Herdercraft Runner Breeds Reference Book
by Herder Matison
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Widespread Types
- Ruatha Hold
- Fort Hold
- Keroon Hold
- Telgar Hold
- Katz Field
- Igen Hold
- Ista Hold
- Southern Boll Hold
- High Reaches
- Crom Hold
- Benden Hold
Introduction
This book is an abridged reference of the main runner breeds on Pern. It contains most of the common breeds as well as many of the breeds specific to particular holds and/or purposes.
Widespread Types
Standardbreed:
Origin: Fort Hold
Ancient Relations: English Thoroughbred, American Standardbred,
Hambletonian
Usual Height: 16 - 18 h
Usual Colors: chestnut, brown, black, occasional bay or grey.
Temperament: Can be excitable and spirited.
Body Type: Tall, long bones - slender, light musculature.
Uses: Racing - any distance, favored for long distances. Used in many holds as part of the guard unit, and was favord by Fax in his light cavalry.
Working Runners:
Origin: disputed. Fort or Ruatha.
Ancient Relation: Morgan.
Usual Height: 14.2 - 16.2 h
Usual Colors: Bay, brown.
Temperament: Quiet, willing.
Body Type: Stocky, compact light runner.
Uses: All farm work - pulling and carrying. Good for small holders, as it is a very versatile runner, good for travelling as well as farm work.
Shire:
Origin: Fort.
Ancient Relations: Shire, Percheron
Usual Height: 16 - 19h
Usual Colors: Any
Temperament: Docile
Body Type: Heavy, Massive bones and musculature.
Uses: Pulling - extremely string.
Highland Draft:
Origin: Ruatha
Relations: Shire, Working Runner, Standardbreed, Fort Draft
Usual Height: 15.2 - 18h
Usual Colors: Grey to Black, incl blue roan and dappling.
Temperament: Spirited, but willing.
Body Type: Light draft - Compact, large-boned frame.
Uses: Carrying heavy loads, pulling.
Hill Runner:
Origin: Fort
Ancient Relations: Connemara
Usual Height: 13 - 16h
Usual Colors: Grey or Dun
Temperament: Highly intelligent, willing.
Body Type: Medium boned with light musculature.
Uses: Versatile. Good in endurance and jumping. Popular among holders for travelling cross-country. Easy keeper.
Plains Walker:
Origin: Keroon
Ancient Relations: Tennessee Walking Horse, American Saddlebred.
Usual Height: 15 - 17h
Usual Colors: Palomino or Brown
Temperament: Even-tempered.
Body Type: Slender legs, round barrel with broad chest and hindquarters.
Uses: Extremely comfortable, unique gait and comfortable back makes this breed ideal for surveying large holdings. Anywhere there are large farmholds, this breed is found, though it is bred mainly in Keroon.
Mineholder:
Origin: Crom
Ancient Relations: Shetland, Chincoteague
Usual Height: 9 - 12 h
Usual Colors: Grey, Piebald/Skewbald
Temperament: Easily trained, docile.
Body Type: Short, thick legs and round body.
Uses: Primarily in the mines. Excellent night vision and are very sure-footed. Good instincts for safety in the tunnels. Are also used by lords and ladies for their children, but most holders won't buy a runner that is only for a child.
Light Carter:
Origin: Varied
Relations: Just about everything. This is your typical mutt.
Usual Height: 13 - 16 h
Usual Colors: Any
Temperament: Depends on the individual.
Body Type: Light runner, medium boned with medium to light musculature.
Uses: Everything, though most traders have at least one of these, thereby giving the name.
Burro:
Origin: Igen
Ancient Relations: Burro-pony (interbreeding possible)
Usual Height: 10 - 14 h
Usual Colors: Brown to black, with lighter points.
Temperament: Intelligent, stubborn
Body Type: Scrawny-looking - spindly legs and light musclature
Uses: Carting and Carrying, esp in mountainous or terraced regions. Extremely sure-footed and well-balanced, as well as strong.
Southern Draft
Origin: Southern Boll
Ancient Relations: Clydesdale
Usual Height: 16 - 19 h
Usual Colors: Bay, Piebald/Skewbald
Temperament: Easy-going
Body Type: Light Draft, large boned with medium musculature.
Uses: Working in hot climates - well adapted to the heat, efficient metabolism.
Mustang:
Origin: Southern Continent; wild
Ancient Relations: Who knows
Usual Height: 14 - 16h
Usual Colors: Brown, Dun
Temperament: Courageous
Body Type: Light, efficient; almost scrawny-looking, but adapted to the wild.
Uses: All light work, esp exploration of the Southern Continent.
Ruatha Hold
Ruatha Hold has long sought to produce the ultimate racer. This project was nearly completed by the Lord Alessan during the 6th Pass, but when the Plague swept through the holds it destroyed many of these runners. Since that time, Ruatha has been trying to restore many of its breeds, including the one developed by Alessan.
Ruathan Sprinter:
Relations: Standardbreed, HillRunner, Igenbred
Usual Height: 14 - 17h; avg. 15.2h
Usual Colors: Chestnut to Black; occasional Bay or Grey.
Temperament: Moderate
Body Type: Slender, though with powerful hindquarters.
Uses: Racing distances of about 2 furlongs, or a quater-mile.
