Over the River and Through the Woods

A log fence, water jump, and a trakehner later, Vincent and Shanghai came shooting over a ridge, and faced a drop fence. Vincent internally cursed whoever designed the course up one side and down the other, wishing he'd gone over these things more often. Ditches and tables are easier than this, he thought ruefully, starting to rein Shanghai in within the last three lengths before the jump. He didn't even dare to blink from the time the stallion's front hooves were pulled up to the time his hind hooves hit the ground on the lower side of the drop, automatically leaning back at the right angle so he wasn't tossed clear over Shanghai's neck by momentum.

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Ref: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtSgEJ…

This was done over a period of three days. I'm hoping that I'll have some extra time to do some art over the next couple of weeks, cause I have a brilliant idea as far as a Christmas piece. 

This is another entry for cross-country in this competition: angry-horse-for-life.deviantar…

And if you've noticed that white ribbon on Shanghai's tail, you'll hopefully understand the meaning. There are four colors commonly seen on a horse's tail during shows, usually in the ring:

a) Red Ribbon: A red ribbon is the most common, because it's the most easily understood. A red ribbon means the horse kicks. 

b) Green Ribbon: A green ribbon on a horse's tail means the horse is still green or untrained, or may be especially spooky. 

c) Blue Ribbon: A blue ribbon stands for the horse in question being a stallion. It may be dangerous for other riders-- if they're handling mares-- to get too close to the stallion, as it could result in injuries of both horses and riders. 

d) White ribbon: A white ribbon tied on a horse's tail is a common form of advertising. It means the horse is for sale, since it's difficult to successfully advertise horses at shows. If potential buyers see a white ribbon, they can see the horse during a competition, gauge their abilities, and also possibly talk to the current owner/seller after the show or class.

TL;DR-- Shanghai is for sale. That's what the white ribbon means. If you'd like to make an offer, please check out his page or my HARPG journal.