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1. Lotus in the Morning, 2. Zhuang Minority Costume, 3. Fanny Florist Ltd, 4. Locomotion, 5. Fisherman, 6. Samsung, 7. Changi International Airport - Terminal 3 - Departure Hall II, 8. Washing,
9. Fu - Blessing & Happiness, 10. Flower, 11. Smoking and Gambling, 12. Ripples, 13. North Vietnam, 14. Departure Hall, 15. Human Spiders spinning their web, 16. Any which way,
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65. Morning has broken, 66. Coal Delivery, 67. Nice Hand, 68. Standing Still, 69. Bricks, 70. Color Coordinated, 71. Drum Dance, 72. Passing Bus III
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Most newer locations of McDonald's uses this and they still make this today either the new outside or the old outside. And The Classic McDonald's is coming back and I am so exciting.
Most of Citybus's work is on Hong Kong Island but it also does some further out. Seen next to Tuen Mun Ferry Pier in the New Territories is Alexander RH-bodied Volvo Olympian 697 (HV 5277), about to terminate having arrived from Causeway Bay on express service 962.
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012
CONVERSATION: THE CONFUSING, CONFOUNDING, EVER-CHANGING MEDIA WORLD
Media honchos talk about innovating and adapting to the transformations that technology delivers.
Speakers:
Bonnie Hammer, Chairman, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Studios, NBCUniversal Media
Laura Lang, CEO, Time Inc.
Gracia Martore, President and CEO, Gannett
Katie Jacobs Stanton, Vice President, International Sales and Development, Twitter
Moderator: Stephanie Mehta, Fortune
Photograph by Krista Kennell/Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
Alexander Dennis's Enviro400 would on the face of it appear to have become something of a standard in London as there are hundreds upon hundreds of them in use with all the major operators. Here Go-Ahead London's E189 (SN61 BJJ) waits to turn into Parliament Street whilst on its way from Deptford Bridge to Marylebone on former 'bendybus' route 453.
Probably the most adorable email I've ever gotten. This kid must have done a websearch for the MEN IN BLACK ride and found my website. I wrote back and told him:
Thanks, Taylor! It's awesome that MEN IN BLACK is your favorite ride. I'm really glad you like it! What's your high score? Have you gotten the suit at the end yet?
I don't work for Universal Studios anymore, so I don't know if they're closing it or not. Sometimes they close rides to fix them -- so if it's closed now, it doesn't mean it'll be closed forever. Maybe you should write to Universal Studios and ask them? I know they love hearing feedback from fans like you. You can reach them at these websites:
www.visitorsatisfaction.com/contactus/
Thanks for being one of the MIB, and keep zapping those aliens!
Most probable a natural hibrid between levii and gigas, once again, but it doesen´t look like dalstroemii or hawleyi
After some research and by suggestion of Paco Tobar, it looks like this migh be D. trinympharum
The most spectacular super sports car of its time,
designed as a mid-engined racing machine, tamed for road use.
In 1971 Marcello Gandini (Bertone chief designer) created a radical futuristic styling with such sharp edges as never seen before.
The spectacular proportions of the Countach were clearly influenced by its technical layout.
The abbreviation “LP” (Longitudinale Posteriore) refers to the position of the five-speed gearbox in front of the longitudinale posteriore mounted twelve-cylinder engine.
At the Geneva Motorshow Lamborghini unveiled the final version of the Countach in 1973.
Design features included the legendary scissor doors and a miniscule rear window integrated into the roofline.
Manufacturing period: 1974 - 1977 (LP400) / 1973 - 1990 (all versions)
Units manufactured: 157 (LP400: 1974 - 1977) / 2042 (all versions: 1973 - 1990)
Top speed: 315 km/h
0-100 km/h: 5.4 s (last series 1985 – 1990: 4.9 s / Evoluzione: 4.2 s / Turbo S Prototype: 3.6 s)
Empty weight: 1065 kg
Designer: Marcello Gandini @ Bertone
Original price (Germany, 1975): DM 99800,--
Cylinders: 12 (60 degree angle / V-configuration)
Displacement: 3929 cc
Rated output: 276 KW / 375 PS @ 8000 rpm (later versions: up to 455 PS / Evoluzione 490 PS / Turbo S Prototype 748 PS)
Valvetrain: Two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, chain driven
Operation: 4-stroke petrol engine with six Weber 45 DCOE two-barrel sidedraft carburettors
Bore x stroke: 82 x 62 mm
Cooling system: Liquid cooled with pump
Engine block: Full alloy
Autostadt Wolfsburg (Germany)
Motor ICONS
Zeithaus Museum
17 February 2014
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Fortune The Most Powerful Women
Washington, D.C., USA
11:20 AM One On One
Marissa Mayer, President and CEO, Yahoo!
Interviewer: Pattie Sellers, Fortune
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Most Powerful Women
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Fortune The Most Powerful Women
Washington, D.C., USA
3:00 PM–4:00 PM Concurrent SESSIONS
Global Business: Navigating the New Geopolitical Realities
Presented by Barclays
Which countries will lead—and lag—in the economic recovery?
Baroness Shriti Vadera, Former U.K. Cabinet Office Minister and Member of Council of Economic Advisors, H.M. Treasury; Strategy and Finance Advisor, Shriti Vadera Ltd.
Interviewer: Nina Easton, Washington Columnist, Senior Editor, and Co-chair, MPW Summit, Fortune
Photograph by Danuta Otfinowski/Fortune Most Powerful Women
Harold Estes and Ena Ruth Finley. From the 1951 edition of The Reg-O-Ala, E. M. Holt High School's yearbook (p. 38).
View at DigitalNC: E. M. Holt High School 1951 Yearbook
Digital Collection: North Carolina High School Yearbooks
Contributing Institution: Alamance County Public Libraries
Standard Rights Statement: In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted
This is a shot of the Otisca Building, the home of the former Thomas Ryan Brewery. Now a little bit of history: Most of this rambling complex (a block long) of two and three story red brick industrial buildings dates from the Ryan's Brewery expansion in the 1880s . It was once more ornate, with Beaux Arts decoration and a prominent towered upper story on the corner. Some Beaux Arts medallions are still affixed to the brick facade, giving a hint of how 19th-century industrialists linked industry and art. The brewery made a beer called Onondaga Lager, among others. It is said that when they were cooking hops you could smell it on the North Side. Ryan later served as mayor of Syracuse, NY from 1883 to 1885. Ryan's brewery was one out of about ten that flourished in Syracuse mostly on the North Side, during the city's brewing heyday in the late 1800s. The brewery is remembered for the huge electric sign that stood on the roof - it showed a bottle of beer being emptied into a schooner (a large beer glass). No one has made beer here since the 1920s. There are stories that there was a tunnel that ran under Butternut Street which connected the Ryan Brewery to the Haberle Brewing Company which was on the other side of the street. It is also said that Haberle's continued to use the tunnel after Ryan's went under in 1924. When some inspectors, not too long ago, went down in the the basement they didn't find any tunnel but they did say it could have been bricked up. So perhaps they'll know for sure when the building is demolished. Haberle's, who made Congress beer, closed in 1962 and a shopping center now sits on their site. Otisca Industries Ltd, a company that made fuel from coal slurry, purchased the building in 1979 but went out of business a decade later. At one time the building housed the the Jay Gere Corp which sold plumbing and heating supplies. It has been vacant since 1989. City records show that the building still belongs to the Otisca Co of LaFayette and that the city plans to seize it for back taxes, estimated at more than $577,000. Apparently this company only exists on paper as far as the city of Syracuse knows. The old brick building is set for demolition. Glass from shattered windows sometimes ends up in the driveway of Our Lady of Pompei convent, which is four blocks away. Bricks have been falling and a crack on in the North McBride Street side is an inch wide and growing. There are plans for apartments to be built on that spot eventually. Located at 501-11 Butternut Street at the corner of McBride Street in Syracuse, NY (25) UPDATE: The city of Syracuse recently demolished this building. There are plans to build apartments on the site.
Most of the migrating Rufous Hummers have already passed through this mountainous area. These native guys will be headed lower and southward very soon... most of the adults are already gone. This guy has the beginnings on his chin of what will eventually be a solid red gorget of the males. He is also exhibiting what Sibley calls the "4-o'clock shadow."