Fort Hold
Fort Hold has a long history of breeding draft runners for heavy work, though its most popular breed has only been bred in modern times.
Fort Draft:
Relations: Shire, Southern Draft.
Usual Height: 17 - 19h
Usual Colors: Roans
Temperament: Willing, intelligent; quiet.
Body Type: Medium draft - large boned, medium musculature.
Uses: Draft work. Popular along the western areas of the Northern Continent because of the breed's intelligence.
Keroon Hold
Keroon Hold has long been a major location for the Beastcraft. Many popular breeds were either developed here or have been bred from those who were developed here.
Keroon Barb:
Relations: Igenbred, Plains Walker
Usual Height: 15 - 17h
Usual Colors: Palomino, Chestnut, Roan, Grey.
Temperament: High-spirited.
Body Type: Compact, light. Delicate legs and head, broad chest.
Uses: Endurance - popular among Hold Guards because they are flexible and well-balanced as a general rule. Flashy appearancce makes them popular among the Lords. The occasional runner has the speed for sprinting races.
Keroon Sprinter:
Relations: Keroon Barb, Telgar-bred Hill Runner
Usual Height: 14.2 - 16.2h
Usual Colors: Palomino, Dun
Temperament: Intelligent, spirited.
Body Type: Amall, light and agile.
Uses: Racing, short to medium distances
Little enduance, despite the lineage.
Telgar Hold
Telgar, situated on the central plains of the Northern Continent, has traditionally had need for runners with great enduance, as the distances are great between holds on the plains.
Telgar Desertbred:
Relations: Igenbred, Appaloosa
Usual Height: 15 - 17h
Usual Colors: Piebald/Skewbald, Appaloosa, Roan
Temperament: High-spirited, intelligent.
Body Type: Compact, muscular - broad chest and strong legs
Uses: Hold Guard, primarily. Capable of carrying loads quickly over long distances. Graceful and powerful.
Appaloosa:
Ancient Relation: Appaloosa
Usual Height: 14 - 17h
Usual Colors: Appaloosa
Temperament: Modeate Intelligence. Willing and calm.
Body Type: Compact, dense.
Uses: Equivalent to Working runner, but flashy coloring makes it popular among wealthier holders.
Katz Field
Katz Desertbred:
Relations: Katz-bred Standardbred, Igenbred
Usual Height: 16 - 18h
Usual Colors: Dun - Chestnut, Bay
Temperament: Flighty
Body Type: Graceful, long boned with slender musculature.
Uses: Racing medium to long distances.
Igen Hold
Igenbred:
Ancient Relations: Arab
Usual Height: 14 - 16h
Usual Colors: Grey - Dun, though could be any solid color.
Temperament: Intelligent
Body Type: small, compact
Uses: Endurance riding and racing - swift over long distances. Easy keeper, popular breeding stock for other racing breeds.
Ista Hold
Sands Barb:
Relations: Igenbred, Keroon Barb
Usual Height: 14 - 16h
Usual Colors: Bay
Temperament: High-spirited
Body Type: Compact, medium boned and muscled.
Uses: Hold Guard and other activities requiring a high degree of balance and training. Regarded as the best dressage breed.
Southern Boll Hold
Boll Racer:
Relations: Standardbreed
Usual Height: 15 - 17h
Usual Colors: Chestnut
Temperament: Flighty
Body Type: Lighter than Standardbreed, gives the impression of a long back and legs.
Uses: Racing short to medium distace - great speed, moderate endurance.
High Reaches
Mountainbred Mineholder
Relations: Mineholder
Usual Height: 8.2 - 10.2h
Usual Colors: Dun
Temperament: Stolid
Body Type: Stocky
Uses: Carrying and carting in a cold, mountainous environment. Able to withstand harsh weather, surefooted and balanced. Grows extremely thick coat in winter, hair is sometimes used for felts.
High Reaches Working Runner:
Relations: Working Runner
Usual Height: 13 - 15h
Usual Colors: Brown
Temperament: Stolid
Body Type: Sturdy, dense. Large-boned.
Uses: Same as working runner, in a colder climate.
Balen Shire:
Relations: Shire
Usual Height: 15 - 18h
Usual Colors: Brown, Dun
Temperament: Docile
Body Type: Dense, large boned and muscled.
Uses: All farm work, colder climates - grows long winter coat, also used in felting.
Crom Hold
Greenfields Walker:
Relations: Plains Walker, Crom-bred Hill Runner
Usual Height: 13 - 15h
Usual Colors: Dun, Grey, Roan, Palomino
Temperament: Intelligent, Calm, brave
Body Type: Smaller than Plains Walker but with similar physical
characteristics. Sturdier legs.
Uses: Same as Plains Walker, also long distance travel - good endurance and strength for size.
Benden Hold
Eastern Drafter:
Relations: Greystones Shire, Highland Draft
Usual Height: 16 - 18h
Usual Colors: Dark Brown, Black, Dark Grey
Temperament: Willing, low intelligence.
Body Type: Compact, Dense, gives impression of mass.
Uses: All farm work, especially pulling.
Greystones Shire:
Relations: Shire
Usual Height: 17 - 19h
Usual Colors: Grey
Temperament: low intelligence, good worker.
Body Type: Massive
Uses: All farm work.
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