The Kaiila
Fierce Mount of Gor
Three Distinct Breeds of Kaiila
The kaiila, standing twenty to twenty-two (20-22) hands high, is a silken, lofty, graceful, long-necked and smooth-gaited beast. The paws of the kaiila are not hooves as that of the horse of Earth. The kaiila are claw-footed beasts, most likely for digging up roots, as well as a defense mechanism.The kaiila have two large eyes, one on each side of their head, with three eyelids, an adaptation to the environment it is conjectured, as each of these breeds lives upon the lands that are wracked by severe storms of wind and dust; the third lid is transparent, which permits the animal to move as it wishes under such extreme conditions. The kaiila is most dangerous under such conditions and generally utilizes this time for their hunting. An excellent beast for travelling, the kaiila is swift and agile and can travel up to six hundred (600) pasangs (a pasang equals 7/10ths of an Earth mile, six hundred Gorean pasangs would equal 420 Earth miles) a day. Too the kaiila has storage tissues, which enables the beast to go longer periods without water.
Kaiila do not have hooves; they are neither equine nor bovine. They are clawed beasts, their claws retractable, such as a feline's claws, most likely for digging up roots, as well as a defense mechanism. Therefore, kaiila would not be shod. Nor would they require to be shod regardless.
"At the last instant, the lances of four riders but a hand's breadth from my body, the enraged, thundering kaiila, hissing and squealing, at a touch of the control straps, arrested their fierce charge, stopping themselves, tearing into the deep turf with suddenly emergent claws." — Nomads of Gor, pages 16-17.
"I could hear the soft thud of a kaiila's paws in the grass, to my right." — Nomads of Gor, page 14.
There are three species of kaiila which are mentioned: the southern kaiila, which serves as the mount of the Wagon Peoples; the Barrens kaiila, which serves as the mount of the red savages; and the desert, or sand, kaiila, which serves as the mount of the nomadic tribes of the desert. Extremely agile, the kaiila is one of the most dangerous creatures on Gor. These kaiila share many similarities, which might make one not realize at first glance, which breed he or she is actually looking at. Though their differences, all kaiila are high-strung, aggressive and vicious-tempered beasts. It is common for such beasts to attempt to bite a human, though "domesticated."
"All I received for my trouble were the angry shouts of the man leading the kaiila string. Indeed, one of the vicious beasts even snapped at me, ripping the sleeve on my shoulder." — Nomads of Gor, page 165.
"At one point, he wrapped a heavy fur and leather robe about his left arm and struck the beast suddenly on the snout with his right hand. It had not struck back at him swiftly enough to please him, and there were only four needlelike scratches in the arm guard before Kamchak had managed to leap back and the kaiila, lunging against its chain, was snapping at him." — Nomads of Gor, page 170.
"I nodded. I had feared this. The lofty, silken kaiila is an extremely alert, high-strung beast." — Savages of Gor, page 48.
The Southern Plains Kaiila
The kaiila of the southern lands plays an important part in the livelihood of the Wagon Peoples. The kaiila of the southern plains is carnivorous; often verr are slaughtered for the domesticated beasts. The coloring of the southern kaiila is varied, such as a tawny brown or black. The term "viviparous," used in the following quote, means that the kaiila are born live, rather than egg-hatched. There is no suckling of the young; the kaiila is born vicious and as soon as they struggle to their feet, they must hunt to feed. The southern kaiila have a storage stomach, thus enabling the beast to go for days without meat.
Etymology: Latin viviparus, from vivus alive + -parus -parous; Date: 1646;
"Producing living young instead of eggs from within the body in the manner of nearly all mammals, many reptiles, and a few fishes." — Merriam-Webster Dictionary ©2002-2006
"The mount of the Wagon Peoples, unknown in the northern hemisphere of Gor, is the terrifying but beautiful kaiila. It is a silken, carnivorous, lofty creature, graceful, long-necked, smooth-gaited. It is viviparous and undoubtedly mammalian, though there is no suckling of the young. The young are born vicious and by instinct, as soon as they can struggle to their feet, they hunt. It is an instinct of the other, sensing the birth, to deliver the young animal in the vicinity of game. I supposed, with the domesticated kaiila, a bound verr or a prisoner might be cast to the newborn animal. The kaiila, once it eats its fill, does not touch food for several days. The kaiila is extremely agile, and can easily outmaneuver the slower, more ponderous high tharlarion. It requires less food, of course, than the tarn. A kaiila, which normally stands about twenty to twenty-two hands at the shoulder, can over as much as six hundred pasangs in a single day's riding. The head of the kaiila bears two large eyes, one on each side, but these eyes are triply lidded, probably an adaptation to the environment which occasionally is wracked by severe storms of wind and dust; the adaptation, actually a transparent third lid, permits the animal to move as it wishes under conditions that force other prairie animals to back into the wind or, like the sleen, to burrow into the ground. The kaiila is most dangerous under such conditions, and, as if it knew this, often uses such times for its hunt." — Nomads of Gor, pages 13-14.
