365 Days in Horse Country – Horse Cloning     Some mares become pregnant in a not-so-natural way.  Cloning has hit the equine world, although not in every field. Biological cloning is the process of producing genetically identical individuals.  Italy produced the first cloned horse in 2003.  In North America, the first cloned horse was produced at Texas A&M University in 2005. Clon ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Black Beauty     In 1877, when writer Anna Sewell died soon after completing her first and only novel, “Black Beauty”, she had no idea of what her book would ultimately accomplish.  Because of “Black Beauty”, horses would never be thought of the same way again. “Black Beauty” is set in late Victorian England.  It is the fictional autobiography of a horse, ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Horse Toys     Some older horses don’t seem to mind just standing around, but if you have a young horse, or one that is young at heart, consider providing him with some toys to keep him amused when he’s not working. Horse toys come in all forms, from edible treats to things he can push with his nose or pull with his teeth.  Both types hang from the ceiling, ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Strangles    This bacterial disease is called strangles because affected horses may develop a harsh cough or noisy breathing.  Caused by the streptococcus equi bacteria, it is a potentially deadly condition that attacks the lymph nodes, which are important to the healthy functioning of the immune system. Strangles is an infectious disease that can be transm ...

365 Days in Horse Country – ANNOUNCEMENT – Horse as a Second Language  Once again, it is with great pleasure that I draw your attention to another very worthwhile clinic. This is a great opportunity to learn very valuable lessons from seasoned horsefolks.  Please consider availing yourself to all of the knowledge that the clinician is so willing to share. This particular clinic is being ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Navicular Disease     The Navicular is a small bone in the horse’s foot that can cause big problems in horses.  Horses with navicular, as the disease is known, become unsound in the front feet, suffering pain in the hooves. Navicular is a common cause of lameness in horses.  It appears to develop as the result of several factors, including inflammation o ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Show Jumping      An exciting spectator sport that is popular worldwide is show jumping, in which powerful equine athletes team up with talented riders to negotiate challenging obstacles in the show ring. Most people are familiar with show jumping on the Olympic level, when horses and riders compete as teams and individuals for medals.  Throughout the world ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Reined Cow Horse    A special event showcasing the talents of Western stock breeds has emerged in recent years.  Called reined cow horse, or working cow horse, this sport elicits precise reining skills on the part of the horse and rider, along with solid cow sense in the horse. Reined cow horse works like this: Horse and rider enter the arena alone and per ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Treasure Hunts    Just about everyone embarked on a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt as a child: established a list of items you must find, then traipse around knocking on neighbour’s doors in a race to collect all the items on the list.  The team that find the most item wins. Scavenger hunting can also be done on horseback.  A popular horse camp activity, h ...

365 Days in Horse Country – Miniature Horses    The Miniature Horse is a diminutive copy of a regular-sized horse.  It originated in Europe when, in the 1600s, small horses were bred as pets for the rich.  Some of these mini equines found their way to Dutch and English coal mines in the 1700s, where they were enlisted to pull carts underground.  These “pit ponies”, as they were calle ...