CABB Fun Facts
The horse is known as the athlete of the livestock world. There are over 25 breeds of horses in the United States. Horse breeds generally fall into one of three categories. Ponies, Saddle Horses and Draft Horses.
· The categories are separated by height (hand) and weight. Ponies stand no more than 14.2 hands and weigh between 400 - 800 pounds. Common pony breeds include Shetland and Welsh.
· Light or Saddle horses are over 14.2 hands and usually weigh between 900 and 1200 pounds. Common breeds include, Appaloosa, Arabian, Morgan, Mustang, Paint, American Quarter, Standardbred and Thoroughbred.
· The Draft or Work Horses stand over 15.2 hands and weigh between 1800 and 2000 pounds. Draft horse breeds include, Belgian, Clydesdale and Shire.
· Did you know that a 1,000-pound horse produces about 45 pounds of manure every day (that’s ten tons a year!), as well as nine pounds of urine and 8 to 15 pounds of soiled bedding. Bedding in stalls is used to absorb waste. A stall must be "mucked out" (cleaned) everyday because wet bedding can cause a horse to have thrush, a disease of the hoof.
· Horses generally give birth in the springtime after a gestation period of 11 months and 5 days. People love to drive by in the springtime to watch the newborn foals in the pasture with their mothers.
HORSE TALK
Breed: A group of horses having common origin and certain characteristics that are inherited from ancestors.
Colt: A male foal.
Dressage: A classical system of schooling a horse to become more supple and obedient.
English: A general term describing a style of riding in a flat or cutback saddle.
Filly: A female foal.
Foal: An unweaned colt or filly under one year of age.
Gelding: a castrated male horse
Hand: A unit of measurement for height of horses from the ground to the withers. One hand = 4 inches.
Mare: A mature female horse.
Stallion: a uncastrated male horse
Western: A style of riding with a stock saddle like the cowboys used.
Yearling: a horse that has passed Jan. 1 after it’s born, even though it may still be younger than 12 months.
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