| How to Read a Pedigree |
| Think a 20-Year-Old Horse is Old? That is how old the above horse was when this photo was taken. You can click on it to enlarge. This is a horse that M-Bar-K Farms used as a lesson horse for ten years. With quality diet, exercise, dental and veterinary care, horses remain useful and stay healthy and younger looking for many years. Horses are now living to age 50! They are being ridden into their 30's and shown professionally into their late 20's. If you can find a horse that has been well taken care of and has not been left out in the pasture to deteriorate. These older horses can be worth their weight in gold to first time horse buyers. Or for someone just looking for a very safe, dependable horse. |
| How to read a pedigree |
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| Trivia Did you know that Palomino's are not a breed? They are a color. Most horse breeds can have a palomino color. You can have a palomino paint, palomino quarter horse or a palomino appaloosa. If you breed two palomino's together will you get a palomino? Not always. You could get a palomino, a sorrel or a cremello (a cream colored horse). How do you have a 100% chance of getting a palomino? Actually if you breed a sorrel horse which has a red gene, with a cremello horse which has the cream gene you will have a 100% chance of getting a palomino. A palomino is just a sorrel (red) horse with a cream gene. It is like adding cream to coffee. The more you add, the lighter it becomes. That is a palomino. |
| Bonus Trivia Look at Wrangler's (Pictured above) Sire Stars Rollickin Fire (pictured below) and his Dam Hot Digity Wrangler (also pictued below). Stars Rollickin Fire is a buckskin. What does a palomino and a buckskin have in common? If you take a bay horse, like Hot Digity Wrangler and add the cream gene, that is how you get a buckskin. (Yes, that means that buckskins aren't a breed either, they are just a color too) |
| New! See the wonderful Forward to a limited addition Horsemanship book that we published on our website by special permission by the author. His teachings follow along with the philosophies of M-Bar-K Farms. An Analysis of Horsemanship |
| What are some of the things I need to think about before I breed my mare? Allthat N Abagachips is a Perlino Quarter Horse Stallion (see photo below). The nice thing about knowing about genetics BEFORE you start breeding horses is that you can really have a big hand in what you will get down the road. Beginners think that you just put a male and female horse together and that is all there is to it. We wish it were that easy. What we strive for is A. Conformation - bad conformation means BIG problems down the road for that new foal. Straight legs means even wear and tear on their joints and tendons. B. Temperment - Nasty, ill tempered or flighty horses are harder to train and harder to find good homes for. C. Suitability- Cross the wrong lines, ie: A slow western pleasure horse with a Fast Barrel horse and you will end up with a young horse that is too fast to do western pleasure and to slow to do barrels. Know your bloodlines before choosing a stallion to go with |
| your mare. D. Genetic problems-Make sure that you know what genetic problems are floating around in the mare and stallion's background. This simple research can save you a wasted year. E. Color- By choosing this Perlino which has two cream genes and the dilute buckskin genes with Sadie's two recessive red genes we will either get a buckskin or a palomino. There is also a slim chance of a smoky black. Anything else is genetically impossible. Perlino's used to be called albino's until geneticians figured out their potential for throwing 100% color. Definately makes it nice knowing we will get color as well as quality since our mare does not carry a dilute gene, it is impossible for her to have a perlino foal. F. Markings. Of course we don't have to worry about this because we are not breeding Paint horses, but if we were, it would be just one more thing to worry about. So if you are thinking about breeding, remember that foal has to live with your decisions for the next 25+ years. With all the unwanted horses out there it is nice for your foal to have a better then average chance of being wanted by a good home. (Whoops! - Our mare had a beautiful blue roan colt! (See above photo right) Turns out dad was not a Perlino after all, when the breeder had him genetically tested she found out he was a Smoky Cream Roan! Still, you can't complain, he is gorgeous! (We know he came out nice when our breeder offered to buy him!) |
| Thinking About Breeding? You may want to think again. We had experience with horses for 23 years and had been training for 14 years before we decided we were ready to start breeding in 2004. There is so much research involved just to choose the right stallion. (see above article for info on this). Horses are not born trained and you can't read a book or watch a video on training and expect that to work, just like you can't read a book on cutting hair and then go out and open a salon. (Being able to sit on a horse's back is not considered "trained" by any standard) a lot of people get seriously injured trying to train a horse by themselves. Training costs average between $400 to $1,500 per month and you have to wait until the horse is 2 1/2 to 3 years old before you can send them to a trainer. A young horse needs a minimum of 3 - 6 months of training and seasoning to produce a very quiet, gentle, |
| well-behaved horse. And that doesn't even include any special training so that the horse can be shown. On top of that, there are 80,000 unwanted horses sent to slaughter every year in the United States alone. A lot of these horses are old or crippled, but a lot of them are young horses that come from the "backyard breeder" that decided to breed a mare before they had the experience needed to deal with a young horse. Go to a weekly horse sale/auction and you will see plenty of these poor, ruined horses. M-Bar-K Farms tries to rehabilitate one to two of these types of horses per year. This is definitely not the way to save money. Statistics show that 80% of people who get into horses get out within one year. And out of the 20% that is left, 2/3 will get out within the next five years. This is why M-Bar-K Farms specializes in helping the beginner and non-beginner get started in horses the correct way. This way has been proven to be successful again and again. |
