Stable Days

Crocodiles ... The Snappy Truth

 

Fact #1 Unlike most other reptiles, crocodiles do not shed their skin but grow into it instead.

 

Fact #2 If a mother crocodile senses danger to her young, she can protect them by putting them in the gular pouch inside her mouth. Young crocodiles do not remain with their mothers beyond two years.

 

Fact #3 The easiest way to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile is by the teeth. When an alligator closes its mouth all of the teeth fit inside and none are exposed. When a crocodile closes its mouth one tooth on each side remains exposed.  Also, alligators are darker. Crocodiles have a lighter skin that is grayish green.

 

Fact #4 Crocodiles don’t have litters of babies they have nests of eggs! These are called “clutches.” Some crocs will dig from 10-30 feet into a creek bank to make a burrow for their nest. Then they create a hidden entrance that is at the water line or just below. A clutch can have as little as 8 eggs or as many as 80!

 

Fact #5 The jaws of a croc can exert 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. They break through both bones and flesh! 

 

Fact #6 New born crocs are 10 inches long! The mother will carry them from the nest to the water. They grow 12 inches a year and can live up to 45 years and longer in captivity. In Madagascar the crocodile was almost extinct due to hunting them for their skins. Other threats are from fishermen’s nets and habitat loss.

 

Fact #7 Crocodiles have the ability to keep their eyes open under water and close their nostrils while under water.

 

Fact #8 Crocodiles also have special glands in their tongues that can get rid of excess salt, so they tend to live in saltwater habitats. Alligators have these glands, too, but they don't work as well as the crocodiles, so alligators prefer to live in freshwater habitats.

 

Fact #9 When fish are migrating, crocs may hunt cooperatively by forming a semi-circle across the river and herding the fish. They then eat the fish that are closest to them.

 

Fact #10 The first species of crocodiles appeared 240 million years ago and are said to have evolved from dinosaurs. This is the same time the Dinosaurs existed. They are closely related to dinosaurs and birds than other reptiles.

 

Fallen Stars of the Sea ~ Star Fish!

I always love to hold and see Star Fish!  One day last winter, my sister and I saw hundreds of them at one of our local beaches!  It was such an amazing sight. I love how they all are different colors, sizes and even shapes.

 

Fact #1 Starfish are also known as sea stars and are not really fish despite the name given to them. These are echinoderms, which are found abundant in the deep blue seas and shallow waters as well.

 

Fact #2 In case a starfish loses its arm, it is capable of regenerating the same!

 

Fact #3 Starfish are not completely blind, even though they do not have eyes. Starfish sense light and shapes through an eyespot (an organ sensitive to light) located at the tip of their arms.

 

Fact #4 There are over 2,000 species of starfish.

 

Fact #5 Starfish are about 5 to 10 inches, and can weigh 11 lbs.

 

Fact #6 Sea stars belong to the Phylum Echinodermata. That means they are related to sand dollars (yes, they are a real animal), sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.

 

Fact #7  Depending on the species, a sea star's skin may feel leathery, or slightly prickly. Sea stars have a tough covering on their upper side, which is made up of plates of calcium carbonate with tiny spines on their surface. A sea star's spines are used for protection from predators, which include birds, fish and sea otters.

 

Fact #8 They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.

 

Fact #9  Not all sea stars have 5 arms!  While the five armed variety are the most well known, not all sea stars have five arms.  Some have many more. Take the sun star for instance, which has up to 40 arms!

Fact #10  Starfish normally live up to 35 years in the wild.  Wow!

 

 

Gentle Giants ~ Elephants

 

My grandma's favorite animal is the Elephant!  And they are one of mine, too! They are very beautiful!  I love how wise they look and how they are all about family! They all love one another!

Fact #1  Despite the size of ears, the elephant’s hearing is poor and elephant's eyes are small and its eyesight is poor as well.

African elephants' ears are used to aid ventilation.

One of the softest parts of their body is at the back of the ears, which is called the knuckle. Elephant trainers, called Mahouts, use their feet to steer or give commands to the animal via the knuckle at the back of the ears.

Fact #2 African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa. (Asian elephants have smaller, rounded ears.)

Fact #3 An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things—especially a potential meal. The trunk alone contains about 100,000 different muscles. African elephants have two finger like features on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items. (Asian elephants have one.)

Elephants spend about 16 hours a day eating alone!  They consume as much as 495 pounds of food per day!

