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Horse Mania Newsletter #29
September 16th 2000
Subscriber Count: 1,164
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The NEXT deadline for ALL article writers and things submitted to the
newsletter is
September 26th. Please let me know if you cannot meet this deadline for
some reason.
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Hey everyone!
Welcome to issue number 29, out at last! Well, the Sydney 2000 Olympic
Games opened yesterday and my eyes will be fixed on the equestrian events
for the next two weeks! I don’t know about the coverage overseas readers
are getting, but here in Australia Channel 7 has already showed some
snippets of Dressage from Day 1, so maybe that’s a good sign that
equestrian events will get fair coverage this time! Let’s hope so! The
Olympics will nearly be over by the time the next issue of Horse Mania is
out, so I hope everyone enjoys watching them!
Our new horse book review on the website is of “Shy Boy”, the book by
Monty Roberts about his experiences taming a wild mustang using his gentle
methods. To read my review of it and have your say if you want, visit
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/shyboy.html All of those reviews
will be printed in the next issue of Horse Mania.
Also, Congratulations to all the winners of a Horse Mania Excellent
Webpage Award in August! They are all listed in this issue. As usual I
have several award applications stacked up because I haven’t had the time
to get to them yet but I promise you I’ll get to them eventually!
Susan
(thehorse@hotpop.com)
http://horsemania.cjb.net
'\__~ '\__~ '\__~
\ \ / \ / / cantering
In this Issue:
-Wanted
-Manes & Tails
-Archer’s Corner
-Reviews: Pony Pals
-Horse Evolution
-Horse Behavior
-Horse Care
-Breeds in Focus
-Horse Story 1 (part 4)
-Horse Story 2 (part 2)
-Tell Us About Yours
-Horse Website Reviews
-Websites
-Computer Game Review
-Award Winners
-Horse Polls
-Pen Pals
-Newsletter Information
___________________________________________________________________________
WANTED
I’ve got an opening for someone to take over a regular column! Here is the
description:
Horse Trivia- Every issue you create about 6 to 10 multiple choice trivia
questions on any aspects of horses. Readers will send you their answers if
they like, and you will print the names and scores of the highest scorers
in your next column, along with new questions and the answers to last
issue’s questions.
Please be aware that this is a regular column so you must be able to get
in your column every other week. If you haven’t already, you might like to
read the writing guidelines at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/guide.html before applying.
If your interested in taking over this column, please email Susan at
thehorse@hotpop.com with your name, email address and tell me all about
why you’d like to do this column and why you’d be good at it.
I’m looking for someone who will be punctual and meet all deadlines and
who will enjoy creating the questions!
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MANES AND TAILS by Jamie
Hello, fellow horselovers! Continuing in the
series on HORSES FROM HISTORY, here are the stories
of a prince's horse, and the fabled horse of the
Spanish explorer, Cortez. These tales are condensed
from the book, "Famous Horses and Their People" by
Edna Evans.
Prince Marko was the oldest son of a King of
Serbia, in what was formerly the country of
Yugoslavia.
He and his piebald horse, Sharatz, fought the enemies
of Serbia, the Turks, and also helped when the Serbs
were having civil wars. Their great deeds took place
in the 14th century.
One of the stories about how Prince Marko
acquired his horse was that it was given to him by a
fairy queen, who told the prince that the horse was
swift and brave, and would faithfully carry him on all
his adventures.
Some stories of their adventures were the stuff
of legend or fairy tales, and had them facing dragons,
monsters, spirits and fairies. Prince Marko also had
advnetures with other men.
The piebald horse, Sharatz, was a smart,
well-trained animal. People said the prince could
talk with his horse, and that they drank red wine
together from a gold bowl.
In battles, Sharatz knew just when to kneel down
so that the enemies lances would pass over the
prince's shoulder and not harm him. Sharatz also knew
when to rear and strike out at an enemy warhorse.
Stories said that when the horse was angry, blue
flames came from his nostrils, and sparks flew when
his hooves hit the ground. Both horse and rider
fought fiercely in battle. When not fighting, and
just traveling alone, Prince Marko could go to sleep
in the saddle, knowing that Sharatz would stamp his
feet to warn of danger.
Sharatz never allowed anyone else on his back, and
Prince Marko never rode any other horse.
Although history says Prince Marko was killed in
a battle with the Turks in 1399, a Serbian legend says
otherwise. But just before Prince Marko died, Sharatz
knew of his master's fate and wept actual tears.
The legend says that Prince Marko never died, and
that he is at his mountain castle in the former
Yugoslavia, waiting and drinking his red wine. His
sword was thrust into a rock, and his war club thrown
into the ocean. Sharatz waits in his rocky stall in
the castle's stable. About once a century, Prince
Marko looks out at the rock where he stuck his sword,
and it is said when he sees the sword rise from the
rock and stand on its point, he will know it is time
to mount Sharatz and ride out again, to restore the
empire of Serbia.
