Stage I: Fall off pony. Bounce. Laugh. Climb back on. Repeat. Stage 2: Fall off horse. Run after horse, cussing. Climb back on by shimmying up horse’s neck. Ride until sundown. Stage 3: Fall off horse. Use sleeve of shirt to stanch bleeding. Have friend help you get back on horse. Take two Advil and apply ice packs when you get home. Ride next day. State 4: Fall off horse. Refuse advice to call ambulance; drive self to urgent care clinic. Entertain nursing staff with tales of previous daredevil stunts on horseback. Back to riding before cast comes off. Stage 5: Fall off horse. Temporarily forget name of horse and name of husband. Flirt shamelessly with paramedics when they arrive. Spend week in hospital while titanium pins are screwed in place. Start riding again before doctor gives official okay. Stage 6: Fall off horse. Fail to see any humor when hunky paramedic says, “You again?” Gain firsthand knowledge of advances in medical technology thanks to stint in ICU. Convince self that permanent limp isn't that noticeable. Promise husband you’ll give up riding. One week later purchase older, slower, shorter horse. Stage 7: Slip off horse. Relieved when artificial joints and implanted medical devices seem unaffected. Tell husband that scrapes and bruises are due to gardening accident. Pretend you don’t see husband roll his eyes and mutter as he walks away. Give apple to horse.
There are a few upcoming horse related events that I'm sharing, between life and life, I'm not attending too many live events, but will be watching the online ones!
AMHA Western Championship Show
The Western Champions Show is streaming live on iEquine.com. Show Schedule and streaming video available on the IEquine page. July 21-24th starting at 8 a.m. PST.
Online auction
MiniHorseStreet.com is hosting a one hour dutch auction Wednesday July 20th 9 p.m. EST. It is one hour only and will have 40 horses for sale in that time frame. Should be interesting. MiniHorseStreet does recommend using Mozilla Foxfire to watch the auction, so if you don't use Mozilla (I prefer Chrome but keep both on my PC), get it! I love Thunderbird too - awesome way to get all your email in one easy to use place.
Michigan State University has quite a collection of online classes (some free) that are for non-credit education. One that I'm attending tomorrow is The Advances in Equine Genetics webcast. It is live Wednesday, July 20 from 1pm–2pm EDT. You do have to registered with MSU to take the classes, but it's easy and what a great way to add a bit more to the equine care toolbox!
AREA VII California Classic Show
The Area VII AMHR/ASPC California Classic Show is scheduled for July 30-31, Wilton, CA. Pre-entry closed on the 18th, but there is still time to enter! There are even a few non-rated (i.e. no registration required) classes on July 30th. The show is at the Pacific Equestrian Center, Wilton. CA. Class sponsorships are available too!!
It's been cold here, okay not as cold as other areas in the country/world, but for the valley in Northern California it seems colder than normal! I'm wrapped up like I'm in Siberia most of the time. I think I'm starting to get the 'snow-birds' idea of heading to warmer climates in the winter - lol!
Monday was extremely bitter cold hovering right at freezing, so had to snap a few pics. The first is a saw I'd left out overnight (sawing down some very aggressive vines) the other is Fraiser one of our Aussies. I tried to catch the sun coming up against all the frosted everything, and one of our dogs Sabrina, she actually had frost on her back (she was on coyote duty), but nothing came out well, so delete!
The horses seem to be bearing up well in the cold, and fortunately the buckets aren't freezing solid every day. Today I caught Binks and Bambam right after they were done playing having a nap - they're so darn cute, although I'd gladly pass on every having Fall foals again. Now to get my mares and stallions to read this little FYI!!!
Over the weekend I did have a surprise. I was out feeding and as I'm walking along talking to the mares and giving the visual once over as I head towards the hay barn, I notice Cookie has developed a white star. Surpise! Not Cookie. Somehow Una managed to get into another pasture and we still don't know how. No holes in the fences or gates and Una is a good 37", so how she managed is beyond me. Since she hasn't weaned her now two year old daughter, Blessings, so I think good idea a bit of separation. Apparently that's what I thought...
Surprise! Guess who's in with mom Monday morning? However they achieved this, it was a one way deal as they haven't left yet and we really can't figure out how.
IMHO, I think Una is trying for a repeat with her true love Ringo. She's staring at him in this photo. Tomorrow is eviction day. I've explained to Una that all the 'plan' is to re-breed her to Ringo in May and we don't want anymore winter foals. I hope she was listening.
Spent most of the day cleaning up old files on the PC. Good thing to do on a really wet day. I'm so glad the pregnant mares are holding out on foaling. Hate slogging through mud. Bruiser was really put out this morning with the rain and refused to go out. Just screamed at his dam, for being crazy enough to wander around in the rain to eat!
While I've been cleaning up the harddrive (getting ready to reformat this PC), I did uncover some gems that I've had stored away for years! It's amazing what I keep... everything from feeding, to breeding to equine humor, etc. Some of the old e-newsletter I sent out a few years back.