Fact #4  Life Span - elephants can live for up to 70 years!

Fact #5 They live in tight social units led by an older matriarch and

males leave the herd between the age of 12 and 15.

Fact #6 Elephants normally walk about 4 mph and are

able to swim for long distances!

Fact #7 Their tusks are made of ivory and are actually enormously enlarged incisors.

Fact #8 They have the largest brains in the animal kingdom!

Fact #9 Walking at a normal pace an elephant covers about 2 to 4 miles an hour (3 to 6 km/h) but they can reach 24 miles an hour (40 km/h) at full speed.

Fact #10 An elephant's skin is extremely tough around most parts of its body and measures about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick.

-- 

 

HUGE T-SHIRT SALE AT THE STABLE DAYS STORE

Hi Horse Pals ~

With Spring here, we're having an awesome t-shirt sale at our store.  Pick up your "It's All About Horses"  tee at the lowest price ever!!  We have super soft tees and stylish tank tops that are perfect for riding or just hanging out!  And they make cool gifts, too!

To go to our store, simply click on the beautiful horse that says "Store" on the top right column of the blog!

Happy Shopping!  Your Horse Pal, @raya

P.S.  Whenever you buy anything from our store, you are also helping animals because a portion of all sales goes to animal rescue!  We also have really cute peace t-shirts, too so check them out!

Ha Ha Ha ~ Hyena

Hi, this week I am going to highlight the Hyena  I always thought they were very interesting and fun to learn about.  I also think that they get over looked and that they are very cute as pups.

Here are some fun facts that I learned:

Fact #1 There are four species of Hyena: spotted, brown, striped, and the aardwolf. All hyenas are usually nocturnal. The spotted hyena is the most well known.

Fact #2 Spotted hyenas live in Africa in savannas, grasslands, woodlands, forest edges, subdeserts and mountains. They live in territorial clans of related individuals, sometimes up to 80 members. Spotted hyenas are hunters and scavengers. Besides flesh, they eat skin, bones, and even animal droppings. Spotted hyenas are 28 to 35 inches tall and weigh 90 to 190 pounds. The spotted females are heavier than the males. Spotted hyenas make a variety of sounds: wailing calls, howling screams, and the well-known "laughter," which is used to alert other clan members of a food source.

Striped hyenas live in Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor and India in savanna, thorn bush, and stony desert regions. They weigh from 55 to 121 pounds. Striped and brown hyenas are predominantly scavengers, though they do supplement their diets with small prey from insects to foxes.

The aardwolf, also, lives in Africa. It’s main food source is the harvester termite. They also eat insect larvae, and eggs of ground nesting birds. Aardwolf are smaller than other hyena relatives, weighing only 50 and 60 pounds and standing only 15 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder. Except when raising cubs, aardwolf are solitary animals.

Fact #3  In one feeding frenzy, a spotted hyena can eat up to one third of its body weight.

Fact #4 Hyenas are not related to dogs, although they do have some similar greeting ceremonies.  Spotted hyenas are the largest of three hyena species. Brown and striped hyenas are the other two. Although hyenas appear similar to dogs, they are actually more closely related to cats.

 

Fact #5 Spotted hyena cubs are born with their eyes open!

Fact #6 Typically silent, a striped hyena usually travels unnoticed, noiselessly moving through the brush. Its loudest call is a rarely heard cackling howl. The hyena makes successive rapid, brief whinnies or cackles when it's excited. Threat displays with rival hyenas begin with a growl rising to a roar, followed by a low, snapping lunge.  Spotted hyenas are quite vocal and make a wide variety of sounds, including the "laughing" that has long been associated with their name.

Fact #7  Spotted hyenas have good hearing and sharp eyesight at night. They are fast and can run for long distances without tiring. Packs work together effectively to isolate a herd animal, sometimes one that is ill or infirm, and pursue it to the death. The victors often squabble over the spoils, either among themselves or with other powerful animals like lions.

Fact #8 The common predators of hyenas are the leopard, lion, hunting dogs and crocodile.

Fact #9 Spotted hyenas form groups which are called 'clans', which can grow up to 80 members. 

Fact #10 Carrion is a favorite food, and the stench attracts the hyena by night as it does the vulture by day. In some cases they dig up dead bodies and devour them. They also prey on living animals.

