Description:
This is a blog about anything and everything to do with the amazing creatures we call horses. Here you will find stories,essays,horse training tips and advice, horse health care articles, book reviews, movie reviews and much more.
Contents:
Horses in the Stars
Most people know about the constellations, but few know that there are actually a lot of horses that can be found in the stars. Listed below are many of the equine related constellations, nebulas, etc.
1. The Horse Head Nebula
The horse head Nebula is located in the constellation Orion. Incase you don’t know what a nebula is, it is basically a giant cloud of dust and gasses. The horse head nebula earned its name due to its striking resemblance to a horse’s head.
Surprisingly, however, this striking resemblance was over looked until it 1888 when female scientist Williamina Fleming observed that it looked like the head of a stallion. (Gabany)
The horse head nebula is approximately 1500 light years away. Unfortunately, it cannot be viewed by the unaided eye, or even with the use of a telescope. The only way to view this nebula is by taking long exposure photographs. The photographs that most of us have seen of the nebula were taken this way.
Even though it is nearly impossible to view the horse head nebula with the human eye (aided or unaided), it is one of the most popular astronomical features in the sky. The horse head nebula, like a wild stallion, represents beauty and freedom. Seeing the horse head nebula makes people feel connected with nature, much the same way as observing a wild stallion and his heard.
2. Equuleus
Equuleus literally means “The Little Horse” in Latin. It is the second smallest of the 88 constellations. Equuleus earned its name due to its resemblance to a foal. In Greek mythology, Equuleus was once believed to represent Celeris, a relative of Pegasus. Celeris was either the brother, or the offspring of Pegasus. Other myths suggest that Equuleus was the horse who sprung from Neptune’s trident when he and Athena were challenging one another for superiority. Because Equulues rises before Pegasus, it is often called, Equus Primu, “The First Horse.”
The stars of Equellus has three double stars that are suitable for viewing with a telescope. These are: Delta Equulei, Gamma Equulei , and Lambda Equulei (Dibon-Smith)
3. Centaurus
Centaurus is one of the largest and brightest constellations in the sky, located in the southern hemisphere. Two of its brightest stars are alpha and beta Centauri, which represent the Centaurs front hooves. Beta Centauri is the 10th brightest star in the heavens. (http://www.dibonsmith.com/cen_con.htm)According to Greek mythology, the constellation represents a very wise Centaur (half man half horse) named Chiron. According to some myths, Chiron was believed to have been the teacher of many famous people including: Hercules, Achilleus, and Aeskulapios.(Kronberg)
According to others, however, he was believed to be the immortal survivor of a battle between Heracles and a group of Centaurs. The battle is said to have occurred over a bottle of wine that belonged to the Centaurs which Heracles wrongfully opened. Heracles, killed, or frightened off all of the Centaurs except for Chiron. Chiron was shot with one of Heracles poisoned arrows, but because he was immortal he did not die, only suffer great pain. Promethues, feeling great sympathy for the poor Centuar, asked Zues if he might take Chiron’s immortality. With Zues’s Consent Promethues took on Chiron’s immortality as his own. Zues then placed the Centaur in the heavens as the constellation we now call Centaurus. (Dibon-Smith)
4. Pegasus
Pegasus is perhaps the most well known of all the Equine constellations. It is located in the northern hemisphere, and gets its name from the famous white winged horse of Greek Mythology. The Constellation Pegasus can be viewed from the northern hemisphere from late summer through out autumn. In the southern hemisphere, however, Pegasus is best viewed during the early winter through the late spring. ()
In Greek mythology Pegasus is said to have been “born” from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa, when she was slayed by Perseus. Pegasus was then tamed by the great warrior Bellerophon, who used a magic golden bridle given to him by the Godess Athena to capture the white winged horse. Bellerophon used Pegasus to help him win many battles, and soon became arrogant. He was no longer happy being an honored warrior, and decided that he wanted to become a God. Bellerophon planed to use Pegasus to fly to Olympus where the God’s lived. However, when Zeus heard about this, he was not pleased at all. He sent a horse fly to bit Pegasus, which sent Bellerophon tumbling to the ground. Pegasus, however, was rewarded by Zues for performing all of his duties. As a reward, Zeus immortalized the horse in the sky, as the constellation Pegasus.