IMG_4907; Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Monday, October 1st, 2012
Leadership presentation. Sponsor: Deloitte
Photograph by Heidi Laughton/Fortune Most Powerful Women
Most people don't know that famed Alien monster creator H.R. Giger got his start designing farm equipment.
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012
CONVERSATION: LESSONS FROM THE STORM
Speakers:
Barbara Byrne, Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, Barclays
Sallie Krawcheck, Former President, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Bank of America
Moderator: Carol Loomis, Fortune
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
Belvedere Castle
Upper Belvedere, 2011
(further pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Lower Belvedere, 2010
Vienna's most famous castles system, the Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere Palace, the city owes the former champion in the fight against the Ottomans, Prince Eugene of Savoy. This one had for himself the of two castles (Lower Belvedere, Upper Belvedere Palace ) consisting and with a park and other side attractions equipped estate as a summer residence in the style of Versailles built. Within ten years (1714-1723/24) Lukas von Hildebrandt built his biggest project, which is one of the most beautiful Baroque works in the world.
After the death of Prince Eugene, who remained unmarried, his whole estate passed to his sister Victoria, who sold it low priced to the imperial court in 1752. So the estate 1894-1914 served as a residential area for the heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, dying in the attack in Sarajevo with his wife in 1914. Even Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg lived from 1934-1938 in the Upper Belvedere Castle. 1955 the plant became the scene of a major political event, the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Soviet Union, United States and Austria signing the treaty for independence in the Marble Hall of the Upper Belvedere. Today, in the formerly as a residential complex and representation residences used palaces are especially exhibitions of Austrian artists located.
Lower Belvedere Palace
The 1716 finished Lower Belvedere Palace looks in comparison to its opposite counterpart quite modest, though the castle has a rich interior decoration in the Baroque style. So forms the center of the mainly single-storey building the two-story marble hall, which with golden ornaments and painted mock architecture (Gaetano Fanti) was decorated. The famous frescoes by Martino Altomonte (1914) in the Marble Hall show the original owner of the castle Prince Eugene as he receives his hat and stick - alike Apollo on clouds dormant. In addition, invites the Golden Room, with its mirrors, the golden paneling as well as paintings of personalized continents, elements and seasons to marvel. This space, especially the interior, was once part of the city palace of the Türkenbesiegers (vanquisher of the Turks) before anything was transferred in 1770 to the Lower Castle. In addition to the Marble Hall and the Golden Room convince the other rooms in their equipment and artistic design. In the former bedchamber visitors can admire the relief of Raphael Donner and in the Marble Gallery stucco decorations by Santino Bussi with life-size mythological niche figures by Domenico Parodi. The Hall of Grotesques also could be interesting for art lovers: On one hand, the grotesque paintings by Jonas Drentwett can be viewed, which are intended to represent the Prince in his functions as a warlord and patron of the Arts. On the other hand, attracts the ceiling fresco depicting the four seasons as well as the design of the corners of the room with the four elements everyone's attention.
Upper Belvedere Palace
The representation castle of the former Prinz- Eugen-estate served primarily of the joyful coming together for lavish celebrations or enjoyment of many art treasures. It was completed in 1724 and is, due to its richly decorated façade, considered as the more marvelous of the two castles. The mentioned enjoyment of art is already visible at the richly decorated facade and is continued in the design of the castle rooms. Four powerful atlases of Mattielli in the Sala terrene carry the vault of the room and the white stucco decorations by Santino Bussi are continued in the hallway under the theme of the prince virtues. The two-story marble hall is here - as well as in the Lower Belvedere Palace - the center of the building. The ceiling painting "Allegory of Glory " by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone symbolizes the eternal glory of the prince in the midst of princely virtues. The Apollo-Aura-Fresco ("victory of light over darkness") in the garden room, too, also by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone, heroises Prince Eugene as a bringer of light and Türkenbesieger (defeater of the Ottomans). The frescoes in two other Ostsälen (east halls) are continuing the topic, yet these have been created by Ciacomo del Pò. Other images of high quality, thematically but biblically oriented can be found in the chapel and in the south-east tower of the castle. Here is on one hand, the dome image "God the Father" (Carlo Carlone ) to mention, as well as the altarpiece "Resurrection of Christ" (Solimena). "In the Gold Room in the Northwest Tower arised Canelettos famous view of Vienna from 1760".
Garden
Between the Upper and Lower Belvedere Palace is the beautifully landscaped garden. This one was layed out by the Parisian garden architect Dominique Girard. The axially landscaped terrace garden with symmetrical staircases, however, goes back to a concept of Hildebrandt. This construction permits from the front terrace of the Upper Belvedere a beautiful view over the sloping gardens to the towers of Vienna and the mountain ranges of the Vienna Woods behind them. The upper lawn area designed Girard in accordance with French geometries with cascades, stairs and water features, as well as laterally limited hedges and avenues. Once adorned numerous sculptures the garden grounds, too. Those have been distributed thematically and according to the altitude. So were found on the lower garden level sculptures which should symbolize the four elements. In the central region was the Parnassus represented and on the higher garden level have been found sculptures to Olympus. However, hereof have been preserved only a few sculptures, including eight muses and the symbolic figures of the Prince of Hercules and Apollo in the lower ground floor. Furthermore, two sphinx figures are standing as stone guards in front of the garden side main entrance of the upper Belvedere.
The garden also includes a botanical garden and an Alpine garden. In the former, the personal physician of Maria Theresia Gerard van Swietjens grew various medicinal herbs. Today, the Botanic Garden is owned by the University of Vienna. In contrast, the Alpine Garden was founded in the Schönbrunn Palace in 1803 by the Archdukes Johann, Rainer and Anton and 1865 moved to the Belvedere gardens. In this oldest alpine garden in Europe today can be visited the historic Alpine Plants collection of federal gardens. The there cultivated 4,000 plant species encompass in addition to numerous rare alpine plants also a rhododendron and a bonsai collection.
On the way from one to the other castle you get not only to a number of commercial buildings in the palace complex but also to the Menagerie and the famous Orangery, which served during the lifetime of Prince Eugene as heated winter garden for the orange trees.
Exhibitions and collections
The palace complex for several decades already no longer serves as a residential area for rulers or politicians. Instead, most of the spaces, especially in the Upper Belvedere Palace, are being returned to their original functions. They serve today primarily for presentation and admiration of many valuable art treasures. So can be found in the individual buildings different, always changing exhibitions such as the current on the topic of "gold". This exhibition could be visited until 17th June 2012. In addition, the Austrian Gallery Belvedere has numerous collections of different art directions. So are included in the stock collections to the Middle Ages, Baroque, Classicism, Expressionism and Impressionism as well as works of Art Nouveau, postwar and contemporary art. Particularly noteworthy at this point are the collection of Messerschmidt with his character heads, of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, of Gustav Klimt, of Egon Schiele and of Oskar Kokoschka.
www.belvedere.at/de/ausstellungen/aktuelle-ausstellungen
wienwiki.wienerzeitung.at/WIENWIKI/Schloss_Belvedere
Most babies and toddlers skip the diapers in favor of these lovely slitted pants. I have no idea about the logistics of this for infants, but it's not uncommon to see toddlers squatting in the street.
The European green woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. There are four subspecies and it occurs in most parts of Europe and in western Asia. Wikipedia
Most of us have a thing or two about spiders, majority of the population shuns these arachnids. Aristically spider webs have been associated with unkempt, shabby, dialipdated and spooky buildings (Think Addams family). When I was a kid I sometimes spent time investigating the spider webs around the nooks and corners outside the old house. In the evenings I found a mosquito or two that I would feed to these guys. I'm sure they should have liked me, considering that the opportunistic lizards used to steal the occassional flies that got trapped in the cob. But I never really "connected" with these critters. They remained spooky in my imaginations.