"The sand kaiila, or desert kaiila, is a kaiila, and handles similarly, but it is not identically the same animal which is indigenous, domestic and wild, in the middle latitudes of Gor's southern hemisphere; that animal, used as a mount by the Wagon Peoples, is not found in the northern hemisphere of Gor; there is obviously a phylogenetic affinity between the two varieties, or species; I conjecture, though I do not know, that the sand kaiila is a desert-adapted mutation of the subequatorial stock; both animals are lofty, proud, silken creatures, long-necked and smooth-gaited; both are triply lidded, the third lid being a transparent membrane, of great utility in the blasts of the dry storms of the southern plains or the Tahari; both creatures are comparable in size, ranging from some twenty to twenty-two hands at the shoulder; both are swift; both have incredible stamina; under ideal conditions both can range six hundred pasangs in a day; … both, too, I might mention, are high-strung, vicious-tempered animals; in pelt the southern kaiila ranges from a rich gold to black; the sand kaiila, on the other hand, are almost all tawny, though I have seen black sand kaiila; differences, some of them striking and important, however, exist between the animals; most notably, perhaps, the sand kaiila suckles its young; the southern kaiila are viviparous, but the young, within hours after birth, hunt, by instinct; the mother delivers the young in the vicinity of game; whereas there is game in the Tahari, birds, small mammals, an occasional sand sleen, and some species of tabuk, it is rare; the suckling of the young in the sand kaiila is a valuable trait in the survival of the animal; … a similar difference between the two animals, or two sorts of kaiila, is that the sand kaiila is omnivorous, whereas the southern kaiila is strictly carnivorous; both have storage tissues; if necessary, both can go several days without water; the southern kaiila also, however, has a storage stomach, and can go several days without meat; … a more trivial difference between the sand kaiila and the southern kaiila is that the paws of the sand kaiila are much broader, the digits even webbed with leathery fibers, and heavily padded, than those of its southern counterpart." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 70-71.
"In moments a troop of soldiers, lancers and crossbowmen, mounted on kaiila, reined up about us. They wore the colors of Thentis. They were covered with dust. Their uniforms were black with sweat and dirt. The flanks of their prancing kaiila were lathered with foam. They snorted and, throwing back their heads, sucked air into their lungs. Their third lids, the transparent storm membranes, were drawn, giving their wild, round eyes a yellowish cast." — Savages of Gor, page 85.
"The kaiila of these men were as tawny as the brown grass of the prairie, save for that of the man who faced me, whose mount was a silken, sable black, as black as the lacquer of the shield." — Nomads of Gor, page 14.
"I saw the kaiila tense, almost like larls, their flanks quivering, their large eyes intent upon me. I saw one of the long, triangular tongues dart out and back. Their long ears were laid back against the fierce, silken heads." — Nomads of Gor, page 15.
"Nearby our tethered kaiila crouched, their paws on the bodies of slain verrs, devouring them." — Nomads of Gor, page 271.
As earlier stated, the kaiila play an important part in the lives of the Wagon Peoples, especially in terms of herding the large bosk, in hunting and times of battle. They are trained to avoid the thrown spear, and until the kaiila is proficient at this maneuver, the kaiila is not allowed to breed.
"The charge of the Tuchuk, in spite of its rapidity and momentum, carried him no more than four paces beyond me. It seemed scarcely had he passed than the kaiila had wheeled and charged again, this time given free rein, that it might tear at me with its fangs. I thrust with the spear, trying to force back the snapping jaws of the screaming animal. The kaiila struck, and then withdrew, and then struck again.. Then the animal seized my shield in its teeth and reared lifting it and myself, by the shield straps, from the ground. I fell from some dozen feet to the grass and saw the animal snarling and biting on the shield, then it shook it and hurled it far and away behind it. — Nomads of Gor, page 23.
"Warily now the animal began to circle, in an almost human fashion, watching the spear. It shifted delicately, feinting, and then withdrawing, trying to draw the cast. I was later to learn that kaiila are trained to avoid the thrown spear. It is a training which begins with blunt staves and progresses through headed weapons. Until the kaiila is suitably proficient in this art it is not allowed to breed. Those who cannot learn it die under the spear." — Nomads of Gor, page 24.
The need for a dependable, agile and speedy beast means the very life of the rider.
"Such a slow beast," said Kamchak, "might in battle cost a man his life." I supposed it true. The kaiila and its master fight in battle as one unit, seemingly a single savage animal, armed with teeth and lance. — Nomads of Gor, page 170.
