I was not aware of this - interesting - makes a lot of sense
I doubt that any of the geldings I’ve encountered over the years would’ve had such a cut - though I suppose there’s one or two that I might now be more suspicious of, lol (though I suspect that’s more about base temperament - and the cantankerous wisdom of riding school ponies…)
Indeed - the two pillars of fantasy (IMO) - I love Tolkein for his depth (and breadth) of world-building and, as you say, detail. I love Howard for his storytelling.
A very good point - it is not that unusual for Conan’s horse to die in the course of an adventure (thus leaving the barbarian afoot and disadvantaged, giving him more to overcome) - whereas Tolkein’s horses are more like characters in their own right and greatly cared about by the characters around them. Not that I think Conan doesn’t care at all about his mounts, but I think you are right and they are more like a tool to him than a friend or ally.
Indeed
(And apologies once again for being only tangentially relevant - it’s just an interesting topic
)
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