This is a female Golden Silk Orb weaver, shot from the premises of Cascada Verde Eco lodge in Uvita. This is a beautiful place to Stay in Uvita right in the midst of forest. I enjoyed our "night hunt" for critters where I was able put my macro ring flash to good use. This however was shot early morning with a telephoto. The web was a bit far away from the shore of the small (lily) pond, making the macro lens pointless to use and I had no intentions of setting my bare foot in the water to get close. I grew up in the tropics surrounded by marshes, canals and ponds. I know what creatures can live in there. I once almost got hold of the tail of a snake in a crevice thinking it was a fish. That's why I have this policy of, if you can't see the water, you shouldn't be stepping into it.
Low light conditions and prevailing breeze made tripod and high ISO necessary for this shot.
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Most likely the last time my desk will look this clean...
Flash forward... To the current state of my Tying Desk! ....still clean, many new features.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Fortune The Most Powerful Women
Washington, D.C., USA
10:40 AM ONE ON ONE
Diana Nyad, Swimmer, Xtreme Dream, The Cuba Swim
Interviewer: Chelsea Handler, Best-selling Author, Talk Show Host, Comedian and Actress; Owner, Borderline Amazing Productions
Introduction: Martha Nelson, Editor-in-Chief, Time Inc.
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Most Powerful Women
Most sophisticated Poppy is modeling Miss Amour's gown, Miss Fairchild Poppy is wearing the Love is Blue gown.Earrings by me.
Most definitely based on a Mercedes-Benz E-Class is this Chinese Police model by Aoli. These arn't your typical cheapo Chinese diecasts but are actually very well cast and detailed using decent gauge metal which probably explains its nice heavyweight feel. Part of a four vehicle Police themed set. Mint and boxed.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Fortune The Most Powerful Women
Washington, D.C., USA
12:50 PM One on One
Martina Navratilova
Interviewer: Pattie Sellers, Fortune
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Most Powerful Women
The horse (Equus caballus) is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, close to Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, which are horses that never have been domesticated. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.
Horses are adapted to run, allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess an excellent sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal, can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under a saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years.
Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and "warmbloods", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in the world today, developed for many different uses.
Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities such as police work, agriculture, entertainment, and therapy. Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using many different styles of equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat, milk, hide, hair, bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water, and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as veterinarians and farriers.
Lifespan and life stages
Depending on breed, management and environment, the modern domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Uncommonly, a few animals live into their 40s and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy", a 19th-century horse that lived to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living pony, died in 2007 at age 56.
Regardless of a horse or pony's actual birth date, for most competition purposes a year is added to its age each January 1 of each year in the Northern Hemisphere and each August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. The exception is in endurance riding, where the minimum age to compete is based on the animal's actual calendar age.
The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages:
Foal
A horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling, and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at five to seven months of age, although foals can be weaned at four months with no adverse physical effects.
Yearling
A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
Colt
A male horse under the age of four. A common terminology error is to call any young horse a "colt", when the term actually only refers to young male horses.
Filly
A female horse under the age of four.
Mare
A female horse four years old and older.
Stallion
A non-castrated male horse four years old and older.The term "horse" is sometimes used colloquially to refer specifically to a stallion.
Gelding
A castrated male horse of any age.
In horse racing, these definitions may differ: For example, in the British Isles, Thoroughbred horse racing defines colts and fillies as less than five years old. However, Australian Thoroughbred racing defines colts and fillies as less than four years old.
Size and measurement
The height of horses is measured at the highest point of the withers, where the neck meets the back. This point is used because it is a stable point of the anatomy, unlike the head or neck, which move up and down in relation to the body of the horse.
Size varies greatly among horse breeds, as with this full-sized horse and small pony.
In English-speaking countries, the height of horses is often stated in units of hands and inches: one hand is equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). The height is expressed as the number of full hands, followed by a point, then the number of additional inches, and ending with the abbreviation "h" or "hh" (for "hands high"). Thus, a horse described as "15.2 h" is 15 hands plus 2 inches, for a total of 62 inches (157.5 cm) in height.
The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition. Light-riding horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,210 lb). Larger-riding horses usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,320 lb). Heavy or draft horses are usually at least 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high and can be as tall as 18 hands (72 inches, 183 cm) high. They can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,540 to 2,200 lb).
The largest horse in recorded history was probably a Shire horse named Mammoth, who was born in 1848. He stood 21.2 1⁄4 hands (86.25 inches, 219 cm) high and his peak weight was estimated at 1,524 kilograms (3,360 lb). The record holder for the smallest horse ever is Thumbelina, a fully mature miniature horse affected by dwarfism. She was 43 centimetres; 4.1 hands (17 in) tall and weighed 26 kg (57 lb).
Ponies
Main article: Pony
Ponies are taxonomically the same animals as horses. The distinction between a horse and pony is commonly drawn on the basis of height, especially for competition purposes. However, height alone is not dispositive; the difference between horses and ponies may also include aspects of phenotype, including conformation and temperament.
The traditional standard for height of a horse or a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). An animal 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) or over is usually considered to be a horse and one less than 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) a pony, but there are many exceptions to the traditional standard. In Australia, ponies are considered to be those under 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm). For competition in the Western division of the United States Equestrian Federation, the cutoff is 14.1 hands (57 inches, 145 cm). The International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the world governing body for horse sport, uses metric measurements and defines a pony as being any horse measuring less than 148 centimetres (58.27 in) at the withers without shoes, which is just over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), and 149 centimetres (58.66 in; 14.2+1⁄2 hands), with shoes.
Height is not the sole criterion for distinguishing horses from ponies. Breed registries for horses that typically produce individuals both under and over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) consider all animals of that breed to be horses regardless of their height. Conversely, some pony breeds may have features in common with horses, and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), but are still considered to be ponies.
Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails, and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They may have calmer temperaments than horses and also a high level of intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers. Small size, by itself, is not an exclusive determinant. For example, the Shetland pony which averages 10 hands (40 inches, 102 cm), is considered a pony. Conversely, breeds such as the Falabella and other miniature horses, which can be no taller than 76 centimetres; 7.2 hands (30 in), are classified by their registries as very small horses, not ponies.
Genetics
Horses have 64 chromosomes. The horse genome was sequenced in 2007. It contains 2.7 billion DNA base pairs, which is larger than the dog genome, but smaller than the human genome or the bovine genome.
Colors and markings
Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings, described by a specialized vocabulary. Often, a horse is classified first by its coat color, before breed or sex. Horses of the same color may be distinguished from one another by white markings, which, along with various spotting patterns, are inherited separately from coat color.
Many genes that create horse coat colors and patterns have been identified. Current genetic tests can identify at least 13 different alleles influencing coat color, and research continues to discover new genes linked to specific traits. The basic coat colors of chestnut and black are determined by the gene controlled by the Melanocortin 1 receptor, also known as the "extension gene" or "red factor", as its recessive form is "red" (chestnut) and its dominant form is black. Additional genes control suppression of black color to point coloration that results in a bay, spotting patterns such as pinto or leopard, dilution genes such as palomino or dun, as well as greying, and all the other factors that create the many possible coat colors found in horses.
Horses that have a white coat color are often mislabeled; a horse that looks "white" is usually a middle-aged or older gray. Grays are born a darker shade, get lighter as they age, but usually keep black skin underneath their white hair coat (with the exception of pink skin under white markings). The only horses properly called white are born with a predominantly white hair coat and pink skin, a fairly rare occurrence. Different and unrelated genetic factors can produce white coat colors in horses, including several different alleles of dominant white and the sabino-1 gene. However, there are no "albino" horses, defined as having both pink skin and red eyes.
Reproduction and development
Gestation lasts approximately 340 days, with an average range 320–370 days, and usually results in one foal; twins are rare. Horses are a precocial species, and foals are capable of standing and running within a short time following birth. Foals are usually born in the spring. The estrous cycle of a mare occurs roughly every 19–22 days and occurs from early spring into autumn. Most mares enter an anestrus period during the winter and thus do not cycle in this period. Foals are generally weaned from their mothers between four and six months of age.
Horses, particularly colts, are sometimes physically capable of reproduction at about 18 months, but domesticated horses are rarely allowed to breed before the age of three, especially females. Horses four years old are considered mature, although the skeleton normally continues to develop until the age of six; maturation also depends on the horse's size, breed, sex, and quality of care. Larger horses have larger bones; therefore, not only do the bones take longer to form bone tissue, but the epiphyseal plates are larger and take longer to convert from cartilage to bone. These plates convert after the other parts of the bones, and are crucial to development.
Depending on maturity, breed, and work expected, horses are usually put under saddle and trained to be ridden between the ages of two and four. Although Thoroughbred race horses are put on the track as young as the age of two in some countries, horses specifically bred for sports such as dressage are generally not put under saddle until they are three or four years old, because their bones and muscles are not solidly developed. For endurance riding competition, horses are not deemed mature enough to compete until they are a full 60 calendar months (five years) old.
Anatomy
The horse skeleton averages 205 bones. A significant difference between the horse skeleton and that of a human is the lack of a collarbone—the horse's forelimbs are attached to the spinal column by a powerful set of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that attach the shoulder blade to the torso. The horse's four legs and hooves are also unique structures. Their leg bones are proportioned differently from those of a human. For example, the body part that is called a horse's "knee" is actually made up of the carpal bones that correspond to the human wrist. Similarly, the hock contains bones equivalent to those in the human ankle and heel. The lower leg bones of a horse correspond to the bones of the human hand or foot, and the fetlock (incorrectly called the "ankle") is actually the proximal sesamoid bones between the cannon bones (a single equivalent to the human metacarpal or metatarsal bones) and the proximal phalanges, located where one finds the "knuckles" of a human. A horse also has no muscles in its legs below the knees and hocks, only skin, hair, bone, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and the assorted specialized tissues that make up the hoof.
Hooves
Main articles: Horse hoof, Horseshoe, and Farrier
The critical importance of the feet and legs is summed up by the traditional adage, "no foot, no horse". The horse hoof begins with the distal phalanges, the equivalent of the human fingertip or tip of the toe, surrounded by cartilage and other specialized, blood-rich soft tissues such as the laminae. The exterior hoof wall and horn of the sole is made of keratin, the same material as a human fingernail. The result is that a horse, weighing on average 500 kilograms (1,100 lb), travels on the same bones as would a human on tiptoe. For the protection of the hoof under certain conditions, some horses have horseshoes placed on their feet by a professional farrier. The hoof continually grows, and in most domesticated horses needs to be trimmed (and horseshoes reset, if used) every five to eight weeks, though the hooves of horses in the wild wear down and regrow at a rate suitable for their terrain.
Teeth
Main article: Horse teeth
Horses are adapted to grazing. In an adult horse, there are 12 incisors at the front of the mouth, adapted to biting off the grass or other vegetation. There are 24 teeth adapted for chewing, the premolars and molars, at the back of the mouth. Stallions and geldings have four additional teeth just behind the incisors, a type of canine teeth called "tushes". Some horses, both male and female, will also develop one to four very small vestigial teeth in front of the molars, known as "wolf" teeth, which are generally removed because they can interfere with the bit. There is an empty interdental space between the incisors and the molars where the bit rests directly on the gums, or "bars" of the horse's mouth when the horse is bridled.
An estimate of a horse's age can be made from looking at its teeth. The teeth continue to erupt throughout life and are worn down by grazing. Therefore, the incisors show changes as the horse ages; they develop a distinct wear pattern, changes in tooth shape, and changes in the angle at which the chewing surfaces meet. This allows a very rough estimate of a horse's age, although diet and veterinary care can also affect the rate of tooth wear.
Digestion
Main articles: Equine digestive system and Equine nutrition
Horses are herbivores with a digestive system adapted to a forage diet of grasses and other plant material, consumed steadily throughout the day. Therefore, compared to humans, they have a relatively small stomach but very long intestines to facilitate a steady flow of nutrients. A 450-kilogram (990 lb) horse will eat 7 to 11 kilograms (15 to 24 lb) of food per day and, under normal use, drink 38 to 45 litres (8.4 to 9.9 imp gal; 10 to 12 US gal) of water. Horses are not ruminants, they have only one stomach, like humans, but unlike humans, they can digest cellulose, a major component of grass. Horses are hindgut fermenters. Cellulose fermentation by symbiotic bacteria occurs in the cecum, or "water gut", which food goes through before reaching the large intestine. Horses cannot vomit, so digestion problems can quickly cause colic, a leading cause of death. Horses do not have a gallbladder; however, they seem to tolerate high amounts of fat in their diet despite lack of a gallbladder.
Senses
The horses' senses are based on their status as prey animals, where they must be aware of their surroundings at all times. They have the largest eyes of any land mammal, and are lateral-eyed, meaning that their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads. This means that horses have a range of vision of more than 350°, with approximately 65° of this being binocular vision and the remaining 285° monocular vision. Horses have excellent day and night vision, but they have two-color, or dichromatic vision; their color vision is somewhat like red-green color blindness in humans, where certain colors, especially red and related colors, appear as a shade of green.
Their sense of smell, while much better than that of humans, is not quite as good as that of a dog. It is believed to play a key role in the social interactions of horses as well as detecting other key scents in the environment. Horses have two olfactory centers. The first system is in the nostrils and nasal cavity, which analyze a wide range of odors. The second, located under the nasal cavity, are the vomeronasal organs, also called Jacobson's organs. These have a separate nerve pathway to the brain and appear to primarily analyze pheromones.
A horse's hearing is good, and the pinna of each ear can rotate up to 180°, giving the potential for 360° hearing without having to move the head. Noise impacts the behavior of horses and certain kinds of noise may contribute to stress: a 2013 study in the UK indicated that stabled horses were calmest in a quiet setting, or if listening to country or classical music, but displayed signs of nervousness when listening to jazz or rock music. This study also recommended keeping music under a volume of 21 decibels. An Australian study found that stabled racehorses listening to talk radio had a higher rate of gastric ulcers than horses listening to music, and racehorses stabled where a radio was played had a higher overall rate of ulceration than horses stabled where there was no radio playing.
Horses have a great sense of balance, due partly to their ability to feel their footing and partly to highly developed proprioception—the unconscious sense of where the body and limbs are at all times. A horse's sense of touch is well-developed. The most sensitive areas are around the eyes, ears, and nose. Horses are able to sense contact as subtle as an insect landing anywhere on the body.
Horses have an advanced sense of taste, which allows them to sort through fodder and choose what they would most like to eat, and their prehensile lips can easily sort even small grains. Horses generally will not eat poisonous plants, however, there are exceptions; horses will occasionally eat toxic amounts of poisonous plants even when there is adequate healthy food.
Movement
All horses move naturally with four basic gaits:
the four-beat walk, which averages 6.4 kilometres per hour (4.0 mph);
the two-beat trot or jog at 13 to 19 kilometres per hour (8.1 to 11.8 mph) (faster for harness racing horses);
the canter or lope, a three-beat gait that is 19 to 24 kilometres per hour (12 to 15 mph);
the gallop, which averages 40 to 48 kilometres per hour (25 to 30 mph), but the world record for a horse galloping over a short, sprint distance is 70.76 kilometres per hour (43.97 mph).
Besides these basic gaits, some horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. There also are several four-beat 'ambling' gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Ambling gaits are often genetic in some breeds, known collectively as gaited horses. These horses replace the trot with one of the ambling gaits.
Behavior
Horses are prey animals with a strong fight-or-flight response. Their first reaction to a threat is to startle and usually flee, although they will stand their ground and defend themselves when flight is impossible or if their young are threatened. They also tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors. However, through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain draft horses.
Horses fighting as part of herd dominance behaviour
Horses are herd animals, with a clear hierarchy of rank, led by a dominant individual, usually a mare. They are also social creatures that are able to form companionship attachments to their own species and to other animals, including humans. They communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering or whinnying, mutual grooming, and body language. Many horses will become difficult to manage if they are isolated, but with training, horses can learn to accept a human as a companion, and thus be comfortable away from other horses. However, when confined with insufficient companionship, exercise, or stimulation, individuals may develop stable vices, an assortment of bad habits, mostly stereotypies of psychological origin, that include wood chewing, wall kicking, "weaving" (rocking back and forth), and other problems.
Intelligence and learning
Studies have indicated that horses perform a number of cognitive tasks on a daily basis, meeting mental challenges that include food procurement and identification of individuals within a social system. They also have good spatial discrimination abilities. They are naturally curious and apt to investigate things they have not seen before. Studies have assessed equine intelligence in areas such as problem solving, speed of learning, and memory. Horses excel at simple learning, but also are able to use more advanced cognitive abilities that involve categorization and concept learning. They can learn using habituation, desensitization, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning, and positive and negative reinforcement. One study has indicated that horses can differentiate between "more or less" if the quantity involved is less than four.
Domesticated horses may face greater mental challenges than wild horses, because they live in artificial environments that prevent instinctive behavior whilst also learning tasks that are not natural. Horses are animals of habit that respond well to regimentation, and respond best when the same routines and techniques are used consistently. One trainer believes that "intelligent" horses are reflections of intelligent trainers who effectively use response conditioning techniques and positive reinforcement to train in the style that best fits with an individual animal's natural inclinations.
Temperament
Horses are mammals, and as such are warm-blooded, or endothermic creatures, as opposed to cold-blooded, or poikilothermic animals. However, these words have developed a separate meaning in the context of equine terminology, used to describe temperament, not body temperature. For example, the "hot-bloods", such as many race horses, exhibit more sensitivity and energy, while the "cold-bloods", such as most draft breeds, are quieter and calmer. Sometimes "hot-bloods" are classified as "light horses" or "riding horses", with the "cold-bloods" classified as "draft horses" or "work horses".
a sepia-toned engraving from an old book, showing 11 horses of different breeds and sizes in nine different illustrations
Illustration of assorted breeds; slim, light hotbloods, medium-sized warmbloods and draft and pony-type coldblood breeds
"Hot blooded" breeds include "oriental horses" such as the Akhal-Teke, Arabian horse, Barb, and now-extinct Turkoman horse, as well as the Thoroughbred, a breed developed in England from the older oriental breeds. Hot bloods tend to be spirited, bold, and learn quickly. They are bred for agility and speed. They tend to be physically refined—thin-skinned, slim, and long-legged. The original oriental breeds were brought to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa when European breeders wished to infuse these traits into racing and light cavalry horses.
Muscular, heavy draft horses are known as "cold bloods", as they are bred not only for strength, but also to have the calm, patient temperament needed to pull a plow or a heavy carriage full of people. They are sometimes nicknamed "gentle giants". Well-known draft breeds include the Belgian and the Clydesdale. Some, like the Percheron, are lighter and livelier, developed to pull carriages or to plow large fields in drier climates. Others, such as the Shire, are slower and more powerful, bred to plow fields with heavy, clay-based soils. The cold-blooded group also includes some pony breeds.
"Warmblood" breeds, such as the Trakehner or Hanoverian, developed when European carriage and war horses were crossed with Arabians or Thoroughbreds, producing a riding horse with more refinement than a draft horse, but greater size and milder temperament than a lighter breed. Certain pony breeds with warmblood characteristics have been developed for smaller riders. Warmbloods are considered a "light horse" or "riding horse".
Today, the term "Warmblood" refers to a specific subset of sport horse breeds that are used for competition in dressage and show jumping. Strictly speaking, the term "warm blood" refers to any cross between cold-blooded and hot-blooded breeds. Examples include breeds such as the Irish Draught or the Cleveland Bay. The term was once used to refer to breeds of light riding horse other than Thoroughbreds or Arabians, such as the Morgan horse.
Sleep patterns
When horses lie down to sleep, others in the herd remain standing, awake, or in a light doze, keeping watch.
Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. In an adaptation from life in the wild, horses are able to enter light sleep by using a "stay apparatus" in their legs, allowing them to doze without collapsing. Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. A horse kept alone will not sleep well because its instincts are to keep a constant eye out for danger.
Unlike humans, horses do not sleep in a solid, unbroken period of time, but take many short periods of rest. Horses spend four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. Total sleep time in a 24-hour period may range from several minutes to a couple of hours, mostly in short intervals of about 15 minutes each. The average sleep time of a domestic horse is said to be 2.9 hours per day.
Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep. They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements. However, if a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived, and in rare cases may suddenly collapse as it involuntarily slips into REM sleep while still standing. This condition differs from narcolepsy, although horses may also suffer from that disorder.
Taxonomy and evolution
The horse adapted to survive in areas of wide-open terrain with sparse vegetation, surviving in an ecosystem where other large grazing animals, especially ruminants, could not. Horses and other equids are odd-toed ungulates of the order Perissodactyla, a group of mammals dominant during the Tertiary period. In the past, this order contained 14 families, but only three—Equidae (the horse and related species), Tapiridae (the tapir), and Rhinocerotidae (the rhinoceroses)—have survived to the present day.
The earliest known member of the family Equidae was the Hyracotherium, which lived between 45 and 55 million years ago, during the Eocene period. It had 4 toes on each front foot, and 3 toes on each back foot. The extra toe on the front feet soon disappeared with the Mesohippus, which lived 32 to 37 million years ago. Over time, the extra side toes shrank in size until they vanished. All that remains of them in modern horses is a set of small vestigial bones on the leg below the knee, known informally as splint bones. Their legs also lengthened as their toes disappeared until they were a hooved animal capable of running at great speed. By about 5 million years ago, the modern Equus had evolved. Equid teeth also evolved from browsing on soft, tropical plants to adapt to browsing of drier plant material, then to grazing of tougher plains grasses. Thus proto-horses changed from leaf-eating forest-dwellers to grass-eating inhabitants of semi-arid regions worldwide, including the steppes of Eurasia and the Great Plains of North America.
By about 15,000 years ago, Equus ferus was a widespread holarctic species. Horse bones from this time period, the late Pleistocene, are found in Europe, Eurasia, Beringia, and North America. Yet between 10,000 and 7,600 years ago, the horse became extinct in North America. The reasons for this extinction are not fully known, but one theory notes that extinction in North America paralleled human arrival. Another theory points to climate change, noting that approximately 12,500 years ago, the grasses characteristic of a steppe ecosystem gave way to shrub tundra, which was covered with unpalatable plants.
Wild species surviving into modern times
Three tan-colored horses with upright manes. Two horses nip and paw at each other, while the third moves towards the camera. They stand in an open, rocky grassland, with forests in the distance.
Main article: Wild horse
A truly wild horse is a species or subspecies with no ancestors that were ever successfully domesticated. Therefore, most "wild" horses today are actually feral horses, animals that escaped or were turned loose from domestic herds and the descendants of those animals. Only two wild subspecies, the tarpan and the Przewalski's horse, survived into recorded history and only the latter survives today.
The Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), named after the Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky, is a rare Asian animal. It is also known as the Mongolian wild horse; Mongolian people know it as the taki, and the Kyrgyz people call it a kirtag. The subspecies was presumed extinct in the wild between 1969 and 1992, while a small breeding population survived in zoos around the world. In 1992, it was reestablished in the wild by the conservation efforts of numerous zoos. Today, a small wild breeding population exists in Mongolia. There are additional animals still maintained at zoos throughout the world.
The question of whether the Przewalski's horse was ever domesticated was challenged in 2018 when DNA studies of horses found at Botai culture sites revealed captured animals with DNA markers of an ancestor to the Przewalski's horse. The study concluded that the Botai animals appear to have been an independent domestication attempt and apparently unsuccessful, as these genetic markers do not appear in modern domesticated horses. However, the question of whether all Przewalski's horses descend from this population is also unresolved, as only one of seven modern Przewalski's horses in the study shared this ancestry.
The tarpan or European wild horse (Equus ferus ferus) was found in Europe and much of Asia. It survived into the historical era, but became extinct in 1909, when the last captive died in a Russian zoo. Thus, the genetic line was lost. Attempts have been made to recreate the tarpan, which resulted in horses with outward physical similarities, but nonetheless descended from domesticated ancestors and not true wild horses.
Periodically, populations of horses in isolated areas are speculated to be relict populations of wild horses, but generally have been proven to be feral or domestic. For example, the Riwoche horse of Tibet was proposed as such, but testing did not reveal genetic differences from domesticated horses. Similarly, the Sorraia of Portugal was proposed as a direct descendant of the Tarpan on the basis of shared characteristics, but genetic studies have shown that the Sorraia is more closely related to other horse breeds, and that the outward similarity is an unreliable measure of relatedness.
Other modern equids
Main article: Equus (genus)
Besides the horse, there are six other species of genus Equus in the Equidae family. These are the ass or donkey, Equus asinus; the mountain zebra, Equus zebra; plains zebra, Equus quagga; Grévy's Zebra, Equus grevyi; the kiang, Equus kiang; and the onager, Equus hemionus.
Horses can crossbreed with other members of their genus. The most common hybrid is the mule, a cross between a "jack" (male donkey) and a mare. A related hybrid, a hinny, is a cross between a stallion and a "jenny" (female donkey). Other hybrids include the zorse, a cross between a zebra and a horse. With rare exceptions, most hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce.
Main articles: History of horse domestication theories and Domestication of the horse
Domestication of the horse most likely took place in central Asia prior to 3500 BCE. Two major sources of information are used to determine where and when the horse was first domesticated and how the domesticated horse spread around the world. The first source is based on palaeological and archaeological discoveries; the second source is a comparison of DNA obtained from modern horses to that from bones and teeth of ancient horse remains.
The earliest archaeological evidence for the domestication of the horse comes from sites in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, dating to approximately 4000–3500 BCE. By 3000 BCE, the horse was completely domesticated and by 2000 BCE there was a sharp increase in the number of horse bones found in human settlements in northwestern Europe, indicating the spread of domesticated horses throughout the continent. The most recent, but most irrefutable evidence of domestication comes from sites where horse remains were interred with chariots in graves of the Sintashta and Petrovka cultures c. 2100 BCE.
A 2021 genetic study suggested that most modern domestic horses descend from the lower Volga-Don region. Ancient horse genomes indicate that these populations influenced almost all local populations as they expanded rapidly throughout Eurasia, beginning about 4,200 years ago. It also shows that certain adaptations were strongly selected due to riding, and that equestrian material culture, including Sintashta spoke-wheeled chariots spread with the horse itself.
Domestication is also studied by using the genetic material of present-day horses and comparing it with the genetic material present in the bones and teeth of horse remains found in archaeological and palaeological excavations. The variation in the genetic material shows that very few wild stallions contributed to the domestic horse, while many mares were part of early domesticated herds. This is reflected in the difference in genetic variation between the DNA that is passed on along the paternal, or sire line (Y-chromosome) versus that passed on along the maternal, or dam line (mitochondrial DNA). There are very low levels of Y-chromosome variability, but a great deal of genetic variation in mitochondrial DNA. There is also regional variation in mitochondrial DNA due to the inclusion of wild mares in domestic herds. Another characteristic of domestication is an increase in coat color variation. In horses, this increased dramatically between 5000 and 3000 BCE.
Before the availability of DNA techniques to resolve the questions related to the domestication of the horse, various hypotheses were proposed. One classification was based on body types and conformation, suggesting the presence of four basic prototypes that had adapted to their environment prior to domestication. Another hypothesis held that the four prototypes originated from a single wild species and that all different body types were entirely a result of selective breeding after domestication. However, the lack of a detectable substructure in the horse has resulted in a rejection of both hypotheses.
Main article: Feral horse
Feral horses are born and live in the wild, but are descended from domesticated animals. Many populations of feral horses exist throughout the world. Studies of feral herds have provided useful insights into the behavior of prehistoric horses, as well as greater understanding of the instincts and behaviors that drive horses that live in domesticated conditions.
There are also semi-feral horses in many parts of the world, such as Dartmoor and the New Forest in the UK, where the animals are all privately owned but live for significant amounts of time in "wild" conditions on undeveloped, often public, lands. Owners of such animals often pay a fee for grazing rights.
Main articles: Horse breed, List of horse breeds, and Horse breeding
The concept of purebred bloodstock and a controlled, written breed registry has come to be particularly significant and important in modern times. Sometimes purebred horses are incorrectly or inaccurately called "thoroughbreds". Thoroughbred is a specific breed of horse, while a "purebred" is a horse (or any other animal) with a defined pedigree recognized by a breed registry. Horse breeds are groups of horses with distinctive characteristics that are transmitted consistently to their offspring, such as conformation, color, performance ability, or disposition. These inherited traits result from a combination of natural crosses and artificial selection methods. Horses have been selectively bred since their domestication. An early example of people who practiced selective horse breeding were the Bedouin, who had a reputation for careful practices, keeping extensive pedigrees of their Arabian horses and placing great value upon pure bloodlines. These pedigrees were originally transmitted via an oral tradition. In the 14th century, Carthusian monks of southern Spain kept meticulous pedigrees of bloodstock lineages still found today in the Andalusian horse.
Breeds developed due to a need for "form to function", the necessity to develop certain characteristics in order to perform a particular type of work. Thus, a powerful but refined breed such as the Andalusian developed as riding horses with an aptitude for dressage. Heavy draft horses were developed out of a need to perform demanding farm work and pull heavy wagons. Other horse breeds had been developed specifically for light agricultural work, carriage and road work, various sport disciplines, or simply as pets. Some breeds developed through centuries of crossing other breeds, while others descended from a single foundation sire, or other limited or restricted foundation bloodstock. One of the earliest formal registries was General Stud Book for Thoroughbreds, which began in 1791 and traced back to the foundation bloodstock for the breed. There are more than 300 horse breeds in the world today.
Interaction with humans
Worldwide, horses play a role within human cultures and have done so for millennia. Horses are used for leisure activities, sports, and working purposes. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that in 2008, there were almost 59,000,000 horses in the world, with around 33,500,000 in the Americas, 13,800,000 in Asia and 6,300,000 in Europe and smaller portions in Africa and Oceania. There are estimated to be 9,500,000 horses in the United States alone. The American Horse Council estimates that horse-related activities have a direct impact on the economy of the United States of over $39 billion, and when indirect spending is considered, the impact is over $102 billion. In a 2004 "poll" conducted by Animal Planet, more than 50,000 viewers from 73 countries voted for the horse as the world's 4th favorite animal.
Communication between human and horse is paramount in any equestrian activity; to aid this process horses are usually ridden with a saddle on their backs to assist the rider with balance and positioning, and a bridle or related headgear to assist the rider in maintaining control. Sometimes horses are ridden without a saddle, and occasionally, horses are trained to perform without a bridle or other headgear. Many horses are also driven, which requires a harness, bridle, and some type of vehicle.
Main articles: Equestrianism, Horse racing, Horse training, and Horse tack
Historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races. Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent horsemanship that was needed in battle. Many sports, such as dressage, eventing, and show jumping, have origins in military training, which were focused on control and balance of both horse and rider. Other sports, such as rodeo, developed from practical skills such as those needed on working ranches and stations. Sport hunting from horseback evolved from earlier practical hunting techniques. Horse racing of all types evolved from impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. All forms of competition, requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted in the systematic development of specialized breeds and equipment for each sport. The popularity of equestrian sports through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses stopped being used in combat.
Horses are trained to be ridden or driven in a variety of sporting competitions. Examples include show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, competitive driving, endurance riding, gymkhana, rodeos, and fox hunting. Horse shows, which have their origins in medieval European fairs, are held around the world. They host a huge range of classes, covering all of the mounted and harness disciplines, as well as "In-hand" classes where the horses are led, rather than ridden, to be evaluated on their conformation. The method of judging varies with the discipline, but winning usually depends on style and ability of both horse and rider. Sports such as polo do not judge the horse itself, but rather use the horse as a partner for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the horse requires specialized training to participate, the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the rider's actions—be it getting a ball through a goal or some other task. Examples of these sports of partnership between human and horse include jousting, in which the main goal is for one rider to unseat the other, and buzkashi, a team game played throughout Central Asia, the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on horseback.
Horse racing is an equestrian sport and major international industry, watched in almost every nation of the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; steeplechasing, i.e. racing over jumps; and harness racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky. A major part of horse racing's economic importance lies in the gambling associated with it.
Work
There are certain jobs that horses do very well, and no technology has yet developed to fully replace them. For example, mounted police horses are still effective for certain types of patrol duties and crowd control. Cattle ranches still require riders on horseback to round up cattle that are scattered across remote, rugged terrain. Search and rescue organizations in some countries depend upon mounted teams to locate people, particularly hikers and children, and to provide disaster relief assistance. Horses can also be used in areas where it is necessary to avoid vehicular disruption to delicate soil, such as nature reserves. They may also be the only form of transport allowed in wilderness areas. Horses are quieter than motorized vehicles. Law enforcement officers such as park rangers or game wardens may use horses for patrols, and horses or mules may also be used for clearing trails or other work in areas of rough terrain where vehicles are less effective.
