Breeding
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Often considered a result of specific line crosses and inbreeding, naval rupture has been noted in several breeds, including the Friesen Horse. Naval rupture is often called umbilical hernia, and can be serious is not treated. It is estimated that about one to two percent of all foals born have some type of umbilical hernia or naval rupture, not all which are obvious or serious.
The naval rupture occurs when the abdominal walls around the umbilical cord do not form correctly, leaving a hole or weak area around the naval cord. When the foal is born the pressure through the birth canal as well as the act of struggling to stand can force loops of the intestine or fatty tissue down through the abdominal wall to form a bulge at the naval. This can happen in both male and female foals, although male foals also run the risk of having scrotal hernias as well. [...]
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OAAM is actually the abbreviation for the congenital condition known as Occipital Atlanto-Axial Malformation that occurs almost exclusively in Arabian horses. This condition results in a fusing of the spinal vertebrae in the neck and where the neck and skull join. The results of this lethal condition may initially be mild to debilitating and severe as the foal will have limited movement of the neck throughout its short life. In severe cases paralysis and extreme lack of coordination will also be noted as the foal tries to move.
OAAM can be diagnosed when the foal is less than one month old although in some cases it can be weeks before it is identified and diagnosed. In early diagnosed cases it is often very severe as the foal is unable to position his or her head correctly to nurse. The spine has fused so tightly at the base of the skull that they are not able to extend the head into the correct position to access the mare. In addition the foal may not be able to stand or to move once he or she is in the standing position. OAAM will cause the gross motor muscles or the large muscles of the body to lack control resulting in poor if any coordination. [...]
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In a normal birth the mare will have the foal and then in about one to three hours, sometimes even in less time, she will expel the afterbirth or placenta from the birth canal. The placenta is the sac or membrane that surrounds the fetus while it is in the uterus. There are many myths around the afterbirth and placenta, but there are serious health concerns if some or all of the placenta is not expelled from the reproductive tract.
In most cases where the placenta is retained longer than two to three hours it is important to call a vet immediately. Retained placentas may be related to bacterial infections or other health conditions that can lead to laminitis, metritis and scepticemia that in turn can lead to death of the mare if not treated. In most cases part of the afterbirth will be protruding from the vulva, which will let the owner know that there is a problem. In more dangerous and difficult to diagnose cases the placenta will not be visible and if the foaling was done outside in the pasture the owner may not even realize the afterbirth was not expelled. [...]
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Of the many horse breeds found throughout the world, the Akhal-Teke comes out as one of the oldest and rarest, with less than four thousand left in existence altogether. Originating in Turkmenistan, the breed was vigilantly developed over many hundreds of years. One of the benefits of shaping the breed in such a harsh environment emerged in it tremendous constitution. The breed is well known not only for its endurance but its ability to easily cope in the harshest, most unforgiving conditions. Even though it can come in various colors, it is typically the golden shimmering color that observers tend to notice first.
Though well muscled, the Akhal-Teke is quite a long and slender breed with many slender features. Were it not for the lack of overly dense muscle, they would not be able to subsist off of less than nourishing food sources as well as they do. Looking at their long bodies, one would guess that they were built more for speed rather than stamina. However, their temperament as well as their physiological makeup makes them best for activities requiring staying power. [...]
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The Akhal-Teke is one of the oldest known horse breeds to still be in existence. It has outlasted a number of other breeds that have come and gone out of the region that makes up Central Asia. Of the Four Foundation Breeds, the Akhal-Teke falls into the category of the Oriental subspecies, a category that also includes the Arabian. The other three species of Foundation breed include the Warmblood subspecies, the Draft and the Tarpan subspecies. All the known horse breeds of today are said to originate from one of these four categories. Who started the domestication of horses and when is not entirely known.
The Oriental subspecies has features that are much thinner and more streamlined than other breeds. They are tall and tend to have more tendon than muscle, making them perfect for athletic activities such as endurance rides or jumping. Early in their development, various breeds of the Oriental subspecies were often used to carry out raids on neighboring villages. [...]
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When the Royal Stables of Lisbon Portugal needed an efficient carriage horse, it was the Alter Real that came about in the mid 1700's to satisfy the request. The Iberian breed was created using Andalusians and Arabians, resulting in a horse that could offer a smooth and reliable gait. Their well muscled physique gave them all the power they needed to pull the transport of royals in almost any terrain. To this day, the breed is still a symbol of royalty in both Spain and Portugal and the breed is often used in a number of traditional ceremonies throughout the region.
From time to time, the Alter Real is referred to as one of the Baroque Horses. Baroque Horses were those breeds that exhibited muscular hind ends, thick strong necks that were perfectly arched and a long full tail. They were often used for dressage and trained to perform a number of gaits and tricks with amazing precision. A more commonly known Baroque Horse is that of the Lippizan. The Andalusian, from which the Alter Real is descended, is also one of the Baroque Horse breeds. When the Alter Real was not pulling the carriages of royalty, it was being trained in the art of classic dressage as well. [...]
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In the development of horse breeds, early horse management and husbandry programs lacked the specific insight into genetics that modern breeding programs can take advantage of. For this reason most programs were a bit hit and miss, with problems often developing within breeding lines because of lack of knowledge by breeders. Typically breeders would look for desired traits in both stallions and mares, then breed the two horses anticipating that the offspring would possess the desired traits of both breeds. Many times inbreeding, or breeding that offspring back to the same line was believed to further enhance those qualities and to strengthen their expression. Of course inbreeding itself had further problems, leading to genetic conditions, often recessive, that then became established within certain lines.
