American Quarter Horse

 In the colonial era, many people wanted a tough, sturdy horse that could work all day, everyday during the week and still be able race on weekends. They seemed to love match races that were a quarter mile long, so they began to develop a hardy sprinter. Among the breeds they used to create this breed were Thoroughbreds, English Pacers, Chickasaws, and French stock.

 One of the most influential Thoroughbred stallions used as a stud horse between 1746 and 1800 was Janus, who was directly related to Godolphin Barb, one of the foundation stallions of the Thoroughbred breed. Unlike most Thoroughbreds, however, he was stocky and had short legs, with a body that was not quite as long as is expected of Thoroughbreds. Today, you can clearly see his influence in the Quarter Horse---the strength, athleticism, and even conformation. It all traces back to a single stallion. In fact, nine of the eleven foundation stallions all trace to Janus. 

 Everybody loved the quarter mile races, but when they increased to half miles and miles, a new breed stepped into the racing spotlight: the Thoroughbred. Consequently, when pioneers headed West in the early 1800s, the Quarter Horse came with them. Quarter Horses seemed to have an natural ability, called cow sense, to read a cow's body language, so they became a cowboy's preferred mount. Today, they are still cowboy horses, and are used in many western disciplines, including reining, cutting, teaming penning and sorting, and just as a pleasure horse. Even some rural ranches still use them while working with cattle. 

 With 4 million registered worldwide, the Quarter Horse is today's most popular horse breed.

This chestnut Quarter Horse, whose name is Streakin' Six, was
inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 2011. He entered in
nineteen races, winning ten, coming second in five of them, and
place third once. (Credit)

 Quarter Horse's usually range from 14.2 hands high to 15.3 hands high. Their head is compact, with wide-set eyes, small ears, large nostrils, and large cheekbones. Also, their shoulders are sloping, their barrels are deep, and their chests are wide, and many people say that their muscular hindquarters, which can easily thrust them forward, are remarkable. 

 They come in many colors, although sorrel, which looks like a burnished chestnut, is very common.

Morgan

 In 1789, a logging horse named Figure was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts. No one knew who his parents were, although some suspect the sire to be True Briton, a Thoroughbred, and believe that Friesians, Welsh Cobs, Norfolk Trotters, or even Canadian Horses to be somewhere in his lineage. Then again, these are just speculations. No one really knows for certain. 

 As a yearling, Figure was sold to Justin Morgan, a schoolteacher from Vermont, who lent the young horse to neighboring farmers to be used as a plow horse and a logging horse. It turns out that the small, 14 hands high colt was also good at racing. He would beat the fastest Thoroughbreds in match races, win trotting races, and could even out-pull heavy draft horses in log-pulling races, always winning, no matter how much extra weight was put on.

Morgans are usually found in bay,
black, and dark chestnut. They
can be used in many disciplines,
including western pleasure, like the one
above.

 It wasn't long before villagers asked for Figures stud services, breeding him mainly to Thoroughbred and Norfolk Trotter mares, although he successfully made his mark upon generations of horses, which became to be known as "Morgan's horse." Later, the name was shortened to "Morgan," which is used to this day. 

 The Morgan has large, intelligent eyes; a slightly dished profile; a crested neck, which flows smoothly into high withers; a short back, sturdy legs, powerful haunches, and stands between 14.1 and 15.2 hands high. Also, the breed is divided into two different types: the powerful, compact Morgan, which closely resembles the breed's base stallion, Figure, and the elegant, more refined type, developed more recently than he other type. Despite their physical differences, the two have three traits in common: liveliness, endurance, and a good-natured temperament. 

 Just like the Thoroughbred, the Morgan excels in many disciplines, including dressage, driving, endurance racing, eventing, show jumping, and just about any other discipline, English or Western. The fact that it is an all-round horse most likely goes back to the early development of the breed, when a farmer needed to have it ready to do harness work or another man had to use it for different purposes. 

Tennessee Walking Horse

 In the late 1800s, settlers of central Tennessee began breeding Morgans, Narragansett Pacers, and Canadian Horses, the breeds they had brought with them when they had first settled there, one with another. The outcome were several fine, elegant saddle horses with many of the good qualities from each breed. However, the one characteristic that set it apart from most other breeds was its unique gaits.

 Most people remember the Walker by its running walk, which resembles a smooth trot that is much easier to ride than other breeds' bouncy trots. Because of that, many people, such as farmers, who would spend long hours in the saddle preferred the Walker over any other breed. Tennessee Walkers are born with the unique smooth trot, and no other breed can replicate it. As the Walker does the swift running walk, which can reach up to 20 miles an hour, he would slide smoothly across the ground, his head bobbing while his hind legs overstepped, leaving prints in front of his forelegs. The running walk is a four-beat gait and the Walker can do it for miles without tiring.

Illustration of the Walker's three special gaits, the flat walk,
the running walk, and the canter.
Credit

 Another one of their special gaits is the flat walk. The flat walk is a fast, four-beat gait in which the Walker would overstride, a trait unique to the Walker. His left rear would step in front of his left front and his right rear would step over his right front. Two factors are taken into account when this gait is judged: whether the horse bobs his head to the rhythm of his footsteps and whether he overstrides, both of which are unique qualities of the Walker. 

  The final gait is a canter that resembles that of a rocking horse. The Walker steps one foot at a time, moving either to the right or to the left. For example, if he starts with a right lead, he should continue with the left hind, the right hind, the left fore, and the the right fore again, always moving his legs in a diagonal motion. This gait usually has a lot of spring to it, rising and falling much in he manner of a rocking horse. Therefore, the gait is known as the "rocking horse" or the "rocking chair" gait.

According to the illustration above, this Walker is cantering.
Notice in the illustration that the horse in the bottom right corner
is in the same position as the horse in this picture.
Credit

 Walkers are commonly dark in color, usually bay or black, though they can be chestnut, grey, palomino, or almost every other color. Their head is very intelligent looking, with bright eyes and large nostrils; their neck is arched, with sloped shoulders beneath it; their haunches are powerful; and their legs are long, coming complete with hardy hooves. 

 Walkers are show in both western and English competitions and are judged on how well they perform their distinctive gaits. Also, they are used in both leisure and trail riding. 

