Up on the Rooftop

Click, click, click. 

After years of listening to that song during the holidays, it finally makes sense to me.  Being one who has not spent much (or in fact any) time around reindeer I was not aware that they make a clicking noise when they walk. 

They have a tendon in the rear leg that slides over the bone when they move and makes that clicking sound.  No one is sure why this is.  It is believed it helps them stay together in whiteout conditions.  If they can't see or smell their herd mates at least they can follow their clicks.  Apparently a large herd can make quite a racket! 

You can hear the clicking in this video once you get past the snowmobiles.

Another fact about reindeer that I found interesting is that only females and castrated males keep their antlers throughout the winter.  I'm not sure what that says about Rudolph!
 

Horsefest 2011!

The Equine Affaire starts tomorrow.  It is the biggest Equine Exposition in the area.  Held at the Eastern States Exposition grounds it fills seven of its buildings. 

There are clinics, seminars and demonstrations all day, for four days, on everything equine.  The biggest names in the equine industry come to speak about every topic including improving equitation over fences, caring for the aging horse, common toxic plants and everything in between. 

There is a building containing a horse from every breed imaginable.  Another is stuffed with vendors selling bridles, saddles, fences, feed, farm equipment.  You name it, you can probably find it there.  Yet another building with horse trailers of every type and size known to man.

Horse lovers paradise!  I can't wait to go!

Lessons Learned from a Dentist

I have been a horse owner for over 35 years and I would like to think know more than your average Joe about my equine friends.  So I am always excited to find out something new about them. 

An equine dentist at work

Horses teeth grow constantly and can grow sharp points on their molars which need to be filed down in a process called "floating".  Yesterday I had the equine dentist out to "float" my boys teeth.  He also looked at their incisors, said they both had a very good bite and that they must get regular turnout on pasture.  What I never realized, but if you think about it it should be common sense, is that their incisors grow at the same rate.  Grabbing and ripping out grass is how they wear them down.  My horses have always had access to pasture so it never dawned on me that horses on a hay/pellet diet don't use they incisors as much and often have trouble.

Yet another reason for keeping horses as natural as possible!

A Horse of a Different Color

I am always amazed at the variety of colors in horses.  They can be a virtual rainbow of shades here are just a few:

Black- A uniform jet black color on the body mane and tail.

Black

Dark Bay- A dark seal brown, almost black, body color, mane and tail, with lighter brown hair on the muzzle, ear tips, around the eyes and on the flank.

Dark Bay

Bay or "Blood Bay"- A reddish brown body color with black mane and tail and black points (black on all the legs from the knee and the hock down, black muzzle and ear tips).

Bay

Chestnut or Sorrel - Brown or red hair on all parts of the body, mane and tail.  "Sorrel" refers to a lighter brown color and "Chestnut" is a darker brown.  A very dark chestnut horse is called a "Liver Chestnut".

Chestnut

Grullo/Buckskin- These horses have the same black mane, tail and points as the bay and a have pronounced dark dorsal stripe running from the withers to the dock of the tail.  Grullos have a gray body color, Buckskins have a light yellow body color. 

Grullo

Buckskin

Red Dun- Similar to Grullo and Buckskin but have a darker yellow to almost chestnut body color and mane, tail and points are more of a red chestnut color rather than black.

Red Dun

Palomino-A yellow body color with a light, sometimes even white, mane and tail.

Palomino

Gray- Grays have dark gray to almost black skin with white to dark gray hair on the body and a mane and tail to match.  Most "white" horses you see are really grays.  Their dark skin is most noticeable around the eyes and muzzle.  When they are wet it is very easy to see the darker skin through the lighter coat color.  Many grays are born with dark hair and lighten as the get older.

Gray Variations

White- They horses have white hair all over their body, mane and tail, pink skin, and usually blue, sometimes brown, eyes. 

White

A New Arrival

While we were in Ireland this summer we took regular walks into the town.  Near the post office there was a small field with two small ponies and their foals.

Both mares were obviously pregnant again, the fleabitten looked like she was just days away, and I was hoping that she would foal before I had to leave.  Unfortunately, she didn't not, but a friend was able to snap this picture when the foal was only a few days old.  So cute!

Lets Talk Turkey

Since we moved to our current home, seven years ago, we have been visited by many groups of wild turkeys.  The first year we were here, we had a pair and their 15 chicks visit our field occasionally.  The couple that sold us the house had named the pair Franklin and Eleanor.  When the chicks had grown and moved on we saw Franklin and Eleanor from time to time pecking their way through the field.

In recent years a third had joined them and we called her Anna (Franklin and Eleanor's only daughter).  We had not seen the trio for awhile, then, this spring, Anna showed up with six poults (baby turkeys).

We have watched Anna carefully tend her little flock all summer.  It is quite a feat to be a single mother of six. Every evening I see them parading across the field nibbling seeds and eating bugs.  I watched them make some of their first flights and have seen them improving everyday.  Most nights they roost in one of the trees in the field or by the house and I watch them as the settle in for the night.

Today I saw one of the larger poults on its own.  It was happily pecking its around my garden, then, with a running start, flew right past me into a tree and found a place to roost.   I was very proud of it, being on its own, but, I was also very sad to think that my little turkeys are growing up.  Soon they will all go their separate ways and I will miss them!

My Summer Vacation

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks in Ireland at the beginning of the summer.   Down the road from where I stayed was Long's Horse Riding so, I got in a couple of treks during my trip.  They have beautiful Irish Cobs in all sizes and colors.  The Irish Cob is a very compact, stocky and powerful breed that is known for its docile and willing nature.  They have feathered legs, a luxuriant mane and tail and can be any solid color, including greys and roans, as well as pinto.

This guy is a beautiful example of a an Irish Cob.   Don't you just want to squeeze him!?   When the sun shown on him he had the most gorgeous dapples!

My first trek was an a short trip down to the beach for an invigorating gallop down the strand and back.  Unfortunately, during our first pass I was stuck behind a pony and had to keep holding my horse from running up the pony's backside.  (darn those ponies and their short strides!)  When we turned around I was able to get in front of the pony and just let my horse go.  Great fun!  There is nothing like a gallop on the beach!

My second trek was on this guy, King.  What a handsome man!  We went on a mountain ride and had a wonderful canter up the mountain you can see in the back.

What a beautiful view!  I can't wait to go back!