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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Sep 2012 : 16:33:31
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Various horse breeds have been detailed, more or less, in official sources, of which the most recent one I can recall is the Champions of Valor book. There are also other mentions of horsebreeds in sourcebooks and novels, usually with less detail than one would want.
I thought I'd inquire among the scribes if they can recall other breeds than those I mention here. I'd also like it if scribes had an idea of the likely weight ranges for typical specimens of these breeds, as that can vary just as much and more as the height. Any more detail some sharp-eyed scribe might have gleaned from obscure sources about the appearance or anything else relating to the breeds I do have would, of course, also be most welcome.
Ponies and smaller equines
Dales Pony: Size: Usually about 12 hands (4 ft.) high. Appearance: Varied, often piebald or skewbald in colouration.
Forest pony: No details available.
Hammer Pony: Size: This breed stands 12 hands (4 ft. 0 in.) in height, with a large muscular frame. Appearance: Colors range from golden brown to black, although the mane and tufts of hair around the ankles are always blonde.
Island Pony: Size: 13 hands (4 ft. 4 in.), robust build. Appearance: Muscular, hardy with small lively ears and a barrel chest. Bay, black, grullo, and chestnut are the most common colors; stripes are common on the legs. Resilient hooves.
Nether pony: No details available.
Orsraun pony: No details available.
Shaaran Zebra: Size: 13 hands (4 ft. 4 in.) at the withers and can weigh up to 630 pounds. Appearence: Distinguished from other horses by its striking pattern of broad, alternating, vertical black and white stripes. It has a heavy head, stout body, and a short, thick mane. It has a “bark” quite unlike the neigh or bray of most equines.
Shire pony: No details available.
Snowflake Mountain pony:: No details available.
Steppe pony: Size: Averages 13 hands (4 ft. 4 in.) at the withers. Appearance: Ungainly and unattractive. Short legs, short neck, heavy-boned body, and large head. Grows a shaggy winter coat of copper or bronze with a lighter yellow stripe down the back.
Sunrise pony: No details available.
Uglib: Size: Small. Appearance: Not horses, but skewbald donkeys. Hardy and stable, but ugly in the extreme, with mottled hair that often grows in tufts, beady eyes, and a stubby tail. The breed also is prone to growing harmless, but noticeable bone spurs.
Whiteshield: Size: Usually reach
12.5 hands (4 ft. 2 in.) in height, with a large, muscular frame. Appearance: Covered with a shaggy cream-colored winter coat that gives way to a somewhat prickly, dark brown hide in the summer months. Named for the shieldshaped patch of pure white hair always found on the forehead of pure bred members of this breed.
Light hotbloods
Calimite: Size: 14.5 hands (4 ft. 10 in) high, delicate and slender. Appearance: Distinguished by its beautiful and delicate head, large and prominent eyes, arched neck, deep chest, silky coat, full mane, and high tail carriage. Colouration may be chestnut, gray, bay or black with black and white markings on the face and legs.
Lhesperan: Size: Stand 14 hands (4 ft. 8 in.) high, light build. Appearance: Chestnut in color from a golden chestnut to chocolate with a light colored mane and
tail.
Semphari: Size: Averages 14 hands (4 ft. 8 in.) at the withers. Light body. Appearance: Lean and trim, long and slender legs. The coat is almost always chestnut or white, fading to gray near the rump. The mane and tail are long.
Saddle horses
Amphail Gray: Size: 16 hands (5 ft. 4 in.) at the withers. Light build. Appearance: Dappled gray in colouration, not otherwise remarkable in appearance.
Baldurian riding horse: No details available.
Barrowright farm: No details available.
Darromar: No details available.
Esmel long rider: No details available.
Fox Trotter: No details available.
Halruaan: No details available.
Mintan riding horse: No details available.
Mucklestone: No details available.
New Forest: No details available.
Shire rider: No details available.
Sosser: Size: About 14 hands (4 ft. 8 in.) at the withers, fairly sturdy. Appearance: Long neck and narrow head. The hooves are broad. The coat is normally chestnut or copper and grows long during the cold season.
Warmbloods, hunters and coursers
Chionthar: Size: Generally 16 hands (5 ft. 4 in.) at the withers, light-boned and slender. Appearance: Long neck and a dignified head with widely-spaced intelligent eyes. Coat colors range from bay, dark bay, chestnut, black or gray. White markings are common on the face and legs.
Dambraii: Size: Most are about 13.5 hands (4 ft. 6 in.) high. Graceful, but muscular. Appearance: Always piebald or skewbald. Generally white on black, or black on white. Browns and grays do exist, but are rare.
Duskwood Skewbald: No details available.
Emberhawk: No details available.
Golden Trotter: No details available.
Ixinosia Longhair: No details available.
Meth: Size: 15.5 hands (5 ft. 2 in.) high and robust in build. Appearance: Short-legged, with a strong back.Usually solid gray in color, though most solid colors are possible.
