Meet Einstein, the Smallest Horse in the World

They say good things come in small packages – meet Einstein, the world’s smallest horse!

He holds the record as the smallest foal worldwide, weighing in at only 6 lbs at birth.

Einstein was foaled in April of 2010 at a farm in New Hampshire. He stood a mere 14 inches at birth!

His dam and sire stood at 32 and 30 inches tall, both holding championship miniature horse titles.

How Tall is Einstein the Miniature Horse?

At the age of 10, Einstein is now full-grown and stands at 2 feet tall and weighs roughly 80 pounds.

To read more on this story, click here: Meet Einstein, the Smallest Horse in the World

Meet The Rare Creature People Are Calling ‘The Most Beautiful Horse In The World’ (8 Pics)

 

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze us with its abundance of outstanding beauty.

This is no exception, meet the Akhal Teke horse, dubbed the ‘worlds most beautiful horse.’

Native to Turkmenistan in Asia, these stunning creatures are best known for their shiny ‘metallic’ coats.

Their shiny coats which can reflect and refract light just like metal are due to their genetics.

To read more on this story, click here: Meet The Rare Creature People Are Calling ‘The Most Beautiful Horse In The World’ (8 Pics)

Rottweilers Save Horses From Intruders Who Planned On Slaughtering Them

This is awful: authorities in Florida have recently been warning more owners about a statewide increase in horses being slaughtered and harvested for their meat.

Horse theft and slaughter cases in various counties across Florida have left owners reeling and searching desperately for solutions.

Brena Kramer of Zephyrhills knows about this horrific crime firsthand. She claims three intruders tried to slaughter her beloved horses for their meat.

If it weren’t for Brena’s two rottweilers, she says things would have ended much differently. She believes the dogs chased off the intruders.

Brena ran to their barn as quickly as she could and found one of the horses was left with a rope still tied around its neck.

The horses were left with cuts and scrapes all over their faces, especially near their eyes, along with rope burns near their mouths.

Brena is now sharing her story to warn other horse owners in her area and beyond.

“It is common down South. It’s something most horse owners know about, especially in Florida,” she told Fox13. “They will bleed them out and start butchering while the horse is bleeding.”

Thankfully, there are a couple of heroes who were watching over the horses during the incident.

Learn more in this video.

Fred, A Mini Service Horse Flew First Class To Show What’s Possible For Service Animals

Croton, Michigan - Fred, a mini service horse flew first class to show what’s possible for service animals.

It’s not every day you see a horse on a plane, let alone in first class but Fred the Mini Service Horse went wheels up with a purpose.

“This was our first trip via an airplane, Fred has traveled several thousands of miles in my vehicle but this was the first time in the air,” Fred’s Handler Ronica Froese said.

Froese has trained Fred to be a therapy and a service horse.

He lives in her Newaygo County home, is house broken and is frankly more well-trained than most dogs.

“I spent a year of my life training this horse extensively for what he has and I was totally prepared for everything,’ Froese added.

Froese put months of work preparing for Fred’s trip, which included two flights each way.

“We left in the afternoon, we flew from Grand Rapids, we connected in Dallas and we went to Ontario, California,” Froese, explained.

“I purchased two first class seats in bulkhead seating, I paid an arm and a leg for tickets but I did so because it was Fred’s first time and I wanted him to be comfortable, I wanted him to have the most room,” she said.

Other than the expected gawking, the trip went without a hitch.

“Everyone was sweet as pie, TSA was amazing. The experience was way better than I actually anticipated,” Froese said.

With talks of potentially stricter regulations from the Department of Transportation on which species of animals can fly, Froese hopes Fred's trip shows the model for air travel with a service mini-horse.

She added that rules are often abused, but for people like herself, a service animal like Fred is a necessary companion.

“It is out of control, it’s a very abused process, there are a lot of untrained service animals on the plane that are not trained," Froese said.

“It’s definitely an abused system, but the sad part is what the DOT is looking at doing, they are looking at excluding me as a handler from taking my horse on the plane," she added.

She’s hoping they reverse course so Fred's first air travel experience won’t be his last.

If you want to follow along with Fred or Ronica’s other mini horses, Charlie and George, click HERE. 

Horse Racing: Plans For Racing On City Streets 'Could Be The Sport's Twenty20'

Racehorses running down the streets at iconic global locations such as Sydney Harbour Bridge or Fifth Avenue in New York...

It might sound implausible, but the man spearheading the project has told BBC Sport he hopes agreements for the first such race meetings, on a special artificial surface, will be in place by the end of next month.

He is Peter Phillips, the Queen's eldest grandson, and here he outlines details of racing, safety, crowd and betting plans for the 'City Racing' project and how racing's best-known supporter is following the idea...

What is this all about?
Phillips, who is 14th in line to the throne, has been working on the proposals for five years since staging an equestrian event on a similar surface on Horse Guards Parade in London.

He says that leg of the Global Champions Tour demonstrated how safe 'pop-up' conditions for horses in a competitive environment could be installed and removed within three days.

To read more on this story, click here: Horse Racing: Plans For Racing On City Streets 'Could Be The Sport's Twenty20' 

Horses with Rickets - What is Rickets?

Epiphysitis, also known as equine rickets, is a condition of the bones that occurs in horses and is recognized by a slight lameness in the animal. It usually affects the longer bones, occurring when joints, such as the knee joint, become enlarged. While there are several theories as to where this comes from, the most respected one is that it is caused by the overfeeding of young horses.

When a young horse is fed on a high plane of nutrition, or a high caloric diet, its metabolism becomes unbalanced, sometimes causing growth issues like rickets on the small body. In short, their bones grow too large or too quickly for the rest of their body. It is most commonly seen in Welsh Cobs and fillies that are preparing for an exhibition or show, and generally doesn’t affect every type of horse.

Symptoms and Types

• Pain in the joints
• Swelling in the joints
• Knee joint problems (e.g., knuckling of the knee joint, slight lameness)
• Knuckling of the fetlock (or the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints)
• Abnormal contraction of flexor tendon (allowing the flexing of the joints)
• Abnormal contraction of cannon tendon (between the fetlock and the knee joints)

Causes
Horses on a high plane of nutrition, whether they be preparing for an athletic event or show, are more susceptible to rickets. Mineral and hormonal imbalances, especially brought on by overfeeding, can also lead to this condition.

Diagnosis
In order to diagnose epiphysitis, your veterinarian will probably need a great deal of information about your horse, including its medical history and nutritional information. What your horse has been fed is vital in determining the diagnosis.

Treatment
Most cases of rickets are treated with ease. Since the condition is based almost entirely on dietary imbalance, it is important to establish a nutritional plan with your veterinarian that will allow the horse's body to heal and grow in proportionately. This new diet should balance minerals and vitamins respectively, while lowering the caloric intake of the animal.

Prevention
Proper nutrition and a well-balanced diet recommended by your veterinarian should prevent rickets in your young foals.

There Will Be a Stanley Cup-themed Horse Jump at the Washington International Horse Show This Week

The Washington Capitals will be on their western Canadian road trip this week against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. Taking their place at Capital One Arena will be the 60th annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) which runs from Oct. 23-28. And this year there will be a special nod to the Caps and their Stanley Cup win.

David Lauinger, an equestrian designer also in charge of installing and overseeing the footing at the horse show, designed a Capitals-themed horse jump. Yes, horses will be jumping over crossed hockey sticks and giant pucks adorned with the Capitals logo. On the outside wings of the jump, or standards, are two replica Stanley Cups.

The jump, which is approximately six feet tall, won’t be used in any official competition, but it will be used during the jumper classes held by WIHS this week.

To read more on this story, click here: There Will Be a Stanley Cup-themed Horse Jump at the Washington International Horse Show This Week

Why Miniature Horses Make Such Great Service Animals

There has been a lot of news about pets on airline flights lately, so when Southwest Airlines recently updated their statement about traveling with animals, it didn't comes as much of a surprise. However, there was something in there that I wasn't expecting. From the statement.

Southwest Airlines welcomes trained dogs, cats, and miniature horses as service animals onboard our flights as long as the Customer is able to provide credible verbal assurance that the animal is a trained service animal. Southwest Airlines does not accept unusual or exotic species of animals.

Am I the last person to know that there are service miniature horses? (Let alone, service cats?) I mean, emotional support animals come in all shapes and sizes – peacocks, squirrels, you name it – but service animals are trained and actually act as guides. Horses are smart and seriously intuitive, but I didn't know they could take the place of dogs in, among other tasks, guiding the blind. Which led me down the research rabbit hole to discover that it all makes perfect sense. Here's why.