Work Cited
Dibon-Smith, Richard. “Equuleus.” Dibonsmith.com. 29 June 2008.
Dibbon-Smith, Richard. “Centaurus”. Dibonsmith.com. 29 Jun 2008.
Gabany, Jay .” “Astrophoto: The Horsehead Nebula by Filippo Ciferria”. Universe Today. 18 Dec. 2006. 29 June 2008.
Kronberg, Christine. “Centaurus”. 2004. 29 June 2008.
“Pegasus.” Windows to The Universe. 29 June 2008.
Book Review of The Little Book Of Horse Poop By Becki Bell.
This is a book that only true horsemen and women can appreciate. It is not only a great laugh, but provides useful tips on making mucking out faster and more enjoyable as well as advice on what to do with your excess horsey poo.
The book contains fun quotes and facts about horse poop, and it helps us not only to better manage, but to better appreciate our horses’ poop.
One suggestion for making mucking out more enjoyable is to listen to a book on tape. Being a great book fan I found this suggestion exceptionally appealing, but it is just one of the many.
One fact that I found particularly fascinating, and terribly amusing is that piles of horse poop can actually explode! As “The Little Book of Horse Poop“ puts it, “Horse manure generates so much as it decomposes that large piles of it have been known to spontaneously combust.”
If you have a negative view of horse manure, reading this book will definitely change your opinion. If it doesn’t, nothing will! The uses of horse poop are many, from fertilizer to arena footing, or for the more imaginative, It can take the form of anything from a therapist to an oven. Yes, that’s right your horse manure can be a low cost therapist, or a non electric oven! To find out how, read “The Little Book of horse poop.” After reading this book you will come to understand that Horse manure, when truly understood, is a fascinating subject matter.
Teko and the Manure Pile
Just a few days after moving Teko to CVEC (Cresent Valley Equestrian Center), I went out to take him for a ride on the trails. When I got there, however, I discovered that he wasn't in his stall. "No big deal," I thought, "they probably put him out for me," so I walked down to his padock and he wasn't there either. At that point I was concerned. I exmined his padock and discovered that he had broken the bottom wire on the electric fence, and then I spotted him, hiding behind the manure pile eagerly munching grass. I grabbed his halter, and climbed down the manure pile to catch him (it was the only way to get there.) And, of course, the second I got down, he started up. At a full on gallop Teko took off climbing the manure pile like a mad horse, and of course, started sinking. All I could do was think, "oh my god he is going to pull a tendon," but thankfully he didn't. Teko stood at the top of the manure pile with a "Haha you can't get me" look on his face and I began to climb up after him. After 15 to 20 minutes of me chasing him around the farm, he decided the game wasn't fun anymore and let me catch him. I wasn't happy with him, but his cute face made it hard to be too mad.
Flying Childers
Childers, was his name, and he was arguably the greatest English racehorse to ever live. Those who know him today, probably know him by the name Flying Childers, however, that name was not given to him until long after his death. For those of you who do not know Childers at all, you soon will. (Thoroughbred Heritage)
Childers was born in 1714, the son of the Darey Arabian, and a mare named Betty Leedes. On his dam’s side were many great race horses including Old Careless, and his sire, Spanker. His sires side, however, appears to be unknown. What is known about the Darley Arabian, is that he was owned by Richard Darely, who had the horse imported from Aleppo Syria, around 1704. The Darely Arabian was bay in color and handsome in appearance. Richard Darley kept him primarily for private breeding, but bred him to a few select outside mares, one of which was Betty Leedes, Childers dam.
(Thoroughbred Heritage).
