gaunt secretly finds it hot when ellwood rides a horse, but like smoking cigarettes, feels his own horsemanship is inadequate in comparison (city boy for you) and therefore avoids riding with ellwood. but you bet that gaunt can ride a horse (and look good doing it)
ellwood has always been determined to change gaunt's reluctance to ride with him. his biggest fantasy before the war was to sweep gaunt on to a horse and save his life. during divisional rest he enjoys the time horseriding alone but also dreams about gaunt's arms wrapped around his waist from behind as they gallop through the countryside to somewhere secluded where they can swim and sunbathe and he can read poetry to gaunt. he has all the horseriding-related quotations bopping around his head constantly and honestly its killing him to keep them in :(
Caught on the Big Screen - LaMelo Ball x reader (+ Nikola Jokic x reader)
(jealousy, jealousy)
-Summary: When one of your videos—which was never meant to be seen—gets shown at an event, people start wondering about your relationship with Jokic. So what? You both like horses—is that a problem?
The All-Star Weekend had just kicked off, bringing together the NBA’s most talented players, both young and veteran. The franchise’s players were gathered, crammed into a small conference room, ready to watch the event’s schedule projected on the screen.
As for you, you were handling the organization, praying that everything would go smoothly, without a hitch. You made your way across the room, weaving your way through these legends. Exchanging a few words with those you knew least and high-fives with your acquaintances.
Jokic is one of them; as surprising as it may seem, you don’t know each other through basketball but through horseback riding. Since you’re both owners of racehorses, your paths inevitably crossed, evolving from brief greetings in stadium hallways during games to real conversations in the stands at racetracks. The Serbian is so passionate about his horses that he could talk about them for hours. Very few people are aware of your connection, and that’s just as well—on the one hand, so the player doesn’t get teased in the locker room, but also for your reputation, which wouldn’t last long if the media got involved.
Anyway, you thought you were being a bit more discreet than that, but most of the players weren’t fooled by your closeness. But they didn’t know just how close. They were about to find out, despite yourself.
That damn intern had been making one blunder after another from the start, and you had to keep a close eye on him. He only had one thing to do: click on the folder and play the presentation video. Pretty simple, right?
You took a seat at the back of the room, holding your phone between your legs. Meanwhile, the NBA commissioner began his welcome speech.
Your phone vibrates—a notification from one of your friends:
“By the way, I didn’t tell you, but I put the beach video on your computer last night in the ‘to sort’ folder. You’ll see, it’s gorgeous—I’m so proud of myself. You're a total bombshell—can't wait to see the video on your Insta.”
You barely have time to look up from your phone before the program starts—or what was supposed to be the program starts. The giant screen lights up and what appears… has nothing to do with what was planned.
A white sandy beach.
A pink-orange sky.
The sun slowly sinking toward the horizon.
And you, on horseback—but not just any horse, Demon Dell’Est, one of Jokic’s horses.
The video is playing and further away, you can see Jokic on the beach too, all smiles, arms crossed, watching you.
Your friend wasn’t wrong—the video is stunning, almost like a scene from a movie:
You galloping, hair loose, blown by the wind.
A training ride on the beach. Nikola shouting a few comments your way to help you get used to Demon. Slightly worried about you. You're an experienced rider, so speed doesn't scare you. We see you laughing like never before at the sight of his concern.
The whole room holds its breath as you rush down the stairs to your computer in the corner trying to stop that. You slap your forehead—of course that idiot was going to open the wrong file…
A Bulls player quips:
“Well, that's a change from all those videos of LaMelo missing layups.”
The crowd goes wild.
Melo suddenly sits up straight.
“I missed one layup this week, just one! Are you going to cut me some slack?”
Curry chimes in, “Bro, you missed three just in warm-ups.”
An explosion of laughter.
LaMelo smiles despite himself. Raising his hands, he adds: “But at least I don’t go on romantic walks with an MVP.” He shoots a pointed look.
Silence.
All eyes turn to Jokic.
He raises an eyebrow, looking innocent.
“It wasn’t romantic.”
“It was a practice.”
