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So part of falconry is basically having it sit on the glove for reasons, called manning. Since I have an awesome boss who lets me bring my animals to work I will sometimes bring my glove and falcon in. I reallly only need one hand to type or do most things anyway. Since I’m not in a position that really requires me to deal with face to face interactions with customers on these particular days it usually doesn’t matter if I want to bring either the idiot or the asshole in (yes they have names but I’ve just spent 3 days Imping feathers onto the Asshole...yet again and she’s not in my good books right now).
Unfortunately, one of the riders who were supposed to be showing off (I mean exhibiting our excellent horses and great training) to potential clients (more money then sense) with teenage kids (known for stupid impulsive decisions) got kicked while tacking up.
So of course boss comes in looking all apologetic because he knows I’m the only person who really knows how to ride properly who is not away on Christmas vacation or has exams. He wants me to show off all our wonderful shit here. Starting with a riding demo and tour while totting how awesome we are. I would have told him to go fuck himself but then he dangled a $200 check in front of me...
So I accepted and grabbed the check (no way I’m turning that kinda money down this time of year and I’m not going to risk doing the task and be given the check? what check? Response)
I’ve taken the bird brain out with my horse all the time. So she knows how to behave, mostly... (no promises if she spots/hears/suspects there may be an eagle hiding somewhere). My only condition is that I use my own horse rather then whomever they were going to use because I don’t want the horse spooking at the weird flappy thing trying to do fly bys. He agrees because my boy is gorgeous and awesome looking anyway. My other condition is someone (hint hint: that’s you boss man) does the paperwork in the meanwhile because that’s a lots of shit to get behind on. He agrees.
Since my bird is an asshole who has figured out how to undo the falconer’s knot with her beak I can’t leave her unsupervised or tethered like I would on the weathering at home (I have an actual leash that can be tied off with a little cap like thing so she can’t physically get to the knot to undo it without developing thumbs.
So I go through my pre-show routine to make my horse and tack sparkle like Aladdin’s lamp. I’m used to working one handed by now and quite frankly I had the time to kill.
So I lead my horse out of the barn and let the jesses go. Tuari knows the routine is to go to the fence a bit beyond the mounting blocked used for trail riders. I mount and walk forward holding my glove out so she can land. I retake the jesses and bring my arm in so my elbow is resting against my side (means I’m not holding as much weight).
I head towards the front where the people are supposed to meet up at.
When they show up I make it clear that I am substituting hence the bird and the usual spiel of don’t grope the bird and if she looks like she is about to run into you, she probably is so duck.
When I get to the ring I send her up to a tree just to keep temptation out of reach and proceed to show off with the usual warm-up, fancy leg work that looks cool but isn’t really hard to do, pirouette, levade, a couple other random stuff interspersed. Move on to the jump warm-up before doing a small course of impressive looking high jumps and some low wide spreads (one of which he decides is supposed to be a bounce and somehow fit himself in enough to do a half-stride. Weirdo.)
Course afterwards I get someone to untack for me (NOT my usual thing because I hate other people caring for my creatures. They are my animals and thus my responsibility.) but since it’s impossible to sell horse chores as being awesome unless you’re a horse person like me I have no choice. If my sliced apples meant to be my lunch make it into the feed bin well then, oops.
Course this means having to call bird brain back to the glove. Since while I was an apprentice falconer I often assisted in flight demos and other things she’s well used to crowds and doesn’t usually bait. (Unless she sees an eagle. Then she wants to run away and play with it. Because she’s an asshole who seems to enjoy making me worry). So since she’s still and quiet, something that’s apparently boring if they don’t do anything, the teenagers go back to doing the usual bored teenager thing. Which in this crowd is chatting and ignoring me because the only reason they’re here is mummy and daddy dragged them down. Mummy and daddy think buying a horse and doing lessons is a great way to make their spoiled kid look less spoiled and more ‘classy’.
Course bored teenagers do stupid things. Like make messes and belittle the ‘help’ for not getting a real job. Because if I had money to go to school I wouldn’t work somewhere like this (imagine nose in air). Jokes on them I’m halfway through not one, not two but four master degrees even if one is all but useless (and was that ever a stupid decision. Owww my brain).
Meet and great some of the other horses with a stall wall between them because idiots. Show off one of the green horses learning how to behave on a lead.
I’m very careful to keep myself between them and my bird even on the glove because idiots.
Except one of the horses decided ‘hey, you know what this days needs? My fat ass, having a freak out over having knocked something over again’. So I send Tuari up to the rafters to hang out while I help get the human out of the stall so the mare can have her look at me kick the shit out of whatever fell over without the potential accidental kick to the human.
