The Chinese Zodiac and The Horse Sign

I think everyone has heard of the Chinese Zodiac. What we know especially is that it is very different as the one we look everyday to.
The Chinese Zodiac has a important place in the Chinese culture, which is a very wast. The signs in it were used for a very long time now. Interesting is that the signs from the zodiac have been used in stories and folklore. These developed the different personality traits that were represented with each animal. That means that the horse has a very important place in the Chinese culture.
Horses are present in many Chinese myths . They represent horse tales, horse-like beings but also pony. We can find a lot of motifs of horses, which have their focus the horse or have horses as the protagonist of the action or in other cases they are represented as support. According to the cyclical Chinese calendar system, the time period between 31 January 2014 and 18 February 2015 falls unde the category of the (yang) Wood Horse.

The Horse Sign

The Chinese Zodiac consists of a twelve-year cycle, each year being associated with a certain animal. The 7th in the cycle is the Horse. The order of the beings-of-the-year is made to their order in completing a contest of racing across a river, in the so-called The Great Race.This race is done to see which of the animals, in which order, would be the namesakes of the twelve-year cycle. That includes to run, and swum, the finishing line being across a great river. The Rat and the Ox crossed easily enough (the Rat hitchhiking on the Ox back). Those powerful swimmers, Tiger and Dragon had little problem; nor did Rabbit, with a little help from the Dragon. The Horse, an excellent runner; but, not as good of a swimmer, would have been next -- but, the Snake having crossed the river by stowing away on Horse's hoof, doing a sudden dismount, gained the finish line, just in front of the startled Horse. Thus, it is said, despite the animal's general swiftness, the Horse finished the race only in the rank of the seventh position.

More you can read here!

In Chinese the horse is written like: 马 mǎ.

Years of the Horse were and will be:1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026

The Five Elements of Horse is Fire (Huo), which symbolizes enthusiasm and energy. The horse gives people an impression of independence and integrity. Its spirit is recognized to be Chinese people's ethos - making unremitting efforts to improve themselves with passion and diligence.

Lucky Signs for Horse:

• Lucky Numbers: 2, 3, 7

• Lucky Colors: brown, yellow, purple

• Lucky Flowers: calla lily, jasmine, marigold

• Lucky Directions: northeast, southwest and northwest

Things Should be Avoided:

• Unlucky Numbers: 1, 5, 6
• Unlucky Colors: blue, white, gold
• Unlucky Direction: southeast

Personality of the Horse:

People with Chinese zodiac Horse sign always impress people with dynamic, zealous and generous image. Endowed with many shinning points, they also have to face the weaknesses in characteristics.
 Strengths: Most of them are born with nice personalities, such as warm-hearted, upright, easygoing, so they usually have a lot of friends flocking around. Independence and endurance makes them more powerful, and they will never give in facing the bitter suffering. Positive attitude leads everything to a bright direction. 
Weaknesses: Loving spending is their problem, for they need a great amount of money to support social activities and decent dressing. Besides, frankness allows them to let out secret easily. Persistence is what they lack on the path leading to success. 

You can find more infos: here

So like the real animal, the people which are in the Chinese Horse sign are very great and interesting persons.

The anatomy of the Horse-Part III

The shoulder: should be nicely sloping. This characteristic helps the horse to move more freely. In the ideal case, the slope should have 45 degree angle from the wither to the point where the shoulder begins(in relation to a horizontal ground line). The shoulder blade(scapula) has to be longer than the humerus bone. This will allow for a long, low, smooth stride.

The withers: should be well formed, not too prominent, but also not too flat. During their growing, horses will look like the wither is lower than the croup, but as they get bigger, it should become level. The horses that have a very flat muscular withers are not very good for riding, but for traveling in harness. This is because of the fact that they tend to have something like a "rolling action" , that can be difficult to fit a saddle to.

The chest: should be broad and deep, with enough room for a baseball cap to be fitted between the two forearms. If the chest is too wide, it will tend, the same as like in the withers case. to have a "rolling action", difficult to deal with it. The best case is to find a horse that has, as we can tell, a medium size.
The front legs should be straight and in pairs. They should have a long muscular forearm and short dense cannon bone.
The elbow should be clear or the ribs. A good method to test a good conformation for this part, is to be able to run a hand between the two elbows.
The knees should be a "pair", facing directly forward, broad and flat. The pasterns should slope on a similar angle to the shoulder. If the pasterns are too long, the horse may have a weakness. If they are too short, the horse is less able to cope with concussion.
The feet should be in pairs and well made with tough horn.

