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Horse Mania Newsletter #28
August 28th 2000
Subscriber Count: 1,111
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The NEXT deadline for ALL article writers and things submitted to the
newsletter is September 10th. Please let me know if you cannot meet this deadline for
some reason.
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Hey everyone!
We’ve got a normal sized issue back again! Thanks to everyone who got
their columns in on time, I’m very grateful! I know some of you have been
emailing me things and I haven’t been receiving them sometimes- it seems
that my email server just does this now and again. I’m sorry about that,
but remember that I will always send you a short thank you note to let you
know that I received it safe and sound. So if a while goes past and I
haven’t replied, please feel free to resend it or ask me if I got it!
The review section is going well, and I’ve been getting quite a few
reviews for each book. In this issue you’ll find all the reviews for our
last one- “King of the Wind”, thanks for sending those in! This issue
we’re reviewing the series of books for young horselovers, “Pony Pals” so
stop by https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/ponypals.html to read the
reviews and have your say if you like.
If you like writing horse jokes, stories, or poems be sure to check
out the contest being run by Carli (lyongoldenbear@aol.com). The details
are in this issue and also on the Horse Mania Website’s front page, so
start sending in those entries- it closes September 5th! :o)
The 2000 Olympics are approaching fast and since I live in Sydney I am
lucky enough to be attending one of the dressage events. I can’t wait to
see riding at such a high level! I’ll be keeping my eye on all the other
equestrian events too and I’ll see if I can get something together on that
for the newsletter. Why is it that they never report on the equestrian
events in the Olympics enough in newspapers and TV? It’s always athletics,
swimming, gymnastics and more gymnastics. Oh well, I just hope they give
the horsey sports better coverage this time for all us horse people!
That’s about all I have to say for now, so keep on sending in your
great contributions and I’ll see you next issue!
Susan
(thehorse@hotpop.com)
http://horsemania.cjb.net
'\__~ '\__~ '\__~
\ \ / \ / / cantering
In this Issue:
-Contest
-Manes & Tails
-Reviews: King of the Wind
-Horse Evolution
-Horse Behavior
-Horse Care
-Breeds in Focus
-The Name Game
-Horse Story 1 (part 3)
-Horse Story 2 (part 1)
-Equine Poets
-Tell Us About Yours
-Websites
-Horse Polls
-Pen Pals
-Newsletter Information
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CONTEST by Carli
There is a contest for who can write the best Horse Joke and Story and
Poem! All entries must be sent to lyongoldenbear@aol.com They must be sent
by e-mail and the deadline is September 5, 2000. If you have any
questions please feel free to e-mail me. I will pick a
winner for each one so there will be three winners and if you win your
name
and your entry will be put in the next Newsletter!
Here are the Rules:
Joke:
NO bad language
Must be kind of short
Use the subject of Horse Joke
Poem:
NO Bad language
May be medium or short just Not to long
Use the subject of Horse Poem
Story:
NO bad language
May be any length you want
Use the subject of Horse Story
Please make *sure* that you use the correct subject when emailing in your
entry or it will not be considered.
Closing Date: September 5th 2000
Thanks!
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MANES AND TAILS by Jamie
Hey, fellow horselovers! I'm back with my column
again, HORSES FROM HISTORY, and will start where I
left off many issues ago. If you're new to the
newsletter, you may want to go to the archives and see
past issues from about issue 10-16 or so to review my
previous Manes and Tails columns.
This story is from a Persian epic poem, about a
Persian hero named Rustum and his "rose-colored horse"
named Raksh, or "The Lightning." By the way, Persia
was the ancient name of the Middle East country of
Iran, I believe.
Rustum wanted to follow in the footsteps of his
father and grandfather, who had been faithful warriors
in service to the shahs (rulers) of Persia. His
father owned huge herds of horse, and of course the
first thing a warrior needs is a strong, brave
warhorse. All the best of this father's herd was
rounded up in one place for Rustum to have a look at
them. Just like the cowboys of the West, he used a
lasso to catch the horses he wanted to try. Soon, a
beautiful, strongly-built mare caught his eye, reddish
in color, with an almost-grown colt at her side that
looked even stronger and fiercer than she. Rustum was
warned that the mare was vicious and had killed 3 men
who tried to rope her colt. But he was determined to
have the colt, for he knew it was the perfect horse
for him. When he roped the colt, the mare charged and
was driven away by the herdsmen. The colt fought
fiercely, but finally Rustum sprang onto his back and
was able to ride him. From then on, the two were
inseparable. Raksh was trained for six months to
learn all the things a warhorse needed to know, and
the two moved as one. Raksh was very smart and
sharp-eyed. His rose color today would most likely be
described as a blood bay or maybe a red roan.
