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| Thanks to Randy & Mary for suggesting this article. Other ideas to help relieve your horse's boredom are also available, though they tend to have pros and cons that you will have to weigh for your own individual situation. If your horse is alone, consider getting him a companion - a pony, another horse, a cow or even a goat can help your horse from being so bored. However, be aware that your horse may not get along with the other animals and may chase them, putting them all at risk of injury. Also, a a smaller animal may be at risk from the amounts of food you feed your bigger horse, and also, you run the risk of a pony or other horse learning how to chew the fences too! If your schedule allows for it, feed your horses more than twice a day. For example, instead of throwing them 2 flakes in the morning and 3 at night, feed one when you first get up, then another a few hours later, a "coffee break" if you will. Give them another flake at lunch, then dinner, then last thing before going to bed. Spreading out the feeding times takes a bit of effort on your part, but it can be done - even around a work schedule you can usually make three feedings instead of two. You can try feeding lots of low quality grass hay to keep them busy chewing all day, but be careful not to feed mouldy or dusty hay. You just want to find hay with lower protein and food values. Also be aware that many horses will develop a "hay belly" - that pot-bellied, unthrifty look - from lower quality hay. These horses should be left on their regular diets, or try mixing some good hay with some lower quality hay, to prevent the big belly. Spread out your feed! Instead of dumping two flakes per horse into the feeder, take it out into the field and shake it out. This works really well if you have hay with a bit of dust or chaff in it as the smaller particles drop to the ground. The horse is in much less danger of inhaling them, and if there is snow on the ground the horse can safely pick the particles up with the added moisture from the snow. |
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There are three separate genes that have been identified as being responsible for the colour patterns known as overo. The first is sabino. Sabino is identified by a few regular characteristics. These are high white stockings, usually with jagged or lacy edges; a wide blaze extending onto the lower lip or beyond; and belly patches. Many people may be nodding their heads as they think about some of the "cropout" Quarter Horses they have seen; this is also a common marking in some Arabian and Welsh bloodlines and very common in Clydesdales. Just like tobiano, a horse can be minimal (even just a small face marking and a couple of socks MAY actually be sabino) or maximal (lots of, or even completely, white). Sabino is an interesting pattern because it can intensify with breeding. Crossing two minimal sabinos can result in a more obvious sabino. Crossing two obvious sabinos can result in a pretty loudly coloured horse! Sabino is also commonly expressed with white hairs and/or small white markings being heavily mixed in through the belly, barrel and flank of the horse. Some of these horses are incorrectly called roan, which is a different gene altogether (you'll see a lot of 'red roan overos? in the Paint Horse Journal that are actually sorrel sabinos). A sabino thus marked is a more maximal expression of the gene. There are also documented cases of completely white horses born to two sabino parents - these white horses are dark eyed and are not cremellos or lethal whites. Three examples of sabino can be found on the Photo page Khemosabi is a well known purebred Arabian stallion, with the classic sabino markings of high white stockings and a blaze extending onto his lower lip. A flashy son of his is Khartoon Klassic, who has even higher white stockings and a bald face, as well as a belly patch you can't see in this picture. The last picture is Khartoon Klassic's very wildly marked daughter, WA Outrageous - she is purebred Arabian, even with all that colour! From this series, you can see how sabino can sometimes intensify with breeding. |
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If you have tips or questions you'd like to share with other local equestrians, please mail them to kristi@hiway16.com
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