Horse

Domestic Horse

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Perissodactyla
Family:	Equidae
Genus:	Equus
Species:	E. caballus

Binomial name

''Equus caballus
Linnaeus, 1861

Introduction

Horses, one of the most historically vital domesticated animals to man, have played a central role in the lives of people for tens of thousands of years. No other animal, domestic or wild, has had so great an impact on the history of civilization as has the horse. The horse was an integral element in warfare and conquest, in transportation and travel, and in art and in sport. Its beauty and power are legendary. Since ancient times, the horse has been depicted and revered as the noble bearer of heroes, champions and gods.

In its design, its form and its function, the horse is well suited as a purely riding animal. Its spine is fixed and rigid and well devised to bear weight. Its stature is tall, a feature that lends any rider a towering advantage in either hunting, sport or warfare. The horse's legs are long, slender, graceful and, above all, swift. It has been (and remains so today) that the horse's speed and ability to cover ground has made him invaluable to man.

Horses are herd animals and are very social creatures. They fail to thrive in isolation. Their intrinsic nature is to seek a relationship of trust and mutual benefit to ensure kinship, protection, thus, survival. Man has long been able to exploit this social character to his advantage. Domestication and the subsequent relationship with man, has caused horses to supplant their herd instinct so as to embrace humans. This has resulted in a horse's now imbued willingness to please. It is that very willingness to please that makes the horse one of the most valuable of all God's creatures.

Classification

The horse (Equus caballus) is a sizeable ungulate mammal of the genus Equus. Other members of the horse family include zebras, donkeys, Przewalski's Horse, a rare Asian species, and hemionids. The donkey, also known as the burro or domestic ass, Equus asinus, like the domestice horse, has many breeds. Wild animals, whose ancestors have never undergone domestication, are distinct from feral animals, who had domesticated ancestors but now live in the wild. Isolated feral populations are often named for their geographic location. Several populations of feral horses exist, including those in the western United States and Canada, often called "Mustangs".

Evolution

Eohippus, the ancestor of all modern horses, was only 20cm (0.6 feet) in height

All equids of the family Equidae, date back approximately 54 million years to the Eocene period in what is now North America. Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla, a relatively ancient group of browsing and grazing animals that first arose less than 10 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct.

One of the first true horse species was the tiny Hyracotherium, also known as eohippus, or "the dawn horse". Equine evolution has been characterized by a reduction in the number of toes, from 5 per foot, to 3 per foot, to only 1 toe per foot. In the course of about 5 million years, this early equid evolved into the Orohippus. The vestiges of the 1st and 2nd toes vanished, but the addition of a new "grinding" tooth was significant in that it signaled a transition to improved browsing of tougher plant material. This would allowing grazing not just leafy plants but plains grasses. Their primary food source could transition from leaf-eating forest-dwellers to grass-eating inhabitants of the Great Plains.

Today only three species of ungulates survive; tapirs and rhinoceroses are the closest living relatives of the modern horse. The genus Equus, to which all living equids belong, evolved a few million years ago.

Domestication and a Brief History

Domestication may have occurred as early as 4,500 B.C.E., although there is speculation that horses were extensively utilized by humans in Babylon, Assyria, Egypt and Eurasia as early as 5,000, B.C. Other early evidence for domestication dates from Central Asia, to approximately 4,000, B.C., however it is well known that competing theories exist as to the exact time and place of initial domestication.

Until the middle of the 20th century, the horse was employed primarily in warfare. Conquerors maintained countless numbers of horses in order to traverse vast tracts of land and territory. It was because of the swiftness of the horse that the armies of the Huns, Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Ottomans, Nepolean, and so many others were able to vanquish foes and rule over empires. Soldiers today still refer to the groups of machines that have replaced horses on the battlefield as "cavalry" units, and sometimes preserve traditional horse-oriented names for military units.

The Modern Horse

Over time, especially within the last three hundred to four hundred years, equine breeds have been developed to fulfill specialized pursuits. The horse today is an animal used mainly for competitive sport and pleasure. Equine endeavor may be arranged into three main categories: Horse Racing, Horse Showing, and Pleasure Horses.

Horse racing is considered the world's most popular spectator sport. Racing with horses pre-dates recorded history. Humankind raced horse-drawn chariots in the early Mesopatamia, in the original Olympic games in ancient Greece, and in the great Roman circus. These contests were often brutal as teams of fierce stallions were galloped by ruthless warriors, the latter, who would committ any atrocity to win at any cost. Today we count flat racing (on tracks or on turf), steeplechasing, and harness racing as the three main forms of competitive racing.

