October 12, 2001, Newsletter Issue #59: Safety Handling Horses

Tip of the Week

1) Check Your Equipment, before you go to bring in/or take out any horse; be sure to check all of your equipment first. Use only secure halters, lead ropes, lead chain on the lead rope. Making sure that all of the equipment shows no signs of weakness.

2) Use a Whip in Your Back Pocket and carry a chain on the end of the lead shank. In the case of an emergency, then you have these if necessary, and won`t be caught without.

3) Check All Gates for quick and ease of open/close; and for security. Make sure that all property gates are securely locked as well. If a horse does bolt from you, make sure he travels as short a distance away from you as is possible due to locked gates.

4) Make sure that all lights have been turned on prior to starting to handle horses to come in or to go out.

For the remainder of this article, stop by my bio page and find the link to my home site. Then, you will find the Breed of the Week column and the Discipline of the Week Revue for 10/16/01** and read on about Safety in the Barn!

Breed of the Week

The Canadian Horse
The Canadian Horse is a little known national treasure of Canada. This hardy breed descended from horses originally sent to the “New World” by King Louis XIV of France in the late 1600’s. These Norman and Breton horses were felt to be of Arab, Andalusian and Barb ancestry – traits of which can still be recognized in the Canadian Horse today.

For hundreds of years, the French horses bred with little influence from outside breeds. They eventually developed into their own distinct breed - the Canadian Horse or Cheval Canadien. Because they evolved under the adverse conditions of harsh weather, scarce food, and hard work, the Canadian Horse remains the sturdiest and most acclimatized horse in Canada today. They are tough, strong horses, tolerant of inclement weather conditions, and are extremely “easy keepers.” Because of these traits, the Canadian Horse is often referred to as “The Little Iron Horse.”

In the mid-1800’s, the Canadian Horse numbered about 150,000 and could be found throughout Canada and the United States. The Canadian was used for crossbreeding to improve the strength and hardiness of other breeds, and helped to found other North American breeds such as the Morgan, Tennessee Walking Horse, Standardbred, and the American Saddlebred. Increasingly, Canadian Horses were exported out of Canada for the Boer war, for working the sugar plantations in the West Indies, and to the United States for use on the stage-lines and for the American Civil War. The number of horses began to dwindle rapidly. With the advent of mechanized farm machinery, the Canadian Horse almost became extinct. During the 1960-70’s, there were fewer than 400 horses in existence and 20 or less registrations recorded per year. By the late 1970’s, the peril of Canada’s national breed was finally recognized, and efforts were made by diligent breeders to try to bring the Canadian Horse back from the verge of extinction.

For the remainder of this article, stop by my bio page and find the link to my home site. Then, you will find the Breed of the Week column and the Discipline of the Week Revue for 10/16/01** and read on about Safety in the Barn!

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