Horsemanship and Horse Care R I
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE AGRICULTURE INFORMATION BULLETIN NO :353 CONTENTS Pae-e Breeds of horses ................................................ 1 Selecting a horse ............................................... 6 Colors and markings ______ .. __ __ ..... __........ ___..... ____ _ 12 Riding equipment ................................... .......... 16 Riding a horse ..................... ... ........ ......... ........... 21 Showing a horse ........................................... ..... 21 Buildings and fences ...................... .................... 26 Breeding a horse .................... ............................ 28 The foal .............................................................. 29 Feeding a horse ............ ...................................... 33 Grooming a horse _____ .... __ __ __ _.. __ ...... ____ .... ___ __ _.. ___ 39 Care of the feet .................................................. 39 Diseases and parasites ....... ___ __. ... ___ .... ___________ ... 41 Breed registry associations __.. .. .. ___. ...... __ _. .. ___ ... 48 Credit: The author adapted some of the narrative and illustrations used in this bulletin from the book, HORSES AND HORSEMANSHIP, with permission of the pubisher, The Inter state Printers and Publishers, Inc., Danville, Illinois. COVER: Courtesy of Mr. Al Mavis, Mavis Connemara Farm, Rochester, Ill. This bulletin supersedes Farmers' Bulletin No. 2127, "Light Horses." For more complete information on horses, see Agriculture Handbook No. 394, "Breeding and Raising Horses." Wash ington, D.C. Issued September 1972 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gove rnment Printing Office Washington, D. C. - Price 75 cents Stock N umber 001-000-01475- 7 T he re is a minimum charg·e of $1.00 for each mail order Horsemanship and Horse Care By M. E. ENS:o.UNGER, collaborator, Animal Science Reseu1'ch Division, A !Jricultural Research Service Horses may be classified as di stinctive, uniformly transmit light horses, ponies, or draft ted characteri stics that are not horses, according to size, build, common to other horses. and use. The U. S. Department of Agri Light horses are 14-2 to 17 culture has no authority to ap hands high measured at the with prove a breed. The only legal ba ers, and they weigh 900 to 1,400 sis for recognizing a breed is in pounds. A hand is 4 inches; thus the Tariff Act of 1930. It provides 14-2 hands is 58 inches, or 14 for the duty-free admission of hands, 2 inches. purebred breeding horses provi d ~ Ponies are under 14-2 hands ed they are di sease free and re ~ high and weigh up to 900 pounds. gistered in the country of origin. Draft horses are 14-2 to 17-2 but this applies only to imported hands high, weigh 1,400 pounds animals. or more, and are used primarily For detailed information about for pulling loads and other heavy any of the breeds, write to the ap work. propriate breed registry associa Light horses are discussed in tion. The names and addresses of this bulletin. They are used pri the associations are given on marily for riding, driving, rac pages 48 and 49. ing, Or light farm work and in The list of associations is not addition to being smaller they are complete, and no di scrimination generally more rangy and more is in tended against associations active than draft horses. that are not included. Only the associations that register the most BREEDS OF HORSES common breeds of horses are list ed. But the inclusion of an associ A breed of horses is a group of ation in the list does not consti horses having a common origin tute any official recognition of the and possessing certain well-fixed, horses it registers as a breed. 1 BN-32565 BN- 32892 Breed: American Albino Horse. Breed: America n Paint Horse. Color: White. Color: White and any other color. BN- 32575 BN- 32564 Breed: American Buckskin. Breed: American Saddle Horse. Color: Buckskin, red dun, or grulla Color: Bay, brown, gray, chestnut, or (mouse dun). black. BN- 32568 BN- 32569 Breed: Appaloosa. Breed: American Gotland Horse. Color: White over the loin and hips with Color: Bay, brown, black, dnn, chestnnt, dark spots on the white areas; other roan, or palomino. coloring is variable. 2 BN- 82657 Breed: Arabian. BN- 32667 Color: Bay, gray, chestnut, white, or black. Breed : Galiceno. Co lor : Bay, black, che!tnut, dun, ! ray, brown, or palomino. BN- 1I 2576 Breed : Cleveland Bay. Color : Bay body and b1ack legs. BN-82826 Breed: Hackney. Color: Chestnut, bay, brown, roan, or hinck. BN- 82669 Breed: Co nnemara Pony. BN- 32572 'Color: Gray, black, bay, dun, brown, Breed : Hungarian Horse. cream, roan, or ('hestnut. Color: Any color. 