Animal Pre-Processing Guidance
There are a number of steps that a pony aspirant can complete in advance of being processed which can make the later processing go more smoothly and have more of an RP focus. It is useful to provide this information to a pony prior to them being processed, so they can get these things ready.
There are also some things for them to consider before they take the plunge!
Have you got an owner?
sNr willingly accepts unowned mares, but by having an owner prior to being processed you will have someone looking after your overall health and wellbeing and the overall direction of your adventure!
Do you know many people here at sNr? Ponies that know people at sNr prior to being stalled, tend to get more attention and visitors so it is worthwhile putting in about a month getting to know people before you sign up. Staff do their best to try and balance their time fairly but it is a fact of life that their own animals would take priority.
While getting to know people, I recommend that you don't hang about as a mare in tack but in casual clothes as then the staff and/or your owner can better enjoy transforming you. However, as explained later, you do need to have your tack tested and ready, as it will be difficult to adjust when you are locked down!
Compatible pony gear
Your head harness needs to be either the MD Head Harness or the RR Deluxe Gag to be compatible with the provided sNr plugins which allow staff to take your reins for use.
- The MD (Mesmerize Dungeon) Headharness is a bit dated now, but is available to purchase at their store and from SL Marketplace.
- The RR (Real Restraints) bridle is available at the Real Restraints vendor located in the shopping area at sNr. You need to purchase both the Deluxe Gag/Blindfold and the Deluxe Bridle Addon. Please note that Real Restraints do not sell their products on SL Marketplace.
Theoretically, any other head harness could be used, but it needs to be set to Group or Public access so staff can access it. The KDC bridle is another lightweight option and is available from SL Marketplace, but staff may need to read the section KDC Bridle on how to connect reins to it.
The AnaVision vision control is also compatible with the sNr staff system via a plugin.
Apply plugins
It’s a good idea to apply the bridle plugins prior to processing as it saves time. They are available for free on the vendor wheel.
Both the RR and MD plugin scripts need to be manually added to the respective bridles. To do this, rez the bridle to the floor, select Edit and then drag the scripts into the content tab. Take the bridle and wear it as normal. Now sNr staff has access to your bridle even if it's locked or your owner can lock it exclusively.
In the case of the RR bridle you only need to drag the script into the Deluxe Gag component, not the Deluxe Bridle. The pony and the staff member may need to relog before they can access it.
The plugin for AnaVision is installed in the same way: Rez the HUD, select Edit and drag the script to the content tab.
No Relays
Please don't use any relay while being a sNr animal. None of our stuff needs relays nor is it recommended to wear one. Mares can be very tight locked up and vulnerable, so please detach all relays (or at least set them to ask, but be aware you might not have access to your huds - depending on how severely you decide to be locked).
sNr Pony Gestures
In order to communicate quickly and efficiently as pony (or do so even if your ability to emote has been removed) there is a selection of Pony Gestures available. Its advisable to get these in order to quickly respond to a handler as an attentive pony would and easily express yourself during tasks which make writing emotes challenging (such as carting).
The meaning of the gestures is described in detail in What the Gestures mean
If you have issues using or setting up the gestures look at our Troubleshooting tips.
Set up Pony AO
It’s worth investing in a good Pony AO. The more effort you have made with your look, the more likely you will be trained and get visitors. Marine's Sassy Pony AO is highly recommended and is available at the Marines Goodies vendor, next to the sNr vendor wheel.
Perfect your look and tack First
Find somewhere quiet and get it perfect! It will be very hard to change once you are locked down. As a minimum you need a tail, pony boots, a head harness and something like an armbinder to secure your arms tightly behind your back. After all, you won't need use of your arms anymore! A harness or corset completes the look and come in many different styles. If you are unsure of what tack to get best have a look at the different ponies within the stable and their choices, as many of them are experts in gear selection. Alternatively you can also ask the human staff members for a few tips.
Fact: A mare with a good quality and well fitted tack will get more attention.
Apply to be a pony/mare
Ask a member of staff nicely if they will process you, when you are setup and ready. Please be patient as the process can take a little while to get it done perfectly. You should have basic knowledge of at least some ponyplay disciplines, which can be gotten in the sNr Monday classes or by simply asking staff to take you along while they train ponies within the sim, and be aware how strict your respective restrictions are going to be. Once you can't speak anymore it's generally difficult to rediscuss your terms.
Desired Traits in a sNr Pony
There are some basic traits that will be immediately noticeable even to a casual observer. Moreover, these same traits staff can use to gauge the dedication of a pony.
These traits are:
- Ponies must respond immediately to stimuli or orders. That means stomping when an order is understood (like an order to stay, for example), greeting someone who comes near the stall, following the handler behind and close. If the pony must be afk she will kneel using the sNr gesture. But when not afk, the response must be immediate.
- Keeping proper focus. When leashed by a handler, the pony will keep its eyes on its handler at all times. No matter what happens around the mare, it will keep its attention properly focused. Upon teleport the pony must immediately seek the handler, avoid sightseeing, and when rezzed move to its position (behind and close) and stomp.
- Attention and responsiveness. If a pony is not afk then they should be ready to respond to your whip command immediately without any need to ask them if they are ready first. If they don’t, punish them as it’s really important to correct this misbehavior.
- Avoid making the life of trainers and grooms difficult. If yawning to logoff they must always give some time (10 minutes minimum) to be brought back to their stall. When going afk, the pony must always kneel even if it's for a very short time.
- Pony’s must obey given commands and not try to guess or outsmart handlers. This is a common issue in whip circle training or, sometimes, when pulling carts. After some time stopped, for example, the trainer orders a turn and the mare begins walking assuming it would be ordered to walk. It is a very common fault and undesirable behaviour that must be suppressed in training.
- Patience. Mares often wait on their trainers. It can be very frustrating but nevertheless a good mare will keep its attention properly focused.