The Degeneration of The Modern Thoroughbred

When we think of horse drawn farm equipment today, such as plows, manure spreaders or wagons, we tend to think they were built to be drawn by huge draft horses.  Draft horses certainly have a vital role to play on a modern small farm, but originally in America, owning a draft horse was a tremendous luxury.  Draft horses need a tremendous amount of food.

When you look at early photographs of horses pulling horse drawn farm equipment on usual American farms, the equipment is made and being pulled by a light weight horse of about 1000 pounds.  The American Thoroughbred of the late 1700’s was a smaller, more muscular animal than the delicate prancing creatures of today.

The Thoroughbred traces back to only three founding stallions, although 90% of living Thoroughbreds trace to only one of those stallions, the Darley Arabian (1700 – 1730).  No new blood has been allowed to be introduced since the English closed the Stud book of foundation animals in the 1700’s.  Through horse breeding practices centered on producing the world’s fastest equine, the breed itself has suffered.

Many horses in the Civil War were from Thoroughbred horse farms, and often they were seen to be pulling horse drawn farm equipment designed to be pulled by Thoroughbreds.  It was much easier to buy horse drawn farm equipment and harnesses for Thoroughbreds or Thoroughbred-type horses than it was for draft horses.

Even a look at the Thoroughbreds racehorses of the 1800’s and early 1900’s – whether they were in front of horse drawn farming equipment or not – reveals the deep change that has come to the breed in just the last fifty years.  Thoroughbreds in the 1940’s still were heavily muscled and often could race twice a week (although they did not travel all around the country to differing tracks).

The super horse of World War I, Man o’ War, looks like a draft horse in comparison to the modern Thoroughbred racehorse.  Even as a two year old, Man o’ War was chunky, muscled all over with jowls on his neck.    His owner, August Belmont, originally bought him to be a hunter and not a racehorse.  A racing Thoroughbred would shatter if asked to pull horse drawn farm equipment.  They don’t have the strength to do it.

Fourteen To Sixteen Hands

Studying available Quarter horse breed information will certainly help you find out that the typical Quarter horse stands between fourteen and sixteen hands with each hand equaling four inches. In addition, the Quarter horse also boasts of a solid color with some limited white markings and it has a head that is short as well as wide, while the ears are small and the muzzle is short.

Other interesting facts that you can learn from studying Quarter horse information include the fact that the Quarter horse possesses a deep barrel and has ribs that are well sprung. It also has powerful forelegs and its stifle is deep also, while the hindquarters are characteristically muscular as well as heavy.

Other important traits of the Quarter horse that you can learn from checking out Quarter horse information is its ability to move quickly, being balanced and agile in its movements, which set the Quarter horses apart from other breeds. Other pleasing aspects to a Quarter horse include having an even head on its shoulders, and being sure-footed as well as very steady.

Studying horse breed history is another aspect to being around horses because understanding the breed can certainly prove helpful when it comes to clearing up doubts regarding the horse’s past as well as understands a thing or two about how the breed will normally behave, what its expected lifespan is and its usual temperament. In fact, each different breed will have its own horse breed history and so, if you are interested in finding out more about where he came from you need only check a breed registry and thus learn about the origins and ancestry of your horse.

As far as Quarter horse information goes, it must be said that this horse only made his appearance in America sometime in the seventeenth century. It is believed that the first Quarter horses were traced to the time when Colonists from England crossed their imported studs with the native mares belonging to the Chickasaw Indian tribe.

To be sure, one of most interesting facts related to the Quarter horse which is gleaned by studying available Quarter horse information is that the first Quarter horse to be registered by the American Quarter Horse Association was a horse named Wimpy. Since then, however their population has increased to over three million registered Quarter horses worldwide which puts the Quarter horse at the top of the pile of largest horse breeds.

What Type To Focus On

Before you pick your stock, you need to choose just what type of Quarter Horse you aim to produce at your Quarter Horse farm.  Do you want to go for Quarter Horse racers (which are more Thoroughbred-influenced); do you want horses that can win at shows or horses that can pull horse drawn farm equipment one day and let the kids ride bareback the next?

You need to think about what you can do to make the Quarter Horse a better breed.  There are some Quarter Horse crosses that getting very popular with horse owners in the way that designer dogs are getting popular with dog owners.  These crosses include the Azteca, a cross between a Quarter Horse and the rarer Andalusian breed and the Appendix Quarter Horse (Thoroughbred x Quarter Horse).

But you can’t make these crossbreeds without good, healthy, sane Quarter Horses.  It’s no good just producing the same old kind of Quarter Horse on your Quarter Horse breeding farm.  You need to make them better not only to sell, but so they won’t be abandoned by their new owners.

Any Side Businesses

Unless you are incredibly rich, don’t expect your Quarter Horse farm to be your sole source of income.  Many Quarter Horse farm owners and breeders have to have their farms serve a dual purpose in order to make ends meet.  Many Quarter Horse farms also give out riding lessons or open their rooms up for tourists.  You might rent your horses out for supervised trail rides or rides in horse drawn farm equipment.