Hernando Cortez had a spirited black stallion
whom he called "El Morzillo," "the black one." He
was the Spanish explorer who conquered the empire of
the Aztec Indians in Mexico. This was in 1519. When
the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they brought horses
with them, and the Aztecs had never seen horses
before, much less a man on horseback, and they
thought man and horse were monsters, and ran in terror
from them, especially when they saw a man fall from
his horse.
Even though there were far fewer horses than men
in Cortez's army, the Spaniards immediately realized
the importance of the horses in this new world, and
wrote that "After God, we owe our victory to the
horses." They did not keep records of the men in the
army, but detailed records were kept on each horse as
to its color, markings, personality, and owner. El
Morzillo served Cortez long and faithfully.
But it was still not easy to conquer the Aztecs.
When their chief Montezuma was captured, they still
would not admit defeat and chose a new leader,
attacking the Spaniards so fiercely that Cortez and
his men had to retreat. The Aztecs destroyed a bridge
to keep the Spaniards from escaping, but El Morzillo
made a magnificent jump across the ruins of the
bridge, saving Cortez's life.
Cortez and his men did not give up. They came
back to Mexico City with a new, larger army and
finally conquered the Aztecs.
Later, looking for new places to conquer, Cortez
decided to go to what is now Belize in Central
America.
So he started out on El Morzillo through mountains and
jungles. Within a few days, travel became difficult,
but they pushed on. They had to cross a large swamp
where the horses sank to their bellies in mud, and it
was a hard struggle for the men to save them. They
were all exhausted when they finally reached the other
side.
After many months, they reached what is now
Guatemala, where they met the Mayans, who invited the
Spaniards to visit their island. They had to cross a
lake and put two of the Mayans' canoes together to get
El Morzillo across, with his front legs in one boat,
and his hind legs in another. But on the way, the
great stallion managed to get a splinter in his hoof,
and was going lame when Cortez rode him into the city.
This was their last ride together.
The Spaniards were fed and entertained, but when
it came time to leave, Cortez had to leave his
faithful warhorse behind due to his lameness. A hard
decision, but there was nothing else he could do. The
Mayan chieftain promised to take care of him. Cortez
no doubt planned to return at some point to reclaim
his horse, but circumstances prevented his doing so.
Now, of course the Indian chief knew nothing
about caring for horses, much less a lame one. But he
knew how to treat a god, and as the Mayans had never
seen horses either before Cortez came, El Morzillo was
worshipped as a god by them. He was led to a temple
with flowers around his neck and given the finest
Mayan foods, including roasted chickens, corn meal
cakes, and fruits. Beautiful Indian maidens danced
for him. In a short time, the black stallion became
known as Tziminchac (don't ask how to say it-who
knows?), the Mayan god of thunder and lightning.
How long the horse lived is not known, but
certainly he must have missed his master. When he
died, the Mayans carved a stone statue of him with him
seated on his hindquarters--they weren't skilled
enough to show him standing on all four feet. He was
still worshipped.
A hundred years later, another Spanish expedition
came to the same area. The fame of EL Morzillo had
lived on in Spanish records. But there were two
Franciscan priests with this expedition who sought to
convert the Mayans from their "heathen" ways. When
they came to the temple where the statue of El
Morzillo stood, one of the priests grabbed a stone and
pounded the statue to pieces.
The town of Remedios now stands where the temple
of the horse god once was. People who sail on the
lake in the area say that on clear, moonless nights,
you can, still see Tzminichac (the horse god) deep
down in the lake's waters, waiting for his master to
come claim him.
Hope you enjoyed these stories. Next issue, the
story of the Morgan horse and emperor Napoleon's white
horses.
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ARCHER’S CORNER by Archer
Hey there!!!!!
I’m sick and in bed at this moment, if that wasn’t enough I also missed
going to my farm last weekend cuz of the flu and I had to study.
I needed some ideas for this issues column and looking at my book and mag
shelves, I found this book I read some time back. I really enjoyed it at
the time and found it fascinating. So I said to myself, why not share it
with Horse Mania?. And here I am.
“La pasión por lo caballos, la eterna historia de amor hombre caballo”
That was weird!!! It’s just that I have the book in Spanish and that’s
the title, but I know that it’s also in English and it’s called “Wild
about horses. Our timeless passion for the horse” by Lawrence Scanlan.
More than any other creature, the graceful and spirited horse has
conformed the human history. Galloping on his back, even if it’s just
once, lets us understand why human beings have been boned to this
creature for more than 6000 years!! With creativeness and keenness,
“Wild about horses” sends us in a vivid world of black and chestnuts, of
purebreds and mustangs, of grace and speed which is all breath taking. The
horse made far off cities very near, he changed the nature of hunting, the
strategies of war and the essence of life in the country. He also became
our close companion for the different sports that he has created -
racing, rodeos, jumping, polo, dressage, raid etc All of this cuz of the
old bond that still excites us.