Horse showing, or horse sport as they are currently known, is generally defined as any activity involving horses in a competition other than racing. Sporthorses are equines involved in the so-called English disciplines, such as dressage, show jumping, three-day eventing, endurance ridng, driving, polo, fox hunting, and their related activities. Horse shows also include the western disciplines; these originated in the western United States and include reining, rodeo, gymkhana, cow horses, cutting and western pleasure, among others.

Horse behavior

Gray Horse

Horses are prey animals with flight or fight instinct. Their first response to threat is to flee; however, they are known to defend themselves when cornered and the fight instinct is also triggered when offspring, such as a foal is threatened. Through selective breeding, some horses have been made more docile, but most sport horse breeds are based on the principle of preserving the natural qualities of bravery, honesty, and athleticism that existed in horses that were taken from wild herds hundreds of years ago.

As stated previously, horses are highly social herd animals. Like many other herd animals, their soceity is derive from survival instincts.

In the wild, horse society is matriarchal. At the center of the herd is the alpha or dominant mare. Herds are made up of mares, foals and immature horses of both sexes. A herd of twenty mares can produce twenty foals in one year.

The dominant stallion lives on the periphery of the herd, and it is the his role to stand as the herd sire, to confront threats from predators and to repel challenges for dominance from other stallions who might become a successor.

The edge of the herd is where the lowest on the social order are found. When colts become mature, they are cast out by the dominant stallon and are no longer welcome in the herd. For what may be years, they form small bachelor herds and roam until the time when they may battle for the privilege of becoming the next dominant stallion.

Horses graze in a field near London, England

It is the rule that horses tend to gravitate around the most mature and confident herd members. The ability for man to work in cooperation with the horse is based on the strong social bonds that horses have with each other. Establishment of a secure and stable hierarchy is important to smooth group functioning.

Providing that they do not regard humans as they would regard predators, horses will treat humans in much the same way that they treat other horses. As a result, horses will be willing to associate with humans in a cooperative way, but they may also challenge humans for dominance. Training principles, then, are based upon having the horse accept a human as the dominant herd member; not through force, but by virtue of ability and confidence that results in trust. Humans who train horses teach that aggression towards humans will meet with sure but measured and appropriate retaliation. Once horses have been deterred from kicking and biting humans to secure dominance over them, a cooperative relationship can be maintained.

However, humans sometimes abuse horses. Ordinarily, horses are very forgiving of human misbehavior but, when the balance tips, a horse can become a deadly enemy. Abused horses can be very dangerous because they cease treating humans as members of their group; instead humans are treated as predators. Horse bites can sever limbs. Horse kicks can be deadly. Rehabilitation of a horse that has been forced to aggressively defend itself against humans is very difficult and not without real risk.

Equestrian Vocabulary

Horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years; an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually everything to do with equines.

SIZE

The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands. One hand is defined as a measure of 4 (U.S.) inches.

Size alone marks the difference between horses and ponies. The threshold is 14.2 hh (1.47 m) and under for an adult pony. Above that threshold the equine is a horse. Ponies are furthur divided into sizes according to the height at the withers: Small Ponies are 12.2hh and under. Medium Ponies are over 12.2hh but do not exceed 13.2hh. Large Ponies are over 13.2hh but do not exceed 14.2hh.

GAITS

All horses move naturally with four basic gaits; these are referred to as the walk, the trot/jog, the canter/lope ("canter" in English riding, "lope" in Western), and the gallop.

The Walk

A walk is a "four-beat" lateral gait in which a horse must have three feet on the ground and only one foot in the air at any time. The walking horse will lift first a hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side, then the remaining hind leg, then the foreleg on the same side.

The Trot/Jog

A trot ("trot" for English riding, "jog" for western riding) is a "two beat" diagonal gait in which a foreleg and opposite hindleg (often called "diagonals") touch the ground at the same time. In this gait, each leg bears weight separately. There are two types of trot a rider can perform; these are called posting trot, in which the rider stands up slightly in the saddle each time the animal's outside front leg goes forward, and sitting trot, in which the rider sits in the saddle and matches the horse's movement.