The Desert Kaiila
The sand kaiila, or as it is occasionally called, the desert kaiila, is found in the brutal Tahari Desert. As stated, his species of kaiila shares many similarities with its other two counterparts, however, adaptations to survive the harshness of the desert and lack of food and water are among some of the differences. The sand kaiila is not only able to drink less frequently, but it is also omnivorous, which means it will eat both meat and vegetation. While the southern kaiila can go for days without meat, the sand kaiila must eat frequently. Thusly, caravans carry fodder to feed their beasts during their journeys over sparsely vegetated land. Other differences include the suckling of young by the sand kaiila, something of which is not done by the southern kaiila. The milk of the kaiila is reddish in color and very salty, but is used by the peoples of the Tahari. The coloring of a sand kaiila is most commonly tawny. However, although rare, there have been known to be some sand kailla which are black in color. The paws of the sand kaiila are much broader, the digits webbed and are heavily padded to withstand the torturous heat of the sands.
"The sand kaiila, or desert kaiila, is a kaiila, and handles similarly, but it is not identically the same animal which is indigenous, domestic and wild, in the middle latitudes of Gor's southern hemisphere; that animal, used as a mount by the Wagon Peoples, is not found in the northern hemisphere of Gor; there is obviously a phylogenetic affinity between the two varieties, or species; I conjecture, though I do not know, that the sand kaiila is a desert-adapted mutation of the subequatorial stock; both animals are lofty, proud, silken creatures, long-necked and smooth-gaited; both are triply lidded, the third lid being a transparent membrane, of great utility in the blasts of the dry storms of the southern plains or the Tahari; both creatures are comparable in size, ranging from some twenty to twenty-two hands at the shoulder; both are swift; both have incredible stamina; under ideal conditions both can range six hundred pasangs in a day; in the dune country, of course, in the heavy, sliding sands, a march of fifty pasangs is considered good; both, too, I might mention, are high-strung, vicious-tempered animals; in pelt the southern kaiila ranges from a rich gold to black; the sand kaiila, on the other hand, are almost all tawny, though I have seen black sand kaiila; differences, some of them striking and important, however, exist between the animals; most notably, perhaps, the sand kaiila suckles its young; the southern kaiila are viviparous, but the young, within hours after birth, hunt, by instinct; the mother delivers the young in the vicinity of game; whereas there is game in the Tahari, birds, small mammals, an occasional sand sleen, and some species of tabuk, it is rare; the suckling of the young in the sand kaiila is a valuable trait in the survival of the animal; kaiila milk, which is used, like verr milk, by the peoples of the Tahari, is reddish, and has a strong, salty taste; it contains much ferrous sulphate; a similar difference between the two animals, or two sorts of kaiila, is that the sand kaiila is omnivorous, whereas the southern kaiila is strictly carnivorous; both have storage tissues; if necessary, both can go several days without water; the southern kaiila also, however, has a storage stomach, and can go several days without meat; the sand kaiila, unfortunately, must feed more frequently: some of the pack animals in a caravan are used in carrying fodder; whatever is needed, and is not available enroute, must be carried; sometimes, with a mounted herdsman, caravan kaiila are released to hunt tabuk; a more trivial difference between the sand kaiila and the southern kaiila is that the paws of the sand kaiila are much broader, the digits even webbed with leathery fibers, and heavily padded, than those of its southern counterpart." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 70-71.
"Some hundred yards from the bead of the column, I passed a large white kurdah, on a large, black kaiila." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 348.
As the southern kaiila are trained to work with the herdsmen and warriors of the Wagon Peoples, the sand kaiila are trained to be war beasts for the warring tribal factions of the desert. Although kaiila are not shod, such war beasts of the desert wear sheaths over their claws during training, so as not to injure beast or man, as well as the binding of the jaws with leather.
"The war kaiila, rearing on its hind legs, its claws, however, sheathed, lunged at the other animal, its clawed back feet thrusting with an explosion of sand away from the ground; the long neck darted forward, the long, graceful head, its fanged jaws bound shut with leather, struck at the man astride the other beast. He thrust the jaws away with the buckler, and, rearing in the stirrups of his high saddle, slashed at me with the leather-sheathed, curved blade. I turned the stroke with my own sheathed blade, it, too, in the light, ornamented exercise sheath. The kaiila, both of them, with the swiftness, the agility of cats, spun, half crouching, squealing in frustration, and again lunged toward one another. With the light rein I pulled my kaiila to the left as we passed, and the man, trying to reach me, was, startled, off balance. With a backward sweeping cut the sheathed blade struck him, as he hung from his saddle, on the back of the neck." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 59.
With water scarce in the desert, not only do riders carry water bags, balanced equally on their mounts, but can also depend on the kaiila to find a water source as well.
"He put his hand on the bulging water bag, which hung behind the saddle, on the left side of the beast, balanced by another on the right. One drinks alternately from the bags, to maintain the weight distribution. Such weight, of course, slows the kaiila, but, in the desert, one must have much water." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 132.
"In a day on a kaiila, if it was well watered and strong, I might cover the ground which, afoot, might take weeks. Too, the kaiila, given its head, is excellent in locating water." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 296.
