Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Information About Horses

  • Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.
  • Horses can run shortly after birth.
  • Domestic horses have a lifespan of around 25 years.
  • A 19th century horse named ‘Old Billy’ is said to have lived 62 years.
  • Horses have around 205 bones in their skeleton.
  • Horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years.
  • Horses are herbivores (plant eaters).
  • Horses have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on land.
  • Because horse’s eyes are on the side of their head they are capable of seeing nearly 360 degrees at one time.
  • Horses gallop at around 44 kph (27 mph).
  • The fastest recorded sprinting speed of a horse was 88 kph (55 mph).
  • Estimates suggest that there are around 60 million horses in the world.
  • A male horse is called a stallion.
  • A female horse is called a mare.
  • A young male horse is called a colt.
  • A young female horse is called a filly.
  • Ponies are small horses. 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Grooming Your Horse

You need to groom your horse every day. You may think the reason to groom your horse is so he/she looks nice, but the main reason to groom your horse is so that he will stay healthy and clean. If you keep your horse in a stable where he can not roll on the ground to groom himself, you should groom him daily. If he is out in the pasture he will not need as much grooming.
Here is a list of thing you need to groom your horse and how they are used.
The Dandy Brush This is used for brushing off mud that your horse might get on its coat. It has stiff bristles.
Stiff Brush The stiff brush is for brushing hooves only.
Body Brush This brush is softer than the dandy brush and is easier to hold. It is used to take off oil and dirt.
Rubber Curry This is also used for combing off mud and shedding hair.
Metal Curry The metal curry is used for cleaning the body of your horse only. (Never ever use this on your pony.)
Mane Comb this should be used for the mane and tail only.
Sponges There are three different uses for the sponge. You should keep a separate sponge for each.
eyes
lips and nostrils
dock or their rear    
Stable Cloth The stable cloth is used for drying off your horse's and making it look shiny and pretty.
Hoof Pick A hoof pick is used to clean dirt, pebbles and mud from the horse's hoof.
Hoof Oil This is used to put a sealing, protecting and shiny seal to the hoof.
Sweat Scraper This is just like a squeegee, except it is used on a horse not a window.

Here are some grooming tips

Make sure your horse is tied up in a warm and sheltered spot.

Take off you horse's tack and blankets before you start grooming.

Make sure that you're not around any mud puddles.

Check the equipment that you'll need to make sure everything is handy, clean, and ready to use before you begin.

Follow the natural curves of the horse's coat while you are brushing. If you don't, your horse will get mad.

Don't use any body brush on your horse's head.

Scrape the body brush with the curry comb to get the oil off.

After riding your horse, its skin it warmer. Grooming a horse with warm skin is easier because the pours are still open.

After sponging your horse's eyes, Change the water before sponging the nose and lips.

While you are grooming the tail make sure you are not standing directly behind your horse. Make sure your horse knows you are there before you start combing.


Clean your brushes after each use.




Posted by Joanna and Becca.


 



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Interesting horse facts

Camargue horses are completely white as adults. Their babies are pure black when they are born.


Their is a breed of horse from Russia called Akhal-Teke. it can go for days without food or water.



You measure a horse height in hands. Each hand equals four inches. If you say a horse is 16.2 hands high, the 2 stands for 2 fingers. 


You can tell how old a horse is by how many teeth it has. A horse gets all of its teeth by the time it is 5 years old. After that, they just get longer. 


A female horse is called a mare. In the wild it is the mare that decides when the herd moves to another spot to find food.


A male horse is called a stallion. Usually only one stallion will stay with the herd.


Any marking on a horse's forehead is called a star, even if it is not shaped like a star. 


Horses and ponies feel safer when they are in a herd.


Mustangs are one of few breeds of horses that live wild in North America. They are related to the horses that the Spanish explores  brought to North America 400 years ago.


Horses can communicate how they are feeling by their facial expressions. They use their ears, nostrils, and eyes to show their mood. Beware of a horse that has flared nostrils and their ears back. That means it might attack.


A hoof is like a fingernail. It is always growing and needs to be clipped so that it won't be uncomfortable for the horse.


A farrier is a person who makes horse shoes and fits them on your horse. They also clip hooves to keep them from getting overgrown.


A horse can move in four ways: walk, trot, canter, gallop. A gallop is the fastest gait.