Course, I made the mistake of thinking the asshole would be turned off by stupid children and that without bait, they couldn’t lure her down (food whore that she is). I didn’t count on her deciding to make a meal out of a poor innocent sparrow. The thing about Harris hawks is they are extremely adaptable. And peregrine falcons our generally bird hunters. While odd (it’s more common for gry/per mixes or Harris/ferrug mixes) it’s not impossible just very not likely since raptors tend to attack other raptors (the exception being Harris hawks who hunt in family groups because they’re special snowflakes like that) Even Harris Hawks don’t get along with other bird species. But humans our dumb and like to combine things that Mother Nature never intended to be combined. My guess was the breeder was looking for something with the Harris’ social habits and comfort on the ground with the peregrine speed.
So of course when you see an apex predator mantled over food then that is the perfect time to try to play with her. So some brave dumbass parent decided that since the kids really wanted to pet the bird all he had to do would be to stick his arm out and the bird would magically hop on. Yeah, there’s a reason we wear gloves. But while Tuari is generally rather well mannered (except her eagle obsession) she knows that if there’s no glove there’s no food either. Course dumbass then gets the idea that if he just reaches under the bird and steals her food she’ll chase that.
I see him move out of the corner of my eye and quiet teenagers are rarely a good thing. Since she likes to pull off her bells so I don’t bother, she does have a transceiver in case she decides to bugger off (or chase eagles). I turn around and tell him to step away from the bird. He moves closer looking me dead in the eye as he does so. So she decides to puff herself up and chase his hand beak open in threat.
She’s an arrogant shit who thinks she’s much bigger then she is. The problem with Harris hawks is that they are very very comfortable on the ground. The males will often be on the ground running after prey while the females ambush from above. They are called the ‘wolves’ of the bird world for a reason. Course dumbass pisses himself (literally) and runs. Tuari in pursuit because she’s an evil shit that way. And unlike other raptors who have that awkward almost painful to watch gait when they’re grounded Harris Hawks can ruuuuuun.. and while they can’t actually outrun a human it’s hard to go fast when you are looking over your shoulder and run into things you shouldn’t. Like quickly opened tack room doors.
So there’s Tuari having decided to fly up and land nearby to give him that I am so much better then you look (I swear cats and raptors are related, how else could she have that look down to a science)
~~Random irrelevant information here~~
She looks a lot like the peregrine except the underside of her wings and underside tail colouring (which is all Harris even if the top is peregrine). She runs like a Harris and is social so I suppose her breeder got what he intended by combining the two. She does have some of the Harris hawk problems in this climate though (the dampness has given her a lung infection a few scares which Harris hawks are particularly susceptible to as they are a desert breed and thus are ill adapted to the prolonged moist damp weather.) If you put her next to a peregrine you probably wouldn’t be able to see the difference unless she mantled her wings and you saw the underside. Her tail shape is more like the Harris too but not nearly as broad. She’s also an asshole who tries to pluck feathers off of other birds... particularly juvenile eagles too engrossed in having caught something and eating it to notice the sneaky bitch coming up behind.
In the wild the mix would be impossible due in large part to entirely different geographical locations and I suspect that there was human/medical intervention to get a working chick. I know that at least one other of her clutch died because it didn’t form right and when the egg was opened it just didn’t survive. The other has flight problems because there’s a reason hawks and falcons don’t mix, they are different species. Their only real commonality being that they are both raptors. Much how lions and tigers our both technically cats. Doesn’t mean they will mix without human interference. It’s one of those genetically plausible but not really things.
So yes, she’s a freak, more so that she’s both viable and healthy. I don’t advocate for mixes when it comes to falconry because of compatibility issues and genetics. They are already high maintenance animals. Fucking with their form is like playing Russian roulette with the amount of variables to consider unless you already have a reliable and established pair.
They are not like dogs in that manner where mutts tend to have fewer health issues and longer lives in general. Different dog breeds tend to be closer genetically to other dog breeds. Each species of raptor is developed for a very specific style of flight and hunting pattern. Mixing a broad winged hawk with the narrow streamlined design of the falcon is begging for trouble. Not to mention the mental issues. There’s a reason that the small kestrel and the calm red-tail are the starter birds. You can’t be licensed in most places if you haven’t got experience on those two first. (Which is why I have the other bird at all.) Falcons tend to be more high strung. Red tails are more calm (usually) but are bigger. Believe me, despite the lack of weight behind them if they bait suddenly and you’re unprepared you can very easily be pulled over. (Which almost happened to me with a great grey owl once. He got me off balance and it took a couple feet of stumbling before I could get the leash back in hand, my feet properly under me and the bird back on the glove. He only had about a foot of momentum behind him. Its one of the reasons why it takes about 3 years of constant work and exposure to milder birds before an apprentice is allowed to handle eagles. And by handle I mean manning, not hunting. Maybe some assisted flights)
Unfortunately, one of the riders who were supposed to be showing off (I mean exhibiting our excellent horses and great training) to potential clients (more money then sense) with teenage kids (known for stupid impulsive decisions) got kicked while tacking up.
