Computers are like horses
~ press the right button and they'll take you anywhere.
~Anonymous
Facts~Tip~Trivia (And A Few Dad Jokes)
If you have any cool facts, tips, tricks, trivia, cute memes, or jokes (clean) about our equine friends. Please e-mail them to me at douggittins@yahoo.com and I may use them on our website. If you include your name and where you are from, I'll give you credit. ///////// //////////////~Thank You, Laura
When you're young and fall off a horse, you may break something. When you're my age, you splatter."
- Roy Rodgers
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Blacksmiths or Horseshoer
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Farriers.
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The word Farrier comes from the Latin word ferrum which means iron worker.
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A farrier is an artist and a scientist, a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves. A farrier combines some blacksmith's skills (fabricating, adapting, and adjusting metal shoes) with some veterinarian's skills (knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the lower limb) to care for horses' feet.
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Some farrier do cold shoeing, conforming the hoof to the shoe; and some do hot shoeing, custom molding the shoe to the trimmed hoof.
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Horseshoe nails are driven into the lower part of the hoof that has no feeling, just like your finger nails.
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It is correct to say my horse is shod not my horse is shoed.
"When you're young and fall off a horse, you may break something. When you're my age, you splatter."
- Roy Rodgers
To Read More About Sgt. Reckless
A lesson From A Horse
Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.
When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.
Good friends are like this...you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
Please listen for my bell and I'll remember to listen for yours.
- Author Unknown
Remember: Anything With A Brain Can Make A Bad Decision!!!
~Laura Gittins
If you can lead a horse to water and force it to drink, it isn't a horse.
How Much Water Does A Horse Need?
~Provide 1 gallon of water per 100 pounds of body weight per day. (In Texas summers, we provide 2-3 gal. per 100 lbs. per day)
To determine how tall a horse is measure the horse, in inches, from the ground in a straight line up to the highest point of the withers. This is illustrated in the photo by the black line.
For the most accurate measurement the horse should be on firm, level ground with its front feet even, or close to even.
After you have measured your horse you will need to convert the results from inches to "hands." Horse height is correctly referred to by a unit of measurement known as a "hand." One hand is equal to four inches.
The correct way of writing "14 and one-half hands" is to write "14.2". It is not
correct to write it as "14.5". When correctly written, the number before the period is the number of hands, and the number after the period is the remaining number of inches. The number after the period should NOT stand for a fraction. Horseman usually say a measurement like this one out loud as "fourteen two" or "fourteen and a half."
15.4 - Wrong! This means that a horse is 15 hands, 4 inches tall. Since a hand is equal to four inches, this horse is actually 16 hands tall.
15.5 - Wrong again! Some people incorrectly use the number after the period to stand for fractions of a hand, but it should stand for inches. So, some people write "15.5" to mean 15 and a half hands, but this should correctly be written as "15.2".
If you like, you can add "hh" or "HH" to a measurement, as in "15.1hh". The "hh" stands for "hands high."
The Horse Is Mentioned 31 Times In The Bible!!!!!!
Horse have three eyelids - the third is a nictitating membrane that originates from the inside corner of the eye and closes horizontally to protect the eye while grazing.
Horse Vision
Horses have the largest, sweetest eyes. In fact, their eyes are the largest of any land mammals. When purchasing a horse people will often say look for a large, wide apart, kind eye. This article will give you hints on how to be safer around horses on the ground while handling them and while riding. To understand how a horse sees and perceives his environment can give a greater understanding of why horse's do what they do.
Outstanding peripheral vision gives the horse early warning of predators. However, it does come with some drawbacks. For example, horses have a blind spot directly in front of their noses. A horse will always see two images, and cannot merge the images together like a human
There is a blind spot with monocular vision.
How a horse sees Human sight (same view)
The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse
-Chapter 6 of the book of Revelation The Holy Bible
A White Horse bears a conquering horseman, who carries a bow and wears a crown, which some believe symbolizes victory.
A Red Horse carries a warrior holding a sword; the color of the horse is often interpreted as blood shed in battle.
A Black Horse bears a horseman carrying a scale for measurement, which some believe symbolizes famine, desolation, and economic corruption.
A Pale Horse carriers a rider named Death; some interpret the horse's color as the paleness of death and decay.
Trigger Trivia
Tobiano
Overo
There are two, that are the most common, pinto/paint color patterns:
1) The tobiano appears to be white with large spots of color.