Class: Mammalia (Mammals)
Order: Carnivora 

Family: Hyaenidae

Genus: Hyaena 

Species: hyaena

Body length: 3.2 to 3.9 feet (100 to 120 centimeters)

Tail length: 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 centimeters) 

Shoulder height: 2 to 3 feet (60 to 94 centimeters) 

Weight: 49 to 121 pounds (22 to 55 kilograms)

Life span: 10 to 12 years in the wild, 20 to 25 years in zoos 

Number of young at birth: 1 to 5 (usually 2 to 4) 

Weight at birth: 25 ounces (700 grams) 

Age of maturity: 2 to 3 years 

With an Oink, Oink Here!

 

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here's a story on one of everyone's favorite farm animals!  Enjoy!

@raya

 

Some of the most famous and well loved animals in children's literature have been Pigs... Babe, Wilbur and Freddie, to name a few.  They are some of my favorite stories and I was excited a reader asked me to write about Pigs! 

Here is what I've learned about pigs:

 

Fact #1 The hog (pig) has existed for at least 45 million years as a stocky, round bodied, flat snouted creature . They come in all sizes from the small pygmy hog (1 foot tall at the shoulder and 13 pounds) to the giant forest hog (40 inches at the shoulder and 300 pounds). Of course, domestic hogs can be much heavier (record is over 2500 pounds)

 

Fact #2 Average lifespan of pigs in the wild is 15-20 years but may be up to 27 years.

 

Fact #3 Litter size varies from 2-12 piglets. Domestic pigs have much larger litters with one of 37 recorded. 

Fact #4 Hair varies from lots of bristles and practically hairless to the curly woolly coats of Ecuador herd hogs. Colors vary too, from the white or black solid and many colors in between to the rust colored with white and black highlights of the Red River Hog.

Fact #5 Pigs have no sweat glands and, therefore, do not sweat. Which means, pigs are clean: they do not sweat and become greasy. They only get dirty when they roll in mud to cool themselves off. Pigs need mud on their body for the following reasons: to cool themselves off (since they can’t sweat) and to keep bugs and other insects off their body.

 

Fact #6 A Pig's best sense is its smell—its long spout is very sensitive and can smell food a few feet below the land surface.

 

Fact #7 The largest pig was a Poland-China hog named "Big Bill." He weighed a portly 2,552 lbs and was so large that he dragged his belly on the ground. He had a shoulder height of 5 feet and a length of 9 feet.  

 

Fact #8 A full grown pig can drink up to 14 gallons of water a day!

Fact #9 The only continent that doesn't have native pigs is Antarctica!

 

Fact #10 A frightened pig can scream as loud as a jet plane taking off! (113 decibels)

 

Jumping For Joy ~ The Kangaroo

Hi Horse Pals ~

I thought the kangaroo would be a fun animal to highlight, so here are some fun facts about the Kangaroo.

Fact #1 The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest surviving marsupial anywhere in the world. Fewer in numbers, the Red Kangaroo occupies the arid and semi-arid centre of the country. A large male can be 6 ft 7 in tall and weigh 200 lbs.

Fact #2 Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion. The comfortable hopping speed for the Red Kangaroo is about 13–16 mph, but speeds of up to 44 mph can be attained, over short distances, while it can sustain a speed of 25 mph for nearly 1 1/4 miles. This fast and energy-efficient method of travel has evolved because of the need to regularly cover large distances in search of food and water, rather than the need to escape predators. To move at slow speeds, it uses its tail to form a tripod with its two forelimbs it then raises its hind feet forward.

Fact #3 Eastern Greys can jump as well as the big Reds: up to 29 feet in one bound, and can reach speeds of nearly 30 mph.

Fact #4 Kangaroos are the only large animals that move by hopping.

Fact #5 The large and strong tail is used for balance when hopping, and as a fifth limb when moving about on all four legs.

Fact #6 All kangaroos are herbivores. The grazers or browsers eat only plant matter.

Fact #7 Kangaroos can survive on very little water; sometimes going for many weeks without it - most of the moisture they need is gained from their food - grass, young shoots and leaves from certain trees.

Fact #8 The Red Kangaroo has long distinctive ears, powerful back legs with long feet and a long thick muscular tail. Its front legs are smaller. The female has a pocket of skin called a pouch on the lower part of her stomach to carry her young.

Fact #9 Kangaroos are sociable and move in groups of 10-12 up to 100. There is usually one dominant male in the group. He will fight outsiders and younger males trying to take over the group.

