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85-507: The countryside around Deauville is the main horse breeding region in France and home to numerous stud farms. Group 1: Group 2: Group 3: Listed: 49°21′14″N 0°4′48″E  /  49.35389°N 0.08000°E  / 49.35389; 0.08000 Horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses , and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of

170-437: A 50% probability in the foal. Contrary to popular misuse, "colt" refers to a young male horse only; "filly" is a young female. Though many horse owners may simply breed a family mare to a local stallion in order to produce a companion animal, most professional breeders use selective breeding to produce individuals of a given phenotype , or breed . Alternatively, a breeder could, using individuals of differing phenotypes, create

255-408: A broad spectrum of behaviors and physiology, including hibernation, seasonal migrations, and coat color changes. A prime example of the adaptation to photoperiods is the seasonal coat color (SCC) species. These animals undergo molting, transforming from dark summer fur to white coat in winter, that provides crucial camouflage in snowy environments. The view has been expressed that humans' seasonality

340-758: A farm and patrol animal is bred for a shorter stride, an ability to stop and turn quickly, and an unflappable attitude that remains calm and focused even in the face of an angry charging steer. The first two are still to this day bred to have a combination of explosive speed that exceeds the Thoroughbred on short distances clocked as high as 55 mph, but they still retain the gentle, calm, and kindly temperament of their ancestors that makes them easily handled. The Canadian horse 's origin corresponds to shipments of French horses, some of which came from Louis XIV's own stable and most likely were Baroque horses meant to be gentlemen's mounts. These were ill-suited to farm work and to

425-438: A few hours a wild foal can travel with the herd. In domestic breeding, the foal and dam are usually separated from the herd for a while, but within a few weeks are typically pastured with the other horses. A foal will begin to eat hay, grass and grain alongside the mare at about 4 weeks old; by 10–12 weeks the foal requires more nutrition than the mare's milk can supply. Foals are typically weaned at 4–8 months of age, although in

510-442: A field amongst a herd, but may also see higher rates of foal and mare mortality in doing so. Most mares foal at night or early in the morning, and prefer to give birth alone when possible. Labor is rapid, often no more than 30 minutes, and from the time the feet of the foal appear to full delivery is often only about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the foal is born, the mare will lick the newborn foal to clean it and help blood circulation. In

595-446: A foal's navel is dipped in antiseptic to prevent infection. The foal is sometimes given an enema to help clear the meconium from its digestive tract. The newborn is monitored to ensure that it stands and nurses without difficulty. While most horse births happen without complications, many owners have first aid supplies prepared and a veterinarian on call in case of a birthing emergency. People who supervise foaling should also watch

680-493: A further subdivision, obligate photoperiodic plants absolutely require a long or short enough night before flowering, whereas facultative photoperiodic plants are more likely to flower under one condition. Phytochrome comes in two forms: P r and P fr . Red light (which is present during the day) converts phytochrome to its active form (P fr ) which then stimulates various processes such as germination, flowering or branching. In comparison, plants receive more far-red in

765-466: A given breed . Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses. Furthermore, modern breeding management and technologies can increase the rate of conception, a healthy pregnancy, and successful foaling. The male parent of a horse, a stallion , is commonly known as the sire and the female parent, the mare , is called the dam . Both are genetically important, as each parent genes can be existent with

850-416: A heartbeat should be visible by about day 23. After the formation of the endometrial cups and early placentation is initiated (35–40 days of gestation) the terminology changes, and the embryo is referred to as a fetus . True implantation – invasion into the endometrium of any sort – does not occur until about day 35 of pregnancy with the formation of the endometrial cups, and true placentation (formation of

935-450: A long-day plant can flower if exposed to more red-light in the middle of the night. Cryptochromes are another type of photoreceptor that is important in photoperiodism. Cryptochromes absorb blue light and UV-A. Cryptochromes entrain the circadian clock to light. It has been found that both cryptochrome and phytochrome abundance relies on light and the amount of cryptochrome can change depending on day-length. This shows how important both of

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1020-427: A mare is sexually receptive toward a stallion, and helps to physically prepare the mare for conception. It generally occurs during the spring and summer months, although some mares may be sexually receptive into the late fall, and is controlled by the photoperiod (length of the day), the cycle first triggered when the days begin to lengthen. The estrous cycle lasts about 19–22 days, with the average being 21 days. As