Raksh and Rustum served the shahs well for a long
time. Then the old shah died and a young, often
foolish one took his place. When this shah and his
army were captured by an enemy called the White Demon,
it was up to Rustum and his rose-colored horse Raksh
to make a difficult 7-day journey to free them.
They covered in one day what would have been a
two-day journey. Making camp that night on the grassy
plain, they were near a large herd of game (what
animals they were is not said), with Raksh grazing by
the herd near his master. A lion crept out of the
tall grass during the night and approached the sleeping
Rustum. But Raksh ATTACKED the lion with his sharp
hooves and teeth, killing it. When Rustum awoke the
next morning, he saw the carcass of the lion and Raksh
grazing unconcerned nearby.
The next night, after a hard journey through the
desert, when Rustum slept, a "huge, fire-breathing
dragon" came crawling out to see who had invaded its
territory. Raksh saw the dragon, galloped to his
master, and neighed and pawed to sound the alarm. But
the dragon disappeared when Rustum woke up. Again the
dragon approached and again Raksh neighed in alarm,
but still Rustum didn't see the creature and was very
annoyed with his horse for waking him. The horse
tried to lure the dragon away the 3rd time the
creature approached, but it only moved closer to
Rustum. This time, Rustum saw the dragon and demanded
to know who the creature was. Rustum and Raksh
attacked the dragon and managed to slay it after a
terrific struggle.
Finally they resumed their journey.
Rustum and Raksh defeated several enemy armies, and
their fame spread around the land. During a time of
peace, they went out into the country, and while
Rustum slept one night, enemy tribesmen came into
their camp and stole the fabulous rose-colored horse.
Raksh put up a terrific fight, but the men finally
surrounded him with their own horses and got ropes on
him, though none of them could ride him. As might be
expected, Rustum was furious when he found Raksh gone.
He followed their trail on foot into the city, and
told the king some of his chiefs would lose their
heads if his horse was not found. The king promised
to help, and in the meantime, invited him to dinner.
While a guest in the city, Rustum met and fell in love
with the king's daughter and they were married.
Finally, someone informed him that Raksh had been
found. Soon, he realized he must mount his horse and
go back to Persia. Much later, Rustum's son from his
marriage reached warfare age and one sad day, met his
father on the battlefield in hand-to-hand combat.
Neither recognized the other, and Rustum didn't learn
it was his son until he had fatally stabbed him.
Rustum was heart-broken when his only son died in his
arms.
The end for Rustum and his great horse Raksh came
some years later when his jealous half-brother plotted
against Rustum with a plan to get rid of both of them.
He suggested to an enemy ruler to invite Rustum to go
hunting with him, and have his men dig deep pits with
sharp swords planted in the bottoms, points up. The
pits were to be covered, of course. The shah did as
the evil half-brother to Rustum suggested, and Rustum
went on the hunting trip. When Raksh came upon the
first pit, he stopped and refused to move until Rustum
whipped him, causing the horse to fall into the deadly
pit. But in spite of the swords, the powerful horse
leaped out, carrying his master with him. But he soon
fell into another pit, and another. Each time the
great horse leaped out, but finally both horse and
rider sustained mortal wounds from the swords and
died.
Yet, Rustum managed to avenge himself before he died.
He took his huge bow out and shot it at his
treacherous half-brother, killing him even though he
stood behind a tree.
Persian poets and writers have kept the story of
Rustum and Raksh going for more than 1,000 years.
Next issue: The prince's horse, and the black
stallion of the Spanish explorer, Cortez.
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REVIEWS: KING OF THE WIND
Every two weeks a new review of a horse book or movie is put up on the
Horse Mania website.There is also a form to fill out for you to have your
say if you want. Everyone’s review is posted on the website, along with my
own review and then all of them are printed in the next issue of the Horse
Mania Newsletter.
Visit https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/reviews.html to read all the
reviews, and submit your opinion if you’d like to. New reviews of THE
SADDLE CLUB and BLACK BEAUTY and THOROUGHBRED have been added since last
issue, and you can still have your say on any of the reviews that are
there!
The last review was of KING OF THE WIND, the story of the Godolphin
Arabian.
============
King of the Wind
Author: Marguerite Henry
King of the Wind is the story of the Godolphin Arabian, the famous horse
who was one of the founding sires of the Thoroughbred breed. Sham (The
Godolphin Arabian) was a golden red stallion who was born in the Sultan of
Morocco's stables. On his heel he had a small white spot, the symbol of
speed, but on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. The book tells the
story of his life full of cruel masters and owners, despite his wonderful
pedigree. Sham's mute friend, the stableboy Agba, accompanies him on his
adventures from the Sahara to France, and then finally England.
Marguerite Henry has written several classic books about horses, with this
one being no exception. King of the Wind was awarded the John Newbery
Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for
children (I am unsure of the year). The paperback copy I own is
accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Wesley Dennis. I thoroughly
enjoyed this book, and have read it again several times. It is an
excellent story, and is definitely worth rereading. I especially liked it
because it is different from the majority of mainstream horse books out
there. The plot and style the story is told in is interesting and
original. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read it!