Additional: it is said that the horse should be "deep through the girth", which means that when viewed from the side, it appears like there is plenty room for the heart and lungs. A good method to test a good conformation is that the distance from the top of the withers to a point just behind and below the elbow should be the same as the one from the elbow to the ground. Taking this in consideration may appear that the horse would be short legged, but it is ok. In a ideal case, the first 8 "true" ribs, that attach to the vertebrae and the sternum, should be long and flattish. This will allow the leg of the rider to sit nicely behind the triceps muscle. The 10 "false" ribs, that attach to the vertebrae, and to cartilage attaching them to the sternum, should be rounded and well sprung. That will give the appearance of a nicely rounded barrel. Again, a good method to test a good conformation is to see that there is not more than a handspan between the last rib and the hip bone.
The length of the back should be proportionate to the overall size of the horse. Another good method to test a good conformation is that from nose to girth should be the same length as from girth to the point of buttock. The back should be strong and not too narrow or too broad.

Important:

• the horse's ears must be pricked and alert, and the eyes bright and healthy.
• looking at the horse as a whole, the head should be in proportion to the body.
• a horse that is used for racing, eventing or show jumping should be always in optimum condition.
• the horse's skeleton has around 250 bones, which varies from breed to breed.

Hope you find this helpful!

See also the first 2 parts:

• First Part
• Second Part

The Horse Behavior - Part II

Let's continue with the understanding of the horse behavior!

The herding instinct

This is very usual for the horses living in the wild. Although it will be very useful if it is taken in consideration also for the domestic horses. Normally they are sociable animals, and when taken from their herd, they will always bond with a surrogate. When speaking about a domestic horse, the surrogate will often be the owner. That is why it is very important for every horse owner to know everything about his animal.

When going with a group of domestic horses in the field, it is better to turn mares and gelding out separately. This will be a good advice especially in the spring, because then the mares have their season and geldings could show some stallion-like behavior. We can go out with one gelding and more mares, but it would not be a great idea to go with several geldings and only one mare.

Because horses tend to be very sociable and form bonds, they will show their attachment in several ways. One of them is grooming. In doing so, they stand head to tail and chew up and down each other's neck and back. It is understood that when one of them stops grooming his friend, the other one will do the same. This type of grooming is very good because it includes removing parasites and of course growing the friendship. In the summer time, it is very normal to see horses that have bonded by standing head to tail, swishing their tails to keep the flies away.

Reacting to danger

Reacting to danger is a crucial point in knowing your horse behavior. It is very important for you to know how your horse will react when dealing with a potential danger situation. When you will learn that, it will be the most exciting experience when you will go out in the field with your horse.

Domestic horses ,when out in the field, will keep their basic herd instincts. When going out with more domestic horses, they will mostly stand and graze close together. If a horse is apart at a distance, normally is a sign that something is wrong and should be investigated. Dealing with danger situations, the horse will be frighten and will run away. So, if one member of the herd feels something unusual and starts to run, the other ones will run too. This is very good to know when riding along with more people. It is very important for everyone on paying attention to his horse, but also to the surroundings. It is better to see the danger or potential unusual things before your horse, because then you can prevent any accident. If you keep your horse calm, the other ones will also be calm.

Horses are very used to leaving in a herd, and they communicate very good using their body language, like ear movements and vocal sounds. They sleep standing up, like this they are prepared to run in every moment when danger is around. When some horses lie down, normally  will be one or two standing up, like a guard. They will be the first to alert everyone if needed.

Horses spend most of their day gazing. Their stomachs are kept half-full all the time. That is because if something appears, it is better not to run with a full belly.

Horses have a life based on feeling it is always better to run than to fight. This is why, their vision is nearly 360 degrees. The distance between the eyes and mouth will allow the horse to see all around when grazing. Although they like better to run, if they are cornered and have no way to run, they will defend by kicking and biting.
Again it is very important keeping in mind the strong herd instinct also on domestic horses. 

TIPS:

• if a horse lays its ears back, usually means that it feels threatened and be ready to show aggressive behavior.
• it is not a good idea when removing all the horses from a field but one. He will show signs of distress and will try to rush up and down the fence line. This will make the others angry. He reacts like that because being in a herd is like being in a safe place, and when apart from his companions, he feels vulnerable.
• when horses display aggressive behavior toward each other, is usually between stallions.

Hope you will find this helpful!

