Canadian Horse Journal - SAMPLE - Sept Oct 2017

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9 BC Wildfire Service

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48 Angie Field

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54 Clockwise from Top Left: Glenbow Archives NA-2589-3 | Canada. Patent and Copyright Office / Library and Archives Canada / C-015039 Canada Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-005001 | Gordon George Phillips/Library and Archives Canada/PA-074556 | Glenbow Archives NA-2649-2

SPECIAL FEATURES

More than 1,200 fires, over 1 million hectares burned, 6,000 horses evacuated… How are horse people coping?

43 Saddle Fit – English vs Western

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48 Walk, Trot… BUCK!

54 A Country Built

By Horse Power

How does saddle fit vary from one discipline to another? www.HORSE Journals.com

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A step-by-step guide to a balanced canter departure.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

The powerful role horses played in the development of Canada.

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9 BC’s 2017 Wildfire Season the Worse on Record

ON THE COVER

“Here’s to the sunny slopes of long ago.”

– Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove PHOTO: CANSTOCK/ CONLEYSHORSEPHOTOS

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EQVALAN® Gold Canadian product label.

EQVALAN® is a registered trademark of Merial (a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies), used under license. ©2017 Merial Canada Inc. (a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim group of companies). All SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017(E) :: CANADIAN HORSE JOURNAL rights reserved.

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16 Dreamstime/Wavebreakmedia Ltd | 36 Photo: Jackie Johnson | 30 Shutterstock/Cornfield

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DEPARTMENTS 2 Celebration of Horses Photo Contest 8 Editorial 42 To Subscribe

HORSE HEALTH

76 Horse Council BC News

16 Unravelling the Mysteries of the Pre-Purchase Exam

Alleviate tensions leading up to the big day by knowing what to expect.

22 The Scoop on Supplements

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A growing number of horse owners are choosing supplements to augment their animals’ well-being.

www.HORSE Journals.com

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30 Hay, Haylage, and Silage — What’s the Difference?

Know the facts when choosing conserved forage for your horse.

36 8 Ways to Survive the Emotional Roller Coaster of Having an Injured Horse

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Help your horse thrive during downtime and keep your own frustrations at bay.

78 Manitoba Horse Council News 79, Inside Back Cover

Country Homes & Acreages

80 Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association News

82 New & Noteworthy Products 83 Hitchin’ Post, Index to Advertisers 84 Book Review:

Spirit of the Horse by William Shatner

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BC Horse Community

on ALERT!

PHOTO: BC WILDFIRE SERVICE

2017 Wildfire Season the Worst on Record As livestock and property owners worriedly watch the skies praying for rain, the wildfire season in British Columbia shows no sign of abating and could continue until the first snows fly.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, the 2017 wildfire season is officially the worst on record in the province.

As of August 30th, the number of fires since April 1st totals 1,155, with 1,059,093 hectares (10,591 square kilometres) burned, and some 145 wildfires still burning. Over 3,915 firefighters and other personnel are fighting the fires, including 881 from out-of-province and 1,530 contractors.

About 180 helicopters and planes are supporting all the ground crews and at this time there are 2,182 evacuees, 16 evacuation orders, and 40 evacuation alerts in effect.

“We have been on evacuation alert for two months now,

By Margaret Evans

with all of our valuable belongings in our travel trailer,” says Lynda Atkinson who lives in the Quesnel area and is Vice President of Industry for Horse Council, BC. “We learned very quickly that there isn’t much that we could take with us, and we really don’t have a lot of valuable things. We did evacuate our five mares and foals. Wonderful people came and picked them up and more wonderful people kept them for us for the first three weeks when the fire was most active on Green Mountain. I also learned that many of my neighbours do not have fire insurance, partly because farm insurance is so expensive to begin with, but almost impossible to get if you are outside of a fire district or heat with wood. Neighbours do work together to make sure everyone is taken care of, and for that I am truly grateful.”

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puffer twice a day for a week after virtually living outdoors at the fairgrounds for several days.

