Breed of the Week: The Shire!

Ahhh, don't you just love these gentle- giants? So beautiful and so HUGE! I just love'em! This breed is so gigantic that they have held the world record for the world's largest horse more than once. They range in height from 17 to 19hh, and a average Shire weighs over 1 ton, but they can pull up to 5 tons by their selves! Once at the Wembley Exhibition in 1924 a pair pulling against a dynamometer (a machine used for measuring mechanical power) exceeded the maximum reading and were estimated to have exerted a pull equal to a load of 45 tons! Thats just amazing to me. These horses are thought to be descendants of a horse of medieval horse, called 'The Great Horse', that were used to carry knights in full armor. We know for sure that this horse, the Friesian, and the Flemish or Flanders horse have been influences on the Shire. They come in bay, brown, black, and gray.

In the late 19th and early 20th century Shires were exported in large numbers to America. But later in the 20th century, when machinery began to take the place of humans and horses alike, the breed hit an all-time low. Fortunately, in the 70s people began to take notice of this humble breed and Shires have been popping up in show rings every since. Even so, population numbers are still considered to be at critical levels by Both the UK-based Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the US-based American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Today the breed is still used by farmers as plow horses, they are also used for pulling brewery wagons that deliver ale to cosomers. They can be seen in show rings everywhere, and make all-around good horses. I just love these guys!

;o)

Cracking Up! 5 quirky and effective tips for restoring your old leather tack.

Ok! I know we have all run into this problem at some point in time. You don't keep your tack up like you should and after a while it starts getting dry and cracked. You don't want to have to throw it away, but you can't use it in the condition it's in. What do you do? I've looked through a bunch of books and on the web and These are the ones I like best. A few are a little out there but people seem to stand behind them so here you go!

No.1 Clean the leather really well with luke-warm (hot water can cause more harm than good) then simply apply your favorite saddle soap.

No.2 First wipe with a damp cloth, then apply a good wood-oil.

Ok, this is where it gets a little weird.

No.3 For a quick fix with things you already have around the house use olive or peanut oil to condition then seal with butter or salad dressing!

(I don't know about that one.)

No.4 Clean the leather really well with a damp cloth, then dry completely. Next Heat a good animal based oil and rub into leather, then poor excess oil into plastic bag with the leather and sit in direct sunlight for a few hours. Repeat if necessary.

No.5 This one is my favorite because it has worked for me in the past. Wipe the leather clean with a dry cloth, then apply a generous amount of Vaseline. Allow to soak in then repeat until leather is soft.

Well I hope one of these is the answer to your problem! Please comment and leave your home-remidy for restoring old leather. ;o)

Breed of the Week: The Andalusian

Let me begin by asking: What little girl did not dream about this horse?

I know I say this about almost every breed I write about, but truly, this is one of my favorite breeds. With long sloping shoulders, short but sturdy body, thick neck, and a wide forehead to host those beautiful large eyes. And that mane and tail... Oh, That mane and tail! It made them one of the most popular horses used in paintings by European monarchs, that and their beautiful symmetry. Andalusians have always been considered noble horses, being mounts of kings and other royal horsemen. The famed William Cavend, Duke of Newcastle wrote: "... the Spanish horse is the noblest animal in the world..."

Everyone knows that they have been used as war horses for thousands of years but do you know how the breed was established? They are from Southern Spain, in the 15th century Cartusian monks (who were excellent breeders and trainers) bred them in monasteries in Seville and Jerez.

The monks kept the breed pure until around 1492 when Napoleon invaded Spain, he stole or killed almost all of of them. All but one herd that had been hidden by the monks, that herd was used to renew the breed. Then in 1832 an epidemic devastated Spain's horse population. Only one small herd of Andalusians at the Monastery of Cartuja survived. All of the 20,000 Andalusians we have in the world today come from that one small herd.

It's thought that that the Andalusian breed is most heavily influenced by three breeds: the Barb, native stock, and the Arabian. Some people argue about the influence of the Arabian, but as for myself I can see a resemblance, and I know that the Arabian has been used all over the world for centuries to better breeds. So I don't have much doubt.

The Andalusian it's self has influenced many breeds, including the mustange.

Today they are bred for Calvary horses, and for high-school riding. They are growing more and more popular in America where they are being used for every thing from western events and trail riding to dressage and show jumping. In spain they are still used in the bullrings! These horses are all-around amazing horses, they are so gentel and even-tempered. They're fast learners and have an amazing abitily to retain what they have learned. They can be used for almost anything. But put all of that aside and they are still one of God's most beautiful creations.

Save Him...

Stop Horse slaughter.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!

Be sure to give your horsey friends lots of love today!!!