So of course boss comes in looking all apologetic because he knows I’m the only person who really knows how to ride properly who is not away on Christmas vacation or has exams. He wants me to show off all our wonderful shit here. Starting with a riding demo and tour while totting how awesome we are. I would have told him to go fuck himself but then he dangled a $200 check in front of me...
So I accepted and grabbed the check (no way I’m turning that kinda money down this time of year and I’m not going to risk doing the task and be given the check? what check? Response)
I’ve taken the bird brain out with my horse all the time. So she knows how to behave, mostly... (no promises if she spots/hears/suspects there may be an eagle hiding somewhere). My only condition is that I use my own horse rather then whomever they were going to use because I don’t want the horse spooking at the weird flappy thing trying to do fly bys. He agrees because my boy is gorgeous and awesome looking anyway. My other condition is someone (hint hint: that’s you boss man) does the paperwork in the meanwhile because that’s a lots of shit to get behind on. He agrees.
Since my bird is an asshole who has figured out how to undo the falconer’s knot with her beak I can’t leave her unsupervised or tethered like I would on the weathering at home (I have an actual leash that can be tied off with a little cap like thing so she can’t physically get to the knot to undo it without developing thumbs.
So I go through my pre-show routine to make my horse and tack sparkle like Aladdin’s lamp. I’m used to working one handed by now and quite frankly I had the time to kill.
So I lead my horse out of the barn and let the jesses go. Tuari knows the routine is to go to the fence a bit beyond the mounting blocked used for trail riders. I mount and walk forward holding my glove out so she can land. I retake the jesses and bring my arm in so my elbow is resting against my side (means I’m not holding as much weight).
I head towards the front where the people are supposed to meet up at.
When they show up I make it clear that I am substituting hence the bird and the usual spiel of don’t grope the bird and if she looks like she is about to run into you, she probably is so duck.
When I get to the ring I send her up to a tree just to keep temptation out of reach and proceed to show off with the usual warm-up, fancy leg work that looks cool but isn’t really hard to do, pirouette, levade, a couple other random stuff interspersed. Move on to the jump warm-up before doing a small course of impressive looking high jumps and some low wide spreads (one of which he decides is supposed to be a bounce and somehow fit himself in enough to do a half-stride. Weirdo.)
Course afterwards I get someone to untack for me (NOT my usual thing because I hate other people caring for my creatures. They are my animals and thus my responsibility.) but since it’s impossible to sell horse chores as being awesome unless you’re a horse person like me I have no choice. If my sliced apples meant to be my lunch make it into the feed bin well then, oops.
Course this means having to call bird brain back to the glove. Since while I was an apprentice falconer I often assisted in flight demos and other things she’s well used to crowds and doesn’t usually bait. (Unless she sees an eagle. Then she wants to run away and play with it. Because she’s an asshole who seems to enjoy making me worry). So since she’s still and quiet, something that’s apparently boring if they don’t do anything, the teenagers go back to doing the usual bored teenager thing. Which in this crowd is chatting and ignoring me because the only reason they’re here is mummy and daddy dragged them down. Mummy and daddy think buying a horse and doing lessons is a great way to make their spoiled kid look less spoiled and more ‘classy’.
Course bored teenagers do stupid things. Like make messes and belittle the ‘help’ for not getting a real job. Because if I had money to go to school I wouldn’t work somewhere like this (imagine nose in air). Jokes on them I’m halfway through not one, not two but four master degrees even if one is all but useless (and was that ever a stupid decision. Owww my brain).
Meet and great some of the other horses with a stall wall between them because idiots. Show off one of the green horses learning how to behave on a lead.
I’m very careful to keep myself between them and my bird even on the glove because idiots.
Except one of the horses decided ‘hey, you know what this days needs? My fat ass, having a freak out over having knocked something over again’. So I send Tuari up to the rafters to hang out while I help get the human out of the stall so the mare can have her look at me kick the shit out of whatever fell over without the potential accidental kick to the human.