Although machinery has replaced horses in many parts of the world, an estimated 100 million horses, donkeys and mules are still used for agriculture and transportation in less developed areas. This number includes around 27 million working animals in Africa alone. Some land management practices such as cultivating and logging can be efficiently performed with horses. In agriculture, less fossil fuel is used and increased environmental conservation occurs over time with the use of draft animals such as horses. Logging with horses can result in reduced damage to soil structure and less damage to trees due to more selective logging.
Main article: Horses in warfare
Horses have been used in warfare for most of recorded history. The first archaeological evidence of horses used in warfare dates to between 4000 and 3000 BCE, and the use of horses in warfare was widespread by the end of the Bronze Age. Although mechanization has largely replaced the horse as a weapon of war, horses are still seen today in limited military uses, mostly for ceremonial purposes, or for reconnaissance and transport activities in areas of rough terrain where motorized vehicles are ineffective. Horses have been used in the 21st century by the Janjaweed militias in the War in Darfur.
Entertainment and culture
Modern horses are often used to reenact many of their historical work purposes. Horses are used, complete with equipment that is authentic or a meticulously recreated replica, in various live action historical reenactments of specific periods of history, especially recreations of famous battles. Horses are also used to preserve cultural traditions and for ceremonial purposes. Countries such as the United Kingdom still use horse-drawn carriages to convey royalty and other VIPs to and from certain culturally significant events. Public exhibitions are another example, such as the Budweiser Clydesdales, seen in parades and other public settings, a team of draft horses that pull a beer wagon similar to that used before the invention of the modern motorized truck.
Horses are frequently used in television, films and literature. They are sometimes featured as a major character in films about particular animals, but also used as visual elements that assure the accuracy of historical stories. Both live horses and iconic images of horses are used in advertising to promote a variety of products. The horse frequently appears in coats of arms in heraldry, in a variety of poses and equipment. The mythologies of many cultures, including Greco-Roman, Hindu, Islamic, and Germanic, include references to both normal horses and those with wings or additional limbs, and multiple myths also call upon the horse to draw the chariots of the Moon and Sun. The horse also appears in the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.
Horses serve as the inspiration for many modern automobile names and logos, including the Ford Pinto, Ford Bronco, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Equus, Hyundai Pony, Mitsubishi Starion, Subaru Brumby, Mitsubishi Colt/Dodge Colt, Pinzgauer, Steyr-Puch Haflinger, Pegaso, Porsche, Rolls-Royce Camargue, Ferrari, Carlsson, Kamaz, Corre La Licorne, Iran Khodro, Eicher, and Baojun. Indian TVS Motor Company also uses a horse on their motorcycles & scooters.
Therapeutic use
People of all ages with physical and mental disabilities obtain beneficial results from an association with horses. Therapeutic riding is used to mentally and physically stimulate disabled persons and help them improve their lives through improved balance and coordination, increased self-confidence, and a greater feeling of freedom and independence. The benefits of equestrian activity for people with disabilities has also been recognized with the addition of equestrian events to the Paralympic Games and recognition of para-equestrian events by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). Hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding are names for different physical, occupational, and speech therapy treatment strategies that use equine movement. In hippotherapy, a therapist uses the horse's movement to improve their patient's cognitive, coordination, balance, and fine motor skills, whereas therapeutic horseback riding uses specific riding skills.
Horses also provide psychological benefits to people whether they actually ride or not. "Equine-assisted" or "equine-facilitated" therapy is a form of experiential psychotherapy that uses horses as companion animals to assist people with mental illness, including anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, behavioral difficulties, and those who are going through major life changes. There are also experimental programs using horses in prison settings. Exposure to horses appears to improve the behavior of inmates and help reduce recidivism when they leave.
Products
Horses are raw material for many products made by humans throughout history, including byproducts from the slaughter of horses as well as materials collected from living horses.
Products collected from living horses include mare's milk, used by people with large horse herds, such as the Mongols, who let it ferment to produce kumis. Horse blood was once used as food by the Mongols and other nomadic tribes, who found it a convenient source of nutrition when traveling. Drinking their own horses' blood allowed the Mongols to ride for extended periods of time without stopping to eat. The drug Premarin is a mixture of estrogens extracted from the urine of pregnant mares (pregnant mares' urine), and was previously a widely used drug for hormone replacement therapy. The tail hair of horses can be used for making bows for string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
Horse meat has been used as food for humans and carnivorous animals throughout the ages. Approximately 5 million horses are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide. It is eaten in many parts of the world, though consumption is taboo in some cultures, and a subject of political controversy in others. Horsehide leather has been used for boots, gloves, jackets, baseballs, and baseball gloves. Horse hooves can also be used to produce animal glue. Horse bones can be used to make implements. Specifically, in Italian cuisine, the horse tibia is sharpened into a probe called a spinto, which is used to test the readiness of a (pig) ham as it cures. In Asia, the saba is a horsehide vessel used in the production of kumis.
Main article: Horse care
Checking teeth and other physical examinations are an important part of horse care.
Horses are grazing animals, and their major source of nutrients is good-quality forage from hay or pasture. They can consume approximately 2% to 2.5% of their body weight in dry feed each day. Therefore, a 450-kilogram (990 lb) adult horse could eat up to 11 kilograms (24 lb) of food. Sometimes, concentrated feed such as grain is fed in addition to pasture or hay, especially when the animal is very active. When grain is fed, equine nutritionists recommend that 50% or more of the animal's diet by weight should still be forage.
Horses require a plentiful supply of clean water, a minimum of 38 to 45 litres (10 to 12 US gal) per day. Although horses are adapted to live outside, they require shelter from the wind and precipitation, which can range from a simple shed or shelter to an elaborate stable.
Horses require routine hoof care from a farrier, as well as vaccinations to protect against various diseases, and dental examinations from a veterinarian or a specialized equine dentist. If horses are kept inside in a barn, they require regular daily exercise for their physical health and mental well-being. When turned outside, they require well-maintained, sturdy fences to be safely contained. Regular grooming is also helpful to help the horse maintain good health of the hair coat and underlying skin.
Climate change
As of 2019, there are around 17 million horses in the world. Healthy body temperature for adult horses is in the range between 37.5 and 38.5 °C (99.5 and 101.3 °F), which they can maintain while ambient temperatures are between 5 and 25 °C (41 and 77 °F). However, strenuous exercise increases core body temperature by 1 °C (1.8 °F)/minute, as 80% of the energy used by equine muscles is released as heat. Along with bovines and primates, equines are the only animal group which use sweating as their primary method of thermoregulation: in fact, it can account for up to 70% of their heat loss, and horses sweat three times more than humans while undergoing comparably strenuous physical activity. Unlike humans, this sweat is created not by eccrine glands but by apocrine glands. In hot conditions, horses during three hours of moderate-intersity exercise can loss 30 to 35 L of water and 100g of sodium, 198 g of choloride and 45 g of potassium. In another difference from humans, their sweat is hypertonic, and contains a protein called latherin, which enables it to spread across their body easier, and to foam, rather than to drip off. These adaptations are partly to compensate for their lower body surface-to-mass ratio, which makes it more difficult for horses to passively radiate heat. Yet, prolonged exposure to very hot and/or humid conditions will lead to consequences such as anhidrosis, heat stroke, or brain damage, potentially culminating in death if not addressed with measures like cold water applications. Additionally, around 10% of incidents associated with horse transport have been attributed to heat stress. These issues are expected to worsen in the future.