Fact #10 When a kangaroo is born it is blind and has no fur. The 3/4 of an inch long Joey takes three minute to climb, without help, through the fur on its mother's belly into the her pouch. Once inside, the Joey clamps onto one of her four teats and sucks her milk. For the first four months it doesn't let go of the teat. Once it has a covering of fur the young Joey leaves the pouch for short exploring trips. The Joey stays out for longer periods returning only for milk, until it becomes independent.

I hope you learned as much as I did!

Heads Held High ~ Giraffes!

Hi Horse Pals ~

I love giraffes and had a lot of fun writing about them.  Hope you enjoy these fun facts!

Your Horse Pal, @raya

One of the most beautiful wild animals in the world is the Giraffe! It is the Logo for Toys R Us ... Geoffrey the Giraffe! Here are some fun facts about the Giraffe:

Fact #1 A giraffe eats about 140 pounds of food a day.

Fact #2 At one time it was believed that giraffes were mute but they do make sounds. A form of communication used by giraffes is called infrasound and cannot be heard by humans. Giraffes do grunt, snort and bellow.

Fact #3 The color of a giraffe's coat tends to become darker with age.

Fact #4 A giraffe's neck can measure up to 5 feet in length.

Fact #5 Just like humans, giraffes have seven vertebrae in their necks. Unlike humans, however, each vertebrae is about 5 inches (11 centimeters) long. The neck of an adult giraffe is about six feet long (1.8 meters), and is extremely muscular.

Fact #6 Adult males weigh 2420 to 4250 pounds, females 1540 to 2600 pounds. Males are 9 to 11 feet at the shoulder and 18 to 19 feet at the top of their horns. Females are about 2 feet shorter.

Fact #7 Besides being prehensile, a giraffe's tongue can be 18 inches long.

Fact #8 The Giraffe is the tallest living animal and can reach vegetation that other herbivores cannot. Giraffes eat foliage (broad leafed deciduous and evergreen), grass, shrubs and fruit, and don’t require a lot of water. Their favorite food is the acacia tree. A giraffe browses most of the day and at night they lie down to rest and ruminate.

Fact #9 When giraffes walk they move both right legs forward and then both left. When running they use the back legs first and they move on the outside of the front legs.

Fact #10! Baby giraffes are 6 feet tall and weigh an average of 150 pounds when they are born.

The Water Horse ~ The Hippopotamuses

 

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here's my latest newspaper article.  Aren't these hippos too cute?

@raya

 

Fact #1  Hippopotamuses love water, which is why the Greeks named them the "river horse." Hippos spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in rivers and lakes to keep their massive bodies cool under the hot African sun. Hippos are graceful in water, good swimmers, and can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes!  However, they are often large enough to simply walk or stand on the lake floor, or lie in the shallows. Their eyes and nostrils are located high on their heads, which allows them to see and breathe while mostly submerged in water.

Fact #2  Amazingly agile for their bulk, hippos are good climbers and often traverse rather steep banks each night to graze on grass. They exit and enter the water at the same spots and graze for four to five hours each night in loop patterns, covering one or two miles, with extended forays up to five miles. Their modest appetites are due to their sedentary life, which does not require high outputs of energy.

 

Fact #3 At sunset, hippopotamuses leave the water and travel overland to graze. They may travel 6 miles in a night, along single-file pathways, to consume some 80 pounds of grass. Considering their enormous size, a hippo's food intake is relatively low. If threatened on land hippos may run for the water—they can match a human's speed for short distances.

Fact #4  Hippos are efficient grazers - their lips are almost two feet wide!

Fact #5  The tusk-like incisors and canines grow continuously. They are ivory, valued even more highly than an elephant’s because they do not turn yellow with age.

Fact #6 With very thick skin, especially over the back and rump, the grayish-brown body is almost completely hairless, with only a few bristles around the mouth and the tip of the tail. The hippo has neither sweat nor sebaceous glands but does have unique glands that produce a viscous red fluid, leading to the myth that hippos "sweat blood."

 Fact #7 Two hippo species are found in Africa. The large hippo, found in East Africa, occurs south of the Sahara. This social, group-living mammal is so numerous in some areas that "cropping" schemes are used to control populations that have become larger than the habitat can sustain. The other, much smaller (440 to 605 pounds) species of hippo is the pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis). Limited to very restricted ranges in West Africa, it is a shy, solitary forest dweller, and now rare.