Rating: 4 and a half
============
YOUR REVIEWS:
Name: Archer
Email: archer@cvmail.cl
Rating: 4
Comments: Hey!!!! This is really a great book. I also have the paperback
edition on my shelf and it's classified as one of
my favorites. It easy to read, I would say from 12-14/15 years, after that
it becomes very easy but still fascinating. It's a real interesting
adventure and once you start you really don't want to leave it.Another
fact is that Sham (the horse) is one of sires of the Thoroughbred , so
it's all kind of history. I really recommend this book to anyone, it's a
classic.If you can see the movie (after reading the book). It's nearly the
same and it's quite like you imagined it as you read the book.
Name: Christina
Email: christiniaerikawhite@yahoo.com
Rating: 5
Comments: This is a very good book. I especially liked in the end when
Agba let him out of his stall and he... oops, well, you will just have to
read the book to find out what happened! This book is great for anyone who
likes horses or like reading about them.
Name: Jamie Smith
Email: jamsmhorse@yahoo.com
Rating: 5
Comments: "KING OF THE WIND" is definitely a classic story by Marguerite
Henry. She was one of my all-time favorite horse story writers. Even
though the main character in the book, Agba, is fictional, Ms. Henry
writes the story in such a way that he seems real, and you are rooting for
him throughout the story. The only sad part is that Sham never got to
race. I have a copy of the book, and one of the best parts of the book are
the beautiful illustrations by Wesley Dennis. If you can get a hardbound
edition of the book, some of the pictures are in full color and are
absolutely breathtaking!
Name: Emmie
Email: Emedoodle@aol.com
Rating: 5
Comments: This is one of my favorite horse books! Marguerite Henry really
makes you feel like you actually follow Sham and Agba through their hard
like then feel their joy in the end. This book really deserves all the
awards its gotten!
Name: Katie Anne
Email: shecalledwildfire@yahoo.com
Rating: 5
Comments: This is a great book. It is very well written, and glues you to
the pages. It has several places where I cried, and I am not a teary-eyed
person! I have read the book 3 or 4 times, and I am still not tired of it!
Name: Candy Troxel
Email: Candy19801@aol.com
Rating: 5
Comments: I read this book when I was a child and loved it. She is a great
writer of horse stories. She makes you feel like you are there living it
right along with the horse! I have the hard cover one and the pictures are
great.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On the website our new review is of PONY PALS, the series of books for
younger horselovers. To read the review and have your opinion heard, visit
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/ponypals.html
The reviews will be printed in the next issue of Horse Mania.
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HORSE EVOLUTION by Caitlin
Hi, I am Caitlin, and welcome to HorseMainia's NEWEST column! Each
newsletter, I will tell about a different time in horse evolution,
starting
with the first, Hyracotherium.
~Hyractohrium
Also known as Eohippus, this was the first of all horses, thus came the
name,
which means "dawn horse." This horse was discovered by fossils in North
America nearly 50 MILLION years old! Fossils of the like have also been
found in parts of Europe. This four-toed, lamb sized creature existed
about
50-38 million years ago. It dwelled in wooded and swampy areas, as grassy
meadows had not yet been developed. It originally thrived in North
America,
but soon migrated to Europe, which was not yet separated by the Atlantic
Ocean from North America.
Some BIG changes were in for the earth. You are probably wondering what
will become of little Eohippus. Well, in the next newsletter, you will
find
out:)
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HORSE BEHAVIOR by Caitlin
Hi, I am Caitlin, and here is another one of HorseMainia's NEWEST
columns!
In this column, I will tell about all kinds of equine vices, and how to
fix
them. When I run out of vices, then I will tell you about horse behavior
as
in body language. Then comes wild horse behavior, and so on and so on.
So
let's get started.
~This newsletter: Evading Capture
Refusal to be caught is a big problem among horses who live out in a
pasture
with other horses. Horses out in a pasture may associate getting caught
with
hard work, or maybe even mistreatment. Sometimes it is as simple as he
does
not want to leave his buddies. If a horse discovers he can get away with
refusal to be caught, you may have a large problem on your hands. If you
have a horse that does not want to be caught, then you may find yourself
spending rather large amounts of time trying to catch the little beast.
If
your horse runs away when you try to catch him, try to follow these steps
to
help:
1. Arm yourself with a treat that is a real favorite to the horse.
2. Attempt to approach the horse without a halter.
3. Make sure you do not look the horse in the eye.
4. Extend your hand so the treat is within smell and sight distance, but
don't let him have it right away. The horse might let you scoot closer,
or
even approach you.