The Canter/Lope

A canter (English riding, "lope" for western riding), is a restrained form of a gallop. is a three beat gait in which a foreleg and opposite hindleg strike the ground together, and the other two legs strike separately. A cantering horse will first stride off with the outside hind leg, then the inside hind and outside fore together, then the inside front leg, and finally a period of suspension in which all four legs are off the ground. the rhythm should be 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc.

The Gallop

File:Gallop.jpg

At the gallop, with all four feet off the ground

The gallop is another four beat gait which follows a similar progression to the canter, except the two paired legs land separately, the hind leg landing slightly before the foreleg. It is the fastest of all gaits; a fit racing Thoroughbred can course at a gallop over forty miles an hour.

Other Equestrian Terminology

You can view an entire equine dictionary at: The Horse Dictionary

Colt - an unnuetered male horse from birth till the age of 4.
Filly - female horse from birth till the age of 4.
Foal - infant horse of either sex.
Mare - adult female horse.
Stallion - adult, male horse that is capable of producing offspring.
Gelding - a castrated male horse of any age.
Horse - adult equine of either sex over 14.2 hh.
Weanling - a young horse that has just been weaned from their mother (usually 6 months or a little older).
Yearling - male or female horse one to two years old.
Purebred - any horse that can trace its lineage back to a single individual.
Draft Horse - heavy, muscular horse used mainly for pulling and driving.
Light Horse - light to medium horses used mainly for riding and fine harness.
Pony - equine 14.2 hh or less.
Green - a term used to describe an inexperienced or untrained horse.
Hand - a unit of measuring a horse's height. One hand is equal to 4 inches.

Horse Anatomy, Colors and Markings

File:Horse parts.jpg

Horse parts

File:Horse.jpg

horses

Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, and a specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them. In fact, one will often refer to a horse in the field by his or her coat color rather than by breed or by gender.

Bay- From light brown to very dark brown with black mane and tail with black points. Three types - Dark bay, blood bay, light bay and just bay.
Black- For a horse to be considered black it must be completely black with no brown at all, only white markings.
Chestnut- A color from golden-reddish to a liver color with no black.
Dun - Yellowish brown with a dorsal stripe along the back and occasionally zebra stripings on the legs.
Gray - A horse with black skin and clear hairs. Gray horses can be born any color, and eventually most will turn gray or white with age. If you would define the horse as white it is still grey unless it is albino. Some gray horses that are very light must wear sunscreen.
Grulla- A horse that is often a grayish/silver colored horse with dark dun factors.
Pinto or Paint - a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white. Piebald is black and white, while Skewbald is white and brown. Specific patterns such as tobiano, overo, and tovero refer to the orientation of white on the body.
Palomino-chestnut horse that has one cream dilute gene that turns the horse to a golden, yellow, or tan shade with a flaxen (white) mane and tail.
Perlino - Exactly like a cremello but a bay horse with two dilute genes.
Roan - a color pattern that causes white hairs to be sprinkled over the horse's body color. Red roans are chesnut and white hairs, blue roans are black/bay with white hairs. Roans also have solid colored heads that do not lighten.
Rose gray: a gray horse with a pinkish tinge to its coat. This color occurs while the horse is "graying out."
Sorrel - a light brown coat with a flaxen mane and tail.
Appaloosa - A true Appaloosa is actually a breed, not a color. There are different patterns: blanket- white blanket that typically starts around or behind withers with dark spots mostly over the hips, snowflake - solid with white spots over hips, and leopard - which is white with dark spots over all the coat.

Markings

On the face:

Star (a white patch between the eyes)
Snip (a white patch on the muzzle)
Stripe (narrow white stripe down the middle of the face)
Blaze (broad white stripe down the middle of the face)
White Face (sometimes called Bald Face)

On the legs:

Ermine marks (black marks on the white just above the hoof)
Sock (white marking that does not extend as high as the knee or hock)
Stocking (white marking that extends as high as the knee or hock)

For horse color and marking genetics see Equine coat color genetics. Another good resource for horse color is: Horse color, markings, and genetics. Another that has numerous photographs of various colors and markings is Equine color.

The origin of modern horse breeds

File:Orse.jpg

A horse of mixed breed, Dorset, UK

Horses come in various sizes and shapes. The draft breeds can top 20 hands (80 inches, 2 metres) while the smallest miniature horses can stand as low as 5.2 hands (22 inches, 0.56 metres). The Patagonian Fallabella, usually considered the smallest horse in the world, compares in size to a German Shepherd Dog.

