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![The Anatomy Of The Horse](images/Anatomy.gif)
Horses
require extensive care. They are intelligent, emotional animals that respond
to people according to how they have been raised. The
cowboy invests a great deal of time and personal effort, as well as money
in order to ensure that he has a steady, reliable mount that will perform
as expected.
During
rodeos, horses are treated like valuable athletes and every precaution
is taken to ensure their continuing safety and performance.
There
are several developmental stages a horse goes through before being ready
for the rodeo. Naturally, the whole process begins when the baby horse
is born. A nursing horse, no matter what gender is referred to as a foal.
When it reaches 4 to 6 months of age it becomes a weanling. At one year
of age the baby horse is known as a yearling. After that, gender alters
the names given. Two year old animals are called colts if they are male,
or fillies if they are female. When horses reach five years of age, they
become stallions if they are un-neutered males, geldings if they are neutered
males, and mares if they are females.
Did you know that?
- All horses
share the same birth-date of January 1st, no matter when they were born.
- The modern
horse first evolved in North America from the Eohippus, or "Dawn Horse".
That evolving species died out, but not before its descendants crossed
the land bridge between North America and Asia. Once there it evolved
over 50 million years to become the horse we know today.
- Albino
horses are the only true white horses. All white horses descended from
Old King, an albino horse whose offspring were always born white, regardless
of the mare's colour.
- There
are five basic horse colors: bay, black, brown, chestnut, grey, and white
(albino).
Is being in the rodeo harmful to the horses?
Along
with the people who compete at rodeos like the Kispiox, the stock
that takes part is often over shadowed by the riders themselves.
Joy
Allen and her husband Gene raise bucking horses that compete in
many of the BCRA rodeos and on the professional circuit in Canada
and the U.S. She said a lot of work goes into making sure the
stock is in good shape for each and every rodeo.
"Most
of the bucking horses have been bred to buck," Allen said, "Most
of them are top athletes who are bred from bucking mares and studs
that have a long history of being in rodeos."
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One
of Joy Allen's Rough-Stock trying to eat our photographer's sweater.
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"The
stock used at the Kispiox rodeo has also competed at professional
rodeos south of the border.", she added. "The quality stock
here is what world champions have ridden."
"Stock
is also brought in from other contractors.", she noted. Allen
said, "We have put up with a lot of verbal abuse and complaints
from animal rights activists, but they just don't understand what's
going on. If they're being mistreated, a horse will go nuts in
the chute. The horse knows its going into the arena and won't
perform. Activists have also complained about the flank strap
that goes around the horse. The belt is a five inch thick piece
of sheep wool, it doesn't hurt the horse at all. It only makes
them buck harder because they are trying ride themselves of the
belt.".
"There
have also been stories about horses having Tabasco sauce on their
genitals, or burrs in their behinds - all complete lies." She
explains, "With animals that valuable, we don't harm them in any
way. The stock may be unapproachable in the arena but when they
are out in a pasture the entire herd will run up to you on a whistle.".
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Horses' Prayer
Please
read the horses prayer and try to go by it word for word.
Feed me,
water me and care for me.
And
when my day's work is done, provide me with shelter, a clean, dry bed,
and a stall wide enough for me to lie in comfort.
Talk
to me. Your voice often means as much to me as the reins.
Pet
me sometimes, that I may serve you gladly and learn to love you.
Do
not jerk the reins and do not whip me when going uphill.
Never
Strike, Beat or Kick me when I do not understand what you mean, but
give me a chance to understand.
Watch
me, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if something is wrong with
my harness or feet.
Examine
my teeth when I do not eat. I may have an ulcerated tooth that is very
painful.
Do
not tie my head in an unnatural position, or take away my best defense
against flies by cutting my tail.
(I don't take away YOUR mosquito curtains.)
Don't
smoke in my barn or leave me tied up overnight and perhaps burn me to
death while you are sleeping in your comfortable bed.
And
last, my master: When my strength is gone, do not turn me out in a pasture
with no shelter and let me freeze to death, or sell me to some cruel
owner to be slowly starved to death, but take my life in the kindest
way, and God will reward you - HEREAFTER.
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