1105-522: A mile). Colonists did not have racetracks or any of the trappings of Europe that the earliest Thoroughbreds had at their disposal, so instead the owners of Quarter Horses would run their horses on roads that lead through town as a form of local entertainment. As the USA expanded West, the breed went with settlers as a farm and ranch animal, and "cow sense" was particularly valued: their use for herding cattle increased on rough, dry terrain that often involved sitting in

1190-594: A new breed with specific characteristics. A horse is "bred" where it is foaled (born). Thus a colt conceived in England but foaled in the United States is regarded as being bred in the US. In some cases, most notably in the Thoroughbred breeding industry, American- and Canadian-bred horses may also be described by the state or province in which they are foaled. Some breeds denote the country, or state, where conception took place as

1275-449: A series of long days followed by short days whereas SLDPs flower after a series of short days followed by long days. Each plant has a different length critical photoperiod, or critical night length. Many flowering plants (angiosperms) use a circadian rhythm together with photoreceptor protein , such as phytochrome or cryptochrome , to sense seasonal changes in night length, or photoperiod, which they take as signals to flower. In

1360-570: A species. Photoperiodism affects flowering by inducing the shoot to produce floral buds instead of leaves and lateral buds. Some short-day facultative plants are: Day-neutral plants, such as cucumbers , roses , tomatoes , and Ruderalis ( autoflowering cannabis ) do not initiate flowering based on photoperiodism. Instead, they may initiate flowering after attaining a certain overall developmental stage or age, or in response to alternative environmental stimuli, such as vernalisation (a period of low temperature). Daylength, and thus knowledge of

1445-417: A stallion. The shipments included a mix of draft horses and light horses, the latter of which included both pacing and trotting horses.[1] The exact origins of all the horses are unknown, although the shipments probably included Bretons, Normans, Arabians, Andalusians and Barbs. In modern times, these breeds themselves have since been selectively bred to further specialize at certain tasks. One example of this

1530-631: A stockhorse, or a horse to pull a conestoga wagon. Other horses from North America retained a hint of their mustang origins by being either derived from stock that Native Americans bred that came in a rainbow of color, like the Appaloosa and American Paint Horse , with those East of the Mississippi River increasingly bred to impress and mimic the trends of the upper classes of Europe: The Tennessee Walking Horse and Saddlebred were originally plantation horses bred for their gait and comfortable ride in

1615-412: A very short time, the foal will attempt to stand and get milk from its mother. A foal should stand and nurse within the first hour of life. To create a bond with her foal, the mare licks and nuzzles the foal, enabling her to distinguish the foal from others. Some mares are aggressive when protecting their foals, and may attack other horses or unfamiliar humans that come near their newborns. After birth,

1700-472: A war horse, and popular among the elite nobility of the time. Breeds such as the Lipizzan and the now extinct Neapolitan horse were developed from Spanish-bred horses for this purpose, and also became the preferred mounts of cavalry officers, who were derived mostly from the ranks of the nobility. It was during this time that firearms were developed, and so the light cavalry horse, a faster and quicker war horse,

1785-658: Is believed to be a very close relative of Ottoman horses from the earliest origins of the Turks in Central Asia. The types of horse bred varied with culture and with the times. The uses to which a horse was put also determined its qualities, including smooth amblers for riding, fast horses for carrying messengers, heavy horses for plowing and pulling heavy wagons, ponies for hauling cars of ore from mines, packhorses, carriage horses and many others. Medieval Europe bred large horses specifically for war, called destriers . These horses were

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1870-404: Is bred less for overall form and more for power over tall fences, along with speed, scope, and agility. This favors a horse with a good galloping stride, powerful hindquarters that can change speed or direction easily, plus a good shoulder angle and length of neck. A jumper has a more powerful build than either the hunter or the racehorse. The history of horse breeding goes back millennia. Though

1955-563: Is difficult to determine how far back the Bedouin passed on pedigree information via an oral tradition , there were written pedigrees of Arabian horses by CE 1330. The Akhal-Teke of West-Central Asia is another breed with roots in ancient times that was also bred specifically for war and racing. The nomads of the Mongolian steppes bred horses for several thousand years as well, and the Caspian horse

2040-440: Is largely believed to be evolutionary baggage . . Human birth rate varies throughout the year, and the peak month of births appears to vary by latitude. Seasonality in human birth rate appears to have largely decreased since the industrial revolution. Photoperiodism has also been demonstrated in other organisms besides plants and animals. The fungus Neurospora crassa as well as the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedra and