Boasting about his qualified opinion and about his own experience on the
saddle (he drove cattle in Alberta, Canada; he observed wild mustangs in
Wyoming) Lawrence Scanlan explores what’s really in the heart of this
mature attraction for horses, which today has gained popularity. He shows
us our interest in observing them, to mount them and to even read books
that have them as their main plots and he reflects a deep feeling for all
animals and of course for the Mother earth. In this time of machines and
unsteadiness, the author perceives a desire of a much simpler life, a one
in which we would depend so much on the horse but at the same time a less
complicated way of life.
Beyond the horse we find mythology, history and science. Scanlan presents
us with tales some sad, other surprising of famous horses which
deserved to be known by the entire world. He presents us with excellent
jockeys, modern and old trainers, starting with Jenofonte the ancient
Greek trainer of 400bc till Monty Roberts the fascinating modern trainer
that understands perfectly the horse language.
Reflexive, lyric, with lots of facts and lavishly illustrated, “Wild about
horses” lights up and describes the powerful and mystic bond that is
created between Equines and man. Finally there is a book that gives sense
to the fever for the horse, that adolescents and adults say they have.
All of these people are very far of losing what a poet calls the
magnificent and fair obsession.
Read it!!!
-Archer
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REVIEWS: PONY PALS
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.
The last review was of PONY PALS, the series for young horselovers.
============
Pony Pals
Author: Jeanne Betancourt
Pony Pals are a series of horse books aimed at young readers. Each book
tells a story centered around the three main characters and their ponies:
Anna & Acorn, Pam & Lightning, and Lulu & Snow White. These three girls
are close friends and have named themselves "The Pony Pals". Usually in
each book they have some sort of problem to overcome, which they manage to
achieve in the end by working together. The storylines are fairly simple
and familiar, and pretty much stick to the usual formula seen in most
series of horse books for kids. However, the horse content is very high
which is a plus for real horse fanatics and will keep some interest there.
Given that the target audience for this series is probably under-10s it is
slightly difficult for me to give it a fair review. Pony Pals are suitable
for the age they are aimed at, but are nothing particularly outstanding
and are extremely predictable. However, I do recommend them for young
horselovers at this reading level as they are a relaxing and pleasant read
and definitely "horsey"! Add an extra "horseshoe" to the rating if you're
under ten.
Rating: 2
============
YOUR REVIEWS:
Email: kmzabik@aol.com
Rating: 5
Comments: I have to read several books of Pony Pals, very good. I love
reading
Name: Amster
Email: pbudgeon@selcon.com.au
Rating: 3
Comments:They're all right but you quickly grow out of them and they're
not realistic
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NEXT REVIEW.....
On the website our new review is of SHY BOY, the second book by the “horse
whisperer”, Monty Roberts. To read the review and have your opinion
heard, visit https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/shyboy.html
The reviews will be printed in the next issue of Horse Mania.
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HORSE EVOLUTION by Caitlin
Hey! If you read my column last newsletter, you know alot about
Hyracotherium, or Eohippus. Here is the next step in horse evolution.
~Changes
The earth was really beginning to change. The earth's climate changed, as
did the vegetation. Some parts of the earth became cool and dry. Grasses
and plains evolved. While the world was changing, the creatures on it
were
too. Horses were changing also. They had longer legs and could run
faster.
The number of toes on each foot was reduced from four to three. There
were
two groups of three-toed horses: the browsers, who ate leaves, and the
grazers, who thrived on grasses. Although browsers appeared first, they
became extinct 11 million years ago. The grazers appeared 10 to 15
million
years ago. They were larger, longer-legged, and more efficient feeders
than
browsers were.
The horses were in for some big changes. What would happen? Find out in
the
next newsletter!!
Feel free to e-mail me at Caiterbug10@aol.com with your questions,
comments,
or anything else!
~Caitlin
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HORSE BEHAVIOR by Caitlin
~*~This newsletter: Pulling Back
I hope you found my last column interesting and useful. Here is our next
vice!
Although pulling back may not seem like much of a big deal, it can create
terrible problems for horse owners. This condition, untreated and
overlooked
can become so bad that a horse must be held by hand whenever it must be
secured. Occasional pulling is not a big deal, but if your horse does
this
all the time, or throws his whole weight into pulling back, then you have
a
problem that needs to be delt with soon. To prevent this vice in the
first
place, try the following:
1. Make sure your horse is tied on something secure, such as cross-ties
or a
hitching post.
2. Make sure you do not approach your horse quickly or suddenly when
tied.
When he is tied, don't approach him from the front, if this is possible.