5. When you and your horse make contact, make sure he lets you pet him
for a
few seconds, then reward him with the treat. Walk away before he has a
chance to leave.
6. Practice this over and over until your horse eventually lets you put
the
halter on him after you give him the treat.
Note: Steps 1-7 should be done in a small roundpen, not a pasture.
8. After several weeks, you should be able to move you horse into a
pasture,
and practice.
9. Once the horse lets you capture and halter him every time, then you
can
move him back to his original pasture.
Note: If the horse had friends in the original pasture, all the better,
because he will have a distraction. Then you can see if he really
respects
you. If he runs away to his buddies, then just be patient and work with
him.
In time, you will have a wonderful, beautiful horse that is willing to be
captured.
Note: Avoid working your horse right away after he is captured, or else he
really will associate being caught with work. Instead, give him a
relaxing
groom or massage, or talk to him, or give him treats. Then he will be
more
willing to be caught if he knows he gets something good when he is
caught.
If your horse runs away from you, when you finally catch him, NEVER scold
him, or he will begin to associate being caught with harsh words or being
hit.
Don't baby him too much when you catch him, or he will become spoiled and
think he can get away with being bad, then get a treat:)
One last note: If there are other horses in the pasture, avoid feeding
your
horse treats until you have led him away. Otherwise, they might fight
over
the treats. Kind words and a pat on the neck should do it until you have
the
horse in the barn.
Well, that column was long enough, huh? After a couple months working on
this, if you do not get anywhere, it is probably time to call on a
professional trainer.
Did this work for you? Have additional questions about horses that evade
capture? Comments on this subject? Please e-mail me at
Caiterbug10@aol.com
and tell me about it!!
~Caitlin
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HORSE CARE by Liz
Get Grooming!
20 tips to Great Grooming (Part One)
1. Move the rubber curry comb in a circular motion to
bring dirt and mud to the coat surface.Then, brush the
dirt away with a dandy brush.
2. Your grooming kit should have two big, soft
sponges in it. One is for cleaning only the horse's
head(nose and eyes). The other is for just the
dock(under the tail) area. Using the same sponge for
both the dock area and the head area can spread any
infections they might have. Try using a different
colored sponge for the two areas so you don't mix the
sponges up.
3. If your horse comes in from the field with a big
burr or tangle in his tale,spray the burr or tangle
and the surrounding hair with a spray- on conditioner.
This makes it easier to get the burr or tangle out.
4. If you've given your horse a hard,tiring workout,
pour some liniment in his bath water. A liniment wash
can sooth tired muscles.
5. If you have to pull your horse's mane,do it after
he is done being ridden, when the pores are open and
the hair pulls out more easily. There are several
mane- thinning tools at tack shops that will make
pulling a mane less painful for your horse. Only pull
a few strands of hair at a time, and don't pull for
too long. No matter what the "experts" say, pulling
the mane is very painful on a horse.
6. Take a box of baby wipes with you to a show. They
come in handy for quick, last- minute grooming.
7. Use your fingers or a soft human hairbrush when
brushing you horse's tail or mane. Metal combs can
damage the hair. Putting baby oil on your hands
untangle the hair. Start at the bottom of the tail.
Once you get the knots out there, it is easier the rest
of the tail.
8. Start brushing at the top of your horse's neck and
work your way back to his hindquarters. This way you
don't brush dirt onto the parts you have already
brush.
9. Too much bathing with shampoo can dry out your
horse's coat and dull it's shine. Don't give your
horse more than two baths a week.
10. When you use a body or dandy brush, carry a metal
or rubber curry comb in in your other hand. After
every few strokes with the dandy brush, rub the
currycomb over it to clean it. This helps you to
groom the horse more effectively.
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BREEDS IN FOCUS by Jacqui
PERCHERON
History: This breeds forebears are thought to have carried the knights of
Charles Martel to victory over the Muslims at Poitier in A.D. 732. Thus
bringing the Barbs and Arabs of the enemy to become available to French
breeders.
Origin: After the Crusades, eastern blood was added to the Barb and Arab
outcrosses. The most influential line of the Percheron is that of the
Godolphin Arabian outcrossings and Gallipoly. Gallipoly sired the most
famous of Percheron stallions and the foundation sire of the breed, Jean
le
Blanc, in 1980.
Color: The most commonly seen color is dapple gray, or black, and followed
by the occasional bay, chestnut, and roan.
Height: Between 16.2 and 17.2 hands, although they are seen between 15.2
and 16.2 hands also.
Conformation: The head of the Percheron is well defined, it has a broad,
square forehead, a straight profile, fine, long ears, and alert eyes. The
nose is flat with very wide, open nostrils. The neck is long and arched,
with a fairly thick mane. The withers are prominent and lead into nicely
sloped shoulders. The hindquarters are sloped and unusually long, and
they
are noted for their excellence and power. The body is broad and
deep-chested, with strong, muscular limbs. Good, hard joints lead into
hard
hooves of medium size and made of blue horn. There is no feathering at
the
fetlock. The tail is almost always pulled up into a "polo bang" while
working in harness.
Action: Long-striding and low.
Records: The Percheron breed has set many records; Dr Le Gear was the
world's biggest horse at 21 hands and weighing 3,024 pounds, this breed
also holds the pulling record for having pulled 3,410 pounds.
This a beautiful and elegant draft breed which is perfect for adapting
to any climate condition!!
___________________________________________________________________________
THE NAME GAME by Megan
Hey everybody? Is everybody (who this applies to, anyway) all prepped for
school? I sorta am. I haven't gotten any of my paper or pens or binders
or anything, but I've got most of my clothes! Yay! I just got my schedule
in the mail today. At least once school starts, I'll be able to spend
some more time out at the stable, cos I usually go out on the bus, when
school is in.
Of course, it looks like they may strike, so we all may be going back
later than we all thought! So anyway, I received a whole lot of names for
the little chestnut filly. You guys must have liked her! The name which I
chose, that I thought suited her the best, was "Farthest Copper
Sensation," sent into me by Katie! Thanks everybody! Now onto the animal
of the week:
Breed: Quarter Horse
Gender: Gelding
Colour/ Markings: Dark Bay, with white star
Sire: Mr. Straw Cash
Dam: Miss.Tara Lipinsky
Body Type: solid, muscular
Photo: https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/ng28.jpg
So everybody be creative, and send me in any names that you can think of
for this boy!! And also, as usual, any comments, criticism, or suggestions
for my column are also welcome!
C ya next time!!
___________________________________________________________________________
HORSE STORY 1: “The Runaway” by Nicole Priest
If you missed the previous parts of this story, you can read them at the
Horse Mania archives, in issues #25 and #26 at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/archives.html
“The Runaway” (PART 3)
A dim light was cast through the shadows from the steely grey street
lamp. A girl of eleven years old sat miserably at the side of the road.
Jayde sat stock still for a few minutes, then scrambled to her feet.
Her face was damp with tears. Realisation had hit her long ago: Duke,
Glenda’s favorite horse, was loose on the road. And it was all her fault.
Jayde wiped the sweat from her brow and found some blood there too. Her
arms felt prickly and her legs wobbled like jelly. She took a tentative
step forward, and another.
Edging slowly along the road, she didn’t notice a beam of light come from
ahead. A second later, a bell rang out sharply, and she whirled around,
startled. A black and silver BMX bike skidded to a halt.
"Jayde!"
It was Aleesha. Her black curls fluttered in her face and she stared at
her best friend in shock.
"What happened to you?"
"You don’t want to know," Jayde said miserably.
"Oh, yes I do. Glenda sent me to look for you when she found the yard
empty and Duke gone. Now tell me what happened." Aleesha folded her arms
across her chest and looked expectantly at the beaten-faced girl.
"He... he just jumped." Jayde shrugged and gave a sigh. "Then he ran down
the road. I saw him cantering down here then he just disappeared."
"Oh no," Aleesha groaned. "Glenda was so worried when she came to our
place, she thought you’d run away with Duke!"
Jayde grimaced. "Nope. Only Duke has run away."
Aleesha frowned. "We better go back, it’s getting dark. Get on and I’ll
give you a dink."
*
Ten minutes later Jayde was at Glenda’s house explaining exactly what had
happened while Aleesha was sloshing antiseptic on her face.
"And then this car came from behind me and knocked me off my feet!" she
finished with a moan.
Glenda leaned against the kitchen bench, silent-faced and motionless. She
didn’t appear angry, just puzzled.
"I don’t get it," she frowned. "Why would Duke run away?"
Jayde shrugged helplessly and winced as the antiseptic stung her face. She
patted her leg gingerly and wondered if she’d be able to walk home.
"I’m going out to look for him," Glenda told the girls, and snatched her
keys off the hook. "You girls go on home, come over tomorrow morning." She
stopped for a moment and grimaced. "If I don’t find him tonight them
we’ll have to organise a search party."
Jayde nodded miserably and followed Aleesha out the door. "Bye, Glenda,"
she murmured.
"I ‘m so sorry."
Glenda’s face was twisted up with worry. "Don’t worry about it," she said
heavily. "It wasn’t your fault."
But Jayde shook her head in disagreement as she watched Glenda s van
roar away into the night.
___________________________________________________________________________
HORSE STORY 2: “Opal, A Climb to a Celebrity” by Northern Dancer
This is a new continuing horse story, here is the first part and it will
be continued in further issues of Horse Mania.