Nathoudi: Size: Unknown. Appearance: Unknown. Noted for stamina and endurance, especially in snow and ice. Famous and sought after horses, bred on the steppes.
Raurin: Size: Averages 15 hands (5 ft.) at the withers with long and slender legs. Appearance: Its coat is almost always, golden, dun, or gray in color.
Shad’iar: Size: Average 14 hands(4 ft. 8 in.) at the withers, gracile build. Appearance: Come in dun, tan, brown, and black, and many have dappled hindquarters.
Thayan Black: No details available.
Vilhon riding warhorse: No details available.
Large destriers
Amphailan black charger: No details available.
Cormyrean Destrier: Size: Full-grown stallions stand 17 (5 ft. 8 in.) hands high and can weigh up to 2200 pounds. Appearance: Characterised by wide-set, expressive eyes and a noticeably convex nose. Usually bay, brown, black, and gray in colouration.
Nars warhorse: Size: 16 hands (5 ft. 4 in.), more slender than Nars draft horse. Appearance: Its coat is normally a chestnut color, although golds and blacks are also found. White socks are not uncommon.
Ostorian: No details available.
Tantran destrier: No details available.
Tharurr: Size: Stand 15.5 hands (5 ft. 2 in.) high. Appearance: Sturdy bone structure and powerful hindquarters characterize the breed. Usual colours are dappled gray or white.
Coldbloods/Draft horses
Amphailan: No details available.
Carmathan Red: Size: Noted as being huge, but no further details available. Appearance: Likely often red in colour. Famous for strength and endurance as a draft horse, known as the Horse-Ox.
Cream draft: No details available.
Miradan’s:No details available.
Phlan cart horse:No details available.
Sembian draft: No details available.
Tendal’s breed: No details available.
Kromlor: Size: Commonly reach 18 hands (6
ft.) and weigh up to 2200 pounds. Appearance: Long, silky, white covers their legs from the knees down. Flat face and large nostrils. Most common colors are bay, black, and brown. Roans are also sometimes seen.
Nars: Size: Averages 16 hands (5 ft. 4 in.) at the withers, heavy build. Appearance: Its coat is normally a chestnut color, although golds and blacks are also found. Tall, long-legged and hardy. Some have white manes and socks.
I'd like to fill this out a bit more, if I can. I'm particularly interested in narrowing down weight ranges, as noted above. I'd also like to discover regions where no published breed is noted as common, but where there is clearly a tradition of horse breeding.
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Edited by - Icelander on 01 Jul 2013 04:04:50
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Delwa
Master of Realmslore
USA
1268 Posts |
Posted - 26 Sep 2012 : 21:01:55
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Don't know if it'll help, but there's an article on horsebreeds in the Realms here at Candlekeep.
Download Here |
- Delwa Aunglor
I am off to slay yon refrigerator and spoil it's horde. Go for the cheese, Boo!
"The Realms change; seldom at the speed desired of those who strive, but far too quickly for those who resist." - The Simbul, taken from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Conspectus |
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
Posted - 27 Sep 2012 : 02:17:50
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quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
Don't know if it'll help, but there's an article on horsebreeds in the Realms here at Candlekeep.
Download Here
I have seen that, but I was under the impression that it was a fan-created work and it mostly seems to consist of re-skinned real world breeds. The Dales pony is canon, I think, but I don't know about the others.* I'm not all that averse to including what amounts to real breeds in my campaign, but I'd prefer Realmsian names for them. I don't see any reason not to use the Fordskin and the Everlundian ranger horse, I suppose.
I'd like to get a good feel for what canon breeds there exist in the Realms and then I could fill in any gaps with home-made ones.
*That is, those others that aren't a real-world breed with maybe a letter or two altered. |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
Forgotten Realms fans, please sign a petition to re-release the FR Interactive Atlas
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Icelander
Master of Realmslore
1864 Posts |
Posted - 01 Oct 2012 : 03:23:06
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What I was most curious about are the average weights of the various breeds. It's all very well to know typical height in hands, but that doesn't tell me all that much about the relative sizes involved, not if one breed is much heavier-built than the other.
How heavy is the average Raurin, for example? Or the average Meth? They are both breeds that are quite as tall as the largest historical destriers and in D&D rules are as strong as heavy warhorses. Are they more lightly built than historical destriers? If not, why are they classified as 'light warhorses'?
And how heavy are the light breeds, like the Lhesperan or the Semphari? |
Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela!