You may want to see also:

• The first part

The Health Benefits of Riding a Horse

Before cars were invented, people always used horses to travel. Because of that everyone knew how to take care and ride a horse. In our days, we are not depending anymore on these animals. We are considering riding a horse only as a recreational activity.
Among a lot of health benefits of riding a horse, the most obvious of them are:

• strong core
• strong legs,           

but there are also some less obvious benefits, like:

• a boost in confidence
• meditation

Very important is that horses are used in therapy for mentally disabled children.
According to Health Fitness Revolution's top list of the health benefits of riding a horse are:

• Body Awareness: riding a horse works the core muscles that stabilize the trunk: the abdominal and back(because when you are riding a horse your upper part of the body must be straight) and pelvic muscles(because when you are riding a horse you have to hold on by clenching the legs). However, it is not just about the strength of the core, but also about the coordination and stability. As you will try to ride more, your body will learn to move with the horse and it will be easier.

• Quick Thinking: riding a horse, which is such a large, powerful, wonderful animal with a strong personality, every moment having something on his mind, can be a full-body workout. This will make you engage your muscles you never used before. You are also continuously adjusting to the form of the horse.

• Coordination: riding involves doing all sorts of movements at once, in order to guide properly your horse. Because of this particular thing, therapeutic riding programs for the sight-impaired had shown a lot of success.

• Core Strength: riding a horse involves an isometric exercise. That means that you are using specific muscles to stay in certain positions, for keeping your balance. Because of that, the postural strength is a major point when riding and the posture of riders improves even in day by day activities.                                       

• Muscle Tone and Flexibility: riding a horse works out beside the core muscles, also inner thighs and pelvic muscles. During your ride, you often need to maintain a squatting position, constantly having to adjust to the cadence of your horse. Because of that, your muscle tone and flexibility will improve visibly.

• Stable Strength: before any of us starts riding, we also have to take care, clean and feed our horse. For that, working in a barn strengthens your muscles and increases cardiovascular capacity.

• Mental exercise: riding a horse brings you also many mental benefits, you did not imagine till now. Not only that you learn a lot about yourself as you experience time on a horse, but also it gives a meditative effect, because of the constant focus on riding and staying on the horse. Beside being a great exercise, you will also benefit on having a connection and bond with the animal. We should not forget about the peace of mind that comes along every time you ride.

Thank you very much for reading this article! If you have opinions or something to add, please do so...

The Horse Behavior

Having a horse is easy. The hard part is to establish a bond with him and to try to understand his behavior. Once you get used to observing his behavior, you can better understand what are his needs, when and why he gets scared.

As we all know, the most basic instinct for any animal (for horse too), is to survive and to reproduce.
Out in the wild, horses live together in so called herds or "harems". Any herd is led by a dominant stallion and he usually has a dominant mare. It can also be that there are 2 or 3 mares he protects and breeds from. He has a close bond with them. In this way the tend to for long-lasting relationships and will try to make the herd/harem a secure environment.

The Harem

Once a dominant stallion has selected his "harem" (his dominant mares), most probably he will not look for new mares. Studies have shown that the average size of a harem is 5: the dominant stallion, 2/3 mares and their offspring. The boding process is not restricted between the stallion and the mare. It can happen that 2 mares will pair off and become close friends, grooming together. In the same way, young stallions that did not yet established their own harem will stay together, forming bachelor groups. Within the herd/harem, the weakest members, will often tend to attach to a dominant member, trying to stay close to them. When doing so, they will be left alone by the bullies and will always have a good food supply. 

                                                                ...TO BE CONTINUED...


You may want to see:

• The next part

Grooming a horse....the Summary

I wanted to make you guys a summary of my posts about what tools we need when grooming a horse. 

The horse is a loyal, intelligent, majestic , gorgeous.... I could go like this for ever...but mostly of all very clean. And so should we try to keep it as clean and as healthy as we can. In order to have all the satisfactions that this beautiful animal could give us, we should firstly be very careful on how we treat him.

Kizoa slideshow: Grooming kit - Slideshow

Grooming a Horse...Part III

Let's continue with the thing you need for grooming a horse...

11.  Wisp or massage pad 

• a wisp is normally made from a woven rope of hay, which is knotted together. It is a good idea to clean it before every use. 
• a massage pad is made of leather and has a strap on the back.

Both of these are used together with a stable rubber. It amends the muscle tone and also gives a beautiful shine to the coat. When you will raise the pad, the muscles will tense. When you will bang down and give a gentle stroke with the rubber, the muscles will relax. If you keep it in a steady rhythm, the muscle tone will be improved. This massage should be done only in areas like quarters, thighs, and the neck, and should avoid the bony areas.