Several schools of thought exist to explain how this range of size and shape came about. These schools grew up reasoning from the type of dentition and from the horses' outward appearance. One school, which we can call the "Four Foundations", suggests that the modern horse evolved from two types of early domesticated pony and two types of early domesticated horse; the differences between these types account for the differences in type of the modern breeds. A second school — the "Single Foundation" — holds only one breed of horse underwent domestication, and it diverged in form after domestication through human selective breeding (or in the case of feral horses, through ecological pressures). Finally, certain geneticists have started evaluating the DNA and mitochondrial DNA to construct family trees. See: Domestication of the horse

Breeds, studbooks, purebreds and landraces

File:Equus Arabian2.JPG

Registered Arabian mare

Selective breeding of horses has occurred as long as man has domesticated them. However, the concept of controlled breed registries has gained much wider importance during the 20th century. One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for thoroughbreds[1], a process that started in 1791 tracing back to the foundation sires for that breed. These sires were Arabians, brought to England from the Middle East.

The Arabs had a reputation for breeding their prize mares to only the most worthy stallions, and kept extensive pedigrees of their "asil" (purebred) horses. During the late middle ages the Carthusian monks of southern Spain, themselves forbidden to ride, bred horses which nobles throughout Europe prized; the lineage survives to this day in the Andalusian horse or caballo de pura raza español.

The modern landscape of breed designation presents a complicated picture. Some breeds have closed studbooks; a registered Thoroughbred, Arabian, or Quarter Horse must have two registered parents of the same breed, and no other criteria for registration apply. Other breeds tolerate limited infusions from other breeds—the modern Appaloosa for instance must have at least one Appaloosa parent but may also have a Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, or Arabian parent and must also exhibit spotted coloration to gain full registration. Still other breeds, such as most of the warmblood sporthorses, require individual judging of an individual animal's quality before registration or breeding approval.

Breed registries also differ as to their acceptance or rejection of breeding technology. For example, all (Jockey Club) Thoroughbred registries require that a registered Thoroughbred be a product of a natural mating ('live cover' in horse parlance). A foal born of two Thoroughbred parents, but by means of artificial insemination, is barred from the Thoroughbred studbook. Any Thoroughbred bred outside of these contraints can become part of the Performance Horse Registry.

Many breed registries allow artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer, or both. The high value of breed stallions has helped with the acceptance of these techniques because they 1.) allow for more doses with each stallion 'collection' and 2.) take away the risk of injury during breeding.

Hotbloods, Warmbloods, and Coldbloods

The Arabian horses, whether originating on the Arabian peninsula or from the European studs (breeding establishments) of the 18th and 19th centuries, gained the title of "hotbloods", for their temperament. Arabians are known and valued for their sensitivity, keen awareness, athleticism, and energy. It was these traits, combined with the lighter aesthetically refined bone structure which was used as the foundation of the Thoroughbreds. They wished to infuse some of this energy and athleticism into their own best cavalry horses.

The Thoroughbred is unique to all breeds in that its muscles can be trained for either fast-twitch (for sprinting) or slow-twitch (for endurance) making them an extremely versatile breed. Arabians are used in the sport horse world almost exclusively for endurance competitions. Breeders continue to use Arabian sires with Thoroughbred mares to enhance the sensitivity of the offspring for use in equestrian sports. An Arabian/Thoroughbred cross is known as an Anglo-Arabian. Horsed in this group are commonly called 'hotbloods.'

True hotbloods usually offer greater riding challenges and rewards than other horses. Their sensitivity and intelligence enable quick learning, and greater communication and cooperation with their riders. However, they can sometimes also decide that new flowerpot is really a dragon, and you will spend the next five minutes calming them down.

Muscular and heavy draft horses are more or less known as "coldbloods", as they have been bred to be workhorses and carriage horses with calm temperaments. Harnessing a horse to a carriage requires some level of trust in the horse to remain calm when restrained. The best known coldbloods would probably be the Budweiser Clydesdales [2].

Warmblood breeds began in much the same way as the Thoroughbred. The best of their carriage or cavalry horses were bred to Arabian, Anglo-Arabian and Thoroughbred sires. The term "warmbloods" is sometimes used to mean any draft/Thoroughbred cross although this is becoming less common. The warmblood name has become the term to specifically refer to the sporthorse breed registries than began in Europe, although now worldwide. These registries, or societies, such as the Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Trakkhener, and Holsteiner have dominated the Olympics and World Equestrian Games in Dressage and Show Jumping since the 1950s.