2) The overo appears to be a colored horse with jagged white markings. Many overo are bald-faced (all white faces), but not all. Some feel only "FRAME" overos are true overos, but "frame" carriers some genetic mutations that need to be investigated before breeding. Really all horses need to be tested for genetic mutations before being breed.
Bible Quote
A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. Proverbs 26:3
Paint vs. Pintos
Not all paints are pintos, and not all pintos are paints. (well almost). Paint Horse is a breed (APHA), pinto is a color pattern that can occur in many different breeds such as Saddlebreds, Half-Arabians, Miniature Horses and non-pure bred. Paints are horses of Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred lineage that are pinto in color (preferably). The American Paint Horse is a breed based on color and lineage (although there are solid color Paints called crop outs).
Pinto can be registered as a color breed, regardless of lineage.
A Cowboys Prayer
May your horse never stumble,
Your spurs never rust,
Your guts never grumble,
And your cinch never bust.
May your boots never pinch,
Your crops never fail,
May you eat lots of beans,
And stay out of jail!!
HOW TO TIE YOUR HORSE
Only tie your horse to objects that it cannot move or pull over. Remember, a horse is very powerful and a spooked or frightened horse is even more powerful. Do not tie a horse to anything that a determined or spooked horse can move.
Tie a horse to something it cannot break. For example, if tying a horse to a fence never tie it to the fence rail, always tie it to the fence post. Fence rails are broken far more easily than fence posts. By the way, not all fence posts are sturdy enough to tie your horse to. Never tie your horse to a post or anything else that isn't able to withstand several strong pulls from a frightened horse.
Tie your horse with a quick release knot.
Tie your horse at a safe height. A good rule of thumb is to tie a horse so that the rope is tied at about the same height as the horse's back. You can safely tie a horse higher than this, just be sure to allow the horse enough slack that it can hang its head at a natural level. However, if you tie a horse lower than this you are asking for serious trouble. Tying a horse too low will allow a horse to get a leg over the rope, or its head stuck underneath the rope.
Tie a horse long enough that it can be comfortable, but not so long that the rope droops down and the horse can step over it.
Tying a horse excessively long is very dangerous. Not only can they get a leg over the rope, if the rope is long enough they can run a few steps if they spook and jerk themselves down. Sadly, we have seen this happen.
Do not tie with the bridle or the bridle reins. Instead, use a good quality, properly fitting halter and a lead rope.
Tie your horse to something that will not poke or hurt its face and eyes if it should jump forward.
Strange horses should always be tied with enough distance between each other that they cannot bite or kick one another. Horses that know each other and that do not fight can be tied a little closer together, but should always be tied so that they cannot bite each other or the tack the other horse is wearing.
If you cannot tie your horse to something appropriately sturdy, tie it up to something that is intentionally designed to break. For example, you can tie a piece of string or twine around a lightweight fence post then tie the horse to the string or twine. This way, if the horse breaks free at least you got to decide what it was that was broken (the string or twine instead of the post).
Use the right lead rope. Round ropes that don't easily "pull down" under extreme pressure are best. If a rope pulls down under pressure it puts the knot into a bind so that it becomes difficult or impossible to untie. Round cotton lead ropes 3/4 of an inch in diameter or larger are considered by many horse people to be the best ropes for tying a horse because this type of lead rope isn't as easily pulled into a bind as other types. In addition, cotton is slower to rope burn a horse than many other materials. Other types of lead ropes are good, too, as long they don't pull too tight under pressure.
Flat lead ropes of any material make a very poor rope to tie a horse with as they easily pull down too tight for the knot to be quickly released.
How To Tie A Quick Release Knot
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Begin by taking the tail of the lead rope around or through a suitable object to tie a horse to. In our example on the right we're going to tie to a pipe fence post.
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Take the tail of the rope (from the left side of the post) and cross it underneath the part of the rope going to the horse.
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Then, twist the rope on the left side of the post to form a loop.
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Next, take the tail of the rope (which is now on the right side of the post) over the part of the rope going to the horse, and push it up through the loop. See the illustration below
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Pull the quick release knot tight by pulling the part of the rope indicated by the arrow. For quick release Do NOT let the tail of the lead rope come through the loop. How ever if you don't want the horse to be able to pull it out Do put the tail of the rope through the loop.
