Frequent Flyer ... Horse Construction

While I was writing Frequent Flyer, I decided that I again had to write about what I knew. I'm certainly no expert on horses (that's my wife and daughter) and I have lots to learn, but I know what I see anyway... I think ... if that makes any sense.  So when I created "Flyer", the title character, he had the traits, demeanor and history of 6 horses.

Flyer has the color, mammoth size and funny playfulness of Monty our bread eating Hanoverian from Germany. I can't see over his back when I stand next to him.  I'm 6'2"... or I was before I starting shrinking... I'm probably closer to 4'9" now.



He has Bobbie's lips, as nimble as fingers, the ability to pull a cart like Bobbie and the condition in which we first saw him.  When we first met Bobbie, he looked like a giant ball of burdock.  I honestly wasn't sure what my wife saw in him, he was covered in burdocks and dust.  He oddly has the cleanest most organized stall in the barn now.


He has the unique facial markings of Evelyn ... that almost look like the swords you see in old pirate movies.   She's a beauty and don't you dare tell her otherwise.



For the most part, he has the relatively calm demeanor of Shane and Zeus (Couldn't find a photo of Zeus who passed away on Thanksgiving morning a couple of years ago).  Neither horse would spook during a fireworks show, at a shooting range, during a thunder storm... yup ... atom bomb proof.

And, Flyer was a former race horse like Dion.  Dion is 23 ish now (my wife will correct me if I'm wrong) and he still thinks he could beat Seabiscutt with 1 leg tied behind his back, on a full stomach.  Given Seabiscutt's current condition ... I think it's a safe bet.

I picked the best qualities from each horse to construct Flyer.  Flyer's bad qualities...those all came from me!