The smoke was just as much a health hazard in the Quesnel area.

“The smoke is omnipresent,” says Atkinson. “It meant that we couldn’t exercise our horses, and had to watch very carefully with all of our animals, especially the pregnant cows and horses [to see] that they were not stressed at all.

Dealing with the smoke was as much as they could take.

We haven’t pregnancy-checked our animals, so we don’t know if any of them lost their babies, which I understand may be a real possibility.”

In-your-face danger from the flaming trees, billowing smoke, suffocating heat and dryness, the tinder-dry forest ready to explode, the threat of lightning, the endless worry as to when it will rain and when it will all end is stressful for everyone. Yet each person responds to the urgency in different ways.

The Haywards had experienced the 2003 McLure Wildfire when it roared over the mountains and hillsides in a rolling wave of fire travelling at 60 km/hour. It was surrounding their 320-acre ranch while they were loading 75 head of cows and calves and 16 horses.

“It was so hot it took your breath away and the noise of the fire across the river was like standing next to a locomotive running at full throttle. I’m sure we set records for the fastest loading of livestock, and not one animal hesitated to get in the trailers. Many of them had never seen a trailer, let alone a stall.

They were amazing.”

That experience provided insight as to what to expect this summer.

“Quite honestly, for myself and my husband the wildfires trigger a sense of purpose — we’ve been there, done that, know what to expect — and move forward with a plan to be prepared. One thing we came away with from 2003 was the lesson that when a wildfire threatens you and your home, your job is to evacuate as quickly and calmly as possible with what

Steven Dubas reported that the Prince George Evacuation Centre on July 12th was well organized, with over 220 horses on site and room for more.

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PHOTOS: BC WILDFIRE SERVICE

Further south in Barriere, conditions too were rapidly deteriorating.

“On July 7, wildfires 15 minutes north of Barriere (seven kilometres north of where we live in Louis Creek) caused numerous evacuations in the Little Fort (Thuya Creek Fire) and two Dunn Lake (Dunn Lake fire) areas,” says Jill Hayward, evacuation coordinator for Barriere Fairgrounds. “Both people and livestock were forced to leave their properties in the dark, fleeing north to Clearwater or south to Barriere. Many (both people and livestock) came to the North Thompson Fall Fairgrounds in Barriere. Just a few days later, the evacuations started again, this time from the Clinton area. By mid-July, we were caring for 378 animals at the fairgrounds, 80 percent were horses.”

Hayward says that Barriere caught its share of the smoke from the fires in the North Thompson and the Cariboo. While prevailing winds made some days smoke-free, when it settled on the town, people’s eyes burned and those with breathing difficulties experienced considerable discomfort. But among the livestock in their care, few experienced smoke-related problems.

“One evacuee, a 35-year-old mare with chronic COPD found the smoke a struggle even though she was in a barn with no dust, soaked hay, etc.,” says Hayward. “Under vet care, we medicated her to help with breathing, but it was a struggle for her to draw breath. With her owner’s consent, she was humanely euthanized. Another evacuated Appaloosa mare developed a harsh cough from the smoke and she was also stalled for two weeks following the same regime as the previous horse. We were all very happy when she was able to go back with her equine friends in the sunshine and run around like a foal with no more sign of breathing distress. We have also had a few horses that have red weepy eyes from the smoke, which we have treated with eye drops and daily maintenance. Also, some goats and a sheep found the smoke irritating to respiratory organs, but they have all recovered well. I think our volunteers had more reaction to it, myself included.” Hayward explains that she had to use a Ventolin

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/WAVEBREAKMEDIA LTD

HORSE HEALTH

Unravelling the Mysteries of the

Pre-Purchase Exam

As fall approaches and the show season draws to a close, many riders and horse owners begin preparations for winter training. This is the time of year when goals are set for next season, and as a result, riders must critically evaluate their own performance as well as that of their mount. In some cases, this leads to the ultimate decision to seek out a new equine partner with whom to pursue higher achievements.