12. Sponges - a really good advice wold be to have 2 of different colors.

• one for cleaning the eyes, mouth and nose
• the second one for cleaning the dock area

13. Stable rubber - it looks like a drying-up cloth and it is used at the end of the grooming. It will give an extra beautiful shine to the coat.

14. Sweat scraper - it has a curved rubber piece on one side and a metal piece on the other. It helps a lot at removing excess water, after you have washed your horse. You should use the rubber side for the bony areas and the metal one over the body (please be careful when using the metal side).

15. Hoof oil - it is used for the feet to create a beautiful shine.

16. Shampoo - sometimes is better to use a special equine shampoo for the tail.

17. Scissors - are used for general trimming and must(!) have a round end.

18. Grooming machine - are a lot of types, but basically are like a vacuum cleaner for taking all the dirt away. But please be careful on using them, cause they may scare your horse.


Hope you will find this helpful!
See also the first 2 parts of this post:

• First Part
• Second Part

Grooming a Horse ... Part II

Let's continue with the Grooming Kit!

5. Plastic/Rubber curry comb - extremely useful when you want to remove the mud and dried sweat. Also very good for stimulating the skin and for bringing grease to the surface of the coat.

6. Rubber grooming mitt - similar with the rubber curry comb.

7. Cactus cloth - a piece of hairy sackcloth. It is used to remove dried sweat and mud from all over the body. If it is cleaned, it will also bring a beautiful shine to the coat.

8. Metal curry comb - used only to clean the body brush. DO NOT USE it on your horse!

9. Hoof pick -  used only for cleaning the feet. The best way is to move downward from heel to toe, like this you will prevent damaging the frog or heels.

10. Mane comb 

• long tooth comb is used for combing out the mane and tail. 
• a short tooth comb is used to pull the mane
  

...To be continued...

You may want to see also:

• The first part of this post
• The next part of this post

Grooming a Horse

Regular, thorough grooming is necessary to keep your horse clean and healthy.

This also stimulates circulation, keeps your horse looking good and can help to build a relationship between the two of you. By doing this, you have a perfect chance to check your horse over for any lumps, bumps, or heat, and because of this, you should not wear gloves when grooming so you can feel any abnormalities. You should always tie your horse up before beginning this.

Grooming kit:

1. Body brush - is a soft-bristled brush that removes dust and grease from deep down in the coat. It is rarely used on the grasskept horse, and always used in conjunction with the metal curry comp.
   
2. Dandy brush - is a hard-bristled brush that removes caked mud and sweat from the coat, and is the primary tool used for grooming the grasskept horse. The dandy brush should not be used on the mane and tail because it will break the hairs.
   
3. Water Brush - ideal would be to have 2 water brushes:

• one to use it when you are finished with the grooming. This way you can take all the remained dust off the coat and you can arrange the mane on a side of the neck.
• the second one you can use only when you want to clean the feet
  

                                                              ......TO BE CONTINUED.....

You may want to see:

• The second part of this post
• The last part of this post

Choosing and buying a horse

When you buy a horse, it is likely that you will have it for several years. Because of that it is very important you are buying a horse that is suitable for you, your circumstances, your knowledge, and your ability.
For the novice or first-time owner it is a good idea to take along an experienced friend when viewing a horse. Often they will spot something that you overlook.  It is also helpful to make a list of points that you want in a horse before you even start looking. You can then focus on the type of horse you need and ignore ones you don't need. Buying a horse can be a lengthy process and you may spend months looking at different kids before finding the one that suits you best. However, it is well worth taking the time to do this rather that rushing in to buy something for the sake of it. 
When looking at horses, it is often what the seller does tell yo that is important, so try to ask as many relevant questions as possible in order to find out as much about the horse and its history as you can.

• this short description was made according to "The Encyclopedia of  Horses & Ponies" by Tamsin Pickeral

The anatomy of the Horse-Part II

Something about a good conformation

The first thing when judging a horse's conformation is to identify what type or breed of horse you are looking at. Every breed has some special characteristics that you should search for, and mainly if you do not find them, there is some kind of conformational fault. For example, Arabs have a high-set and carried tail because they have one less vertebra in the back than other breeds. Therefore, if you are looking at an Arab horse, and it had a low and poorly-set tail, then it is safe to assume that this is an area of poor conformation

Next, you should know what sex is the horse. Mares invariably have a slightly longer back than geldings, and it is a good idea to don't forget this. Secondly, you should know how old is the horse too. A very old one sags naturally in the back and will have lost muscle tone. This point is also very important in discussing the conformation.

