Weanling Training

Daily Schedule

Monday-Friday
6:00 AM: Wake up, dress, and prepare for the day
6:30 AM: Report to the weanling barn to feed your bonded and put them away for a nap
7:00 AM: Eat your breakfast in the stable dining room
8:00 AM: Return to the barn and bathe and groom your foal
9:00 AM: Exercise your foal (see sections below for what you'll be doing)
10:00 AM: Feed your bonded and put them away for a nap
10:30 AM: Class meetings (discussion of how things are going and what you'll be doing today)
11:00 AM: Perform stable chores (clean stalls, fill water, other cleaning or odd jobs)
12:30 PM: Eat your lunch in the stable dining room
1:30 PM: Exercise your foal
2:30 PM: Feed your foal and put them away for a nap
3:00 PM: Rider-only training
5:00 PM: Visit with your bonded, feed them, and tidy up the stables as needed
5:30 PM: Dismised for the day; may eat dinner at the stable or elsewhere

Saturday and Sunday
There are no formal training sessions on the weekends, so as long as your foal gets a little exercise and is fed, you are free to do as you choose during those hours. Stable hands will also help with feeding and stall chores on the weekends, but you are required to visit your foal for at least 2 hours of the day.

Rules

Training & Exercise

Every weekday you will spend time exercising your foal (while trainers oversee) and attending Rider-only training sessions. These will change a bit as your foal ages, so if you're curious what they're doing at certain stages, read through the lists below.

First Month
Your foal is just a baby still! This is a stage of rapid growth for them and by the end of this they will have gone from birth size (about 50% of full height, not weight) to 65% of full size. They tend to be tired and will sleep a lot. It is nothing for them to spend the majority of their day asleep at this stage. Your 'exercise' times will be quite simple. You will be walking them around the stables and nearby, flat or lightly hilly, paddocks. (They can graze during their walks.) Those who are unruly can use a rope halter for a little extra guidance. They are not very social at this point, but are encouraged to spend time introducing them to other foals their own age.

Rider-only training at this stage involves talking to experienced Riders about your newly bonded foals and learning what to do with them. Each of your foals is unique and will present unique challenges as you advance through training. Of course, you will be learning how to telepathically connect with your foal and will be asked to spend some time practicing both talking and sending mental images. You'll learn more about how to handle your foal (how to introduce them to new objects, how to use halters effectively, etc) and will be learning how to be a good leader for them. Though you've already been taught a lot of the basics, you'll start learning more about first aid and general equine health topics too. You'll also do physical training 2-3 days a week (push-ups, sit-ups, weights, etc).

Second Month
You are halfway through the weanling stage, congrats! Your foal is now about 75% of their full size and they're sleeping a lot less and may be socializing or grazing during times alotted for napping (if they choose). During this time they begin 'free play', which is simply turning them loose in paddocks alone or with other foals and letting them really stretch their legs (and wings). They will start running, bucking, and figuring out how to coordinate themselves with their long legs and ever-growing bodies. They can also be taken into the arenas or round pens and can play with large balls or ground poles. In addition, you can use soft ropes and start throwing them over the foals back, wrapping it around their legs, and just generally getting them used to being touched by something other than hands and brushes.

Rider-only training at this stage...guess what? Still involves phsyical training. You won't ever get out of it! Now you're also learning more about specific exercises you can do with your foal (stretching legs and wings) to help their growing bodies. You'll also be introduced to 'games' you can play with them and how to encourage them to use proper body carriage as they are playing.

Third Month
You are at the tail end of the weanling stage and you're preparing to step up into the more advanced yearling training. Your bonded's growth rates will begin to taper off a little and they're actually starting to look more like a horse than a wobbly thing on stilts - they'll be about 80-85% of their full size by now. Your foals are awake quite a bit and are (usually) social and enjoy spending time playing with their friends. They can be turned out in hilly paddocks, but the primary focus of exercise at this stage is on 'directed play'. At this time, your training with your foal will focus on gaining more respect (and learning how to understand each other) and building their confidence. You will begin teaching them to move in circles around you. They will also be taught how to back up, go forward, and go sideways on command. (Some may have already caught on to this.) Finally, you will begin introducing more objects, such as large pieces of cloth to walk over or stand under, to desensitize your foal to everything they will be experiencing in the coming months. All of these are meant to be fun for your foal, hence the 'play' part of it, but you will be in charge of giving them directions and getting them to respect your authority. For some, this is easy. For others, it is much more difficult.

Rider-only training at this stage starts getting more in-depth on 'games' you can play. You'll learn commands for new things such as teaching your foals to do circles (think lunging, usually without a rope), backing up, moving sideways, and moving each part of their body individually. It's all about gaining control to help them move correctly to avoid injuries and to prepare them to begin more strenuous training soon.

