Ultimate Horse

Bay Area Bull Bash

2008-05-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the Mill Casino's Bay Area Bull Bash and that was fun!
Besides a lot of bull riding, which is always exciting, they also had "Dancing horses" and a cowboy mounted shooting demonstration. A trained Andalusian stallion and Friesian stallion perform to music. The man who was riding them just sold a trained friesian stallion for $200,000 and the one he was on today was in training.

I love animals, so I walked around behind the chutes to look at the bulls. I took some pictures, and a man came up and said, "Hey, take this bull's picture!" and started to climb over the fence into the bull pen...
"His name is Preacher."
"You're going in there with him?"
"Yup, he loves to be scratched. I wouldn't do this with those other bulls, though."
He scratched Preacher's head and told me he liked cookies.

Bulls chillin' behind the chutes where they had hay and water before they had to go to work stompin' cowboys.

Most bulls are pretty mean to anything that gets in their way-- people, animals, fences, or even other bulls! But just like with any animal, if you handle them alot, they can get somewhat tame (but just like horses or other big animals, are still always dangerous).

After bucking and chasing his rider, this bull walked around the arena and looked out at the crowds. He then walked out the gait back into the pens where his flank strap is removed and he's turned back loose.

I don't know if you could ever get tired of watching the bulls. They have an air of dignity-- after bucking and stomping a cowboy, many of them calmly looked around at the audience with their heads held high, and then walked slowly out of the gait, as if to show us they did their job well, and were in no hurry to leave the arena.

Many of the bulls just trotted right out their gait after performing.

They almost seem trained-- they stand in the chutes, wait for them to be opened, explode in a bucking frenzy of power, try to smash a few people, then look around at everyone and walk with dignity out of the arena-- not bleeding, limping, or running for their life out of the arena as the cowboys do. I think the bulls are so proud because they always win-- they always buck the cowboy off. Even if he lasts for a full 8 seconds, he hops off as quick as he can and runs away-- and the bull always gets the satisfaction of chasing him in front of all the spectators before proudly walking out of the arena.

Thank goodness he was wearing a helmet-- but he still left bleeding.

The most amusing part was the bull poker. People from the audience had a chance to pay $50 to sign up to play... and the winner gets all the fees. There's a plastic table and chairs, and people sit down and the rules were explained as:
1. You can't be drunk
2. You must sign a release saying that you won't sue them if you get injured or die, and by competing, you're acknowleding you're an idiot (basically)
3. You can't move your chair; last one sitting in the chair wins.

The players were given helmets and vests, and seated in the arena.

They turned a small bull loose in the pen with four people, and after trotting around the arena a bit, the bull turned, chased the clowns up the wall, then turned toward the poker players and in one shot tore through the table and two players, butting and stomping over them.

I got a lot of pictures of bulls bucking people off-- but not so many as the rides. The bulls were actually ridden for such a short amount of time it was difficult to get good riding shots! I have many pictures of cowboys getting thrown or chased, or bulls walking around in the arena, but very few of successful rides.

Scent-detecting horses

2008-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is interesting:

http://www.airscentinghorse.com/

While reading history, you will find examples on how the horse's scenting ability helped early pioneers find water, warn them when danger was near and for hunting. One example of this can be found in the book The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. In this book they describe how Roosevelt used his horse's air scenting abilities to hunt buffalo. Other examples on how the horse’s scent locating abilities were used for hunting can be found in the book The Mustangs by J. Frank Dobie. History tells us that in the days when horses were used for man's survival, their natural air scent locating ability played a much more important role than most people are aware of. I have taken this lost art from a state of oblivion and developed a innovative training program, so equine scent detection could be used in today’s modern world.

Yakama Wild Horses

2008-04-22T00:32:00.000-07:00

Yakama tribe has about 5,000 wild horses on their lands. They are unaffected by BLM laws, and are adoptable at $100 a head.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/204346_wildhorses18.html

We believe the horse was always here, yes, even before the Spanish arrived. I understand paleontologists say the horse was hunted to extinction. Believe what you like. We have songs that talk about long, long ago, songs that honor the horse.

Call me crazy if you wish, but I have a lot of respect for native Americans. When I went on a geology field trip lecture to Crater Lake National Park, it was an interesting learning experience not only for the geology but for the history as well (keep reading, this will be horse related).
There were verbal tribe stories going back more than 7,000 years about the eruption of Mt Mazama to form crater lake -- 250 GENERATIONS!
It is amazing to me that a culture's history could be so well preserved, when today you have teenagers who don't even know about the founding of this country, not a very long time ago in comparison.

Getting back to horses, who is to say they haven't also carried down stories orally about the original horse, before its extinction?
And has DNA testing been done on this herd to see what the ancestry is like?

Hmmm... I wonder what (if anything) would change if a herd of horses were to be found genetically matched to the native horses. Would they be protected as a native species instead of considered feral/invasive?

With the price of gas, riding is cheaper.

2008-04-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

At least that's what this article claims. They've calculated the total costs per year for a car at between $4-6,000, and a horse at about $1600 (which I think is a pretty low estimate, but they are Amish, so their expenses may be cheaper). I estimate horse costs at about $2,700/yr (I may write an article on this later).

I personally will be staying behind the wheel for my daily commute. It's about 80 miles round-trip to go to school 3 days a week. Riding a horse wouldn't be feasable.

But if, like some people I know, I lived close to campus, riding could definately save money-- especially with the current price of diesel, in my town, of $4.29/gallon (I'm stuck driving the old ranch truck for now).
One of the downsides I see to riding would be safety issues-- most places may have parking lots, but darn few have hitching posts or pens.

Three-legged horses for sale

2008-04-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

There are an unusual number of 3-legged horses on Dreamhorse:

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1114959

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1173543

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1172672

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1173015

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1187656

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1169727

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1070368

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1167956

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1164588

And the occaisional 2 or 5+ legged horses:

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1014847

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1167050

And then there are the ones who have heads that are actually larger than their bodies:

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1172037

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1191088

http://dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1163227
( 3 1/2 legs maybe?)

Then there is Craigslist, which is just plain sad:
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/grd/646258986.html

All of this has inspired me to write an article, "How To Not Sell Your Horse".

What Trigonometry is good for!

2006-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I have to be the weirdest college student ever. I tutor college math, I run a business, I love science, and I read books. Sorry for the sarcasm but interacting with my peers on a daily basis does little to give me hope for the future of society. Anyway, on to the nerdy subject of math, of course I found a way to use trig for horse stuff...

In the spring I took a trigonometry class and yesterday I applied it to the barrel pattern. In barrel racing, the barrels are set up in a triangle, with 90 feet between the first two and 105 feet between the third and the other two (for a standard pattern, there are others). Ever wonder what the degree of the angles between the barrels are? Probably not, but I did. With a barrel pattern you have the 3 sides known but no angles.
So I used the law of cosines equation to derive the angle, below:

It turns out that the angle at the first two barrels is 64.62 degrees, and the third is 50.76.

I was curious if the "small" 60 X 90 barrel pattern would have the same angles as the standard, but it doesn't. The two large angles are 70.53 degrees and the small is 38.9 degrees.

Thus, the smaller pattern will require the horse to turn tighter around the first and second barrel than a standard because the angle to the third is much steeper.

And you thought math was boring... :D

Barrel Race - Pics!

2006-06-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

I bought a digital camera this weekend in time to take pics of the barrel race my sister Caterina went to.
I didn't run and Cat rode Teko, her big paint. He came in 1st in the 1D in one race and 2nd in the 1D in another, which is a lot better than we expected, since he hasn't been run in almost a year!

Teko was excited to go, he really missed barrel racing. When he saw us hooking up the horse trailer he came over to the fence and watched, and then peed because he knew he'd be travelling. He loves barrel racing so he's easy to haul, he loads nicely, ties nicely, and always behaves well.

Teko standing at the trailer tacked up.

Teko and Cat before racing.

Some still shots from the video of her last run (16.35, which was 2nd in the 1D; no, it's not a standard pattern!). They are really grainy but at least you can see part of the run!

Cat cooling Teko out after the run. He got several treats.

Tied at the trailer.

After untacking, Cat hosed him off and offered him water.

Me & Teko. He really didn't care about getting a pic with me, he prefers Cat.

Cat and Teko after he was loaded up to go home.

Australia's Seabiscuit?

2006-06-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Takeover Target, a 6-yo gelding once described as "dog meat" and purchased for £400 (about $1,300) by the taxi driver Joe Janiak, has a story that echoes Seabiscuit's.

"His story began at a rural auction in Australia three years ago. Suffering from apparently untreatably bad knees, coupled with a difficult temperament, the bay was one step away from slipping into horseracing oblivion when he was bought by the enterprising Mr Janiak." -http://sport.independent.co.uk/general/article1093511.ece

Takeover Target was given some TLC for 6 months, and when he began racing, he began winning... 6 races and 6 wins. His prize winnings now total over $2 million -- pretty good for a horse that might have become dog meat.

"He was a bit of a mongrel when we got him, but he's a happy horse now," Mr Janiak said, explaining his recipe for success. "Basically we kill them with kindness."

His jockey, 22-year-old Ford, says of the horse, "I love him. He is almost like a human being. You just pick up little traits. It's nothing in particular, but you just know when you are around him that he is there, and that he is aware that you are there. You can't help falling in love with him."

Sick and sore...

2006-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

I went on my first ride in months, a few days ago I hopped on Mo bareback
and galloped around quite a bit... a nice way to get back into riding shape!
Trotting and cantering circles, getting her to bend, riding a few playful bucks
for an hour or so... my legs and lower back are killing me now, even though
it's been a few days. Bareback riding makes you work so much more than
riding saddled does (I've never been that sore even after long saddle rides),
and you start to appreciate it when you hop off and aren't able to move! It's a lot better for your muscles and balance and riding skills, especially when you are on a jolty horse like Mo.

