Monday, August 16, 2010
By Anne Johnson
Have you ever read a novel where the character meets a wild horse in the forest? The horse looks at the character. The character looks into the eyes of the horse. Then he jumps on its back and gallops away. Did you think that was logical? If you said no, you’re correct.
Accuracy is important in fiction. Getting the little details right are just as important as the big ones. Little errors can undermine the believability of the entire novel.
The following are just a few things you should know if you’re writing a story where horses play an integral role.
• Know the difference between stallions, mares, geldings, colts, and fillies. Stallion=male, Mare=female, Gelding=male, colt=young male under the age of 4, filly=young female under the age of 4.
• Geldings cannot reproduce. They have been castrated.
• When a mare (female horse) foals (has a baby), the baby is called a foal. A foal can refer to either sex. If it is male, it’s called a colt and if it’s a female, it’s called a filly. Colts don’t change into fillies. Their color and sex don’t change from page to page even though some authors think so.
• Foaling (birthing) is a very messy procedure. Mares do not need help birthing the foal unless there’s a problem. Grabbing the foal’s legs and pulling it out can be very dangerous to both animals if you don’t know what you’re doing. Seeing it in a movie is for dramatic effect, and not realistic.
• Know the breeds of horses and differences. For instance, you would never see a huge Clydesdale on a race track.
If you have questions, I will be happy to try and answer them.
Anne Johnson has a BA degree in English and minors in History and Journalism. She is the owner of two thoroughbreds.