Causes of Laminitis(Grass Founder)

 For many horse owners, watching their horse grazing in a lush, green pasture can be an ideal image, but any horse with equine metabolic syndrome(EMS) or Cushing's disease(pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, aka PPID) are at risk for laminitis, also known as grass founder.

 If a horse or pony with EMS will often show telltale symptoms, including being slightly obese, insulin resistant, or having recurrent laminitis. Even if they are not fat they may have fat deposits along the crest of the neck, dock and eyes. This condition most often occurs in horses and ponies that developed under harsh climates and are usually easy keepers.

 Horses with PPID, a condition that occurs mostly in horses over fifteen, have patchy deposits and insulin resistance, just like EMS horses, but also have additional symptons. These include loss of topline muscle and a thick coat that sheds later than usual, or even never at all.

 If your horse has any of these conditions, keep a careful eye on them to make sure they don't develop laminitis.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates play a major role in causing laminitis. Grazing in a pasture that is high in non-structural carbohydrates(NSCs), meaning fructan, sugar, and starch, is dangerous and can cause laminitis. On the other hand, structural carbohydrates, the fibrous part of the cell wall that gives a plant rigidity, are digested differently NSCs.

 Most pople believe that fructan is the sole cause for laminitis, but that is simply not true. Fructan is not found in springtime grass, when many horses are known to founder, and further study can prove that conditions that create high fructan concentrations in forage also raise sugar and starch level. This means that NSCs in general can be attributed to grass founder.

Conditions to Watch Out For

Even if you don't have any high-risk horses, it is best to watch out for founder-causing conditions.

Temperature: Kathryn Watts, a researcher specializing in pasture grass and laminitis-prone horse once said that if it is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit( approximately 4.4 Celsius) the enzymes that help plants grow simply won't function. As a result, sugar, caused by photosynthesis, continues to build up. NSCs can double or even triple if those conditions(sunny and below 40 degrees) last for several weeks. Since that happens in the fall and spring in many parts of the country, those seasons are associated with grass founder.

Lack of Fertilizer: Lack of fertilizer(nitrogen) can also cause laminitis. Even though the plant may have plenty of sugar stored up in it, without nitrogen it cannot use the excess sugar, which continues to pile up. Watts said, "I use the analogy of an assembly line: If the plant does not have all of the elements it needs to grow, the line shuts down and the other raw materials pile."
 Because lack of nitrogen can be potentially dangerous, make sure that the pasture is properly fertilized. Watts suggests using a fertilizer with moderate fertility, not maximum.

This may be your dream pasture for your horse, but you should
always watch out for signs of founder. (credit)

Drought: Right now, in the middle of summer, drought can be the biggest cause of founder, especially because of the heatwave that has been striking most of the country. Drought also causes sugar to build up in grass. In Texas, summer is founder season. Fructan in cool-season grasses turns to sugar during a drought, "increasing the chances of metabolically driven laminitis."(Watts)

Mature Grass: You should always mow the pasture before the sugary, starchy seed head appears. Horses will often pick around other grass to eat the heads off the mature grass, which can cause founder.

Weeds: Most pastures are filled with weeds, which often contain more sugar than grass. The weeds containing the most NSCs are dandelion, thistle, and plantain. Often, killing off the broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, with herbicide is enough to reduce the risk of founder.
 While having thick, healthy grass may be enough to reduce weeds and the amount of sugar per mouth full of grass, there may still be more grass per acre, which also means more sugar per acre. When a pasture has been previously overgrazed and now has an abundance of grass, you may want to limit grazing time.
 Weeds can also grow in dry lots, where horses and ponies are housed to keep them out of the pasture. Since horses can still founder of the small amount of weeds, your best bet is to through there with a weed-wacker, knocking down every single weed.

*************

Next week I will continue to write about grass founder, next time featuring how to prevent it and how to treat its early stages.

This post has been linked to: The Home Acre Hop

The Horse of the Sea

 The Camargue, also known as the "horse of the sea," lives near the delta of the Rhône River in the Camargue region of southern France, which is recognized by its saltwater marshes and lagoons, sandbars, coarse reeds, scorching summers, and harsh, bitter winters. Because of the salty, swampy environment, manades(herds) of the free-roaming Camargue must survive on a sparse diet tough grass. Their living conditions may seem tough, but they have had many years to adapt. Many people believe that the Camargue originates from either the long-extinct Soutre horse, which had lived over 17,000 years ago, or the Arabian, or even the Saracen horses, a breed that came to southern France in the eighth century with barbaric invaders. Some invaders from Celtic and Roman regions later found the Camargues on the Iberian Peninsula. As a result, the Camargue bloodlines became mixed with that of Spanish horses that lived nearby. 

 Because of many years out in tough environment, Camargues have become well-adpated to many difficult living conditions, including biting pests, humid summers, bitter winters, and though, salty forage, which even then is usually sparse. Even their robust exterior and wide hooves is a result of the wetlands where they have lived for centuries. 

Camargues have been toughened by the rough environment they live in.
Some distinct features are: the large head, the short neck
the stocky, compact body; the wide hooves, the thick legs,
and the heavy mane and tail. Their teeth are also adapted for eating
tough marsh grass, which most horses cannot digest. (credit)

 Even though the Camargue still runs wild in the marshes of the Camargue Regional Park in the early part of its life, their breeding is overseen by the Biological Research Station of the Tour du Valat. In 1976, the French government  began to register the main breeders and set standards for breeding. Two years later, the breed's studbook was set up. In order to be registered, a foal must fit the following criteria: it must be born outside, not in a stable, and it must be seen suckling from a registered mare. Foal are either labelled as sous berceau(in birthplace), meaning that they were born in the Camargue region, or hors berceau(out of birthplace), meaning that they were not born in the Camargue region. 

Camargue foals are born dark and lighten as they age, finally
becoming grey, like the one above.(credit)

 When the foals are finally weaned, they are exposed to humans for the first time. They are branded with  the symbol of their herd, a letter representing the year they were born, and an identification number. Many Camargues are saddled and trained when they are old enough and begin a lifelong career in herding Camargue bulls, which are used fro meat, bullfighting, and bull running and are also allowed to roam free in the marshes. 

 They are also ridden in parades and regional gardian races and are used in dressage, long-distance racing, driving, games(such as gymkhana) and other equestrian pursuits.