I got really sick and I've spent the last few days in bed... I suppose I should
just be glad that I got sick after, and not before, finals, but in any case it's hard to be happy about getting sick. I was sick the week before finals, then well during final's week, and then right after...sick again. Maybe I've been sick all along but I was miraculously well for a few days while I did my finals. Too bad colds aren't like that movie "the ring", where if you pass them on to someone else they leave you alone forever... without the dying in 7 days thing, of course.

This afternoon I was feeling a little better and ventured outside my room, and
the weather is sooo warm, I just had to go for a ride, headache and fever and soreness and
all. I went for a very short ride, again bareback, and strangely my soreness
is better after that ride.

Finals Are Over!

2006-06-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished my last final yesterday (chemistry) and now I'm free to work on the site (it hasn't been updated in a long time, and I know the boards have gotten a bit... out of control. Shame, shame on you evil spammers and bots. You suck.).

I probably will be buying a digital camera soon too, and taking more pics for the site... I am trying to plan out a trip this summer to some place where I can see and photograph mustangs in the wild, since I've spent so much time doing mustang research for my WR 123 research paper, "America's Native Horses", in which I argue that wild mustangs should be considered a native species (I will be posting on the site soon). If you know of any cool places to hike and view wild mustangs, let me know... preferably in Oregon or California, although I might be able to go to Nevada or New Mexico.

My research essay (it's pretty informal) is 23 pages long, and although I tried not to "romanticise" it too much (instructor's orders, lol), don't worry, I did include stories and bits of interesting info and stuff. And I found an awesome book, "Mustang" by Anthony Amaral (I considered stealing it from the library but then I decided that was morally wrong. And I might get fined.)

I learned some things while researching-- that American baskir curlies were bred from wild nevada curly mustangs, for example. What curlies are doing running wild in Nevada, I don't know, but I thought that was really interesting.

I tried to leave out the "but horses are so pretty and I like them so we should protect them" silly arguments, although I can't deny that horses have benefited from the fact that we find them beautiful, romantic, etc. Most people feel more emotionally toward a wild mustang than they would toward, say, coyotes or wild pigs or pigeons. But I don't think that's a bad thing, especially considering our long relationship with the horse. No animal has been more helpful or important in our history than horses have. And mustangs, specifically, helped shape American culture and history. Wild pigs didn't.

Besides updating the website which needs to be done badly, I will probably be doing a lot of riding and training this summer too, maybe some showing, I might blog about it later. I might show my appy Zippo if I can get him into shape, and I'll be working with our 2-yo stallion Blaze to start his training. Right now, as I type, a farrier is working on the horses, they are all getting new shoes so we can start riding them.

And the beach, which is too cold and windy and wet most of the year, is a paradise for riding in the summer. I am definately going to go on some long rides on the beach, in the summer nothing is better than galloping across the sand on an endless, isolated beach. When the fog is coming in it's a bit eerie and all you can see is your hoofprints behind you and the gray haze all around. When it's a nice sunny day, the ocean breeze is nice and cool and it excites the horses and makes for a fun ride. I miss it!

Barbaro's Break down...

2006-05-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

I saw the Barbaro win the Kentucky Derby but didn't watch the Preakness... I just came online to find news that Barbaro broke down early in the race, and there were plenty of pictures of him limping badly on his right rear leg.

I really thought that we might see a triple crown winner this year with his large lead in the derby... but that's gone now. He might recover to be used as a stud, but his injuries seem pretty bad. I found a few news stories but they all said he 'fractured his ankle' (not written by a horse person...) but I finally came across one that described his injuries in more detail:

"Barbaro sustained a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint - the ankle - was dislocated. " http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/05/21/ap2761948.html

Wow, he's really lucky to still be alive. Any other horse would probably just have been euthanized immediately. They mention that he was placed in a pool so he could awaken from the anesthesia without stressing out the leg, but how will they keep the weight off the leg for the long months it will take to heal? Slings? I have heard of keeping horses suspended while legs heal but have never actually known someone who has done that with a horse.

Horses that dig wells...

2006-05-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Huh, I've never heard of this before... Wild horses off North Carolina live on Shackleford banks, a small 9-mile long island, and they will dig themselves watering holes. I didn't know horses would do that. According to the website, http://www.shacklefordhorses.org/about.htm these horses have very unique territorial behavior... but it doesn't explain exactly what those behaviors are.

There seem to be a lot of wild horses off the Eastern coast, there is an island off Georgia that has them, and of course Asseteague and Chincoteague islands... and I'm sure there are others. But these horses don't seem to be managed by BLM like mustangs are.

The pic on this page, of the "flaxen" stallion http://www.shacklefordhorses.org/stories/colors.htm is actually a bay silver dapple... rare color and he is a GORGEOUS example of one, one of the most striking silver bays I've seen.

Random stuff from today...

2006-05-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day, I took a break from writing my horse research paper (see below; yes, I will probably publish it on the site when it's done) and I went out to till our arena and work with my young stallion, Blaze. He just turned two and he is a well-mannered boy (and if he stays that way I'll probably keep him a stallion). I plan to maybe start light riding him in the summer, for now I was just doing ground work with him-- getting him to turn, back up, etc. He's very good (especially since I haven't worked with him for months) but the only problem he has is he tends to want to follow and turn into you when leading-- I really like horses to stay out of my space and he tends to bring his shoulder in too close when leading.

Our arena is situated up on a hill, so it's surrounded by trees on one side and an open view of the surrounding hills on the other. It's a beautiful spot to work with horses in the summer time (in winter it's a swamp...). I love living out on a ranch and seeing wildlife-- the other day my sister saw a cougar, and today an eagle flew over our arena and I could hear the soft whooshing of its wings. There are also frogs and salamanders on the edge of the arena where water seeps out of the hillside, and today I saw several tiny frogs that would fit on my fingernail. I should take and post some pics soon... but I don't have a digital camera (any kind person want to buy me one?) otherwise I would.

Wild Horses as Native Wildlife

2006-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm writing a college research paper on wild horses in North America, and I'm arguing that they should be reclassified as reintroduced native wildlife because 1) Horses originally evolved here 2) Humans may have caused the extinction of the horse 3) the Native horses were the same species as domestic horses 4) Horses have been in N. America for several hundred years and have become a part of the ecosystem

. If anyone has any websites or print articles with research regarding this, I'd appreciate it if you left a comment or sent an email. So far I have started the paper and am going into the evolution of the horse in North America, from eohippus up through Equus in the pleistocene epoch. I am looking at the various theories of the extinction-- there appear to be two major theories, the "overkill" hypothesis that states early humans hunted large mammals to extinction, and the "climate" hypothesis in which the animals were unable to adapt to a change in weather and vegetation. The most popular theory appears to be a combo of the two.

I also heard about a third less popular "surviving horses" theory that states that some horses may have survived and may have interbred with introduced horses. But there is no fossil evidence. I'm curious as to why anyone seriously considers this theory as possible. I can't find any scholarly articles on this theory, other than a reference to "Clutton-Brock 1981" but I'm unable to locate this source.

I also heard of some small horses that live on the Pima indian reservation in Az... actually when I was down there I met a young Indian woman who said her brother captured some to train them. I checked with the BLM and there are no herd management areas there, so who owns these "wild" horses? Are they property of the tribe? Are they spanish mustangs? If anyone has any info on this I'd really appreciate it.

I was able to locate Weinstock's mitochondrial DNA research that claims there were two species of equine in N. America-- the Stilt-legged horse and the caballine (true) horse that is the same species as the modern horse.

It's interesting to see how we humans define "nature" and "natural". If the horse had "naturally" been reintroduced to North America, or had been hunted to the brink of extinction but later experienced population expansion, it would be considered native. But if it was released by humans, it no longer is considered native. The truth is that there is really little-- if any-- nature left, and when we set up these goals to preserve something as natural, or to manage things to keep them 'natural', by our very interference we are making things unnatural... I could turn this essay into a commentary on our society and how we view ourselves as separate from nature, but how we really aren't.

Funeral for fallen police horse

2006-03-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Toronto, Canada:

"Brigadier was a "true hero" who made "the ultimate sacrifice," he said.
The eight-year-old Belgian cross, who stood 16 hands high and weighed more than 680
kilograms, was severely injured Feb. 24 when Bradfield tried to talk to an angry
motorist waiting in line at a drive-through ATM.
Police allege the driver made a U-turn and barrelled into Brigadier, smashing his front legs and
catapulting the chestnut-coloured horse over the roof of the vehicle.
As a crowd of horrified passersby gathered nearby, a police bullet ended Brigadier's
life as he thrashed around in pain and fear on the street where he had fallen. "

What kind of a person deliberately rams their car into a police horse?

And there is also this:

"Is this really how Toronto's finest want to spend taxpayer's money?
I am both a horse owner and a horse lover, but let's get real. Memorial services and the
public funds for them are for people, not animals." source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060308.LETTERS08-12/TPStory/Comment

I suppose you could take it further and say that it's waste of money for funerals for people too (after all, they're dead, right?) but the point of the funeral isn't for the deceased, it's for the living to remember them. If police officers want to have a funeral in memory of a police horse, then I think that's great. The horse was a part of their lives and it would be disrespectful (and probably upsetting to the officers) to just dump the body without any kind of official goodbye.