You both answer at the same time.
A Lakers player:
“A practice with a sunset? And her laughing like that? And you looking at her like she’s a rare horse?”
Jokic replies with a completely serious expression, hoping to piss LaMelo off:
“She is a rare horse.”
You almost choke on his choice of words.
Now it’s getting downright personal. You bury your face in your hands, thinking that maybe if you keep this up, the ground will open up and you’ll disappear.
LaMelo continues:
“Bro, are you serious?! You’re comparing her to a mare?”
Jokic continues, unflappable:
“Only the ones who ride well,” the implication echoes loud and clear through the room. You almost want to laugh at this point. The room erupts in laughter again; some have even pulled out their phones to capture the moment. LaMelo turns to you, trying to save face:
“And you were planning on telling us that you were making videos like that with him?!”
You open your mouth, ready to fire back a sharp retort, annoyed by his outburst. Jokic deliberately cuts you off:
“She didn't plan anything; I was the one who suggested it. She rode really well, and I wanted to keep a memento.”
The room erupts: OOHHHHHHHH
“A keepsake? You need keepsakes? You’re a basketball player, not a wedding photographer!”
The Serbian replies, calmly:
“You can be both.”
Wemby adds:
"Melo, do you want us to take you to the beach too? We’ll film you missing a layup in the sand if you want.”
LaMelo stands up, hood pulled over his head.
“You’re all clowns. I’m going to get a drink.”
He pushes open the door like a child throwing a tantrum. Amused glances turn toward you. Jokic turns around and gives you a knowing look.
“He’s jealous—it’s so cute.”
If you are writing stories set in a historical or fantasy setting, it's quite likely that you will need to write a horse at one point or other. Up until WWI horses were an integral part of society. They were used to get around, they helped in agriculture, they were used for warfare. After WWI and the advent of motorisation the importance of horses slowly faded. Nowadays, they have moved into the domain of leisure and sport. However, this also means that a vast majority of people have no experience with horses as they are generally not a part of everyday life.
All this might make it difficult to write horses beyond the most basic description. Which is why I'd like to elaborate a bit on horses in general and on ideas how to make the horses in your stories a little more indivualistic.
The bare minimum:
There are somewhere between 200 and 400 different horse breeds. As with dogs, different horses were and are bred for different purposes. If you need a horse in your story, it might make sense to check different horse breeds to find one for your specific purpose. Do you need a sturdy horse in an agricultural setting that pulls a plough and gets the family to church on Sunday? Try any breed of draft horse. Do you need something for your hero who needs to cover large distances in a short amount of time? Look into thoroughbreds.
Horses can be used for the following:
covering large distances
carrying your luggage / food as a pack horse
getting wares and produce from one place to another, either in a cart or as a pack horse (read more here)
logging wood in forested areas
pulling a carriage / cart
agriculture - horses pull ploughs or they are used to move livestock
help in acquiring food in hostile environments (for instance see here and here)
military, a lot of dressage movements we know today were developped to give soldiers an advantage over their adversary (like this one). For a short introduction into what you can do with a horse in a battle situation, check out this video.
In short, if a machine is used today because the labour is too hard for a human being - chances are high that a horse would have provided that kind of labour in the past. It might also be interesting to note that horses do this kind of labour in this day and age as well. There are many enthusiasts out there who love using horses for their "original purposes". So if you have something special in mind, browse the web. It's likely you'll find up to date information and videos.
The basics:
Horses can weigh somewhere between 200kg (Shetland) and 1200kg (Percheron). Height is measured at the withers and described in "hands" (one hand = four inches = roughly ten centimeters). Shirehorses are often referenced as the tallest breed at 19 hands. Seeing those measurements should tell you one thing: A horse can easily trample you, drag you along and kill you dead by either design (rarely) or accident (a lot more often).
Horses come in different colour. Here's a quick reference for you.
Additionally, they can have markings in white.
Deciding on a breed, a colour and on markings will already get you far in describing how your fictional horse looks! Beware though, because not all breeds will come in all colours! The Friesian mentioned below will always be black, because that's the breed standard. If in doubt, do some googling!
