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Lactarius indigo — Description

Name: Lactarius indigo
Nicknames: Indie
Breed: @FionnBharrs
Import: H-125
Coat Color: Jaded Black Pearliet Síog Fia
Genotype: Ee aa Vlprl nJd nSf
Sex: Stallion
Age: 7 years
Height: 19.3 hh
Build: Indie is a massive, powerfully built horse standing 19.3hh, with immense substance and presence. He has heavy, dense bone, a broad and deep body, a thick, well-crested neck, and a powerful sloping shoulder running into a broad, strongly muscled hindquarter. His back is broad and strong, his chest deep and wide, and his legs are heavily feathered from the knees and hocks down to large, well-shaped hooves. His head is large but kind, with a gentle eye and a calm expression. He carries an abundant, thick, wavy mane and a long, full tail, and the deep midnight blue-black coloring gives him a striking, almost otherworldly look at his scale.
General Temperament: Indie is deeply calm and gentle, a true gentle giant whose quietness matches his size. He is unflappable and patient, taking nearly everything in stride, and he is acutely, almost comically careful of his own bulk around people and smaller animals. Even-tempered and soft for a stallion, he hides an affectionate streak under his imposing exterior. Very little rattles him, and his sheer steadiness has a settling effect on everything around him.
Disposition and Behavior: Easygoing and deliberate. Indie moves slowly and thinks before he acts, tolerant and steady and rarely ruffled. He is affectionate with people, a gentle leaner who seeks out quiet contact and will rest his enormous head against a trusted person. He carries himself with low aggression and good manners for a stallion. His one immovable trait is exactly that: like many very large horses, he cannot be forced, and if he disagrees or is unsure he simply plants his feet and waits, so he must be asked rather than told. He is also thoroughly food-motivated and takes a personal interest in mealtimes.
Under saddle: Established and reliable both under saddle and in harness. Indie is powerful and willing but unhurried, working honestly off clear, quiet aids without offering speed or sharpness. His size means he needs a confident, balanced handler and sensible footing, but he has no real vice or spook in him. His only resistance is the immovable-plant kind rather than anything explosive. He is comfortable and deceptively powerful, covering ground with an easy, ground-eating walk.
Things to work on:
Responsiveness and forwardness off the aids, since his default is slow and deliberate and he can get heavy or sticky
Suppleness and bend, which are difficult at his bulk, keeping him loose and balanced rather than stiff
Maintaining condition and soundness as an extremely large horse, with consistent, careful conditioning so his body keeps up with the work
Quirks/extras:
A gentle giant who is almost comically careful of his own size around people and smaller animals
An affectionate leaner who seeks out quiet contact and rests his huge head on a trusted person
Utterly unflappable and slow to rile, but immovable the moment he decides to plant his feet
Deeply food-motivated, with a keen personal interest in the timing of every meal
A calm, serene presence that settles nervous horses in the herd around him
Owner: Seilean. Seilean owns Indie and has handed his day-to-day training to Aurum while keeping watch over his progress and his considerable care needs herself. Like every horse in her keeping, this gentle giant is recorded in her hand-bound journal, his feather care and his food motivation. She is content to let Aurum be his person and simply make sure the big stallion stays sound, comfortable, and well looked after.
Trainer/Rider: Aurum. Aurum trains and drives Indie, and his background in combined driving makes him an ideal match for a powerful, level-headed harness horse. He is quiet and task-focused in his work, steady and methodical rather than loud, which suits a deliberate giant who has to be asked rather than forced and who plants his feet the moment he feels pushed. Aurum shows his regard through doing rather than fussing, and the patient, hands-on consistency he brings is exactly what keeps a horse like Indie working willingly. The two of them share an unhurried, businesslike understanding, big and calm and quietly fond of one another.
Disciplines:
Primary - Driving. Driving rewards a powerful, steady, level-headed horse who works calmly and willingly in harness, holding a consistent pace and staying unbothered by the work around him. It suits Indie almost perfectly. His immense strength makes the physical demand easy for him, his calm and unflappable temperament is a major asset between the shafts, and his willing-but-unhurried way of going is exactly what the job rewards. It gives a horse of his scale a purpose that plays to his power without asking for the quickness or agility that a body his size is not built for.
Secondary - In-hand and Showing. In-hand showing highlights a horse's substance, presence, and movement led from the ground, rewarding a calm, biddable animal who stands and shows himself off well. It is a natural fit for Indie, putting his sheer scale, his striking coloring, and his quiet, easy manners on display without straining his frame. It also doubles as a low-impact job that keeps him handled, fit, and engaged between his driving work.
Medical & Behavioral Background
Primary Condition: Feather and lower-leg skin care. Indie's heavy leg feathering traps moisture and debris, leaving him prone to pastern dermatitis and the chronic skin and lymphatic problems that heavy feathering can bring. It is fully manageable but labor-intensive: his legs need to be kept clean and dry, his feathers cared for, and any irritation caught and treated early. With diligent routine care he stays sound and comfortable.
Secondary Condition: Size-related joint, weight, and muscle management. At 19.3hh and immensely heavy, his joints carry an enormous load, so he needs careful weight control, good footing, sensible and consistent workloads, and proactive joint care to stay sound for the long term. He also does best on a steady, low-starch diet with regular movement to keep his muscles healthy, since horses built like him can be prone to tying up when diet and exercise are inconsistent.
History: Indie came to Seilean as a mature, settled stallion, already broke and gently mannered, having spent his earlier years as a working horse in harness. Wherever he came from, he was clearly handled by patient people, since he arrived calm, sensible, and entirely without baggage. At seven he is in his prime and well established in his work, and is now being brought along in driving with Aurum.
Rehabilitation and training approach:
Patient, ask-don't-force handling that works with his deliberate nature rather than trying to hurry or pressure a horse who simply plants when pushed
Steady, progressive conditioning to build and maintain the strength, suppleness, and fitness his large frame needs
Diligent daily leg and feather care to prevent skin trouble, plus managed diet and consistent exercise to protect his joints and muscles
Clear, quiet, confident aids that give a big horse something simple and consistent to respond to
Breeding & Lineage
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Sire: FOUNDATION
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Dam: FOUNDATION
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