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After the quick release knot is pulled tight you can slide it upward so it is closer to the fence post. The finished result should look something like the photo to the right.
The
Cheapest
thing
about
buying
a horse,
is buying
the horse!
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To untie the quick release knot, pull on the tail of the lead rope. If it has been tied correctly it will come untied with one quick pull.
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Any knot, however, can be difficult to untie if it has been pulled too tight under extreme pressure. That's why it's a good idea to keep a pocket knife or other suitable tool handy to cut a lead rope if necessary.
Standing Snoozers
By nature, horses are prey animals, although horses may lie down to sleep, doing so makes them vulnerable to predators, but they lie down when they require REM sleep. Typically, the amount of REM sleep they require is very small, so they don’t need to lie down often.
However, many horses lie down just because they feel comfortable or want to do so. Horses also like using the buddy system for sleeping, where one horse watches over the others while they’re sleeping. A locking mechanism, called the stay apparatus, allows muscles to rest while tendons and ligaments lock for a standing state of sleep. One hind leg can remain unlocked, but not a foreleg.
1. Reach under the horse's belly and grasp the cinch with your left hand. Make sure the cinch is lying flat against the horse's belly and isn't twisted.
The cinch should lie at your horse's heart girth, the narrowest part of the horse's rib cage. Learn how to determine the location of your horse's heart girth. The heart girth (also known as the girth line) is the narrowest part of the horse's rib cage. This is the correct location for the cinch.
On most horses, the heart girths falls about four inches behind the horse's elbow, but horses vary and some will have heart girths that lie forward or back of this approximation.
You can find the location of your horse's heart girth by standing back and looking at your horse from the side. Look for a slight upward curve or dip in the lower line of the stomach behind the elbow.
2. Insert the latigo through the cinch ring from the belly side of the horse out. Pull the latigo completely through until it is snug, but not tight, as shown in Photo 1. Make sure the latigo is lying flat and isn't twisted.
3. Run the latigo through the saddle dee ring, from the outside in. Pull the latigo completely through and to the left of the dee ring as shown in Photo 2. Your latigo should be snug, but not tight. You will tighten the straps after your knot is tied.
4. Depending on the length of your latigo, you may have to take an additional wrap or two. If so, just repeat steps 2 and 3.
6. To tighten the cinch, hold onto the top loop of the latigo that has gone through the cinch ring (NOT the loose end) with one hand and gently pull up. If you've taken several wraps, you'll hold onto the innermost loop. With your other hand, take up the slack created in your knot loop and feed it through the saddle dee ring. Then pull your loose end tight as shown in Photo 6.
5. To tie the knot, cross the loose end of the latigo over the top of your latigo layers and insert it through the saddle dee from the horse side out. Then thread the latigo end down through the loop you made when you crossed over. You'll find it similar to tying a man's tie. Photos 3, 4, and 5 demonstrate tying the knot
A cinch should be tightened in stages rather than all at once. A good habit to get into is to tighten in three stages. First, gently tighten it just enough to be snug. Move the horse around a bit (circle, back up, sideways) to let it settle. Then gently tighten again. Move the horse around a bit more and then gently tighten once more. The purpose of this approach is not to get the cinch as tight as possible, but rather to create a polite process that makes the horse a willing partner. Then tight, but comfortable for the horse.
Walk off the horse after you've finished tightening your cinch, to ensure your horse's comfort and prevent saddle sores
The Horse
Where in the wild world can man
find nobility without pride.
Friendship without envy,
Or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is served
with muscle
And Strength by gentleness confined
He serves without servility;
he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful,
nothing less violent.
There is nothing so quick, nothing
more patient.
- Ronald Duncan
Legend of the Donkey's Cross
"Bring me the colt of a donkey,"
was the Master's request.
A young donkey was brought to Jesus
to carry Him into Jerusalem.
A week later Jesus was ordered
to be crucified.
The little donkey so loved the Lord
that he wanted to help Him carry the cross.
But, alas, he was pushed away.
The sad little donkey waited to say
goodbye until nearly all had left.
As he turned to leave, the shadow of
the cross fell upon the
back and shoulders of
the little donkey.
And there it has remained,
a tribute to the loyalty
and love of the humblest of
Gods creatures.
by Mary Singer
A female horse crossed with a male donkey (a jack) = a mule
A male horse crossed with a female donkey (a jenny) = a hinny
A horse crossed with a zebra = a zorse.