Przewalski Horse

  Over the centuries and millennia, hundreds of horse breeds have resulted from mankind's influence. Some of these horses have escaped and are the ancestors of so-called "wild" horses. However, an animal is only truly wild if it has never been domesticated, or never has had any domesticated ancestors, unlike todays "wild" mustangs. Far away in Mongolia lies the only horse that fits the criteria: the Przewalski(sheh-VAL-skee).

 Scientists believe that it may even be another species of equine since it resembles the prehistoric eohippus than any other horse today. In fact, since it has remained untainted by human influence for millennia, or longer, they think it may even be a direct descendant of the ancient multi-toed equine.

  Around the year 1900, an animal trader gathered lots of Przewalski foals, shipping them to Europe. Many died along the way, leaving only 53 alive. After that, they were sent to zoos all over the continent. It was actually very fortunate that the breed was taken to Europe. About sixty years later, with the increase of agriculture, the horses were forced to retreat to the desert, where they became extinct due to inhospitable weather.

 In the seventies, Przewalski breed advocate became outrage at the breeding practices in zoos. Facilities rarely exchanged horses, so they began inbreeding the horses, which caused genetic diseases and a high foal mortality rate.

 Three people from the Netherlands made a huge effort to save the breed, establishing the Foundation for Preservation and Protection of the Przewalski Horse, hoping that someday they could reintroduce the breed into the wild. They started a studbook before strategically crossbreeding horses from different zoos prevent inbreeding.

 With the help from the WWF-Netherlands, they purchased several horses and released them into reserves in Germany and the Netherlands. Every year mares would foal and raise their own offspring, and the mortality rate decreased significantly.

 In 1992, the Przewalskis from different preservations were released into a 50,000 acre nature reserve in Mongolia, called Hustain Nuruu, where they have been ever since. Twenty years have passed, yet there are only 300 horses in the reserve, which is now a national park, and efforts to save the breed continue in other preserves in Mongolia and China.

Notice the markings on the legs and the
black hair on the ears. These are both
signs that Przewalski horses are much more like
their ancestor, the Eohippus, than other horses,
like Thoroughbreds, Paints, and Quarter Horses
are. They also have low-set tails, like donkeys.
(credit)

 The Przewalski has fox colored coat with a light belly a mealy colored hair around the eyes and on the muzzle. It also has several primitive markings, such as black rimmed ears, a dorsal stripe, and zebra stripes on the legs. They stand 13 to 14 hands high. Przewalskis differ from today's horse by having 66 chromosomes, rather than 64. When mated with a horse, a Przewalski produces fertile offspring with 65 chromosomes, while a horse mated with a donkey(62 chromosomes) produces sterile offspring with 63 chromosomes.

Snakes and Horses

 Summer is here, and almost everyone is ready to enjoy some time with their horse during the long days. However, snakes pose a great hazard, especially if you live in a hot, dry climate with long grass. People living in Western and Eastern states are on the lookout for rattlesnakes, the most common type in the area. In the Southeast, you are most likely watching for water moccasins and copperheads, who live in humid climates. No matter where you live, though, snakes are most likely a major concern during the summer for both you and your horse.

Always watch for venomous snakes, such as this
rattler. (credit)

 Snake bites in horses most often occur when a horse is grazing and is bitten on the muzzle by a resting snake. When that happens, the horse's muzzle will quickly begin to swell, possibly blocking his airways. He may begin to appear depressed before the swelling even begins. If you see a pair punctures in the horse's muzzle, tell-tale signs that he has been bitten, phone the veterinarian immediately.

 While you wait, keep a close eye on the horse, making sure that he doesn't show any signs of respiratory distress. If he does, insert a syringe case, a segment of a garden hose, or another tubular item as far as you can into his nostrils so that he can breathe as his face continues to swell.

 Be warned that snake bites can become infected with bacteria from the Clostridia family, which can cause infections such as tetanus or sepsis.

 Fortunately, no venom is injected in almost 20% of rattlesnakes, and most adult horses survive, even if venom is injected. However, bites are most deadly when inflicted to one of the horse's lower limbs. As the wound swells, the blood flow into the limb can become restricted, and a near fatal crisis can occur.

 Veterinary treatment for snake bites uses anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics since antivenin is expensive and most horse respond well to other treatments for snake bites anyways.

 While waiting for the vet to arrive, try spraying the wound with Melrose and Purification to reduce infection. Clove can also be helpful to fight infection.

 Make sure to closely monitor any horse that has been bitten, even if medical treatment has already been administered. Ensure that he is able to breathe, eat, and drink properly. Also, keeping him in a stable until he is well is advised because some cases can cause altered liver function, which photosensitivity. Keeping a photosensitive horse in the sun can have adverse effects to his body and skin.

 One way to prevent snake bites is to make sure no rodents get in the stable. Store food where rodents can't get to them, preferably in a rodent-proof container, thus attracting less snakes. Also, if you live in an area where snakes such as water moccasins and cottonmouths regularly patrol the waterways, check for them before leading your horse in to drink.

This post is linked to: The Home Acre Hop

Caspian Horse

 In the late 1950s, Louise Firouz moved to Tehran, Iran with her husband, establishing a children's riding school in Norouzabad once she got there. However, since only large hot-blooded horses were available to her, and she believed that such horses were not suitable for young riders, she decided to hunt for a smaller, more cool-headed breed.  For years she searched for the perfect mount for children riders. Finally, in 1965, while exploring the densely forested Elburz Mountains near the Caspian Sea, she found what she was looking for: a small, calm, Arabain-like horse. 

 She purchased one of the horses from a nearby villager, naming the breed Caspian since it had no other name. Then she collected some feral horses of the same breed. She had a feeling that she had found something important that day, as if she had rediscovered an ancient breed. Later, zoologists performed DNA, bone, and blood tests, proving that Caspians were direct descendants of Horse Type 4, an ancestor of the Arabian and other hot-blooded horses that was thought to be extinct for over 1,300 years. They believed that the Caspian had survived all these years because their homeland had been secluded from the rest of the world, blocked by Elburz Mountains on one side and the Caspian Sea on the other.

 After discovering breed, Firouz founded a breeding program to preserve the almost extinct horse breed.   However, in 1974, when war and political turmoil tormented the country, the breed almost became extinct. During that time, Firouz tried to export many of the horses as she could, but she was only able to export 33 mares and stallions. From those 33 horses, the breed began thrive in the UK, Australia, Scandinavia, North America, and the rest for Europe. 