2125-412: Is reversed in the southern hemisphere (i.e., longest day is 21 December and shortest day is 21 June). Some long-day obligate plants are: Some long-day facultative plants are: Short-day (also called long-night) plants flower when the night lengths exceed their critical photoperiod. They cannot flower under short nights or if a pulse of artificial light is shone on the plant for several minutes during

2210-465: Is suitable breeding stock, hotly debated by breeders. Additional personal beliefs may come into play when considering a suitable level of care for the mare and ensuing foal, the potential market or use for the foal, and other tangible and intangible benefits to the owner. If the breeding endeavor is intended to make a profit, there are additional market factors to consider, which may vary considerably from year to year, from breed to breed, and by region of

2295-513: Is the American Quarter Horse . Once a general-purpose working ranch horse, different bloodlines now specialize in different events. For example, larger, heavier animals with a very steady attitude are bred to give competitors an advantage in events such as team roping , where a horse has to start and stop quickly, but also must calmly hold a full-grown steer at the end of a rope. On the other hand, for an event known as cutting , where

2380-527: Is the Thoroughbred . While most representatives of this breed are bred for horse racing , there are also specialized bloodlines suitable as show hunters or show jumpers . The hunter must have a tall, smooth build that allows it to trot and canter smoothly and efficiently. Instead of speed, value is placed on appearance and upon giving the equestrian a comfortable ride, with natural jumping ability that shows bascule and good form. A show jumper , however,

2465-399: Is the suite of physiological changes that occur in response to changes in day length. This allows animals to respond to a temporally changing environment associated with changing seasons as the earth orbits the sun. In 1920, W. W. Garner and H. A. Allard published their discoveries on photoperiodism and felt it was the length of daylight that was critical, but it was later discovered that

2550-783: The American Quarter Horse and the Criollo of Argentina . In Canada, the Canadian Horse descended from the French stock Louis XIV sent to Canada in the late 17th century.[6] The initial shipment, in 1665, consisted of two stallions and twenty mares from the Royal Stables in Normandy and Brittany, the centre of French horse breeding.[7] Only 12 of the 20 mares survived the trip. Two more shipments followed, one in 1667 of 14 horses (mostly mares, but with at least one stallion), and one in 1670 of 11 mares and

2635-508: The Arabian , Barb , and Turkoman horse This cross-breeding led both to a nimbler war horse, such as today's Andalusian horse , but also created a type of horse known as a Courser , a predecessor to the Thoroughbred , which was used as a message horse. During the Renaissance , horses were bred not only for war, but for haute ecole riding, derived from the most athletic movements required of

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2720-567: The Odyssey by Homer, and hieroglyphics and paintings left behind by Egyptians tell stories of pharaohs hunting elephants from chariots. Nearly nothing is known of what became of the horses they bred for hippodromes, for warfare, or even for farming. One of the earliest people known to document the breedings of their horses were the Bedouin of the Middle East , the breeders of the Arabian horse . While it

2805-457: The Rhinopneumonitis (EHV-1) virus (which can cause miscarriage) as well as vaccines for other conditions that may occur in a given region of the world. Pre-foaling vaccines are recommended 4–6 weeks prior to foaling to maximize the immunoglobulin content of the colostrum in the first milk. Mares are dewormed a few weeks prior to foaling, as the mare is the primary source of parasites for

2890-468: The Thoroughbred , to produce the modern warmblood breeds popular in sport horse disciplines, particularly at the Olympic level. Breeding a horse is an endeavor where the owner, particularly of the mare, will usually need to invest considerable time and money. For this reason, a horse owner needs to consider several factors, including: There are value judgements involved in considering whether an animal

2975-411: The blastocyst stage. The gestation period lasts for about eleven months, or about 340 days (normal average range 320–370 days). During the early days of pregnancy, the conceptus is mobile, moving about in the uterus until about day 16 when "fixation" occurs. Shortly after fixation, the embryo proper (so called up to about 35 days) will become visible on trans-rectal ultrasound (about day 21) and

3060-432: The canary depends on the photoperiod. In the spring, when the photoperiod increases (more daylight), the male canary's testes grow. As the testes grow, more androgens are secreted and song frequency increases. During autumn, when the photoperiod decreases (less daylight), the male canary's testes regress and androgen levels drop dramatically, resulting in decreased singing frequency. Not only is singing frequency dependent on

3145-553: The maternal grandfather of a horse has a special term: damsire . " Linebreeding " technically is the duplication of fourth-generation or more distant ancestors. However, the term is often used more loosely, describing horses with duplication of ancestors closer than the fourth generation. It also is sometimes used as a euphemism for the practice of inbreeding , a practice that is generally frowned upon by horse breeders, though used by some in an attempt to fix certain traits. The estrous cycle (also spelled oestrous) controls when

3230-489: The pineal gland to reduce the levels of melatonin , thereby allowing the hypothalamus to secrete GnRH. While horses in the wild mate and foal in mid to late spring, in the case of horses domestically bred for competitive purposes, especially horse racing , it is desirable that they be born as close to January 1 in the northern hemisphere or August 1 in the southern hemisphere as possible, so as to be at an advantage in size and maturity when competing against other horses in

3315-404: The ancestors of the great heavy horses of today, and their size was preferred not simply because of the weight of the armor, but also because a large horse provided more power for the knight's lance. Weighing almost twice as much as a normal riding horse, the destrier was a powerful weapon in battle meant to act like a giant battering ram that could quite literally run down men on an enemy line. On

3400-399: The brain. Photoperiod can affect insects at different life stages, serving as an environmental cue for physiological processes such as diapause induction and termination, and seasonal morphs. In the water strider Aquarius paludum , for instance, photoperiod conditions during nymphal development have been shown to trigger seasonal changes in wing frequency and also induce diapause, although

3485-409: The careful balance required of increased protein, increased calories through extra fat as well as vitamins and minerals. Overfeeding the pregnant mare, particularly during early gestation, should be avoided, as excess weight may contribute to difficulties foaling or fetal/foal related problems. Mares due to foal are usually separated from other horses, both for the benefit of the mare and the safety of

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3570-513: The days shorten, the mare returns to a period when she is not sexually receptive, known as anestrus . Anestrus – occurring in the majority of, but not all, mares – prevents the mare from conceiving in the winter months, as that would result in her foaling during the harshest part of the year, a time when it would be most difficult for the foal to survive. This cycle contains 2 phases: Depending on breed, on average, 16% of mares have double ovulations, allowing them to twin, though this does not affect

3655-402: The desert naturally developed speed and endurance to travel long distances and survive in a harsh environment, and domestication by humans added a trainable disposition to the animal's natural abilities. In the meantime, in northern Europe , the locally adapted heavy horse with a thick, warm coat was domesticated and put to work as a farm animal that could pull a plow or wagon. This animal

3740-648: The development of breeds such as the Thoroughbred , a horse taller than the Arabian and faster over the distances of a few miles required of a European race horse or light cavalry horse. Another cross between oriental and European horses produced the Andalusian , a horse developed in Spain that was powerfully built, but extremely nimble and capable of the quick bursts of speed over short distances necessary for certain types of combat as well as for tasks such as bullfighting . Later,

3825-402: The fetus increases the mare's nutritional requirements. Energy requirements during these last few months, and during the first few months of lactation are similar to those of a horse in full training. Trace minerals such as copper are extremely important, particularly during the tenth month of pregnancy, for proper skeletal formation. Many feeds designed for pregnant and lactating mares provide

3910-404: The foal. Mares can be used for riding or driving during most of their pregnancy. Exercise is healthy, though should be moderated when a mare is heavily in foal. Exercise in excessively high temperatures has been suggested as being detrimental to pregnancy maintenance during the embryonic period; however ambient temperatures encountered during the research were in the region of 100 degrees F and

3995-609: The hardscrabble life of the New World, so like the Americans, early Canadians crossed their horses with natives escapees. In time they evolved along similar lines as the Quarter Horse to the South as both the US and Canada spread westward and needed a calm and tractable horse versatile enough to carry the farmer's son to school but still capable of running fast and running hard as a cavalry horse,

4080-423: The horse must separate a cow from a herd and prevent it from rejoining the group, the best horses are smaller, quick, alert, athletic and highly trainable. They must learn quickly, have conformation that allows quick stops and fast, low turns, and the best competitors have a certain amount of independent mental ability to anticipate and counter the movement of a cow, popularly known as "cow sense." Another example

4165-461: The horse racing world, although its lines have been more recently used to improve warmblood breeds and to develop sport horses. The French saddle horse is an excellent example as is the Irish Sport Horse , the latter being an unusual combination between a Thoroughbred and a draft breed. The American Quarter Horse was developed early in the 18th century, mainly for quarter racing (racing ¼ of

4250-434: The larger stud farms . Many stud farms worldwide employ technology to alert human managers when the mare is about to foal, including webcams , closed-circuit television , or assorted types of devices that alert a handler via a remote alarm when a mare lies down in a position to foal. On the other hand, some breeders, particularly those in remote areas or with extremely large numbers of horses, may allow mares to foal out in

4335-484: The length of the night was the controlling factor. Photoperiodic flowering plants are classified as long-day plants or short-day plants even though night is the critical factor because of the initial misunderstanding about daylight being the controlling factor. Along with long-day plants and short-day plants, there are plants that fall into a "dual-day length category". These plants are either long-short-day plants (LSDP) or short-long-day plants (SLDP). LSDPs flower after

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4420-415: The length of time of estrus or diestrus. Changes in hormone levels can have great effects on the physical characteristics of the reproductive organs of the mare, thereby preparing, or preventing, her from conceiving. The cycle is controlled by several hormones which regulate the estrous cycle, the mare's behavior, and the reproductive system of the mare. The cycle begins when the increased day length causes

4505-401: The light and dark in each phase varies across the seasons due to the tilt of the earth around its axis. The photoperiod defines the length of the light, for example a summer day the length of light could be 16 hours while the dark is 8 hours, whereas a winter day the length of day could be 8 hours, whereas the dark is 16 hours. Importantly, the seasons are different in the northern hemisphere than

4590-557: The light input through the RHT and by innate circadian rhythms . This hormonal signal, combined with outputs from the SCN inform the rest of the body about the time of day, and the length of time that melatonin is secreted is how the time of year is perceived. Many mammals, particularly those inhabiting temperate and polar regions, exhibit a remarkable degree of seasonality in response to changes in daylight hours(photoperiod). This seasonality manifests in

4675-478: The loss of leaves. Artificial lighting can be used to induce extra-long days. Long-day plants flower when the night length falls below their critical photoperiod. These plants typically flower during late spring or early summer as days are getting longer. In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year (summer solstice) is on or about 21 June. After that date, days grow shorter (i.e. nights grow longer) until 21 December (the winter solstice ). This situation

4760-436: The mare to be sure that she passes the placenta in a timely fashion, and that it is complete with no fragments remaining in the uterus . Retained fetal membranes can cause a serious inflammatory condition ( endometritis ) and/or infection. If the placenta is not removed from the stall after it is passed, a mare will often eat it, an instinct from the wild, where blood would attract predators. Foals develop rapidly, and within

4845-432: The mare, as well as sniff her urine to determine her readiness for mating. During copulation , the stallion usually ejaculates after 6 to 8 pelvic thrusts . Once fertilized, the oocyte (egg) remains in the oviduct for approximately 5.5 more days, and then descends into the uterus . The initial single cell combination is already dividing and by the time of entry into the uterus, the egg might have already reached

4930-470: The night; they require a continuous period of darkness before floral development can begin. Natural nighttime light, such as moonlight or lightning, is not of sufficient brightness or duration to interrupt flowering. Short-day plants flower as days grow shorter (and nights grow longer) after September 21st in the northern hemisphere, which is during summer or fall. The length of the dark period required to induce flowering differs among species and varieties of

5015-409: The origin of the foal. Similarly, the "breeder", is the person who owned or leased the mare at the time of foaling. That individual may not have had anything to do with the mating of the mare. It is important to review each breed registry's rules to determine which applies to any specific foal. In the horse breeding industry, the term "half-brother" or "half-sister" only describes horses which have

5100-558: The other hand, during this same time, lighter horses were bred in northern Africa and the Middle East, where a faster, more agile horse was preferred. The lighter horse suited the raids and battles of desert people, allowing them to outmaneuver rather than overpower the enemy. When Middle Eastern warriors and European knights collided in warfare, the heavy knights were frequently outmaneuvered. The Europeans, however, responded by crossing their native breeds with "oriental" type horses such as

5185-605: The people who settled America needed a hardy horse that was capable of working with cattle . Thus, Arabians and Thoroughbreds were crossed on Spanish horses, both domesticated animals descended from those brought over by the Conquistadors , and feral horses such as the Mustangs , descended from the Spanish horse, but adapted by natural selection to the ecology and climate of the west. These crosses ultimately produced new breeds such as