(But first, meet Chunky Monkey, Fancy Dancer, Glitter Bug and Patty Cake.)

To read more on this story, click here: Why Miniature Horses Make Such Great Service Animals

Why Did The Horse Run Into The Bar?

A young horse who escaped her handler in France did not give customers at a nearby bar a good punchline, but she did give them quite the scare.

Guest saw the horse approaching the establishment but did not expect the animal to come through the door. When she did the patrons were shocked.

Security footage captured the moment that drinkers had to flee in a panic as the horse burst into the bar.

The horse's trainer, Jean-Marie Beguigne, said the horse had dumped her rider at the Chantilly race course stables, less than a mile away, and made a run for it.

Mr. Beguigne said the horse had a tendency of trying to escape but said it was “exceptional” that it had made it as far as the bar.

The “parched” racehorse ran to the nearest watering hole, which happened to be a sports betting bar near “Chateau de Chantilly.”

While the horse’s bar visit happened last month, video of the equine encounter quickly went viral after appearing online this week.

“There was quite a panic. I still can’t quite believe it happened,” said the owner, Stephanie Jasmin.

There were no injuries and the horse showed no signs of anxiety or trauma.

Beautiful Giant Horse Head Sculptures, "The Kelpies”, by Artist Andy Scott - Transforms the Scottish Skyline

“The Kelpies” is an enormous installation consisting of two giant horse head sculptures by artist Andy Scott. The 100-foot-tall structures, which were eight years in the making, are inspired by a legend from the artist’s Scottish background that tells of a water spirit that takes the shape of a horse. More than just a pair of broncos to Scott, the sculptures serve as monuments of the artist’s national pride.


Long faces: Stunning pictures show 300-tonne steel horse 'Kelpies' glowing in the Scottish night sky as coloured spotlights are pointed towards 30-metre high tribute to country's industrial past

Against the backdrop of a moody Scottish dusk, these towering steel horse heads loom 30 metres tall, aglow with shifting colours.

The 300-tonne statues, called The Kelpies,( watch over the entrance to the ocean, where the Forth and Clyde canal meets the North Sea in Falkirk.

Their patterned skin, made of stainless steel, is held aloft by an intricate steel framework. At night the two statues glow in unison as the glow of upward-pointing spotlights spills out round the gaps in their surface.

They borrow their names from mythological horses which haunt lochs and rivers in Celtic legend. Kelpies were said to be able to transform into beautiful women to ensnare travellers. The massive sculptures, designed by Glaswegian Andy Scott, pay tribute to the working horses which once fired Scotland's economic prosperity by dragging industrial barges along the extensive network of canals.

Construction work on the sculptures was completed in November, and the towering, luminescent artworks will be opened to the public later this month. Mr Scott has said of his sculptures: 'They are the embodiment of the industrial history of Scotland.'

Take a look at these videos:

'The Kelpies' : by Walid Salhab
Using a unique hyperlapse technique, this video features footage captured within a live construction site. Filming under these conditions is rarely possible; filming under these conditions using the hyperlapse technique is close to impossible. Created from over 60 days of stop-motion filming across 7 months, and tracking construction through to completion, this film uses over 12,000 individual photos, none of which have been edited or manipulated beyond settings inside the camera. Walid captured 120,000 individual images to create this seven minute masterpiece.


Aerial shots of The Kelpies
Aerial footage filmed by Alan Corrie, showing The Kelpies with the Forth & Clyde Canal and their surrounding landscape which will be completed by end of April 2014. This amazing footage shows The Kelpies from otherwise unattainable angles and gives a real sense of their scale.

The Kelpies : Artist Statement
The title and theme of The Kelpies as mystical water-borne equine creatures was inherited at the outset of the project, almost eight years ago.  Since then it has evolved dramatically and in the process the ethos and function has shifted from the original concept.   Falkirk was my father’s home town and that inherited link to the town has been one of my driving inspirations.  A sense of deep personal legacy has informed my thinking from the outset, with old family connections anchoring me to the project.   As an artist I frequently tackle the theme of equine sculpture in my practice.  My horse based works are always rooted in a socio-historical relevance or respond to a brief from the client.  In almost every project they are related to the site, the audience, history or a combination of themes.