Childers was bred by Leonard Childers of Carr House, near Doncaster. It is from his breeder that Childers earned his name. As a colt, Childers was purchased by William Cavendish, the 2nd Duke of Devonshire. Childers was a handsome colt, a dark bay with four white socks and a small blaze that ran down his pretty face. (Thoroughbred Bloodlines) He matured to stand approximately 15.2hh, which was considered tall for his time. (Thoroughbred Heritage)
Throughout his racing career, Childer’s remained undefeated. His racing career was impressive to say the least. It is said that when he raced against Brown Betty and Almonzar, he covered a mile a minute. His stride was reported to be 25 feet. Childers was quite the horse.(Thoroughbred Bloodlines).Unlike most colts today, however, Childers did not began racing until age six. At that age he was entered in 3 races, all of which he won. The first race was at Newmarket on April 26th 1721. His second race, at the same location was held in October. The exact date is not known. His third race was perhaps the most interesting. It was a three horse match between Childers half brother Almonzar, also by the Darely Arabian, and a mare named Brown Betty. (Thoroughbred Heritage)
The following year Childer raced again at Newmarket, on October 22. The colt raced against and beat a horse named Chaunter. Later that year, he beat the famous race horse fox, by a quarter of mile, in a trial at York. As an 8 year old, Childers had his last two starts. One was a race at Newmarket in April, the other was a match against a horse named Bobsy, which paid a forfeit. (Thoroughbred Heritage)
Childers was then retired, undefeated. It is said that the Duke was offered much money for the horse, including one offer of the horse’s weight in gold crowns. However, all offers were refused. Childers was put to stud at Devonshire’s famous estate Chatsworth, located in Derbyshire where he was used as a private stallion. There Childers remained, peacefully living out the rest of his days until he passed away in 1741.
Work Cited
Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Bloodlines.net. Childers (GB). . Aug 25 2008.
Thoroughbred Heritage. TBHeritage.com. Flying Childers. . Aug 25 2008
The Importance of Ground Work
Everyone loves to saddle up and a go for a ride, but not everyone enjoys doing the work known as “ground work”. You know, the lunging, the leading, and all the training you do that doesn’t involve riding? However, the ground work you do with your horse, is just as, if not more important than the work you do with him under saddle.
Ground work is essential if you want your rides to be enjoyable for both you and your horse. Many believe that ground work is only necessary for young inexperienced horses, or those two young to ride. This is far from true. While young and inexperienced horses certainly do benefit from ground work, and may need to be ground worked more frequently than an older horse, ground work benefits every horse.
So just what exactly is ground work and why is it so important? Good question. Ground is anything you do with your horse without being on his back. This includes, leading, grooming, lunging, round penning, halter breaking, etc. It is so important because when you are on the ground with your horse is when you form a relationship with him. Ground work helps to form a bond based on trust and respect. When you work with your horse on the ground, you establish yourself as his trusted and respected leader. This kind of a relationship just can’t be established under saddle. Why? Because on the ground, you are like another horse, and you are more able to speak the language of a horse.
Have you ever wondered why every trainer spend so much time on the ground with a horse before he/she rides it? It is because the trainer is forming a trusting and respectful bond with the horse, learning to speak the horse’s language, if you will, before riding. That way, when it comes time to saddle up, the horse will be willing because the trainer has already earned the horse’s respect and trust.
But ground work isn’t just for young horses. It is a good thing to do a on a regular basis with any horse. By ground work, I don’t mean just lunging or round penning, but teaching your horse to follow with out a halter, spending time grooming him, or just hanging out with him on the pasture. All of these things help instill a bond between you and your horse, and help establish and reestablish respect and trust. If your horse is ever misbehaving under saddle, get off of him, and spend a couple of days just doing ground work. When you get back in the saddle, you’ll see a difference.
Ground work is also important to give your horse a break from the stress of riding. If all you ever do is ride him, your relationship won’t be as strong as it would be if you spend time just bonding with him. Horses may enjoy riding, but they enjoy ground work more. Remember, when you are riding your horse, he is doing most of the work. Its important to give him a break every now and then, and just keep things easy and fun. If all you ever do is ride your horse when you catch him, pretty soon he will no longer look forward to spending time with you.