The head: should appear to be in proportion to the rest of the body. The ears should be alert and pricked. The horse should have a broad and flat forehead (a bulging forehead may tell you he has a bad temper and he is unpredictabil), with large "kind" eyes well apart to allow good peripheral vision. The nostrils should be large enough to allow for maximum intake of air, and the mouth should be neither too long, but also too short. A horse with a very small mouth may be difficult to fit bits to, and one with a long mouth can often be strong and a "puller". The incisors of the top and the bottom jaw should meet exactly at the front of the mouth, with the top jaw somewhat wider than the bottom jaw. There should be at least a fist-sized space between the 2 bones of the lower jaw, indicating unrestricted room for the start of the respiratory tract.

The head should be "well set" to the neck, meaning that the horse should not be thick in the jowl and gullet region, which would restrict flexion. The neck should be long enough to allow for a "good length of rein" m with a well-developed top line and a gentle curve from the withers to the poll. In this direction, the length of the neck should be equal to one-and-a-half times the front of the face to the lower lip. The neck should be  also "well set" to the shoulder, being neither too low nor too high.

You may want to see also:

• The first part of this post
• The last part of this post

this short description was made according to "The Encyclopedia of  Horses & Ponies" by Tamsin Pickeral

The anatomy of the Horse - Part I

The skeleton of the horse is intrinsically linked to the horse's performance, well-being and appearance. It supports the body, maintains body shape, allows for movement, and provides points of attachment for the muscles and tendons. 

Conformation

1. How tall is a Horse?

Horses and Ponies are measured in units called "hands". One hand is the equivalent of four inches or ten centimeters. For example if we have a pony that has 15.5 hh (hands high) that means 15 hands and 5 inches high. Whether being measured in hands and inches, or in centimeters, the height is always taken from the ground to the hightest point of the withers, and for an accurate reading, the horse should be measured standing on a flat level surface, and without shoes. 

    2.  Conformation

The conformation of a horse is the way the horse has been put together, which is effectively the bone structure beneath the skin. A horse can be described as having "good conformation", meaning that he is considered to have been put together correctly, and in proportion and balance for the job he has been bred to do. On the other hand, "bad/poor conformation" describes a horse that has certain weakness in its frame, and that may lead to injury, or at the very least, an impaired ability to do his job.

   3.  Condition

The condition of a horse is governed by several factors like:

• what type pf work he is doing
• what he is fed
• his state of health
• how well he is being looked after

So taking in consideration, a horse that is eventing fit, in good health and eating the correct amont of food, will have good solid muscle development, and could be described as being in "good/hard condition". Also, a well-fed, healthy horse that is not working hard, and , therefore, does not have well-developed muscles, cold be described in "good, but soft condition". To the untrained eye, it is easy to mistake a horse lacking in muscle development and having poor conformation. The same is with an overweight horse with an excess of fatty tissue around the stifle and on the crest can be mistaken for being of "good conformation". 

As a conclusion it is very important to not forget that "conformation" and "condition" are two totally different things.

You may want to see:

• The second part of this post
• The last part of this post

• this short description was made according to "The Encyclopedia of  Horses & Ponies" by Tamsin Pickeral

Horse myths

Myths...

From the early beginnings of men, myths remained, describing the pure and proud figure, the speed, strength, courage and grace. No other domestic pet created such of  a fable as the horse did.
In China the oldest myths speak like the horse was a divine creature. The people worship him and the emperors came to him asking for counsel.
In Japan the legend says that the sun goddess sent her brother to teach men farming. He was killed and from his head came to life a horse.
Arabs considered the horse the most precious gift made by the creator of the world.
Greeks thought that the horse was made by Poseidon, when he came from sea and put his trident on to earth.
And our list can continue, but the important thing is that "The Horse" had a big impact on the men king from its beginnings.

The history of :The Horse

Horse Evolution

Can you imagine a world in which horses of all kind of colors, shapes and sizes (even a bit larger than a small dog) were present everywhere? Well, nowadays, horses are just one small part of an huge family tree that spans millions of years. Unfortunately a lot of branches of the horse family are now extinct.
About 55 million years ago, the dog-sized "Hyracotherium" (known as the first members of the horse family), were present through the forests in North America. Along their history, most horses remained small, but when the climate conditions changed, new species rapidly appeared. That is how some of them became larger and had the familiar hooves and grazing diets that we call today "horses". Only those branches survived to the present days.