The Oriental types of horses such as the Arabians, Turkomenes, Barbs, and even the Akha -Teke were much sought after by breeders of military horses as they were so hardy, athletic, and so well adjusted to living in a variety of different environmental conditions. [...]
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The annual studbook inspections for the Bavarian Warmblood are known by the Dutch word Keuring. When a mare is approved for breeding, then she is entered into one of two different studbooks. The main studbook is only for mares which are registered and are from a sport horse breed which is recognized. These include the Bavarian Warmblood, other European Warmbloods, Arabs, Thoroughbreds and other breeds which are non gaited and acknowledged by the Belgian Verband. The second studbook is known as the auxiliary studbook. This book contains mares that are selected, but are of breeds which are unrecognized or the pedigree is not verifiable. Regardless of which studbook the mare is placed in, they must be at least three years of age or older. They must also be over 15.1 hands and their pedigree must contain less than 25% draft horse breeding in order to be eligible for inspections and inclusion into either studbook. Belgium issues all of the papers for the studbooks.
During an official Keuring, a certified judge will look for specific things in the mares that are being evaluated. [...]
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Artificial insemination is not a new way of breeding mares; it has been used for centuries in many different countries although the modern and highly clinical type of artificial insemination (AI) now practiced has a much more recent history. In the United Kingdom and Europe AI has been used since 1890, but has recently become much more popular in the development of the warm blood and sport horse breeds. The countries considered to be on the cutting edge of AI technology development in horses include France, Germany, Denmark and Holland. AI allows the breeder to import semen from any stud standing for AI collection in the world without having to either ship the mares to the stallion or the stallion to the mares. Not only does this cut down on the cost of this highly selective type of breeding program but it also provides more safety for the mares and the stallions as there is less transportation and stress on the horses. [...]
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Artificial insemination (AI) is a process by which semen is collected from a stallion, processed and tested, frozen for preservation, then thawed and deposited within the mare's reproductive tract, the uterine body, when she is in season and is most fertile. Each step in the process has to be done carefully and accurately to ensure that the semen is preserved properly and that the mare is also at the right part of her reproductive cycle to be able to conceive. Although historically AI has been performed in less than clinical settings, most breeders and owners that practice AI complete certification as AI technicians or hire a professional AI service to handle the semen collection and insemination process. [...]
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There are many in the equine world who believe that a Buckskin horse is merely a color of a horse. However, the Buckskin horse is noted for several qualities that are characteristic to only the Buckskin and not other types of equines. The color of the Buckskin is indicative of a superior and genetic heritage that they alone possess.
The Buckskin horse has been noted for quite a long period of time for their strength and qualities which are considered to be superior. They are thought to possess a greater stamina and determination than many other horse breeds. They are also believed to have feet which are harder and a better bone and are considered to be hardier than other equines
It is believed that the Buckskin horse originated from the Spanish Sorraia horse. The Sorraia horse blood has been filtered into almost every horse breed that is found in today's world. This is the reason that the Buckskin horse can be found in nearly all breeds.
It was believed in the past that if a Buckskin and a Dun Horse were bred to each other that an Albino foal would be the result. [...]
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Prior to the early 1940s and 1950s there was a huge demand for draft horses of all breeds and the excellent pulling power of the Suffolk Punch made it a good option for a working draft breed in England as well as in the United States. The Suffolk Punch, for a variety of reasons including the limited breeding and limited exporting of the breed remained much less known than some of the other draft breeds such as the Clydesdale, Belgian and Percheron. The clean legs or the lack of the heavy feathering on the legs made this an ideal breed for working in the clay soils, so in many ways this also limited the spread of the breed as they were in such high demand in their local areas of Suffolk and Norfolk in England. [...]
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The Spanish Mustang really is a breed of its own with a definite physical appearance as well as a true mustang intelligence and athletic ability. Although all Spanish Mustangs originally came over to South America with Christopher Columbus and other early settlers and explorers, they did breed with other horses at later dates, although the true Spanish Mustang remained typical of the Iberian breeds, not like the American Mustang that became inbred with many different horse breeds and types.
The Spanish Mustang is now being preserved through official registries and breeding programs. Those individuals wishing to register a horse as a Spanish Mustang have to pass several tests to allow the horse into the registry. If the horse to be registered is out of a registered Spanish Mustang dam and sire (mare and stallion) the offspring is automatically eligible for registry within the breed association or registry. [...]
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The existence of the Spanish Mustang today is largely due to the actions of a very few people working together to set up a Spanish Mustang Registry as well as the Southwest Spanish Mustang Association. The Spanish Mustang Registry was first established in 1957 by a man named Robert E. Brislawn of Wyoming. Mr. Brislawn lived the life of the cowboy, working on various ranches and eventually owning his own. He very much valued the hardy, strong and courageous horses that he noted were decreasing in numbers every year. [...]
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The Chincoteague pony was made famous by the publishing of Marguerite Henry's book "Misty of Chincoteague" in 1940. The book was based on the true story of a Chincoteague pony that was purchased at the annual Pony Penning. In 1963, the book's sequel "Stormy, Misty's Foal" was published and in 1992 the final book "Misty's Twilight" was published.
The Chincoteague pony is found most often in a pinto pattern and tend to be white with a Palomino-bay color on top. Occasionally there are sorrels and black ponies found. The pony breed is well known to be hardy and well proportioned in appearance. They are also known to be strong and possess a body which is very muscular. The manes and tails of the Chincoteague's are considered to be extra thick. During the winter months, they tend to grow hair coats which are heavy and thick. This gives them an appearance that is particularly shaggy looking during these months. The ponies have faces which are very expressive and they have eyes which are large and wide-set. [...]
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Breeding
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