“Opal, A Climb to a Celebrity” (PART ONE)
Chapter 1: Racing History
Opal raced slowly made his way down the last lengths to the finish line
and
his hometrack where he was training. His jockey Rodrigo was trying to push
him on with each crack of the whip against Opal's shoulder. But the
stallion
could not push himself any more, his legs would not go faster , would not
stretch, they hurt. It was a always a relief when he came down to the
finish
line, because he knew they would take away the saddle, the bridle, the
crop
and Rodrigo. Opal had nothing against him but he didn't like the small
jockey with gnarled hands and a sunburnt face, to get on him and slap him
lightly with the crop. It was always the same. To much the same.
Opal flicked him ears to the murmuring of his trainer by the fence as he
was
cooled down. He never understood but he knew it was always about him. The
frown creased into the forehead of Mr.Yopt, his trainer, the upside down
grin on Rodrigo's face. He knew so well that he was disappointing them,
but
he couldn't go any faster, never would he be able to.
Poor Mr. Yopt. It was his first race-horse, with decent blood-lines, some
of
Northern Dancer, Secretariat, a little of everything and the 2 year old
colt, could not run. He had invested a fair amount of money in this horse,
and now his training career, his jockey's promised career and all their
money would disappear unless, he could sell him, for a Big Price, to some
rich Show-Jumper with already a stable full of horses.
-"Rodrigo, we are going to sell this horse" he said pensively then "At
the
Kentucky Auction of the Year, in 10 days"
-"Sell him?" Rodrigo looked up "Nobody would want him as a race-horse"
-"Rodrigo, look, we can sell him to some rich Show-Jumper" said Mr.Yopt
"Well, probably get good money for him"
-"Mr. Yopt, to be sincere" reasoned Rodrigo "He has RACING blood-lines, no
hot-shot Show-Jumper or Dressage rider will want him, he has traces of a
runner"
Mr.Yopt looked mad for a sec. But then smiled. It'll work out he thought
to
himself.
Opal was let out in the pasture after his groom Marie had taken care of
him.
Maris had grown extremely attached to the nice colt and was really sad to
hear that he had to leave. She had hugged the little colt and wept. Opal
had
nicker in reply and had been extra nice to her that day. Opal looked at
the
green grass, and snatched at it. His favorite part of the day was the
pasture where he could run wherever he wanted and could jump the big
fallen
logs. Rodrigo always left before Opal was left in the pasture. But today
Rodrigo walked to the pasture and stared at Opal, his magnificent muscles
gleamed under his beautiful chestnut coat. And suddenly Opal picked up
speed
and cantered towards the 4' log. He cleared it with feet to spare. At
that's
when Rodrigo new, tears in his eyes all would be fine.
Chapter 2: The Kentucky Auction of the Year
Ten days later, Opal was bathed, brushed, pampered until he was
beautiful. He glowed in the dark, his fiery chestnut coat gleamed over all
those muscles. He was loaded into the trailer and Rodrigo and Mr.Yopt
drove
to the Kentucky Auction.
When they got there, they loaded Opal into one of the make-shift
stalls,
gave him a little bit of hay and waited for the auction to start.
In the stands, Katherine Coleman was seated. She was browsing through
the
auction pamphlet. And one ad caught her eye.
Name: Opal's Fire
Age: 2 year old
Gender: Colt
Breed: Thoroughbred
Training: Racing
Notes: short racing career. too slow to run, but great stamina. loves to
jump logs out in pasture. sweet, would be great as stud.
Price: 20,000$
Katherine looked twice at the price and blinked. She thought over it, and
then quickly left the stand telling her mother to wait there. She had that
much money, her parents, where willing to spend that, on a really good
horse, she could always resell him later. She went to the designated stall
and peeped in the pretty horse, Opal, was eating hay, he had nice
shoulder,
and long legs. He looked up at her and nickered. Everything clicked.
The horn blared, and Katherine ran to her seat. The auctioneer presented
himself then the auction started. First came a couple of 3 year olds. A
good
show horse. A nice trail horse. At then Opal's Fire entered. The crowed
seemed to like him but few of them had the money to start of the
auctioning
at such a high price. Except for Katherine and Mr.Tran, a top shot owner
of
a really big show-jumping barn. He immediately liked the look of the
pretty
colt and decided he too wanted him. Katherine had a big limit of 30,000$
so
she was sure she would get him. But she didn't know that that, might not
be
true. The bidding started. She put 15,000$ he put 20,000$. She put
25,000$,
he put 30,000$. Katherine did one more stretch with 35,000$, but he beat
it
with 50,000$ to make a glamourous ending. Rodrigo hidden in the crowd
frowned. he wanted his little colt to go to the girl, she could care for
him
with every little bit of attention she had. And the man who bought him had
enough on his hands he didn't like it at all.
To be continued...