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 21:31:59
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CARMATHAN RED (or "Horse-ox")
Type: Draft
Where: Damara (duchy of Carmathan)
Sold: at a springtime horsemarket
AKA: the "Horse-ox" (for it's exceptional plowing ability)
Source: FR9 pg 29
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Bloodstone Lands Sage |
Edited by - coach on 18 Oct 2012 21:33:05 |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 21:37:17
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more info on the Nars
1. Nars [horse breed – heavy] (Horde - loose stat sheet) (FRCS p108) (RoF p107) (CoV p156) (Ruin p14)
a. Tall, long-legged, hardy, tough, strong, great endurance (Horde - loose stat sheet) (FRCS p108) (CoV p156) (Ruin p14)
b. Nar staple, primary trade good and chief wealth (FRCS p108) (RoF p107)
c. Chesnut, gold, or black color, some have white manes and socks (CoV p156) (Ruin p14, 27)
d. 16 hands tall (CoV p156)
e. Prized throughout the North for their mettle (Ruin p14,24)
f. Trained for silence, tack and harness oiled to stifle noise (Ruin p23) |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
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coach
Senior Scribe
USA
479 Posts |
Posted - 18 Oct 2012 : 21:45:53
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NATHOUDI
Type: Stallion (noted for stamina and endurance)
Where: Nathoud
Sold: by the Myir tribe at yearly horsefair
Source: Horde box set, Vol 2, p86-87 |
Bloodstone Lands Sage |
Edited by - coach on 18 Oct 2012 21:47:36 |
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PartyLikeIts1372
Acolyte
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2015 : 22:20:03
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This is an old post, but it was helpful to me in some research, so I thought I'd respond.
The Hârn RPG is a good source when you are looking for realistic data for medieval role playing. Do a google search for Hârnmaster 3e and check page Combat 19 for great stats on 6 horses from pony to heavy warhorse. It doesn't have weights, but includes stats for prices, load carrying ability, strength, agility, etc. to give you a basis for relative capabilities of realistic horses.
Reksyni: a large and sturdy breed, known for rugged countenance, size, and endurance. Fearless and loyal, the Reksyni is the most popular warhorse found in feudal cultures that favor heavy and medium cavalry. They are extremely popular in Ha#770;rn.
Hacherdad: this breed originated in the evergreen hardwood forests bordering the eastern Venarian Sea. Distinguished by a long mane and tail, Hacherdads have uncanny hearing and are highly prized by nobles as mounts for hunting. Although more skittish than Reksyni, they make good warhorses unless abused.
Lankum: originating in the Quarphor region of Lythia, the Lankum are a light-boned, strong steed, popular as a palfrey or light charger. Distantly related to the Reksyni, the Lankum is lighter and faster than its cousin. Half of all Lankums are “painted horses”, usually shades of brown and white.
Khanset: the “King of Horses” originated on the great plains of central Lythia. They are fearless and extremely protective of their owners, a natural disposition that has been enhanced through breeding. They are too light to easily bear the weight of a heavily armoured warrior, but are superb mounts for light cavalry and extremely popular as palfreys.
Hodiri: related to the Chelni, the Hodiri horse is taller and faster, and does not gallop with the unique hosk gait of the Chelni horse. Hodiri tribesmen use them as warhorses and they are popular with ostlers seeking to add speed and endurance to their palfreys.
Chelni: a small horse, indigenous to Ha#770;rn, bred by the Chelni to carry their warriors swiftly over rugged country. They are distinguished by a running walk, called the hosk, which can reach speeds of sixteen leagues per hour. Although strong and fast, the Chelni is too small to be a warhorse for a mounted knight.
The Hârn price list has the weights for horses:
Ass 550
Burro 350
Donkey 450
Horse, Draft (Cart) 1400
Horse, Plough 1200
Horse, Hacherdad 1500
Horse, Hodiri 800
Horse, Khanset 1000
Horse, Lankhum 1200
Horse, Reksyni 1800
Mule 700
Pony, Chelni 700
In the Hârn Gold Bestiary, version 2.1 (again search google) you'll find these stats for three horse types, and can interpolate for relative values for other horses:
Pony:
Height (to shoulder)...............4d6+36 ..............50”
Weight................................................700–800 lbs.
Palfrey (riding or light warhorse)
Height (to shoulder)...............4d6+44 ..............58”
Weight..............................................800–1000 lbs.
Warhorse (use the lower end of weight for light warhorse, and the higher end for heavy warhorse):
Height (to shoulder)...............4d6+52 ..............66”
Weight............................................1200–1600 lbs.
Hope that helps, and thanks for gathering this info on Realms horses.
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'I dreamt of the end of the world—of a flying mountain crashing down to obliterate a shining city, and wipe away the hope of a golden future. I dreamt of a chasm yawning to inhale an entire realm. The edges of the map burning away, and ink slithering to erase ancient places and replace them with new. "Spellplague." I heard the unknown word whispered in my mind by millions of tortured souls, but I know not what it means.' The seer trembled and wrapped his cloak tight. 'We cannot let this come to pass.' |
Edited by - PartyLikeIts1372 on 12 Dec 2015 22:26:57 |
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Breeds of horses in the Realms