To
horses, that is a threat. Don't all of a sudden walk up with a strange
object. In other words, try not to scare your horse or do something that
would make him pull back when he is tied.
3. If you must apply fly spray or water to a horse's face, try to put it
on
a cloth and rub it on their face. The spray will defiantly frighten them.
4. When the horse is tied, give him at least a foot or two of slack. If
the
rope is short, he will get annoyed at having to refrain his movements.
If your horse pulls, here are a couple things you can try to help.
1. When the horse starts pulling, go around back (well out of kicking
range)
and tap him on the rump or push.
2. Use a lead line with a stud chain. Make sure that you have the stud
chain go under the horse's chin, not over his nose.
Well, I hope I helped! As always, feel free to e-mail me at
Caiterbug10@aol.com with questions or comments!
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HORSE CARE by Liz
Grooming tips part 2
11. Don't clean your horse's mane on the same day you
must braid it. Clean hair is very slippery and can be
difficult to braid.
12. Cut up a towel into smaller pieces or buy lots of
washcloths. They come in handy when you are cleaning
around the eyes and applying fly spray. But you
should wash them regularly.
13. If it's nippy outside, and you can't give your
horse a proper bath,apply waterless shampoo or stain
remover to dirty spots.
14. Use human hair gel on your horse's dampened mane
when you braid it. it makes the hair stick together and
makes it easier to reads.
15. If you've got a gray horse, you know how hard
it is to keep their coat clean. Use one of the
specially formulated shampoos for light coated horses.
16. When it is cold, groom your horse as best you
can. Then, fill a bucket up with warm, steamy water.
Dip a washcloth in the water, wring it out and rub
you horse with it to remove even more layers of dirt.
17. Clean out your grooming kit every month When your
brushes and cobs in a bucket of shampoo suds. Rinse
them off in clean water and let them dry. Clean brushes
make grooming easier.
18. when picking out the hoof, always work from the
heel o the toe. Take special care to remove the dirt
in the v- shaped groove around the rubbery frog.
19. stand your horse on concrete or a piece of wood
when applying hoof oil so dirt does not get on the
hoof.
20. If you are in a rush to ride and don't have time
to groom your horse properly, make sure you brush off
the areas that will be touched by the tack.If there is
dirt where the horse's tack touches, it will rub and
cause sores. Also, if your horse wears boots, brush
that area off before putting the boots on.
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BREEDS IN FOCUS by Jacqui
HANOVERIAN
Origin: The Hanoverian breed was founded in 1735 at a stud farm in Celle,
established by George II, the King of England. The object was to create a
nucleus of strong stallions that, when bred with the local heavy mares,
would produce all-purpose agricultural horses. Initially, Celle started
with 14 black Holsteins, powerful coach horses. Then, the Thoroughbred
was
introduced. The result was a lighter, better quality horse that could be
used in harness, a cavalry mount, as well as for general farm work. By
1924
the stallion population at Celle was 500. After the World War II, the
policy was to create a riding competition horse. So they added Trakehners
to reinforce the Hanoverians so they were not to become too light.
Temperament: The Hanoverian is bred very carefully to maintain it's
equable
and willing character, and for their reliability.
Color: Every sort of solid color is found on the Hanoverian, and none of
them are predominant.
Height: The average height of this breed is between 15.3 to 16.2 hands
high.
Conformation: The modern Hanoverian has a light, medium sized head, which
is clean cut and expressive, with a large, lively eye. This is opposed to
the old type Hanoverian which had a heavy, coarse head. The neck is long
and
fine, and runs into large, sloping shoulders and particularly pronounced
withers. A medium sized and strong back, meets with powerful loins made
for
jumping. The body structure is one of great strength, but not speed, with
a
nice depth to the girth. The hindquarters are especially muscular with
the
occasional flattening of the croup. The tail is well set on the quarters,
but sometimes appears to be set noticeably high. The Hanoverian has
powerful, symmetrical limbs with large, well pronounced joints, and short
cannons. The tendency of poor hooves has been greatly eliminated, so that
now the breed is expected to have hard, well-formed hooves.
Action: This breed's action is impressive. It is straight and true, very
energetic, and a particular elasticity, great for dressage. There is
little
or no knee action, and the stride is long.
Brand Mark: This breeds branding mark is a curving H with the rough
outline
of a horses head on the top of each outward line. These heads point out.
This breed is the most successful of the European warmbloods, so if
you're interested in show jumping or dressage, this is a breed worth
looking
into!!
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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, #26, #28 at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/archives.html
“The Runaway” (PART 4)
When Jayde woke up in the morning, she couldn’t figure out what had gotten
her so worried. Then she remembered. Duke still might be on the loose.
She flung back the covers and sprang out of bed. She had to find. Pulling
on her dressing gown, she fled down the stairs.
