Horse Colours Part I

In my last post, I used some words that may have been strange to you, if you don't know much about horses. You might have been thinking, "Bay, palomino, roan, what do all these words mean?" In this post I'm going to answer all of your questions.

Bay:

Bay horses have a reddish-brown coat with black points and a black mane and tail. Their colour can range from a tan colour to a dark brown.

A Bay Horse, picture from

http://flickriver.com/

Black:

A black horse is purely black with a black mane and tail. 

A Black Horse, picture from

http://www.theequestrianreserve.com/

Chestnut:

Chestnut horses have a reddish coloured coat that can range from a light red to a copperish colour to a mahogany.

A Chestnut Horse, picture from http://wallpapersonline.org/

(Seal) Brown:

Brown horses have a coat that is almost black, and lighter brown points around the muzzle, eyes and flank. They are sometimes called dark bay horses, or black and tan horses.

A Brown horse, picture from http://www.bnwd.net

 

Grey:

Grey horses have black skin and white hair. This gives the horse a grey appearance. Grey horses are often black at birth but their hair turns lighter over time and their coats can look anything from white to grey to silver.
 

A Grey Horse, picture from http://maddiesfavorites.blogspot.com.au/

Dapple Grey:

Dapple Grey horses are grey horses that have spots or dapples on their coat.

A Dapple Grey Horse, picture from

http://merseybirders.webs.com/

Flea-Bitten Grey:

Flea-bitten greys have tiny brown spots on their coats and a white mane and tail.

A Flea-Bitten Grey, picture from http://www.horse-genetics.com/

Cremello

Cremello horses have pink skin and a creamy white coat. They are sometimes confused with light grey horses, or grey horses who have faded with age.

A Cremello Horse, picture from http://www.theage.com.au/

Those are only about half of the colours! :) More will come later in Part II including roan and appaloosa.

Until then,

Rachel.

Horse Breeds

Hey guys :)
Today I'm going to be talking about horse breeds. When you buy a horse, you are mainly looking at its temperament, its physical state and its ability. But different breeds are good at different things. For example, Clydesdales and Belgians are bred mainly for hauling heavy loads, thoroughbreds are bred for horse racing, and Holsteiners, Hanoverians and Trakehners are bred for sporting events (dressage, showjumping, etc.).
There are over 150 horse breeds in the world, so obviously I can't talk about all of them, but below are some of the more well-known breeds.

Arabian:

Arabians are known for being spirited horses with a distinctive dish-shaped head. They grow to about 14-15hh and are one of the oldest breeds in the world. Purebred Arabs come in bay, chestnut, grey and black. They are skilled in showing, dressage and endurance.

An Arabian horse, picture from http://believerwoman.wordpress.com/

Clydesdale:

Clydesdales are massive horses, and can grow to over 18hh! They are heavy (weighing up to 1000kg), powerful, muscular and are mainly used for hauling, farming, driving and pleasure riding. Clydesdales can be bay, black, chestnut, grey or roan in colour and have broad heads, feathering on their legs and a high withers. They originate from Scotland.

A Clydesdale horse, picture from http://www.girlshorseclub.com/

 Friesian:

Friesian horses are known for always being black in colour and for their full, long and wavy manes and tails. They have feathering on their legs, long necks and a muscular body. Their size can vary, growing from 14.2-17hh. Friesians are often used in pleasure riding, driving and, because of their elegant movements, dressage. They are the only purebred horses native to the Netherlands.

A Friesian horse, picture from http://dutchbred.com/

Hanoverian:

Hanoverians are athletic and elegant horses, and are often used in eventing, showjumping and dressage. Their heights can range from 15.3-17.2hh and they come in grey, black, chestnut and bay. They have long necks, sloping shoulders and a strong build. Hanoverians are warmblood horses and originate from Germany.

