Raven uses they/he pronouns, so does Eli. (:
Arrival Home:Raven was very imposing upon arrival. A solid black, black boned Equuiossa... something out of legends. The owner of the ranch, Eli, took on this special case personally. When they first met, one intersex being to another, something clicked in Raven's head. They were truly welcome here, could become a leader in peace. They exited the trailer with their head held high, a regal air about them. Raven settled into his new home with ease, but was certainly curious about every little thing this new land offered them. There were so many different animals, and he slotted into a leader position with ease. With a lack of any other Equuiossa, he took to leading a small brigade of collies. It was quite the funny sight, a giant horse alien looking over a bunch of dogs!
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Study Your Equuiossa's Behavior:As mentioned before, Raven is a natural born leader. While he doesn't have any other Equus to govern over, he's been quick to lead anything that will listen to his whims. Whether that's the dogs, the cats, the chickens, the humans -- he sees them all as his herd and benevolently leads them. He is
very loyal to this herd of oddballs, quick to fend off any kind of threat that he perceives. He refuses to be kept in the barn, and instead spends his time among the other animals. Sometimes he'll sleep just outside the kennels, sometimes outside the chicken coop, other times outside the house! He especially loves when the cats will cuddle with him. They also have a wisdom about them that is unmatched, often times doing things that don't seem to make sense in the moment, but have a payoff in the near future.
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First Bond:Raven has sought out human connection from the very first day we had them. They deeply understand that humans provide them with delicious meat to eat, a home to live in, a herd to look after. So when he met Eli, he sized them up almost immediately. Eli was no threat, and maybe even a friend -- and he decided this almost instantly, in his infinite wisdom. He greeted them with a whinny and a playful nibble on their jacket. Eli led him to the barn and showed him around his new place, before offering to groom him. Raven accepted with no fuss, laying down and letting Eli spend about an hour brushing and playing with his fur. He accepted treats of meat and cookies -- unable to resist the allure of a sweet treat! He didn't even make noise as Eli inspected his hooves and polished them.
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First Ground Work Session:Things moved very quickly with Raven. It wasn't even a week in when Eli decided to try some ground work with them. They started simple: halter training. Raven was a little uneasy about it, but understood quickly: this wasn't meant to harm him. He learned quickly to put his big, furry head in the halter and even admired himself in the mirror in the barn with it on. He looked
stunning! He paraded it around like it was the prettiest thing he'd ever owned; a stark white, gold, and gray marbled design against his coat and adorned with golden hardware. Eli couldn't help but laugh -- clearly he'd picked well when he decided on the halter colour and design. He'd had it specially made for Raven after meeting him. Seeing how much Raven loved it, he had his name hand stitched into the fabric on the side. Now everyone would know his name instantly.
They next worked on basic obedience. Raven was very agreeable from the start: happy to pick up his feet as a starting point. He didn't mind lifting his hooves and even holding them out for extended periods of time. He quickly picked up on Eli's desires and sought to fulfill them. Next was leading, which Raven took to almost immediately. He was happy to follow Eli's lead no matter where he led him. Barely any pressure was needed at all to get them to comply. The following step was to begin to trot with Eli in hand. This took a little getting used to, but Raven didn't cause any fuss about it. He was happy to follow and continue the training, no matter how silly these tasks seemed to him. I mean, of course he can trot with a human. He didn't mind his herd member leading him along, they both knew Raven was the one
really in control and lead.
Finally, they decided on an obstacle course for a little more advanced of training. Most obstacles were
strange, but manageable. A doorway with pool noodles in every colour of the rainbow stopped Raven in his tracks. What was
that? He leaned his head in and nipped at the pool noodles, pulling back and even rearing as it moved! Woah! He kicked his front legs at the offending pool noodles. Eli began petting his fur, speaking in hushed tones to reassure him. He watched, wearily, as Eli reached out and ran his hand along them. They stared them down with his pitch black eyes, calculating the threat. Well, maybe they weren't dangerous after all. He leaned his head back in, slowly, courageously sticking their head through the threshold. They winced in fear, but immediately realised they had no reason to be scared at all. Huh! He confidently picked his head back up and trotted through the doorway. Eureka!