Her mother looked up at she entered the kitchen. "Do you want muesli?"
Jayde shook her head. "No, I have to get to Glenda’s."
"It’s raining outside," Mum said mildly. "You’re not going out in that
weather, specially since you developed a cough yesterday."
"But I have to"
Mum motioned to the telephone.
"All right," Jayde sighed. She pulled out a stool and sat down. Seizing
the receiver and glaring at her mother, she pressed Glenda’s speed dial on
the telephone pad.
The number was dialed and the phone rang out sharply. After three rings
someone picked it up. "Hello," the voice said.
Jayde jumped to attention. "Glenda? Did you find Duke?"
There was a pause, then Glenda sighed. "No."
"That’s horrible!" Jayde cried. Inside, she felt awful. She had lost
Glenda’s best horse!
There was an awful silence as Glenda bit her lip and snapped her fingers.
"We’re going to ride to the pines," she said at last, her voice steady.
"Do you want to come?"
"Sure," Jayde said quickly. "When are you going?"
"I want to leave at nine o clock."
"I’ll be there, no worries."
*
Almost an hour later, Jayde was running down the road to Glenda’s,
wearing her boots and jeans with her helmet under her arm. Normally she
would have been elated at the chance to ride on a Sunday, but for now, she
was just worried. Duke could be anywhere by now!
Without a glance at the empty paddock, she stepped into the yard. Aleesha
was already there, a saddle slung over her arm.
She stopped abruptly. "Jayde!"
"What can I do?" Jayde had already approached Honey, a high-spirited
palomino tethered to the post.
"Here," Aleesha said, offering her the saddle. "Put that on Honey and I’ll
get her bridle."
Several minutes later, when Honey was fully tacked up, Glenda came into
the yard.
"Oh, hello," she said. She looked exhausted.
"Hi," Jayde said quietly. She stroked Honey’s mane and looked up.
"Tack up Stallone and Lowkey," Glenda said, almost grimly. She faced Jayde
with a worn-out expression. "Then we’ll be off."
Ten minutes later Jayde mounted Stallone, a stocky skewbald gelding, and
trotted up to Aleesha and Lowkey, a grey.
"Are you ready?" she muttered. Aleesha nodded.
As they trotted off, Glenda led the way on Honey. She made it clear that
this was no pleasure ride. She was stiff and rigid, gripping the reins
tightly. Even the palomino noticed, and she didn’t play up the way she
usually did.
After crossing the busy streets and fresh green pastures, the procession
of horses made it to the Pine Forest. Then Lowkey took the lead as they
continued down the trail. Jayde kept a very tight rein while she looked
around for Duke, praying that he would appear.
Once in a while the riders would stop their horses and call out Duke’s
name several times. Every time Jayde hoped to hear an answering whinny,
but there was none, only the whickers of their own horses.
After an hour in the forest, Glenda was almost ready to give up. They had
searched every trail, every path in the forest. Where else could Duke be?
"I’m sorry, girls," she said at last. "We’re going to head back now."
"NO!" both girls cried at once.
"We can’t give up," Aleesha said desperately. "Maybe there’s some place
we haven’t looked &"
But Glenda shook her head. "Obviously, Duke is not in the forest."
On the trail ahead of them, something caught Jayde’s attention. It was a
flicking black rope. She edged Stallone closer, not daring to breathe.
There was the clatter of hooves. Stallone tensed, whirled round and
whinnied. Jayde gripped the pommel for dear life, then gave a cry. A bay
gelding was standing right in front of her.
To be continued...
___________________________________________________________________________
HORSE STORY 2: “Opal, A Climb to a Celebrity” by Northern Dancer
This is a continuing story, here is the second part and it will continue
in future issues of Horse Mania. If you missed previous parts, you can
read them all in the archives starting with issue #28, at
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/archives.html
“Opal, A Climb to a Celebrity” (PART TWO)
Chapter 3: Fading Away:
Opal was astound. First he was brought into this great crowd and trotted
all
around by a unfamiliar person. He stayed calm, for he had always been
taught
to be like this and when the final hard slam of hammer had went, Opal
sensed
a drastic change in his life. One hour later, waiting in his stall, Opal
was
led to a big blue trailer, the inside was dark and unfamiliar. New sites
and
smells surrounded him. A horse neighed from the gloomy depths inside, and
Opal started wondering what was happening.
Outside the trailer, Katherine had run up to the man and had begged him to
sell him to her. But he would not for that would be a substantial bite of
his income. He had bought the horse for a fair amount of money and was
going
to leave with it. But he saw the sadness in the girl's eyes, and gave him
his card, telling her to drop by one of these days. Katherine registered
this the wrong way, and thought the man was telling her to stay out of his
way and to get lost. She ran to her mom's car and they drove away.