The list of horse breeds provides a partial alphabetical list of breeds of horse extant today, plus a discussion of rare breeds' conservation.

Horses in sport today

Racing in all its forms

Humans have always had a desire to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest, horse-racing has ancient roots. Today, several categories of racing exist:

Races subject to formal gambling

Under saddle:

Thoroughbred flat racing; (under the aegis of the Jockey Club in the United Kingdom and the Jockey Club of North America)
Thoroughbred National Hunt racing or steeplechasing in the UK
Quarter Horse Racing—mostly in the United States, and sanctioned there by the American Quarter Horse Association.
Appaloosa Horse Racing
Arabian Horse Racing

In harness:

The United States Trotting Association organizes harness Racing in the United States (although the horses may also pace)
Harness Racing in Europe, New Zealand and Australia

Amateur races without gambling

Endurance riding, a sport in which the Arabian dominates at the top level, has become very popular in the United States and in Europe. The American Endurance Ride Conference organizes the sport in North America. Endurance races take place over a given, measured distance and the horses have an even start. Races begin at 20 miles and peak at 100 miles. Note especially the Tevis Cup.
Ride and Tie (in North America, organized by Ride and Tie Association). Ride and Tie involves three equal partners: two humans and one horse. The humans alternately run and ride.

Thoroughbreds have a pre-eminent reputation as a racing breed, but Arabians, Quarter Horses, and Appaloosas also race on the flat in the United States. Quarter Horses traditionally raced for a quarter mile, hence the name. Steeplechasing involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over obstacles. It occurs most commonly in the United Kingdom. Standardbred trotters and pacers race in harness with a sulky or racing bike. In France they also race under saddle.

Show Sports

The traditional competitions of Europe

The three following count as Olympic disciplines:

Dressage ("training" in French) involves the progressive training of the horse to a high level of impulsion, collection, and obedience. Competitive dressage has the goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it performs without thinking while running loose. One dressage master has defined it as "returning the freedom of the horse while carrying the rider."

Show jumping comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order and with the fewest refusals or knockdowns of portions of the obstacles. At the Grand Prix level fences may reach a height of as much as 6 feet.

Eventing, combined training, horse trials, "the Military," or "the complete test" as its French name translates, puts together the obedience of dressage with the athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands of a long endurance phase (a.k.a. "roads and tracks") and the "cross-country" jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, unlike show jumping, where the majority of the obstacles will fall down or apart if hit by the horse.

Found in the United States

Huntseat classes these days judge the movement and the form of the horse over fences. A typical hunter division would include a flat class, or hack class, in which the horse is judged on its movement. A typical "hack winner" would be known for its flat kneed trot and "daisy cutter" movement, a phrase coined since a good hunter could slice daisys in a field when it flicks its toes out. The over fences portion of the class is judged on the form of the horse and the smoothness of the course. A horse with good jumping form snaps its knees up and jumps with a good bascule. It should also be able to canter slowly but have a step large enough to make it down the lines.

Saddleseat (also known as Park or English Pleasure riding), a uniquely American discipline, developed to show to best advantage the extravagantly animated movement of high-stepping gaited breeds such as the American Saddlebred and the Tennessee Walker. Riders also commonly show Arabians and Morgans saddleseat in the United States.

Equitation refers to those classes where the position of the rider is judged rather than the form or movement of the horse.

Western riding

Dressage, jumping and cross-country offer forms of what Americans refer to as 'English riding' (although the United States has a strong following of riders in those disciplines). Western riding evolved stylistically from traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish, and its skills stem from the working needs of the cowboy in the American West. A main differentiating factor comes from the need of the cowboy to rope cattle with a lariat (or lasso). The cowboy must control the horse with one hand and use the lariat with the other hand. That means that horses must learn to neck rein, that is, to respond to light pressure of the slack rein against the horse's neck. Once the cowboy has twirled the lariat and thrown its loop over a cow's head, he must snub the rope to the horn of his saddle. For roping calves, the horse learns to pull back against the calf, which falls to the ground, while the cowboy dismounts and ties the calf's feet together so that he can be brand it, treat it for disease, and so on. Working with half-wild cattle, frequently in terrain where one cannot see what lurks behind the next bush, means the ever-present very great danger of becoming unseated in an accident miles from home and friends.

