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subordinating a predator is very different from getting the trust and willingness of a prey animal though. the other difference is that a horse is taught to ove

subordinating a predator is very different from getting the trust and willingness of a prey animal though. the other difference is that a horse is taught to overcome its instincts, particularly its flight instinct when we ride them into danger, and effectively we educate them, where a predator takes less finesse to manage.

082349872349872 2y ago
Have you ever played Avalon Hill's Squad Leader? Various units have varied propensity to rout under pressure, and various officers have better or worse mods for the rolls to either (a) keep the unit from routing, or (b) reestablish its cohesion after they have. I sometimes[0] think of those rolls when dealing with a spook. (and, really, it won't take much to convince me that the amount of "presence attack" needed to convince a horse [or other four-legged[1] creature] that no, we are not going to die, we just need to do what we've already practiced, by the numbers is probably very closely related to the amount for convincing two-legged enlisted creatures that no, we are not going to die, we just need to do what we've already practiced, by the numbers...) Lagniappe: https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/her-majestys-servants.htm https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/her-majestys-servants.... [0] it can also be useful during human childbirth (before the senior non-coms —the nurses— take over, anyway), but that's a much rarer event in my world than the "invisible squirrel" or "suspicious agricultural implement which was not there just yesterday". [1] the Carter was usually the 2nd highest paid farm employee (as a specialist, more than the general manager) in the pre-mechanisation days here. EDIT: you might also appreciate the argie variation on Buzkashi? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxkcfxsFqSU#t=108s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxkcfxsFqSU#t=108s
- marcosdumay 2y ago
  Horses get used to things surprisingly easily. (Kinda like people.) If you train them close to people firing guns, they won't flee from guns. Some horses want to "overthrown" you even in normal circumstances, and almost all of them have a light instinct of getting you out from their backs. But I imagine a large part of forming a cavalry is picking (and breeding and training) the best horses for the role.

082349872349872 2y ago

Have you ever played Avalon Hill's Squad Leader? Various units have varied propensity to rout under pressure, and various officers have better or worse mods for the rolls to either (a) keep the unit from routing, or (b) reestablish its cohesion after they have. I sometimes[0] think of those rolls when dealing with a spook. (and, really, it won't take much to convince me that the amount of "presence attack" needed to convince a horse [or other four-legged[1] creature] that no, we are not going to die, we just need to do what we've already practiced, by the numbers is probably very closely related to the amount for convincing two-legged enlisted creatures that no, we are not going to die, we just need to do what we've already practiced, by the numbers...) Lagniappe: https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/her-majestys-servants.htm https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/her-majestys-servants.... [0] it can also be useful during human childbirth (before the senior non-coms —the nurses— take over, anyway), but that's a much rarer event in my world than the "invisible squirrel" or "suspicious agricultural implement which was not there just yesterday". [1] the Carter was usually the 2nd highest paid farm employee (as a specialist, more than the general manager) in the pre-mechanisation days here. EDIT: you might also appreciate the argie variation on Buzkashi? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxkcfxsFqSU#t=108s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxkcfxsFqSU#t=108s

marcosdumay 2y ago
Horses get used to things surprisingly easily. (Kinda like people.) If you train them close to people firing guns, they won't flee from guns. Some horses want to "overthrown" you even in normal circumstances, and almost all of them have a light instinct of getting you out from their backs. But I imagine a large part of forming a cavalry is picking (and breeding and training) the best horses for the role.