getting used to, I guess ^^
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Lol, even when throwing a tantrum she still gets called cute
But I do like to think so XD
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Haha, yes, she's still adorable. ;D
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i love this kiwi looks like " what is that on my back omg get it off"
its a brilliant pic
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Haha, that's basically it. She's not so much scared of it as ticked off at it, me thinks XD I've just mostly described her freakouts and not shown them, so I felt like I should fill in a bit of the blank - she's not always cutely innocent
Thanks! I'm glad you like it ^^
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