Horses reach a maximum age between 20 and 40 years. Smaller, more robust breeds (like the aforementioned Shetland) will usually reach a higher age. According to Wikipedia the oldest horse on record is "Old Billy", who lived up to the ancient age of 62.
Usually, horses start their career at the age of around three. Later can be better, as bone structures are often still growing at that age.
Horses have three gaits: walk, trot and canter. Gaited horses (like the Icelandic horse) come with "additional gaits" like tölt and pace. Here is a very good video showing all the gaits in action, including some slow-motion.
Generally, there are behaviours that are stereotypical to different genders. Stallions can be steadfast friends, forming a strong bond with "their" human. They can be headstrong, though, and have their own opinions on what should and shouldn't be done. Because of this they can be hard to handle and usually belong in experienced hands. They are often used in film, because they often a have nicer (=more muscular) neckline and simply look more expressive in their movements.
Mares are usually more moody, also more opinionated. They can come across as hormonal or even bitchy. Geldings, in contrast, are often very docile. There's definitely people who have very strong preferences and like mares over geldings or vice versa. (And don't forget: Those are all stereotypes, so handle with care!)
Alec (Kelly Reno) and Arabian stallion Cass Ole as The Black in "The Black Stallion" (1979).
A few thoughts on working horses:
How often have I seen the argument that the horse is better off without being ridden. Especially touristy horse carriages get a lot of criticism (as someone who drives pairs, I find this especially sad - such horse carriages are very often the only way for "normal" people to interact with horses and get a feeling for those animals - they can and should be ambassadors for the horse world). And I would agree that there's a lot of bad horsemanship out there. But: Horses are domesticated animals. Through generations of selective breeding they have been "shaped" into fitting into their role. They have been bred to work together with humans to reach a certain goal and they will draw satisfaction from doing the work they're supposed to do. A thoroughbred wants to run, a draft horse wants to pull. And if you've worked with horses long enough you will be able to realise that horses want to work. Not every horse will like every kind of work - they're allowed to have preferences as well! But if you find the right work for your horse or if you find the right horse for the work you want to do, your horse will enjoy what it's doing! Through education and repetition horses will learn to understand their job. And they're definitely able to realise when they've done their job well!
Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Brego, played by Dutch Warmblood Uraeus (here in a wonderfully fluffy winter coat), in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002).
How to care for a horse:
An average sized horse will need at least 10kg of hay - per day. Grains are an added extra, not the main food source. (Grains, mostly oats, are usually added for extra strength and stamina - they tend to give a noticable "push".)
If you want your horse to do any kind of work for you, you'll at least need a brush and some kind of hoof-pick. You don't brush your horse for it to look good. You brush it so that any equipment you use won't aggravate the horse's skin (saddle, bridle, harness). And you pick out hooves because you don't want any stones to get stuck in there. Both sore skin and sore hooves will cause your horse first discomfort and then illness - you can't put a saddle on a horse with a sore back, and you can't ride a horse that's lame. So it's imperative that your hero takes good care of his horse.
Horses don't necessarily need shoes. Shoes are used if your horse walks a lot on hard surfaces (like asphalt roads) or if it has sensitive hooves. Shoes are nailed on, but since the hoof is the equivalent of our fingernail, this is a painless process. If your hero is out in the wild and the horse loses a shoe, the hero will try to recover the shoe (because metal is expensive) to get it nailed back on in the next village. But with one shoe missing, the horse shouldn't be ridden anymore. Feel free to make your hero walk!
After work is done, a horse can get pretty sweaty. Especially in winter care should be taken that it doesn't develop a cold. It's considered good practice to not gallop at full speed to your destination, hop off and leave your horse (though, depending on your plot that's probably exactly what will happen). You should at least rub the horse down with straw and maybe leave it with a woolen blanket to dry.
Things that might come in the way
Horses are very accident prone. Somehow, they have a tendency to kill themselves. Here are a few horsey ideas that might influence your plot.
A horse going lame is a classic for a reason. It happens, a lot. There are also horses who are houdinis with their shoes and lose them at every opportunity.