So, I've been redoing, updating some and will posting them on the blog. I am crediting authors if known, and will definitely note those I haven't a clue who wrote them - so if anyone reads something that they can tell me the source I'd be thrilled to now that! I'm also going to start listing just a few of the photos I've had stored for years - I think it's 500+ photos of Minis collected over the years.
Last night had the Kiega and Bruiser in the backyard. They're so adorable together. Fiesty little pair and take after Ringo - constantly dropped, checking out the mares! Kiega is the friendlier of the two, but Bruiser will learn.
Still watching Baybee and Chiclet. I know Baybee is going to be hard to judge when she's due as we don't have a cover date, and she's a maiden. Remy I seesaw - pregnant, fat, pregnant, fat. So we're treating her as pregnant.
I did notice Libbe looks rounder than I she should be, but at this point I think everyone's secretly pregnant.
Everyone is suspect to me!
The most PG looking horse here though is Ray, our gelding. He's the old style mini and overweight as it is. He loves his hay and doesn't miss feeding time ever. He's one of the few that I've ever forced on a diet as he can get so chunky, so quickly.
As a breeder, I tend to spend a certain amount of time (okay alot of time!) online and reading books researching and educating myself on breeding. I don't stop at Miniature Horses though. Dogs, cattle, rabbits... Google cavies or rabbits (most rodents) with their shorter lifespan, short birthing cycle, there is quite a lot of valuable data out there. Much of which can be extrapolated and used for breeding horses.
IMHO, Miniature Horses are too new of a breed (heck we're still classed as a height registry by AMHR, not even a breed!) so we don't have an established "set" standard of what exactly a Miniature Horse is suppose to be yet. That won't change until AMHR and to a lesser degree AMHA accept that we want this to be a breed not a height registry.
Look at the image on this AMHA Certificate of Registration - we aren't breeding them to look like that anymore!
Yes, both registries have a "standard" but when you think "Miniature Horse" as to general conformation, you will get a variety of opinions on what the ideal is suppose to be!(assuming no conformation flaws). It can vary widely from the dishy arab head with a flatter croup to the high moving, short backed AMHR/ASPC dual registered Shetlands and about everything in between.
This is versus all the established equine breeds. If someone were to mention - Arabian or Quarterhorse or Clydesdale. Immediately a very clear picture forms in your mind.
A definite type is set in those breeds. Minis are not quite there... yet!
Honestly I've said this before (I've said it often in the past 10 years!), I'd love to see Miniature Horse embrace a variety of the large breeds and have breeders specifically breed for miniaturized Arabians, drafts, stock, riding type horses. That would be really amazing. BTW, I 'd be breeding the Mini Fresians.... maybe a few typie black & grey Arabs... ROFL!
It would be hard to judge at a Miniature show, but the diversity and genetic selection necessary to breed for specific large horse characteristics - back to genetics!! lol!!
Off my soapbox.
Studying the successful lines in Miniature Horses is another fascinating project, especially when you apply the knowledge used in other breeds/species on linebreeding, inbreeding and pedigree matching.
It's not surprising to see the same names crop up repeatedly when you research lineage. And I'm not talking just Rowdy or Buckeroo! There are a number of lines that are prevalent in Miniature Horses (some are more regionalized than others), that have contributed over the decades.
If you are a breeder or plan to become one, I'm of the very strong opinion that both AMHA & AMHR studbooks are necessary tools in breeding. Not that every horse's pedigree pre-DNA/PQ testing is correct (we've all heard the rumors!), but to be able to check the successful crosses, to your horses siblings, parents, grand-parents, etc., is valuable.
Or if you're a color breeder to check the recorded colors (the phenotype) in both registries versus the genotype. The fees are money well spent, again in my humble opinion!
What I've found interesting when I'm looking through someone's herd or a new buyer is out here how often the eye goes to certain horses that prove to be from the same genetic lines. I just find it fascinating how we can find something pleasing to our eye and the horses are closely related. I noticed this again in the recent AMHA Stallion Showcase. I'm particularly personally loving the Buckeroo x Redi or Not crosses!
Genetics, breeding theory, coat color, all totally fascinate me, so I thought I'd start sharing some of the articles and books I've uncovered over time this year.
Most of this is dry and boring - if you're not into factual and theoretical breeding practices that is! But, if you are a breeder you should have the basics of genetics down. If you want to get into linebreeding or even pedigree matching (I love this term and have practiced it long before I knew what it was), you really better know your stock and the risks involved. It's one of those wonderful when it goes right, oh noes when it goes wrong!
Horse Gquine Genetics & Selection Procedures, Equine Research Inc., Research Staff
David Cavill on Genetic Health (he has a series on Line Breeding too) in Dog breeds. Some of this is very applicable to horses too! He's very educated, a bit opinionate but knows his stuff!
Good resources on breeding (Google has pages of others too)
