, but not today.No chapter this month, and the 'length' may return. · 7:28pm Aug 14th, 2016
1--turns out there is such a thing as a 'length', and worse, it's a horse related measurement
2--no chapter this month, due to Real Horse problems (this is also why I've been tardy with replying to comments and such)
1--The 'length' may return. Turns out that a length -- 2.4m -- is a known unit from horse-racing. Given the tradition of horse-related references in ponyfic, I may have no choice but to bring it back...
2--I think I mentioned that I bought a horse (Mister McCarthy, 'Mac', a 16.2hh grey gelding, half Irish Draught, half thoroughbred) last year. Unfortunately, things have not gone well. You can never really tell how any relationship will work in the long term, and the relationship between horse and rider has to be a close one.
My time with Mac didn't start well--he bolted in the arena, practically the first session I had, and threw me into a fence. After that, we sort-of reached an agreement -- hacking out in the park he was fine, skittish, more so than any of the other nags in the stables, but manageable. The time came when we had to transfer him back to the arena school, and this is where the trouble started.
He was always prone to 'mini bolts' -- not actual, full-on panic gallops, but short dashes when asked for canter -- and this was worse in the arena. It was harder to manage, because a) I was already a little afraid of him, and b) sharp turns at speed are not for the faint-hearted, and I never managed to stop him.
For months I thought it was me, because no one else reported any problems, but it turned out that I was the only one riding him in a group setting. When I finally refused to ride him, he started to do exactly the same to everyone else.
I tried to find out why he was doing this, 'helped' by the usual set of 'experts':
"You're not letting him go forwards, he's getting frustrated." (half the time I can't get him to canter at all, and he doesn't do it on solo lessons)
"That horse is lame, probably has been for years. It's a pain response." (that was from an actual vet; again he only does it in groups -- and two months later, with a different vet, he passed a full physical exam)
...and others that I forget.
Time passed and I lost confidence, until I would go to the stables thinking things like 'I only have to get through this hour, then I get three days off'. He finally put me in hospital with a suspected brain injury -- it wasn't, but they needed a CAT scan to be sure. Six months background radiation in two minutes. I also discovered what it was like to jump off a galloping horse (it doesn't hurt until later; adrenaline is a wonderful thing).
Any joy I had from riding was gone; what should have been a great step forwards was inflicting chronic stress. All the plans I'd made had been were sliced away, bit by bit, until there was nothing left but responsibility.
It eventually obvious that it was the environment he was in that was causing the problems. Trained as a cross-country jumper, probably for most of his life, he just wasn't adjusting to the kind of work I wanted to do. The final evidence came when he was taken out to a jumping competition; despite the new and scary surroundings, he was perfect, taking the rider over the jumps with ease.
It was the hardest decision I ever made, but I finally decided to sell him on to a more suitable home. He's gone now, to a rider who will compete him as a show jumper/eventer. I've been told he's very happy; I hope so.
There is a silver lining to all this gloom. As I was in the process of selling him, another horse was brought in on trial. The buyer didn't want her, but I had a chance to try her out. She was perfect -- calm, yet forward-going, with an 'old head' (not spooked by anything, and when she was scared, the reaction was nothing dramatic). She was happier at the stables after a day than many horses were after a month; within days she was leading the rides in the park, and I was riding her solo a few days after that.
She's half the age of Mac and still a little 'green', so needs training, and this will take more of my time. I'll try to keep to my schedule, but things may get difficult for a while.
So, she's a young black pony mare with white socks on her hind legs. Can you guess what I called her?
my wife had simular problems with her first after a long spell without a horse ,her current mount is taller younger but a much better match . good luck hope you can find a good trainer and take lessons remember a horse is never "finished"
Black Snooty?
Gravity Resonance!
And good that Mac has found a happier home. Especially one that didn't include being canned as cat food.
Is her name "Socks"?
Wait, you didn't know that? That's kind of what I assumed 'length' was based on in the first place.
Bah, that's only 150 milirems. That is nothing. A full set of dental x-rays gives you a full Rem on average. You don't even begin to have to worry about radiation sickness till you hit about 70-100 Rems. Why yes I did use to work on nuclear power plants, why do you ask?
Buttercup?
But, glad to here you found a horse you can get along with and enjoy, take your time.. I have other authors I can makes their eyes bleed with massive overdone comments to. Plus, you actually didn't leave us on some huge cliffhanger so, yeah take your time and enjoy getting to know Buttercup.
No clue on the name yet, but it seems in the end things went for the better. So, congratulations.