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Posted by Joanna and Becca. 
You

Ineresting Facts About Rabbits

1. Baby Bunnies are commonly referred to as “kittens”
2. A Rabbit’s teeth never stop growing
3. Girl rabbits are referred to as “does”
4. Male rabbits are referred to as “bucks”
5. In the wild rabbits live in groups called “warrens”
6. Some rabbits can breed at as early as 3 months old
7. Rabbits are classified as “lagomorphs”
8. Today’s domestic rabbit is descended from the European Rabbit
9. Rabbits do not vomit
10. A rabbit’s gestation period is approximately 30 days
11. The backbone of a rabbit is very fragile and can break easily when handled improperly or dropped on its back
12. Domestic rabbits are born without fur
13. Bunny Rabbits are generally the most active during the evening and early morning
14. When rabbits grind their teeth it can sound like a purr
15. Rabbits are nearsighted
16. Rabbits are classified as mammals
17. Rabbits are not rodents but can resemble them in appearance
18. The largest number of kits every born in a litter is 24!
19. A rabbit has five toenails on its front two paws and four toenails on its back two feet. =18 toenails per rabbit
20. The longest rabbit ears ever recorded measured up to be 31.125 inches long!
21. The world’s heaviest rabbit is Darius, weighing an unprecedented 50 pounds!
22. Hundreds of years ago rabbits were often released on deserted islands in hopes of giving shipwrecked sailors a reliable food source
23. Some places in the world have had serious trouble with rabbit overpopulation
24. There are over 150 recognized rabbit coat colors and varieties
25. The current world record for a rabbit long jump is 3 meters
26. The current world record for the rabbit high jump is 1 meter
27. Rabbits only sweat on the pads of their feet
28. A rabbit will eat its own cecotropes (night droppings)- they are a valuable source of protein
29. A group of bunnies from the same mother are called a “litter”
30. Domestic rabbit kits are born with their eyes shut
31. It has been estimated that in Australia rabbits destroy around $600 million worth of crops each year
32. Rabbits were an important home meat supply during World War II
33. Not all rabbits will “breed like rabbits”
34. In ancient Egypt rabbits were used as sport for dog racing
35. The scientific name for the rabbit is Oryctolagus cuniculus
36. Rabbits and hares commonly found in the United States of America include the cottontail, jackrabbit, snowshoe rabbit and the domestic rabbit
37. Rabbits can interbreed with Hares
38. Pet rabbits tend to live to be much older that wild rabbits
39. Some rabbits are raised specifically for their fur
40.  A rabbit business is commonly called a “rabbitry”
41.  There are around 180 different rabbit breeds worldwide!

Pretty pictures of horses











Posted by Joanna

Knabstrup Horses

A quality riding horse, the Knabstrup is intelligent, perceptive, tractable, and easy to handle. The Knabstrup is used for general riding and showing in breed classes. Because of its spotted coat, it is in demand for circus work. There is nothing Oriental or refined in the Knabstrup, but today's horse remains solid and dependable;
a comfortable ride. A wide variety of different spots and splashes on a white or roan background. Some, however, still show the all over spotting of the old Knabstrup. The mane and tail are sparse. Knabstrup Formerly a victim of breeding almost entirely for eye catching color and markings, the Knabstrup is now bred more judiciously and makes good middle weight riding horse. Due to its coloring, it is still in demand for circus work. Horses stand from 15.2 to 15.4 hands high.






Posted by Becca and Joanna.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Wonder Horses Of Oregon


There were, in the late 1800’s wild horses still roaming Oregon state in the USA, and they were prized for their exceptionally good looks and long manes, hence their being referred to as the ‘Oregon Wild Long-haired Wonder Horses. In early 1870, the first stallion captured, named ‘Oregon Beauty’ was mated with a Clydesdale female called ‘Oregon Queen’ and the first filly born in captivity arrived soon after,welcomed by the owners who were the Rutherford brothers.
Called ‘Linus’ this wondrous horse was taken around fairs, show-grounds and museums for many years, showing off her glorious long mane and general good looks. She was a genuine crowd-puller. Until 1887 she gave pleasure to untold numbers of sightseers, before being tragically killed upon being struck by lightning. Luckily, she had produced a son, also named Linus II, and the tradition was able to continue.
 The” Wonder Horses” of Oregon are remarkable for the great growth of hair in mane and tail, which for length and thickness is not equaled in the world. Since these horses have been bred in captivity this growth of beautiful silken hair has increased with each generation. The wonderful endurance and intelligence of this breed of equines is at once apparent to anyone familiar with horses. Another remarkable characteristic of this truly wonderful breed of horses is their color, all of them being rich chestnuts, by reason of their thoroughbred origin. No doubt the “Oregon Wonder Horses” are the truest descendents of the first horses brought to America by Cortez, the conquerer of Mexico. Probably some’ escaped at that early period and established this breed hundreds of years ago remaining wild and uncaptured. They are truly glorious animals.




Posted by Joanna and Becca.