For this reason, the fall schedule of an equine veterinarian is often kept busy with pre-purchase examinations.

The pre-purchase examination, or “vetting” of a horse, can be a stressful time for buyer and seller alike. On one hand, the seller may be anxious that something undesirable will be discovered, leading to the end of the sale. On the other hand, the potential buyer fears the heartbreak that will result if their new dream horse fails the dreaded vet check. However, a clear understanding of the purpose of this essential veterinary service will help alleviate tensions leading up to the big day.

Before discussing what exactly comprises a pre-purchase exam, it is very important to know what it is not. On a pre-purchase exam, the veterinarian is not looking to “pass” or “fail” a horse but rather, to make informed observations about the health and 16

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By Lauren MacLeod, BSc., DVM

soundness of the horse on a particular day. It is up to the potential buyer to use this information to make their own informed decision about the purchase of the particular horse. In addition, a prepurchase exam is not a guarantee of the present or future health of the horse. As most horse owners know, horses are adept at becoming injured or ill, and just because the horse appeared sound and healthy at the time of examination does not guarantee that the animal will be in a similar state in the future. This is an unfortunate reality of owning horses and potential buyers must remember that buying animals can be a risky business!

With this in mind, many potential buyers may wonder why they should bother having a veterinary assessment of a horse prior to purchase. After all, if the horse seems sound and healthy enough to buy, and if there are no guarantees that come with a pre-purchase exam, it may seem a pointless exercise on the surface. However, the benefits of having a horse vetted far outweigh the potential costs of buying a horse with a (sometimes expensive) problem. It is a well-known fact that the least expensive part of owning a horse is the purchase price. The real expenses come after the horse is brought home. If your new equine partner has a chronic health or lameness issue, there will

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/MANON RINGUETTE

be expenses associated with future veterinary care and/or medications in addition to the costs that come with owning a horse that must be fed and housed but cannot be ridden.

Therefore, even the $500 pony advertised in the local paper may end up costing much more than the new owner had bargained for. For this reason, any new prospect is a candidate for a prepurchase exam, regardless of the purchase price.

Before the Exam

Once the decision has been made to move forward with a prepurchase exam, there are a few points to consider prior to booking the appointment with a veterinarian. First, it is necessary to obtain permission from the seller to have the horse examined. Most of the pre-purchase exam is non-invasive and is simply a thorough examination by the veterinarian. However, if the horse should require sedation for any reason, or if his shoes must be removed for radiographs, will the current owner allow this? It is always easier for all parties to determine this ahead of time. Another topic to discuss with the current owner is the quality of the facilities at which the horse is located. Is there hard, flat ground and an arena with good footing to use for the moving portion of the exam? Is there a barn with adequate lighting for examining the horse, and electrical outlets if radiograph or ultrasound equipment must be set up? If the facility does not meet these requirements, it may be necessary to haul the horse to another stable or a vet clinic in order to get the most out of the vet check.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/OSETRIK

During the soundness exam the horse will be observed on the longe line on both hard and soft ground.

A complete physical examination and soundness evaluation is part of the standard pre-purchase exam.

Choosing the veterinarian to conduct the examination is usually the most important consideration. This decision is often straightforward if the horse is located in your area, as your regular veterinarian can perform the exam. However, complications arise if your veterinarian also does work for the seller, as this may be seen as a conflict of interest. By having an open discussion with the seller and the veterinarian, you will avoid putting your veterinarian in an awkward position on the day of the exam – one in which he or she must strive to remain objective while evaluating another client’s animal.

Furthermore, if you are buying a horse in a distant location, you will need to hire a veterinarian who works in that area. In this situation, it often helps to speak with your regular veterinarian who may be able to provide you with a list of equine veterinary practices in that area.

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HORSE HEALTH

scoop THE

ON

Supplements

Whether or not to give supplements to horses has always been the topic of lively and enduring conversation. But, there is a growing community of riders and horse owners who choose to provide their horses with the supplemental balance of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements to help with health issues and augment the well-being of their animals.