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This chart can be used to review or learn some body parts of the horse. 1) Poll; The poll is the bony prominence lying between the ears. Except for the ears, it is the highest point on the horses body when it is standing with its head up. 2) Crest; Moderately lean in mares but inclined to be more full in stallions. Curved top line of the neck. 3) Forehead; The forehead should be broad, full and flat. 4) Nostrils ; The nostrils should be capable of wide dilation to permit the maximum inhalation of air, yet be rather fine. 5) Muzzle; The head should taper to a small muzzle, the lips should be firm and the lower lip should not have the tendency to sag. 6) Point of Shoulder ; The point of shoulder is a hard, bony prominence surrounded by heavy muscle masses. 7) Breast; The Breast is a muscle mass between the forelegs, covering the front of the chest. Back to Top 8) Chest; An ideal chest is deep and contains the space necessary for vital organs. A narrow chest can lead to interference with the front legs. Chest muscles should be well developed and form an inverted "V". The prominence of chest muscling depends on the breed. 9) Forearm; The forearm should be well muscled, it extends from the elbow to the knee. 10) Knee; The knee is the joint between the forearm and the cannon bone. 11) Coronet; The coronet is the band around the top of the hoof from which the hoof wall grows. 12) Hoof; The hoof refers to the horny wall and the sole of the foot. The foot includes the horny structure and the pedal bones and navacular bones, as well as other connective tissue. 13) Pastern; The pastern extends from the fetlock to the top of the hoof. 14) Sesamoid; 15) Flexor Tendons; The flexor tendons run from the knee to the fetlock and can be seen prominently lying behind the cannon bone, when it runs parallel to the cannon bone it constitutes the desired "flat bone". 16) Fetlock; The fetlock is the joint between the cannon bone and the pastern. The fetlock joint should be large and clean. 17) Cannon; The cannon bone lies between the knee and fetlock joint, and is visible from the front of the leg. It should be straight. 18) Underline; 19) Hock; The hock is the joint between the gaskin and the cannon bone, in the rear leg. The bony protuberance at the back of the hock is called the point of hock. 20) Gaskin; The gaskin is the region between the stifle and the hock. 21) Stifle; The stifle is the joint at the end of the thigh corresponding to the human knee. 22) Flank; The flank is the area below the loin, between the last rib and the massive muscles of the thigh. 23) Croup; The croup (rump) lies between the loin and the tail. When one is looking from the side or back, it is the highest point of the hindquarters. 24) Loin; The loin or coupling is the short area joining the back to the powerful muscular croup ( rump). 25) Back; The back extends from the base of the withers to where the last rib is attached. 26) Withers; The withers is the prominent ridge where the neck and the back join. At the withers, powerful muscles of the neck and shoulders attach to the elongated spines of the second to sixth thoracic vertebrae. The height of a horse is measured vertically from the withers to the ground, because the withers is the horse's highest constant point. 27) Throat Latch; The neck should be fine at the throat latch to allow the horse ease of flexing. 28) Neck; Lightweight horses should have reasonably long necks for good appearance and proper balance. It should blend smoothly into the withers and the shoulders and not appear to emerge between the front legs. 29) Shoulder; Shoulders should be overlain with lean, flat muscle and blend well into the withers. 30) Barrel; The barrel should be narrower at the shoulders and widen at the point of coupling (loins). 31) Girth; This is the point that a horses should be measured to determine the heart girth which can be used to determine the horses weight. 32) Elbow; The elbow is a bony prominence lying against the chest at the beginning of the forearm. 33) Hindquarters; The hindquarters give power to the horse. They should be well muscled when viewed from the side and rear. |
M-Bar-K Farms
Other Information
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| Palomino |
| Buckskin |
| Bay |
| What is Floating? Because most horses don't eat with their heads down completely at all times, their teeth have a tendency to wear to a jagged edge, causing uneven wear and tear, loss of food digestibility and eventually loss of the horses' teeth. Floating is when a veterinarian files down the horses' molars in order for there to be even contact between the teeth. There is a lot of misinformation about floating which is unfortunate since it is now attributed to the new longevity in a horses' life. Floating needs to start at weaning, and continue every six months until age 4. A Veterinarian can take off caps and pull wolf teeth to help the horse maintain comfort during it's early learning years. After age 4 then a horse should be floated at least once per year. Horse retirement homes say that horses that were not floated on a regular basis usually have no teeth by age 20. Because proper dental care is vital to a horse's overall health, the American Association of Equine Practitioners says your horses need a thorough oral exam at least once a year. Left undiagnosed and untreated, a dental problem can develop into a much more significant health concern. In a 2006 study of horses suffering from chronic weight loss, 20 percent of the horses experienced weight loss due to dental disorders. In addition to weight loss, the inability to chew feed into small particles can lead to colic, and the bacteria associated with gum disease in the horse's mouth can migrate to other areas of the body, similar to what occurs with gum disease in humans. In addition, a variety of educational articles and resources about equine dentistry are available on the AAEP Web site. Click here to learn more. |