In the US, there are laws to protect police animals, but in Canada it's different:

"...Dozens of U.S. states have enacted laws to tackle the problem. Most, such as
Virginia and Minnesota, now make it a felony to kill a police animal. Others,
such as Ohio and Florida, even make harassing or interfering with a police
animal a crime. In 2000, the U.S. congress also enacted laws protecting animals
in federal law enforcement. "Sorry for the pun," says Watson, secretary for
the North American Police Work Dog Association, "but we finally have laws on the
books that have teeth in them to protect our dogs." ... Watson
maintains the laws have "decreased the assaults on the police animals."
North of the border, however, it's a much different story.
On Feb. 24, Brigadier, a majestic Belgian cross police horse, was violently struck in what
police call a deliberate hit and run in Scarborough. "Gentle Giant" had to be
shot to end his suffering. His rider, Const. Kevin Bradfield, broke his ribs and
had neck and leg injuries. Dirk Sankersingh is charged with dangerous operation
of a vehicle causing bodily harm and failing to remain at the scene of an
accident. Neither charge relates to the horse. Source: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1141513810373

No charges for fatally injuring the horse? If someone deliberately drove into a privately owned horse, I would think there would be some kind of charges for that!

Charged for NOT Coggins testing?

2006-02-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is a news story about a man that is accused of animal neglect. His horses were malnourished and one was dead. Starving horses is inexcusable, but what confused me is the charge that is being filed against the man for falure to test for EIA:

"Another charge has been filed against Bruce Teeter, who stands accused of
animal neglect. Marion County deputy prosecutor Kenford Carter added
the charge of failure to test for EIA, or Equine Infectious Anemia, to the
complaint against Teeter. Horse owners are required to perform the test
once a year, Carter said. According to the USDA, Equine Infectious Anemia is a viral disease for which there is no vaccine and no cure. The disease is spread by horseflies. To ensure that an animal is not harboring the virus, a simple test is performed. The Coggins test checks for EIA antibodies in the horse's blood." -http://www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060214/NEWS01/602140316/1002

Horse owners are required by who to perform the test? The article fails to say. I don't know of any horse owners that test all their horses yearly, nor do I know if any regulation that requires horses to all be tested yearly. Shots are done yearly, deworming bimonthly, shoeing every 6-8 weeks... but coggins tests?

EIA (Equine Infectious Anemia) is extremely rare and fatal. The only time that people will generally test is when they are buying a new horse, or when they are attending an event or show that requires current coggins. Travelling out-of-state generally requires a proof of current coggins (and current is considered 6 months, not 1 year).

Perhaps in Arkansas where EIA is more of a potential problem (more mosquitoes etc.) it's required. I would love to know, if anyone has any information on laws requiring coggins tests, please let me know.

Eww... horse testicles for dinner?

2006-02-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

I came across this news story. It's about a Chinese restaurant that specializes in serving sexual organs of various animals-- including donkeys, dogs, and horses.
Here are quotes, I don't think I need to comment:

Situated in an elegantly restored house beside Beijing's West Lake, it is
China's first speciality penis restaurant.
Here, businessmen and government officials can sample the organs of yaks, donkeys, oxen and even seals. In fact, they have to, since they form part of every dish - except for those containing testicles.
source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/17/wfood17.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/17/ixnewstop.html

Why would anyone want to eat this stuff? "In China, you are what you eat, and The Daily Telegraph's nutritionist, Zhu Yan, said the clients were mainly men eager to improve their yang, or virility."

You are what you eat? Does someone really want to become a.... oh, nevermind. It's pointless to argue about this.

Does it really work? "Mr Liu, the most regular customer, was uncertain but hopeful. 'I can't say I've noticed any difference yet,' he said."

I guess it's like our fad diets in a way. People here about something new or different, and lacking any type of evidence that it works, they try it and it fails.

The horses they are killing and eating are not American horses (American slaughtered horses generally end up in France, Belgium, and Japan) but rather are a type of chinese horse from the Xinjiang region. You can read about these "heavenly horses" here: http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_focus/2005-09/13/content_72757.htm or here: http://www.silkroadcn.com/xinjiang-horse.htm

Lions, Tigers, Ligers...

2006-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

This isn't horse-related, but I thought it was worth posting anyway. I came across this photo of a Liger (male lion X female tiger) and it is HUGE.

His name is Hurcules-- and he's over 10 ft long, and he's gorgeous.

There is info and photos at this rumors site http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/l/ligers.htm

Wild cats are one of my favorite animals, along with horses and dolphins. This is really off topic, but the other day I saw a show on dolphin research, and dolphins were being taught to distinguish between It's really sad that there are so few left in the world, and more and more of their habitat is being taken over.

This is amazing-- the T.I.G.E.R.S. institute offers a 2-year apprenticeship where you can learn to train big cats! Wow-- what an amazing opportunity! Too bad I don't have the time right now. It sounds like horse training, but a little more intense (A horse may trample you, but at least it won't eat you):

Do you want to learn to work with some of the most amazing animals? Do you
want to get up-close and personal with a variety of animals on a dialy basis? Do
you want to know what it takes to train animals for movies and television? Then
look no further, join the T.I.G.E.R.S. apprenticeship program today.
The Apprentice Program is a 2 year minimum live in program at the T.I.G.E.R.S.
ZOOLOGICAL PARK grounds in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and abroad.
This is a full time, 365 days a year task. It takes all of your time, with no vacations
and no free time off except in the evenings, a few times a year for the first
year or two. There are always animals that need your help, care, feeding and
cleaning at all times of the day and night. Animal training is more of a life
style than a job. Trained (not tame) animals need to be with you personally for
thousands of hours in order for you to establish a working relationship with
them. It takes many years of dedicated work to become a trainer.

Name a (Carousel) Horse

2006-01-02T14:42:00.001-08:00

For a donation of $500-5,000, you can name one of the 100-year-old Carousel Horses in San Francisco's Zeum. Besides horses with horsehair tails, the carousel also has hand-carved giraffes, rams, camels, and chariots.

If I could name one.... I'd probably name it after one of my horses (Quin)... either that, or name it after my website (call it Ultimate Horse? lol). What would you name yours?

You can see the Zeum Carosel's animals for naming at
http://www.zeum.org/carousel/

A Nail in the Hoof

2006-01-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

When you find an old nail in a horse pasture, you probably cringe at the thought of the damage it could do. I've always feared a nail in the hoof, but until the other day, had never witnessed it happening.
Mo-- our tall, fleabitten Arabian mare-- had just been turned out and was tossing her head as she galloped across the pasture. She was running, and then suddenly she stopped and came up drastically lame. She was almost hopping on three legs. My sister got a halter on her and lifted her hoof, and saw a slightly twisted nail protruding from the tip of Mo's frog. I was up the hill from where the pasture was when I heard her yelling for me. I grabbed pliers and ran down to take a look.

I took Mo's leg and saw that the nail was deep into her hoof-- because of her galloping, it had been driven in. It wasn't a small nail as I had expected- it was an older, thick 16-penny nail and it looked nasty. I dreaded that some vital spot had been injured, or that she'd come down with a terrible infection at having this dirty thing driven so far into her. It looked very painful and I was worried I'd hurt her

I kept her hoof in the air so the nail wouldn't go in further. I hadn't ever delt with a situation like this before, so I didn't know if I should clip the nail off first, or just pull the whole thing out, or how the horse would react. I decided just to go for it and yank it out with the pliers. I braced myself incase Mo struggled, but she seemed to be very glad that someone had noticed her injury and was helping. I gripped the nail and she flinched, but she didn't move as I quickly yanked it out. It was like pulling a nail from soft wood. Instantly a thick, bright crimson flood washed over her hoof, and onto the sleeve of my arm. It slowed within a few seconds and stopped. I cleaned her hoof out (my sister brought the materials while I held it up), washed the surface, then placed her hoof over a diaper and padded the sole with duct tape.

Diapers make wonderful hoof bandages, and I've used them in the past for abcesses. I walked her up the road to her stall, and she made a remarkable improvement. The first few steps were shaky, but as she walked she seemed to get better right away and only showed a trace of a limp.We called the vet to get some Penicillin, and they recommended that she also have a tetanus shot.Because the tetanus was given in the neck-- and because such a large dose of Penicillin was perscribed-- I had to give the penicillin in the rump. I always give shots in the neck, because for me it's easier, but I wiped the muscle in her hindquarters down with alcohol and got ready to administer the 25ccs of penicillin. She is always a little nervous at having shots; she doesn't act bad, but she sometimes flinches or jumps when she's poked. When I placed the needle in, I unfortunately hit a vein and the blood slowly dripped out of the end of the needle. Poor Mo had to endure another jab to the rear before I got the needle placed well and gave her the penicillin.
After a few days of Penicillin and hoof bandaging, she was mostly healed, and now it's been over a week and there is no sign of lameness and she's all better.
An injury like that, however, can lead to infection, but since we caught it right away and treated it, Mo was fine.

Horse Hits Car - Driver Awarded $900,000

2005-12-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

This occured in Australia. I found the wording strange-- "car was hit by a horse"... "horse fell on moving car..."-- then I re-read it, and apparently the poor escaped horse was hit by a car, and landed on the lady's car.

"...A $900,000 payout to a Ballan woman who was seriously injured when a
horse fell on the bonnet of her moving car has been confirmed by the Court of
Appeal. Sherilee Meech, now 30, suffered a fractured skull, loss of vision
in her left eye, partial vision in her right eye and loss of hearing in one ear
when her car was hit by a horse..."

"A County Court jury found the horse's owner, Samantha McLean, and
her parents' company, AD and SM McLean Pty Ltd, which owns the vineyard where
the horse was agisted, had been negligent in allowing the horse to escape."
source: http://www.thecourier.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&story_id=446864&category=General%20News&m=12&y=2005

The story doesn't mention if the horse lived or not, but I doubt it. But it brings up an interesting question.
Do you think that if a horse escapes, it is the owner's fault? I would say yes if the owners leave gates open, have poor fencing, etc.-- but accidents can happen and a frightened horse can break out of even good fencing.

