Family Fun at Ag Field Day!

We all know that spring brings warmer weather, greener grass, and sunny days...but the best gift of spring is the foals! Here at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, we have one of our very own! Foals are so cute with their fluffy tails and wobbly legs, and are much more developed than newborn humans. The horse is a precocial species, meaning that newborn foals are neurologically mature after birth. This is because horses are prey animals in the wild and are most vulnerable immediately after birth, so they must be able to identify danger and flee if necessary. In fact, a foal will usually stand within an hour of being born (after a few failed attempts of course!). Can you imagine a human baby being able to stand an hour after being born?!

The new Rutgers foal's name is RU Skylark and belongs to one of the mustangs in the Young Horse Teaching and Research Program named RU ShyAnne. Both mother and baby will be on display (along with the other mustangs in the program) at Ag Field Day at Rutgers Day on April 30th at the Red Barn on the G. H. Cook Campus in New Brunswick. If you really fall in love, some of the mustangs will be available for bid at an auction held on Sunday, May 1st at the same location. If buying a real horse is out of the question, stop by the Equine Science Center's stand and get yourself the next best thing...a Lord Nelson beanie baby! They're just as much fun, they'll fit in your car on the ride home, and the best part is you'll never have to clean up after them! I look forward to meeting all of you, my loyal followers, on Saturday!

Your pal,
Lord Nelson

What is Lordosis??

Hi friends,

Did you ever see a horse that looks like its belly is pulling its spine toward the ground, causing its back to slope downward just behind its withers? If you aren't sure what I mean, just look at some of the pictures of myself that I've posted here! The condition is commonly known as "sway back" but its scientific name applies more to yours truly..."LORDosis!"

Although the dip in my back may seem to be a cause for concern, it really doesn't bother me or prevent me from living a normal and active life. My owner does make fun of me however; he says eventually, he will have to start strapping the saddle to my belly and riding me upside-down for the saddle to fit properly!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday!

Hi Friends,

Welcome to 2011! I certainly hope that the recent weather event (the blizzard!) that ended 2010 isn't a prediction of what's yet to come. I'll have more on that a little later - just keep reading!

New Year's Day is always special for horses in the Northern Hemisphere - it marks our birthday! As you can see from my picture, I celebrated enough for all of my fellow equine friends. I actually cheated and celebrated my birthday a day early (December 31) so that I could share my "affection for confections" with my owner, who brought me cupcakes with candles, and one of my caretakers, Josh, whose birthday is New Year's Eve. You may not be able to tell from the picture that I could not contain my excitement when I saw that plateful of cupcakes. Josh said that I was trembling in an effort to reach out and grab one of those treats!

Why You Shouldn't Look A Gift Horse in the Mouth...

Hey Future Equine Experts!

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth?" Ever wonder what it means? Today, it means to be thankful for a gift (even if you secretly want something better) and don't take something given to you for free for granted; but the roots of the phrase go back to when horses were used for everyday work, and when people depended on them for survival.

Did you know you can tell a horse's age by examining its teeth? I ask because to understand the phrase, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," you should know how to estimate a horse's age.

HAY Gang!

Ooops - I meant hey!

You'll never guess what happened last week when I went apple picking - there were no apples! No matter where we looked, all the apples had already been harvested. All we could find were tomatoes (Yuck!). I was really bummed out until later in the week when a couple of pretty cool things happened...

Fun on the Farm!

Hello again!

I'm excited and proud to announce a new addition to Equine Science 4 Kids - "Fun on the Farm" - an interactive game based on the environmental impact of horse farms! Fun on the Farm is closely based on the Horses and the Environment section of Equine Science 4 Kids, and on the Ryders Lane Environmental Best Management Practices Demonstration Horse Farm virtual tour on the Equine Science Center website. Test your knowledge about how green horse farms can be, and see if you have what it takes to be a farm manager at the Ryders Lane Farm!

Stay tuned for more updates and news!

Star Power at the State 4-H Horse Show

Hello again!

It's going to be another great week for horses and horse-people in New Jersey! This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is the New Jersey State 4-H Championship Horse Show. Young equestrians from all over the Garden State who have advanced from their county shows will be competing in different events, such as Western and English riding, Driving, and Dressage. Other attractions at the horse show will include the 4-H Youth Art Show, 4-H Drill Team Exhibition, and the Horse Costume Class!

Rumor has it that there will be a special guest at the horse show on Friday, August 27th. Do you have any guesses about who will be there? Could it be Justin Bieber? The cast of Jersey Shore? Governor Christie?

I can't keep a secret - I'm making a guest appearance Friday night! Stop by to see yours truly and get the scoop on the Equine Science Center straight from the horse's mouth. You can probably find me by the ice cream; being a VIP definitely has its advantages!

Come out to the NJ State 4-H Championship Horse Show from August 27-29 at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown to support your fellow young horse enthusiasts and to see me!


Your pal,

I'm Headline News!

Hi Friends!

I picked up the newspaper today and it was like looking in the mirror! Two of my favorite New Jersey newspapers featured yours truly in an article about Equine Science 4 Kids! If you did not have a chance to grab a copy of the paper, you can click here to read the article.

I am glad they chose to feature me during the Month of the Horse! All this talk about June being the Month of the Horse got me to thinking, "Why does New Jersey have a month dedicated to horses?" Of course, I know why horses are so great, but what made the folks in Trenton decide to celebrate horses every June?

It turns out that a couple of kids made it happen! That's right, it all started when a fifth and eighth grader convinced the state legislature to declare the horse the official state animal in 1977. Boy they made a good call with that one!

Did you know that the horse is even featured on the state seal, representing power and strength? Since horses have such a strong history in the Garden State, and because horses improve the economy and quality of life for the people of New Jersey, we have been celebrating the Month of the Horse since 1998!