A donkey crossed with a zebra = a zedonk or a zonkey.
A burro is a wild donkey, and yes there are different breeds of donkeys just like horses.
HORSE COOKIES
You will need:
1 Cup uncooked Oatmeal
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Shredded Carrots
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 Tablespoons corn oil
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Molasses
Mix ingredients in a bowl in the order listed. Make small balls and
place on a cookie sheet, spray them with Pam. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Tip; Vary the ingredients with some of the horse's favorite treats, such as other grains, apples, peppermints, raisins, maple syrup. READ MORE
Trivia
No Hoof, No Horse.
Horses leave hoofprints on your heart.
Experienced riders are not prone to brag. And usually newcomers, if they start out being boastful, end up modest.
The Perfect Horse
The Perfect Horse isn't necessarily stunningly beautiful;
In fact, he's probably gotten a few scars and dings from life.
He's probably been hurt but lived through it, been scared but
overcome it, and ready to teach his rider to do the same.
The Perfect Horse is not just arena-ridden. He will let you feel what it's like to gallop into the ocean waves, chase a neighbor's cows, or play tag on horseback.
The Perfect Horse will buck you off when you deserve it, but wait patiently for you to get back on.
The Perfect Horse has problems;
He will teach you to deal with them.
The Perfect Horse knows that you can't learn to be a skilled horseman if everything goes your way.
The Perfect Horse will challenge you,
but only as much as you are ready to handle.
He will teach you that you still have more to learn.
The Perfect Horse is tough; He will gallop when he's too tired,
jump obstacles that are too high,
and go up hills that are too steep.
He can handle the results of your ignorance or youth.
He will make you, years later, look back and shake your head
in amazement, and think,
"I can't believe he did that for me".
The Perfect Horse is not, however, a super horse. He may go lame or colic, or suffer from an abscess. He will teach you there is more to horsemanship that just riding.
The Perfect Horse will forgive you when you make mistakes, and expects you to do the same.
He will try to ignore the tack that doesn't fit right,
the confusing signals, and will do his best to please.
The Perfect Horse will not live on air. He will need food and water daily and a clean shelter to live in. He will teach you to work, but it will be worth it.
The Perfect Horse may not be the prettiest or the fastest, but
he has the most heart. When he wins a ribbon,
you know he really deserved it.
The Perfect Horse loves a good carrot and a pat on the neck. In fact, that is his greatest reward; A little treat, a little
love, and appreciation is what the Perfect Horse lives for.
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A unit of horsepower equals the power needed to lift 165 pounds (75 KG) to a height of 27 inches (68.5cm) in one second.
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The average horse is actually capable of producing 10-13 units of horsepower.
No one can teach riding so well as a horse.
-C.S. Lewis
~The Horse and His Boy
My first school horse was Pluto Kerka, who reminded me immediately and unmistakably that the reins were for the horse to be guided and not for the rider to hold on to.
-Alois Podhajsky
~My Horses, My Teachers
Want to end up with a million buck in the horse business? Start out with five million!!!
Proper scientific name for horses: Equus Keepus Brokeus.
Teeth and Age
Age can be roughly estimated by looking at the number, size and shape of the horses teeth. Another useful marker is the Galvayne's groove, which is a dark groove on the upper corner incisor teeth.
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Galvayne's groove appears at around age 10 at the top and middle of the upper corner incisors.
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By age 15, the groove proceeds halfway down the teeth.
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By age 20, it completely goes down the teeth and starts to disappear from the top.
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By age 25, the groove disappears from the top, and remains visible on the bottom half.
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By age 30, the groove is usually gone.
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Most female horses have 36 teeth, most males have 40-42 teeth.
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All horses have 12 incisors (front teeth) that are good for cutting grass, and 24 molars (check or jaw teeth) that are good for chewing grass.
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Some male have canine (fighting) teeth between the molars and the incisors.
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Some male and female have little, sharp wolf teeth in front of their molars. Wolf teeth may need to be removed so that a bit can fit in the horses mouth painlessly.
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Horse naturally have a toothless area (bar) between the incisors and the molars, just at the right location and size to wear a bit (God's perfect design).
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There are professional vets or horse dentists that float (file) sharp teeth as needed (usually once a year.
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Foals are usually born toothless, with incisors appearing in approximately 8-10 days.