 In the '90s, after the all the trouble in her country ended, Firouz began another breeding program, this time at Persicus Farm, which is currently overseen by the Iranian government.

Caspians, like the one above, resemble Arabians with
high-set tails, a dished face, and a prominent forehead.
Visit Equus Callabus for credit.

 The Caspian horse, unlike most other horses, quickly reaches full height of around 9 to 12 hands at the young age of 18 months. They resemble the Arabian in many aspects, with a dished face, a high-set tail, large eyes, a long neck, and prominent forehead. Their hooves a tough so they seldom are in need of shoeing. Although many people consider the Caspian a pony, they are incorrect since their skeletal structure is just like that of their full-sized cousins. In reality, they are small, well-bred horses.

Today, they are often used by children for gymkhana, dressage, jumping, and driving because of their athleticism and versatility, as well as their intelligent and willing nature.

 An interesting fact about the Caspian is that their genes seem to be dominant. Even if a mare has very little Caspian blood in her, she can throwback a foal with Caspian features. 

 Even after over thirty years of breeding, the Caspian is still considered a rare breed with critical status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, The international registrar states that there are only about 450 left in the U.S. and 1,200 worlwide. Since 1965, only about 2000 have been registered.

Insect-Borne Illnesses and Horses

Insect-Borne Diseases

  It's summer, and bugs, ranging from flies to mosquitoes, can be found everywhere. Besides being irritating for both you and your horse, they can carry all manners of diseases. Fortunately, horses are vaccinated against Equine encephalitis and West Nile Virus, two of the most common ones for mosquitoes to spread.

 Flies, too, can spread diseases. Among them are Equine infectious anemia(similar to HIV), which causes the body to waste away. Horses are vaccinated against EIA and are annually tested(Coggins test).

 Furthermore, flies can carry parasites. Bot flies lay their yellow eggs on a horse's leg, where he is most likely to lick them off, continuing their life cycle in the horse's stomach. Black flies spread onchocerca cervicals, a hair-loss causing parasite.If Onchocerca spreads to the eye, it can cause anterior uveitis, also known as moon blindness. Face flies are known to transmit thelazia and stable flies(habronema) lay larvae in the horse's eyes and mouth, causing ulcers. Another fly, the warble fly(hypoderma), cause swollen nodules. Warble flies usually go for cattle, so check horses that are pastured near cows often.

 Fortunately, if a horse gets any of these parasites, they can just be dewormed by your vet.

 Some biting flies can carry pigeon fever, a disease found in hot, dry climates. Pigeon fever causes swelling in the abdomen and chest. It comes from the bacteria Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Unfortunately, a vaccine is not yet available, but scientists are currently studying one.

 Another common disease-causing insect is the tick, which is known for causing ehrlichiosis, Lyme, and piroplasmosis. Deer ticks most commonly cause Lyme since the carry the organism know as Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme commonly causes shifting lameness, arthritis, stiffness, muscle pain, fever, behavioral changes, uveitis, weight loss, and neurological problems. Blood tests can identify what sort of treatment is necessary.

Fly sheets can minimize the number of flies that land
on your horse(credit).

 Insect Repellant

 There are many essential oils that can repel insects, including ticks, and boost the horse's immune system to decrease his chances of developing Lyme. Try anti-viral, anti-infectious, immune-system boosting oils. Many people recommend using pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. The more drops of oil you use, the better because you may need something stronger for horses, but keep in mind that some of these oils can burn if you use too much. I recommend putting several drops of the following into a spritz bottle filled with clean water(leave a little bit of room):

• Geranium has been to repel insects and help good for skin problems
• Palo Santo is said to be very effective in removing ticks.
• Rosewood oil is used for fungal skin conditions, infections, and works well against parasites.
• Thyme is anti-fungal, anti-infectious, and anti-viral. It is used to prevent infection and boost the immune system. be warned, though, that Thyme is strong, so be careful using it undiluted.
• Myrrh is said to be anti-infectious, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic. It is commonly used for ticks.
• Peppermint is also said to work well against ticks.

Directions: Spray on your horse at least once a day, especially before you let him out. The more often you spray, the better.

Tick Removal Regimen

Never pull a tick off the horse. A good tick-fighting oil is said to be Palo Santo, so put a drop of pure oil on a tick and wait for it to let go. Afterwards, spray the wound with the insect repellant I talked about earlier to prevent infection. Tea tree is known to work great to prevent infection.

Prevention is the Best 

  Grooming your horse daily is a good way to watch for ticks and keep insects away. Also, keeping the stable and paddock area clean can reduce the number of insects that pester you and your horse.

Heat Stroke in Horses

 During the summer months, many people enjoy riding horses, but riding in hot weather involves some hazards, such as heat stroke. More than half the energy a horse uses for muscular activity is converted into heat. As the heat rises, his muscles demand more and more oxygen until his muscles become fatigued, resulting in heat stroke or heat stress. High temperatures and humidity definitely play an important factor in this, though heat stress is most commonly caused by overexertion and/or exercising in a way that causes him to overheat for an extended period of time.

When a horse exercises for a long period
of time, such as this eventing horse, he
continuously loses fluids and electrolytes
through sweat.(credit)

 The longer the horse exercises, the more fluids and electrolytes he loses, which also contributes to heat stress. Though racehorses are often lathered in sweat after a race, the exertion does not last long and their fluids are quickly replenished. However, longer exercises, such as endurance racing and eventing, leads to prolonged dehydration and imbalances in the electrolytes since fluids are continuously being lost through sweat to cool down the working muscles.

 Performance horses are conditioned so that their muscles work more efficiently, meaning that less heat is generated during workouts.

 Knowing how well your horse handles exercising in high temperatures is key to preventing heat stress. You should learn how to measure his vital signs, too. No matter how intense the workout, once the horse has stopped, his heart rate should be at 60 beats per minute(bpm) or lower and he should make less than 60 respirations per minute. After a moderate workout, his heart rate should return to less than 60 bpm within 10 minutes.

 Other symptoms are depression, weakness,  lack of appetite or thirst, hot and dry skin, and a lackluster appearance.

