Five breeds you’ve (probably) never heard of

1. The Black Forest Horse (Schwarzwälder Füchs)

Image source

Dating back 600 years, the Black Forest Horse is native to southern Germany and is considered an ancient cold-blooded breed.

They were originally selected for working on farmland and in forestry regions. Today they are mainly used as coach horses and for riding. They are nimble and lively, have a gentle nature, and are very durable and strong. The Black Forest horse is known for its high fertility, is long-lived, and are very easy keepers. Their body color, as suggested by the name, is mostly dark chestnut (German: Kohlfuchs) with light (blonde/flaxen) mane and tail. Their coloring can vary slightly into a sorrel; however the most popular color is the dark chestnut. Black Forest Farmers refer to the Black Forest horses as the “Pearls of the Black Forest” because of their positive/easy nature, gentle disposition, and their sheer elegance and beauty. Link

Genetic studies have shown this breed to be distinct from other German breeds. I predict they may become the next slightly trendy ‘exotic’ horse, following in the footsteps of the Friesians and Irish Gypsy cobs.

Case dismissed against vet accused of giving vodka to horses

GRAND ISLAND – The case against Grand Island veterinarian Dr. Jay Stewart was dismissed today.

Hall County Attorney Mark Young said he was forced to dismiss the case after three witnesses failed to show up for the trial scheduled for today.

Stewart had been accused of injecting vodka into race horses to calm them before races at Grand Island’s Fonner Park in 2005.

Young declined to identify the three witnesses, but court records indicated that he had attempted to subpoena a jockey and two race horse owners.

Stewart left the Hall County Courthouse without commenting. His lawyer, William VonSeggern, also declined to comment. Link / Image source

The Unwanted Horse Coalition

The Unwanted Horse Council (UHC) announced has launched a new website and announced the release of an awareness brochure.

“The Unwanted Horse Coalition includes equine organizations that are concerned with the number of unwanted horses in the United States,” said Dr. Tom Lenz, Coalition Chairman.

“The website and brochure are our first steps in educating current and future owners, breeders, traders, and others involved with horses about the issue of the unwanted horse. Our goal is to make the coalition unnecessary.”

Both the website and brochure explain the UHC and its mission, which is to reduce the number of unwanted horses and to improve their welfare. It will do that through educational outreach and the efforts of various organizations committed to the health, safety, and responsible care and disposition of unwanted horses.

The UHC was created following the Unwanted Horse Summit that was organized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and held in conjunction with the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in April 2005. In June 2006, the group was folded into the American Horse Council and now operates under its auspices.

In addition to information about the UHC, the website provides resources and links for retiring and rescuing horses, methods for handling the loss of a horse, and suggestions to help people “Own Responsibly,” which is the motto of the UHC.

“We want people to learn how to own responsibly,” Jay Hickey, President of the American Horse Council, said. “If they buy, sell, and treat horses responsibly, there will be fewer unwanted horses.”

The website will be updated regularly with news releases and publications describing the progress of the UHC and the plight of the unwanted horse. Both the website and the brochure provide information on how to become a member of the UHC and how to contribute to the UHC. (Via HorseTalkNZ)

Related posts:

Buy one, get one free?!

Barbaro update, and a challenge to those who say they love horses

DonateMyHorse.com

Court ruling shuts down Illinois slaughter plant

Horse Trailer Photo 2, originally uploaded by EquineGuardian.

A federal appeals court’s decision Wednesday to block the Agriculture Department from providing horse meat inspections for a fee has repercussions for an Illinois plant.

The decision in a lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States also is another setback for the horse slaughter industry overall.

In January, a federal appeals court upheld a 1949 Texas ban on the slaughter of horses for the purpose of selling the meat for human consumption overseas. The ruling forced two plants in Texas to scale back operations.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the humane society, said Wednesday’s ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia effectively shuts down operations at Cavel International Inc. in DeKalb, Ill., the only plant still fully operating in the U.S.

Congress stripped funding for horse meat inspections in 2005, but the USDA devised a plan to provide the inspections for a fee for slaughter plants. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, found the USDA did not follow federal procedures for setting up the inspection fee program. Link

Related posts:

House votes to stop sale of wild horses for slaughter

Audio debate: The end of the trail for American horses

House votes and horse polls

Did you know…

U.S. House passes Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

A call for help

No more horse slaughter in Texas

Horse news in brief, 2007-01-27

We Eat Horses, Don’t We?

Horses on auction list lead to fears of sale for slaughter

Kentucky “swamped” with unwanted horses

Humane society refutes horse dumping claims

Five famous black horses

1. The Black Stallion

The Black Stallion needs no introduction. The fiery hero of Walter Farley’s beloved books, he was portrayed by the Arab stallion Cass Ole in the movies. Generations of horse fanatics have devoured the stories and passed them on to their own children. There’s a Black Stallion blog, and be sure to check out The Black Stallion Literacy Project.

Worst. Special. Effects. EVER

This slice of Bollywood has been doing the rounds. Don’t try it at home, kids!

Pregnant mare becomes web celebrity

Suerte the Trakehner mare has garnered a following as huge as her two-weeks-overdue belly. Her owner, Genevieve Ghilotti, set up a webcam to monitor her horses, and Suerte has become a phenomenon, with “I’ve Been Suerte’d” t-shirts produced and updates beamed worldwide.

News link

Farm link

Related posts:

Horse cams

Foal roundup