While some may think that the use of supplements is a trendy, contemporary approach to equine nutrition, in fact the history of supplements for horses goes way back.

In 1833, Thomas Day began manufacturing animal medicines at Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK, and expanded into London a year later. In 1834, he 22

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launched the first known equine tonic called Days’ Black Drink to relieve colic, gripes, chills, and low condition in horses. He sold Black Drink for 10 shillings for six bottles (there were 20 shillings in British pound). Day & Sons, which was established in 1840, billed itself as the largest veterinary supplier in the world and included a statement on the bottle’s label to caution against others selling imitations of their Black Drink.

In 1912, biochemist Frederick Hopkins (1929 Nobel Prize in Physiology for Medicine) published a paper that explained, through a series of animal feeding experiments, that proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and water alone do not promote growth, but other

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The most important component of the horse’s diet is fibre from pasture grazing or quality hay. Before adding a supplement, the horse’s diet should be assessed to determine what is needed to fill in the nutritional gaps.

By Margaret Evans

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/MILA SUPINSKAYA GLASHCHENKO

then-unidentified substances called “accessory food factors” were essential for animal growth and survival.

Those accessory food factors turned out to be vitamins.

Over the subsequent decades, an industry in equine food and nutritional supplements took off. According to an article in the UK magazine Horse & Hound (October 2004), 1929 saw the launch of Equivite’s vitamin and mineral mix for horses; the first cod liver oil product for horses and ponies was launched in 1935; and, in 1958, the first “pony nuts” (pellets) appeared. Products to improve horse health developed steadily with the first herbal calmer (1986) and the first feed balancer in

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK/AMCIMAGES

1989. In 1995, the University of Guelph, Ontario, completed research that led to the first premium electrolyte for performance horses. In the past 20 years, horse owners have enjoyed an expanding selection of feeds, supplements, and balancers to choose from and the market continues to grow.

“There is a rise in owners searching for supplements,” says Shelley Nyuli with SciencePure Nutraceuticals Inc., in Abbotsford, BC. “However, their desire is for a supplement that they think is needed to aid in a specific symptom of a nutritionally unbalanced or environmentally-deprived horse.”

Nyuli says that, since 1997, the most popular product is a joint aid formula for

horses showing symptoms of osteoarthritis, joint stiffness, or short striding.

“Over the years we have noticed a drastic increase in horse owners using supplements on their horses, in particular joint supplements, not only for therapeutic use but also for maintenance,” says Trevor Watkin, coowner (with brother Jason Watkin) of Purica in Duncan, BC. “From our experience, the most popular supplements are, of course, a good vitamin supplement but also supplements for joint issues.”

The interest in equine nutrition and the value of supplements is just as strong in the US. “Over the last 30 years, we have seen SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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for Horses

Characteristics of Hay, Haylage and Silage

By Shelagh Bertrand For the horse owner, the onset of fall weather can signal the start of the search for storable forage before winter begins.

Considerations such as forage type and storage form, nutritional content, palatability, and cost all become important.

Horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores. They are adapted to eating plant fibre or forage sources such as pasture, or preserved forages such as hay, haylage or silage. Horses can utilize fibrous plant material very successfully through the hydrolyzation of simple carbohydrates and other nutrients in the stomach or foregut, and the fermentation by microbes of complex carbohydrate sources in the uniquely adapted hind gut.

The energy derived from fibrous plant material is generated as a result of the fermentation of carbohydrates like cellulose by the natural microbes living in the hind gut of a horse.

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Fermentation of these carbohydrates results in short chain fatty acids called volatile fatty acids (VFA). They are utilized by the horse as an excellent source of safe energy.

Horse are happiest when they can browse or forage for food for at least 10 to 15 hours per day. In summer, this can easily be provided through the feeding of fresh forages in the form of pasture. Weather prohibits the utilization of pasture as a forage source for a large part of the year in Canada.