 Try to keep the horse cool during the day. For example, use fans, cold water soaks, ice boots, and shade, and offer him plenty of water; it is very important that he hydrates. Adding a few drops of peppermint to his water can help him keep cool and tastes good, too(horses love peppermint).

 After an exercise, walk him to allow his muscles to cool before completing the workout, then let him drink all the water he wants if he just completed an aerobic exercise. If the exercise was anaerobic, then let him drink only in small intervals until he has cooled down. Ideally, the best time to ride is in the morning or evening, when it is cool.

 The same advice also applies to trailering. Trailering in early morning or evening is a good way to prevent heat stress and dehydration. Always make sure to give your horse water every few hours while trailering, which also prevents heat stress.

 If your horse does get heat stroke, try cooling him down while you wait for the vet to arrive. Adding a few drops peppermint oil to bucket of cool water and then sponging the horse down can have a cooling effect. A fan can also help.

 Once the vet comes, he/she will treat the horse with intravenous fluids to restore hydration, maintain circulatory health, and cool the internal organs and muscles.

Palace Malice Wins Belmont Stakes 2013

 The other day, Palace Malice zoomed to the lead in the Belmont Stakes, with Orb waiting to make his move. Orb tried to catch up and take the lead, but failed. Oxbow passed him and placed third.

Belmont Stakes 2013, Part 2

The next seven horses are listed below:

Revolutionary(credit)
Revolutionary was sired byWar Pass. He broke his maiden
on Aqueduct's inner track, then won several stake races back-to-back,
including the Grade 3 Withers and the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby.
Out of seven starts, he has never placed worse than third.

Golden Soul(credit)
Golden Soul is out of Hollywood Gold, the
daughter of Mr. Prospector, the half-brother of Quintons Gold Rush.
His sire is Perfect Soul. One of his best finishes this year was when he ran second 11 1/2 lengths behind Oxbow
in the LeComte. He also finished third behind Orb in the Kentucky Derby.

Unlimited Budget(credit)
Unlimited Budget was sired by Street Sense. Her dam is Unlimited
Pleasure. As a two-year-old, she was purchased for $475,000.
In November of last year, she won her first start by 9 1/2 lengths,
then won three consecutive stake races:Grade 2 Demoiselle last year,
and the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandria and the Grade 2 Fair Ground Oaks
this year. Her first defeat came when her stablemate Princess of Sylmar and
two-year-old filly champion Beholder beat he in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
She will be the 23rd filly to compete in the Belmont. Only three fillies have won:
Ruthless in 1867, Tanya in 1905, and Rags to Riches in 2007.

Midnight Taboo(credit)
Midnight Taboo was sired by Langfuhr. His dam, Hot Red, was sired by
Thunder Gulch, who won the 1995 Belmont. In 2011, he was bought for $240,000
at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He raced only once as a two-year-old,
coming second at Saratoga, and broke his maiden this year in a mile long race at Aqueduct,
defeating older, more experienced horses. Next he placed second to Irsaal, a
well-regarded horse.

Palace Malice(credit)
Palace Malice is the son of two-time Horse of
the Year Curlin and the dam Palace Rumor. His only victory
was in his maiden race at Saratoga. This year,  out of five starts
he has two seconds, one at Gulfstream and the other in the
Grade 1 Blue Grass, and one third in Grade 2 Risen Star.

Vyjack(credit)
Vyjack was sired by Into Mischief, and his dam is Life Happened.
He won the first four starts of his career, which were all at
Aqueduct, including the Grade 2 Jerome and the
Grade 3 Gotham. He placed 18th in the Kentucky Derby and hasn't raced
since. Also, he is attempting to be the third gelding to
win the Belmont, the others being Creme Fraiche in
1985 and Ruler on Ice in 2011. His name comes from
his owner David Wilkenfield's parents: Vivienne
and Jack.

Will Take Charge(credit)
Will Take Charge was sired by Unbridled's Song, winner of
the 1995 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the 1996 Florida Derby
and Wood Memorial. His dam is Take Charge Lady. In
his lifetime, he has only won two stake races: The Smarty Jones
and the Rebel, and came seventh in the Kentucky Derby an the
Preakness. As a yearling, he was purchased for $425,000.

Belmont Stakes 2013, Part 1

A few weeks ago, Oxbow upset Orb in an exciting race at Pimlico. Though we will not have Triple Crown winner this year, the Belmont Stakes remains the exciting Test of Champions, which will show who the better horse is. Both Oxbow and Orb will be entering, but they will have to get through a lot of great horses if either of them want the Triple Crown's third jewel. Maybe we will have another Triple Crown near-miss, like I'll Have Another last year. You will see some horses returning to take revenge for their loss in the Derby. Below are the horses listed to enter:

Orb(credit)
Orb, who's paternal grandsire is A.P. Indy, 1992 Belmont winner, is
attempting to become the first horse since Thunder Gulch in 1995
to win a Kentucky Derby-Belmont double. If he succeeds, he will
become the 12th horse to do so. Orb was beaten by a total of 30
lengths in his first three races, but improved from there. By the time
he won the Derby, his winning streak was at five. In the Preakness,
he got boxed in and came fourth.(click here for footage)

Oxbow(credit)
Oxbow was sired by Awesome Again, winner of the 1998
Breeders' Cup Classic. His dam, Tizamazing, is the unraced
sister of Tiznow,  2000's Horse of the Year and two-time winner
of the Breeeders' Cup Classic. As a yearling, he was bought
for $250,000. With 11 starts, he is the most experience
three-year-old heading into the Belmont on Saturday.

Frac Daddy(credit)
In 2011, Frac Daddy was purchased by Magic City
 Thoroughbred Partners for $50,000 at the Keeneland
September Yearling Sale. His sire is Scat Daddy,
and his dam Skipper's Mate. He is known for
placing second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and
the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club. So far, he has earned
$288,116.

Incognito(credit)
Incognito was sired by A.P. Indy, one of Seattle Slew's successful
sons who won the 1992 Belmont, Breeders' Cup Classic and Horse of
the Year Honors. His dam is Octave, by Unbridled's Song.
He finished fifth at Aqueduct on December 15, his only
race that year. On March 16 this year, he broke his maiden,
running a 1:37.62 mile on Aqueduct's inner track. He won his
first allowance by a nose on April 13. Then he came
third place in the Grade 2 Peter Pan, finishing less than
half a length behind the second placer.

Overanalyze(credit)
In 2011, Overanalyze was purchased for $380,000 in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is by Dixie Union, and his dam is Unacloud. Just after breaking his maiden as a 3-5 favorite at Saratoga on August 9, he jumped to graded stakes races, where he placed fourth behind his stablemate, Shanghai Bobby in the Grade 2 Hopeful. Next he won the Grade 2 Futurity and placed third in the Grade 3 Iroquois before closing his season with a victory of a nose over Normandy Invasion in the Grade 2 Remsen. He qualified for the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby by 2 3/4 lengths. He placed 11th in the Kentucky Derby.

Freedom Child(credit)
Freedom Child's sire is Malibu Moon, who is by the
great A.P. Indy, and his dam is Bandstand, by Deputy Minister.
He raced only twice as a two-year-old, breaking his maiden
on March 10th at Gulfstream Park. In the Grade 2 Peter Pan,
he lead wire to wire in a 13 1/4 length victory.

Giant Finish(credit)
Giant Finish is by Frost Giant, the 2008 Grade 1 Suburban Handicap winner, and he is out of Apocalyptic. After placing in the John Battaglia Memorial, he finished third in the Grade 3 Spiral. Then he came tenth in the Kentucky Derby. His owner's goal for him is that he becomes the first New York bred to win the Belmont since Forester in 1882.

Affirmed: Four-Year-Old Season

 After spending the winter in California, Affirmed returned to the track for his final season. He had a new jockey: Laffit Pincay, Jr. He began his season with an almost effortless ten length victory in the Charles H. Strub Stakes. Next he won the Santa Anita Handicap with 128 pounds on his back, running the mile and one quarter in the record time of 1:58 3/5, as well as defeating the son of champion racehorse Exclusive Native by four and a half lengths.

 That May, he went to Hollywood Park for the California Stakes. Many worried about the burdensome weight of 130 pounds that he was required to carry, but it didn't affect his performance; he won by five lengths.

 Because of his victory, he was then required to carry 132 pounds in the Hollywood Gold Cup. In that race, he met the Italian champion Sirlad, who forced Affirmed to run at a tremendous pace considering his burden. Affirmed managed to hold the lead long enough to win by three-quarters of a length and to run the race in 1:58 2/5, missing the American record for that distance by only 1/5 of a second.

 Affirmed rested for two months following his victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup before going to New York to win two more races. However, trainer Laz Barrera kept him out of the Marlboro Cup since he was assigned 133 pounds, while the young champion Spectacular Bid was assigned only 126 pounds. He did race in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, though. Each horse was weighted according to its age.

Affirmed won the Jockey Club Gold Cup after battle
for first place with several different horses, including
Spectacular Bid.(credit)

 The race was incredible! All throughout, many horses moved forward to challenged him for first place, including Coastal, the 1979 Belmont Stakes winner, and Spectacular Bid, who challenged him four times. Affirmed won in the end, but Spectacular Bid was far from disgraced. Few horses can repeatedly challenge the leader like he did and not come close to last.

 Affirmed retired after that. He had earned a grand total of $2,393,818 in his lifetime, was made the world's Current Leading Money Winner until Spectacular Bid took his place in June 1980, and once more earned Horse of the Year honors. This time, no one questioned whether he deserved the title or not; he had proved himself many times that year.

 He first served as a stud horse in Spendthrift Farm, the Calumet, and finally Jonabell, where he passed away in January 2001.

 Some racing fans believe he failed as a stud horse since he never duplicated himself at stud. Despite those beliefs, he actually sired several noteworthy horses, including Peteski, winner of the Canadian Triple Crown; Charley Barley, the successful Canadian turf racer who earned $922,943; Bint Pasha, who became France's 1987 Champion Three-Year-Old Filly; Tibullo, who was successfully enjoyed his career in Italy; Easy to Copy, who won in Ireland; Trusted Partner, winner of Irish One Thousand Guineas; Buy the Firm, a good handicap mare; and the mare Flawlessly, who won the Eclipse Reward twice and earned over $2,000,000 while under the racing colors of Harbor View Farm, the same as her sire.

Affirmed: Three-Year-Old Season

 Despite an unusually long rest due to uncharacteristically rainy weather in South Carolina, Affirmed began his three-year-old season with a victory at Santa Anita, followed by a win in the San Felipe Handicap.

 After that, he defeated Balzac by eight lengths in the Santa Anita Derby. There was then only one race to win before he traveled back east: the Hollywood Derby. However, with little competition since Alydar was racing in the east coast, Affirmed began to develop bad habits. Whenever he was in the lead, he would mess around and waste time. This worried trainer Laz Barrera since the same thing had cost Affirmed the Champagne Stakes the year before. In spite of Barrera's worries, the Hollywood Derby proved no problem, and Affirmed, though slightly bored, managed to win by two lengths. After that, he went east and defeated Alydar in three classics.

Affirmed won the Kentucky Derby, with Alydar second and
Believe It third. Credit

 Then came the Kentucky Derby. Sensitive Prince took an early lead, setting a fast pace while Affirmed lingered in third place. Just as the pack entered the backstretch, Believe It took the lead, followed by Affirmed, who quickly replaced him. Alydar gave it his all, but only managed to beat Believe It for second place money. The roses belonged to Affirmed by one and a half lengths.

 In the Preakness, Alydar was more on top of things. When Affirmed took the lead at the half mile mark, Alydar followed close behind, waiting for the right moment to make his move. As soon as the two entered the homestretch, they fought hard until Affirmed won by a neck. Believe placed third for the second time.

Affirmed won the Belmont Stakes by a head in the closest
Belmont victory since 1962, when Jaipur barely defeated
Admiral's Voyage. 

 Only one more race remained, and only one horse stood between Affirmed and the Triple Crown: Alydar. Affirmed took the early lead, followed Alydar, who opted not to wait to make his move fairly late in the race like the two previous times. This time, with more than half a mile left, he began to battle his rival, doing everything in his power to steal the final Triple Crown jewel from Affirmed. Yet it was all in vain. After a long and hard-fought battle, Affirmed won by his head in the closest Belmont Stakes since 1962, when Jaipur barely defeated Admiral's Voyage.

