Global Horse Culture

Showmanship

Showmanship is a judged presentation of livestock in hand. You'll see showmanship classes at 4-H shows, involving cattle, horses, goats and other animals. You'll see showmanship judged at dog and cat shows, too. Participants are judged on the clean and breed-appropriate appearance of the animal and themselves and  the quality of their formal presentation, such as standing the animal nicely, walking or jogging the animal for the judge and so forth.

In the horse world, particularly with popular "western" breeds such as Paints, Quarter Horses and Arabians, showmanship competitions have gotten quite fancy. Handlers dress up in fancy attire, and the horses are presented in complex patterns, that include walking, jogging, halting, pivots and circles. You can read more about the details of horse showmanship here and here.

Take a look at this video for an example of the type of patterns and presentation required:

Beto Carrero and Faísca

Beto Carrero was a tremendously popular personality in Brazil. He was a cowboy, showman, singer, and entertainer. He died just last year,(site in Portuguese) in February 2008, and Brazilian audiences - who turned out by the thousands for the funeral procession - were transfixed by the story that followed. Faísca, Carrero's most famous show horse,  fell into a deep depression when Carrero passed away. This television program has the details of the  heartbreaking story (news video in Portuguese, but includes footage of Faísca performing), with park visitors, Faísca's trainer, and animal psychologists all weighing in on the tragedy.

Carrero's life  was an inspiration to many, as he rose from a poor, rural childhood  to build his entertainment empire, which includes the Beto Carrero World theme park (the largest in Latin America, fifth largest in the world) and many circus troupes. He was lauded as an true gentleman and role model, promoting hard work, honesty and kindness to animals.

Beto Carrero (a show name chosen later in life) was fascinated by American cowboys and the circus from an early age. Faísca, a gray Mangalarga stallion, was his famous constant companion in every show that he performed. Faísca, actually, has been two horses. The elder Faísca, sire of the current one, lives in retirement on a rural farm. As of 2008 he was 32 years old. After Carrero's death, Faísca Junior, then eight years old, was also retired (site in Portuguese), and it was promised that no one else would ever ride him. Today he continues to live in a special stable at Beto Carrero World, cared for by his trainer (who worked with Carrero for the last 15 years), who said that although initially he was very depressed, having the public around to see him has raised his spirits. He is one of the most popular exhibits at the park.

This article has some classic pictures of Beto and Faísca performing.

Photo: Faísca in his special stable, surrounded by photos of his stardom, by [lucas.gomes] on flickr.

Thanks to William & Edher for telling me about Faísca!

PA National: "Dave & Dave"

I had a chance to stop by the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA yesterday. I hadn't even made it to the buildings yet when I ran into this handsome turnout in the parking lot. It's "Dave & Dave" - a percheron gelding and his driver. Dave (the horse) is wearing a really fancy harness. I heard later they won their men's cart class - congratulations!

Dave and his wife, Susie, run a carriage services business in Pennsylvania, providing horses and carriages for weddings and other special events. You can see more of their horses and their amazing Cinderella carriage on their website.

Susie took a spin in the ring, too, winning a ribbon with this new gelding:

PA National: The RCMP Musical Ride

If you are near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride exhibition is great entertainment. It's part of the evening schedule most days at the 2008 Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

The sheer number of horses in the ring for the musical ride is impressive. The intricate patterns they perform are beautifully done, and the horses and riders just radiate a cheerful spirit of fun under the formality of the presentation. There's a touch of humor in the choreography, and a real skill and refinement in the presentation. It was a treat to see!

Mules Rule!

A great blog called Behind The Bit has a recent post about the versatility of mules, with a special emphasis on people using mules for dressage. Lots of pictures and video! Check it out here.

Mane Braiding 101

There are lots of resources online for learning more about braiding the mane and tail in a variety of styles, though most of them are text and photos, not videos. I like the videos better myself, and found a few to share. Most of these videos are made by professional braiders and are supplemental or promotional for instructional DVDs that they offer for sale. I have not reviewed any of the DVDs, so I can't comment on those, but these online videos are interesting and/or useful:

Top Knot Horse Braids - two videos showing basic braiding (plaiting in British English) for manes and tails.

A neat slideshow article about the life of a professional horse braider (not instructional).

A cool promotional video for Lucky Braids' instructional video (main site here).

A Magazine for Show Horses

Saddle and Bridle Magazine is an American magazine covering the show horse breeds, such as Hackneys and Saddlebreds, and the show horse disciplines, such as Fine Harness and Saddle Seat Equitation. Saddle and Bridle Magazine is one of the oldest horse magazines in publication in the US, having been founded in 1927. Besides news and information, the magazine and its associated website offer useful links to advertisers, organizations and breeders.

The Camarillo White Horse

The Camarillo White Horses were developed by a man named Adolfo Camarillo in California in the 1920s, using a white stallion named Sultan, crossed with mostly Morgan mares. The white horses were used for parades and shows, and there are still a handful of them left. An association has been formed to preserve and continue the breeding and use of the white horses. The current breeding program includes select Andalusian, Morgan, Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Standardbred and American White Horse stock. Not every foal is born white, and not horse used in the breeding program is white - I am guessing this may be cremello or overo genetics, or even a combination of genes, although some have suggested there is a color called "dominant white" which may be active. The point is to continue the tradition of breeding of good quality, showy, white saddle horses, as begun by Mr. Camarillo. Outside horses are not permitted in the association.

Read more about them here, and enjoy the lovely pictures.

It is interesting that around the early 1930s a breed called the American Albino (later known as the American White Horse) was developed in Nebraska, based on a white stallion named Old King, crossed with Morgan mares. The color passes on in a similar way to the Camarillo, and the horse was of similar build originally (more Morgan-like than anything else), although more recent examples I've seen tend towards the Quarter Horse in appearance. The registry is undergoing a move at the moment, but they have a website here.

White Horse Ranch, the original breeders of the American White Horse, once had a performing troupe to support their project, but their last appearance was in 1963, and the ranch is no longer operating. Read more about the history, and some recently rescued American White Horses here. There is also a slide show of historic and current photos on that page.

The International Saddlebred

The American Saddlebred is quite popular in South Africa. Here's a promo from a recent championship show.

Termino

If you've never seen a Peruvian Paso before, check out this video of a champion stallion. The Peruvian Paso has a unique movement to its smooth gait - a rolling action in the shoulders which is highly prized and called "termino". Even in the United States, Peruvian Pasos are shown in traditional Peruvian tack and attire.