Yearling Training

Daily Schedule

Monday-Thursday
7:00 AM: Wake up, dress, and prepare for the day
7:30 AM: Report to the yearling barn to feed your bonded
8:00 AM: Eat your breakfast in the stable dining room
9:00 AM: Return to the barn to groom your bonded
9:30 AM: Attend training (see sections below for what you'll be doing)
11:30 AM: Bathe (hose down) your bonded if needed and return them to a paddock or stall
12:00 PM: Perform stable chores (clean stalls, fill water, other cleaning or odd jobs)
12:30 PM: Eat your lunch in the stable dining room
1:30 PM: Rider-only training
2:30 PM: Attend training (by 9 months, this is dismissal time)
4:30 PM: Bathe (hose down) your bonded, feed them, and return them to a paddock or stall
5:00 PM: Dismised for the day; may eat dinner at the stable or elsewhere

Friday-Sunday
There are no formal training sessions on the weekends, so as long as your bonded gets a little exercise and is fed, you are free to do as you choose during those hours. Stable hands will also help with feeding and stall chores on the weekends, but you are required to visit your foal for at least 2 hours of the day. Note: Weekends are an excellent time to work on whatever you've been practicing in training over the week. Those who want to advance their skills and earn top marks at graduation are advised to make use of this time!

Rules
**You may engage in intercourse after your bonded's 9th month (since hatching) as long as they are mentally capable of handling the intense emotions without freaking out. If you're concerned, speak to a trainer about it!


Training & Exercise

Rider-only training throughout this stage mostly focuses on one-on-one or small-group discussions about any problems/challenges you are having. You'll be getting enough physical activity in your main training now so there will be very little of that in this time. Some topics covered will be how to know if your bonded is showing signs of having an ability, how to handle an ability once you discover it, more advanced health care, mating rituals and how to handle them, how to handle dueling, and basic weapons training. Guess what? You will also spend time riding non-mystical horses so you can learn how to balance in a saddle (without harming your mount) and give basic cues. This will prepare you for training later on in this stage.

Fourth-Fifth Month
My, how they've grown! Your kiddos are now about about 85-90% of their adult size and are very much in a 'teenager' phase of life. They will want to explore everything, meet everyone, and do all sorts of crazy things. You will be doing 'directed play' at this phase still, introducing them to more and more foreign objects and training them new exercises. You should be able to do all of your groundwork at liberty by now (no halter or rope) and should have a very high level of communication established. At this point you can begin leading your foal over bridges, letting them cross water or swim, and can introduce competitive games as well. They should be controlled enough to participate in some basic ground classes at shows, which will give you a good chance to show off your grooming, their blossoming muscles, and your hours and hours of hard work!

Sixth-Eighth Months
You've now made it through the worst. Your bonded is 90-92% of their adult size and growth from this point forward slows down drastically. They should be well-trained in ground commands commands by now. They are confident around a wide variety of objects and can perform complicated patterns such as figure 8's, weaving cones, and crossing over or between things (water, bridges, gates). At this phase, you will continue to increase the complexity of the patterns and exercises you are teaching them on the ground to not only help them develop physically, but mentally as well. At this point, your job is to make them think and reason through problems, not just mosey around eating grass.

You will also begin aptitude testing at this phase. During this you will be presented situations or challenges designed to help your bonded discover any abilities they may have. These may be done in large or small groups depending on the situation. While they can be nerve-wracking, they are also meant to be fun. Safety is always a primary focus in aptitude testing, so there may be times your bonded will enter situations without you present.

Finally, you'll begin learning how to use a saddle and will begin putting them on your horses. You may not get in the saddle yet, but should begin getting them used to wearing it through all of their ground exercises. You will not need to use a bit or bridle with your horse since they will learn not only how to read your body as you ride, but can also communicate telepathically. If your bonded is so disagreeable that you can't control them my telling them commands at this point, you will be going through some intense training to work through your issues. (But that almost never happens!)

Ninth-Tenth Months
Congratulations! It has been 9 months since your bundle of joy hatched out of that shell and chose you! You've had a lot of ups and downs by now, but things are about to get very, very interesting. Your 'little' baby is now about 92-94% of their adult size and ready to support the weight of a Rider. Your training at this point will be learning how to ride! You've spent some time on non-mystical horses by now and are ready to hop on your own. The first weeks of this will be very, very boring. You may literally spend an hour sitting on your horse just doing bending and flexing exercises (example of bending pattern) at a walk. They will be learning how to balance with your weight and the most important thing at this point is that they carry themselves properly (rounded back, using their hindquarters to drive forward) so they don't injure themselves.

