Kaiila Care





"The kaiila of these men were as tawny as the brown grass of the prairie, save for that of the man who faced me, whose mount was a silken, sable black, as black as the lacquer of the shield."--Nomads, 14


Although many similarities exist between the horse of Earth and the kaiila of Gor, it must be remembered that these animals are larger, hardier, likely more swift, and above all, carnivorous. Not for nothing are these intelligent beasts tied with chain rather than rope. One would be well advised to make sure that a kailla has eaten its fill for the hand (Gorean week) before venturing into its pen. Further, hunters easily sense fear in potential prey. Any who tend the mounts of the Wagon Peoples, slaves especially, should carry themselves with confidence and authority. Note: Unlike the omnivorous kaiila of the Tahari and the herbivorous kaiila of the Barrens, Plains kaiila do not suckle their young and thus cannot be milked.

“The mount of the Wagon Peoples, unknown in the northern hemisphere of Gor, is the terrifying but beautiful kaiila. It is a silken, carnivorous, lofty creature, graceful, long-necked, smooth-gaited. It is viviparous and undoubtedly mammalian, though there is no suckling of the young. The young are born vicious and by instinct, as soon as they struggle to their feet, they hunt. It is an instinct of the mother, sensing the birth, to deliver the young animal in the vicinity of game. I supposed, with the domesticated kaiila, a bound verr or a prisoner might be cast to the newborn animal. The kaiila, once it eats its fill, does not touch food for several days.
“The kaiila is extremely agile, and can easily outmaneuver the slower, more ponderous high tharlarion. It requires less food, of course, than the tarn. A kaiila, which normally stands about twenty to twenty-two hands at the shoulder, can cover as much as six hundred pasangs in a single day’s riding.
“The head of the kaiila bears two large eyes, one on each side, but the eyes are triply lidded, probably an adaptation to the environment which occasionally is wracked by severe storms of wind and dust; the adaptation, actually a transparent third lid, permits the animal to move as it wishes under conditions that force other prairie animals back into the wind, or, like the sleen, to burrow into the ground. The kaiila is most dangerous under such conditions, and, as if it knew this, often uses such times for its hunt.”—Nomads, 13-14

Feeding and Watering the Kaiila

"I supposed, with the domesticated kaiila, a bound verr or a prisoner might be cast to the newborn animal. The kaiila, once it eats its fill, does not touch food for several days...It requires less food, of course, than the tarn.--Nomads, 13


Unlike the Red Savages, our kaiila are penned. The pens hold around 25 - 30 kaiila each. Males and females are not separated. As such, it should be noted that there will be fights among the male kaiila when females are in heat. Personally owned kaiila may be penned seaparately from camp owned kaiila.

The pens are similar to the those of the bosk: wood railings slid into notched posts. There are at least two water troughs per pen and two feed troughs for scraps from the commissary. Once a week, older verr are put in the pens for the kaiila to slay and feed upon. The pens are open, so there is no bedding like one would find in a barn.

It can not be stressed enough that a kaiila is nothing like the Earthen horse. It is not a tame creature. It will not trot docilely up to you looking for a carrot or a sugar cube. Slaves who r/p familarity with the kaiila they are tending usually have a prior relationship with that kaiila.

The Pens

The pens meed to be mucked out. The water in the troughs also needs to be changed to keep it from getting slimy and nasty.

Grooming the Kaiila

Do not attempt to groom the kaiila unless he/she has been fed recently. Remember they are secured with chain, not rope, for a reason. They can be brushed, but stay away from their teeth as you do this task.

Any injuries to the kaiila must be reported to Mistress Lilac. Do not attempt to tend the injuries yourself. Use the clan section of the board to report injuries.

Kaiila do not have hooves, but rather, claws. They are not to be tended by a slave, unless that slave has been specially trained to do so. Any claws that need attention should be reported to Mistress Lilac.

Preparing the Kaiila for Riding

When ordered, the slave will often saddle the kaiila for its rider. Like a horse, there is a bridle and a saddle. The saddle blanket is placed first. The saddle has two girth straps to secure. make sure you pull these tight so the saddle doesn't slide off while the Master or Mistress is riding or mounting up.

For those who have never saddled or bridled a horse r/t, here is an overview of how to do this:

Saddling

"The saddle of the kaiila, like the tarn saddle, is made in such a way as to accomodate, bound across it, a female captive, rings being fixed on both sides [of the pommel] through which binding fiber or thong may be passed." -- Nomads, 70


"I then saw the kaiila pass. It was lofty, stately, fanged and silken. I had heard of such beasts, but this was the first time I had seen one. It was yellow, with flowing hair. Its rider was mounted in a high, purple saddle, with knives in the saddle sheaths." -- Fighting Slave, 178


    Always saddle from the left side of the kaiila.
    Place the saddle blanket so that the front of the blanket is just in front of the kaiila's withers, or front shoulders.
    Place the saddle on top of the blanket just in front of the withers, as well. This is when you also make sure that the saddle is centered and that there is enough of the blanket in front of the saddle to keep from it rubbing against the beast.
    The saddle with have two girth straps, called cinches. Make sure that the first cinch, behind the front legs, is snug but not cutting into the kaiila's flesh. You should be able to slip no more or less than one finger between the cinch and the kaiila's body. Secure the second cinch, which is positioned near the midpoint of the belly, in much the same fashion. There will be a strap between the cinches to keep from the second cinch from slipping to the sensitive rear flank. You should be able to fit a flat hand between the second cinch and the beast.
    Adjust stirrups as necessary.

Bridling

"...to my astonishment, astride the saddle of the monster, I espied a girl, young, astonishingly beautiful, vital, angry, pulling at the control straps of the animal." -- Nomads, 31
    Before you use a bridle, check the bit for cleanliness and make sure that the leather straps and metal buckles have no areas of weakness. For the safety and health of the kaiila as well as the rider, these should be checked each time.
    To keep the beast under control while you bridle it, unbuckle the halter and then secure the crown piece (the strap that goes behind the ears) around the kaiila's neck, while the chain is still attached to the fence. This will keep the kaiila where you want it to be.
    Kaiila are not short; if you are, make sure you have a step stool or a mounting block which is large enough for you remain balanced without too much effort. Place this to the left of the kaiila, just behind the head. This keeps you in a safe spot.
    Place the reins (or control strap, as in the books) behind the kaiila's head and the crownpiece of the bridle over the ears. Hold the crownpiece up. You are now ready to slip the bit into the kaiila's mouth.
    Now, the bit is metal, and it is cold. Kaiila don't like it in their mouths. This means that, except in rare occasions, the beasts are NOT going to drop their jaw to accept the bit. Back at the edge of the mouth, at the joint of the jaws, there is an area with no teeth. Press your thumb there, against the gum, and the jaw will drop, allowing you to quickly place the bit. Keep the crownpiece raised, or the kaiila is going to drop that bit right back out again.
    *Note: Make sure that the bit is not hitting the teeth, and do not force it!
    When the bit is in the mouth, place the crownpiece behind the ears. Use the natural seperation between the forelock and the mane to position the crownpiece; this prevents the leather from painfully yanking the kaiila's mane!
    The throat strap should be loose enough to fit your hand (held flat) between the strap and the beast. If the bit hangs too high or too low, it can be adjusted using the buckle on the face pieces, which are the leather straps resting on each side of the cheeks.
    You can now unfasten the halter that helped you secure the kaiila.
    It is very important to do this correctly in order to keep both the rider and the beast safe.