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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Some Facts About Horses

This information is from a book called "Why Do Horses Neigh?"

  • The main different parts of a horse's body are the muzzle,mane, withers, and hooves.
  • Horses are measured by hands high (hh) each hand equals four inches (or ten centimeters).
  • A palomino horse is normally 15 feet high!
  • The fastest horse can run at speeds of over forty miles an hour.
  • Horses teeth show how old they are.
  • Horses usually live to be between twenty and twenty-five years old.
  • The oldest horse on record lived to be sixty-two years old!
  • Horses can see better at night than people can.
  • Horses eyes are twice as big as human eyes.
  • Horses can show their feelings by moving their ears.
  • Horses can also show their feelings with their tails.
  • Horses neigh to try to find other horses.
  • Horses snort when they are surprised, curious, or worried.
  • Horses nicker to say "Hello"
  • Horses squeal when they are angry or hurt.
  • Horses sleep about three hours in a twenty-four-hour day. They only sleep for about five minutes at a time.
  • Horses can take naps while standing up.
  • Horses lie down when they want to sleep more deeply.
  • Horses eat grass, hay, and special horse feed. They sometimes like treats such as pieces of carrot and apple.
  • Horses can't throw up, even if they feel sick.
  • Horses eat slowly and carefully so that they don't accidentally eat food that might make them sick.
  • A horse's hooves wear down as it walks or runs.
  • Horses wear horseshoes to protect their hooves from wearing down of getting hurt.
  • Horses keep clean by grooming. Grooming means taking care of the hair, mane, tail, hooves, and othe parts of a horse.
  • A horse must be groomed every day.
  • A horse's bridle, saddle, and other equipment used in horseback riding are called tack.
  • Horses have small brains, but they are smart.
  • Horses can do many jobs. They help herd cattle and sheep on ranches.
  • A palomino horse named Mr. Ed was famous actor in the 1960s. He was the star of his own TV show.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Horse Events Calendar

http://calendar.bloodhorse.com/index.asp


Feb. 25-28: American Farrier's Association convention in Chattanooga, TN. Feb. 28-May 27: The Horse exhibit at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Feb. 28-Mar. 1: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's Pedigree and Conformation Clinic at Calder Race Course in Miami, Fla.
Mar. 13: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's New Owners Seminar at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
Mar. 28-29: Rutgers Equine Science Center to present Horses 2009.
Apr. 6: Equine Tax Forum.
Apr. 23-26: Rolex Three-Day Event at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.
Apr. 30: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's New Owners Seminar at Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, Ky.
May 29-31: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's Breeding Clinic in Lexington, Ky.
Jun. 5: Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's New Owners Seminar at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Jun. 16: American Horse Council's National Issues Forum in Washington,

News Flash

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/48812/palomino-filly-arrives-at-keeneland

Palomino Filly Arrives at Keeneland

Splash of Vanilla, believed to be the first Palomino Thoroughbred entered in a Keeneland auction, arrived on the sale grounds in Lexington Jan. 15 around noon and then settled down in Barn 24. The 2-year-old filly is scheduled to be offered as Hip. No. 2176 during the Jan. 17 final session of Keeneland’s horses of all ages sale.

“To be the first, to bring one here, there is something unique about that, and hopefully someone will see her as a racehorse and not just as a palomino,” said Kevin Lay, who operates Minnesota-based Triple B Stables and bred the 2-year-old Ballado Chieftan filly in partnership with Thomas Bentley.

Splash of Vanilla is out of the unraced Guaranteed Gold mare Maid of Gold T B, who also is a palomino.

“My partner went to Ontario and bought this mare for the purpose of creating a regional palomino program,” Lay said. “Then we got to talking, he wanted to breed to my stallion Ballado Chieftan, and one thing led to another. We became partners on the mare and the resulting foals.”

According to Lay, if you breed a palomino mare to a chestnut stallion, she will produce either a palomino or a chestnut foal.

“We lucked out getting the palomino filly the first out because that’s what we really wanted to do,” Lay said. “If we breed her (Maid of Gold T B) again, we’ll probably breed her to a Kentucky chestnut stallion, We hope we can get them (her foals) to the races, get a race record on them, and improve their pedigrees.”

Most people who breed Palomino Thoroughbreds don’t end up racing them.

“They usually don’t take them to the racetrack because by the time the horses are 2, they (their breeders) have been offered a good price and they don’t want to take the risk,” Lay said. “People buy them for a variety of things because they catch their eye. If they look like an athlete, they can do anything that a Thoroughbred retired off the track can do. Most of them end up as show horses.”

Lay and Bentley sent Splash of Vanilla to Keeneland because “I thought she had the potential to be an athlete,” Lay said. “I wouldn’t be here if I thought she was just a palomino. If I didn’t think I could race her myself, I wouldn’t have come here and tested the waters.”

Lay added that the reserve for Splash of Vanilla will be reasonable.

“We want to sell,” he said. “In this market, you need income from just about anywhere that you can get it to keep any farm going. We’ll sell if the price is right, and we think the price will be there. But if it’s not, we’ll just take her home and train her.”

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Bibliography

Here are some books I used for resources:

  • Edwards, Elwyn Hartley. Horses. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1993
  • Fink, Carrie. Ponies And Horses. New York: Kidsbooks, 2005
  • Gammie, Janet. Palomino Horses. Edina: Abdo & Daughters, 1996
  • Holub, Joan. Why Horses Neigh? New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2003
  • Ransford Sandy. Horse and Pony Encyclopedia. Boston: Kingfisher Houghton Mifflin, 2004

Here are some websites I used for resources:

Monday, February 2, 2009

Caring For Your Palomino Horse

To keep your Palomino horse healthy good nutrition is important. They need hay, grain and water. Oats, corn, barley and wheat are some of the different grains that horses can eat. The types of hay they eat are grass hays and alfalfa, the alfalfa has more protein.

Most horses are happiest leaving on pasture. They need to be vaccinated. They also need to be dewormed regularly. Their hooves need to be trimmed frequently. When the horse is two years old its teeth should be filed to make them even. This is called “floating” and it helps them to chew their food properly.

Good grooming is essential. Do not underestimate the importance of regular brushing. A dirty matted coat loses much of its ability to insulate. Persistent shivering is a sign that your horse is getting too cold and an indication that you need to improve your care of the horse.

If you don't want your Palomino Horse to get sick then you should make sure it has a clean home. You should never let your horse eat food from the ground because even a carrot could have bacteria on it and could make your horse sick.

Always check for signs of illnesses. Signs of illness in a horse include loss of appetite, lack of vigor (active physical strength), mucous or bloody discharge from the eyes or nose, a high temperature, flared nostrils, poor blood flow to the gums, swellings or sores on the body, and hot legs or feet. A fast or slow breathing rate or pulse rate may also be a sign of illness. Normally, a resting horse breathes from 8 to 16 times per minute and has a pulse rate of from 30 to 40 beats per minute. If you find any signs of illness then immediately call a veterinarian. They will know what to do.

Here is a picture of a sick Palomino Horse: