Breed Profiles

The Canadian Horse

Updated:

April 15, 2021

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A Treasure for Over 350 Years - Good things were happening in New France in 1665. The New World colony had been under the tight control of the Company of One Hundred Associates since 1627. It capitalized on the fur trade while expanding French colonies along the Gulf of the St. Laurence and the river valley. But they were sporadically under siege from either native Iroquois tribes disrupting the fur trade, turf wars with the British, or conflicts with Quebec settlers resenting the company’s monopoly on trade.

Cutting - A Sport of Precision and Strategy

Updated:

February 18, 2021

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Life for a 19th century cowboy was a steady routine of guarding cattle, moving them to grazing ranges, and driving them to market, often on long and difficult trails. But in those open range days, cattle belonging to one outfit would mingle and graze with cattle from other outfits. Twice a year in spring and fall, ranchers joined in a round-up of hundreds of cattle to sort out the different brands and reclaim their herds.

The Norwegian Fjord: A Horse for All Ages

Updated:

December 1, 2020

Norwegian Fjord, Asiatic wild horse or Przewalski horse, Highland Pony and the Icelandic Horse. Horses used by vikings, Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia, American Driving Society (ADS), Wallace Point Fjords, Blue Raven Farm, and McKinnon’s Neck Farm

The Norwegian Fjord is considered one of the oldest pure breeds of horse. While they bear a striking resemblance to the Asiatic wild horse or Przewalski horse, they are in fact more closely related to the European wild horse, the Tarpan, as the Przewalski horse has 66 chromosomes while both the Fjord and the Tarpan have 64.

The Stylish American Saddlebred

Updated:

November 20, 2020

The American Saddlebred is the quintessential show horse. Proud and athletic, they light up any space with their presence and eye-catching looks. But the Saddlebred is also much more than a show horse. For 200 years, the breed has been a great riding horse, cavalry horse, and family companion.

The Spanish Mustang

Updated:

October 30, 2020

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These days, importing European horses generally means flying expensive horses with high-performance Warmblood pedigrees over to North America. But importing horses to North America isn’t anything new. Horses were brought over from Europe when Spanish explorers and conquistadors sailed the ocean blue in the 15th century.

The Horse from Palouse River

Updated:

September 18, 2020

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In British Columbia, Howard Jackson, who with his wife, Marylin, owns the BC Appaloosa Centre (BCAC) in Prince George, has enjoyed a lifelong relationship with Appaloosas. Jackson was born in 1948, and in 1955 his father acquired an aged Appaloosa stallion named White Chief #36 ApHCC in a horse trade.

Investigating the Arabian Horse Genome

Updated:

August 3, 2020

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Genetic Study Challenges Common Beliefs - A study involving Arabian horses from 12 countries has found that some populations maintained more genetic diversity and that the breed did not contribute genetically to the modern-day Thoroughbred, contrary to popular thought.