Opal was led out of the stuffy trailer three hours later. A groom came to
receive him and lead him in. But Opal stood his ground and smelt the air,
a
soft breeze swam around him, and farther away he could smell some mares
and
other horses. The groom tugged again on the line and Opal followed him
into
the airy barn. Followed by the man and the other gelding he bought. Opal
was
fed and watered, and he stood waiting there taking in the new smells and
sounds.
He sensed a great change in his life. Lots of new horses and new people.
There was nobody fussing over him, only a couple of interested young
riders
came to peek at him, but stayed far from his box door to touch him. There
was no racing track, and no loud voices down the barn aisle, there was a
big
window in the back of his stall with a sea-threw glass. He rather enjoyed
it. But an hour later, nobody had come to look at him again, horses where
being led out to the ring by some other riders, but nobody came to say hi
to
him. He missed Rodrigo and Mr.Yopt, now he realized how much they meant to
him.
Dusk was falling, when the older man stepped into his stall bravely, and
approached him, murmuring low words, the inquisitive colt walked over to
him
and nudged him for attention, the man patted him and gave him some pellets
and hay. "Tomorrow, boy, Tomorrow, will be your big day" he murmured to
the
colt. Opal watched him disappear and decided he wasn't so bad after all.
In the morning feed was delivered to his stalls by another unfamiliar
groom,
who patted him and said hello. He ate and peace and exactly two hours
later,
a women, slipped a halter over his head. He didn't like the look of her at
all, she seemed so cold, and unpleasant with him already. She carried in
her
hand a large whip and a long lunge line, Opal had been lunged before but
needed absolutely no urging, he was willing and listened to voice
commands,
very well. So what was this for?
He was taken out to the ring, and the bridle was slipped on his head. And
the some side reins where attached from the bridle to the weird girth that
went all around his waist he wondered what all this was for. When the lady
demanded for him to walk, he wasn't able to, , the side reins kept his
head
in a certain place, that a race-horse would thing outrageous how could he
move freely with this on. But when the lash of a whip came down strong on
his hindquarters, Opal took the best way. Where was Rodrigo's soft voice?
Which urged him on slowly???
Why was the whip used on him? It was supposed to stray behind, never jump
on
him. Opal had so many unanswered questions, what was this???
Chapter 4: Bad training
The Lady kept Opal trotting around then cantering with the contraption on
his mouth. Poor Opal didn't understand what was going on. Side Reins
shouldn't of been used on him so quickly. He was a race-horse colt, and
only
2... Who would be stupid enough to do that except that awful lady. Common
sense told Opal that the person with a strong smell of scented flowers and
wearing sparkling clean leather riding boots, had become and immediate
enemy.
Suddenly, he felt the whip stop the lashing against his sore hindquarters,
and he was yanked to a stop she quickly undid the side reins and the tight
thing around his belly and then continued trotting him around without
using
the whip. But that all happened moments before the kind man came around to
have a look at him. The side reins where stashed away behind a tree.
"Hello Maguerita! How is this young horse coming along?" he asked
cheerfully
"He a beauty, I don't even need a whip on him" she said pointing out
the
whip on the ground
"Yes, yes quite true" he said "Don't use any side reins on him until
he
builds up some nicer back muscles, and get's used to keeping a nice pace
on
the lunge line"
Opal, knew that she was lying. Because the man would of been very mad if
he
had seen what was going on. The man left and the lady brought him into the
stable and left him in his stall. Without even cooling him down and
grooming
him! Poor Opal hung his head over the door, and just stared down the long
corridor. And wondered how long his life would be over here. If he would
last. A groom came an hour later, and frowned at him. Then popped in the
stall groomed the dried sweat of him and put him out in a nice cool
pasture
with the gelding from the trailer. Opal wondered what had happened to
Rodrigo and Mr.Yopt.
The next day, Marguerita came and threw on the same equipment as before,
those awful reins and that tighter then usual girth that encircled him,
was
he ever mad. But Opal was a very docile horse and didn't do a thing about
that how it continued for many days to come. Except for one day, when the
nice man came to his stall and stood watching him there in the sunlight,
which bathed his beautiful refined head. And slipped a halter over his
head,
and led him out of his stall in direction of the paddock, where he caught
the gelding and bridled him, and they set out towards the trails. The man
ponying Opal, and riding the gelding FireLance.
It was such a pleasant day, the soft breeze blowing sweetly around the
horses. The sun shone high in the sky, but the forest was dense and only
small patches of sunlight where let through. Far away one could here the
nickers of the horses and a small waterfall tumbling down some long
forgotten rocks. The man led the horses to a small brook where he let
them
loose in a pretty makeshift paddock he had created. Meanwhile he lay down
in
the sun with his feat in the lukewarm brook.
The two horses grazed for an hour, when a noise surprised all three of
them
quite suddenly. Opal and Firelance stared at the girl. And the man shook
hands with her.