Breed of The Week: The Appaloosa

So, this week it's the Appaloosa. I have always loved these horses, but I knew little about their breed, so I decided to make them breed of the week! Actually, me and appaloosas go way back. Well, about 7 years. I got my first pony "Scooby" for my seventh birthday, I had been riding for a few years and it was time for a pony of my own. I feel that I have to take a little time to describe the first time I saw Scooby to you in order for you to get the full impact. the day was April 8th, my 7th birthday. My mom woke me up early that morning to tell me the news that we were going pony-shopping, she had already called a few places and found a pony that just sounded perfect. I remember being so excited, I almost cried. I got up and got dressed, pulling on my little cowboy boots. But before we left, the phone rang. Perfect Pony had been sold. Oh, it was sad, but my mom had some back up pony's to look at, so off we went. The very first pony was Scooby, a white blanket Appaloosa. The second we got out of the car my mom was in shock and I was in love. Scooby was a shaggy, way under weight, sad little pony. He just stood there in the hands of this huge, random lady. I ran up to him and gave him some love. The lady asked if I wanted to ride him, I think my mom was a little sceptical because he was pitiful looking, but I quickly said yes. when he was all saddled the lady led me around a round pen. He was a perfect angel! So anyway, I think my mom bought him out of sympathy and we brought him home. We got him on a good feeding schedule and he steadily put on weight and shed his mangy coat, he looked great! The only thing was that now he was the devil pony. It was like over night, one day I guess he just woke up and decided to be evil! I have never said that about another horse, because I know that usually if the horse has a problem it's usually the owner's fault. But this was different he just was a crazy little horse! He could get out of his pen no mater what you did to it, and he would just take off down the road! I had him for about two years before it was finally time for a big horse. The day we were going to sell him I decided that I wanted to ride him one last time. I saddled him up and led him into the round pen, which was missing a few boards on the bottom of one side. the second I got on him he bolted toward the fence! I guess his plan was to knock me off with the top board while he just kept going. I remember pulling on the bit with all my might, to no avail. I think my dad caught him just before we went under. We sold him that day to a nice trainer who wanted a little pony for her son. So that was my first experience with a appaloosa. I did my homework this week and learned that Appaloosa's were developed by the Nez Perc`e Indians. They were very skillful and selective in their breeding. By the midd-1700s they established their herd and had gained a reputation for their horses. Unfortunately in the 1800s the U.S. army captured the Nez Perc`e and slaughtered nearly all of their horses. But thanks to a group of breeders in 1938, using some of the horse's descendants they managed to re-establish the breed! Appaloosa's are closely related to the American Quarter horse, so they are naturally athletic and have plenty of speed, endurance, and stamina. True Appaloosa's are caracterized by six acceptable configurations, know as: snowflake, leopard, frost, marble, spotted blanket, and white blanket. Their hooves are usually marked with black and white stripes, and their mane and tails are wispy, fine, and sparse. they usually have great length in neck and have a great defined withers, nice sloped shoulders. They are realible, strong, and hardy. I still love these beautiful in spite of my first traumictic expirence! I think they are just about some of the most beautiful horses out there!

Hope you liked it;o)

Brotherly Love.....

It's time we stop the fighting and just love each other......

Top 15 Favorite Horsey Quotes

No.1: If the world was truely a rational place, men would ride sidesaddle.

-Rita Mae Brown

No.2: I played a great horse yesterday! It took seven horses to beat him.

-Henny Youngman

No.3: If horses knew their strength we should not ride anymore.

-Mark Twain, Notebook #42

No.4: I've spent most of my life riding horses, the rest I've just wasted.

No.5: I ride horses because it's the only sport where I can exercise while sitting down.

-Joan Hansen

No.6: Anyone who is concerned about his dignity would be well advised to keep away from horses.

-Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

No.7: You can tell a gelding, you can ask a mare, but you must dicuss it with a stallion.

No.8: A canter is the cure for every evil.

-Benjamin Disraeli

No.9:It is not enough for a man to know how to ride, he must know how to fall.

No.10: The ears never lie.

-Don Burt

No.11: Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse.

No.11:I Saw a child who couldn't walk, sit on a horse and laugh and talk, I saw a child who could only cralw, mount a horse and sit up tall, I saw a child who was born of strife, take up and hold the reins of his life. And that same child was here to say, thank you God for showing me the way.

-John Anthony Davis

No.12: To be loved by a horse should fill us with awe- for we have not deserved it.

-Marion Garretty

No.13: No one can teach us riding so well as the horse.

C.S. Lewis

No.14: My horses are my friends, not my slaves.

-Dr. Reiner Klimke

No.15: Show me your horse and I will tell you who you are.

-English proverb

I hope you enjoied them you can find lots more in a book I love called The Quotable Horse Lover

Thanks ;o)

Hmmm.....

Time for a new Horse Hero of the month, I think I need to give it a little more thought......

A Little "Bit" of Your Love

Ok, so this one goes out to all of those beginners out there or even those of us who have been around a while but still get a little confused.

So lets start out by first asking 'what is a bit?'
A bit is the part of the bridle that is put into the horse's mouth, it is usually made of metal or something like it. The bit rests on the "bars" of the mouth, or the gum between the front and back teeth.

We can see bits and bridles being used as far back as biblical days. If you look at Psalm 32:9 you'll read 'Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held with a bit and bridle.' It's amazing to think that something that has stood the test of time and has been used throughout the ages, is something that we still use today!

So now that we know what it is, let's go a little deeper.

I know when you walk into your local tack shop you turn a corner and BAM! There it is, the massive, gleaming wall of bits. Let's be honest this moment can be a little scary. You see labels like "copper roller", "scramperdale pelham", and "uxter hinged copper kimblewick". You may faint briefly, because you only want the best for your horse but it's so confusing!

I've done a little homework and found out that there are only two basic types of bits: the snaffle

and the curb bit. The difference between the two is that the snaffle is a non-leverage bit and the curb is a leverage bit, also the snaffle is usually a jointed bit and the curb is not.

Now, what this means is that on a snaffle the rein attaches to the mouthpiece. The bit acts with a nutcracker action (if it's jointed) on the bars and the corners of the mouth and tongue, so the horse feels an equal amount of pressure.

On the curb though, the rein attaches to the shank or cheekpiece which adds leverage. So the horse feels a greater amount of pressure. Stemming from these basic types you get all of those other bits out there. Now, the bit that you end up buying is up to you, I prefer a lighter snaffle bit, like a D-ring snaffle. But your horse may be hard on the mouth and need a heavier bit. There are also a lot of people out there such as myself that really love hackamores, or bitless bridles bridles.

So go forth, my fellow horsemen and woman! and be confidant in knowing that with a little help from the store manager, you will make the right choice!