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Companion Registry:When Raven first met
Thiago they scared each other. What was this strangely furred creature? It looked different from the dogs he was accustomed to, but he did recognize it being completely covered in mud. It had just rained the day before, and the swamps of Boghound were ripe with mud, toads, and green algae. Raven laughed; a melodious, whinnying sound as Eli rounded the corner and began to exclaim something or another about the mud, he was guessing. Thiago looked at Raven with a knowing
look and bolted. Eli ran after the bounding poodle, distraught that his beautiful coat was covered in black, muddy sludge. This meeting was not over, they'd see each other again. They were both sure of it.
They would meet again a few days later. Where this strange dog had gone for several days, he wasn't sure. When they met again, Thiago looked much more different -- stark white fur where muddy markings had been before. He was carefully groomed into a puffy cut, fur patterns much more obvious now. What a queer little fellow. Unlike the other dogs, Thiago didn't raise his voice -- he never barked at the Equuiossa, instead giving softer noises: whimpers, whines, yips. He stared at him, daring him to reach out and touch his puffy topknot. Raven couldn't resist, it looked cloud-like and soft... he leaned his head in, sure this wasn't a trap, and nipped at the fur on top of Thiago's head. The dog leaned in, rubbing his soft fur along Raven's nose. It tickled, and he withdrew with a soft noise. From this moment of gentleness grew a legendary friendship.
From that day, Raven and Thiago were often seen together. Sometimes Thiago had to leave to go to "shows", which he assumed were like the ones he went to. They stayed up late into the night talking, just enjoying each other's company. Raven slowly stopped sleeping around the farm and instead in the barn, where Thiago would join him nightly. They slept side by side, curled up around each other. They were inseparable.
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First Tack-Up:Would you believe a month had passed since Raven had arrived? The whole farm had gotten used to his imposing presence. It wasn't unfamiliar to see a pure black shadow looming over farm activities. Feeding the chickens? He's there. Grooming the dogs? Raven's just outside the window, or stealing brushes to try and help. Tending to the garden? Well, they have to help pick the vegetables! (They're surprisingly gentle when it comes to this. Only sometimes do they take a bite out of the produce. Pumpkins and melons seem to be his favourite!) All this to say, it was time to make some
real progress with his training. Eli brought him out to the round pen and started to introduce him to his first set of tack.
It was a beautiful set of tack, matching his custom halter: all white with gray and gold marbling, and golden hardware. The leather bits were a stark black against the white, made to stand out. Eli took his time introducing every item. First, the saddle. Eli put the Western style saddle on his back, and Raven initially bucked at the sensation. He hushed him gently, rubbing his soft fur between his eyes. Raven walked around the round pen, getting used to the sensation of having something on his back. It was weird, but not unwelcome. He slowly got used to it, relaxing at the feeling.
Next, the bridle. Raven was already used to a halter, so this was no big obstacle. He wore it with pride, swinging his head around to show it off. He looked gorgeous in his new tack, and he felt it. He attached reins and it was no big deal, either. After getting accustomed to his bridle and reins, Eli put the final piece: a cinch on him. Now
this was weird. He bucked again, Eli quick to get out of the way. He continued bucking a little bit, trying desperately to get the tightness off of his torso. Why wouldn't it come off? He frustratedly vocalized, before slowly calming down. He walked with an angry gait, tail whipping and ears pinned back. He hated this. Eli gave him some treats for his trouble, and he got used to the feeling. It wasn't so bad, he guessed.
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First Ride:Not wanting to stress him out, Eli gave Raven a week of getting used to his tack before attempting the first ride. He was a beautiful beast, and Eli wanted them to be as comfortable as possible. Now that some time had passed, it was
finally time to see if they could get some results out of Raven. They tacked up like usual, taking their time but not really needing to. This was a special occasion, so Eli took extra care. He'd groomed Raven the day before, giving him a bath and polishing his perfectly trimmed hooves. Raven looked gorgeous, a true perfect specimen of an Equuiossa.
