Phantom Stallion E-Newsletter July 2008
Welcome
Summer break is officially underway and it is officially HOT outside! Water parks, pools and grassy areas with lots of sprinklers are where to go to stay cool during these hot months.
If you have horses, remember they need to stay cool just as much as you do! Overheated horses show symptoms that look the same as a person's: breathing harder or faster, heavy sweating, faster heart rate and fatigue (extreme sleepiness!) are signs your horse could be overheating. Cool him or her off with cold water. If your horse won't drink, wet a bandana or towel and squeeze it over your horse's poll. If all else fails, pour the water right on. Moving them to a shaded or breezy area won't hurt either.
What if you ride a rented horse? The same rules apply. If you suspect the horse is overheated, mention your concern to someone working at the stable.
Friday will be a great day for you to cool off in the pool because it's America's birthday, the Fourth of July! Invite your friends over and set up the volleyball net; get some food on the grill (with your parents' help of course) and hang up patriotic decorations you've made yourself.
Because most people have the day off from work, Independence Day is often a day of rest and celebration of both freedom and warm weather. Do you have an Independence Day tradition? Do you watch fireworks at a stadium or play baseball at a church picnic? Share your plans with us! As always, be sure to get your parents' permission first. We will post your first name, state and what your July 4th plans are.
Check out the latest addition to the Phantom Stallion photo album for shots of Terri on her recent wild horse expedition!
Check out Sam's blog to see what she's up to this summer!
Don't forget, you can send you friends an e-postcard of your favorite Phantom Stallion book.
Happy trails!
This just in . . .
| Who: | Five Earthwatch volunteers (all horse-loving females, including Terri!), two college interns, one PhD candidate working on research for her degree in animal behavior and one ranger with a specialization in all things equine. |
| What: | Researching the behavior of the wild horses of Shackleford Banks |
| When: | May 28 - June, 11, 2008 |
| Where: | An uninhabited island, part of Cape Lookout National Seashore |
| Why: | To help determine if population controls are interfering with the natural social groups of wild horses on an uninhabited barrier island. |
| How: | Every day they hiked the sand dunes and beaches of the island, watching for harems and bachelor bands of 2 - 10 wild horses. Each time one was spotted, they identified the horses through binoculars and up-close observation, then watched them for 45 minutes, documenting exactly what each horse was doing (grazing, digging for water, nursing new foals, fighting, dozing in the shade...) every three minutes. |
Terri and her fellow volunteers learned more than they thought was possible. It was her horse heaven!
Today, Dad and I went to the feed store which just happens to be next to Clara's coffee shop. When Dad mentioned how much help I'd been hauling the sacks of feed (50 pounds each) and piling them into the back of the truck and then offered me a reward in the form of a slice of Clara's world famous upside-down cake, of course I said YES . . .
July
Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 19
Barnes & Noble
1851 Dell Range Blvd.
Cheyenne, WY 82009
307-632-1164
1:00 - 4:00 pm
July 20
Barnes & Noble
5835 Sky Pond Dr.
Loveland, CO 80538
970-663-9503
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
August
Wild Horse Sanctuary Open House
TBD
Did you know?
Some people believe North America's wild horses aren't technically wild! The subject is controversial. Even though fossils from the horse's ancestors (including the three-toed, big-as-a-fox Eohippus!) are allllll over this continent, there's a gap in their history. Many believe the horse returned as riding horses of the Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) and explorers. Domesticated Spanish horses escaped or were released into the wild.
The only unquestionably wild horses are an endangered species found in Asia. They're known as Takhi horses, the Asian Wild Horse or Przewalski's horse (Przewalski was the Russian explorer who discovered the horse in Mongolia). Asian Wild Horses were never successfully domesticated or trained, unlike their Spanish-American cousins.
Buy Phantom Stallion
Phantom Stallion books are available at your local bookstore and online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Indiebound.org
