Tag Archive | horses

Last of the Wild Horses Book Review

Sorry that there’s no picture available.  Last of the Wild Horses is a great read for any horse lover.  It sketches the wild horse and goes from the Sable Island ponies to the wild mustang of North America.  With full color photos and informative interesting text, this book will be a great addition to your library.

Horse’s Language

Hi!  It’s Dakino and I am going to talk about horse’s body language.

Understanding a horse’s body and vocal language is very important.  Not understanding it can put you and your horse in danger!

Body Language:

Eyes
Here are a few indicators to help you read the eyes:

  • Whites visible (except in appaloosas)- Anxious, angry.
  • Half closed – Tired, relaxed, sleeping.
  • Wrinkled – Worried.
  • Blinking – Processing information, thinking.
  • Soft eye – Gentle, relaxed, learning mode.
  • Hard eye – Tense, resistant.

Ears
A horse’s ears are key pointers to where the horse’s attention is at.
Pricked ears often mean that it’s listening

  • Turned back – Focused on something behind
  • Pointing forward – Attentive, curious.
  • Rigid pointing – Fear, uncertainty.
  • Droopy – Tired, sleepy, bored.
  • Pinned back – Threatening, aggressive, angry, warning.
  • Pointing in different directions – Focused on two things at once.
  • Rotating – Lots going on, curious, nervous, indecisive.
  • Airplane ears (drooped out to side) – Depressed, drugged, unwell, sleeping.
  • Neutral – Normal.

Muzzle, Lips and Nostrils

  • Tight/hard lips – Anxious, tense.
  • Wrinkled muzzle – Nervous, worried.
  • Licking/Chewing – Stress release, digesting ideas, acknowledgement
  • Drooping lip – Relaxed, bored,sleeping
  • Swishing/Mobile Muzzle – Curious, extroverted.
  • Flared nostrils – Nervous, excited, alert, working.
  • Relaxed nostrils, soft muzzle – Neutral, relaxed.
  • Flapping lower lip – Unfocused, sensitive, nervous.
  • Open mouth, mouthing – Often seen in foals. “I’m a baby- don’t hurt me”.

Head and Neck Set

  • Low -Accepting, relaxed.
  • High – Fear, anxiety, defiance.
  • Level – Neutral, Focused.

Tail

  • Swishing – Annoyed, irritated, flies.
  • Flagged – Excited, happy, playful, alarmed (often seen in Arabians and foals).
  • High/Raised – Attentive, excited, happy.
  • Low – Submissive.
  • Neutral/level – Focused, normal.
  • Clamped down – Fearful.

Legs

  • Pawing – Frustrated.
  • Standing square – Attentive.
  • Hind hoof resting – Relaxed.
  • Hind leg lifted – Warning, defensive.
  • Stamping- Flies, mild irritation.
  • Striking – Angry, threatening, fighting.
  • Dancing around – Nervous, excited, frightened.

Vocal Language:

Neigh:

A neigh is a high sound with a “vibrato” to it. A neigh could mean a lot of things. (also called Whinny)

A neigh could vary from a happy greeting to a demanding-”Where is my grain!” Often horses neigh when feeding time comes around.

Nicker:

A nicker is a low sound that sounds like a muffled neigh. How I like to describe it: it is between a neigh and snort.

A nicker is friendly greeting-normally to a being they know.

Snort:

A snort is puffing air through their noses to create vibrating which creates a sound.

Snorts-most of the time-happen when horses don’t like something. But it doesn’t mean they are unhappy. Like for instance, maybe they are snorting because you are taking them out of their stall at a different time.

Squeal:

A squeal is a high-pitched scream like noise. It sounds like a Neigh without happiness.

A squeal is normally accompanied by rolling eyes or seeing the whites of their eyes. When a horse squeals, it means it is frightened by something or really doesn’t like something. A horse may squeal when a horse comes by and nips them on their barrel.

Grunt:

A grunt is a noise that is distinctive

A grunt may mean a horse just finished a hard workout. Or it may mean that they have a discomfort or have an illness. It depends what it is accompanied with.

Great Horses in History Part 1

I’ve decided to start this series called Great Horses In History (GHIH).  Enjoy!

Bucephalus

Bucephalus was the favorite horse of  Alexander the Great.  As story has it, when Alexander was only ten years old, he tamed the horse no-one could tame  – Bucephalus.  Bucephalus carried his master in many great battles, even against the great war elephants.  Many historians have written about him.

“King Alexander had also a very remarkable horse; it was called Bucephalus, either on account of the fierceness of its aspect, or because it had the figure of a bull’s head marked on its shoulder. It is said, that he was struck with its beauty when he was only a boy, and that it was purchased from the stud of Philonicus, the Pharsalian, for thirteen talents. When it was equipped with the royal trappings, it would suffer no one except Alexander to mount it, although at other times it would allow any one to do so. A memorable circumstance connected with it in battle is recorded of this horse; it is said that when it was wounded in the attack upon Thebes, it would not allow Alexander to mount any other horse. Many other circumstances, also, of a similar nature, occurred respecting it; so that when it died, the king duly performed its obsequies, and built around its tomb a city, which he named after it

The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 2 , by Pliny (the Elder.), John Bostock, Henry Thomas Riley

“That on the further side, he nam’d Nicœa, in Memory of his Victory over the Indians; This he nam’d Bucephalus, to perpetuate the Memory of his Horse Bucephalus, which died there, not because of any Wound he had received, but meerly of old Age, and excess of Heat; for when this happen’d, he was nigh thirty Years Old: He had also endur’d much Fatigue, and undergone many Dangers with his Matter, and would never suffer any, except Alexander himself, to mount him. He was strong, and beautiful in Body, and of a generous Spirit. The Mark by which he was said to have been particularly distinguished, was a Head like an Ox, from whence he receiv’d his Name of Bucephalus: Or rather, acording to others, because he being Black, had a white Mark upon his Forehead, not unlike those which Oxen often bear.”  Arrian’s History of Alexander’s Expedition, Volume 2

In 326 B.C. Bucephalus carried his master into battle.  When Alexander told him to go forward, the horse refused.  Instead he turned and raced back with Alexander riding him to the back flank.  There he kneeled, allowed Alexander to dismount, and fell over dead.  It was later found that Bucephalus was suffering from severe battle wounds.  However, he made sure his master was safe before dying.

Bronze statue of Alexander on Bucephalus , Museo Nazionale di Villa Guilia, Rome, Italy

Image from here.

Image ID: 495507  The taming of the great horse Bucephalus by the boy Alexander.

Image from here.

File:BattleofIssus333BC-mosaic-detail1.jpg

Image from Wikipedia.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Even though this is a bit late (and I live in Canada), I decided to write a post about this.  I got the idea from this post.

Breeds of Horses that I’m Thankful For

First and foremost – the Arabian.  You can check out my post on the Arabian here.

My next favorite is the Palomino.  Not technically a breed but still beautiful.  Check out some gorgeous photos here.

The Morgan.  You can read my post on the Morgan here.

And last but not least – The Pinto.  You can read about the Pinto here.

Here are a few of the great horsey websites and blogs that I’m thankful for.

I hope you like these sites as much as I do.  Happy Thanksgiving!