| Trivia What is HYPP? Probably a lot of you have seen this before. It is caused from a mutated gene and it stands for HYPERKALEMIC PERIODIC PARALYSIS. This condition is characterized by intermittent episodes of muscle tremors (shaking or trembling, weaknesses and/or collapse). To date, HYPP only has been traced to descendants of IMPRESSIVE, AQHA #0767246 Luckily there is a test for this today. Possible results of HYPP testing are N/N (Normal), N/H (Carrier) and H/H (Positive for HYPP). If you tested any horse in the world, they would come out HYPP N/N if they did not carry the HYPP gene. Unfortunately a lot of people avoid buying these very fine horses because they don't understand that HYPP N/N means that the horse is as normal as any horse unrelated to Impressive. HYPP is inherited as a dominant trait, which means a carrier (N/H) stallion or mare bred to a normal (N/N) horse will result in approximately half of the offspring being affected and half being normal. The rare (H/H) usually is severely affected with the disease and will pass the gene to its offspring 100 percent of the time. It is very important when looking to buy or breed a horse with Impressive lineage that it is N/N. That means that the horse is normal and does not carry this mutated gene at all, nor can they ever pass it to their offspring. However, it is OK to purchase a gelding or spayed mare that is HYPP N/H. This horse would not be effected by the gene because they are only a carrier, and you would not be taking a chance of passing it on to future offspring) |
| Trivia What is rain rot? "Rain rot" and "rain scald" are common names for a dermatitis in horses due to the invasion of bacteria called Dermatophilus Congolensis in the outer skin layers. This bacterium can be part of the normal flora of bacteria that reside on the skin surface. It can proliferate rapidly when the skin becomes wet due to rain or high humidity. When this happens, the bacteria aggressively attack the skin, leading to ulceration and crater formation. Scales form as serum oozes from the lesions and mats the hair. However, being out in the rain is essential to building immunity. Although frequently seen in neglected horses, rain rot also occurs in very well-groomed, well-fed horses that simply have infrequent exposure to rain and low immunity. This is very frustrating to show horse owners whose horses are accidentally exposed to rain. Horses that are kept out regularly are more likely to develop an immunity after one or two bouts of rain rot than those who rarely get wet. This is why they have healthy skin despite frequent exposure to rain. Horses that are on a poor diet or are heavily parasitized often develop chronic conditions or have recurring bouts of rain rot. Regular grooming helps prevent many skin disorders. A dirty coat can collect bacteria and hold it next to the skin. Good nutrition, including vitamins and fatty acids, is essential for healthy skin and hair. In mild cases of rain rot, anti-bacterial shampoos such as Weladol, and rinses such as Betadine, may be all that is needed to clear up the condition. These are usually applied every two days for three to four treatments. In winter, when it’s too cold to bathe horses, you can apply topical preparations to only the affected sections of your horse, drying each quickly, or use an antibacterial powder. Rain rot, which is bacterial, is often confused with ringworm, which is caused by a fungus, and with allergic weals resulting from insect bites. Insect bites are often isolated, whereas fungal and bacterial conditions tend to spread. With any skin condition, especially one that makes riding uncomfortable for your horse, consult your veterinarian for an accurate, differential diagnosis. He or she will closely examine the skin lesions, and, if necessary, perform fungal/bacterial cultures to confirm diagnosis. |
| Trivia What do the two horses above have in common? The one in the top picture is a dun paint, the one on the bottom is a roan. What both of these horses have in common is that they are marked horses. Most people think that a dun, a paint or pinto and a roan are a breed. Guess again. They are markings. A dun is any color or breed of horse with the dun marked gene. There is actually a breed of dun horse, but that is usually not the duns that you see in the United States. They are usually quarter horses or some other breed. Usually dun marking are a line down the back and stripes on the legs. Some duns also are marked with black points. Duns can come in any color, gray, sorrel, bay etc. On dark horses it may be hard to detect that the horse has dun markings. People think Buckskins are duns. You can have a buckskin dun, but the buckskin is just another color variance. (see above article). Paints and pintos are also markings, not a breed. A paint is a quarter horse or thoroughbred with the spotting gene. A pinto is any other breed with the spotting gene. Many breeders make a lot of mistakes getting into paints and thinking they are breeding "purebred" paints. That is like trying to cross a dalmatian and a Brittany spaniel to get "purebred" spotted dogs. Both dogs have spots, but they are different breeds. Roans are also a marking. Roaning just means that white hairs are evenly interspersed with the regular colored hairs. Roans can also come in many colors as well and you can have roan markings on many different breeds of horses. Unfortunately the United States is the only country that has horse breed organizations organized by color. That is extremely confusing for people trying to breed (see breeding article above) You don't see this in other breed organizations. You don't have the Yellow dog breeders association or the White rabbit breeders association. And European horse organizations also go by breed and not color. U.S. Organizations are trying to change as people get more educated about genetics and how it effects breeding, hopefully they will keep going in that direction. |