Welcome to Class!

In a realistic Herdercraft, we would all be around almost all of the time, but in OUR Herdercraft, we tend to miss getting together. The times staff members are around are often not the times Apprentices are around. As a result, my lofty plans to integrate some REAL learning into this Craft floundered in our early days. Well, one day I decided to change that.

A long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away), I started a classroom mailing list that was to represent actual learning sessions that we could assume everyone subscribed was able to attend. I narrated all lessons as if I were RPing them with you. This worked fairly well, but at the cost of a huge amount of database space usage, so on Master Matison's suggestion, I htmlized the lessons for access here. The mailing list is now gone, so I hope you will all use this source.

Now many of the lessons are submitted by other Craft members, particularly in these days when I am an NPC and not around to teach anyway. Any Craft member can submit a lesson, though Senior Apprentices and Journeymen are among those most strongly encouraged to do so. The lessons are mailed to me, and I put them up here for everyone to see. While actually RPing the lessons is fun and great, it doesn't happen as often as we'd like, so this is the next best thing.

As with the mailing list, questions about a lesson's content can be mailed to me, now using the link I will put at the bottom of each page. I will put the question plus its answer on these pages, as if it were asked during the session. If I didn't teach the lesson, I will get the response from the teacher.

So, I want you all to teach as soon as you can, as much as you can. I want you to go out there and read up on some aspect of animal care/breeding/medicine and then teach us what you learned. MOOmail them to me or email them to me, using the same format I use, narrating it as if it were a session of RP between you and other Herders. Remember, Apprentices are perfectly allowed to do this; in fact, showing that much initiative and knowledge would be a certain way of getting promoted to Journeyman soon.

I hope this is a good experience for all of us. May this Craft become the best-educated Craft in all Pern!

Sincerely,

Master Aeia

A POSTSCRIPT TO VISITORS: Please note that these lessons are part of the curriculum for a *fictional* Craft that makes up a section of an online role-playing game. While the information here is intended to be accurate and informative and have some actual relevance to real-life animals, you must understand that it is set on a fictional colony planet and that this is not a real animal reference!

1. Leading and Turning Out a Runner - with MasterHerder Aeia
2. Grooming - with MasterHerder Aeia
3. Tacking Up, Part I - with MasterHerder Aeia
4. Tacking Up, Part II - with MasterHerder Aeia
   

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   In the Ring:
   1. First Riding Lesson, Part I - with MasterHerder Aeia
   2. First Riding Lesson, Part II - with MasterHerder Aeia
   3. Training to Lunge, Part I - with Lisa
   4. Training to Lunge, Part II - with Lisa
   
   

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   Runner Health:
   1. Introduction to the Hoof with Master Matison
   2. Colic with Master Matison
   3. Lameness, Part I with Mairen
   4. Lameness, Part II with Mairen
   5. Lameness, Part III with Mairen
   
   

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   Small Animal Care and Training:
   1. Puppy Training: Teaching to Sit - with visiting Journeyman Chiro from Keroon
   2. Puppy Training: Beginning to Heel - with Herder Lena
   3. Small Animal Grooming - with Herder Lena
   4. Basic Ferret Care - with Herder Cyclone

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      Return to the Herdercraft Home Page

      If you have any remarks, send mail to Myra.