index

Breeding - BLACKS, SMOKEY and SMOKEY CREAMS

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:55:22 +0100

Blacks are horses that have no red in their coat and have black points. Black is dominant over almost all other colors. Meaning that 2 black horses can possibly produce a palomino, buckskin or even a cream offspring if they carry the dilute gene. In some cases the single dilute gene will lighten the black coat to a smokey color, which can be confused with a dark chestnut or a brown.

If you own a black horse whose sire or dam was a palomino, there is a chance that the horse carries the palomino gene and will produce palominos or buckskins. Also, the dilute gene can be passed down from generation to generation being masked by the black gene and the owners never knowing that the black horse carries the gene.

A smokey cream is a black horse with the double dilute, like the perlino and cremello it has pink skin, a cream coat and blue eyes. Although the points on a double dilute black horse will be somewhat darker than that of a cream, it is difficult to tell one cream horse from another and many times perlinos and smokey creams are registered as cremellos.

BREEDING - BAY, BUCKSKINS and PERLINOS

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:11:03 +0100

The bay gene gives a horse black points, black mane, tail and lower legs. Bay genes are dominant over chestnut genes and only one gene has to appear at conception to get a bay foal. When breeding 2 bays, you will have a better chance of a bay foal than a black or chestnut foal because you know both the mare and stud have bay genes and you don't always know what other gene they carry.

A buckskin is a bay horse, diluted by a parent carrying a cream or dilute. This gene takes the red from the bay color and washes it to any shade of buckskin it can. Buckskins by the current genetic standards do not have a dorsal stripe.

A perlino is a bay horse that has a double dilute present (much the same as the cremello dilutes the chestnut gene). In many cases it is difficult to determine if a double dilute horse is a cremello or a perlino.

Another common misconception is that breeding a perlino horse to a bay horse will guarantee a buckskin. This breeding will insure a dilute, but in most cases you will get about 25% palomino and 75% buckskin from the cross. Unless one of the parents is homozygous bay (carries two bay genes), there is no way to insure a buckskin foal. Since bay is a dominant gene, only one has to be present for the horse to show the trait and only extensive breeding or possibly blood testing can verify if a horse carries two bay genes.

Breeding a cremello to a hertozygous bay will give you 50/50 palomino and buckskin. If the horse is homozygous bay you will get 100% buckskins.

Buckskins also do not breed true. Breeding 2 buckskins will only give you around a 38% chance of producing a buckskin. The rest will be bays, chestnuts, palominos and creams. Odd as it may seem, breeding a bay to a perlino or cream will give you a much better chance of a getting buckskin foal than breeding buckskin to buckskin and breeding a basic color to a buckskin reduces your chances even more.

BREEDING - CHESTNUTS, PALOMINOS and CREMELLOS

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:15:42 +0100

Chestnut is a recessive gene and it takes 2 chestnut genes to get a chestnut foal. As many breeders know, almost every horse carries at least one chestnut gene, the exception is creams (cremellos, perlinos and smokies). Therefore, if you breed any 2 horses of any common color (black, buckskin, dun, palomino, etc) you have a good chance of both the sire and dam passing on the chestnut gene and getting a chestnut foal.

For example if you breed 2 palominos, you have a 25% chance of getting a chestnut baby. A common misconception is that if a chestnut horse has palominos in his/her background that they will have a better chance of producing palomino babies. Genetically this is just is not true, a chestnut horse cannot pass on the palomino gene, as they do not carry the gene. The cream gene is dominant to chestnut, therefore if a base chestnut horse carries one cream gene, the horse will always be a palomino.

Since every chestnut horse has 2 chestnut genes, if you breed 2 chestnut horses - you will always get a chestnut baby. The foal could possibly have white on it or even be an Overo - but its base color will always be chestnut and it will have non black points.

Palomino horses carry one chestnut gene and one cream gene. A palomino sire and a field full of palomino mares will not breed true. In this case, you should get about half palominos, with the remainder being chestnut and cremellos.

Cremello horses carry no chestnut genes and two cream genes. They are considered a double dilute chestnut. Since cremello horses are homozygous dilute, all offspring of a cremello will carry the dilute or cream gene.