The shed hairs of the kaiila are collected by the nomads and used to make a variety of goods, depending on the fineness of the hair. The fine hair from the underbelly is the most valued. The coarser hairs are used for making rope and tent cloth. Never is the hair of a kaiila sheared.
"On a rise, pushing back the burnoose, I stood in my stirrups and looked back. I saw the end of the caravan, more than a pasang away. It wound, slowly, gracefully, through the hills. At its very end came a man on a single kaiila. From time to time, he dismounted, gathering shed kaiila hair and thrusting it in bags at his saddle. The kaiila, unlike the verr and hurt, is never sheared. When it sheds its hair, however, the hair may be gathered, and, depending on the hair, various cloths can be made from it. There is a soft, fine hair, the most prized, which grows on the belly of the animal; there is an undercoating of hair, soft but coarser, which is used for most cloth; and there are the long, outer hairs. These, though still soft and pliant, are, comparatively, the most coarse. The hairs of this coat are used primarily for rope and tent cloth." — Tribesmen of Gor, pages 73-74.
Not only is the weather a threat to the lives of the kaiila, but they are also plagued by sand flies who wake from their dormancy after the fierce rains of the desert. These flies feast on the blood of both kaiila and man. While man can fend for themselves, the kaiila must relie on the zadit, a small bird which feed on these flies, as well as other small insects, although they too leave small wounds on the hides of the kaiila. Such wounds on the kaiila are treated with poultices made from kaiila dung.
"When rain does fall, however, sometimes it is fierce, turning the terrain into a quagmire. Following such rains great clouds of sand flies appear wakened from dormancy. These feast on kaiila and men. Normally, flying insects are found only in the vicinity of the oases. Crawling insects of various sorts, and predator insects, however, are found in many areas, even far from water. The zadit is a small, tawny-feathered, sharp-billed bird. It feeds on insects. When sand files and other insects, emergent after rains, infest kaiila, they frequently alight on the animals, and remain on them for some hours, hunting insects. This relieves the kaiila of the insects but leaves it with numerous small wounds, which are unpleasant and irritating, where the bird has dug insects out of it's hide. These tiny wounds, if they become infected, turn into sores; these sores are treated by the drovers with poultices of kaiila dung." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 152.
Stableboys are often utilized in the care of the kaiila. It is not stated if these boys were merely young boys, or were slaves as well.
"We shall stop here," said Hassan, reining in before an inn. We dismounted. We took the packs from our kaiila, the saddles and accouterments. Boys came out to meet us, to take our kaiila to the stables. Two of Hassan's men went with them, to see that the animals were well cared for. — Tribesmen of Gor, page 178.
The sand kaiila is used among the desert warriors. It is a beast primarily for transportation of merchants and battle. The saddle is high and light, most likely because of the extreme heat of the Tahari. Bells are placed on the kaiila harness to identify one's intentions as friendly, such as a merchant. Because of their temperament, a special quirt made for the kaiila are used to discipline.
"Then I passed a shop where the high, light kaiila saddles were being made. One could also buy there, saddle blankets, quirts, bells and kaiila reins. The kaiila rein is a single rein, very light, plaited of various leathers. There are often ten to a dozen strips of tanned, dyed leather in a single rein. Each individual strip, interestingly, given the strength of the rein, is little thicker than a stout thread. The strips are cut with knives, and it requires great skill to cut them. The rein, carefully plaited, is tied through a hole drilled in the right nostril of the kaiila. It passes under the animal's jaw to the left. When one wishes to guide the animal to the left one draws the rein left; when one wishes to guide it right one pulls right, drawing the rein over the animal's neck, with pressure against the left cheek. To stop the animal one draws back. To start or hasten the animal, one kicks it in the flanks, or uses the long kaiila quirt." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 56.
"You do not wear bells on your kaiila harness!" said the man, threatening its with his lance. — Tribesmen of Gor, page 167.
"Each man carried his own saddle. Saddles are prized on the Tahari and each man cares for his own, and sees to its safety. Among nomads they are brought into the tent each night, and placed on the right side of the tent, at the back." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 178.
The Barrens Kaiila
The 
kaiila of the Barrens most closely similar to desert cousins with one distinct difference — this kaiila is a herbivore. It is a grazing beast, much like the horse on Earth. It can also be assumed that the young suckle their mother, as they do not eat meat, and thusly, would not be born ready to hunt. It's likely, this is the original kaiila of Gor, evolving into the cousins as time and acclimation to various changes in weather and availability of food. See further down under the section titled "Conjecture" for more thoughts on this.
"The Red Savages, as they are commonly called on Gor, are racially and culturally distinct from the Red Hunters of the north. … Their culture tends to be nomadic, and is based on the herbivorous, lofty kaiila, substantially the same animal as is found in the Tahari, save for the wider footpads of the Tahari beast, suitable for negotiating deep sand, and the lumbering, gregarious, short-tempered, trident-homed kailiauk. To be sure, some tribes do not have the kaiila, never having mastered it, and certain tribes have mastered the tam, which tribes are the most dangerous of all." — Savages of Gor, page 35.
