Okay, I'm confused about who can transform and who can't in this world. At first I thought only the elite nobility could transform, but then there was that bit about "horses" being people who have entered into indentured servitude and had their transforming power bound. So then I thought maybe
everyone could transform, but that would conflict with the rule that people aren't supposed to transform in front of the women. Can't the women transform too? Or is transforming a male-only thing?