 Fact #8 Hippo calves weigh nearly 100 pounds at birth and can suckle on land or underwater by closing their ears and nostrils. Each female has only one calf every two years. Soon after birth, mother and young join schools that provide some protection against crocodiles, lions, and hyenas.

 
Fact #9 A single young is born either on land or in shallow water. In water, the mother helps the newborn to the surface, later teaching it to swim. Newly born hippos are relatively small, weighing from 55 to 120 pounds, and are protected by their mothers, not only from crocodiles and lions but from male hippos that, oddly enough, do not bother them on land but attack them in water.

 Fact #10 Young hippos can only stay under water for about half a minute, but adults can stay submerged up to six minutes. Young hippos can suckle under water by taking a deep breath, closing their nostrils and ears and wrapping their tongue tightly around the teat to suck. This procedure must be instinctive, because newborns suckle the same way on land. A young hippo begins to eat grass at 3 weeks, but its mother continues to suckle it for about a year. Newborns often climb on their mothers' backs to rest.

 

Flight at its highest ~ Birds!

 

Hi Horse Pals ~

Hope you all enjoy this story on birds ...

I love to hear the birds outside my window every morning singing their songs.  There are many types of birds all over the world from  pigeons to swans to bald eagles to hawks!

My top three favorite birds are the bald eagle, blue jay and the cardinal bird.  

Here are some fun facts about birds:

Fact #1  The egg of the hummingbird is the world's smallest bird's egg; the egg of the ostrich, the world's largest.

Fact #2  Precocial birds like chickens, ostriches, ducks, and seagulls hatch ready to move around. They come from eggs with bigger yolks than altricial birds like owls, woodpeckers, and most small songbirds that need a lot of care from parents in order to survive.

Fact #3  The world's only wingless bird is the kiwi of New Zealand.

Fact #4  The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers.

Fact #5  A hummingbird has to fly if it wants to move an inch. Its feet are only strong enough for perching. When it takes off it doesn't spring into the air like most birds do. A moving picture of one taking off from a thin twig showed the twig rising before the bird let go.

Fact #6  An ostrich can run faster than most horses. A large ostrich will sometimes take steps twenty-five feet long.

Fact #7  There are 3 main species of ostriches of which only one, the Struthio Camelus Domesticus (the African Black), is found in captivity.

Fact #8  Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds on the planet. The Bee Hummingbird of Cuba is 2.24 inches long or 5.7 cm, and nearly half of that length is in beak and tail! But not all hummers are tiny. The Giant Hummingbird, which lives in the Andes Mountains from Ecuador to Chile, is 8 inches long—as big as a starling! 

Fact #9  Woodpeckers have stiff tail feathers which act as a brace for moving along vertical tree trunks.

and Fact #10  An average adult bald eagle weighs about nine pounds and is about three feet in height and the wingspan of an eagle measures from 5.5 to 7.5 feet.

I hope you learned as much about birds as I did!  

 

ZooBorns! Cute Baby Wild Animals!

Hi Horse Pals,

I wanted to tell you all about this really great site!  It is called ZooBorns!  It shows you all the baby animals born at zoos from around the world!  

It is very cool.  You can see many different types of animal babies that you may have never seen before!  

Here is a great post from ZooBorns: 

The seven Lion cubs born at the National Zoo are now sporting seven names. Just before the cubs made their debut in the Lion yard yesterday morning, the Zoo announced their names: John, Fahari, Zuri, Lelie, Baruti, Aslan and Lusaka. “We were touched to receive so many thoughtful name suggestions for the cubs from so many different sources,” said Dennis Kelly, director of the Zoo. “Each of the seven final names has a special meaning or connection that the cubs will carry with them during their time here at the National Zoo.”

Photo credits: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

More [PHOTOS] below the fold...

The names of Shera’s cubs, which were born Aug. 31, are:

John: The sole male in the litter is named after John Berry, who was the Zoo’s director from 2006 to early 2009 and is currently director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Berry helped to bring the cub’s mother Shera, aunt Nababiep and father Luke to the Zoo in 2006.

Fahari (fah-HAH-ree): The National Zoo advisory board chose Fahari, which means “magnificent” in Swahili, for this cub. Keepers say that early in life she was the big eater among both litters and for a long time was larger than all of the other cubs, including her brother. Although that has changed recently, keepers are confident that she will continue to be bigger than life.