As with the Wagon Peoples, the same is true of the savages, the kaiila is vital to their lifestyle. The savages learn to ride when but a child before he is even walking. The kaiila is used among the savages for transportation, hunting the aggressive kailiauk and in times of battle.
"To be sure, these folks are superb riders. A child is often put on kaiilaback, its tiny hands clutching the silken neck, before it can walk. Sometimes a strap dangles back for a few feet from the throat loop. This is to be seized by the warrior who may have been struck from his mount, either to recapture the beast or, using the strap, being pulled along, with the momentum of the racing steed, to vault again to its back. This strap, incidentally, is used more often in hunting than in warfare. It could be too easily grasped by an enemy on foot, with the result of perhaps impeding the movement of the kaiila, or even causing it to twist and fall. Needless to say, it is extremely dangerous to fall from one's kaiila, in hunting kailiauk, because one is often closely involved with numerous stampeding beasts, or the given beast one is pursuing may suddenly turn on one." — Savages of Gor, page 47.
"The kaiila lance is used in hunting kailiauk as well as in mounted warfare. It is called the kaiila lance because it is designed to be used from kaiilaback. It is to be distinguished in particular from the longer, heavier tharlarion lance, designed for use from tharlarionback, and often used with a lance rest, and the smaller, thicker stabbing lances used by certain groups of pedestrian nomads. The kaiila lance takes, on the whole, two forms, the hunting lance and the war lance. Hunting lances are commonly longer, heavier and thicker than war lances. Too, they are often undecorated, save perhaps for a knot of the feathers of the yellow, long-winged, sharp-billed prairie fleer, or, as it is sometimes called, the maize bird, or corn bird, considered by the red savages to be generally the first bird to find food." — Savages of Gor, pages 42-43.
Even the herbivorous kaiila is not one to contend with.
"I nodded. I had feared this. The lofty, silken kaiila is an extremely alert, high-strung beast." — Savages of Gor, page 48.
Tack and Equipment
As with any riding beast, comes the equipment and tack associated with such beasts.
Jaw Ropes
Ropes for guiding the kaiila as fashioned by the Kinyanpi tribe of the red savages.
"I went forward and seized the guide-ropes of the tarn, near the beak. It shook its head. The guide-ropes, or reins, of the tarn, as the Kinyanpi fashion them, seem clearly to be based on the jaw ropes used generally in the Barrens by the red savages to control kaiila. This suggests that the Kinyanpi had probably domesticated kaiila before tarns and that their domestication of the tarn was achieved independently of white practice, as exemplified, say, by the tarnsmen of such cities as Thentis." — Blood Brothers of Gor, page 340.
Kailla Boots
Due to the roughness of the ride, as with the cowboys of Earth, the riders of kaiila also suit up to protect their bodies. Boots, which are adorned with spurs, or kaiila goads made the essential of a kaiila rider.
"Barbarians for sale!" called the fellow on the platform. He was a gross, corpulent fellow, and wore a long, opened, soiled shirt of blue-and-yellow silk. His leather trousers were fastened with a wide, triply buckled belt. To this belt was fastened a substantial, beaded sheath, apparently containing a stout, triangular-bladed dagger. He wore, too, kaiila boots, with belled, silver heel points, kaiila goads. In his hand there was a long, supple kaiila quirt of black leather, about a yard in length. — Savages of Gor, page 100.
Kaiila Bridle
Apparently there were bridles used with the kaiila. However, if you read about the kaiila reins, it would seem no need for a bridle. John Norman does it again!
"This morning at the Five Horns stables, in Kailiauk, I had bought two kaiila. Bridles, a saddle, various sorts of gear, supplies, and trading goods, too, I had purchased in the town, at the store of Publius Crassus, of the Merchants, who is also Kailiauk's Administrator." — Savages of Gor, page 96.
Kailla Goad
Akin to the spurs on the boots of cowboys on Earth, kaiila riders wear a leather boot with heel points known as kaiila goads. These are used as a means of controlling the beasts.
"Barbarians for sale!" called the fellow on the platform. He was a gross, corpulent fellow, and wore a long, opened, soiled shirt of blue-and-yellow silk. His leather trousers were fastened with a wide, triply buckled belt. To this belt was fastened a substantial, beaded sheath, apparently containing a stout, triangular-bladed dagger. He wore, too, kaiila boots, with belled, silver heel points, kaiila goads. In his hand there was a long, supple kaiila quirt of black leather, about a yard in length. — Savages of Gor, page 100.
Kaiila Harness
Not much is mentioned about the kaiila harness, except this small quote about that of the Tahari region, where customarily bells are worn on the kaiila harness as a means to display friendly intentions.
"You do not wear bells on your kaiila harness!" said the man, threatening its with his lance. — Tribesmen of Gor, page 167.
Kaiila Quirt
A long variation of this whip used in the control of the kaiila — and the four-legged slave beasts.