This is the case with The Kelpies.  The mythological associations behind the original brief have been absorbed by other sources of inspiration in the creative processes, and the ancient ethereal water spirits have been forged into engineered monuments.   The Kelpies are modelled on heavy horses (two Clydesdales of Glasgow City Council actually served as models in the process) and it is this theme of working horses which captured my imagination and drove the project.  Clydesdales, Shires and Percherons, the equus magnus of the north.   They are the embodiment of the industrial history of Scotland and the Falkirk / Grangemouth area.  Heavy horses would once have been the powerhouse of the area, working in the foundries, the fields, farms and of course the canal itself, pulling boats along the Forth & Clyde from coast to coast.  Falkirk was also home to reputedly the worlds biggest horse: in the 1930′s Carnera hauled wagons laden with soft drinks around the town (made in Scotland from girders, of course)

The materials of the sculptures are deliberately those of Scotland’s former industrial heartland, steel construction on an architectural scale:  equitecture   The towering horse heads have an industrial aesthetic with structural columns and beams visible through the riveted laser cut steel plates of the skin, the manes rendered as geometric overlapping slabs of steel.  The entire structures are illuminated inside and out to create a stunning spectacle in hours of darkness.   They elevate Falkirk and Grangemouth to national and international prominence and bring with them a sense of pride and ownership, having achieved global media coverage.  As a canal structure they partner the iconic Falkirk Wheel, and echo its grandeur.  They stand as a testament to the achievements of the past, a paean to artisanship and engineering and a declaration of intent for the future of Scotland.

As with all of my works, they will doubtless create many narratives and the original Kelpie myth will inevitably resurface.  The title will spark a mystical interpretation in many viewers.  That is up to the beholder and of course I welcome the engagement of the widest possible audience in the sculptures.   My intent however is built around a contemporary sculptural monument more than an ancient legend.  Water-borne, towering gateways into the canal system, The Helix park, and the nation, translating the legacy of the area into proud equine guardians.   Andy Scott, November 2013.

Awww! This Baby Horse is Adorable…and He Just Wants to Cuddle

Horses aren't exactly known for their cuddling abilities.

However, one baby horse at the Rapid Run Training Center is Morristown, Florida is exceptionally affectionate, acting more like a dog than a horse when Sunny Bayne approached it.

"This is the best day of my life," Bayne said as the filly laid on top of her.

Cuddling changes people.

Horse Health

Spring might be the best time of the year, but if we have horses that are prone to developing grass founder, this season may be the beginning of serious problems for some of our horses. Horses that are over the age of 10, easy keepers, overweight or cresty-necked seem especially vulnerable to grass founder and should be the focus of founder prevention.

To read more on this story, click here: Horse Health

Native American Horses

Horses forever changed life on the Great Plains. They allowed tribes to hunt more buffalo than ever before. They tipped the balance of power in favor of mounted warriors. And they became prized as wealth. For Native Americans today, horses endure as an emblem of tradition and a source of pride, pageantry, and healing.

To read more on this story, click here: Native American Horses

Jazzy, A 19-Year-Old APHA Mare - Available for Adoption in Junction City, Oregon

This is what the ad says:

Jazzy needs gone! She is FREE. Jazzy is an almost 19 year old APHA mare. Jazzy will stall, pasture, trailer, cross tie, bathe, stand for the farrier and all around a very nice mare. She has injury navicular but is broodmare sound. Jazzy is an excellent mother, easy breeder, great milk producer and is a dream when dealing with the baby. She has been used as a trail horse for a young girl and could probably still be used that way with use of bute and shoes. I do have her ex rays from her initial visit to the vet when her navicular was discovered. I will deliver for the cost of my fuel. Jazzy is located in Junction City. She needs to be where she can be out and enjoy life. The foal is NOT FOR SALE. This was her last baby she is now almost a year old.
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/scootin+to+the+zazz

PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ABOUT BEING AWARE OF KILL/MEAT BUYERS! I understand that I am taking a chance with trying to find my mare a home and by posting her for free. I take the same chance if I were to take her to auction. Which was just on the 8th and she is still here on Craigslist looking for a home. So if I didn't give a crap where she went she would have been gone long ago. So stop with the emails of concern unless you are truly interested in her. Thank you!

Original Ad: http://eugene.craigslist.org/grd/4830015268.html