Fun fact: horses cannot puke. What goes in has to come out at the other end. If it doesn't for whatever reason, the bane of every horse owner's existence happens: the horse has colic. This is potentially life-threatening.
If your equipment doesn't fit well, it might cause irritation and soreness.
Equipment failure. This could definitely be used more often! Your stirrup breaks apart, your saddle strap falls off, you misplaced your bridle. What now?
Horses in fiction usually simply heroically do what their owners want them to do. In reality this isn't always the case. You're working with a living, breathing animal. It will have opinions and they may differ from your own. Question is how much.
Atreyu (Noah Hathaway) and horse Artax in "The Neverending Story" (1984).
How to get a horse to do what you want
Horses are herd and prey animals. Usually, they will try to accomodate you and work with you instead of against you.
The basis of most horse training is pressure and release. The first thing you teach your horse is that it's supposed to yield to pressure. Everything else builds on that. Pressure can be different things: The rider squeezing his legs together to get the horse to go forward. A gentle tug on the lead rope to get the horse to walk forward. It can also be the energy you send with your body language. This talk via body language is exactly the reason why some riding and work with horses looks so magical and like the horse is anticipating what the human wants. If you have good communication with your horse it will be able to react to very subtle cues that might not be readily visible to an onlooker.
You direct your horse with reins (these are not for holding on!), your legs, body weight and your voice. Since this is a form of communication that gets established between two different species there can of course be fuck-ups and instances of miscommunication because either you've been unclear with the task you've set or your horse has misunderstood you. This also means that a horse not doing what was required isn't necessarily the horse being "mean" or obstinate. Most often it's simply a case of misunderstanding.
It's important to be consistent in the "language" you use with your horse. A cue you use must always mean the same thing (this is sometimes harder than it sounds), otherwise you'll only confuse your poor horse.
But: A horse has to learn that it needs to follow the human's orders, this is not optional but imperative! If you ask the horse to stop and it simply doesn't follow your command you'll have a problem if there's a road ahead. Therefore, the horse needs to understand that the human is always in charge. Personally, I tend to call this a halfway-democracy. My horses are allowed to make suggestions ("Can I canter here?" or "Can we go to the left?") and they're invited to do so - if anything, it keeps them motivated. But they need to understand that I always reserve the right to veto their decisions (for the greater good and to make sure we all survive). (If you ask yourself how a horse would suggest or ask something - again, we're talking about communication here. I know my horses and I know the energy they send when they want to canter - their demeanour will change and they'll display a certain attitude and go. That energy is their question and I can then say yay or nay.)
In the same way it's the human's job to ensure the safety of the horse. The horse is a flight-animal. It doesn't walk through fire, it also doesn't walk through puddles because the ground could be unsafe. It's the human's job to teach the horse that it can trust its riders decisions. Once you've gained that fundamental trust your horse will do most anything for you.
Navarre (Rutger Hauer) and Goliath in "Ladyhawke" (1985). Goliath was played by Friesian Othello. Ever since then Hollywood has fallen in love with this breed.
Details to give your horse personality:
Let's face it, most of the time the horse in a story is just there to get the protagonist from one setting to the next. But horses have personalities, too, and not every horse is the same. If you want to spice up your writing, here are some things that could inspire you.
Despite what you might have learned from "Black Beauty", horses don't neigh to say hello to their humans. They mostly communicate non-verbally, but if in contact with humans they tend to use a deep humming sound. This can be used for a variety of situations. I can be a general "hello" or even an annoyed "where is my food".
Instead, a snort is usually a sign for happiness. During work, it's seen as a sign of relaxation.
Not every horse is equally comfortable to sit. Each horse has its own individual gait. There are horses that are extremely comfortable while riding, there are others that have such a hard suspension that you'll feel your back for the next week.
Riding is not simply sitting on the horse. You need to stay in balance during every movement of the horse which is quite the exercise (you'll feel that mostly in your thighs). Which means, horse riding is tiring - especially to someone who's not used to it.