"Alright, I'm going to get
on you," Eli warned Raven, trying to telegraph his every move. Raven looked at him in confusion, very clever but the English language still a bit beyond his grasp. He watched as the human hoisted himself up his side, pausing there. He felt a little weird with the pressure, but adjusted quickly. Within seconds, Eli was sitting on his back. He resisted the urge to buck; man, did that feel weird! Feeling Eli's full body weight on him was strange and foreign. He stomped his foot a few times to convey his feelings about it. "You're okay," Eli reassured him softly, rubbing between his ears. He took a few steps to get used to the sensation, feeling the human balance on top of him. Eli pulled the reins gently, teaching him that pressure to one side meant to go that way. Raven took to it quickly, naturally clever and picking up on his handler's desires.
It didn't take long before they were genuinely communicating and Eli was riding Raven. They went around the round pen a few dozen times, Raven taking deliberate, careful steps. He was so big and Eli so small; he didn't want to hurt his friend. He continued to go in circles as Eli talked him through the actions he took. Whatever he was saying, he didn't really know just yet -- but he was comforted by the sound and tone of their voice.
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First Trail Ride:Riding Raven around the round pen became a daily occurrence. Both Raven and Eli seemed to genuinely enjoy the time they spent in contact, and trust between them was unbreakable. Once Eli had felt that Raven had gotten the hang of it entirely, it was time to take him for a stroll outside the pen. The swamps that were their home were a little uneasy footing for a beginner, so Eli decided to take a little trip. He loaded Raven up in his trailer (that he hadn't seen since he'd gotten here! What fond memories!) and set out to a nearby campground full of hiking trails called Tunica Hills. It was a few hours drive, so when they got there, Raven was excited to stretch his legs. Not many Equuoissa were found in Louisiana just yet, and all of the campers who passed by gawked. He became a little self conscientious and shy, so far away from his herd save Eli. He enjoyed as human foals came up to pet him, and was sure to be extra gentle with them. His big fangs scared them at first, but he acted curiously and softly as humans of all ages came up to him to check him out.
The campgrounds were beautiful, a little slice of wilderness that reminded Raven somewhat of parts of his original home. Sometimes he missed the freedom of his home planet, but not always. He liked his new life with his herd of oddball animals and humans. Maybe here, in the wilderness, he could run free for a little while. Raven stood still as Eli tacked him up and hopped on him. They started towards one of the hiking trails, a leisurely stroll through the woods. This was nice.
"C'mon, Raven, let's go a little faster," Eli goaded him, patting the side of his neck. He was starting to understand the English language a little more. He got
Raven -- that was his name, and
faster -- that meant to move quicker. He snorted and worked his way up to a trot, then a canter. Finally, with a field outstretching far ahead, he broke into a gleeful gallop. Eli held on for dear life, not used to Raven going quite so fast! He threw his head back in joy as he ran, feeling the high grass tickle his undersides. This was what freedom was meant to be: running fast with your herd with you.
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First Camping Trip:Tunica Hills became a favourite for Raven. Even though the journey there was long (well, nothing compared to coming from his home planet) it was always worth it. This time they'd brought along a few animals: some collies, a couple of handlers (including Eli's mate, she was such a nice human and always smelled so nice -- and always had cookies and jerky for Raven!), and Thiago. From what he'd gleaned from Eli's talking, this was going to be a longer trip than usual. He was so excited that his best friend was brought along, he could barely contain himself. As they unloaded from the trailer, Raven did a few little circles of the grounds curiously. He had to lead his herd, of course, and knowing the lay of the land was important for that. Thiago followed him at his heels, not sure what Raven was doing, but happy to be included.
Raven watched curiously as the humans began to set up the campgrounds. They put up tents, that he could guess were for sleeping in. They built a fire pit, which he assumed was for cooking and keeping warm. (Even though it was quite warm outside still!) They took out strange gear that Eli said was for "fishing", which... Raven knew what fishing was, he'd done plenty of it; but what could this gear possibly do? All he did was stick his head in the water and grab a fish! They had weird poles and nets and almost invisible wire with shiny things on the end.
Raven enjoyed the day with his humans, taking Eli's mate, Elise, for a ride while the other humans fished. She was so kind to him, so gentle. They rode out to the top of a hill, where Elise got off of him and sat down. He laid down beside her, putting his big head in her lap. She rubbed between his ears as the sky darkened and the stars came out.
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