African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral illness with a mortality close to 90% in horses, and 50% in mules. A midge, Culicoides imicola, is the primary vector of AHS, and its spread is expected to benefit from climate change. The spillover of Hendra virus from its flying fox hosts to horses is also likely to increase, as future warming would expand the hosts' geographic range. It has been estimated that under the "moderate" and high climate change scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the number of threatened horses would increase by 110,000 and 165,000, respectively, or by 175 and 260%
Presenting ‘Kheema Kabab’ from Azad Restaurant as 6th in the series of documenting the best & the most popular 100 food of my city 'Mumbai' be it from Restaurants, Stalls or Street | Humayunn Peerzaada for Humayunn FoodOgraphy
‘Kheema Kabab’ from Azad Restaurant are the most popular and the most delicious, the best of the best one can have in our city Mumbai, visit the restaurant to try out these above.
Kababs taste has been consistent over these years and they taste the best with Pav or Lambe Pav.
Absolutely delicious and mouth watering. Decent inexpensive low budget eating, high on taste and quality.
Do try it.
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012
ONE ON ONE: HALF THE SKY
A star of the new PBS documentary shares her extraordinary story.
Edna Adan, Founder and Director, Edna Adan Maternity Hospital, Somaliland
Introduction: Christy Turlington Burns, Founder, Every Mother Counts
Interviewer: Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Chief Medical Editor, NBC News
Photograph by Stuart Isett/Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
In addition to the most-awesomest tray-cake, she made me a pie (I will be surprised at the flavour when I unwrap, thaw and heat it... ;o) ) and some mini-quiches... Yes, that's right, Hux eats quiche!
I'm still a real man... I think... @_@
Not the most natural of photos but these endemic little finches were rarely still and are probably the Caribbean equivalent of Sparrows. Either under a table, in a hedge or hopping about all over ! You could always hear them by their loud chattering and this pair which comprised of an adult Female and juvenile Male stopped briefly on this convention went perch and were then off again. The Male is yet to fully develop his dark black feathers and deep red throat patch as you can see in the fourth photo of the male skulking in the hedge bottom. There are 8 recognised subspecies across the lesser Antilles and this one endemic to St Lucia is L.n.sclateri.
Most peculiar aren't they? It looks as though houses from a postwar council estate have mated with 30s semis and the offspring have sort of bunched together and made themselves into a terraced street. It's those double-pitched roofs, coming down to ground floor ceiling level that made me think of housing estates. But the more you look, the older the houses seem. A few of them have 30s-style fake timbering above the bedroom windows, in those curious forward-facing gables. The clincher is that they all have chimneys ...a remarkably complete set too... taking us back to the days of open hearths. I see fireplaces with stepped surrounds faced with brown and beige tiles. It's a pity about the doors and windows. Not one original set survives. The roof tiles are all recent too. Just out of shot were some nice dilapidated garages with flaking wooden doors, going rotten at the bottom.
Most of the trees are going right from green to dropping on the ground skipping the pretty stage this year. Here's one that's cooperating. Union County, NJ October 2008
The Parkhotel Laurin is a listed hotel in the center of Bolzano in South Tyrol. It was built in 1910 according to designs by the Munich architects Alois and Gustav Ludwig. The architectural style combines historicist with Art Nouveau elements. When it opened in 1910, Laurin was one of Europe's most modern hotels. Members of the Austrian imperial family and German princely families enjoyed the luxurious ambience of the house.
The Parkhotel Laurin is named after King Laurin from the Tyrolean legend King Laurin and his rose garden. For the conversation hall - today's hotel bar - the Munich painter Bruno Goldschmitt created a wall frieze with the saga of King Laurin .
The hotel belongs since its origin to the Bolzano family Staffler.
History
The Parkhotel Laurin was built on behalf of the Bolzano family Staffler 1909 and is still owned by the family. The grand opening of one of the most modern hotel buildings in Europe - with compressor systems, passenger lifts, lighting systems in each room and extensive fire protection - took place after only one and a half year of construction on 15 August 1910.
In 2010, the 100th anniversary of the house was celebrated. The focus was on music and art, which until then have significantly shaped life in Laurin. Already in the first years of existence, guests of the Austrian imperial family and a number of German princes were regular visitors. During the First World War, the house served as a base for the Austro-Hungarian High Command. After the war, the repair of the house began and soon benefited from the significant upswing in the tourism sector. The revenues were partly invested in modernization.
During the Second World War Bolzano was hit by numerous bombs and the hotel was badly damaged, but soon after the end of the war it was rebuilt and reopened in 1948. As Bolzano increasingly developed into an industrial and commercial city, the Parkhotel soon became the residence and meeting place of national and international business people. In the 60s and 70s, the German guests discovered South Tyrol and so the house benefited from the development.
At the beginning of the 90s the hotel was completely renovated, the Viennese architect Bruno Podrecca created the plans. In addition to the renovation of the rooms, a modern conference area has been set up, the bar has been restored with its original frescoes and the restaurant has been redesigned. In 2009, in the hotel park the lounge with a bar and lounge furniture has been installed.
The Laurin Bar
The frescoes in the bar tell the story of King Laurin, painted in 1911 by Bruno Goldschmitt and restored in the early 1990s. The bar used to be an entrance hall.
Das Parkhotel Laurin ist ein unter Denkmalschutz stehendes Hotel im Stadtzentrum von Bozen in Südtirol. Es wurde 1910 nach Entwürfen der Münchner Architekten Alois und Gustav Ludwig errichtet. Der Baustil verbindet historistische mit Jugendstil-Elementen. Bei seiner Eröffnung im Jahre 1910 war das Laurin eines der modernsten Hotels Europas. Angehörige des österreichischen Kaiserhauses und deutscher Fürstenfamilien genossen das luxuriöse Ambiente des Hauses.
Das Parkhotel Laurin ist nach König Laurin aus der Tiroler Sage König Laurin und sein Rosengarten benannt. Für den Konversationssaal – die heutige Hotelbar – schuf der Münchner Maler Bruno Goldschmitt einen Wandfries mit der Laurinsage.
Das Hotel gehört seit seiner Entstehung der Bozner Familie Staffler.
Geschichte
Das Parkhotel Laurin wurde im Auftrag der Bozner Familie Staffler 1909 erbaut und ist heute noch im Besitz der Familie. Die feierliche Eröffnung eines der modernsten Hotelhäuser Europas - mit Kompressoranlagen, Personenaufzügen, Lichtanlagen in jedem Zimmer und umfangreichem Feuerschutz - fand nach nur eineinhalb jähriger Bauzeit am 15. August 1910 statt.
Im Jahre 2010 wurde das 100-jährige Jubiläum des Hauses gefeiert. Im Mittelpunkt standen Musik und Kunst, welche auch bis dahin das Leben im Laurin maßgeblich mitgestaltet haben. Schon in den ersten Jahren des Bestehens waren Gäste der österreichischen Kaiserfamilie und eine Anzahl deutscher Fürsten regelmäßige Besucher. Im Ersten Weltkrieg diente das Haus dem österreich-ungarischen Oberkommando als Stützpunkt. Nach dem Krieg begann man mit der Instandsetzung des Hauses und konnte schon bald vom erheblichen Aufschwung im Tourismussektor profitieren. Die Einnahmen wurden teilweise in Modernisierungen investiert.
Während des Zweiten Weltkriegs wurde Bozen von zahlreichen Bomben getroffen und das Hotel stark beschädigt, jedoch begann man schon bald nach dem Ende des Krieges mit dem Wiederaufbau und konnte so das Haus 1948 wieder eröffnen. Als sich Bozen zunehmend zu einer Industrie- und Handelsstadt entwickelte wurde das Parkhotel schon bald zum Aufenthaltsort und Treffpunkt nationaler und internationaler Geschäftsleute. In den 60er und 70er Jahren entdeckten die deutschen Gäste Südtirol und so profitierte das Haus von der Entwicklung.
Anfang der 90er Jahre wurde das Hotel von Grund auf renoviert, der Wiener Architekt Bruno Podrecca erstellte die Pläne. Neben der Erneuerung der Zimmer wurde ein moderner Konferenzbereich eingerichtet, die Bar mit ihren ursprünglichen Fresken restauriert und das Restaurant neu gestaltet. 2009 wurde im Hotelpark die Lounge mit einer Bar und Lounge-Möbeln errichtet.
Die Laurin Bar
Die Fresken in der Bar erzählen die Geschichte des König Laurin, sie wurden 1911 von Bruno Goldschmitt gemalt und zu Anfang der 1990er Jahre restauriert. Die Bar diente früher als Eingangshalle.