Horse Abuse Case: Man drags horse with truck

2005-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

I couldn't believe this:
http://nwanews.com/story.php?paper=bcdr§ion=News&storyid=26410

Trevor McKinley tied a horse to a truck and dragged it until the horse collapsed from exhaustion. The horse had severe dehydration from loss of sweat and the hooves had been worn down to the bones. (!!!!)

This 'man' said that the horse tried to bite his children.
Apparently he bought the horse for his daughter and is claiming "ignorance" (right, like someone can drag an animal half to death and think it's OK...)

A jury will decide whether he is guilty of abuse or if he was just "ignorant" (In my opinion, that's just as bad).

The news story doesn't mention if the horse will live or not, but if an injury is so bad as to have worn away the sole of the hoof, I doubt the horse will make it. Even cases of founder where a horse's bone has come through the sole of the hoof are mostly fatal because the sensitive laminae is easily infected and has a hard time healing. Injuries to the sensitive laminae of a horse's hoof are extremely painful (think splinters jammed under your toenails) and the amount of pain this horse must have experienced is unthinkable. I hope the horse is receiving proper veterinary care.

I've never seen, or heard of anyone, going so far as to work a horse to the point of collapse. It's unheard of. He must have dragged the horse an incredible distance to cause it to be dehydrated nearly to the point of death.

Now, he and his lawyers are trying to claim "ignorance". What kind of an excuse is that?? What kind of a lawyer would take this case? You can't do a thing as barbaric as this man did out of 'ignorance'. You just can't. After a short time the horse would begin to sweat, stumble, and limp as its hooves wore away. A person could never let a horse get to such bad shape unless they were intentionally trying to hurt it.

The sad part is, if he's convicted, he faces a maximum of a year in jail or $1,000 fine or both. Most horses cost more than tha.
If he had done this to another person's horse, he'd be facing several thousand dollars in veterinary bills plus the price of the horse. I just don't see a $1,000 fine being enough.

I wonder what breed/age/sex the horse is (its a male) and if it will live. If anyone has more info let me know. If I find more info I'll post it.

Some people should never have horses.

*rant over*

Teacher Rides to Work

2005-10-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Doesn't sound like a bad idea! Save gas, enjoy your horse, and get some fresh air by riding to work:

Carl McKeeth, a high school teacher in Wisconsin, decided to saddle up and ride to work after gas prices hit $3/gallon. He says it saves him more than $40/week on gas. It takes him an hour and 13 minutes to ride his horse from his home to Arcadia High Shool. The principal allowed him to build a pen to keep his horse at the school.

You might enjoy our newest joke: Save Gas, Ride a Horse

WNV Found in Washington State

2005-09-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

WNV is now in Washington state:

West Nile virus has been found in a horse in Yakima County, the state
Department of Agriculture announced yesterday.
The discovery marked the first case this year in a horse that was infected in Washington state. Earlier this month, the virus was detected separately in mosquitoes and a magpie, both in
Yakima County.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002517062_westnile24m.html

Horse Theft Scam

2005-09-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

I just received an email warning about a horse theft scam:

I'm posting this from a member of the upstate (SC) so that we can all be vigilant with our horses. If you have people who work for you at your farm, or family members, please make them aware to be very cautious. If they are approached, they should call 911 immediately. If anyone has any further information on this, please share it:

I just wanted to let you know about a scam going on in our tristate area. 2 people pull up to your farm and flash a piece of paper stating it is a court order and they are from the Humane Society and they are there to take their horses because they have not taken care of them properly. They pull up when they know the person in charge is not there and no one knows what is going on. They load up the horses and off they go. 30 horses have been stolen so far. They keep changing trucks and trailers so it is hard to catch them. Please let everyone know about this scam and beware!!!

Senate OKs Horse Slaughter Amendment

2005-09-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Horse slaughter may soon be stopped:

The U.S. Senate Sept. 20 voted 68-29 in favor of an amendment to bar
federal funds from being used to facilitate horse slaughter.
The House
approved a companion amendment, which also keeps American horses from being
shipped abroad for slaughter, on June 8. Now, the two will go to a conference
committee.

Source: http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=30103

Filly's Tail Set on Fire

2005-08-31T22:11:00.000-07:00

This story was recently posted on our message board. A group of teenage girls attacked a 2-yr old filly named Dixie, spraying her tail with flammable liquid then setting it on fire, and laughing as she ran and screamed in terror.

The filly's owner was away at the time of the attack.
Dixie tail and dock were seriously burned, leaving gaping wounds, and her initial chance of survival was set at 60%. Her owners spend 6 hours a day changing bandages, and the filly is on antibiotics and bute. Even if she does recover, she may need to have the tail amputated or may not be able to grow hair back.

I was shocked at the cruelty of this case and hope posting might bring more attention and help to Dixie. I don't know how anyone can be so evil as to purposefully injure an animal like this. Apparently the brats later bragged to classmates about doing it.

You can visit Dixie's page for photos, how to contact her owners, and how to send donations:
http://www.chboa.com/dixie.html#news
Warning- graphic photos

The owners have received, according to this story, 5,000 phone calls, some in support, and some critisizing the owners for not putting the horse down. I found this shocking-- who would be rude (or ignorant?) enough to call a stranger and assume to know what's best for their horse?

The filly is recovering and her chances of survival are now up to 90%.

DNA Shows Wrong Stallion Purchased

2005-08-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This sucks.... A man paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a stallion, Dubai Excellence, and a few months later a DNA test confirmed that the horse he received was the wrong horse.

MICHAEL FORD: The second round of DNA tests from two sets of hair samples proved that Dubai Excellence is not the imported stallion standing at Evergreen
Lodge.
DAVID WEBER: So what horse has Ted van Heemst got?
MICHAEL FORD: Well that’s the question, and we’ll be working closely with
our English counterparts, Weatherby's, to help the owners determine which
stallion really was exported and where the real Dubai Excellence is now.

source: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2005/s1441987.htm

KY may change horse drug laws

2005-08-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is interesting:

Gov. Ernie Fletcher could sign an emergency regulation as early as this
week that would drastically tighten Kentucky's drug policy for racehorses and
establish sanctions for breaking the rules.
...
It will limit race-day medications for horses to anti-bleeding drugs. Whitaker said any regulation signed by Fletcher would include a starting date. That could be critical to trainers readying horses at Ellis Park in Henderson, the only Kentucky thoroughbred track running, because the new rules change the times when certain drugs can be administered.

Under the policy endorsed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, a horse may receive Salix, the anti-bleeder formerly called Lasix, up to four hours before post
time. Two other anti-bleeder medications can also be given on race day. Current Kentucky rules allow three anti-inflammatory drugs on race day in addition to Salix and another anti-bleeder. The new policy permits only one anti-inflammatory, and requires it to be injected more than 24 hours before post time.
source: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/BUSINESS/508170386

Most horse people have given Bute (often called "horse aspirin") to their horses for one reason or another, just as most people have taken aspirin themselves.
I know a lot of people that use bute on healthy horses prior to competition, just as human atheletes may take an aspirin. It's not a big deal, and most vets recommend it. This law would make it so any anti-inflammitory drugs have to be given at least 24 hrs before competition-- which is often what many people do with bute anyway.

Lasix is a diuretic drug that is used to prevent lung bleeding in horses during competition. It works by making the horse urinate, which thickens the blood to reduce lung bleeding. Some horses-- and some people-- will have lungs that bleed during exercise. Since it is a diuretic, horses need to be given plenty of water after having lasix, to preven dehydration.
However, from what I've read, lasix can be abused by giving large amounts to racehorses in order to make them urinate, which can make them loose a lot of water weight and help them to run faster. I have no idea if, or how, this works, but it can't be good for a horse's health.

The proposed new rules are intended to address any confusion and bring Kentucky into line with other states. Supporters of a uniform national standard contend that years of medication may have weakened the breed. They argue that creating a consistent drug policy would give bettors an even playing field, because medication rules would be consistent across state lines. People who support the current policy said that allowing multiple anti-inflammatory agents on race day is humane, equating those drugs to painkillers taken by human athletes. Kentucky is among 25 states that have adopted or are adopting the model drug rules developed by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, said Dan Fick, the group's chairman and executive director of The Jockey Club.

2005-08-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Maryland may be building a neat horse park:

Wicomico and five other counties have submitted letters of interest to the
Maryland Stadium Authority to have the park built in their back yards.
The proposed 867-acre site in Hebron, owned by Brian Evans, would offer interactive attractions that include fox chasing, show jumping, endurance riding and a horse industry museum.
source: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050817/NEWS01/508170308/1002

Darn, no barrel racing...

Horse Contest for you...

2005-08-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

We are going to have some kind of a contest for prizes. What kind do you think would be best? I started a thread on it at: http://ultimatehorsesite.com/horseboard/viewtopic.php?p=83122

Dewormers & Dogs

2005-08-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

This is another post about the concern that dogs might be poisoned from horse dewormers if they eat the horse's poop...

I got a comment about it:

All dogs eat horse poop. In fact, the American Indian word for dog litteraly means, "Horse poop eater". My dogs are fines and I think the dewormer kills all worms, but you might want to wait a few days, just in case, to let your dogs out. Better safe then sorry.

Of course, I'd call my vet if concerned. But I highly doubt any dog was called "horse poop eater" by any American Indian tribe-- especially since dogs came before horses. From what I've read, horses were often called "Big Dog", because that is what they were first thought to be.

Utah Horse with WNV Euthanized

2005-08-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

VACCINATE YOUR HORSES!!!
While I have heard occaisional WNV foaling horror stories-- foals born deformed or stillborn in mares vaccinated with WNV-- vets I talk to all say that there is no proof and it's better to vaccinate, than loose both mare & foal to WNV. Would appreciate input/links with more info on this subject.