____________________________________________________________________
EQUINE POETS by Sally
This is a new column called, well, Equine Poets. Each issue there will be
a
few quotes and sometimes a poem or two. I know I promised Susan at least
one
poem each issue, but you don't know how hard it is to find poems about
horses! I'll keep looking though. Anyway, here's today's quotes:
1 It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to
fall.
- Mexican Proverb
2 A lovely horse is always an experience . . . It is an emotional
experience of the kind that is spoiled by words
- Beryl Markham
3 A Hibernian sage once wrote that there are three things a man never
forgets- the girl of his early youth, a devoted teacher, and a great
horse.
- C.J.J. Mullen
4 Horse, thou art truly a creature without equal, for thou fliest
without wings and conquerest without sword.
- The Muslim Koran
That's all for today! If you have anything you haven't seen on here that
you would like to see, just e'mail them to me at horselover_71@hotmail.com
(especially if they're poems! *grin*). Thanks!
___________________________________________________________________________
TELL US ABOUT YOURS
This a section where you can tell us about your own horse, or the horse
you ride.Send it in to Susan at thehorse@hotpop.com and I’ll put it in the
newsletter. We love to hear from you! If you like you can also submit your
horse’s photo to Horse Mania’s online gallery of readers’ horses at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/gallery.html
“Name: Nellie
Show Name: Deadly Sins
Breed:Clydsdale
Age: 7
Nellie is a lovely bay Clydsdale who lives in Katherine only cause I live
in
Arnhemland and it is not safe to have her. I bought her from Orange in NSW
in
September 1999 she was only a paddock horse at the time. With alot of work
from myself and my friends I broke her in using the Monty Roberts method
which
worked wonders. She has 2 back white socks and 2 black front ones with a
full
set of feathers on all four feet, a salt and pepper tail, she stands at
15.3hh
and still growing and has put on heaps of weight in the last few months. If
you would like to hear more about here please contact me on
moniy69@usa.net”
-moniy69@usa.net
“Hi my name is chrissy cooper and my horse is Sassy Surprise an
appaloosa and I've owned for her 5 years and last year we won a
championship in are home town.This year we are working hard and doing
good to so far. When I started showing sassy everyone laughed at her
cause she had no tail but now no one is laughing cause she is seriously
is winning over some of the best ones. I show her at the NBHA this year
and won 2nd in 3rd division out of 73 riders and I love this no tail
mare. Thought I'd share my story with ya'll and tell you that even if
you get laughed at never quit. P.s She grown a little tail now”
-chrissy cooper
"Horse: Hollieanda (aka:Hollie )
Color: Bay three white socks
Breed: pure thoroughbred
Gender: Mare
Age: 13
Height: 15hh
She is a good horse. Her first foal got weaned 1 month and 1 week ago. I'm
getting her fit for show time. She throws little fits sometimes and has
reared once and I fell off. She had been acting weird the day before so we
guess it is the building across the street she didn't like. I love her so
much and I've only had her two weeks.”
-Kimberley
___________________________________________________________________________
WEBSITES
To have your horse website listed here, just email the title and address
to Susan at thehorse@hotpop.com
Kicking Horse Sim Game
http://www.homestead.com/kickinghorsepage/simgame.html
SportPferd
http://SportPferd.cjb.net
Ho’s Ponderosa
http://hponderosa.com/
Tek Marciniak's Sensory Horse Training Clinics
http://www.equinebiz.com/SensoryHorseTraining/
___________________________________________________________________________
HORSE POLLS
Every month there is a feature poll, which is featured on the main page,
at http://horsemania.cjb.net
Past polls are displayed at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/polls.html
Current Results
*AUGUST feature poll of the month*
Do you wear a helmet when riding?
answer - (number of votes) - percentage
Always................ (85) 70%
Most of the time...... (8) 6%
Sometimes............ (10) 8%
Never.................. (18) 14%
Total Votes: 121
There will be a new feature poll on the main page from the 1st September.
___________________________________________________________________________
PEN PALS
Here is the Pen Pal section for adults and kids. The penpal section is
online at the Horse Mania Website, with the newest ads being posted in an
issue of Horse Mania as well. If you would like to place an ad, please
visit https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/penpals.html For the complete
list of pen pal ads, go to
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/penlist.html
Most recent ads:
Name = Kristi
Email = Hlovinbrlracer@aol.com
Age = 15
Gender = female
Location = California
Hobbies = Barrel racing, volley ball, and tennis
Likes = I love my Quarter Horse!
Comments = I would love to have a penpal around the same age who loves
horses also.