Once they've mastered bending exercises at a walk, they will begin doing them at a trot. You'll also branch out into some other riding patterns, walking over ground poles, pushing the balls while riding (sometimes in 'soccer' games), and more! This is a fun time to explore new things, but make sure not to overdo it. Learning to carry a Rider is hard work and you don't ever want your bonded to end up too tired or sore. Flying and jumping are absolutely not allowed yet.

Your equine may begin exhibiting stronger signs of having abilities at this point and you are encouraged to begin working with them. Your goal at this point is to teach them how to not use their abilities (in other words, how to choose when they use it) to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Those with a high degree of control may begin practicing their abilities on the ground, but should not do so under saddle!

Eleventh-Twelfth Months
Your bonded is now over 95% of their full size and will most likely be 97%+ of their full size by the end of this stage. Woolyfurs and Merroyals will usually reach full height by about 12 months after hatching; Aerokni and Crosspyro by about 14-16 months after; and Highlanders by 18-20 months. As your riding skills progress, you will move onto bigger and better things. At this phase you will be doing a lot more loping/cantering and may begin using cavaletti, learning stops and rollbacks, and even introducing your horse to working cattle. You can take them on trail rides to give them a chance to get used to steeper and rougher terrain and can introduce them to water crossing or even swimming. If you have a winged species, you will be allowed to begin learning to fly, starting with short flight and gradually working up.

During all of this, you will also be spending time working on discovering and enhancing their abilities. Many may have discovered them already, but they should avoid using them until you have a high degree of control over their actions at all times. You can begin using them more frequently on the ground, but should also start working on them under saddle. Anyone who has abilities will recieve guidance from trainers or other Riders who have bondeds with the same abilities, but you will also have chances to work on your abilities in class settings as well. You will be challenged to continue bettering both your equine and yourself and during this stage (or at least by the end of it) you will be encouraged to enter in mounted classes at shows.

Just one more thing! Did you think you'd graduate without learning how to defend yourself in the wild? Absolutely not! In the the final month, you will begin competing in mini-duels with your classmates. There's no real winner, but the point is to get you and your equine used to dealing with dangerous species (or other threats) in a controlled environment. There will always be at least one other Rider on backup to give aid if something goes wrong, so you don't need to worry about sustaining any serious injuries. If your bonded has not discovered abilities to use as defense in these situations, you will be relying primarily on your own weaponry skills or simply learning how to outrun or outsmart your opponents. If they have disocvered abilities, they will be learning how to use them in this type of situation.

Aptitude Testing

As yearlings enter their sixth month, its time for aptitude testing to begin! Since this varies by species, you'll usually be doing this as standalone posts and ocacsionally small group threads. You may not have to try all appropriate aptitude tests IC, but should assume your yearling does do all of them behind the scenes. If you have a Deviant foal, you will probably begin with testing for their species, and then move on to whatever they seem to be deviating to.

Group Games
One game that is often played by groups of foals is Dodgeball. This is a great game because it can get a myriad of different abilities to show up. Foals who can teleport or sublimate may discover they can do so as they are trying to dart away from balls flying at them. Foals who have abilities that let them move or destroy objects (concussion beams, vortex breath, firebreathing, and light blade) may discover those powers as they are trying to block or send the balls flying. Once foals have discovered abilities, this is also a great way to start teaching them how to use them with more control.

Hide and Seek is another game that can be used to discover some abilities - specifically those that allow a foal to either move (phasing, teleportation), become invisible (sublimation) or block others from them (shield charm).

Capture the 'Flag' is a game that works well with any ability that allows a foal to move or destroy an object. The 'flag' used can be any object, including rocks, flowers, tree stumps, balls, etc.

Simon Says works very well in small species-specific groups. If you can get the foals thinking of basic commands they can already do (raise your hoof, neigh out loud, swish your tail, etc), then throw in commands to use a certain ability at random (breathe fire, sublimate, walk on water, etc) they will often be able to do them because they aren't thinking too hard about it, just allowing it to happen naturally.

Crosspyro
Firebreathing is one of the more difficult things to test for. It begins by asking the foal to think about fire and imagine breathing it, which works best if the foal has already discovered the ability. From there, they will be targeted to breathe fire onto objects (often sticks/wood) or may be asked to try to shoot flames at a target.

Phasing starts by placing the foal on one side of a divider and asking them to walk through it to their Rider on the other side. The divider is first done with something any horse can actually walk through (often plastic or cloth streamers) and then done with denser objects such as an actual wood wall. The "easy" stages are just meant for mental preparation so they learn to relax while walking through something.