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A horse's teeth grow about 1/8 inch (3mm) a year.
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This is where the saying "long in the tooth came from.
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It's not an exact science, if you ask 5 different vets, you'll get 5 different answers; depends on what they're eating, vet/teeth care, and what part of the country they live in.
A Galvayne's groove is a dark or brownish groove in the upper corner incisor teeth of horses
Horse Speculum for Holding the Mouth Open to Float Their Teeth
World's Tallest Horse
The documented record holder for tallest living horse is a Belgian draft gelding of Smokey Hollow Farm near Poynette, WI. named Big Jake. He is the Guinness World Record-holder for world's tallest living horse at 6' 9"~82.7 inches, and weighs 2600 lbs. He is 20 hands and 2 & 3/4 inches, 20.3hh, or one quarter inch short of 21 hands high at the withers.
World's Smallest Horse
The documented record for the smallest living horse is Thumbelina, a miniature sorrel brown mare who measures 4.1hh(17.5 in) to the withers. She lives on the Goose Creek Farm Inc, St Louis, MO
The average horse stands at about 15hh
Is it the smell of their body as I hug their long neck, or the scent only a horse has that I can't forget? Is it the depth of their eyes as they contentedly rest? No, it's just being around them that I like the best.
- Teresa Becker
Can Horses Vomit?
~No!!!! And That's A BIG Problem
Because a muscular valve that leads to the stomach prevents food from going back into the esophagus, Making it almost impossible to vomit.
(if there is stuff coming out of their nose or mouth, call a vet Immediately, it's an emergency!!!)
AGE CALCULATOR
You can make a rough conversion of a horse's age to human years by using the formula of multiplying the known age by 2.2.
EXAMPLE: A 20 year old
Horse x 2.2 = 44 years in human terms.
So I'm 23 in Horse Years~Laura
Doug is 28 in Horse Years
Teaching your horse to bow will help to strengthen his back muscles!!!!!!
God forbid that I go to
Heaven in which
there are no horses.
~ R.B. Cumminghame-Graham
To judge a horse by it's rider,
is like judging a book by it's cover.
~Anonymous
Working with horses is best done without time limits. Once you start something, you should plan to finish it. If you can't finish it at least end on a positive note. ~Doug Gittins
Stiff Upper Lip
Equines have a sensitive, prehensile upper lip. Prehensile means it is adapted for feeling, grasping, and seizing objects such as grass.
Silver (Lone Ranger) Trivia
Click on Picture
God
forbid
that I
go to
any
Heaven
in which
there are
no horses.
~ R.B. Cumminghame-Graham
Riding is a partnership. The horse lends you his strength, speed and grace, which are greater than yours. For your part you give him your guidance, intelligence and understanding, which are greater than his. Together you can achieve a richness that alone neither can.
~ Author Unknown
Horses run and run
In the pasture
Manes flowing
Tail trailing behind them
Sweat glistening their coats
Stallions gallop around,
Keeping track of their mares
Foals bucking and playing
Mares graze softly
In the pasture
And when their time ends
They will go
In the pasture
In the sky
As many know
Horses will gallop
Into our hearts
Forever...
No one ever notices
how you ride
until you fall off.
~Murphy's Horse Law
Horse Categories
Horse breeds fall into 3 categories:
coldbloods, hotbloods, and warmbloods.
Coldbloods
Usually refers to the larger draft horses that were originally bred for farm work and as working horses. These horses also needed to be calm an obedient; the last thing you wanted was a horse running off with a cart or farm equipment.
Some examples of draft horses are the Clydesdale, Shire, and Belgian. These horses are known to be docile and insensitive, and are often called gentle giants.
Hotbloods
Usually refers to Arabians (pictured), Thoroughbreds, and other horse of In the middle-east and some of the other warmer climates. These horses are known to be energetic, sensitive, or hot. Such horses are built for speed and distance, rather than power and endurance, so had much lighter bodies and in particular more delicate legs. Their temperament is spirited and competitive, traits that help them win races.
Warmbloods
Originally a cross between a hotblood and a coldblood, resulting in a trainable, athletic horse, often used as a sport horse for dressage, jumping, eventing, roping and so on. These breeds fall between hot and cold bloods in terms of both build and temperament. Some warmblood breeds are: the Quarter horse, Paint Horse, Dutch warmblood, Friesian and Hanoverian
Thanks
for
Looking!!!!