 After a long and well-deserved rest, Affirmed once more won a race. In the Jim Dandy Stakes, he came from behind to beat Sensitive Prince, despite the slick track, carrying his winning streak to eight. However, he was unable to continue his streak to nine, as his fans had hoped. Although he came first in the Travers Stakes, he was disqualified for bumping Alydar.

 Next, he raced Seattle Slew, the previous Triple Crown winner, in the Marlboro Cup. To his fans surprise, he hardly gave Slew a challenge. Later, after a vet inspection, his owner, jockey, and trainer found that a throat infection had been the cause of his poor performance.

 In the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the two met for the second time. Affirmed failed to win once his saddle slipped after battling with Seattle Slew for an early lead. Seattle Slew, though, also failed. He was in poor condition considering the length of the two mile race, so Exceller won by a nose, becoming the first horse to defeated two Triple Crown winners, let alone in one race.

 Despite the fact that Affirmed had lost three times in a row: once because of poor health, another time due to to disqualification, and another due to tack failure, he was voted horse of the year. Lots of arguments followed that decision. Some people were outrage, thinking that Seattle Slew should have had the honors since he had defeated Affirmed---twice. Others believed that Affirmed had fair excuses for his failures. Nevertheless, Affirmed was 1978's Horse of the Year, and no argument could change that.

Affirmed: Two-Year-Old Season

 On February 24, 1975, a chestnut colt with almost perfect conformation was foaled on Harbor View Farm, Florida. His sire is Exclusive Native, winner of the Sanford Stakes and the Arlington Classics. Won't Tell You, sired by Crafty Admiral, is his dam. His pedigree on his dam's side traces back to War Admiral, 1937 Triple Crown winner, and Fighting Fox, full brother of Gallant Fox.

 Affirmed began his career with a victory in Belmont on May 24. Not wanting to waste time, trainer Laz Barrera entered the young colt in the Youthful Stakes, where he would race quality horses. Affirmed came from behind, crossing the finish line for a victory by a neck. 

 In the Great American Stakes, Affirmed met his rival: Alydar, who won their first race together. Next, Affirmed headed west to win the Hollywood Juvenile by seven lengths before returning east to win the Sanford Stakes with his new jockey, Steve Cauthen. 

 Ten days later, he met Alydar in the Hopeful Stakes, this time winning by half a length. A few weeks later, they met in the Futurity. The pair battled down the homestretch until Affirmed came out victorious by a nose. 

 Next came the Champagne Stakes. The track was sloppy, and Affirmed didn't notice that Alydar had passed him until he was too far gone, winning by one and one-quarter lengths.

Steven Cauthen explains what had happened when he said, "My horse had plenty left, but he was too busy playing games with Darby Road Creek he never saw Alydar until it was too late."

 One last time that season, the two raced, battling for victory in the Laurel Stakes and the Champion Two-Year-Old Colt title. They fought long hard down the homestretch at a tremendous speed, with the third place horse some ten lengths behind them. At last, Affirmed won by a neck, earning the title of Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.

Seattle Slew: Four-Year-Old Season

 After recovery from a respiratory infection and a near-fatal virus, Seattle Slew returned to the track in winning condition. His previous trainer, Bill Turner, had been fired, so he had a new trainer: Doug Peterson. Slew won two allowance races in Saratoga and Aqueduct, then lost by a neck in Meadowlands' Paterson Handicap.

 Then came the season's highlight: Slew and Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner, were going to race in the Marlboro Cup. Not long before the race, Slew's jockey was changed from Jean Cruguet to Angel Cordero, Jr. when Cruguet commented that Slew wasn't ready for the Marlboro Cup. Despite the change, Slew defeated Affirmed by three lengths. 

Seattle Slew running in the Marlboro Cup(credit).

 After that, Slew led from start to finish in the Woodward Stakes, defeating Exceller and It's Freezing by four lengths in track record time of 2:00. 

 Then came one of the greatest races of his career. In the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he battled Affirmed early on in the race, but failed to win, losing to Exceller by a nose. Affirmed was boxed in and ran fourth. Because of his victory, Exceller became the first and only horse to defeat two Triple Crown winners.

 In the Stuyvesent Handicap, his final race, Slew led from start to finish, winning by three and a quarter lengths. He was then retired. By then, he had won fourteen out of seventeen races and had earned $1,208,726. After he was bought for twelve million dollars as a stud horse with a fee reaching $100,000 dollars, he became an excellent stud horse with many notable offspring.

 Among his best is Swale, the 1984 Three-Year-Old Champion Colt. As a two-year-old, though, he stood in the shadow of his stablemate, Devil's Bag. Both were trained by Woody Stephens. While Devil's Bag was hailed as a wonder horse, Swale was just considered "Stephens' other horse." However, things changed when Devil's Bag retired due to a hairline fracture. Swale became the Derby's top contender. 

 The favorites were Althea and Life's Magic, two fillies trained by D. Wayne Lucas. Swale won then Derby by three and three-quarters lengths. Although he failed to win the Preakness, he almost effortlessly won the Belmont Stakes by four lengths. By the time he retired, he had won nine out of fourteen races, earning $1,583,661. Several days later, the racing world was stunned when Swale mysteriously collapsed and died after a workout. He was later buried on Claiborne Farm.

 Also among Seattle Slew's notable offspring are Slew o' Gold, a Hall of Fame colt; Landaluce, and undefeated who died of a viral infection as a two-year-old; A.P. Indy, 1992 Horse of the Year and Belmont Stakes winner; and many more. Even his daughters produced great offspring. The most famous is Cigar, two-time Horse of the Year. One of his descendants, Itsmyluckyday, raced in this year's Triple Crown. 

 During the months leading up to his death, Seattle Slew was in poor health and was beginning to recover from surgery. Then, in May 2002, twenty-five years after being named the tenth Triple Crown winner, the great champion passed away.

Seattle Slew: Three-Year-Old Season

 Seattle Slew, known as the "People's Horse," began his three-year-old season as a favorite for the Kentucky Derby. He first won a seven furlong race at Hialeah, running in the track record time of 1:20 3/5, followed by victories in the Flamingo Stakes and the Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes.

Seattle Slew after the flamingo Derby.
(Credit)

 By the time the Derby rolled around, critics were saying that the lightly raced three-year-old wouldn't stand a chance. Seattle Slew was agitated during the post parade, and was foaming around the mouth, proving to the doubters that he would tire easily. 