Breeding a cremello to a chestnut, will produce a palomino 100% of the time. Breeding it to a bay will produce either a palomino or a buckskin.

BASICS OF HORSE COLOR

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:52:26 +0100

There are 3 basic colors of horses - black, bay and chestnut. Each color has it's own shades and special effects and descriptions, but these three colors are all there really is. There are shades of black, shades of bay and lots of different shades of chestnut. All other colors are derivitives or dilutions of the 3 basic colors

Blacks have a black body and black points. Bays have a red body with black points. Chestnuts have a red body with non-black points.

There are other genes carried from either the sire or dam that contribute to the 'extras' - grey, roan, paint, dun markings, cream, stockings, blazes, mane and tail lighting, champagne, dappling, black flecking. All of these are like icing added on top of the basic color. A bay tobiano paint horse is a bay horse that has had a contribution of white added which takes out the pigment in the color. Take the white off the horse and it is a bay.

The cream gene dilutes (removes the pigment from the basic color types) and produces palominos, buckskins, cremellos and perlinos. If a horse carries a single dilute gene, the horse will commonly be a palomino or buckskin. If a horse carries 2 dilute genes he will commonly be a cremello or perlino. A single cream gene in a black horse may not be apparent.

How do I determine if my mare is suitable for breeding?

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:20:30 +0100

Things to consider:

· Quality of Conformation

o head,

o neck,

o saddle position,

o frame,

o fore limbs

o hind limbs

· Correctness of Gaits

· Impulsion and Elasticity (Trot)

· Walk

· Temperament

· General Impression and Development

Dealing with Diarrhoea

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:41:57 +0100

First aid measures

Stable the horse
Feed good quality hay, but no grass
Plenty of water to drink
Don't feed concentrates
Probiotics may help in some cases
As well as plain water, offer a separate water bucket containing electrolytes
Check the horse's temperature. If it is elevated contact your vet
Look for oedema (accumulation of fluid) under the belly and on the lower limbs. This is a serious sign. If you notice it, you should talk to your vet as soon as possible
Check your worming regime as parasites can cause diarrhoea

There is always a remote possibility that diarrhoea can spread to other horses or people. For this reason, be sensible with your own hygiene and keep the affected horse in, away from his fellow animals.

Cleaning the dock area and buttocks and applying petroleum jelly can help to reduce skin damage. It may also be necessary to bandage the tail to keep it clean, but never leave a bandage on for more than four hours at a time.

2010

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:39:26 +0100

We wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

Miss Mischief

Life explained

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:25:36 +0100

On the first day, God created the dog and said:

'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?'

So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said:

'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? Tha t's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?'

And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said:

'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty ye ars.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?'

And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said:

'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'

But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten
the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

What is chiropractic care for horses?

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:03:35 +0100

Chiropractic care is a holistic approach to many of the health and performance problems of the horse. Chiropractic does not replace traditional veterinary medicine and surgery, but provides an alternative method of care. Chiropractic adjustments have proven to be invaluable in detecting and treating gait abnormalities and other performance-robbing problems in the athletic horse. It has also been shown to alleviate pain in the back and neck of the horse. Some nerve damage, such as pressure on the sciatic nerve, has responded well to chiropractic adjustments.

Understanding aromatherapy

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:24:11 +0100

Barbara Young

23 August, 2001

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils (plant essences). It is a complementary therapy dating back to Egyptian times.

The oils are used for massage, compresses, ointments and lotions, preferably under the supervision of a professional aromatherapist. Essential oils can be bought in most health food shops, chemists and specialist suppliers. They must be mixed with basic carrier oils such as sweet almond before use.

Aromatherapy has proved beneficial in treating a number of common ailments, including sweet itch, respiratory problems, muscular aches and mud fever.

Behavioural and emotional problems can also be tackled successfully using essential oils, but as each horse is an individual, owners are advised to consult a qualified equine aromatherapist, who will work with your vet's permission.

Be aware that some essential oils may contain substances regarded as prohibited by official governing bodies and may cause the horse to test positive under FEI or Jockey Club rules. Practitioners recommend that using essential oils ia avoided for at least seven days before competing under rules.