The Mystery of Girls and Horses
Here is an essay I wrote in college about why girls love horses. This essay has also been published on http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/
Many young girls today are fascinated with horses. It is well known in the horse world that far more girls than boys are involved in horse sports, associations, and clubs, with the exceptions being horse racing and rodeo. In the past, however, it was mostly men and who were involved with horses. So why today are so many girls attracted to horses?
Most would agree that horses are beautiful, graceful, elegant creatures and therefore appeal more to girls; however, horses haven’t always been viewed this way. The image of the horse has changed. Horses used to be considered tools for cowboys, a means of transportation for soldiers, and a matter of business for racehorse owners. Today, horses are mostly companion animals kept for pleasure rather than work or business purposes. Horses are no longer needed for ranch work or fighting wars, and while horseracing still exists mainly as a business, it is one of the few horse sports that does. The change in the image and use of the horse is likely what began the shift of interest in horses from boys to girls.
Because the use of horses has changed, the methods of training them have also changed. Horses are no longer “broken in.” Although the term is still used, the methods are different. In the past, horses that had experienced little or no human contact were saddled and ridden until exhausted from bucking. Once the horse had submitted, it would be trained to perform various tasks such as roping and herding cattle. Because horses were needed for work, no more time than necessary could be spent training them. The relationship between horse and rider used to be similar to that between master and servant. Today, however, training a horse is similar to teaching a child. In many ways, the relationship between horse and rider is similar to the relationship between mother and child, which I believe is the main reason why so many girls are attracted to horses.
Today’s training methods require a great deal of patience, trust and respect. Like a child, if a horse does not trust and respect you, it will not obey you. Horses are very sensitive, and, like children, need to be praised and nurtured, but also need to be disciplined. When a horse becomes frightened or nervous, the trainer must comfort it by remaining calm and unafraid, speaking in a soothing, comforting tone of voice, and gently stroking the horse. This is similar to the way that a mother might comfort a frightened or nervous child. When a well-trained horse becomes scared or confused, it will look to its rider for direction. This is similar to the way that children depend on their mothers for help and support. Like children, horses often throw tantrums when asked to do something that they do not want to do. Horses may refuse to cross water, or load in a trailer the same way that children might refuse to clean their rooms, or throw tantrums when told to go to bed.
Caring for horses requires a lot of responsibility. This responsibility is similar to women’s responsibility to care for their children. Women and girls have the natural maternal instinct to want to take care of and raise children, and horses enable them to act on that instinct. This is probably not something that most girls are aware of, but rather something that attracts them to horses on a subconscious level.
It has been suggested that a girl’s attraction to horses is similar to a girl’s attraction to a “bad boy” and that for a girl the idea of taming a wild dangerous horse is similar to the idea of taming a “bad boy”. However, I believe that this theory is a misunderstanding that is based on the way horses are portrayed in books and movies. Many books and movies tell the story of a wild dangerous horse that only one special girl can handle. Anyone who has any experience with horses, however, knows that this situation very seldom occurs in reality. A horse may bond with and perform better for its trainer, but a well-trained horse can be handled by anyone. It is true that a close relationship between horse and rider is often formed. Such a relationship is developed with time, patience and knowledge; it is not an instantaneous thing that a girl can immediately achieve as many books and movies have suggested.
It is important to understand why girls are attracted to horses, because this attraction can be beneficial to girls. Horses can help shape girls’ character in positive ways by teaching them responsibility and helping them develop many of the skills that they will need as mothers.
Introduction
Ode to the Horse is a blog dedicated to everything horse related from health issues to personal stories, poetry and fiction? This blog is about horses and the relationships that humans form with them. You will find that I write a lot about my relationship with my horse, Teko, and if you read my blog regularly you will get to know him quite well, and possibly grow to love him almost as much as
You will also find that I have a huge interest in horse health and soundness issues and write a lot about what is going on with equine medicine. I am particularly interested in alternative medicine, message therapy and chiropractics. I also read a lot of horse books and watch a lot of horse movies and enjoy reviewing them. Like I said, Ode to the Horse isn’t about just one subject; it is about everything to do with the amazing creatures we call horses. This blog is updated regularly, so stop by often and see what’s new!
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