The History of the Arabian Horse

The History of the Arabian Horse.

The Arabian horse is known as the horse of the desert. Arabians were founded in the deserts of the Middle East where members of tribes used them for everyday work force and fighting. It wasn’t until the 1877 when General Ulysses S grant was awarded two beautiful mares and stallions that started the first Arabian breeding program in the United States. After that the U.S Army used Arabians for war purposes. Arabians were known to be able to handle extreme conditions and maneuver easily through rough terrain.

Many people do not know this but Arabians are truly one of a kind. Did you know Arabians have one less rib, one less lumbar bone, and one or two fewer tail vertebrae than other horses.

Fun Facts About All Horses!

1. Horses sleep standing up most of the time
2. Horses only sleep for 2-3 hours during the day
3. You can tell how old a horse is by looking at its teeth
4. Baby horses are called foals for the first year of life.
5. Female horses are called mares
6. Not one horse is alike another
7. A horses heart weighs 9lbs.

Man o' War

Many people know about the racing legend Secretariat. However, it seems to me that Man o’ War’s name has been lost in the books. Man o’ War was one of the best racing horses of all time. He won 20 out 21 races he competed in and was considered to horse racing like Babe Ruth was to baseball, a legend. Man o’ war had a short race career of only one year is why I think many forget about him and his famous races. Although he is recognized in the Museum of Horse Racing as the athlete of the world but many other sites do not recognize him.

“In his remarkable career, Man o' War set three world records, two American records, two track records, and equaled another track standard. He won one race by an incredible 100 lengths and triumphed in another while carrying 138 pounds.” This is a racehorse I would have died to see. They said his size was unbelievable and he was the brightest red. Giving him the nickname “Big Red.”

The Average stride of a horse is 23.5 feet in length. To put in comparison how big “Big Red” was compared to the thoroughbreds on the track his stride hit at a great length of 28 feet. This is what gave him them advantage on the track. Winning his first race ever at the age of two with 6 lengths. The owner knew “Big Red” was a steal when he bought him for $5000, which is still known as the best deal ever in horse racing. Although “Big Res” did have temperament that was hard to break trainers finally managed to encourage him to use his anger on the track. This post is just to designed to dedicate Man o’ War and his great accomplishments.

Some information was gathered from:
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall-of-fame/man-o-war.asp

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Horses and the War!

Horses are a big part of our lives. But they were even a bigger part of history! From helping building railroads to fighting for our freedom horses were on the front line with men and women who were fighting. Horses served a great deal of time during the wars before hummers and trucks were available for use. Horses carried supplies and soldiers from point a to point b. They were used as an ambulance service to get injured soldiers from the battlefield to the hospital.

Many people think horses don’t deserve to live free in the hills. However, the truth is there ancestors fought for our freedom just like ours did so they should be able to live wherever they want. Horses were also used for communication during the First World War. They could travel great distances to spread the word that the enemy was coming and allow time for troops to prepare.

Horses could be a huge part of the reason that we had such great success during the First World War. Imagine if soldiers had to walk everywhere and carry all the cannons and artillery up he hills without horsepower. It could have lead to a lot more injuries and deaths. So in my opinion horses are heroes too!




ANIMALS DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR© IWM (Q 34105)


Animals During The First World War by Imperial War Museums Provider: CultureGrid is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Trail Riding

Trail riding is an important factor in any working horse’s life. Trail riding allows the horse to relax and get exposed to many other factors and obstacles besides work. That’s right, barrel racing, jumping, roping and any other competitive riding is work for a horse. Allowing your horse to take a slow trail ride will let the horse know it doesn’t have to work every time you spend time together. You horse should love doing its job, but it should respect and appreciate you more. Getting a horses respect means respecting the horse’s needs.

Horses need a break from their jobs just like humans need a break from theirs. Trail riding will help the rider and horse build a better bond and further develop their communication skills together. There are many obstacles that may present them on the trails such as wild animals or rough terrain. A rider must work with the horse to keep the horse calm and collected through the trail. Learning how to communicate with your horse through the trails will allow you to work more efficiently and effectively with them at work.

Here is a picture of my barrel horse after a long trail ride! She’s not even tied just standing there looking at me sitting in a tree. She respects me and will wait for me in any situation.




Rachels Horse by Rachel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.