Canadian horse owners have a yearly objective of sourcing quality stored forage for our horses to consume in the coming winter months. There are few things more satisfying for the horse owner than a successful search for winter feed that results in a barn full of good hay!

Forage preservation methods

Forages for horses are most commonly preserved for storage in the form of hay, haylage, or silage. The first step in preparing any kind of forage for preservation is the cutting and the subsequent wilting of the grass by the sun and air as it lies in the field. As forage is wilted the moisture level drops and the dry matter percent goes up. The amount of moisture present in the forage when baled will dictate whether the feed is stored as hay or ensiled as haylage or silage.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/CORNFIELD

Forage

Botulism is the most sinister risk associated with feeding ensiled forages, and horses are more sensitive than any other animal species to the toxins produced by the botulism organism.

Fresh grass when cut generally has a moisture content of at least 80 percent (resulting in a dry matter value or DM of 20 percent or less). Cut forage intended for hay must be allowed to dry in the field to a moisture level of not more than about 12 percent (88 percent DM). Hay that is baled with a moisture level in excess of 12 percent will result in bales that are heavy, and at risk of mould and heating. Heating can happen because the presence of sufficient water in the forage allows metabolic activity to continue, resulting in heat accumulation within the bale. The heat can get so high that spontaneous combustion and barn fires are the potential outcome. Always strive to buy hay for horses that is not more than approximately 12 percent moisture.

What about silage?

PHOTO: ROBIN DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Ensiling forages is a practice where wilted or fresh cut grass is packed into an anaerobic environment. Anaerobic refers to an environment where no oxygen is present. The ensiling process allows the natural microbes on the grass to ferment the natural sugars in the grass (water soluble carbohydrates or WSC) to organic acids such as lactic acid or acetic acid. As the acids accumulate in the packed forage the pH drops,

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PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/SHARON KINGSTON

What defines hay?

eventually arriving at a point where no more microbial activity can happen. This process generally takes about 21 days to complete. When the pH stops dropping, the ensiled feed is considered stable and ready for storage. In order to exclude the air from forages intended for ensiling, the bales are generally wrapped in plastic. Each bale is like a mini silo and has its own fermentation process. The quality of the forage that comes out of the bale is determined by the quality of the forage that went into the bale and the completeness of the ensiling process that was allowed to happen.

The first step in preparing forage for preservation is cutting it and allowing it to dry by the sun and air as it lies in the field.

When baled, the amount of moisture in the forage will determine whether it is stored as hay, or ensiled as haylage or silage.

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LIVING WITH HORSES

8

WAYS to Survive the

Emotional Roller Coaster of Having an

Injured Horse 36

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By Tania Millen Sooner or later, most horse owners have the unfortunate experience of dealing with an injured horse. It’s common sense to have a veterinarian assess what’s wrong as soon as your horse becomes injured, but a vet will also help create a rehabilitation plan, advise how long the recovery period will be, and provide post-recovery expectations. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, the future plans for the horse, and the prognosis, the experience can be an emotional roller coaster.

If the recovery period or prognosis is unknown, you may be operating in limboland for quite some time. That unknown can be particularly stressful, so focussing on the end goal of having a healthy horse again, enjoying each day as it comes, or refocussing elsewhere are all tactics that can help. Finding a silver lining in your horse’s injury will not only make the experience more enjoyable, it may improve

PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/WAVEBREAKMEDIA LTD

your relationship with your horse and even increase your horse’s quality of life.

Many professionals have struggled with the challenges of injured horses and they have great suggestions for how to survive these difficult times. Jonathan Field, a popular horsemanship clinician, says, “There are lots of little low-impact exercises that riders can teach their horses while they’re injured or on restricted exercise programs. For example, teaching them to drop their head or place their feet on an object gets them thinking and engaging with their rider, which keeps the horse stimulated, but also helps build a stronger bond between horse and rider.”