Horse in Utah with WNV Euthanized:

The horse, a five-year-old quarter horse gelding, had to be destroyed due to the
severity of it's symptoms.According to sources, the animal had not traveled
outside the area for the past 12 months and was not vaccinated for against the
virus. Source: http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_217143945.html

About 1/3 of horses that contract WNV die from it. 80% of WNV cases in horses happen in August & September.

"Animal Rights" Extremists Protest Horse Show

2005-07-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

A Scotland show with Andalusians, Friesians, and other highly-trained horses is being protested by radical 'animal rights' protesters, under the claim that the riders use tight reins to control the horses, and riding is a strain on their muscles....
How long until they go after local horse shows and events, or even horseback riding in general?

"A cast of 30 horses from Russia, Holland, Germany, Spain and the UK star
in Europe's largest equestrian touring theatre show tomorrow.
The show involves Spanish horsemen on classic Andalusian mounts, Cossack daredevil riders, Arabian stallions, equestrian ballet and friesians. "

The campaign manager of the extremist group:

"Horses used in circuses are often controlled by tight reins. These, along with some of the tricks they are made to perform, can place an unnatural and severe strain on their muscles. This company makes money out of forcing horses to perform degrading and unnatural tricks."
Source: http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1706082005

Seeing a skilled horse and rider perform is beautiful. It is not a 'trick', nor is it a severe strain or abuse.

No sane person wants to see animals abused, but 'animal rights' groups go too far in attacking anything that has to do with animals. There is an alternative to the extremists groups, with 'animal welfare' groups such as National Animal Interest Alliance -- promoting the well-being and proper care of animals but not banning their use all together. Before you send money to something that sounds innocent like a "Humane Society", make sure it's not working to destroy the wonderful relationship between animals and people.

New Article on the website: "The Unknown Danger", an article by Ron Hevener, that describes an incident where a horse farm was attacked by extremists.

Horse with Hayfever

2005-07-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

A horse with hayfever!
Jul 25 2005

Teddy the horse has to sleep
on piles of newspapers - because he suffers from hay-fever.
If the 14-year-old is exposed to hay or straw, he starts coughing and wheezing as if he were having an asthma attack....

The rest is at: http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15778897&method=full&siteid=50003&headline=a-horse-with-hayfever--name_page.html

Horse Ride Benefits Shriners

2005-07-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Horse ride benefits Shriners
from Billings Gazette
CHEYENNE - A man who spent five months on horseback traveling from east Texas to Las Vegas and through Colorado arrived here at last for Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Mike Hansen, of Hitchcock, Texas - a town of about 6,000 people southeast of Houston - made the ride to raise money for Shriners Hospital, which helped his son, Clayton, recover from a serious burn nine years ago.
Clayton, then 12, and friends had started a fire with gasoline. Some of the gasoline got on Clayton's leg, and his pants caught fire when they tried to stomp the fire out.

"Now you can hardly tell he was burned," Hansen said. "They did a good job on him."
The treatment was free, but Hansen hoped to repay the favor by handing out donation envelopes to people he met along his trip.

Can Horse Dewormers Poison Dogs?

2005-07-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Got a strange question regarding dewormers:

Gross as it is, my dogs eat horse poop. I worry that they could get poisoned
after I deworm the horses. Is this reasonable, or does the toxin somehow get
denatured as it passes through the horse?

If anyone out there knows.... please comment or email!

Horse Meat For Dinner?

2005-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

A restaurant in New Zealand has started serving a dish called "Mr. Ed is Dead"-- horse steaks. The restaurant is called Canvas and is located in Hamilton, North Island, NZ.

Restaurant owner David Kerr said Wednesday that he received lots of complaints
and abusive phone calls after he started serving horse steaks at his eatery in
Hamilton, North Island, as part of an annual event during which restaurateurs
compete to offer the best out-of-the-ordinary culinary delights to diners.
Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050713.wedit0713/BNStory/Front/

And the other news story:

Wild horses, Kaimanawa or otherwise, could not drag Sir Patrick to the dish.
"I'm not impressed at all at the fact that horse meat is available as a delicacy
in a restaurant in Hamilton," he said. The dish was "distasteful". "My life with
horses has been my passion," said Sir Patrick. "If it was the last restaurant in
Hamilton I wouldn't be having it." Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10335737

Canvas Restaurant Contact Details:
1 Grantham Street Hamilton
Phone 0-7-839 2535
Website: http://www.mcafe.co.nz/page/mcafe_3.php

Parade in Washington D.C. in Sept

2005-07-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

I recieved an email the other day after our newsletter went out:

--------
Hello Ultimate Horsesite!
I love your site & your newsletter. I wanted to let you know that on Saturday September 3, 2005 we (grassroots organization - United States Equine National Treasure Association) are sponsoring a Parade in Washington D.C. called "Ride for Freedom, The Spirit of the Horse" to celebrate the history of the horse and all equines to support the ban on horse-slaughter in the United States.

We have room for 300 parade-ready horses, 30 wagons or carriages and 100 Ford Mustangs to honor Ford Motor Company in their efforts to save the wild mustangs sent to slaughter. The ride is FREE.(10$ administration fee for getting your parade # etc.) It is for every person that would like to participate and be at the White House to make our voices heard that it is NOT ok to slaughter horses. We do not care if those who want to go agree with everything on our site - we are giving those who want to raise their voices loud and clear an opportunity to be in Washington D.C. on horseback, on carriages, on foot or in any year model Ford Mustang. We have made arrangements with a Cedarville State Forest for camping with your horse(s) and also have a list of hotels that may provide discounted rates for the Ride for Freedom, Spirit of the Horse. Camping fees are $25 per nite. Please check out our site, www.usenta.org We hope you will link your site and help spread the word.

Thank you,Patti Stafford
803-631-0917
-------------------

You can go to www.usenta.org to find out more about the organization.

Horse Dies of EEE Virus in Alabama

2005-07-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

Horse owners need to make sure that their horses have their 4-way shots (Vaccinates against EEE, WEE, Tetanus, and Influenza) and their West Nile Virus shots:

GRAND BAY, Ala. (AP)_Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a dangerous mosquito-borne virus, is blamed for killing a horse in Grand Bay.Mobile County health officials said
yesterday the animal died June 12th and had not been vaccinated against the
disease.

Full story: http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=3501055&nav=0RdEbGuW

Rodeo Horse Stolen in Arkansas

2005-07-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

If you're in AR, keep your eyes open for this stolen horse:

Horse Stolen After Rodeo By The Morning News:
SPRINGDALE -- A horse that carried the American flag in Monday night's Rodeo of the Ozarks was stolen. Badger, a light gray horse, was missing Tuesday morning when the rodeo stock was checked at Parsons Stadium in Springdale. Badger, valued at $20,000 by his owner Stace Smith Pro Rodeo, is about 15.2 hands tall, with four socks. A freeze brand on its left shoulder is only visible when the horse is wet, according to a news release from the Rodeo of the Ozarks.Police are investigating the robbery, according to Capt. Bob Bersi, of the Springdale Police Department. Anyone with information can call the stadium office at (479) 756-0464, or at (877) 92-RODEO.

Rare Kaimanawa Horses Slaughtered

2005-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Kaimanawa horse is a rare breed of horse that roams wild in New Zealand. Most people have never heard of this horse-- even the largest horse breed listing, OK State Breeds of Livestock Project , and the International Museum of the Horse, makes no mention of these rare horses. You can read the history of the Kaimanawa horses at the Kaimanawa Breed Society website. Feral horses have been roaming New Zealand since the 1870's. The horses are seen as a threat to native wildlife and plantlife, and are shot by helicopter, poisoned, or rounded up and sent to slaughterhouses if no homes are found.
A recent online news article stated that 31 would be sent to a slaughterhouse since no homes were found:

The Department of Conservation this week declined an application by the Wild
Horses of Aotearoa (Whoa) Trust to find homes for 31 of the 57 horses culled
from fragile tussock country near Waiouru. The Kaimanawa Wild Horse
Preservations Society found homes for 26 of the cull, and the remaining 31 were
destined for the abattoir. DoC Wanganui Conservator Bill Carlin said the
department’s Wild Horse Advisory Group received a proposal by Whoa in April to
take any unwanted horses...

Kaimanawa horses are hardy animals that have adapted to the harsh climate and are thought to be a mixture of Exmoor, "Comet", local domestic horses. In 1960 an Arabian stallion was turned loose. They resemble New Forest and Welsh breeds.

An excerpt from the Kaimanawa Breed Society website states:

To our knowledge there is no documented proof that this particular herd has
been introduced and have not evolved here on their own.
In 1981 the Kaimanawa wild horses were given a protected status under the "Wildlife Order (No.2)". From then numbers gradually increased. (since then the protected status has been lifted, KHBSI)
Now, it is unknown what the fate of the Kaimanawa wild horses will be. It is thought by some that after the round-up of 1200 horses that too few will be left in the wild to maintain the gene pool.

To read more about this rare breed and see photos, visit: http://www.kaimanawa.com/

"Tack" from "Tackle"?

2005-05-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Got a question regarding terminology:

My neighbor adamently disagrees with me that the word "tack", referring to horse
equipment and tools, comes from the longer term "tackle". I've known this since
I rode as a child, when my father took me to tackle shops, or we put our saddles
up in the tack room.
The words are used alternately - am I correct?

And I answered back:

Sorry, but I'd have to say your neighbor is correct-- it looks possible that 'tack' was derived from 'tackle', but today horse people refer to their equiptment as 'tack'. I did a Google search and found very few relevant results for "horse tackle"-- just a handful and mostly by non-horse websites.