"Well, here we meet again Katherine" he said "Now what are you doing
riding
around in my forest???"
"I'm very sorry, I didn't know it was your forest sir" she said "So I took
this trail" she said steeling glances at Opal
"You wanted to see the horse didn't you??" he asked
"No! Well, yes... OH! I don't know!!!!"
"Well let's strike a deal, come with me to the stable, bring your horse,
we
can tether him there, and we'll talk about a very good deal" he said "If
your up to lots of hard work and devotion"
___________________________________________________________________________
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
“Shining Star is a 5 year old, black TB gelding with a
star on his head. Duh. Star is really sweet but was
severely abused by his previous owners. a rescue found
him, took him in and fixed him up. He trusts only
women and won't let us touch his ears but he loves to
be pet. I just started riding him and we are only
doing walk trot until we know what he can do. Star is
terrified of the whip but I don't use one anyway so we
get along great. Star is turned out with only one
other pony because he was used to a lot of horses
beating him up so they could fight over a flake of
moldy, skummy hay. Star is 15.3 hands and a real
sweetheart. I can't wait until tomorrow when we are
trying trails for the first time with him!”
-PonyFly
“My horse is a four year old Tennessee Walker. Her name is Sigh. She is
Dapple Grey and is and has champions in her blood lines. She is really
gental but we still need to keep a crop with us because some times she is
really stuborn.”
-Dinolife3@aol.com
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HORSE WEBSITE REVIEWS by Casey
More Horse for Sale sites
There are a lot more horse for sale sites i've discovered since my first
issue of my column! So here they are:
http://www.therighthorse.com ***
this is actually a pretty good site, but the ads are a bit confusing
http://www.equinemarketer.com **
WHEW! a million different ads all bunched together. Only for people in
the
middle-north east
http://www.arabianhorsesales.com ***
Only about arabians, but STILL PRETTY GOOD!
http://insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb1106925 ****
Miniature Horse sales and boarding
Almost everything you could want about Miniature Horses!
___________________________________________________________________________
WEBSITES
To have your horse website listed here, just email the title and address
to Susan at thehorse@hotpop.com
Linn and Spitten’s Homepage
http://spitten.homestead.com/spitten.html
Lindsay's Horse Clipart Page-
http://jump.to/horseclipart
Silver Spring Farm- Lots of Breyerfest 2000 pics
http://members.xoom.com/sspringfarm/
Mercedez Ranch
http://www.mercedezranch.com
___________________________________________________________________________
COMPUTER GAME REVIEW by Dinolife3@aol.com
The Barbie Riding Club
The Barbie Riding Club is perfect for ages 5 and up. At the beginning you
get
your own membership card. Afterwards you get to pick from four beautiful
mares. Your choices are a dappled-grey mare, a palomino, a paint and a
white
horse. What's even better, you get to name your horse. If you want to,
you
can change and rename the horses. You also get to wash, groom and even
feed
the horse. You get to ride on trails and have races with Cristy and
Theresa. The other cool thing about this game is that it seems like your
actually riding on the horses yourself.
The object of the game is to do all the tasks and find the Hidden Valley
Secret. There even some tasks that will give you a certificate if you
complete them. At the end you'll get to see a surprise. You don't need
to be
a Barbie fan to get this cool game.
___________________________________________________________________________
AWARD WINNERS- August 2000
Congratulations to all the following websites which won a “Horse Mania
Excellent Horse Webpage” Award in August 2000! These are all excellent
sites, so you might like to take some time out to visit them. All
September winners will be listed in the issue after next.
~~*Excellent Sim Horse Game Award*~~
Horse Meadow
http://expage.com/horsemeadow
Horse Everything
http://expage.com/horseverything
Crystal Meadow Stable
http://expage.com/crystalmeadow
Scarlette's Horse Club
http://expage.com/page/scarletteshorseclub
~~*BRONZE Award*~~
StephZZB's Webpage
http://clix.to/arab87
Linn and Spittens Homepag
http://www.spitten.homestead.com/spitten.html
Kicking Horse Page
http://www.geocities.com/foonce/khp.html
~~*SILVER Award*~~
(none)
~~*GOLD Award*~~
(none)
If you would like to nominate your horse related site, fill out the form
located at https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/winaward.html For the
full list of winners, visit
https://www.angelfire.com/id/horsemania/winners.html
___________________________________________________________________________
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
You can vote for both the feature poll and the past polls by visiting the
website.
Current Results
*SEPTEMBER feature poll of the month*
Barn Chores Poll
Which of these is your least favorite barn chore?
answer - (number of votes) - percentage
Feeding/Watering...................................................(0) 0%
Grooming............................................................(0) 0%
Cleaning Tack.......................................................(1) 3%
Mucking Out.........................................................(2) 7%
I don’t mind any chore as long as it’s to do with a horse!.....(24) 88%
Total Votes: 27
___________________________________________________________________________
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 = Alana
Email = horsegirl21@horsemail.com
Age = 13
Gender = Female
Location = Australia
Hobbies = Horse Riding!