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5270-432: The photoperiod but the song repertoire is also. The long photoperiod of spring results in a greater song repertoire. Autumn's shorter photoperiod results in a reduction in song repertoire. These behavioral photoperiod changes in male canaries are caused by changes in the song center of the brain. As the photoperiod increases, the high vocal center (HVC) and the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA) increase in size. When

5355-429: The photoperiod decreases, these areas of the brain regress. In mammals, daylength is registered in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is informed by retinal light-sensitive ganglion cells , which are not involved in vision. The information travels through the retinohypothalamic tract (RHT). In most species the hormone melatonin is produced by the pineal gland only during the hours of darkness, influenced by

5440-415: The photoreceptors are in regards to determining day-length. Modern biologists believe that it is the coincidence of the active forms of phytochrome or cryptochrome, created by light during the daytime, with the rhythms of the circadian clock that allows plants to measure the length of the night. Other than flowering, photoperiodism in plants includes the growth of stems or roots during certain seasons and

5525-602: The placenta) is not initiated until about day 40-45 and not completed until about 140 days of pregnancy. The fetus's sex can be determined by day 70 of the gestation using ultrasound. Halfway through gestation the fetus is the size of between a rabbit and a beagle . The most dramatic fetal development occurs in the last 3 months of pregnancy when 60% of fetal growth occurs. Colts are carried on average about 4 days longer than fillies. Domestic mares receive specific care and nutrition to ensure that they and their foals are healthy. Mares are given vaccinations against diseases such as

5610-518: The precise date is in dispute, humans could have domesticated the horse as far back as approximately 4500 BCE. However, evidence of planned breeding has a more blurry history. It is well known, for example, that the Romans did breed horses and valued them in their armies, but little is known regarding their breeding and husbandry practices: all that remains are statues and artwork. Mankind has plenty of equestrian statues of Roman emperors, horses are mentioned in

5695-454: The red-to far-red ratio in Arabidopsis can alter flowering. They discovered that plants tend to flower later when exposed to more red light, proving that red light is inhibitory to flowering. Other experiments have proven this by exposing plants to extra red-light in the middle of the night. A short-day plant will not flower if light is turned on for a few minutes in the middle of the night and

5780-552: The saddle as a plantation master would survey his vast lands like an English lord. Horses were needed for heavy draft and carriage work until replaced by the automobile, truck, and tractor. After this time, draft and carriage horse numbers dropped significantly, though light riding horses remained popular for recreational pursuits. Draft horses today are used on a few small farms, but today are seen mainly for pulling and plowing competitions rather than farm work. Heavy harness horses are now used as an outcross with lighter breeds, such as

5865-431: The saddle for long hours. However, this did not mean that the original ¼-mile races that colonists held ever went out of fashion, so today there are three types: the stock horse type, the racer, and the more recently evolving sport type. The racing type most resembles the finer-boned ancestors of the first racing Quarter Horses, and the type is still used for ¼-mile races. The stock horse type, used in western events and as

5950-437: The same age group. When an early foal is desired, barn managers will put the mare "under lights" by keeping the barn lights on in the winter to simulate a longer day, thus bringing the mare into estrus sooner than she would in nature. Mares signal estrus and ovulation by urination in the presence of a stallion, raising the tail and revealing the vulva . A stallion , approaching with a high head, will usually nicker, nip and nudge

6035-449: The same dam, but different sires. Horses with the same sire but different dams are simply said to be "by the same sire", and no sibling relationship is implied. "Full" (or "own") siblings have both the same dam and the same sire. The terms paternal half-sibling, and maternal half-sibling are also often used. Three-quarter siblings are horses out of the same dam, and are by sires that are either half-brothers (i.e. same dam) or who are by

6120-440: The same results may not be encountered in regions with lower ambient temperatures. During the first several months of pregnancy, the nutritional requirements do not increase significantly since the rate of growth of the fetus is very slow. However, during this time, the mare may be provided supplemental vitamins and minerals, particularly if forage quality is questionable. During the last 3–4 months of gestation, rapid growth of

6205-411: The same sire. Thoroughbreds and Arabians are also classified through the "distaff" or direct female line, known as their "family" or "tail female" line, tracing back to their taproot foundation bloodstock or the beginning of their respective stud books . The female line of descent always appears at the bottom of a tabulated pedigree and is therefore often known as the bottom line . In addition,