Psionic Blast is a dangerous ability to test, and is thus saved until later into testing. This will almost always involve setting the foal up with a dangerous species and going off their survival instinct. There are always others around to prevent them from actually getting hurt, but if a foal has the ability, their natural defense mechanisms usually kick it in.

Merroyals
Lightblade is tested by placing the foal into dark rooms and asking them to find something. Though all foals can see better in the dark than a human, the desire for light may activate the lightblade ability. Testing for this ability will also involve the foal using their horn to puncture or slice objects (such as cloth).

Aqua Lung can be dangerous to test if not done properly. It always begins in shallow water with the foal simply being asked to blow bubbles into the water. Once they are more confident, they are put into deeper water and asked to swim. If they can handle that, they will be asked to try swimming underwater. Typically, a foal with the ability will realize they can breathe underwater and will be able to swim underwater for a longer distance.

Healing is tested simply by introducing the foal to injured animals. (Not people!) Injured or ill animals will be brought in and the longer the spend around them, the more the ability may show up. Sometimes the animals will "heal" just from being present around the foal, even if the foal is not intentionally able to produce the charm yet.

Waterdancer often shows up around the same time as testing for Aqua Lung. These foals will realize as they are trying to swim that they can actually stay on top of the water. Serious testing will begin by having them walk across a puddle, then gradually deeper water.

Aerokni
Testing for Vortex Breath is one of the more fun things to go through. The foals are first given lightweight objects like balls or feathers and are asked to move them around by blowing out at them. When multiple Aerokni are present, this can involve a form of "soccer" by blowing objects around between one another. The weight/size of the objects will gradually be increased, and foals with the ability will discover they can continue to move the objects. Eventually, they will be asked to send heavy objects flying across long distances.

Sublimation is one of those things that is almost impossible to test for until the foal has discovered they have it. They are usually asked to make themselves "invisible", often while flying or gliding.

Shield Charms are tested by pairing either two foals together or a foal with their Rider. (Occasionally other animals as well.) The foal is told to try to block the other person from getting close enough to touch them. They usually stand inside a circle and are told not to let anyone cross the line of the circle. Occasionally, this will cause Vortex Breath or Sublimation abilities to surface, but it has proven successful at getting Shield Charms to show up as well.

Stormcaller is tested by asking the foal to imagine thunder and lightning in their head, then asking them to make a loud noise. It is a mental ability, but in the process of trying to create a noise while thinking about thunder, they may realize they can create actual thunder. Lighting is tested in a similar way. In some cases, simply making the foal angry works...but this is not recommended.

Woolyfurs
Teleportation is tested very similar to some other abilities. The foal is put on one side of a wall and asked to try to get through to their Rider on the other side. It can also be tested by having the foal stand in one place and then close their eyes and visualize a place a few feet away and think about going there. It is important not to ask them to teleport over long distances - just a few feet will suffice.

Animation is simply tested by putting the foal out in nature. They are asked to admire the flowers, the trees, the rocks, etc. They are encouraged to talk to those objects. If they have ability, they may begin to feel like the objects are responding to them as they talk. This can also be tested by asking them to mentally focus on moving an object, though this works best if they have already shown promise at the ability.

Phrenic Sight is very, very difficult to test for. It is often skipped in aptitude testing because it just involves learning how to be a very keen judge of character. They will eventually realize they can pick up on a person's motives, moods, and personality just by being near them, with or without testing for the ability. Introducing them to lots and lots of people is the best way to see if it's going to show up!

Highlanders
Concussion Beams are tested for in a couple of ways. First, the foals are asked to stomp around with intent. If they focus on stomping really hard they may realize they can shake the ground more than they should be able to. They can also be told to focus on trying to move objects such as rocks or wooden logs. Sitting something on a stand in front of them and telling them to send it flying toward a target a few yards away is usually the best way to do this.

Oremonger is another ability that will eventually show up on its own. However, the best way to test for the ability is to introduce the foal to minerals and ores. Place the items in buckets and have the foal stand on or near the buckets. They will eventually realize they can 'feel' the difference between certain ores and minerals and can distinguish them from the rest of the earthy ground. This works almost like a magnet, and foals with the ability may find standing near these causes them to attach to their hooves.

Earthshaper is usually tested by creating a fake cliff and sending rocks toppling off of it. A foal is asked to try to stop the rocks from falling, or get them to fall into a certain stack/line. If they have the ability, they will usually realize when they focus really hard, they can direct the fall of the rocks and even sometimes send them back up to the top of the cliff.

There are probably more games or ways to test for abilities! If you think of anything that might work, feel free to suggest it!