proach-ed an equally well-dressed Walking Horse( braid and all), who was at least 17 hands, untied him from a truck bumper and from a stump mounted herself while the big horse stood waiting for the word ' go '! This was obviously an ex-show horse, yet his manners were perfect.
We were also impressed by a little girl about nine years old, riding alone on a GO BOY gelding just prior to the start of the first Sunday afternoon brace. She sat the big horse, confident of his every move, in and out of crowds of people, around cars and by other horses until she was in line with the gallery headed for the starting point.
Our VOICE Art Director, Walter Williams, went along on the trip and experienced his first long tenure in the saddle. We selected a little black Walking mare for him to ride, and six hours later he was none the worse for his experience. He said all he had to do was head her in the right direction and she just went slow or fast according to the rest of the horses. Gaits he did not know... but comfort he easily recognized.
Our trip to the 1964 Shooting Dog Field Trials Championship proved most enlightening. We learned, first hand, what the Brantleys, Dements and other fathers of the Tennessee Walking breed have known for many years: that the Tennessee Walking Horse, by virture of his breeding, temperament and inborn gaits, is the nation’ s greatest pleasure horse. True... he is famous for his modern“ show horse” ability, but perhaps he is more famous, and has been for generations, for his ability in the field. At least we now know of several hundreds sportsmen who will swear by the Walking Horse as the“ only” horse to take hunting with Ol’ Sport.
IF YOU MOVE... Please send us both your old address and your new. Allow 30 days for change.
VOICE PUBLISHING COMPANY P. O. Box 3054 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
Vilamins and Horses.
Funk, a Polish scientist working in London, first postulated vitamins( he called them vitamines; later the“ e” was dropped) in 1912. But only in the last few years has it been possible to see or touch any of them in pure form.
The lack of vitamins in a horse ration may, under certain conditions, be more serious than a short supply of feed. Deficiencies may lead to failure in growth or reproduction, poor health, and even to characteristic disorders known as deficiency diseases.
Unfortunately, there are no warning signals to tell a care taker when a horse is not getting enough of certain vitamins. But a continuing inadequate supply of any one of several vitamins can produce illness which is very hard to diagnose until it becomes severe; at which time it is difficult and expensive— if not too late to treat. The important thing, therefore, is to insure against such deficiencies occurring. But horsemen should not shower a horse with mistaken kindness through using shot-gun type vitamin preparations. Instead, the quantity of each vitamin should be based on available scientific knowledge.
Certainly deficiencies of vitamins A and D are encountered. Indications are that vitamin E serves as insurance against destruction of vitamin A, and makes for improved reproduction and performance. In experiments conducted in Canada, it was found that alpha tocopherol, a stable form of vitamin E,( 1) increased the conception rate of mares,( 2) improved the breeding behavior, sex drive, sperm quality, and condition of stallions, and( 3) enhanced the stamina, temperament, feed consumption, and track performance of race horses.
Although some of the B vitamins and unidentified factors are synthesized in the cecum of the horse, I doubt that this microbial activity is sufficient to meet the needs during the critical periods— growth, reproduction, and when animals are subjected to great stress as in showing or racing. Also, there is reason to question the efficacy of absorption this far down the digestive tract; for, in comparison with other animals and man, the cecum is on the wrong end of the digestive tract. For these reasons, in valuable horses it is not wise to rely solely on bacterial synthesis. The B vitamins, along with unidentified factors, may be provided by adding to the ration such ingredients as distillers dried solubles, dried brewer’ s yeast, and dried fish solubles, usually through a reputable commercial feed.
YOU ARE ASKING
My mail has been heavy. Here are my answers to a few of the timely questions that I have received:
Q.— Should girls take Animal Science in college?
A.— Yes. But they should prepare themselves for certain areas of work. For example, if they become proficient in shorthand and typing, in addition to taking the regular in Animal Science, they will be in demand in the area of communications and as administra-
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MARCH 1964 11