Horse being killed http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803 saving.ophelia I'm writing a story where a cavalry man goes down on the edges of tiber during battle, horse falling under him and tumbling the soldier into the river. The man is fished out later by his brothers-in-arms and after spluttering water climbs up the banks to see to his horse and finds it neighing and writhing. Most likely having broken something and he has to put it down. As the army's cavalry officer he's largely responsible for the horses and feels a deeep attachement to them, horses being a central theme of the whole story...so I wanted someone who knows about the subject of the few war horses used in the 1920's army atmosphere, and how the experience could be, I don't know...? Both technicaly accurate but moving? As in, what would you feel if you had to kill your horse? This man has an almost supernatural (ALMOST) understanding of these animals, he's also a young man and he just killed his first man ever. He's tired, half drowned, and with a deep seated grief for doing this. The horse incident is the beginning of his experiencing disillusionment. So please PLEASE help me out someone, I want to get it right! Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:26:22 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109187 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109187 Irukazab [quote=saving.ophelia] I'm writing a story where a cavalry man goes down on the edges of tiber during battle, horse falling under him and tumbling the soldier into the river. The man is fished out later by his brothers-in-arms and after spluttering water climbs up the banks to see to his horse and finds it neighing and writhing. Most likely having broken something and he has to put it down. As the army's cavalry officer he's largely responsible for the horses and feels a deeep attachement to them, horses being a central theme of the whole story...so I wanted someone who knows about the subject of the few war horses used in the 1920's army atmosphere, and how the experience could be, I don't know...? Both technicaly accurate but moving? As in, what would you feel if you had to kill your horse? This man has an almost supernatural (ALMOST) understanding of these animals, he's also a young man and he just killed his first man ever. He's tired, half drowned, and with a deep seated grief for doing this. The horse incident is the beginning of his experiencing disillusionment. So please PLEASE help me out someone, I want to get it right! [/quote] Well, 1918 marks the end of WWI, when horses were actually a huge part of the military machine. Horses still played a huge part in everyday life pretty much until the 1950s. However, back in those days people were closer to death as we are today. It was a way of life and smallish ailments that are nothing nowadays could easily kill you. As somebody being close to animals, your MC would probably feel the devastation of losing his partner, but also be eager to relieve the suffering. Don't forget, in war times, everybody suffers, animals and humans die in gruesome ways. I suppose the movie War Horse can give you some insight. I am sure it is a bit cheesed up and glamorized, but close enough to reality. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:04:02 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109550 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109550 Irukazab Or read the biography of Audy Murphy. Not a cavalry man, but seriously disillusioned by the carnage of war. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:05:10 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109552 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1109552 Tex2S Well, I am not an expert of the time-period involved, but a couple of thoughts: --if he's been dunked in the river, chances are good that any rifle or pistol he was carrying will be soaked and temporarily unusable. He might have to borrow a buddy's weapon to be sure it goes clean and with no misfire - there might be a shame for him in that, either at the time or thinking about it after. --have seen several touching critter-death-scenes in recent memory; the one that comes most to mind is in the newest "I Am Legend," though I suppose "Water For Elephants" is closer to your situation. One thing you might do, to show how he feels for his horse, is if he takes time to sit and calm it before he pulls the trigger. Any wounded animal of that size is considerably dangerous to be around, but if you show him braving its kicking and thrashing in spite of good judgment and reason, and talking softly to it until either blood loss or the instinctive desire not to attract the attention of predators takes over and it is calm, then you show a person who cares less about his own safety and more about making sure that his friend's last moments are loving and relatively free of pain or panic. If you can work that scene right, you won't have a dry eye in the house by the time he finally pulls the trigger. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:02:58 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1110510 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1110510 Tex2S Forgot to add too: if he does take time to sit with the horse before doing the deed, he is affording the animal a considerably greater kindness than whatever fully-sentient human being he just got done killing right before. That is a heavy thought, and one that might come up often when he thinks back on things afterwards. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:16:00 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1110924 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1110924 saving.ophelia Thanks, ill look into that. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:53:47 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111895 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1111895 saving.ophelia Thanks, that was really helpful! It gave me the strength to write the most perfect scene I could have imagined! Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:17:28 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123767 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123767 Notkieran Dick Francis's "Bolt" gives a pretty good (technical) description of the action, although we never see it actually happening on-screen. Remember that the bolt goes in through the forehead, not the temple. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:11:25 +1000 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123897 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/reference-desk/threads/49803?page=1#forum_thread_comment_1123897