Jackie Johnson, head trick trainer at Stunthorse.com, observes, “Many horses that are injured have a tremendous amount of energy that owners often have challenges dealing with. Low-impact trick

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PHOTO: DREAMSTIME/WAVEBREAKMEDIA LTD

>

When your horse becomes sidelined with an injury, finding ways to cope with the downtime and refocussing on the goal of having a healthy horse again will not only help you survive the uncertainty, but can also you improve your relationship with your horse.

PHOTO: JACKIE JOHNSON

> training can be just as mentally challenging as physical exercises, and it can really help keep a horse’s energy in check during recuperation.”

Meanwhile, Chelan Kozak, a USEA level IV coach and CCI4* rider, has found that few injuries require complete immobilization, hence she nearly always provides a small paddock, run-out stall, or hand-walking to keep the injured horse sane. She also suggests keeping horses in stalls and paddocks where there is lots of activity, using veterinary-prescribed

Smiling is a simple trick to teach your horse and it makes riders smile, too!

sedatives where suitable, and taking advantage of slow feed hay nets.

There are many ways to help your horse thrive during the down days of an injury, alleviate your frustration, and potentially turn the lemon of an injury into sweet and unexpected lemonade.

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Here are eight activities to help you: 1 Map the Recovery Period Maintaining the sanity of confined horses can be challenging, and being unable to ride for an extended period can turn level-headed riders into basket cases.

So, it’s really useful to mark your horse’s injury date on a calendar and then plan activities for each week of the recovery period. Celebrate your successes along the way and whenever you feel frustrated or grumpy, check the calendar to see how far you’ve come.

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MAINTAIN • HEAL • PROTECT

www.TherapyProducts.net (503) 632-7187 • info@therapyproducts.net SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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Walk, Trot –

By Jonathan Field Recently, I helped a friend whose mare was having problems with the transition to canter. Moving from trot to canter was scary at best – the mare might cut sharply into a turn, panic and rush, or throw in a strong buck. The mare seemed to be saying let’s just stick with the trot!

I’ve seen riders of all levels dealing with these issues. The steps I took to help this mare are explained and illustrated in the following photos, and these same steps can benefit other horses at all gaits.

A horse may balk or buck when transitioning to canter for many reasons, including: • Cinch constriction. Some horses feel the cinch in a different way when they stretch out to canter, and it can cause resistance because they think something has grabbed their belly.

• Balance plays a huge role when moving out faster. An unbalanced horse will likely not want to go forward calmly and easily and may feel unsafe, which can cause all kinds of issues to arise.

• No GO button! When the rider asks for canter, the horse has not been taught to respond quickly and get moving.

• Giddy up… but just a little! This is a scared rider asking the horse to go forward and at the same time pulling back on the reins, which blocks the horse’s forward movement. Or, the rider is asking for forward but also pulling on the bit in an attempt to put the horse “in contact.” I see this often, but it is important to understand that before the rider can expect any degree of flexion or sustained contact with a green horse, the horse must freely and willingly move forward off the seat and leg aids without rider interference.

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B

–

BUCK!

Step-by-Step to a Balanced Canter Departure 1

FIGURE 1 To solve the problem, first I wanted to see how the mare cantered on a long line. Here she’s picked up a canter and tightened up the lead, but her centre of balance is too far forward and she has fallen left to the inside of the circle. If we continue on without going back to help her learn a new posture and self-carriage, the lead will get tighter and we’ll actually start holding her up. I call this “reincarriage,” not self-carriage. If this pattern is continued, when the rider mounts and the horse is similarly held up by the inside rein and leg aids, it’s very dangerous because she is only a trip away from falling down. Knowing this, we can’t really blame the horse for resisting and bucking because she is trying to tell us that she could fall.

2

• Last (but not least) is a care issue of some kind. This might be anything from a sore body or an ill-fitting saddle, to ulcers or any number of other issues that your vet can help diagnose.

With my friend’s mare, the main issue was balance. She would cut and fall into the canter and buck because she felt so out of balance. As we move through the steps outlined below, you’ll see her become more relaxed and confident, and you’ll even notice quite a positive change in her expression.