I don't know what part of the world you are in, but in some places the terminology is different-- for example, a 'Grulla' colored horse here in the US might be a 'blue dun' in the UK. However, if "tackle" was used in other parts of the world, I'd expect to see it more widely used online. It is possibly that 'tackle' as used more often in the past and has been shortened to 'tack' in more recent years.

I looked up "tack" in the American Heritage Dictionary online, and it says "short for tackle" under the horse definition.

If anyone has any suggestions or additional info on this, feel free to comment.

Natural Dewormers?

2005-05-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Got an email with an interesting question. If you know the answer, or have any suggestions, please post a reply!!

"First off I want to say how much I like your site and find many things that I love to do and share with others. Thank you.

I was wondering if there is any natural or old time dewormers that work or help to keep the worm population down. I had found some on the internet but did not bookmark it and now I can not find any. Thank you for your time. The kids love you site. SO does out horse club."

Lack of updates

2005-05-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates on the site, blog, etc.
I have not been where I can get internet access.... my laptop is having a problem and it may be a week or two before I can get it fixed. You can still send me content etc. which I will sort through when everything is back up & running.

"The horse that time forgot"

2005-04-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting story:

Gallant Fox, second of 11 horses to sweep the Triple Crown, is still strangely remembered for one of the few races he lost 75 years ago, to the longshot Jim Dandy in the Travers at Saratoga.

Jim Dandy was an ordinary horse — he raced until he was 12, winning seven of 141 starts — but Saratoga has been running a race in his name since 1964, solely because in 1930 he defeated Gallant Fox about nine weeks after Belair Stud's brilliant colt had won the Belmont Stakes to sweep the Triple Crown.

From:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-horse28apr28,1,3745861.story?coll=la-headlines-sports&ctrack=1&cset=true

Wow... another clone

2005-04-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Another horse cloned, this time in Texas. This would be the first horse cloned in North America:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/11521883.htm

Can you believe this??

2005-04-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, for example, said there is "simply not
enough habitat to support the number of horses out there," a spokeswoman said.

I wonder if there would be enough habitat if the livestock and cattle were reduced.

Should Wild Horse Slaughter be Outlawed?

2005-04-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

VOTE "YES"! There's a poll up-- should unwanted wild horses be slaughtered?
Vote At: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/

I don't agree with the wording of the poll, however. "Unwanted"? These are wild horses being removed off our public land so private cattle can graze.... it's not like there is an overpopulation (in 70% of the herds, the BLM has 'appropriate management levels' too small to ensure the horse's survival, and livestock graze 70% of the land, while horses eat 5%.)
I wish they would include some facts in there... for all you know, there could be a million wild horses, they poll doesn't say that there are only about 32,000 left, 98% less than in the 1900's.

Anyway, at least they are doing a poll on it!! Go vote 'yes' now!

Horse Dies During "Flicka" Filming

2005-04-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Apparently this is the 2nd horse that died during the making of the film. The other had broken its leg and needed to be euthanized. From Reuters news story:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A mustang horse broke its neck and died
during filming of the 20th Century Fox movie "Flicka," a remake of 1943 classic
"My Friend Flicka."
The horse was killed Monday during filming at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center in the San Fernando Valley. According to the City of Los Angeles' Department of Animal Services, which conducted an investigation, the horse was running when it stepped on its own lead rope and broke its neck.
Animal Services is ruling the death an accident. Animal Services spokeswoman
Karen Knipscheer said that production was not shut down at the time of the
accident, and filming resumed Tuesday. She said the production was informed that
it could no longer use the horses involved in the incident, which were domestic
rodeo horses. Knipscheer said their owner was shipping them home to Montana.

I don't know what they mean by not being able to use the horses involved in the incident. I thought only 1 horse died....

I know some people are upset by this. It's always sad when a horse dies.... but horses die every day because accidents happen.

Maybe the people were irresponsible; but horses injure and kill themselves every day. I know of a few horses that have broken their necks by running into fence posts, or just slipping on the ground.

I never really liked the flicka books-- but it' a horse movie, so I'll see it. I think a movie should be made about Ruffian!

About "Milt"...

2005-04-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

After I sent out my newsletter with information on a foal's milt and saying I'd send a screensaver to the first person to get me a photo, I got a few responses right away... But sorry Caitlin, that's fish milt, and Paintcrazy, the photo has to be one you took. Sorry about that :-)

Newsletter sent

2005-04-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

I sent out the monthly newsletter, you can see the changes, updates, etc. at http://ultimatehorsesite.com

I sent it out early because I'm not going be here for a few weeks... so if I'm slow in answering my emails, that is why.

Enjoy the updates, and don't forget to send me your stories, articles, or whatever else you might want featured on the site!

Small Victory - Wild Horse Sales Suspended!

2005-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Letters, calls, emails-- they are making a difference! After 6 wild horses were slaughtered-- and today a few more-- sales have been suspended because of public outrage! Read the newest alerts from the American Wild Horse Protection Campaign. I've posted them, along with how to contact your legislators, on this page.Please call, write, email, and fax your legislators today. You've got to keep it up and let them know how you feel.

Champion Endurance Horse Cloned

2005-04-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is interesting. An endurance champion, Pieraz, was cloned in Italy. The foal was born Feb 25th, 2005. While Thoroughbred racing has bans on cloned horses (thank goodness-- who'd want 10 Secretariats racing against each other? ) endurance doesn't have such rules (neither does barrel racing, roping, dressage, jumping, halter, cutting, reining, or any other sports that I'm aware of, but most news stories fail to mention that).

Pieraz's clone with his birth mother-- he will turn gray like Pieraz

However, the reason Pieraz was cloned is because he is a gelding-- and his owners want to breed him. I'm sure many gelding owners have had thought, "If only he was a stud..." but until now, it's just been wishful thinking.
The foal won't likely be used in competition, just as a stud. I know some people have strange notions about cloning, that it will some how 'bring back', in a sense, beloved pets, but really it's just like creating an identical twin. As twins know, they are individuals, they just share the same DNA so look like each other. There's no guarantee that a cloned animal will have the same personality as its original 'parent', or be as good in competition.

Actually I've read some white markings are created by the migration of cells after birth-- so clones may not even look identical and can have different white markings. Kind of irrelevant, but interesting!

On the
left, you can see Pieraz, ridden by Valerie Kanavy, who was the owner and the
trainer of the horse. On the right, Eric Palmer, from Cryozootech, is talking
with Pieraz's clone." source: Primidi.com

Pieraz's clone, named, get this, Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion has the same DNA as Pieraz, so breeding to the clone will get you the genes Pieraz the gelding can't pass on. Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion (his barn name is apparently the shorter and creative Pieraz II) was created out of about 200 tries. Only 3 mares were impregnated, and Pieraz II was the only foal born.
It made me wonder, what would they have done if 3 were born? "New on Ebay! Lot of 2 Pieraz clones!..." Sorry, bad joke.

However, from what I've read, endurance horses don't seem to come from any particular champion lines, and aren't specifically bred for like racehorses are. Also, unlike TB racing, endurance racing doesn't pay a lot. Maybe when you get to the top, but most people give out tack or prizes.
So I'm wondering why the time, effort, and cost was used to create this horse. Will there be any demand for his stud service? If he turns out to be a great stud, will it even be worth it--why not go out and find another great horse?

I wonder what kind of effect this is going to have on horse breeding. Will registries accept cloned horses? Will competitions allow clones, or offspring of clones, to compete? If not, would they allow identical twins to compete, which are 'natural' clones? How could they tell cloned competitors anyway (DNA test every horse?) What will happen to the gene pool if people start using clones for breeding? A champion mare could have 10 clones which are bred every year. Would someone with a champion stud just clone him every 10-15 years as needed, letting his genes live on forever? I can see how these uses could do the opposite and create poor quality horses that are too inbred.
Cloning is relatively new, expensive, and difficult, so this is all probably not happening any time soon, but still it's something to think about.

Pieraz is an Arab (makes sense), but two stories I've seen say "thoroughbred", and one says "Thoroughbred Arab". I'm guessing these are just errors made because they don't realize a TB is a breed...

More news on Pieraz II, from horse magazines: Horse & Hound - Standardbred Canada (says he's a TB -
I'm having trouble accessing the New Scientist article on it, but if I can get it I'll post it.

This one is weird-- I can understand their concerns about cloning (I have them too) but describing someone who gelds a horse as 'cruel' and saying an edurance horse 'galloped to victory' to win 'big bucks'.... ?

Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion - hopefully this is only a working name; we
shall refer to him as PCS - is the clone of world endurance champion Pieraz who
may have galloped his way to victory and big bucks, but was deprived by his
cruel mistress the pleasures attendant to procreation. In brief, he was
castrated at a young age.
Had his mistress been a kinder soul, Pieraz would have retired to pastures green, chased doe-eyed mares in spring sunshine whenever he fancied a bit of frolic, or a roll in the hay during winter, and sired his own brood of racehorses. But that was not to be.

Also, this article - "Castrated Horse Becomes Dad" -- mentions:

Scientists say that the cloning of complex multi-celled organisms is still at an
early technological stage.
Cloning entails taking an egg, removing its nucleus, and replacing it with the nucleus of any cell taken from the donor animal.
This nucleus contains almost all of the donor's genetic code, so if the egg is then transplanted into a surrogate and results in a birth, the offspring should be a genetic duplicate in all but negligible detail.
However, most cloning attempts result in miscarriages because the egg fails to develop properly. In addition, cloned mammals face a high risk of falling sick or dying young, apparently because of flaws inflicted to the genetic code during the cloning process.

I have started a thread on the message board for discussion, visit it here, and post what you think.
Would you ever clone your horse?
Do you think that cloning is OK if someone wants to dupicate champion horses? Or does that give them an unfair advantage?
Do you think it's OK to use it to allow a gelded/injured horse's genes to be passed on? Do you see cloning as a threat to the horse community? What should be done to prevent abuse? Some interesting things to think about!