Here are some interesting facts about the horse industry in New Jersey from my friends at the Equine Science Center:

• The horse industry contributes over $1 billion annually to the economy in New Jersey! That could buy a lot of apples and carrots!
• 13,000 people work in the New Jersey horse industry! That includes trainers, veterinarians, and the owner of your local feed or tack store, among many others.
• 176,000 acres are used to house horses in New Jersey! In other words, one fifth of all the agricultural land in the Garden State is related to horses. I sure am grateful for all the farmers out there raising hay and grain for us to eat (46,000 acres worth), we can't survive on hot dogs alone! I also love seeing my horse friends running and playing in nice, open, and green pastures all throughout the state!
• 42,500 horses live in the Garden State! Hunterdon, Monmouth, and Burlington counties have the greatest number of horse farms and stables.

Between my excitement over that awesome article and crunching all those numbers about horses in New Jersey, this old boy is getting a little sleepy! I think I'll sign off and take a nap in the sun!

Stay tuned for more updates!

My Favorite Time of the Year!

Hello Everyone!

June, my favorite month, is almost here! Can you guess why June is my favorite month? Not only is everyone grilling hot dogs, but it is also the Month of the Horse! Way back in 1977, when I was still a young colt, the New Jersey Legislature and Governor Byrne proclaimed the horse as the state animal. In 1998, while I was working the beat as a mounted patrol horse, Governor Whitman declared June as the Month of the Horse here in New Jersey. Even back then, the folks in Trenton realized how important the horse was for the Garden State. All of you still know that the horses here today are part of what makes New Jersey a great state!

Can you do me a favor? During the month of June, take some time to learn about things that are important to me and my equine friends, like proper nutrition, proper housing, and horse behavior. Remember, even if you have been around horses all your life, there is always something new and exciting to learn about us (like the weird things some of us like to eat)! That is a large part of what my friends at the Equine Science Center do.

Finally, if you own a horse or help take care of a horse, be proud of it! If you know someone else who works with horses, congratulate them! If you know someone who is not directly involved with horses, but is a horse enthusiast, pat them on the back! Every breed and type of horse is unique, but we all share a special bond with our human friends. That is something everyone can celebrate in June! I'll check back in later with more fun facts about the Month of the Horse.

Until next time!

School's Out for Summer!

Hello again!

Finals have finished and summer is fast approaching, and with that comes the annual graduation ceremony at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences here at Rutgers. Several of our Equine Science students are preparing to graduate with a degree in Animal Science! Many are making plans to go to vet school or to work in fields related to equine science. We are very proud of our graduates! My friends at the Equine Science Center are also excited in anticipation of meeting the recent high school grads who will be joining our program in the fall!

I'm having a busy spring just like my friends at the Equine Science Center. A few weeks ago I underwent some spring cleaning. My owner gave me a nice bubble bath and got rid of the last of my winter hair! He also put plenty of sunscreen on my nose to keep it from getting sunburned. I ate enough peppermints and carrots that day to last a whole month! Boy I sure enjoyed all of the attention, and my pasture mate, Christi, was a little jealous!

Last Friday other members of my barn were leaving early for the races, so my caretaker, Wendy, called for me to come in for an early breakfast. Since I knew it was way too early for feeding, I just thought she wanted to pester me while I was munching on grass in the cool morning, so I kept right on grazing - I didn't want to mess up my schedule! Mr. Gale, (Wendy's dad) came out and called for me to come in and then I knew it was chow time! I surprised them both by how fast I ran up to the gate, and they considered loading me up to go to the races that day! Luckily for me, horses older than 14 are not allowed to race (Phew!). I guess getting old does have some advantages!

With all the cool weather, rain, and sunshine I have plenty of grass growing in my pasture. Luckily the weather cooperated enough so that the first cutting of hay is already baled and stored. Thinking about all that grass and hay has made me hungry, so it's time to sign off for now!

Stay tuned; I'll have more stories and news next time!

Fun at Ag Field Day!

Hello again!

My friends at the Rutgers Equine Science Center told me that they had over 5,000 visitors at the treadmill laboratory last weekend during Ag Field Day. They also told me the Equine Science 4 Kids bright red recycled tote bags was very popular, and that they handed out almost 1,000 bags in less than two hours! I think having my adorable face on the bag probably had something to do with the bags disappearing so quickly...

I heard the line to watch Snowdrift and Maggie run on the high-speed horse treadmill was practically wrapped around the building! People were lining-up 30 minutes before the demonstrations in order to watch Snowdrift and Maggie run.

Don't worry if you missed the equine treadmill demonstrations at Ag Field Day. I am helping my friends at the Equine Science Center put the finishing touches on a video of Frankie running on the treadmill.

Stay tuned - we'll have that video up on Equine Science 4 Kids soon!

Welcome

Hi Friends,

You’re probably wondering how a horse is able to type a blog. Well, typing is easy – setting up the computer in my stall was the hard part!

As you may already know, I worked at Rutgers University for 22 years before retiring in 2000. From participating in football games, to witnessing the creation of the Equine Science Center (my favorite place on campus, for obvious reasons!) – I have just about seen it all!

When my friends at the Equine Science Center asked me help them with the Equine Science 4 Kids site, I had only one request – I wanted a blog. I have so many funny and interesting stories to share, and a blog is the perfect way for me to communicate with you.

Although I have a busy daily schedule (grazing in a pasture for 16 hours is hard work – but someone’s got to do it!), I plan to update Holy Hoofprints about 2-3 times every month.

Before I go, do you have plans on Saturday, April 24? If not, go visit my friends at the Equine Science Center during Ag Field Day. I heard they will have a couple of really cool demonstrations in the exercise physiology lab.

Stay tuned; my next blog post will be coming soon!