Pedigree & History

Interesting when you look into a horses pedigree and the story it tells of it's history. 

25 Greatest American THOROUGHBRED Racehorses

1. Man o'War (1917-1947) 
2. Secretariate (1970-1989)
3. Citation (1945-1970)
4. Kelso (1957-1983)
5. Count Fleet (1949-1973)
6. Dr. Fager (1964-1976)
7. NATIVE DANCER (1950-1967)
8. Forego (1970-1997)
9. Seattle Slew (1974-2002)
10. Spectacular Bid (1976-2003)
11. TOM FOOL (1949-1976)
12. Affirmed (1975-2001)
13. War Admiral (1934-1959)
14. BUCKPASSER (1963-1978)
15. Colin (1905-1932)
16. Damascus (1964-1995)
17. Round Table (1954-1987)
18. Cigar (1990 - )
19. Bold Ruler (1954-1971)
20. Swaps (1952-1972)
21. Equipoise (1928-1938)
22. Phar Lap (1926-1932)
23. John Henry (1975-2007)
24. NASHUA (1952-1982)
25. Seabiscuit (1933 - 1947)

Additionally,  Man o'War sired: Seabiscuit & War Admiral, BUCKPASSERS Sire was TOM FOOL and Grandsire Man o'War, Kelso's Grandsire was Man o'War and Roses' (not shown on list) Great Grandsire was Colin. 

Great Names for STANDARDBREDS 

• AMBERCROMBIE
• ADIOS 
• BRET HANOVER 
• ON THE ROAD AGAIN (Horse Hall of Fame Inductee & Horse of the Year) 
• SILENT MAJORITY (Horse Hall of Fame Inductee)
• MEADOW SKIPPER (66 Million Earning Sire to Ralph Hanover & Most Happy Fella)  

Standardbred ADIOS

Standardbred BRET HANOVER

Transporting Your Horse (Safely)

I read an article about two women transporting their dressage horses, when the unexpected happened. Someone rear-ended their horse trailer causing it to disconnect from the hitch, pass them then sideswiped their truck. You can read the entire story by clicking on this link: The Horse Journal 

The end result - the truck spun out, while the trailer flipped and hit the ditch. In the end the horses survived (thank God), although sore and banged up - nothing was broken or scraped causing either their life. The two woman attribute this to two things: one, their leather halter as they snapped when necessary, two, their leg wraps - protecting from cuts, gauges and absorbing impact. They recommend exercising caution. 

I'm going to invest in shipping boots, and a leather, or break-away halter. In our case a head bumper or helmet as well,  as our TB is quite tall and even in easy, short trips can bump his head - hard enough and this can cause him to stumble or fall and tied can create a dangerous scenario. 

Front Boot/Leg Wrap

Rear Boot/Leg Wrap

Bumper Guard/Helmet (Attaches/Adjust to any Halter)

Break-Away Halter, Leather Top

Padded, Leather Transport Halter

Additionally, keeping an EQUINE TRAVEL EMERGENCY KIT including:

• Spare Tire - for both the trailer tire and vehicle
• Tire Iron - for both the trailer tire and vehicle 
• Tire Guage
• Jumper Cables
• Cell phone or CB Radio
• Duct Tape
• Electrical Tape
• Flash light with batteries 
• Emergency Flares
• Sharp Knife
• Wheel Chocks
• Sponge & Bucket
• Water: 20 Gallons/horse
• Extra fuses, lightbulbs
• Fire extinguisher (also good for tire and chemical fires)
• WD-40, Spray Lubricant
• Tool Kit
• Work Gloves
• Extra Halter w/Lead
• Spare Belts or Hoses
• Tow strap or Chain
• Shovel
• Kitty Litter or Salt/Gravel
• Red Flag to attach to antennae 
• Horse Blankets 
• Human Blankets
• Candle(s) & Lighter/Matches
• Food and Water 
• Gauze, Wraps, Self-Sticking Bandages
• Towels/Blankets
• Wound Coagulant like 'Wonder Dust'
• Disinfectant 
• Six inch Garden Hose 
• Bute 

Equally as important is a:  TRAIL RIDE EMERGENCY KIT

Horse Boarding Facilities

Came across an article written regarding Horse Boarding Facilities, it's well written and breaks down the things to consider when deciding to run/operate a private or commercial facility.

I'm not interested in investing into this sort of business - but for anyone who might be, it's good to read into it and do as much research as possible first.

The article is by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and is called: Commercial Horse Boarding Stable Industry. 

Book on Horse Handling Facilities