These multiple work needs mean that cowboys require different tack, most notably a curb bit (usually with longer bars than an English equitation curb or pelham bit would have) which works by leverage, long split reins (the ends of which can serve as an impromptu quirt) and a special kind of saddle. The Western saddle has a very much more substantial frame (traditionally made of wood) to absorb the shock of roping, a prominent pommel surmounted by a horn (a big knob for snubbing the lasso after roping an animal), and, frequently, tapaderos ("taps") covering the front of the stirrups to prevent the cowboy's foot from slipping through the stirrup in an accident and resulting in a frightened horse dragging him behind it. The cowboy's boots, which have high heels of an uncommon shape, also feature a specific design to prevent the cowboy's foot from slipping through the stirrup.

Technically, fewer differences between 'English' and Western riding exist than most people think.

The outfit of the competition Western rider differs from that of the dressage or 'English' rider. In dressage all riders wear the same to prevent distraction from the riding itself. But show — in the form of outfit (and silver ornaments on saddle and tack) — forms part of Western riding. The riders must wear cowboy boots, jeans, a shirt with long sleeves, and a cowboy hat. Riders can choose any color, and optionally accoutrements such as chaps, bolo ties, belt buckles, and (shiny) spurs.

Competitions exist in the following forms:

Western pleasure - the rider must show the horse in walk, jog (a slow, controlled trot), trot and lope (a slow, controlled canter). The horse must remain under control, with the rider directing minimal force through the reins and otherwise using minimal interference.

Reining - considered by some the "dressage" of the western riding world, reining requires horse and rider to perform a precise pattern consisting of canter circles, rapid "spins" (a particularly athletic turn on the haunches), and the sliding stop (executed from a full gallop).

Cutting: more than any other, this event highlights the "cow sense" prized in stock breeds such as the Quarter horse. The horse and rider select and separate a calf out of a small group. The calf then tries to return to its herdmates; the rider loosens the reins and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the calf separated, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. A jury awards points to the cutter.

Team penning: a popular timed event in which a team of 3 riders must select 3 to 5 marked steers out of a herd and drive them into a small pen. The catch: the riders cannot close the gate to the pen till they have corralled all the cattle (and only the intended cattle) inside.

Trail class: in this event, the rider has to maneuver the horse through an obstacle course in a ring. Speed is not important, but total control of the horse is. The horses have to move sideways, make 90 degree turns while moving backwards, a fence has to be opened and/or closed while mounted, and more such maneuvers relevant to everyday ranch or trail riding tasks are demonstrated.

Barrel racing and pole bending: the timed speed/agility events of rodeo. In a barrel race, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. In pole bending, horse and rider gallop the length of a line of six upright poles, turn sharply and weave through the poles, turn again and weave back, and gallop back to the start.

Halter class: here the horse is shown with only a halter and without a rider, but with a handler controlling the horse from the ground using a leadrope. The standard position of the handler is on the left side with the shoulder near the horse's eye. The horse is taken through a short pattern where the horse and handler must demonstrate control during walk, jog and turns. In regular halter class, judges will put emphasis on the performance and build of the horse when awarding points, in 'showmanship at halter' the performance of the handler and horse are both judged equally. Clothing of the handler and the halters tend to be more flashy in this discipline. Halter class is particularly popular with younger riders who do not yet have the skill or confidence to partake in other forms.

Steer wrestling: Europe does not allow this activity because of animal welfare concerns, but it occurs in the United States of America, usually at rodeo events. While riding, the rider jumps off his horse onto a steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground.

Roping: also banned in Europe. In calf roping, the rider has to catch a running calf by the neck with a lasso, stop the animal in its tracks, rapidy dismount the horse and immobilize the calf by tying three of its legs together. In team roping, one horse and rider lassos a running steer's horns, while another horse and rider lassos the steer's two hind legs.

Bronc riding (riding a bucking "wild" horse for a timed duration) counts as a separate event, not considered part of Western riding as such. It consists of bareback bronc riding and of saddle bronc riding.

Caring for a horse

There are many aspects to horse and pony care.

Basic requirements

The horse must be checked AT LEAST once a day. It must have access to clean fresh water at all times, and preferably grass or hay too. If you cannot visit your horse every day, you should look at keeping it at a livery yard, where the staff can care for your horse for a fee. The minimum requirements are that the horse/pony has plenty to eat and drink, has regular farriery/dental/veterinary care and its feet are picked out daily to prevent thrush/lameness. It should also have some form of regular exercise whether it is being ridden or turned out in a spacious field.

