If Horses were in High School, What Cliques Would They Be In?

 

Quarter Horses: Definitely jocks. Strutting around flexing those muscles, showing off
their butts…definitely jocks.
Thoroughbreds: Preppies. Sometimes athletes, never ‘jocks’. Monogrammed blankets, leather halters, Nike eventer shoes, the latest custom trailer and tack. They are the ‘new money’ rich.
Appaloosas: Could only be the stoners so they can watch their spots move
Arabians: RAH! RAH! SIS BOOM BAH! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TEAM!! (need I say more?)
Shetland Ponies: Frightening, spiky hairdos, snotty attitudes and any color of the rainbow …. Gotta be PUNKS. Some even sport tattoos.
Friesians: Big, buff, and always in black, they are the biker clique Cigs hanging out of the corner of their mouths, dangerous glint in the eyes, daring anyone to cross their path.

Morgans: They’re the nerdy teacher’s pets, running around doing everything from yearbook to decorating the gym and ratting out the bikers, stoners and jocks. They have perpetual wedgies
Drafts (all breeds): No real clique, they’re just the big guys who sit in the back of the room and fart a lot (and then laugh). Who’s going to STOP them?
Icelandics and Paso Finos: They’re the little squirrely geeks who flit around a dance trying to fit in and fail miserably. The kind who wear Toughskins jeans from Sears (or would that be rip off WeathaBeetas??).
Ahkle Tekl (Akle Takl? Ackle Tackle….!! Akhal Teke!!): Foreign exchange student(s). And no one can spell their names either.
Hackney Ponies: A breed this manic would have to be a band geek. Marching along with their knees and heads held high…..even going to the bathroom.
Warmbloods: Old Money Preppies, as opposed to the TBs who are new money preppies. All their tack is imported from Europe, they drink Perrier water and eat only organically grown feed. They look down on everyone and talk amongst themselves about summer in Paris and skiing in Gstad and wasn’t it dreadful how provincial Spruce Meadows
has become?

Canadians: They’re the bookworms and computer geeks of the the horse world.

Is There An Escape Artist In Every Herd?

In every herd there is always an escape artist! Is that my imagination? 

 

Willow Breeze - The Escape Artist

This is mine!  Little Willow Breeze seems to be able to get out of every fence, whenever the mood strikes her.  Whenever the grass is greener on the other side.  Whenever some of the hay has blown to the other side of the fence.  Whenever Gimme A Dream picks on her and she feels unloved by the herd.  

Willow is a Canadian horse! Truthfully, I have never seen a horse more capable of making a fool out of me, then she is.  Willow is a problem-solver.  She has learned quickly how to open gates, lift bars over posts, untie knots in any rope fence or tied door.  Canadians are well know for their problem-solving capabilities and this little one is no exception. The only thing about her that doesn’t remind me of a Canadian is her incredible stubbornness.  I don’t know if it is bred into her or if it is a learned trait but my Willow is more mule, in that one respect!

Three times yesterday and first thing this morning, I had to open a hole in the fence to let her back in.  I always put their hay inside but away from the fence so that it is more advantagious for her to go back in.  Then I cut a hole in the fence because the gate is always at the other end.  Come spring, I’m getting a new gate placed at this end.

Fortunately, little Willow has a severe case of separation anxiety and won’t leave the fence more than ten feet.  Also, it is fortunate that the other two don’t go to the other side of the paddock, where Willow would be within distance of the main highway.  Because I have an escape artist in the field, I tend to always feed and water the horses at the farthest distance from the road, so the beasties tend to stay together, where they know the food is going to be.

At least I now know how she is escaping.  The snow prints have shown me everything. Last fall when she was getting out, I searched in vain for her escape route.  I actually thought she was getting down and rolling under the fence in one area, where the land took a dip in the forest and the fence was a couple of feet above the ground.  I’m still not ruling that area out though, only that it is not the place she weaseled her way out of, this winter.  And then only because of the snowdrifts in the woods make it impossible for her to get near the fence, in that area.

The Canadian Horse – My Canadian Horse!

Horse breed : The Canadian horse
by Gimme a Dream

The Canadian Horse is a little known national treasure of the country, because it was rare for someone to write about the breed. This breed has descended from royal horses, originally sent to the “New World” by King Louis XIV of France in the mid 1600’s. The Norman and Breton horses were thought to have had Arabain, Andalusian and Barb ancestry, all traits of which are still recognized in the Canadian Horse. These horses were distributed among the military officers of the Carignan-Salieres regiment, government officials and the religious communities of new colony.

For centuries the French horses bred with little influence from outside breeds. Indeed, they developed into their own distinct breed, which originally was called the “French Canadian Horse”, but has long lost that name. This horse evolved under adverse conditions of harsh weather, scarce food, and hard work and it remains the sturdiest, most acclimatized horse in Canadian history. They are tough, strong horses, tolerant of inclement weather conditions, and are extremely “easy keepers”. Because of these traits, the Canadian Horse is often referred to as “The Little Iron Horse”.

In the 1800’s around 150,000 of the animals were known to exist. The breed was used for cross-breeding to improve strength and hardiness in other breeds and aided in the founding of breeds such as the Morgan, Tennessee Walking Horse, the Standardbred and the American Saddlebred. The number began to dwindle rapidly when the horse was exported for wars and work in dangerous situations. The Canadian Horse was near extinction with the advent of mechanized farm machinery. By the late 1870’s the peril of the breed was finally recognized and efforts were made by diligent breeders to bring the Canadian Horse back from the verge of extinction. In 1888, the first stud book was created to try and preserve the breed.

Down to a count of 400 horses worldwide and only approximately 250 breeding stock in Canada, the breed slowly began to gain in numbers, after the first stud book was presented. However, after more than a century, there are still only 2500 purebreds in existence. The Canadian Horse is classified as “critical” on the American Livestock Conservancy list. On April 30th, 2002, a bill was passed into law by the Canadian Government making the Canadian Horse an official animal symbol of Canada, sharing the title with the beaver.

Typically the Canadian stands 14 to 16 hands high and weighs 1000 to 1400 pounds. Most often they are black in color, but have been known to be dark brown, bay or chestnut. They have finely chiseled heads, naturally arching necks and thick, long manes and tails that may or may not be wavy. They have sturdy, strong legs and short cannon bones often exceeding nine inches in circumference. Their hooves are exceptionally well formed, tough and require little more that routine trimming. The Canadian Horse is renown for its kind, sensible, sociable nature, intelligence and willingness to please.

Most commonly used for driving, the Canadian Horse is truly one of the most versatile of all breeds and may be found in show classes doing such activities as dressage, jumping, and in event classes. It is known for it’s long endurance, trail-riding, ranch work or just being the family or kid’s horse. Whatever reason a person might want a horse for, a Canadian will fit into that position comfortably.