Course, I made the mistake of thinking the asshole would be turned off by stupid children and that without bait, they couldn’t lure her down (food whore that she is). I didn’t count on her deciding to make a meal out of a poor innocent sparrow. The thing about Harris hawks is they are extremely adaptable. And peregrine falcons our generally bird hunters. While odd (it’s more common for gry/per mixes or Harris/ferrug mixes) it’s not impossible just very not likely since raptors tend to attack other raptors (the exception being Harris hawks who hunt in family groups because they’re special snowflakes like that) Even Harris Hawks don’t get along with other bird species. But humans our dumb and like to combine things that Mother Nature never intended to be combined. My guess was the breeder was looking for something with the Harris’ social habits and comfort on the ground with the peregrine speed.
So of course when you see an apex predator mantled over food then that is the perfect time to try to play with her. So some brave dumbass parent decided that since the kids really wanted to pet the bird all he had to do would be to stick his arm out and the bird would magically hop on. Yeah, there’s a reason we wear gloves. But while Tuari is generally rather well mannered (except her eagle obsession) she knows that if there’s no glove there’s no food either. Course dumbass then gets the idea that if he just reaches under the bird and steals her food she’ll chase that.
I see him move out of the corner of my eye and quiet teenagers are rarely a good thing. Since she likes to pull off her bells so I don’t bother, she does have a transceiver in case she decides to bugger off (or chase eagles). I turn around and tell him to step away from the bird. He moves closer looking me dead in the eye as he does so. So she decides to puff herself up and chase his hand beak open in threat.
She’s an arrogant shit who thinks she’s much bigger then she is. The problem with Harris hawks is that they are very very comfortable on the ground. The males will often be on the ground running after prey while the females ambush from above. They are called the ‘wolves’ of the bird world for a reason. Course dumbass pisses himself (literally) and runs. Tuari in pursuit because she’s an evil shit that way. And unlike other raptors who have that awkward almost painful to watch gait when they’re grounded Harris Hawks can ruuuuuun.. and while they can’t actually outrun a human it’s hard to go fast when you are looking over your shoulder and run into things you shouldn’t. Like quickly opened tack room doors.
So there’s Tuari having decided to fly up and land nearby to give him that I am so much better then you look (I swear cats and raptors are related, how else could she have that look down to a science)
~~Random irrelevant information here~~
She looks a lot like the peregrine except the underside of her wings and underside tail colouring (which is all Harris even if the top is peregrine). She runs like a Harris and is social so I suppose her breeder got what he intended by combining the two. She does have some of the Harris hawk problems in this climate though (the dampness has given her a lung infection a few scares which Harris hawks are particularly susceptible to as they are a desert breed and thus are ill adapted to the prolonged moist damp weather.) If you put her next to a peregrine you probably wouldn’t be able to see the difference unless she mantled her wings and you saw the underside. Her tail shape is more like the Harris too but not nearly as broad. She’s also an asshole who tries to pluck feathers off of other birds... particularly juvenile eagles too engrossed in having caught something and eating it to notice the sneaky bitch coming up behind.
In the wild the mix would be impossible due in large part to entirely different geographical locations and I suspect that there was human/medical intervention to get a working chick. I know that at least one other of her clutch died because it didn’t form right and when the egg was opened it just didn’t survive. The other has flight problems because there’s a reason hawks and falcons don’t mix, they are different species. Their only real commonality being that they are both raptors. Much how lions and tigers our both technically cats. Doesn’t mean they will mix without human interference. It’s one of those genetically plausible but not really things.
So yes, she’s a freak, more so that she’s both viable and healthy. I don’t advocate for mixes when it comes to falconry because of compatibility issues and genetics. They are already high maintenance animals. Fucking with their form is like playing Russian roulette with the amount of variables to consider unless you already have a reliable and established pair.
They are not like dogs in that manner where mutts tend to have fewer health issues and longer lives in general. Different dog breeds tend to be closer genetically to other dog breeds. Each species of raptor is developed for a very specific style of flight and hunting pattern. Mixing a broad winged hawk with the narrow streamlined design of the falcon is begging for trouble. Not to mention the mental issues. There’s a reason that the small kestrel and the calm red-tail are the starter birds. You can’t be licensed in most places if you haven’t got experience on those two first. (Which is why I have the other bird at all.) Falcons tend to be more high strung. Red tails are more calm (usually) but are bigger. Believe me, despite the lack of weight behind them if they bait suddenly and you’re unprepared you can very easily be pulled over. (Which almost happened to me with a great grey owl once. He got me off balance and it took a couple feet of stumbling before I could get the leash back in hand, my feet properly under me and the bird back on the glove. He only had about a foot of momentum behind him. Its one of the reasons why it takes about 3 years of constant work and exposure to milder birds before an apprentice is allowed to handle eagles. And by handle I mean manning, not hunting. Maybe some assisted flights)
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