Shoeing and foot care

The horse or pony should be shod every 4-6 weeks. If the horse or pony is unshod (if it is a youngster or not used for ridden work) it must have a trim and levelling every 8-10 weeks. Your farrier should be a qualified and registered farrier, and should advertise this fact with a sticker in his/her van. If you are unsure, contact the Farrier's Registration Council. It is illegal for anyone else other than a registered farrier to shoe or trim a horse's feet in the UK. The farrier should have any one of the following qualifications, the FWCF being the most highly skilled:

DipWCF (Diploma of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
AWCF (Associateship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)
FWCF (Fellowship of the Worshipful Company of Farriers)

A set of four shoes and labour typically costs £50-£60 a set. This may be more or less if you have an unusually large/small/difficult horse or pony, or if it needs remedial shoeing.

The feet should be picked out using a hoof pick at least once a day, to remove any stones, mud and dirt and to check that the shoes are in good condition.

Feet should be kept clean and dry wherever possible, as wet, dirty conditions may lead to thrush and/or lameness.

Veterinary care

Vaccinations

The horse or pony should be vaccinated against equine 'flu and tetanus. You will need to present a vaccination card at many shows. You should register with a veterinary practise incase you need to call them out in an emergency.

First-aid kit

You should keep a well-stocked equine (and human) first-aid kit in a place where it is easily accessed. Replace any used/out of date items as soon as possible.

Basics any kit should include:

Thermometer
Petroleum jelly (to use as lubrication for thermometer)
Salt (for saline solution)
Cotton wool (for cleaning wounds, not dressing them)
Animalintex/poultice dressing. Even disposable nappies/diapers can be cut and used as a poultice as they draw moisture out of wounds
Gamgee, to be used as padding underneath bandages
Sharp, clean scissors, reserved for first aid kit only
Clean bucket, reserved for first-aid kit only, for washing out wounds
Clean sponge, reserced for first-aid kit only
Antiseptic cream/powder
Bandages - 4x stable bandages, possibly the 'veterinary' type too
Poultice boot
Latex/medical gloves, unused
Clean towel
Soap and nail brush to scrub your hands
Suitable box/container for all of the above, to keep them clean and tidy.

Worming

Your horse or pony should be wormed regularly, between every 8-13 weeks depending on the brand of wormer. Ask your vet for a worming programme.

Wormers come in the form of a paste or gel in a syringe, or a powder or granules, in a sachet. The sachet wormer is normally mixed in with the horse's feed. The syringe is used to squirt the paste/gel onto the horse's tongue.

You should also regularly (at least once a week) remove droppings from your horse's field to reduce numbers of worms.

There are several different brands of wormer, using different types of active chemical - which in turn kill different types of worm. You may have to use a different wormer at a certain time of year, to combat a specific worm, for example redworm.

Active chemicals found in different wormers

Fenbendazole
Moxidectin
Ivermectin
Pyrantel
Membendazole
Oxibendazole

Dental care

The horse or pony must have its teeth checked by a vet or professional qualified dentist at least once a year, as the teeth can wear down and create sharp edges which may cause problems when eating/being ridden. If the teeth are sharp, the vet/dentist will rasp them until they are smooth.

Insurance

The horse or pony should be insured, as veterinary costs can mount up to thousands of pounds, horses are frequently stolen, and can potentially cause serious damage to property/people/other horses which would need to be covered by a third party policy. Tack, which is also expensive to replace and frequently stolen, could also be insured.

The horse or pony will need a field and possibly a stable. You can rent a field and/or stable from a livery yard, or buy your own. The horse or pony will always need equine company as they are herd creatures. It is cruel to keep a horse or pony on its own.

Tack and equipment

'Tack' refers to equipment worn by the horse, normally when being ridden or lunged for exercise. The tack may be made from leather, or a synthetic material, which tends to be lighter to carry and cheaper to buy.

Tack and rugs can be expensive to buy, but will last for years if cared for. You must clean the tack regularly with water and work saddle soap into the leather to keep it supple. Dry and damaged tack can break, which could cause a serious acccident if you were riding. You should also rinse the bit after every ride, or it will become unpleasant for the horse.