"To start or hasten the animal, one kicks it in the flanks, or uses the long kaiila quirt." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 56.
"This little plum, juicy with pleasures for a master," he said, indicating the girl on the platform with him, with a gesture of his kaiila quirt, "is one of the sorriest of the lot." — Savages of Gor, page 101.
"In her hand she carried a long supple kaiila quirt of leather, about a half inch in width and a yard long." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 55.
"Barbarians for sale!" called the fellow on the platform. He was a gross, corpulent fellow, and wore a long, opened, soiled shirt of blue-and-yellow silk. His leather trousers were fastened with a wide, triply buckled belt. To this belt was fastened a substantial, beaded sheath, apparently containing a stout, triangular-bladed dagger. He wore, too, kaiila boots, with belled, silver heel points, kaiila goads. In his hand there was a long, supple kaiila quirt of black leather, about a yard in length. His hair was bound back with strands of twisted, blue-and-yellow cloth. His caste, even in the town of Kailiauk, was that of the slavers. — Savages of Gor, page 100.
Kaiila Reins
Not very much is spoken of the kaiila reins, until we are met with the sand kaiila. The rein is a light single rein which is many-plaited, and drawn through a drilled hole in the right nostril of the kaiila. The rein then passes under the kaiila's jaw to the left. Guidance of the animal is much like riding a horse (when you want to go right, tug the rein to the right, to stop, pull back on the rein, et al).
"Then I passed a shop where the high, light kaiila saddles were being made. One could also buy there, saddle blankets, quirts, bells and kaiila reins. The kaiila rein is a single rein, very light, plaited of various leathers. There are often ten to a dozen strips of tanned, dyed leather in a single rein. Each individual strip, interestingly, given the strength of the rein, is little thicker than a stout thread. The strips are cut with knives, and it requires great skill to cut them. The rein, carefully plaited, is tied through a hole drilled in the right nostril of the kaiila. It passes under the animal's jaw to the left. When one wishes to guide the animal to the left one draws the rein left; when one wishes to guide it right one pulls right, drawing the rein over the animal's neck, with pressure against the left cheek. To stop the animal one draws back. To start or hasten the animal, one kicks it in the flanks, or uses the long kaiila quirt." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 56.
Kaiila Saddle
The saddle of the kaiila is usually of leather, and made similar to that of a tarn saddle so as to accomomdate having a bound female captive across it. The common tack of the sand kaiila consist of a high, light saddle, as well as saddle blankets, bells and reins. The kaiila rein is a single rein made of plaited leather of various sorts. Bells are placed on the kaiila harness to identify one's intentions as friendly, such as a merchant. The saddles of the desert are highly prized, each man caring for his own saddle himself. Kaiila crops, or quirts, are sometimes used to urge on an especially difficult beast or, of course, on a slave. The saddle used by those in the Tahari is a high, light saddle, most likely do to the extreme temperatures of the desert.
"The saddle of the kaiila, like the tarn saddle, is made in such a way as to accommodate, bound across it, a female captive, rings being fixed on both sides through which binding fiber or thong may be passed." — Nomads of Gor, page 70.
"This morning at the Five Horns stables, in Kailiauk, I had bought two kaiila. Bridles, a saddle, various sorts of gear, supplies, and trading goods, too, I had purchased in the town, at the store of Publius Crassus, of the Merchants, who is also Kailiauk's Administrator. Too I had purchased a short bow, modeled on the sort used by the savages, fit for clearing the saddle, and a quiver of twenty sheaf arrows." — Savages of Gor, page 96.
"Then I passed a shop where the high, light kaiila saddles were being made. One could also buy there, saddle blankets, quirts, bells and kaiila reins." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 56.
Saddle Blankets
Coarse blankets to protect the hide of the kaiila.
"Then I passed a shop where the high, light kaiila saddles were being made. One could also buy there, saddle blankets, quirts, bells and kaiila reins." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 56.
Breeding and Training
Imagine that. Ranches for the purpose of breeding and training kaiila!
"The kaiila were presumably from the northern ranches and would be sold in Kailiauk, and in the tows to the south. … The kaiila ranches, I supposed, were remote, desolate places. Land which is suitable for farming, and in proximity to towns, is seldom, along the perimeter, put to the uses of grazing." — Savages of Gor, page 103.
In the Hunt and Battle
As the mount of such nomadics as the red savages and the wagon peoples, the kaiila serves not only as transportation, but more importantly, a means of herding (such as the bosk on the plains), hunting and in times of battle. Weapons such as the lance and bow was common among both the Wagon Peoples and the savages. Other weapons used upon kaiilaback include the bola and quiva (Wagon Peoples) and the scimitar and buckler (Tahari).
