Hey, can you give me some advice on writing a horse ride and a sword fight for my WIP? I have no idea what any of technical terms are!
(Hey there! I certainly can!
Terms and phrases for riding horses (with a fight scene in mind!)
Walk, trot, canter, gallop - paces.
Halt = asking the horse to stop
Aids = instructions given to the horse, by the rider
Mount/Dismount = to get on/off the horse
Vault = to swing onto the horse, generally whilst it is moving
Contact = pressure/’feeling’ on the reins, between the riders hand and horses mouth. (used to direct the horse - see a little more about using the reins in this post - on writing horses in your WIP)
Near side = left side of horse
Off side = right side of horse
Hindquarters = horses rump/back end
Sound = a horse that isn’t lame
Rein back = asking the horse to step backwards
Half -Halt =when the rider asks the horse to pay attention a little
Transition = When the gait changes, (walk to halt, trot to canter, etc)
Rear = When a horse goes up on its hind legs
Buck = when a hors eputs its head between its front legs, and throws its hind legs up
Baulk = When a horse hesitates, or refuses to go forward
Spook = When a horse shies at something, and jumps
Haute Ecole = an ancient method of training horses for war
Barding = Armour used on horses. (It’s old timey knight stuff, but it might be what you want. More about that here)
Sword fighting terminology
(!!! I’m the first to admit I know next to nothing about swordfighting, only what I’ve researched for my own WIP. This terminology is from here, the brilliant Lisa Shea.)
Advance - a short forward movement.Blade - the length of metal that is used for attacking or defending (i.e. the entire metal length beyond the guard).Boar’s Tooth - a guard where the sword is before your front right leg.Deflect - actively change the incoming sword’s speed or angle by hitting it with your own sword (or foot etc)Diagonal - Moving forward diagonally forward - right.Edge - the sharp side of the blade. Japanese blades were typically single edged, while Medieval swords could have both sides sharpened.Empty Fade - Leaping backwards as if to fade but immediately leaping forwards again.Fade - Leaping backwards while leaving the feet in the same orientation.False Edge - the back / trailing edge of the sword, usually the one you do NOT intend to cut with.Front Guard - a guard where the sword is held vertically in front of your face.Full Iron Gate Guard - a guard where the sword is halfway between your right and left legs, angled right.Fuller - a groove running down the length of the blade. I have some books which claim this is a “blood groove” to help blood flow out of an enemy but other books which seem more reliable say it’s to help the sword come out of a body without being caught (it breaks the suction).Grip - the part of the hilt you grip with your hand for control.Guard - a cross-piece on the hilt that keeps your hands safe from your opponent’s weapon sliding down the length of your blade. Also called a cross-guard.Guard - (meaning #2) - a position of safety, a pose where you can defend yourself from attack.Guard of the Woman - a guard where the sword is over your right shoulder, behind your back.Half Iron Gate Guard - a guard where the sword is held before your left leg.Hilt - the generic name for the entire part of the sword near your hands, the part that is not the blade.Long Point - a guard where the sword is straight out from your chest, with your arms extended.Lunge - leaping forwards while leaving the feet in the same orientation.Pass Back - Taking a step backwards by moving your front foot into the rear position.Pass Forward - Taking a step forwards by moving your rear foot into the front position.Pivot - Rotating 180 degrees while keeping the front foot stationary.Pommel - the knobby end of the hilt, used by the second hand for a ball-in-socket pivot point in many moves, or merely as a counterweight in one handed attacks.Posta - the Italian word for guard, as in a position of safety.Posta drill - a series of movements from guard to guard, to help you learn the guards.Retreat - a short movement backwards.Shed - to allow a sword to slide away off your sword without trying to impede / change it, so you are then free to attack or move.Short Guard - a guard where the hilt is at your hip and the sword is pointing up and forward.Slope - moving diagonally backwards back and left.Stance - the position your body is in to be ready for an attack or defense.Step Across - Rotating 180 degrees by crossing the front foot across the back foot and then turning in place.fTail Guard - a guard where the hilt is at your hip and the sword is pointing behind you.Tip - the pointy end of the blade.True Edge - the front / leading edge of the sword, usually the one you intend to cut with.Two Horn Guard - a guard where the sword pommel is at your chest with the sword pointing out.Window Guard - a guard where the hilt is at your ear and the sword points forwards.
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I hope this is helpful to you!
If anybody has any writing related questions, as always feel free to message me, Aoife @writingguardian
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