Getting Started

Getting a Role

If you have a pony stalled at sNr that you want to visit and train, without the responsibilities of being a full member of staff then you can ask a member of the sNr staff to assign you a Dominant tag. If you want to have full access, however (opening stall doors, etc) you will need an additional staff role in order to obtain the sNr Staff HUD.

You can speak to a member of staff to apply to be a groom and they will verify that you understand the basics of pony play. If successful, you will be assigned the Groom tag and be able to obtain the Staff HUD. The staff member will ask you to click the staff terminal to confirm you in your new role. Grooms are not expected to begin on day one fully trained, it is accepted they may need help getting started.

If you are a trainer at another sim, it is possible your credentials (when verified) may be accepted for you to be assigned directly as a Trainer. If this applies to you, speak to a Senior Trainer or Sim Mangager.

If you are a groom who wants to become a trainer then you will need to take the Trainer Exam which consists of oral and practical elements most of which are covered in this guide.

Using The Staff Terminal

Menu

When you are appointed as a groom you will have access to the staff vendor to obtain the free tools you will need. Click the terminal again and you will see the following options:

Role Buttons

The groom button allows you to create another person as groom. The groom Group role has to be manually assigned, and make sure you also give them the pony and mare roles so they have the rights to appoint them later, as required.

Staff Vendor

The staff vendor button gives you access to a number of free tools to use and set inactive suspends your staff rights, perhaps if you want to take a break, be away, etc. If you click the staff vendor button you get the following menu:

[sNr Ribbons]

A full package of ribbons given out by hosts of an sNr event.

[Staff Guide]

Essential reading in notecard form.

[Stable Info]

A notecard that can be handed out to visitors.

[Staff HUD]

Essential for staff to access the pony gear. For a detailed explanation please look here.

[Gestures]

Some free gestures for the pony to use, but the sounds one available from the vendor wheel is better.

[sNr Updater]

Rez this to update a pony’s gear (Mare Control and Mare Hearing) to the latest versions. It is also used to provide an initial version of the Mare Control if they didn’t have one before. Please remember that a pony should purchase Mare Hearing from the poster next to the Vendor Wheel, but thereafter, updates are free. The income from Mare Hearing is essential to helping with the costs of running the sim. On pressing a button for a vendor item, a list will appear showing people nearby.

Please note: If the mare previously purchased the Mare Vision plugin, then they need to wear their old Mare Control and copy this Mare Vision script to their inventory. Then they remove and delete the old Mare Control and wear the new one. Finally, they need to drag the Mare Vision script they just stored, into their new Mare Control.

Set Active / Set Inactive

Set inactive suspends your staff rights, perhaps if you are spending some time as an animal. These can set as active again.

Staff Tools

Staff will find the following tools useful in performing their role:

Signal Whip

Different signal whips are available from the SL Marketplace, ask another member of staff for their recommendation. You will need a HUD with it as well, to simulate different cracks of the whip. For carting it is recommended that you use the sNr Staff HUD as it provides the options to speed up and slow down the pony. However this does not provide a physical whip you hold in your hand.

Staff HUD

The sNr Staff HUD is available free from the vendor at the staff terminal. The HUD comprises four coloured icons, providing four different integrated tools. It provides easier access to Mare Control and Mare hearing, an integrated Cart Whip function, a function to rate ponies on their performance and access to a webpage showing which ponies are in which stalls.

Leash Holder

Many options available for sale, but useful to make sure it has modify rights so you can add the scripts to be able to leash different types such as OpenCollar, RR, KDC and MD.

Personal pony cart

To rez and use on public roads. sNr recommend the Marine carts, available from the Marine’s Goodies vendor booth, next to the vendor wheel.

Accessing Bridles

As a member of staff, you are able to approach a mare and leash it to take it for training and leash it back in its stall when it is finished. The guide below covers simple use of MD, RR and KDC bridles.

MD Bridle

To access the bridle menu, simply click on the bridle, usually around the bit area and the following menu appears:

To leash a pony, press leash. Then you grab the leash and press length to set the length accordingly. 2 or 3 metres is usually about right for taking them out.
If they are not bitted, then press gag and pony bit.
To secure them to a leash ring, click leash to and then the ring you want to leash them to. Then set the length accordingly.

Please do not use the features in RLV, as these will conflict with those provided by Mare Control.

For more information, consult the MD notecard, or get a copy from a pony.

RR Bridle

To access the bridle menu, simply click on the bridle, usually around the bit area and the following menu appears:

To leash a pony, press plugins | Leash. Then you grab leash and press length to set the length accordingly. 2 or 3 metres is usually about right for taking them out. You have to press custom to achieve a 3 metre length.
If they are not bitted, then press Harness Ring. If the pony has a ring rather than a bit then go to Plugins | Style and click Harness Bit.

If you have them leashed and you want to secure them to a leash ring, click their bit and then the ring you want to leash them to. Then set the length accordingly. There may be a little pause, so wait patiently.

Note: If a mesh head mouth does not open correctly when bitted, go to Plugins -> Open Mouth -> Brands and set it accordingly.

Please do not use any RLV features, as these will conflict with those provided by Mare Control.

For more information, consult the RR guidance.

KDC Bridle

The KDC bridle is simple and elegant and considered a very script-light gear which will not burden your sim or your computer. There are no built-in menus with this gear. You need to obtain the KDC script to add to your leash holder (ask in the group chat) and then you simply click the leash in your hand and then touch one of the leash points on the bridle. Then the animal will be leashed. You do the same to unleash it.

There is no setting to change the leash length, so the length of the leash will be determined by how far you are standing from it when you leashed it. In terms of leashing the animal to leash rings and posts, this will be tricky as these do not have the KDC scripts inside. It is possible that arrangements can be made if you have an animal with the KDC bridle.

Troubleshooting

Remember to wear a leash handle or ring containing scripts for leashing MD, RR and open collar bridles as a minimum.

If you cannot get access, then check the following:

• The owner may have prevented access to their pony’s bridle using the Mare Control Owner rights.
• You may be standing too far away.
• Your staff access may need reactivating.
• You may not be wearing the sNr Staff HUD.
• The pony may not have added the plugins or it is not set up correctly.