"An attendant, from beneath his cloak, threw to the saddle the tiny, swift bow of Tuchuks, the narrow, rectangular quiver, with its forty arrows. Not hurrying I strung the bow. It is small, double-curved, about four feet in length, built up of layers of bosk horn, bound and reinforced with metal and leather; it is banded with metal at seven points, including the grip, metal obtained from Turia in half-inch rolled strips; the leather is applied diagonally, in two-inch strips, except that, horizontally, it covers the entire grip; the bow lacks the range of both the longbow and the crossbow, but, at close range, firing rapidly, it can be a devastating weapon; its small size, like the crossbow, permits it to clear the saddle, shifting from the left to the right, or to the rear, with equal ease, this providing an advantage lacked by the more powerful but larger longbow; but, like the longbow, and unlike the crossbow, which requires strength and time to reset, it is capable of a considerable volume of fire; a Tuchuk warrior can, in swirling , from the saddle of the running kaiila, accurately fire arrows, drawn to the point, in half an Ehn. — Assassin of Gor, page 365.
"Now I could see down the wide, grassy lane, loping towards us, two kaiila and riders. A lance was fastened between them, fixed to the stirrups of their saddles. The lance cleared the ground, given the height of the kaiila, by about five feet." — Nomads of Gor, page 35.
"In the hour that followed I rejoiced that I had spent much of the last several months, when not riding with Kamchak in the care of his bosk, in the pleasant and, to a warrior, satisfying activity of learning Tuchuk weaponry, both of the hunt and war. Kamchak was a skilled instructor in these matters and, freely, hours at a time, until it grew too dark to see, supervised my practice with such fierce tools as the lance, the quiva and bola." — Nomads of Gor, pages 66.
"The warrior of the Wagon Peoples does not use the short sword, probably because such a weapon could not be optimally used from the saddle of the kaiila; the saber, incidentally, which would be somewhat more effective from kaiila-back, is almost unknown on Gor; its role, I gather, is more than fulfilled by the lance, which may be used with a delicacy and address comparable to that of a blade, supplemented by the seven quiva, or saddle knives..." — Nomads of Gor, page 123.
"Albrecht was rearing on his kaiila, loosening the bola at his saddle." — Nomads of Gor, page 68.
"My mount, a lofty black kaiila, silken and swift, shifted nervously beneath me. Its nostrils were flared. Its storm lids were drawn, giving its large, round eyes a distinctive yellowish cast. I did not thing that it, a kaiila purchased some months ago in the town of Kailiauk, near the perimeter, had even smelled such beasts before, and certainly not in such numbers. Too, I supposed that there were many such beasts, perhaps most, in fact, who had never smelled a man, or a kaiila, before. Grit and dust settled about us. I blinked my eyes against it. It was very impressive to be so close to such beasts. I scarcely dared to conjecture what it might be like to be even closer, say, within a few hundred yards of them. Individual kills on such animals, incidentally, are commonly made from distances where one can almost reach out and touch the beast. One must be that close for the lance thrust to be made or for the arrow, from the small bow, to strike with sufficient depth, to the feathers, either into the intestinal cavity behind the last rib, resulting in large-scale internal haemorrhaging, or behind the left shoulder blade, into his heart." — Blood Brothers of Gor, page 7.
"The kaiila lance is used in hunting kailiauk as well as in mounted warfare. It is called the kaiila lance because it is designed to be used from kaiilaback. It is to be distinguished in particular from the longer, heavier tharlarion lance, designed for use from tharlarionback, and often used with a lance rest, and the smaller, thicker stabbing lances used by certain groups of pedestrian nomads. The kaiila lance takes, on the whole, two forms, the hunting lance and the war lance. Hunting lances are commonly longer, heavier and thicker than war lances. Too, they are often undecorated, save perhaps for a knot of the feathers of the yellow, long-winged, sharp-billed prairie fleer, or, as it is sometimes called, the maize bird, or corn bird, considered by the red savages to be generally the first bird to find food." — Savages of Gor, pages 42-43.
"The small bow has many advantages. High among these is the rapidity with which it may be drawn and fired. A skilled warrior, in the Gorean gravity, can fire ten arrows into the air, the last leaving the bow before the first has returned to the earth. No Gorean weapon can match it in its rate of fire. At close range it can be devastating. Two further advantages of the small bow that might be mentioned are its maneuverability and its capacity to be concealed, say beneath a robe. It can be easily swept from one side of the kaiila to the other. In this type of combat, incidentally. it is not unusual for the warrior to shield himself behind the body of his racing kaiila, and, circling the enemy, rise up, suddenly, to fire over the animal's back or, sometimes, from beneath its neck. A heel over the animal's back and a fist in its silken neck hair, or an arm thrust through a leather throat loop, provide the leverage needed or these feats." — Savages of Gor, pages 46-47.