 Seattle Slew banged his face on the starting gate right at the beginning, nearly throwing jockey Jean Cruguet. For the Moment took the early lead. Despite his slow start, Seattle Slew caught and passed the leaders within the first quarter mile, leaving the early leaders to fade away.

Seattle Slew winning the Kentucky Derby.
(credit).

"He broke slowly. He was shut off immediately. He had to overcome adversity. And then he went on to do what he was supposed to do. That's the sign of a racehorse," said Billy Turner, Slew's trainer. 

 Seattle Slew won the Preakness in the same manner two weeks later. He ran the fastest opening mile on record, easily passing Iron Constitution, Run Dusty Run, J.O. Tobin. After that, he almost effortless won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first Triple Crown winner to win all of the classics as well. Furthermore, he became the first Triple Crown winner to be purchased at an auction. Eight others had been raced by their breeder and Sir Barton had been sold privately. 

 After his impressive victories in the Triple Crown races, many people offered to by him, including a $14 million from someone from Texas. Slew became so popular that his owners made tee-shirts, cocktail glasses, and rings featuring the young star. Companies, wanting to gain popularity, featured Slew in their advertisements. 

 However, the star didn't remain undefeated for long. Mickey Taylor and the rest of the crew raced him in the Swaps Stakes two weeks after the Belmont against Billy Turner's advice. Consequently, Slew lost to the English champion J.O. Tobin.

 The Taylors and the Hills took a lot of criticism for Slew's defeat. When Bill Turner told the press that the star should have never entered that race, Mickey fired him. Then Slew suffered from respiratory infections and a near-fatal virus. Even so, he was name 1977 Horse of the Year. 

Seattle Slew: Two-Year-Old Season

 On February 15, 1974, a dark bay colt later named Seattle Slew was born on Ben Castleman's White Horse Acres. His sire was Bold Reasoning, Bold Ruler's grandson, and his dam was My Charmer, a descendant of the great mare Myrtlewood.

 Since Seattle Slew was neither the son of Northern Dancer or What a Pleasure, leading sires at the time, he was purchased for the bargain deal of $17,500 at Keeneland's Yearling Sale. Mrs. Karen Taylor, her husband Mickey, and Dr. and Mrs. Hill(the four shared ownership of Seattle Slew) named the colt in honor of their hometowns. The Taylors came from Seattle, and the Hills came from an area in Florida with lots of swamps, called slews. Hence the name, Seattle Slew.

 Seattle Slew was sent to Billy and Paula Turner's training facility in Maryland. He was clumsy, never got anything right, and swerved to the right when galloping, since his right foreleg curved to the outside. Because of that, Paula nicknamed him Baby Huey after an ungraceful cartoon character.

 However, he soon grew out of the name after several fast workouts in New York. A minor injury kept him out of the Futurity and the Cowden Stakes. Even though a horse named For the Moment dominated the juvenile division, people who had seen Slew's exercise rides knew that he would possibly be the star of the season.

 Seattle Slew won his first race, which was at Belmont Park. He easily repeated the performance before meeting For the Moment in the Champagne Stakes. Despite Billy Turner's belief that Slew needed more experience before entering a major stake race, Slew won by nine lengths, running 1:34 2/5, a new record. Because of his undefeated streak and his impressive victory in the Champagne Stakes, Slew earned Two-Year-Old Championship honors.

Assault: Four-Year-Old Season

 During the winter between his three-year-old and four-year-old season, Assault underwent some changes. He matured a lot, gaining good looks that he lacked as a three-year-old, and his personality made a positive change that would make him more vicious on the track. However, the change negatively affected the time he spent at his stable. He was constantly hungry, impatiently throwing tantrums and attacking handlers if he did not get his food on time.

 Assault, dubbed the Club-footed Comet because of his injury as a young horse, began the season 1947 by winning Grey Lag Handicap, with jockey Warren Mehrtens in the saddle. Eddie Arcaro rode him six days later in the Dixie Handicap. Assault then defeated Natchez and his old rival, Stymie, by two lengths in the Suburban Handicap.

 After that, he defeated Stymie in the Brooklyn Handicap with 133 pounds on his back. With that victory, he surpassed Whirlaway's earnings and became the world's leading money winner. He came close to winning America's unofficial Triple Crown, the Suburban Handicap, the Brooklyn Handicap, and the Metropolitan Mile, but Stymie ended up winning the Metropolitan Mile.

 Next, Assault entered the Butler Handicap, along with Stymie and the great mare Gallorette. On the homestretch, he was boxed in behind the two other champions. Incredibly, he managed to squeeze into an impossibly small opening, beating Stymie by a head.

 Assault's seven race winning streak was put to an end when he came third to Stymie in the International Gold Cup at Belmont. Even so, the third place prize was enough to keep his status as leading money winner.

 Then a match race with a purse of $100,000 was proposed between Assault and Calumet Farm's top gelding, Armed. When Assault was injured during a race, the match race was postponed from the original date of August 30 to September 27. Assault pulled up lame on the September 22.  Many people, including Eddie Arcaro, strongly believed that Assault shouldn't race. In spite of that, Robert Kleberg decided to race his horse since the race was for charity anyway. Assault was much too sore to come close to winning, and lost by eight lengths.

After that, Assault went to rest in South Carolina. With him out of the way, Armed earned 1947 Horse of the Year honors and Stymie became the new top money winner.

 A few months later, Assault was back on the track, but not in winning condition. After coming fifth in the Widener Handicap, he rested another few months. In August he tried once more to win. However, he came second by a nose in the Brooklyn Handicap. In the Massachusetts Mile, Assault's performance was even worse, and he came fourth as well as developing a bleeding problem.

 He won the Edgemere Handicap, yet it wasn't enough to compensate for his losses in the Manhattan and Grey Lag Handicaps after that, so he went into retirement in Texas.

 Tests showed Assault to be sterile, so he was turned out with eight Quarter Horse mares. Surprisingly, he had two sons and two daughters in the spring of 1951. Also, he raced three more times, coming first, second, and third, and earning $675,470 in his lifetime. Though they tried breeding him with thoroughbred mares, he got no more offspring. After passing away on September 2, 1971, he was buried on King Ranch, Texas, where he was born.