Silent Witness Wins Again

2005-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Silent Witness has won again-- his 17th consecutive win, making him the current record holder for most consecutive race wins. Cigar and Citation tie second with 16 consecutive wins each.

A sponsor has offered $3 million for a matchup at the Santa Anita Park track in
Los Angeles, with the winner taking home $2 million and the rest going to the
loser, the South China Morning Post reported, quoting Silent Witness' owner,
Archie da Silva.

Ghostzapper, an American horse described as a 'freak' because of his speed, may race against Silent Witness in a match race some time in the future, which is exciting. Ghostzapper is the world's top-rated racehorse and the winner of the Breeder's Cup Classic.

Both horses are five year olds. It's nice to see mature horses racing-- a lot of horse people feel that 2 and 3 is too young to begin riding, let alone racing, as a horse's bones and body have not matured yet. This reminds me, I should set up an age chart on my site, comparing horse age to human age. Each horse year is equivalent to 3 human years (roughly)-- so a 5-year-old horse equivalent to a 15-year-old in human years.

Silent Witness - a 17th win?

2005-04-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup is running today (April 24th) in Hong Kong. Silent Witness, who has so far won all 16 times he has raced, will be racing 7 furlongs for the first time. Silent Witness now ties with Cigar and Citation for the most consecutive wins. The Australian-born horse is currently rated the best sprinter in the world, and is called "Hong-Kong's Hero" by some. He may run in the US later in the year, at the Breeder's Cup Mile in Belmont Park, Oct. 29.

source: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7381556/

He's also one of the world's 100 "most influencial people".

Time magazine even included the horse in its list of the world's 100 "most
influential people" and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post last week devoted
an editorial to him headed: "The cool champion who warms our hearts."....

Even trainer Tony Cruz, the former champion jockey who has been in racing long enough to avoid getting overly excited, describes Silent Witness as a "true gentleman" even in the way he eats a carrot."Other horses just bite right into it and tear it apart but this guy, he takes his time," Cruz said in another Morning Post story on the horse.

- Sun-Herald news story

Other stories: Silent Witness making a big noise

I'm still trying to find Silent Witness's website to post.

8 Months Starvation

2005-04-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is sad-- a woman was paying $250/month for the feed and care of her elderly TB horse. However, one day the caregiver quit feeding the horse without notifying the owner, but kept taking the payments-- and the starvation went on for 8 months. The 24-yr old ex-racehorse weighed 500 pounds and ranked a 1 for body condition when he was rescued by his owner, but he's now on the road to recovery.
I know a lot of people aren't comfortable trusting others to feed their horses, but I've never heard of a case this extreme. Ironically, this happened in a town called Plain Dealing.

First Wild Horses Killed

2005-04-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

I was gone for a few days, and sadly I found this alert today when I checked my email:

FIRST BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED

Multiple sources have confirmed that on Monday, April 18th, 6 wild horses were slaughtered at the Cavel International facility in DeKalb, Il.
The horses, sold by the Bureau of Land Management pursuant to the Burns Amendment’s sale mandate on Friday, April 15th, had been purchased in Canon City, CO, for $50 each by Dustin Herbert of Oklahoma. Mr. Herbert, a former rodeo clown, had claimed that the horses would be used for a church youth program, and would not be sold for slaughter. But by Monday, less than 3 days after he purchased the animals, all 6 were slaughtered so that their meat could be shipped overseas to end up on foreign dinner tables.

This is a sad day for wild horses and confirms our worst fears regarding last November’s amendment to the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. Please contact your local and national media expressing your outrage over this latest development.

It is also critical that we keep up our efforts to pass remedial legislation: please urge your legislators to co-sponsor H.R. 297 and S. 576. Please also keep the pressure on Senator Conrad Burns (MT) – fax: 202.224.8594, who introduced the wild horse slaughter amendment, and Senator Harry Reid (NV) - fax: 202.224.7327, primary supporter of the Burns Amendment. They need to hear from their constituents as well as from concerned citizens from all states protesting this latest development. Please also express your outrage to Gale
Norton, Secretary of the Interior, Department of the Interior,1849 C Street, N.W. , Washington DC 20240 - fax: 202.208.5048.

For more information on how to help, please visit http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/action.html.

The first 6 wild horses have been slaughtered. I do want to say that I love rodeo and I find it shocking that a former rodeo clown would be the first person to purchase slaughterbound horses. Contrary to some beliefs, I've found that rodeo people generally take good care of their animals.
You can read more about this issue at http://wildhorsepreservation.com, which is the source for photos/facts and also various studies and resources regarding wild equines.

Please, when you read this, take action! It's not enough to feel, you need to act! I see so many people that say they oppose this, yet they don't take the time to call, write, and email their legislators, which I think is hypocritical. It doesn't take long, and it will make a difference (it did back in 1971!). Did you know that congress counts each letter received as the opinion of 10 people?
Let them know that you, like the majority of Americans, oppose the poor management and slaughter of our wild herds. If you are a horse owner and/or member of the equine community (I am, and most people reading this are), let them know too. Send facts; they will help to show the reasoning behind your position.
I will be posting the letters that I wrote to my legislators soon too, along with sample letters that will help you write. Remember: When you write, be firm but courteous, and personalize the letter (don't just send samples, add your own words!).

Back in 1971, more people wrote about wild horses than any other issue in US History except the Vietnam war.
Americans were outraged when they found out that wild horses, the decendants of the horses and burros that built our great country, were being poisoned, run off cliffs, shot, chased until their hearts gave out, tied to tires which they dragged until they dropped, all of this because they were a source of cheap meat for pet food. Back in 1971, people took the time to express their outrage and it resulted in the passing of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act.
Today, it's not dog food that horses are killed for; It's foreign appetites. France, Japan, Belgium, Germany, and other countries consider horse meat a delicacy (around $15/pound), and all 3 north american slaughterplants are owned by foreigners.
I do find it ironic that mustangs, which are considered by many a symbol of America's freedom and the west, are being eaten overseas.
Let your legislators know how you feel about the will of the American people being totally disregarded, and the BLM (after 1971) removing horses and destroying herds that used to roam over 12 million acres.

I sent letters both via email, and snail mail, to my senators and representative. It's too late tonight, but tomorrow I'll be writing to various media sources.
You need to do the same!

Contact Conrad Burns and Harry Reid too and let them know how you feel about foreigners slaughtering and eating America's dwindling wild herds.

Here are some facts & info for you to help you with your letters:

Senators should be asked to support S. 576, and representatives H.R. 297. If you're against horse slaughter too, ask your representative to support H.R. 503. You can find out how to write to your legislators by going to http://congress.org
When I wrote, I also requested that they support: (below is a excerpt from my letter)

- A freeze on wild horse sales by the Bureau of Land Management to allow for
humane alternatives to be effectively considered
- Efforts to reinstate federal protection for our beloved wild herds;
- A moratorium on round-ups until actual numbers of wild horses on public lands have been independently
assessed
- A Congressional investigation into current wild horse management
practices and the undue influence of private cattle interests over public land
management
-A new plan that will allow for in-the-wild management instead of roundups that leave tens of thousands of horses in holding pens

Since 1900, wild herds have been reduced by over 98%.
Since 1971, when the Act was unanimously passed to protect dwindling numbers of wild equines, herds have decreased by 50% (A lot of good it's done...)
According to the act, wild horses can only be removed IF they are overpopulating the land or causing habitat destruction. BLM has never presented any such evidence.
Cattle and livestock are far more destructive to land than horses (see studies at WHP), yet cattle now outnumber wild horses AT LEAST 100 to 1 (yet account for less than 3% of the national beef supply)!
Unlike cattle, which chew the cud, horses pass seeds through their manure which helps to reseed the land. Horses and cattle, when grazed together, promote different types of vegitative growth, unlike cattle alone with are devestating to land (see WHP).
BLM estimates herds increase at a rate of 20% a year; Studies done by the National Academy of Sciences suggest that the real number is closer to 10%. The BLM uses their 20% figure to justify herd roundups.
On public lands, private cattle are grazed for as little as $1.79 per Animal Unit Month (I read that this is less than it costs to feed a hamster!). Private land, for contrast, can be grazed for $25-50 AUM. Private livestock grazing is costing us $130 million annually, yet contributes less than 3% of the national beef supply and less than 1% of income and employment in the West.
In 70% of herd management areas, the BLM has set population targets at numbers too low to ensure long-term survival and sustain genetic viability (minimum 200 head).
According to the National Academy of Sciences, livestock consume 70% of grazing resources on public land and cost over $130 million annually, while wild equines consume less than 5%!
BLM's current management are costing millions in tax dollars; money could be saved if herds were managed in the wild. Contraceptive measures alone could save $7.7 Million annually.The current removal policy is costing over 39 million tax dollars a year.
Six western states have lost their entire wild horse and burro populations.

In America, we ride horses, we don't eat them. Please take a few minutes to write, email, call, and fax your legislators to let them know how you feel.

Weird spam?

2005-04-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

I got an email, entire contents were:

Call out Gouranga be happy!!!
Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga ....That which brings the highest
happiness!!

Boy, spam has gotten weird.

Horse Rescue Bracelet

2005-04-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

My "Until They Are Safe" bracelet arrived today! This was a bracelet I recieved from 'Habitat for Horses', a nonprofit equine rescue & education center.
The bracelets are worn to show your support of horses, and the ending of horse slaughter (there are 3 foreign-owned plants that process American horses for human consumption overseas).

I actually thought they were all the same until mine arrived today, I now see that they feature different horses to remember...

The metal bracelets have an image created after a rescued slaughterbound horse, and a line describing one healthy American horse that was slaughtered in one of the plants.