The basic tack a horse requires is: - A bridle, including a bit and reins - A saddle, including stirrup leathers, stirrups, and a girth - A numnah or saddlecloth/pad - A headcollar/halter and lead rope

Other equipment you may need: - Wheelbarrow - for mucking out and removing droppings from the field - Fork - Shovel - Broom - Buckets - for your horse's water, feed, bathing, tack cleaning etc. - Haynets - Grooming kit - Storage box or locker for your equipment - things tend to walk on livery yards!

Feeding

The horse/pony needs approximately 2.5% of its bodyweight in food per day. This may include grass, hay, haylage and hard feed. Most horses and ponies will need a ration of 60-70% grass/hay and 30-40% hard feed. These ratios must be considered when increasing the horses' workload, as the hard feed ration may need to be increased.

Make any feeding changes gradually. Feed only good quality hay and feed. Feed plenty of bulk (fibre). Clean fresh water should be available at all times. Leave AT LEAST an hour after feeding before exercising. Keep feeding utensils clean. You wouldn't eat from a dirty plate. Feed according to age/workload/breed

Other considerations

Other costs you must consider are hard feed, hay, bedding, riding lessons, show entry fees, transport to shows. Freezemarking or microchipping is another consideration if you are worried about your horse being stolen.

A horse is a living animal and needs looking after 365 days a year, including your birthday, Christmas Day, and freezing cold mornings. Whether you do the caring is your choice, but if you cannot provide the daily care a horse needs, you must arrange for livery.

If you plan to do the caring, ensure you gain some practical experience by taking a horse-care course. There's often more to it than you would think.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Book of Horses: A Complete Medical Reference Guide for Horses and Foals, edited by Mordecai Siegal. (By members of the faculty and staff, University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.) Harper Collins, 1996.

Illustrated Atlas of Clinical Equine Anatomy and Common Disorders of the Horse, by Ronald J. Riegal, D.V.M. and Susan E. Hakola, B.S., R.N., C.M.I. Equistar Publications, Ltd., 1996.

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 2003. Opinion 2027 (Case 3010). Usage of 17 specific names based on wild species which are pre-dated by or contemporary with those based on domestic animals (Lepidoptera, Osteichthyes, Mammalia): conserved. Bull.Zool.Nomencl., 60:81-84.

External links

Tapestry Institute's Horse-Human Relationship Program - Research on and education about the horse-human relationship
"International Museum of the Horse" for a brief overview of horse history from 55 million B.C. to present
Breeding and reintroduction program of the Przewalski's horse at Zoo Hellabrunn Munich
Wild Horse Advertising - Horse Industry Marketing.
Equine World UK
Horses for Sale Classifieds.
The ULTIMATE Horse Site - Horse Articles, Health, Care, Info
Breeds of horses - Encyclopaedic dictionary from Oakland State University
New insight into horse evolution
EquestrianMag.com The online magazine for Horse Enthusiasts.
Horse Diseases - Information about common horse diseases
A discussion of Natural Horsemanship - the humane approach to horse training
Guidelines for feeding horses - Informative guide to feeding horses
Horse Coat Color Genetics
Pictures of horses published on USENET stored with a search function
Horse Message Board
Article on slaughter of horses for meat
Equine Online- Equestrian articles including buying, selling & riding horses in UK & France
Everything Equus - Equestrian articles including buying, selling & riding horses in USA
Bureau of Land Management National Wild Horse and Burro Program - Wild Horse and Burro Adoption
O Horse Tack Shops and Stables Directory - Extensive directory of horse websites, organized by region
Horse Talk Forum - Friendly forum for horse lovers in UK & France
Horses Forum.net - Where horse lovers talk!
HorseFinder Network — Free Image Horse Classifieds on the Horse Finder Network. Let Sherlock help you find our sell your next horse.
Horse Forums - Equestrian community dedicated to all aspects of riding and horsemanship.

Racing & Sport External Links

The American Quarter Horse Association [3] - The official website for the largest equestrian organization in the world, with over 300,000 international members.
Jockey Club of North America
United States Trotting Association
American Endurance Ride Conference
Ride and Tie Association
Quarter Horse Racing
Takeda-school Kyubadou Yabusame<—horseback archery
The British Open Show Jumping Championships - Top class international Show Jumping
The Horse of the Year Show - This is Britain's show of Champions
The American Vaulting Association - Equestrian Vaulting
The North American Trail Ride Conference - Competitive Trail Riding
Horse Riding - Horse's Gait, Evolution, Colors and kinds, Equipment

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