"The war kaiila, rearing on its hind legs, its claws, however, sheathed, lunged at the other animal, its clawed back feet thrusting with an explosion of sand away from the ground; the long neck darted forward, the long, graceful head, its fanged jaws bound shut with leather, struck at the man astride the other beast. He thrust the jaws away with the buckler, and, rearing in the stirrups of his high saddle, slashed at me with the leather-sheathed, curved blade. I turned the stroke with my own sheathed blade, it, too, in the light, ornamented exercise sheath. The kaiila, both of them, with the swiftness, the agility of cats, spun, half crouching, squealing in frustration, and again lunged toward one another. With the light rein I pulled my kaiila to the left as we passed, and the man, trying to reach me, was, startled, off balance. With a backward sweeping cut the sheathed blade struck him, as he hung from his saddle, on the back of the neck." — Tribesmen of Gor, page 59.
In the case of the wagon peoples, the use of the kaiila in such recreational sports as the bola run, not only provides, in the name of good sport, entertainment — and the opportunity of a good wager This sport is two-fold; it is first, a contest of arms — specifically, the bola — as well as a contest amongst the girls of the wagons in their running and evading skills. For more information on this, please refer to the Wagon People pages under "Games."
"Albrecht was rearing on his kaiila, loosening the bola at his saddle. "Remove your furs," he instructed his two girls. Immediately they did so and, in spite of the brisk, bright chilly afternoon, they stood in the grass, clad Kajir. They would run for us. … A black lance was fixed in the prairie about four hundred yards away. A rider beside it, on a kaiila, marked its place. It was not expected, of course, that any of the girls would reach the lance. If one did, of course, the rider would decree her safe. In the run the important thing was time, the dispatch and the skill with which the thing was accomplished. Tuchuk girls, Elizabeth and Tuka, would run for the Kassars; the two Kassar girls would run for Kamchak and myself; naturally each slave does her best for her master, attempting to evade his competitor. The time in these matters is reckoned by the heartbeat of a standing kaiila. Already one had been brought. Near the animal, on the turf, a long bosk whip was laid in a circle, having a diameter of somewhere between eight and ten feet. The girl begins her run from the circle. The object of the rider is to effect her capture, secure her and return her, in as little time as possible, to the circle of the whip." — Nomads of Gor, page 70.
Conjecture
Moropus: Earth's Kaiila?
The Miocene Epoch (meaning "moderately recent") extends from approximately 23 million years ago until 5 million years ago. It was during 
the Miocene that a new ecological niche was filled, as grazing animals became common after the rise of grasses in the Oligocene. Both the grazers and their associated predators became fleet of foot to maneuver around the relatively protection-free grass plains. Twenty-one million years ago in western Nebraska the Niobrara River (now a mere trickle) was cutting valleys and laying down sand bars. The sediments carried by the river turned to rock over time, and the layer is now known as the Harrison Formation. A severe multi-year drought struck the region at some point, concentrating the animals around the few remaining waterholes. Animals died by the thousands. When, eventually, the rains reappeared, the carcasses of the animals were swept downstream, congregating in river bends. The mass of bones was buried in the sand, to be discovered in 1878 by roaming explorers. Two small hills still hold the remains of thousands of animals who died many years ago.
One of the beasts of this period is the Moropus elatus; a strange Miocene chalicothere with a horse's head and sloth-like feet with retractable claws. Moropus was a browser, but may have used the claws to dig up tubers and roots, although the teeth do not support this.
Moropus indeed sounds a lot like Gor's kaiila. Or, at the very least, the kaiila of the Barrens. It's quite possible, then that this was the original species of "kaiila" brought to Gor. Over time, and acclimation with the different areas of the planet, the kaiila evolved into the two other varieties, the sand kaiila, developing the taste of meat due to the lack of vegetation in the Tahari, and ultimately, the southern kaiila, with game plentiful, becoming fully carnivorous.
Take a trip on my Time Machine and visit the beasts that lived millions of years ago on Earth, The visit is free of course. Please take a peek at the "Blast to the Past" page.
Special Note
Because of the differences in publishing the books, depending upon whether published in the U.S. or Europe, depending upon whether a first publishing or a Masquerade Books release, page numbers will often vary. All of my quotes are from original, first-printing U.S. publications (see The Books page for a listing of publishers and dates) with the exception of the following books:
- Tarnsman of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
- Outlaw of Gor (11th Printing, Balantine)
- Priest-Kings of Gor (2nd Printing, Balantine)
- Assassin of Gor (10th Printing, Balantine)
- Raiders of Gor (15th Printing, Balantine)
- Captive of Gor (3rd Printing, Balantine)
Disclaimer
These pages are not written for any specific home, but rather as informational pages for those not able to get ahold of the books and read them yourself. Opinions and commentaries are strictly my own personal views, therefore, if you don't like what you are reading — then don't. The information in these pages is realistic to what is found within the books. Many sites have added information, assuming the existences of certain products and practices, such as willowbark and agrimony for healing, and travel to earth and back for the collection of goods. I've explored the books, the flora, the fauna, and the beasts, and have compiled from those mentioned, the probabilities of certain practices, and what vegetation mentioned in the books is suitable for healing purposes, as well as given practicalities to other sorts of roleplaying assumptions.