1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 September Voice | Page 44

I r HORSES !
Horses , orses ,
by
Dr M . E . Ensminger , Ph D . Clovit , Colifornia
You ' re asking
Here are several pertinent and timely questions that I have received from different sections of the United States , along with my answers :
Q . Why the recent boom and interest in horses ? ( From a magazine editor in Texas )
A . Here is my thinking —
1 . Horses have become a status symbol . In the middle ages , the rich man rode a horse and the poor man walked . When I was a boy , the rich man rode in a horseless carriage and the poor man had a horse . Today , the rich man has a horse and the poor man has a car .
2 . There are more and more race tracks , and these have stimulated horse production .
3 . More leisure time and more emphasis on physical fitness and the outdoors have accentuated interest in horses .
4 . More parents and others are coming to recognize that horses are wonderful companions for boys and girls ; they shower their love and affection on horses , the animals occupy their time , and they don ’ t get into trouble .
5 . Many older folks associate horses with hot , dirty work — I ’ m referring to draft horses and mules , of course . However , in the thinking of the younger generation , horses are fun . Today ’ s youngsters never followed a “ foot burner ” ( walking plow ), and few of them would know how to harness a draft horse .
Q . Among my Shetland Ponies , of which I am a breeder , I am plagued by a stifled condition . What can you tell me about it ? ( From the State of Washington )
A . The stifle joint in the horse corresponds to the knee in a man . A horse is said to be stifled when the patella ( or kneecap ) slips out of place and temporarily locks in a location above and to the inside of its normal location . Technically , this condition is known as dorsal patellar fixation . Sometimes it is possible to place the patella back in normal postion manually . However , the most effective treatment is surgery , known as medial patellar desmotomy , which consists of the removal of one of the ligaments which attach to the patella .
Q . In a recenf column , you stated that fescue pasture will not cause mares to abort . Sir , I beg to disagree . I find that a steady diet of fescue — fescue pasture in season , and fescue hay in winter — will produce poor results . I have experienced both abortions and weak foals at birth . ( From Kentucky )
A . I ’ m not surprised . No matter how good any one feed ingredient may be , if not balanced out poor results are inevitable . Q . What causes laminitis ( founder )? ( From New York )
A . It is caused by over-eating , over-drinking , inflammation of the uterus following parturition , or inflammation of the intestines . It is seen most often in over-fed and under-worked ponies which are confined and in mares after foaling .
Q . My pasture is short , so I want to self-feed a salt-protein block to my horses . My local feed dealer has such a product . But please tell me how to start my horses on this type of feeding program . ( From Florida )
A . When starting horses on saltfeed blocks , limit intake and avoid too sudden feed change by ( 1 ) giving , at first , a fill of hay or pasture , and or ( 2 ) limiting the time of access to the blocks . After horses have become accustomed to such blocks , feed them free choice , along with all the hay and pasture they want , and provide access to plenty of water .
OCTOBER 3 . . . Cairo , Georgia , Championship Horse Show . Contact O . R . Wall , Manager , Box 5431 or call AL 2-1085 , Columbia , S . C .
OCTOBER 3 . . . Sheffield , Alabama Lions Club Horse Show . Contact : A1 Holt , Manager , 994 Lanier Blvd ., N . E ., Atlanta , Georgia .
OCTOBER 5 . . . Ellijay Horse Show , Ellijay , Ga . Contact : C . W . Bradley , Chatsworth , Ga .
OCTOBER 9-10 . . . Natchez , Mississippi .
OCTOBER 9-13 .. . State Fair of Texas Horse Show , Dallas , Texas . Contact : Ray W . Wilson , P . O . Box 26010 , Dallas . Texas . 75226 .
OCTOBER 10 . . . Second Annual National Jamboree Horse Show , Chatsworth , Ga . Contact : C . W . Bradley , Chatsworth , Ga .
OCTOBER 11 . . . Annual York Horse Show , York , Pa . Contact : Greg Woolridge Tally Ho Personnel , 40 N . Beaver Street , York , Pa ., 17401 .
OCTOBER 15-16-17 . . . Greenwood , South Carolina . Contact W . J . Dillon , 2702 W . Market St ., Greensboro , North Carolina .
OCTOBER 16-24 . . . The American Royal , Kansas City , Missouri . Contact : Lon Cox , 402 Live Stock Exchange Building , Stock Yards Station , Kansas City , Missouri .
OCTOBER 15-17 . . . Chattanooga , Tennessee . Contact : Col . James Seashole , Field House , Chattanooga , Tenn .
OCTOBER 17 . . . McDonough , Ga . Contact Jimmy Seashole , or Mrs . Woodrow Garrett , Whitesburg , Ga .
OCTOBER 27-NOV . 1 . . . Washington , D . C .
OCTOBER 28-30 . . . Mississippi State Championship Horse Show , Jackson , Miss . Contact : F . B . Daniels , 614 Bankers Trust Plaza Building , Jackson , Miss .
OCTOBER 30 . . . Decatur , Georgia Charity Horse Show . Contact : A1 Holt , 994 Lanier Blvd ., N . E ., Atlanta , Georgia .
OCTOBER 29-31 . . . Jackson , Mississippi .
NOVEMBER 3-10 . . . New York , N . Y .
NOVEMBER 5-8 .. . Baton Rouge , La . ( Jubilee ).
NOVEMBER 11-14 . . . Montgomery . Ala .
NOVEMBER 26-27-28-29 . . . Charlotte , North Carolina . Contact W . J . Dillon , 2702 W . Market St ., Greensboro , North Carolina .
NOVEMBER 27-DEC . 5 . . . Chicago International Horse Show Chicago , 111 . Contact ; F . M . Flynn Room 120 Exchange Building , Union Stock Yards , Chicago , 111 ., 60609
44 VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse