Entries Tagged as ''

Funny about genetics…..

Welcome back!

It’s always interesting to see what kind of a colt a mare will produce by being mated to a particular stallion. There are various crosses that seem to work, and others that don’t.
Some of my mares are better producers than others, some milk better and seem to have good colts every year.
But most interesting is the influence that the mare has on the colt’s disposition and way of dealing with the world. A veterinarian friend once told me that “the colt will be the same disposition as the mare”, and I this seems to have a lot of truth to it. When we halter-break we expect similar behavior from colts as from past years’ siblings.
The gray mare’s colts don’t give in the first time they are haltered, but after thinking about it overnight they lead off like they’ve been doing it forever. They tend to be a little “bossy” with the other colts, and often grow up to be on top of the pecking order.

The dun mare’s colts are a little shy to begin with and need to be worked with softly to gain their Mirror image dun mare and colttrust. Then they will be in your pocket whenever they see you. She is very dignified and businesslike and so are they….not a lot of frivolity in their nature, but nice and honest. The picture to the right is the dun mare and this year’s filly. I see them standing like this often…they are almost mirror images of each other.

Blurr’s colts are a favorite. They are a little timid too….maybe their thoroughbred bloodlines….but they halter break easily and grow into dependable, athletic riding horses. Usually she produces solid colts - not much chrome.

And Missy….we raised her from a colt and her foals are just like her….bossy, opinionated, smart, and athletes deluxe. We have to be careful not to make any mistakes when halter breaking her colts - they remember everything and will take advantage of a mistake. They also like things to move along quickly and get a little antsy if they get bored.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: Daily Horse Life, Horse behavior by totalhorse
No Comments »

Aaaah……the Smell of a Warm Horse!!

I love the smell of a warm horse. I don’t mean the hot sweaty smell of a horse that has been worked, although that has its own appeal. I mean the smell of a horse basking in the sunshine and radiating a kind of warm contentment.

Our weather is beautiful right now, sunny and warm with just the hint of fall in the air. It’s one of my Buckskin coltfavorite times of year, and I think the horses must like it too.

As I walked throught the corral yesterday, I noticed the fall smells - the dried grasses, warm ground, and …..aaah,…..warm horses. Their hair is starting to get a little thicker as the nights get cooler, and they really seem to enjoy soaking up the sun during these beautiful fall days. As Sis nudged me to get attention I noticed that her eyes were half closed, and her lower lip drooped in mellow enjoyment of the day.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: Horse behavior, Random Musings by totalhorse
1 Comment »

Follow up on H.R 6598

I have been trying to follow the progress of H.R. 6598, which would make it a criminal offense to transport horses for slaughter for human consumption. The bill was scheduled to be voted on this week, but was tabled til next week.

There is an interesting article at Externs on the Hill which tells more about the arguments of both sides during the debate.

If the bill passes, we are bound to see more unwanted horses being abandoned. Read about horses abandoned in Oregon in this article.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: Daily Horse Life by totalhorse
6 Comments »

Horse Slaughter Bill

I love horses. I’ve lived around them most of my life, and they have been a big part of my life. But, I strongly oppose the so-called “Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act”. I have no doubt that the people behind this bill meant well, but unknowingly they have placed US horse owners in a predicament and horses themselves in danger.

What happens to all the unwanted horses if there is no place to sell them? There may be as many as 100,000 unwanted horses in the US each year. A humane and federally-regulated euthanasia option for owners of unwanted horses was taken away when the last U.S. slaughter facility closed its doors. Is it worse to send horses to a regulated slaughter plant than it is to allow them to die slowly of starvation and neglect? What do we do about the disposal of all the 1000-1200 pound carcasses if the horses are euthanized by local veterinarians?

Go to QuarterHorseNewsfor more information on this bill, which is up for a vote on September 10th. There is a list of Congressmen with emails. Please help defeat this bill, for the good of all the horses.

Technorati Tags: ,

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: Daily Horse Life, Random Musings by totalhorse
2 Comments »

Horse Racing at Yellowstone Downs

Down to the wireHorse racing comes to Billings, Montana every August and pulls race fans from across the state to watch the races each weekend.  We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the races a couple of weekends ago, on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon.  It is a 4 1/2 hour drive from our front door to the race track, but we felt that it was well worth the drive.

It’s wonderful to be able to watch so many beautiful, well-bred horses in one place and fun to try to pick the winners. I had a pretty good day with my picks, but it was just for fun - no tickets bought. The grandstands at Yellowstone Downs were quite full of people of all ages enjoying the day Post paradeand the races. It’s a very reasonably priced form of entertainment for the whole family. The shaded grandstands offer a good view of the entire track and the paddock area is set underneath the grandstand where its cool for those who like to watch the saddling.

Most of the races were close enough to be exciting with the winner in question right up to the finish line. There was a nice mix of longer Thoroughbred races and a few short Quarter Horse and mixed races to add variety.

Horse racing in Montana has had some tough years trying to stay alive. Most horses racing at Yellowstone Downs were either Montana horses or from nearby states. There are no Big Browns here, but it is still great entertainment and it would be too bad if Montanans did not have the opportunity to watch races in a state where horses have been so important in the past.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Possibly Related Posts:


Tags: Entertainment by totalhorse
1 Comment »