Hanoverian horse and foal, picture from http://www.best-horse-photos.com/

Quarter Horses:

Quarter horses were named after how fast they could run the quarter mile. They grow from 14-16hh and are a very popular breed. They are usually used at rodeo events, but they are also great all-rounders. They come in basically any colour, from bay to roan, chestnut to buckskin, palomino to black. Quarter horses have a stocky and compact body and originate from America.

A Quarter horse, picture from http://horses.mediarift.com/

Shetland Pony:

Shetland ponies are well-known for how small they are! They can reach up to 10.2hh but the minimum height is 7hh! They come in almost every colour and have thick and dense coats. They are smart and gentle, making great children's ponies, but they are also hardy and strong as they used to be used for hauling and working in mines. They originate from the Shetland Islands (hence their name)

A Shetland Pony, picture from http://www.freefoto.com

Thorougbred:

Thoroughbreds are best known for their ability to race and is by far the most popular racing breed, but they can also be used in showjumping, dressage and eventing. They are tall, athletic horses and grow from 16-17hh. They come in bay, roan, chestnut, grey and black and originate from England.

A Thoroughbred horse, picture from http://www.whitehorseproductions.com

I wish I could add more, but there are so many horse breeds and so little time for me to do this. I hope you learned something new though. Next time I'll be talking about horse colours.

Rachel.

Amazing Horses

Hi again :)
After thinking about it for a while I decided the best thing to do would be to start from the very beginning. So today I'm going to be talking about...
*Dramatic Pause*
The one and only Horse!
You're probably thinking, "I know what a horse is! It's that four legged thing with a long face!" 

Picture from http://cheezburger.com/

But there are many things you probably don't know about horses. 
Did you know that horses have the biggest eyes of any land animal? 
Did you know that horses are natural swimmers and don't need to be taught? (I wish the same went for humans- then we wouldn't have to waste money on swimming lessons!) 
Did you know foals (a baby horse) can stand an hour after they're born? No? I didn't think so. Below are some more facts about the amazing animals. 

• Antarctica and Australasia are the only continents with no native horses. 
• For at least fifty million years horses have been around in some form.
• Horses don't have to lie down to go to sleep- they can sleep standing up! 

A horse sleeping standing up: Picture from http://www.rgbstock.com/

• Horses can only breathe through their nose- that's why they don't choke when the bit is in their mouth.
• Horses cannot vomit- this is actually what causes colic, an illness you may find out about later.
• You can find out the age of a horse by looking at the length of its teeth.
• Since horses have eyes on the side of their head, their blind spots are right in front and beneath their nose and right behind them.
• Horses are not measured in centimeters or inches, but in hands. A hand is equal to about 4 inches (10.2 centimeters). When you measure a horse you measure to their withers, which is the tallest part of a horse's spine.

A horse's withers: Picture from http://en.wikipedia.org/

• A pony is not the name of a baby horse, it is the name of a small one. A pony measures less than 14.2hh (hands high) and a horse measures more than 14.2hh.
• A horse's heart weighs about 4.5 kilos!
• A horse can drink up to almost 40 litres a day!
• China is well known for having the most people in the world, but did you know they also have the most horses? China has about ten million horses!
• The tallest horse on record was over two meters tall and stood at 21.3hh.

That's all for now :) If you're looking for more horse facts you can have a look in some books or go to  http://www.shannonleighstables.com/HORSE-FACTS- 
or  http://www.kathyhelidoniotis.com/fun/horsemad2.htm

Rachel

Hello World!

Hi all!

I’m Rachel and I love horses and riding them. If I say or spell things differently it's because I'm Australian. This is a blog where you’ll find everything about horses- it’s purely about ponies (hence the name)! Well almost ;) You’ll probably find out a few things about me along the way. Most of the information on this blog will be based on experience but if I take anything from the internet I’ll make sure to include a link for the website. Same goes for any pictures that I post. At least once a week I’ll post a new topic about horses (colours, breeds, etc.) Watch out for a new post soon!

Rachel.