#lyseia

ho boy al! ho boy. you've opened the pandora's box. i'm not doing the easy-to-do most famous breed "color" matches (which is still fun to do, i did that association game as a kid a lot), but i specifically picked horses that reflect both the OCs' energy and builds. beacuse i'm like that. i also caved and tried drawing them as the horses chosen, despite it having been uh *looks at calendar* over 20 years since i sat down and sketched horses for more than 4 minutes and giving up.

i'll go with the one i'm most obsessed with currently, so Varthar. Varthar is definitely a Boulonnais horse. it's a heavy, stocky horse, but also has noble traits, earning it the nickname "White Marble Horse". this is a neat parallel to a friend's comment about Varthar, saying he's got traits fit for marble sculptures. which i think about like 300 times a day. Boulonnias horses were often used for heavy transport and work, needless to say that it's a breed with insane stamina and robust muscles. also, they're often marked in the neck with an anchor shape, which is honestly similar to varthar's original aesthetic (i used to associate him to the sea and norse mythology) and his current divine mark on his back too.

His partner, Lyseia (even if technically it's not my OC but alex's, i just don't tag them every time so i don't annoy them lol), i associate with Shagya Arabian horses. they're beautiful, have sharp features but they're very elegant. typical of arabian derived breeds, they have a head with this "concave" shape. I didn't choose the Arabian purebred for her simply because i didn't feel the same connection, i think because while the Arabian is smaller and considered the most beautiful horse in the world (and thus used for competitive reasons), the Shagya Arabian is more commonly seen in "calmer" settings such as riding horse or for light draft, which fits Lyseia's hardworking and capable nature more.

Moving onto others. Alan strikes me as an Irish Hunter. it's one of the (if not the) best horse for cross country and generally, horse sports. it's extremely athletic, thanks to its long muscular legs and proportionate build. they are considered the bravest horses around. also, because of their equilibrate temperament, they're very good at collaboration in general. which fits Alan because not only is the agility a big part of his build, but, despite being reserved and rather menacing on the outside, alan is a selfless man who is more capable of working as a team and caring for others than he thinks.

i have to stop at four so this doesn't get more long than it already is. I associated Catherine to a Welsh Cob. cobs are not ponies, but rather "smaller" horses that still don't qualify as ponies which is a funny description that honestly fits Catherine so well. Welsh Cobs are great riding horses, well suited for families as well because of their kind nature. despite its size, it can still be used for draft work which fits Catherine as well. they sport different coat colors, as well as palomino, which fits Catherine even more. just an all around, cute, pleasant and reliable horse.