FIGURE 2 Going back to groundwork at the walk, I take time to teach her to move her shoulders over and bend through the head, neck, shoulder, and ribs. Step by step, by releasing each time she moves over, she builds competence to do this. Notice that I have a slight counterbend set up here and this is intentional, as I would be setting up my right balance/ left bend and therefore the left lead. I continue to do this slowly and correctly until she can bend left and balance over to the right for at least six steps in a row.

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PHOTO: ROBIN DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

A COUNTRY Built

by Horse Power

By Margaret Evans

The relationship between horses and people in Canada is rich, deep, and ancient. And the story of horses in our country is as old as time itself. To understand the horse’s place in our lives today, we need to look back through the pages of history.

Why Did Horses Die Out in North America?

Horses evolved in North America some 55 million years ago when they were just the size of beagle dogs with several toes on each foot. They scuttled about in the undergrowth, lunching on ferns and fruit while dodging the danger of being someone else’s lunch. But as climates changed, those early species either adapted or died out. As the more successful horse species co-evolved with their habitat, they went on to develop into the fleet-footed, grassland, socially dependent, successful herd animal we love today.

The ancestor that gave rise to the modern genus Equus appeared about 4.5 million years ago, and 2.5 million years ago some of them migrated across the Bering Land Bridge linking Siberia and Alaska. The bridge named Beringia — actually a huge expanse of land about the size of British Columbia and Yukon combined — was exposed at the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch 2.5 million years ago as the climate cooled, sea levels dropped, and the Ice Age began.

But Beringia remained ice free and the climate generated a cold steppe tundra that supported large grazing animals on which the very first people drifting into Beringia depended 24,000 years ago.

The climate, forever changing, changed again. The world

Skull of 700,000-year-old horse found in permafrost in Thistle Creek Gold Mine in Yukon in 2003.

PHOTO: DUANE FROESE, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON

warmed, glaciers retreated releasing billions of litres of fresh water, and sea levels rose and began to swallow Beringia. The shrinking region grew more warm and moist, and shrub tundra incapable of supporting large grazing animals replaced the grassland steppe. This time, the horses along with other large mammals were unable to adapt. After 55 million years, the chapter closed on horses in North America as, some 10,000 years ago, they disappeared.

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Horses Return, Exploration and Settlement Follow

ancestral niche and population numbers grew rapidly as the horses ranged through the southern states and into the prairies and the high plains north to Canada.

It was just a matter of time before indigenous peoples made the connection that horses would enhance their culture in multiple ways. According to John C. Ewers’ classic book The Horse in Blackfoot Indian Culture, the Plains Indians began acquiring horses sometime after 1600, the centre of distribution being Santa Fe where the Spanish had set up stock-raising settlements.

While many tribes obtained their first horses from others they traded with, stealing horses was just as efficient. The first mounted natives were Pueblo men working for, or allied with, the Spanish. The Apache PHOTO: GLENBOW ARCHIVES NA-403-2

Horses would return to North America with the Spanish. Italian voyager Christopher Columbus, under the auspices of the Catholic monarch of Spain, sailed to Central America and imported horses to the West Indies on his second voyage in 1493. Horses came to the mainland in 1519 with Spanish conquistador Hernan CortĂŠs who sailed to Yucatan with 11 ships, 508

men, and 16 horses. More Spanish explorers with soldiers and horses arrived in the 1520s and in the 1530s, supply centres for horses were set up in Mexico and Central America. Some horses were let loose and some likely escaped. Horses used by explorers such as De Soto and Coronado in 1541 likely resulted in more strays. But there were enough free horses to band together, breed, and spread. As a grassland animal, they instantly occupied their

Horses transformed almost every dimension of life on the plains for indigenous peoples, who used them for hunting, travel, trading, warfare, and more. Shown is Mrs. Tom Turned Up Nose with horse travois near Gleichen, Alberta, in the 1880s.

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

The brave horses used to hunt buffalo, as depicted in this painting by Karl Bodmer circa 1839, were prized by indigenous peoples.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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