Normally, you won't canter all the time. If you like to get from one place to the next and you want your horse to survive, you'll mostly let the horse walk and intersperse this with trot. The perfect horseman will get off from time to time and walk alongside the horse.
Walking is also a good idea in cold conditions. If you're going at a slow walk you'll start to feel the cold very soon, because you're not doing much. It's likely you'll freeze off your toes.
Horses can be divas. Since they run and ask questions later, they can spook at practically anything: plastic bags, garbage bins, cars, dogs, water, other people, other horses, sounds, grass (yes, I can attest to that) - the list is basically endless. Some horses are spookier than others. Spooking can mean anything from freezing to doing a sudden jump to the side to turning tail and running away at full speed.
Naturally, horses love treats. They'll be happy to get a carrot, an apple, sugar cubes (unhealthy, of course) and hard bread. Mine love acorns. In autumn we go foraging in the forest and they request their acorn break under oak trees (they can definitely spot the oak trees!).
While it is certainly true that the hind end of the horse is the most dangerous part, it doesn't mean that a horse will necessarily kick when you stand behind it. It usually kicks out of reflex, because it thinks a predator is about to attack. If you need to walk up to a horse from behind, take care not to spook it. Talk to it while approaching and wait until it recognises your presence. It won't kick out if it knows there's no threat. (Caveat: Only recommended with horses you know. With horses you don't know definitely be more cautious than that!)
Horses can be ticklish, especially on the belly & between the legs. Their skin will twitch or they'll try to get away from the brush.
Also, a lot of horses have spots they like to get scratched by a human (especially where they can't reach themselves). This includes but isn't limited to the belly, the "private parts", the bum, the ass cheecks, the ears. It's up to the human to find the horse's favourite spots. The horse will usually help and position itself perfectly, so you simply have to stretch out your hand and scratch. So if the horse puts its bum in your face but is otherwise relaxed, it's unlikely to kick you. It just wants the bum scratched.
Horses are herd animals. If you have a group of riders it's likely that the horses will have a favourite position. Some don't like to go in front. Others will only go in the front. Absolutely no horse wants to stay far behind. Also, if a group has to seperate, it's possible that the horses will throw a fit because they don't want to see the herd get seperated. Leaving or riding away from a group (and consequently being left behind by a group) is something a horse needs extensive training for. Likewise, if one horse in a group bolts and gallops away chances are the rest will follow (again: herd animals), especially if the riders are inexperienced and not able to "catch" and control the situation within the first few seconds. A group of headlessly galloping horses is a pretty bad idea ...
Horses usually have a little more spunk when it gets colder. Oftentimes, they have more "go" and get more difficult to handle especially if they're usually stabled (=very small space) instead of living outdoors in a field or on a large paddock where they can move at will.
Some horses are more motivated than others. There are those who will go at a snails pace and where you'll have to work very hard to keep them moving at all. Others will literally "chomp at the bit" or paw their hooves because they're anxious to get going. If a horse doesn't follow its usual modus operandi (it's more lethargic or more motivated) it can be a sign that something is wrong.
As with people, horses will get more experienced with age. This can mean that they're more reliant at the job they're performing or that they can be handled even by the most experienced person (because they know what's expected of them). In contrast you'll have to expect a lot more surprising behaviour or spooking from a younger horse since its still unsure of what's expected.
Riding double isn't advised, especially over long distances. It's an additional strain on your horse, depending on your saddle there's hardly space to sit for the second person and if your protagonist's horse carries all gear as well this will be in the way.
Cinderella, her prince and horse Nikolaus in "Three Wishes for Cinderella" (1974). Nikolaus was played by horse Kalif who had an illustrous career as a film and circus horse.
Get inspired elsewhere:
Feel free to browse the interwebs for more inspiration!
Ben Atkinson @ Instagram (Ben is absolutely bonkers, in the best possible way, stunt work for film & tv)
Gillian Larson @ Instagram (visit for stunning visuals of American landscapes and insights into what it means to ride long-distance)
Hitchin Farm @ Instagram (farming with horses)
For spooks, falls and fails, search for "horse falls" or "horse fails" on YouTube. The results will range from the funny to the scary.