3 BN- 32.5 79 Breed: Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Color: Any coloI' but usually sorrel. BN-326 66 Breed : Paso Fino. Co lor: Any color. Breed : Morgan. Color: Bay, brown. black. or chestnut. BN-326U Breed: Peruvian Paso. Color: Any color. Breed : Palomino. - BN- 32665 Color: Golden with light colored mane and Breed : Pinto Horse. tail. Color: White and any other <' 0101'. 4 BN-3289{ Breed: Pony of the Americlls. Breed : Spanish Mustang. Color: White over the loin and hips with Color : Any color except tobiano. dark spots on the white areas; other coloring is variable. BN-! 2671 Breed : Standardbred. BN-S2673 Color : Ba!". brown, chestnut, black, gray, Breed : Quarter Horse. roan, or dun. Color : Chestnut, sorrel, bay, dun, black, palomino, roan, brown, or copper. .. " .- .•. BN-a289! BN- 32826 Breed : Tennessee Walking Hone. Breed : Shetland Pony. Color : Sorrel. chestnut, black, roan, white, Color : Any color. bay, brown, gray, or golden. 5 DN- S2(;60 BN- 82668 Breeu: Thoroughbred. Breed: Wehb Pony. Color: Bay, brown, black, chesnut, roan, Color: Any color except piebald or skew. or gray. hald. SELECTING A HORSE in the three natural gaits--walk, trot, and gallop-before he at Relatively few horses are in tempts to ride a horse executing spected and evaluated by experi more complicated gaits. enced horsemen. Most horses are After deciding what kind of bought .by persons who lack ex horse you need, you are ready to perience in judging but who have select a particular horse. The best a practical need for the animal method is to select your horse on and take pride in selecting and the basis of body characteristics owning a good horse. If you are and performance, and on show an amateur, you should get the ring winnings if he is a show help of a competent horseman be horse. If you intend to use your fore you buy a horse. horse for breeding, you also When you select a horse, con should consider his pedigree and sider the following points. the records of his near relatives • The horse should be the right and offspring. size and weight for the rider. A Before you go out to buy a small child should have a small horse, you should be able to iden horse or pony and a heavy adult tify the parts of a horse, detect should have a large horse. Also, blemishes and unsoundnesses and a tall person should have a tall determine age. horse. • A quiet, gentle horse that is not too spirited is best for an in Parts of a Horse experienced adult or a child. You should have a thorough • A three-gaited horse usually knowledge of the parts of a horse is best for a beginner. A beginner and be able to understand the needs experience riding a horse language commonly used in de- 6 scribing them. The diagram on proper value to each part. An alI this page shows the parts of a breed score card is shown on pages horse. 8 and 9. The use of a score card is a good way to make sure that you have inspected all parts of a horse Blemishes and Unsoundnesses before you buy him. A score card An integral part of selecting lists all the parts and assigns a a horse lies in your ability to rec- \ \ 36---\ d _ 35--+\ \ i~ 33 -J & BN- 16178 Parts of a horse. 1. MU1.1Jle 12. Neck 23. Quarter 34. Fetlock 2. Nostril 13. Throatlatch 24. Stifle 35. Cannon 3. Jaw 14. Wither8 25. Rear flank 36. Knee 4. Cheek 15. Back 26. Sheath 37. Forearm 5. Face 16. Loin 27. Underline 38. Point of elbow 6. Eye 17. Croup 28. Gaskin 39. Arm 7. Forehead 18. Hip 29. Point of hock 40. Point or shoulder 8. Poll 19. Coupling 30. Hock 41. Ribs 9. Ear 20. Tail 31. Foot 42. Heart girth 10. Mane 21. Point or buttocks 32. Coronet 43 . Shoulder n. Crest 22. Thir;h 33. Pastern 7 All-Breed Horse Score Card ~ • 11" 11" 11" 11" " e e e ~" • • • ~ Characteristics 0 " " .. " .. " .. " "o~ " o~ o· o· ~• .eO" .e .e e~ e~ E~ '0" ." .".~ .~ .~ '" z1; Zo Zo Z. Breed type .... ________ __ .___ .__ __ _.__ __ ____...... _____ ____ __ 15 Animals should possess the distinctive characteristics of the breed represented, including- Color: Height at maturity: Weight at maturity: Form . _.......... _.. _. __ . ______ ___________ .___ ___ ____ __ __ _____ ___ 3 5 Style and beauty: Attractive, good car riage, alert, refined, symmetrical, and all parts nicely blended together. Body: Nicely turned; long, well-sprung ribs; heavily muscled. Back and loin: Short and strong, wide, well muscled, and short coupled. Croup : Long, level, wide, muscular, with a high-set tail. Rea" quarters,' Deep and muscular. Gaskin: Heavily muscled. Withe'l's: Prominent, and of the same height as the high point of the croup. Shoulders: Deep, well laid in, and slop ing about a 45-degree angle. Chest: Fairly wide, deep, and full. Arm and forearm: Well muscled. Feet and legs ..._ . .... _.. ______ ________ ____ ___ __ ______________ 15 Legs: Correct position and set when viewed from front, side, and r ear. Pasterns: Long, and sloping at about a 45-degree angle.