You might have part of your Quarter Horse farm be for the horses and part of a cash crop like corn, hay or oats.  The main crop would then pay to feed the horses, as horses tend to loose people more money than they make.  One of the most famous Quarter Horse farms, the King Ranch of Texas, concentrates on raising beef cattle in order to help fund the Quarter Horse breeding program.

When it concerns horse care information it is sometimes also necessary to check out facts related to different horse breeds such as the Quarter horse, especially in case you are thinking of buying or riding one. And once you are armed with the proper Quarter horse information, you should be able to understand the build, characteristics as well as health of this particular breed of horse and thus be in a better position to provide it with proper care.

Ensure Your Own And Your Horse’s Welfare

Having the proper horse care information on hand is therefore vital to the welfare of your horse and to a lesser extent to your own welfare as well. It is only if you have proper horse care information on hand can you hope to understand the behavior of your horse and ensure that it stays out of danger. One of the aspects to keeping a horse is knowing how to board the horse and so it becomes all the more necessary for you to check horse care information to learn how to keep your horse stabled in the safest possible manner.

You need to find horse care information so that you can learn about the best means of providing proper shelter for your horse as well as learn how to do the fencing. In addition, you need to also learn how to care for the horse during the winter months as well as during the summer heat. Other important horse care information that you need to get includes caring for your horse’s hoofs as well as providing suitable care for older horses.

Some horse care information is also required when it concerns parasite control and so, you will also need to learn about euthanasia – should it become necessary. In fact, you must also know what to do should your horse come down with an allergy because it is only through checking out relevant horse care information can you learn about things such as de-worming pastes and how it must be given according to the body weight of the horse.

To be sure, it is also possible to help your horse overcome common horse health problems that include ailments such as lameness, founder as well as laminitis and all that you will really need to do in this regard is to read equine veterinary books that are sure to contain relevant horse care information and so ensure that your horse remains safe, healthy and well fed – no matter what the breed is.

Consolidating Populations

Thus, horses in history have been known to play a major role in consolidating populations in one place. And if one considers the more successful civilizations such as the Incas and Mayans and Aztecs, these cultures were not able to spread their culture because they lacked for adequate resources to travel beyond the confines of their own living areas.

In fact, horses in history have also played an important role in warfare and more particularly in conquering new territories. When one also looks at horse breed history one will be impressed with (as in the case of Arabian horse) a wealth of information that extols the beauty of the breed and which also extols the virtues of this breed’s ability (unique) to form a close bond with his masters.

In Phases

There are several distinct phases with regard to horses in history that include a period of domestication, a classical period, the Middle Ages and modern times. The first aspect regarding horses in history has to do with its domestication that is believed to have taken place approximately five thousand years ago, and much later the horse was known to have been used for agricultural purposes.

In fact, horses in history have been known to man for only five thousand years as compared to the approximate nine thousand years in the case of dogs. To be sure, in the beginning, horses in history were used primarily as a source of food, especially by hunters from the Stone Age. Thus, by the time the Bronze Age began, mankind had used horses for quite some time. In fact, the earliest evidence of domestication of horses has been traced to places such as east Ukraine, north Caucasus and also central parts of Russia and even Kazakhstan.

In fact, there is also sufficient evidence to suggest that horses in history were first tamed and hitched to a cart and it was only later that they were mounted. It also seems that the earliest instance of horse riding took place about three thousand years ago in the Himalayas. The impact of training and domestication of horses in history has of course radically influenced various cultures, especially those of Eurasia as it enabled these peoples to travel way beyond visible horizons and to unknown territories and that in turn led to new explorations as well as new conquests.

Quite A Few Changes

Another aspect worth learning about is the place of horses in history. In fact it is well known that though dogs are certainly man’s best friends, it is the horse that has helped man to build entire civilizations. Thus, from his earliest days, the horse that was once found in sparse numbers and scattered in different parts of the world, to his present almost ornamental use, horses throughout history have seen quite a few changes.

The history of the horse can best be understood if we consider his use during Solomon’s time when Israel used the horse extensively especially for pulling chariots. In fact, Solomon owned as many as forty thousand chariot horse stalls. And in those days the horse with a chariot was able to travel for about thirty miles, and if required, even up to forty-five miles.

Another way of looking at the history of the horse is by studying paintings of it that date back to about three thousand B.C. This shows that even during the Bronze Age, horses had become useful to man. In fact, the earliest painting that has relevance, as far as studying the history of the horse goes, is from the sixteenth century B.C. where Egyptians had painted man riding a horse.

The Ice Age saw the history of the horse take another turn because these four-legged creatures suddenly vanished and they then reappeared in the fourth century when Charlemagne used them. However, it seems that there was to be yet another turn in the history of the horse as it came to be known that the Asian populations of the world became the first to tame them and ride them. According to the known history of the horse, it was peoples such as the Chinese, Persians and the Assyrians that were the most skillful when it came to horse riding and this they were doing as early as three thousand B.C.