6290-423: The season of the year, is vital to many animals. A number of biological and behavioural changes are dependent on this knowledge. Together with temperature changes, photoperiod provokes changes in the color of fur and feathers, migration , entry into hibernation , sexual behaviour , and even the resizing of organs. In insects , sensitivity to photoperiod has been proven to be initiated by photoreceptors located in

6375-475: The shade, and this converts phytochrome from P fr to its inactive form, P r , inhibiting germination. This system of P fr to P r conversion allows the plant to sense when it is night and when it is day. P fr can also be converted back to P r by a process known as dark reversion, where long periods of darkness trigger the conversion of P fr . This is important in regards to plant flowering. Experiments by Halliday et al. showed that manipulations of

6460-425: The soon-to-be-delivered foal. In addition, separation allows the mare to be monitored more closely by humans for any problems that may occur while giving birth. In the northern hemisphere, a special foaling stall that is large and clutter free is frequently used, particularly by major breeding farms. Originally, this was due in part to a need for protection from the harsh winter climate present when mares foal early in

6545-485: The southern hemisphere. Photoperiodism is the physiological reaction of organisms to the length of light or a dark period. It occurs in plants and animals . Plant photoperiodism can also be defined as the developmental responses of plants to the relative lengths of light and dark periods. They are classified under three groups according to the photoperiods: short-day plants, long-day plants, and day-neutral plants. In animals photoperiodism (sometimes called seasonality)

6630-451: The threshold critical day lengths for the determination of both traits diverged by about an hour. In Gerris buenoi , another water strider species, photoperiod has also been shown to be the cause of wing polyphenism , although the specific daylengths changed between species, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity in response to photoperiod has evolved even between relatively closely related species. The singing frequency of birds such as

6715-483: The ultimate racehorse, through the lines of three foundation Arabian stallions and one Turkish horse. In the 18th century, James Burnett, Lord Monboddo noted the importance of selecting appropriate parentage to achieve desired outcomes of successive generations. Monboddo worked more broadly in the abstract thought of species relationships and evolution of species. The Thoroughbred breeding hub in Lexington, Kentucky

6800-415: The wild a foal may nurse for a year. Beyond the appearance and conformation of a specific type of horse, breeders aspire to improve physical performance abilities. This concept, known as matching "form to function," has led to the development of not only different breeds, but also families or bloodlines within breeds that are specialists for excelling at specific tasks. For example, the Arabian horse of

6885-454: The world. In many cases, the low end of the market is saturated with horses, and the law of supply and demand thus allows little or no profit to be made from breeding unregistered animals or animals of poor quality, even if registered. Photoperiod Photoperiod is the change of day length around the seasons. The rotation of the earth around its axis produces 24 hour changes in light (day) and dark (night) cycles on earth. The length of

6970-458: The year, but even in moderate climates, such as Florida , foaling stalls are still common because they allow closer monitoring of mares. Smaller breeders often use a small pen with a large shed for foaling, or they may remove a wall between two box stalls in a small barn to make a large stall. In the milder climates seen in much of the southern hemisphere, most mares foal outside, often in a paddock built specifically for foaling, especially on

7055-541: Was bred for "shoot and run" tactics rather than the shock action as in the Middle Ages. Fine horses usually had a well muscled, curved neck, slender body, and sweeping mane, as the nobility liked to show off their wealth and breeding in paintings of the era. After Charles II retook the British throne in 1660, horse racing, which had been banned by Cromwell, was revived. The Thoroughbred was developed 40 years later, bred to be

7140-693: Was developed in the late 18th century, and became a mainstay in American racehorse breeding. The 17th and 18th centuries saw more of a need for fine carriage horses in Europe, bringing in the dawn of the warmblood . The warmblood breeds have been exceptionally good at adapting to changing times, and from their coach horse beginnings they easily transitioned during the 20th century into a sport horse type. Today's warmblood breeds are frequently used in competitive driving , but are more often seen competing in show jumping or dressage . The Thoroughbred continues to dominate

7225-454: Was later adapted through selective breeding to create a strong but rideable animal suitable for the heavily armored knight in warfare . Then, centuries later, when people in Europe wanted faster horses than could be produced from local horses through simple selective breeding, they imported Arabians and other oriental horses to breed as an outcross to the heavier, local animals. This led to

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