Equines

The equines include the horses, zeebras, and asses. They are large plains dwelling herbivores. Equines are graceful, powerful, and admirably adapted for running.

Horses and zeebras usually live in groups of one stallion, several mares, and their young. The mares stay with the group throughout their lives, stallions are replaced when they can no longer fight off rival stallions. The group is led by a single experienced mare. The horses usually travel in single file, following the lead mare with the stallion bringing up the rear. Stallions that are not associated with a group of mares group together in bachelor herds of a few animals, with a similar social structure. The asses and Grevy's zeebra live in herds without strong social bonds, and the stallions are territorial.

Equines are prey for many of the larger predatory animals. Since they rely on flight for defense rather than strength, they are skittish and prone to startle or panic. Unfamilar objects or events are likely to cause a horse to spook. They will more readily accept the odd or unusual if the lead horse shows no fear. Any sign of their leader balking, however, is likely to send the herd running for safety.

Equines are grazers. They eat primarily grass. Since grass has a low nutruient value, equines spend most of their day eating. They prefer to stand in the open; with their heads down for grazing, they can see nearly 360 degrees around them and remain alert for danger.

Equines may not fight predators except as a last resort, but they frequently squabble among themselves. Fights for dominance involve kicking out with both hind feet, rearing up to strike with the front hooves, and biting.

Both horses and asses have been domesticated. They are used as mounts, traction, and pack animals. The domestication of the horse was largely accomplished by the human taking over the role of the lead mare. Many breeds of horses and asses have been selected for over the years, and they now come in a great variety of sizes, statures, and relative fleetness.

• Horses

  Equus caballus

  In prehistoric times, horses occured wild across Europe and northern Asia. They were largely extinct in the wild by the middle ages, although a relic population survives in Mongolia. Other groups of feral horses have been established in the Americas and Australia, where they have reverted to the form of their wild ancestors. The European wild horse was called the tarpan, the Mongolian wild horse has the name Przewalski's horse, and the feral North American horses are named mustangs.

  Horses have survived largely as human domesticates. Through selective breeding, their form and temperment has been altered to suit man's needs. The introduction of the horse as a mount has transformed many human societies, allowing European and Asian warriors to overrun their horseless neighbors, while the Native Americans of the Great Plains and the Palouse were able to become much more efficient hunters once mounted. Also important was the horse as a source of labor. By pulling a plow, a horse allows a man to cultivate large areas, while harnessed horses can pull loads for commerce or turn mills for grinding. Male horses that are not going to be used for breeding are usually gelded, as intact stallions tend to be more agressive and harder to work with.

  Among the many varieties of domestic horses are:

  • Ponies. This is a generic term for a small horse. The earliest horses were all ponies, as it took some time to breed larger varieties from the pony sized wild horses. Ponies are were used to pull chariots, and are currently used to pull carts and carry packs. They can be ridden, and both the Huns and the Mongol hoards rode fast, sturdy, and maneuverable ponies when carrying out their invasions.
  • Work horses. These are the horses used for pulling plows, carts, and mills in the middle ages. They were sturdy and strong, but smaller than modern draft horses.
  • Desert horses. These are the horses of the Arabs. Hardy, fast, and possessed of great endurance, they are often counted as the most beautiful of all horse breeds. From these little horses are decended the so called "Arab" breed, which today all too often has only the beauty and none of the functionality of its sun-baked ancestors. These desert horses tend toward a hot blooded temperment.
  • Racehorses. These horses are bred to run very fast for the duration of one race around a track. They were not bred to think, or to be healthy, and it shows. While they are superb athletes, they have a delicate constitution and need more papmering than many other horse breeds. They do love to run.
  • Saddle horses. These horses were bred for comfortable riding. They often have gaits that are less jarring to a rider than those of other horses. In the middle ages, these were often called Palfreys, pony sized saddle horses were called Jennets.
  • Hunters. These are large, althetic, fast horses. They were often used for cavalry horses, and their strength and speed made them favorites to ride in the pursuit of game. Today they are often found in equestrian athletic events, such as dressage, cross country, and jumping competitions.
  • Destriers. This is the mideval version of the tank. A very large, strong horse that could carry its own barding and a heavily armed and armored knight at a full gallop against massed formations of infantry or archers. After a charge with a lance, while their rider laid waste about him with a sword, mace, or axe, the destrier would attack any footman close by with blows from its hooves. Destriers were notoriously cranky animals, and would often obey only one rider, while giving their grooms a hard time and visciously attacking anyone else. Most destriers were stallions, whose natural agressive instinct was useful on the battlefield.
  • Draft horses. The draft horse is a very large, very strong horse bred to pull huge loads, whether carts, wagons, or plows. They have a placid and staid disposition.
  • Stock horses. Stock horses are agile mounts bred for herding and working with cattle.

  Wild Horse
  Pony
  Work Horse
  Desert Horse
  Race Horse
  Saddle Horse
  Hunter
  Destrier
  Draft Horse
  Stock Horse
  For a Stallion, add Personality Trait: Short Tempered (7) and the Skills Intimidate 0 and Martial Arts (strike) 0

• Donkeys

  Equus asinus, Equus kiang, and Equus hemionus

  Asses are equines from harsh desert regions. They are sure-footed, hardy, tolerant of extreme heat, able to go long periods without water, and can subsist on the poorest of fodder. One species, the donkey or burro (Equus asinus), has been domesticated; the onager (Equus hemionus) may have been domesticated in classical times. Domestic donkeys are known for their even disposition and tendancy to follow people they trust without needing to be lead.

  Wild Ass
  Ass
  Donkey
  Burro
  

• Mules

  Equus asinus × Equus caballus

  Donkeys can breed with horses to produce viable offspring, The result of a coupling of a male donkey and a female horse is called a mule, and is valued as a strong, hardy work animal and mount. Mules are invariably sterile.

  Mule
  

• Zebras

  Equus zebra, Equus burchelli, Equus grevyi, Equus quagga

  The zebras are striped equines from the African savanna, although the quagga is only striped on the front half of the body. They have never been domesticated; tamed zeebras tend to have short tempers. The Grevy's zeebra is somewhat larger than the other three species. The quagga is now exctinct, but it has survived up until the 19th century in South Africa.

  Zebra
  Grevy's Zebra
  For a Stallion, add Personality Trait: Short Tempered (7) and the Skills Intimidate 0 and Martial Arts (strike) 0

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