Doubtlessly, many populations of the world have made use of the horse in different ways. So the history of the horse is filled with differing accounts about how it came to be used so much by humans. However, there is one aspect to the history of the horse that is not disputed and that is his use as a means of transportation and to a lesser extent in agriculture and of course, in wars.

This graceful, agile and speedy four legged friend of man has given his all to his masters and so the history of the horse is rich and worthy of further study.

Marketing Savvy

Not only do you need to know horses, but you need to make your horses marketable.  If you have a stallion, you want to get the word out about why he should be the one to father the next generation.  Modern horse breeders also need to have web sites, make horse breeding videos to promote their stallions or other horses for sale, and have good customer relation skills.

You need to know the industry and know which publications, horse shows and web sites to concentrate your advertising.  You could hire someone to do all of the marketing and promotion, but in the current economic climate, many horse breeders are faced with no choice except to do it themselves.

Physical Demands

It is only a very slim minority of horse breeders that do all of the research and planning of the horse breeding and then have other employees do all of the hard work involved in taking care of horses.  Most horse breeders have to do a majority of the physical labor themselves.  They will most certainly have grooms and other employees, but often they will have to do a lot of the work themselves.

Horses are very labor-intensive animals.  They need their stalls cleaned, to be fed and to be watered every day, no matter what the weather and how your health is.  If their water trough or buckets are frozen, you have to chip them with an ice pick so they can drink.  For successful horse breeders, the needs of the horse always come first.

Being busy and physically active can help horse breeders deal with the emotional roller-coaster that horse breeding can put you on.  You become emotionally and financially entwined with these fragile and sensitive animals.  You can spend years breeding, raising, training and showing a promising colt and then, just as they are getting ready for a lucrative career at stud, they suddenly die of colic.

Knowing there are other horses that need taking care of helps you to get over the profound loss and make you realize that tomorrow is another day with another horse waiting for you.

How Bad Is The Problem?

We’re loosing open land that can help all wildlife and not just the people lucky enough to own horse breeding farms.  There is so little open land left that the land on horse breeding farms is often all the native birds, mammals and plants have in order to survive.  Without the land, the wildlife and birds will die.  This world will be a very flavorless and dull place is there were only people in it.

We need nature and animals in order to help us become fully human.  It is thought by many that the reason there are so may problems with human behavior today is that we have cut ourselves off from nature.  We share this planet with millions of other kinds of life.  However, we are killing off all of the other forms very rapidly.  We need to act before all of what’s left is gone.  We can start by preserving the land on horse breeding farms, whether they are in operation as horse breeding farms or not.

The numbers of acres lost in America are about as bad as for those of rainforest lost in South America.  According to the Equine Land Conservation resource, on average, America looses 250 acres of open land per hour.  A quick way to save this land for our children is to preserve the land of Quarter Horse farms or Thoroughbred farms.

Eugene Dixon

One of Philadelphia’s leading philanthropists was (luckily) one of its wealthiest citizens, Eugene “Fitz” Dixon.  When he passed away in August of 2006, he left behind him several tremendous tracts of land in nearby Montgomery County, including a huge Thoroughbred horse breeding farm called Erdenheim.  This is perhaps the most famous horse breeding farm which is currently trying to have its land preserved.

Another bit of news Fitz Dixon would have liked is that there are now emergency loans available for owners of ranches or horse breeding farms to help them keep their land.  Depending on what state you live in, owners of horse breeding farms can try to get a permenant easement so the land, legally, can never be developed.

However, even before you go looking for a new four-legged friend, you should know what exactly you want because only then will you be able to find the right horse for you.

Things To Know

Next, you need to find out what the equine should do for you and to also know things such as whether it should belong to a particular breed, how much training it needs as well as its age and past experience. Also decide whether to buy a mare or a gelding, and finally decide on what your future requirements are as far as the four-legged acquisition is concerned.

Once you have decided on these points, you need to then look at which horses meet your descriptions most closely, and in order to find a good option you can search the Internet or look in your locality. Perhaps checking out a local barn that may be specializing in your interest areas.

Having located a prospective horse you then need to make enquiries including checking its previous history as well as its veterinary check up records, and whether they are okay when transported in a trailer and their propensity to taking baths, and finally knowing whether the equine has been worked with previously. You would also need to know how the horse responds when vaccinated and how he behaves when stressed.

Also, you should ask the owner of the horse to ride him in front of you and then you should observe how he responds to commands and whether he complies with instructions without any problem. In addition, you should get the owner to load the animal into a trailer so that you get a chance to observe the horse’s behavior while loaded for transportation.

Another thing that you will need to check is the vet check up history and to also check with the owner of the horse about how many other such animals has he sold, and then check with previous buyers about the quality of the equines that were sold.

It will take a few weeks before the vaccine activates and only then will it be safe to transport your newly acquired equine friend. Don’t forget to get a bill of sale from the previous owner and also get the vet records pertaining to your horse. It is really quite simple to buy a horse provided you follow these few steps.