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How Extension And Agouti Really Work!

The horse originally evolved to be bay and dun in colour.   Prezwalski's horse is typical of what the ancestors of the modern horse looked like (colour wise at least) before nature in the form of mutations at cellular level, and humans by selective breeding, created and multiplied a whole range of new colours.   The genes responsible for controlling black and red pigment production are extension and agouti.   The primitive or wild type version of both genes is denoted by E and A respectively. And this is how they work.... Skin cells in the horse produce red pigment by default – true story!   Black pigment production is only switched on when special protein molecules located in the outer membranes of the melanocytes (melanocytes are the skin cells that produce pigment in the skin and coat) receive a signal to do so from a hormone called alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (a-MSH).   These protein molecules are called melanocortin 1 receptor protein (MC1R) mole...
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Horse Insurance - Is It For You?

 So.... ....you've just bought a new horse and you're wondering if you should insure him or her. Before you actually go ahead and purchase any horse insurance policies you need to ask yourself the following questions: Can you afford to replace the horse if anything happens to it? What is your horse worth in monetary terms?  The answer to this has absolutely no bearing on how much he or she may mean to you. What do you do with the horse?  Some equine pursuits simply aren't worth the expense of some types of insurance premiums such as "Loss of Use". What is your personal financial situation?  Can you afford to pay the annual premiums? If you do decide to go ahead, how much insurance does your horse need? Horses are a huge financial and emotional commitment.  They also have the potential to be a huge liability.  Horses can.... Get very sick very quickly Injure themselves Cause accidents Injure people Damage property Any one of these scenarios can cost their ow...
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Rugging Your Horse - An Important Consideration

Do You Know How To Rug Your Equine Friend Properly? The more I think about it, the more I wonder whether incorrect rugging habits are caused through laziness or just plain ignorance. Most horse owners do genuinely want to do what is best for their horses.    I believe many would be truly upset if they had any idea whatsoever that their rugging practices are most likely harming their horse.    It all revolves around one simple overlooked principle though….    Horses can easily warm themselves up if they get cold.    They CANNOT however cool themselves down if they’re wearing a heavy rug.    This fundamental concept seems to escape a lot of horse owners though. Horses, like all mammals, cool down by sweating; as the sweat evaporates it cools them down.    The process is called  Homeostasis.    If they’re wearing a rug the sweat can’t evaporate ergo they can’t cool down.    One writer puts it like this – w...
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Before you buy a horse or pony....

Ahhh yes....  Owning your own horse or pony - the stuff little girls dream of doing. However, before you take on the responsibility of an equine companion there are a number of things you need to consider.  Buying the horse or pony is the easy part....!  It's also often the cheapest part.  Once you have that gorgeous 4-legged creature home, the expenses can start to mount up! Here are a few things to consider BEFORE you actually buy your dream horse or pony: How much do you actually know about horses? Sure, we all know they're a grazing animal with four legs, a head at one end and a tail at the other.  The following are a few other interesting, and important, things to know about horses and ponies:   What you may not be quite so aware of (YET) however is the fact that you shovel money in one end and pick it up off the ground, considerably devalued, at the other end. Horses (and ponies) are quite delicate creatures, despite their size and bulk....
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Working from home and owning a horse

To be able to work from home or own your own home based business is the ultimate dream for many horse owners.  Imagine being able to work your own hours in the comfort of your own home and spend as much time as you want with your horses. Well folks, it is definitely doable.  There are heaps of ways to earn an income working from home which brings in enough to be able to afford a horse or two (or three....). Some suggestions: if you are the creative, arty type and love making your own things you can turn this into a handy business venture.  You may like sewing and making clothes - you can make things like stocks, custom made vests, in hand showing outfits etc.  Or if you like crafty creations things like hand made handbags, table runners, quilts and so on could be good sellers.   You could even do some horse themed ones.  Browbands, garlands and so on all come into this idea. if you have an office background, you could look at setting up a typing ...
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