Likes = Horses, riding, and everything to do with horses
Comments = I'd like horsy pen pals, male or female, any age. I love
horses, and I've been riding for 4 years. I'm leasing a
14.1hh bay mare. I promise to reply.
Name = Nicola Holland
Email = foal23@hotmail.com
Age = 13
Gender = female
Location = christchurch, new zealand
Hobbies = horseriding, anything with horses
Likes = horses,
Dislikes = abuse against animals and humans
Name = Grainne
Email = Aisling@hotmail.com
Age = 13
Gender = female
Location = Ireland
Hobbies = Major horseriding
Likes = ponies forever
Dislikes = cruelty to animals
Comments = Ive recently got a bay 148 mare and would love to hear from any
horse lovers.
Name = Erin
Email = symjake@emeraldis.com
Age = 10 1/2
Gender = female
Location = SC
Hobbies = soccer, horse riding, gymnastics
Likes = horses, sports, etc.
Dislikes = pink, ballet, prissy girls (no offense)
Comments = someone who loves horses, and is my age
Name = Siobhan
Email = Bigben_rules@hotmail.com
Age = 13
Gender = I'm a gal!
Location = Australia
Hobbies = Horses, piano, music
Likes = My big baby...well he's actually a 15.3hh TB
Dislikes = crulty to any animals, smoking and classical music!
Comments = TALK TO ME!!!!!!!! I have a TB gelding who is flea-bitten grey.
I love riding, spending time with Ben(my horse.) Oh and I HATE
school!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Name = Mandi
Email = rainbow_gurlie@hotmail.com
Age = 13~~~kinda young but what can ya do
Gender = female
Location = ontario
Hobbies = figure skating, snow boarding, *****guys*****
Likes = guys, friendly ppl, poerty(fave:shakespeare), lots more!!
Dislikes = bitter, negative, conceited, rude, ignorant, inconciderate,
disrepectful, mean, cruel people
Comments = Hey everyone! I really dont know what this thing is all about.
I was searching the internet and found it. But I guess the idea is if you
like what you read about me...then you email me and we become pen-pals. It
sounds pretty lame, but I dont mind trying out new things. So if ya wanna
EMAIL me... and we can chat a lil :-) Any ages... (guys ...prrrrrrrr) or
girls dont matter to me! Well...I guess that wraps up this thing. Hope to
talk to you soon! Love always, ~!*Mandi*!~
Name = Rachel
Email = rachel6@telstra.easymail.com.au
Age = 25
Gender = Female
Location = Brisbane
Hobbies = Horses & Netball
Likes = as above
Dislikes = AFL
Comments = I own four horses, two Arabians & two part percherons, and am
looking to write to people around my age who enjoy the same things. I am
married, we also have four rats and a cockatiel
Name = Kiera
Email = kiera_princess@yahoo.com
Age = 14
Gender = Female
Location = NY
Hobbies = Horseback Riding, Skiing, and friends!
Likes = Family, Horses, and hanging out with my friends.
Dislikes = Homework, Tests, and mean people.
Comments = I am looking for a pen pal interested in jumping their horses,
or just plain riding...I never get any e-mail so i'd appreciate some!!
Thanks for your time.
Name = Sara
Email = dapplegray03@hotmail.com
Age = 16
Gender = female
Location = Illinois
Hobbies = horseback riding, hunter-jumper lessons, tennis, hanging
w/friends, being a pen pal, listening to music, & more
Likes = Same as hobbie plus nice fun people
Dislikes = creulty to any kind of animals, rude or mean people, & more
Comments = I love to keep busy with almost anything but most of all
horseback riding. I will be pen pals with male or female with almost any
intrests. I listen well and hope to help with anything i can. So i hope to
be e-mailing or writing back to you soon.
Name = nichole
Email = redhen87@aol.com
Age = 13
Gender = female
Location = michigan
Hobbies = horse backriding
Likes = horses and sports
Dislikes = mean pepole
Comments = i love horses
Name = Anna
Email = misty_girl_89@yahoo.com
Age = 12
Gender = Female
Location = Harrisville,MI
Hobbies = Talking about horses, & music
Likes = HORSES!!!!!!!!
Name = Dennette Hall
Email = Equestrian_chick@hotmail.com
Age = 13
Gender = female
Location = iowa
Hobbies = horse back riding
Likes = all horses
Dislikes = not being able to ride
Comments = i would really like to find somebody my own age!!!
___________________________________________________________________________
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
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Missed an issue? Want to see a back issue? Remember that all Horse Mania
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CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
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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 #29
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