Ah! Horse acquired? Wunderbar!
I'm actually very fond of using a "Ponylength" as a unit of measurement - it being something like the average distance from the front of a pony's breast to the back of her buttock. It could certainly be more scientific than that with the idea remaining the same.
BlackJack?
4149660 Queen Meanie!
Seriously, though, you better have named her Nightmare.
4150129
What about the obvious 'Socks'?
It's clearly the choice here!
Luna-sock Marentist?
4149647
I'm taking lessons all the time; this is going to be a life-long learning process for me (and her). After all, the best protective equipment I can have is skill, because when you are on a horse there is precious little anyone can do to help you when things go wrong!
4149660
Heh, close.
4149698
Pet names have to be screamable without me feeling like a fool! Also close.
Yes, that was my primary concern. I was quite prepared to retire him to 'field ornament' if a suitable home couldn't be found.
4149717
4150529
Socks are involved, if only tangentially.
4149875
I need to give it some thought, really. It would make more sense as a length unit for the Equestrians.
4150027
That's got to be a reference to [fic I'm aware of, but haven't read and can't recall the name], but no.
4150129
It made me laugh. Bloody typical!
Close. I do call her that when she decides that she wants to go home five minutes into the trail ride.
4149778
It was the long-term effects that annoy me. There's a nice table with cancer risk against CAT scan type. The head is a low risk point (less matter for the X rays to get through), but I like it the way it is. I mean, I live in there!
4150775
Ummmm...... no?
===
She's now called 'Luna', of course. Possibly a little creepy if you think too hard about it. I shall paint her up like the Nightmare when Halloween comes around.
(I thought the socks were a giveaway--'Luna in Socks' is what tipped me into the fandom in the first place)
4151112 BlackJack is the name of the protagonist in Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons
4151112
4150775
Oh, come on, Caliaponia's idea is perfect!
Just think of how amazing it would be to hear this shout thunder across the yard! "Luna-sock Marentist, you get your lazy tail back here right now!"
If you're not going to, I'm totally going to name a horse that. If I can ever afford one.
4151112
4151237
Drat. I just knew it should've been horsentist, not marentist. Oh well. Still a superior full name, I agree, for when she is being especially naughty.
4151112
Actually the reason the head is a low risk area for radiation exposure is not that, but rather because radiation only really damages a cell if it strikes the DNA while it's uncurled and in the process of splitting. It does the most damage in cells undergoing mitosis. And Neurons do not do so, so they are the hardest to actually affect. it's why the first things to get hit by radiation sickness are hair and the digestive tract, because those are the parts of the body the replicate and grow/regrow the fastest. With symptoms spreading from roughly in line with average cell division rate of the organ.
And the warning sign is just a 'cover our ass' type deal since it does emit ionizing radiation. But like I said, it is beyond safe, half your yearly background does is only 150 millirem, which is nothing at all. And it's not cumulative, to actually build up the exposure needs to be within a certain small time frame. Trust me, 'radiation' is not the bad when controlled and you know what you are doing. Again, I've actually been inside the reactor compartment of a nuclear reactor. That sounds quite a lot worse then it really is.
One unit of measurement that I think makes sence in universe would be the horn (average length of Celestia's and Luna's horns). Wouldn't really work in this story, but it is one that I have yet to see pop up.
4151209
Ah, that's it. I remember; thanks!
4151237
4151410
Comedians, I am surrounded by comedians. I'll use it if she ever goes racing (is cob racing a thing?). 'you're a bloody Nightmare' was what I was going with, which works on a number of levels.
4151632
Oh, I know it's not much in the scheme of things. Still a very lonely feeling when the techs retreat behind the thick wall and they leave you alone in the room as the scanner spools up.
I've been next to the core of an experimental fusion reactor. This is also less interesting than you might think.
4152969
No, I've never come across that, either. Interesting thought--at least your 'standard length' would be around for a long time!
Here's to hoping you have a long and wonderful friendship with your new horsey companion!
If she's got a sister though, keep her away from particle accelerators, will ya?
4152969
Oh, that's good! I've long pondered an intermediate unit of measurement that's shorter than a Length and could take the place of a Foot. A Hoofspan has always been an option, but it just... feels small.
Hokey Smokes?
Queen Meanie?
Oooh! Black Snooty!
Also, I think I speak for all of us when I say: Horsepictures please.
4153525
Quadhoof (or some variation on that theme) would make some sense, at least for the ponies. They don't have fingers or claws, but they do have four hooves. Base four, yadda yadda.
lengths are fuggin great! Flavor comes first.