If you have a bracelet, let me know what horse is on yours! Mine is "Bay QH Gelding, 15 hands, Branded - Slaughtered on 10/11/04"

You can get one for $15 at Habitat for Horses.

Ruffian: Burning from the Start

2005-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading "Ruffian: Burning from the Start". Ruffian was an amazing racehorse -- big, black, beautiful, and fast. Ten wins out of ten races, always in the lead. She was easily one of the best horses to ever race-- she shattered or tied records nearly every time she ran, even when her jockey was fighting to slow her down.
During her final race, "The Great Match Race" against the colt Foolish Pleasure, she broke down-- on the lead-- her front leg snapping. Still she tried to run, and sadly she had to be put to sleep later that night....

An excerpt from the book:

"Nice race!" Dailey called. "How fast you think you ran?"
"Gee, Jim." Bracciale was still catching his breath. "I never really let her run, you know. Maybe eleven, ten and change, something like that." He shook his head. "I was strangling down on her all the way, and that would be a good race."
"It sure would." Dailey had a big grin on his face. They took their time heading back
towards the stands. Everyone was whistling and clapping and waving their
programs in the air. Bracciale had never heard a crowd so ecstatic. When they
got around the turn, Bracciale looked over at the tote board.
"That can't be right, Jim! Look at that!" Dailey just kept grinning.
"What does that say?" Bracciale demanded.
Dailey just laughed out loud. "You can read, can't you?"
"That says eight and three! How can it, Jim? You saw me, I was choking her
the last eighth! I was pulling her up all the way home!"
"Well, she fooled you, Jimbo! She sure fooled you."
"But that'd be a record! That'd be a new stakes record, wouldn't it?"
"So? What else is new? That filly's been setting records every time she runs!"

...Ruffian's 1:08 3/5 was not just the fastest time ever for the Spinaway, not just the fastest time for any two-year-old all season at the Spa-- but the fastest six furlongs ever run by any two-year-old of either sex in the history of Saratoga. That included, in chronological order, such all-time greats as Colin, Man O'War, Equipoise, Tom
Fool, Native Dancer, Nashua, and Secretariat."

If you appreciate reading about great horses, then you will enjoy this book. Read about it online here.

Blue-eyed Horses

2005-04-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

Got an interesting question about blue-eyed horses (edited for size):

I am writing to ask for some help with a question ....
I am currently writing a short sci-fi story in which a unicorn is created
using genetic engineering. The unicorn is unexpectedly born with dark blue
eyes. I have learned that horses can be born with blue eyes...
All the pictures I've seen of blue-eyed horses show a very light or
pale blue. Is there such a thing as a horse with dark blue eyes? How
common actually are blue eyes in horses? Does the blue always turn into
some other colour or can a horse have blue eyes its whole life?
I like your website, it was very helpful.
Thank you very kindly in advance,
Shaun

I love interesting question! So, I wrote back:

Blue-eyed horses are not extremely common, but are definatly not rare. Some
horses are born with blue eyes that later darken, but cremellos/perlinos, which
are a light cream color with pink skin, have light blue eyes that stay
blue. Pinto horses (horses with white patterns) also sometimes have blue eyes
(or a blue eye, or partial blue eye), especially if the white on their face runs
to their eye(s). Rarely, a solid uncolored horse will just be born with
blue eyes (or one eye)-- sometimes these are called 'watch eyes' or 'glass
eyes'.

Horse's blue eyes, however, are usually a light blue color.
Cremellos and perlinos have very light blue eyes, and pintos tend to have darker
blue (but it's still very light). I have heard of dark blue eyes (One books
I have mentions that they are very rare, and the author hasn't seen them), but
I'm really into horse color genetics and haven't been able to find anyone with
photos. I doubt that dark blue eyes exist.

Here is a page on 'double dilutes', or cremello/perlino horse colors:
http://colorfulhorses.com/ddilute.php
There is also a photo of a pinto mini horse with a blue eye on one of my client's
sites:http://canyonbluefarm.com/

Green eyes are, however, rare. Champagne horses are born with blue eyes, which change to green, then change to a golden/amber color. Rarely, some will keep
their green eyes.Here's a page with photos of champagne eyes: http://www.champagnehorses.net/champagne_characteristics_-_ey.htm
I've never heard of dark green eyes.

Yellow/amber colored eyes occur in the champagnes, but also in smoky black horses (which are black horses with a dilution gene).

If anyone out there has good pictures of unusually colored eyes, I'd love to see them! Especially of green/hazel or unusual or dark blue eyes. I did find one website that says their fully grown champagne kept her green eyes-- if I can get pics, I will post them.

This reminds me, I need to get www.colorfulhorses.com fixed up, and move all the horse color/genetics info onto The Ultimate Horse Site. I will do this some time, when I can find the time :D

Horse Name Generator

2005-04-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

I set up the Horse Name Generator, which generates random horse names. Sometimes the make sense, sometimes they don't.
A sample of names I got from the generator:

Dandy Candy
Whiskey Lion
Hoof Poetry
Darn Trot
Exotic Voltage
Mango Hunter
Celestial Soda
Sweet Muffin
Strawberry Windchime
Fearless Tiger
Blazing Wind
Scented Dew
Hot Snowball
Cuddly Forelock

You can submit new words, which I might add to the generator.

Horses are dangerous

2005-04-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Someone had posted this clip on the message board and it shows a guy getting kicked by a horse (click here). I don't blame the horse, though, I'd have kicked him too.

The foals are coming...

2005-04-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

Wow, today there were tons of foal cam alerts! I barely missed seeing a Mini Donkey foal-- extremely adorable-- and it looks like this mini mare, PM Fancy may foal tonight (great streaming cam, I'll be watching it). There was an alert for a shire mare, but I couldn't get that cam to load. I'm still watching Patches too (alert for her too-- should foal tonight or real soon). Synergy Stables had an alert too -- told you there was a lot of foaling activity today!

Newborn mini foal-- barely missed it on the foal cam

Harry the Hairless Horse

2005-04-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

In my article "Hairless Horses", I mention the one known living hairless horse, Harry. Well, Harry's owner emailed me and sent me photos of him (very interesting!) and also agreed to answer any questions about Harry.
If you have a question that you' d like me to ask, let me know.

What does "GP" mean (regarding Saddle Blankets)

2005-03-31T11:47:00.000-08:00

I got an email asking:

"hi
I'm form Austria and now I want to by a saddle blanket in new Zealand. What
does Gp mean??
thank you Irina"

If anyone out there knows, please reply! (my email is info@ultimatehorsesite.com)

Thanks!

Sunshine! I will ride....

2005-03-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

The sun is shining and it's nice out-- after days of rain, hail, cold, etc. -- and I'm going to go for a ride on Maverick( he's a big, adorable TWH). Yay!

Equine Poetry Contest

2005-03-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

I've added the newest contest to the site, the Equine Poetry Contest. Check it out -- if you don't write poetry, send it to someone who does!!
I'm not sure what I'm going to be giving out for prizes yet. Want to donate a prize? You can email me. But I know the top poems will be posted on the site, for the world to see! :-)

Horse Hooves to Bubblegum

2005-03-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

I'm working on an article for the site that lists wive's tales and superstitions related to horses.
For example, that a horseshoe is good luck, or that horse hoof put into a microwave turns into bubblegum (?? I have no idea where that originated....Do you? How long do you cook it for?).

I just read about a "Nail Test" to determine pregnancy/foal sex. You take a hair from the mare's tail, and tie a nail to it. Then you hold it above the mare's hips... and if it doesn't swing, she's not pregnant. If it swings in a circle, she's carrying a filly; if it swings straight, a colt.

Uh, my gelding's gonna have a colt... :D

Easter Foal

2005-03-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

I checked my email to find a Foalnet alert (it's an alert sent out if a mare is foaling on camera) and I was just in time to see Abby, and appy mare, have her baby! It's a colt and sure is cute. :-)

A Mascot's favorite site?

2005-03-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is a first.... I was checking my visit stats, which include where visitors come from.
So I find out that a football team's mascot's favorite website is.... ultimatehorsesite.com! "Blaze", the horse mascot for the Austin Wranglers, has my site listed as his favorite. Makes sense, this *is* the "Ulimate" horse site, you know.

His favorite hero? Mr. Ed. Favorite historical figure? Seabiscuit, of course. But I think Blaze needs to gain a little weight--- actually a heck of a lot of weight-- he's listed as 7' 5" tall (equivalent to 22.5 hands high), but only 450 lbs! He's gotta gain, I'd say, about 1,550 more....

No Foalies Tonight

2005-03-27T00:16:00.000-08:00

Or at least no foals on the barncams I'm watching. I have been watching Patches and "Love you Anita" which are both supposed to foal any time now...
I don't have any foals coming this year, so it's fun to watch other's mares foal :-)
I added two little links on the left of the blog, one to Braingle and one to Foalnet, which is where you can find the due dates & barn cams for pregnant mares.

Foal cam - false alarm

2005-03-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

I was watching the foalcam for Patches late last night, and I saw this:

For a long time she was laying there, she moved her head up and down and swished her tail.... I thought she was about to pop, but then she got up and just stood there. Dang it!

You can to go Foalnet to see a list of Foalcams & mares due dates! It's pretty neat.

My new blog!

2005-03-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

Well, after thinking for awhile that it would be nice to have my own blog, I've finally gone ahead & created one for myself. I always have these little comments, ideas, thoughts, or links that I want to post but don't want to create an entire page or article on my website. My blog will be like my notebook on the site-- if I see a cool link, a neat idea, some little bit of news, etc. I will post it here. So check back often :-)

What do you think? Is this a good idea, or a waste of time? I won't know until I try :-)