Name = Bonnie
Email = Elmo_10_00@yahoo.com.au
Age = 10 1/2
Gender = female
Location = Australia
Hobbies = horse riding, soccer, sprinting
Likes = horses(palomino arab), riding, blue, music,
Dislikes = cats,pink, girly people(no offense),snobs
Comments = Hi, I would really love to have a pen pal thats loves horses as
much as me and that love showjumping. I havent
got a horse but love them anyway! please be my pen pal!
bbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee
Name = Caitlin
Email = Lolipops08@AOL.com
Age = 14
Gender = Female
Location = New Jersey
Hobbies = Horses, horseback riding, animals
Dislikes = people with bad typing skills
Name = pipsquack
Email = bird@pipsquack.net
Age = 25
Gender = male
Location = marietta,Ga
Hobbies = many
Likes = MP3's,my son,& relaxing
Dislikes = phones,crowds,mean people
Comments = I hope to make new friends.I don't get out often so this might
help.
Name = Rachel
Email = rachel.cawley@ic24.net
Age = 12
Gender = Female
Location = U.K.
Hobbies = Horses Horse and more Horses!
Likes = Horses and EVERYTHING to do with them
Dislikes = Football ,Hunt Saboteurs, classical music.
Comments = Write to me if you are 101% horse mad and you agree to talk
about nothing other than horses! I am a member of the pony club and have
my own pony called Penny. She is a 14hh thoroughbred cross. My favourite
horsey sports are Showjumping and Eventing. I am seriously against horse
abuse and raise money for horse charities.
Name = marianne pace
Email = nike160@hotmail.com
Age = 16
Gender = female
Location = nova scotia, canada
Hobbies = horse riding, soccer, and hanging with my friends
Likes = whatever
Dislikes = i dotn know
Comments = hey, sup? well im just looking for someone to talk to my age
that likes horses and stuff whether your male or female , it doesnt
matter. so i hope to hear from you real soon!:)
Name = Crystal
Email = bryce.ballingall@sympatico.ca
Age = 14
Gender = female
Location = Ontario, Canada
Hobbies = Riding,Baseball
Likes = All Animal's
Name = Julie Ingram
Email = student@pentlandss.qld.edu.au
Age = 13
Gender = girl
Location = Pentland
Hobbies = horse riding
Likes = horses
Dislikes = hunters killing horses
Comments = I love horses
Name = Memphis Tacouri
Email = southbend2000_2000@yahoo.com
Age = 16
Gender = female
Location = usa
Hobbies = reading, horse riding, dog 4-H
Likes = horses and other animals
Dislikes = rude people
Comments = I really like talking about horses, and I love the Saddle Club.
Please talk with me!!!!!!!!!!!
Name = Felix Hansen
Email = felixoscar@optusnet.com.au
Age = 26
Gender = Female
Location = Australia
Hobbies = Horses, Cats, Hot Cars & writing letters
Likes = Happy people
Dislikes = Rude people
Comments = I would like to hear from anyone who loves to write letters, as
I am after penfiends from all over the world.
Name = Alana
Email = horsegirl21@horsemail.com
Age = 13
Gender = Female
Location = Australia
Hobbies = Horse Riding!
Likes = Horses
Dislikes = Cruelty to horses
Comments = I'm currently leasing a 14.1hh Welsh B, dark bay, 6yo mare
called Owendale Fasination or known as Bonnie around the stable. I LOVE
horses, and one day I'd like to work with them. I ride English and have
been riding for 4 years. please write to me, I promise to reply.
Name = Jenn
Email = jeer@juno.com
Age = 13
Gender = Female
Location = CA
Hobbies = Horseback riding, horses, music
Likes = Music, horses, riding...
Dislikes = Smoking, animal abuse, rap music
Comments = Hi! My name is Jenn and I'm 13 and positively horse crazy!!!!!
I lease a Welsh pony/QH and he's really sweet and I love him to death. I
ride mostly hunter/jumper and some cross country. Uh... I'd like to chat
with someone between the ages of 12 and 16, guy or girl. Well that's about
it! Write me! Love ya, Jenn
___________________________________________________________________________
NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
Horse Mania is a free email newsletter that is sent out twice a month
(every other week).
WEBSITE:
http://horsemania.cjb.net
QUESTIONS:
Any questions, comments, suggestions, or feedback can be emailed to Susan
at thehorse@hotpop.com
ARCHIVES:
Missed an issue? Want to see a back issue? Remember that all Horse Mania
issues are archived at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/archives.html
CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
If you have changed your email address and would like to receive the
newsletter at your new one, just fill out the form at
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CONTRIBUTIONS:
Any horse related contributions to the newsletter such as stories, poems,
or articles are always welcome. Please send them to Susan at
thehorse@hotpop.com to be included in the next issue of Horse Mania.
WANT TO WRITE A REGULAR COLUMN?
Read the writing guidelines at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/guide.html and then email your idea
for a column to Susan at thehorse@hotpop.com As long as no one else is
already doing it, it’ll probably be okay!
Horse Mania- the free online email newsletter
http://horsemania.cjb.net
___________________________________________________________________________
End of Horse Mania Newsletter #28
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