Zuri (ZUH-ree): The Friends of the National Zoo board chose the name Zuri for this female cub. Zuri means “beautiful” in Swahili. The lion keepers say it is a fitting name for a cub whose coat is thicker, plusher and redder than the others in the pride.

Lelie (la-LEE-ay): Lelie is the winning female name submitted by a first-grade classroom at Marshall Elementary School in Manassas, Va., in the Name a Cub: Cam Contest, which the Zoo hosted with the Washington Post. Lelie is Afrikaans for “lily,” and the students selected it because lilies are common at Kruger Park, which is the largest national park in South Africa and provides refuge to about 2,000 African lions.

The names of Nababieps cubs, which were born Sept. 22, are:
Baruti (ba-ROO-tee): Baruti is the winning male name submitted by a daycare class at Bright Horizons Child Care & Education at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., in the Name a Cub: Cam Contest. Baruti is an African name meaning “teacher,” which the class thought was appropriate for a lion that keepers describe as “quiet” and “calm.”

Aslan: This cub received his name Dec. 10, when Georgie Henley and Skandar Keynes, actors in The Chronicles of Narnia movies, visited the Zoo to reveal that the cub would be named Aslan after the lion in the films.

Lusaka (lu-SAH-ka): The name Lusaka holds a special place at the Zoo—it is the name of the beloved 18-year-old lioness that died at the Zoo last January. The lion keepers decided it would be a nice tribute to the lion who they considered the matriarch of the lion/tiger house and describe as having an “overload of personality.” Keepers picked this cub in particular because she was Nababieps’s sole female cub, and sometimes they see the older Lusaka reflected in Nababiep’s disposition.

Both litters were sired by Luke, who was the Zoo’s sole male lion until the birth of the cubs. The two litters are the result of years of careful research and observation and the first for the Zoo in more than 20 years. Starting Dec. 20, lion keepers will decide on a day-to-day basis whether the cubs will spend any time in the yard, how long they will be out and when. This decision will be based on weather and how the cubs adjust to being outdoors.

Lions are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the result of climate change, hunting and habitat loss. 

I love love looovvvveee Lions!  :)

Every so often I will put a post from Zooborns and put it on my blog for Horse Pals to see.

Your Horse Pal, Araya

 

Leaping Beauties --- Gazelles

 

Hi Horse Pals ~

Happy New Year!  Hope you all are having a great 2011 so far!

Here's a story I wrote for the paper I thought you animal lovers might like:

Our friend reported that her favorite wild animal is the Gazelle so I've decided to highlight this amazing animal this week!  It has been a lot of fun learning more about the Gazelle!  I was most impressed by their leaping abilities.  I watched some online footage of them running and leaping and jumping and they are so graceful and beautiful.

  

Here are some fun facts and interesting information about the Gazelle ~

Fact #1 Gazelles are antelopes of the genus Gazella. They are generally small, delicate herbivores with tawny coloring, white underbellies, and heavily ringed horns. Most of the 19 species of gazelles inhabit Africa, but some can be found in Southwest and Central Asia. The majority of gazelles prefer open, grassy plains, living in herd sizes as small as 8 individuals to hundreds of animals. Their diet of grass, scrub and leaves keeps them constantly grazing and they have little need for water, being able to extract moisture from their food.

Fact #2 Even with all of the many predators, the Thomson's Gazelle and Grant's Gazelle thrive with impressive numbers. The Grant's Gazelle inhabits a wider range of territory in Africa while the Thomson's Gazelle has a larger population. Both species share grazing ground and the herds frequently intermingle. Even so, to tell them apart is fairly simple. The Thomson's Gazelle or Tommie, is smaller and has a striking black band, stretching from shoulder to hip, bisecting their tan and white coloring. Tommys are exceptionally alert and rely heavily upon their impressive senses of hearing, sight and smell to detect any threat.

Fact #3 Some gazelles, especially those that live in desert regions, are critically endangered. The Sand Gazelle, Cuvier's Gazelle and Dama Gazelle are among those who have seen their populations drastically decline in the last few decades. Drought, habitat destruction and poaching are all to blame. Laws and regulations have been passed to protect these species, but they are infrequently enforced so these gazelles continue to reduce in number.

Fact #4  The Sand Gazelle is not a leaper, but instead eludes predators with incredible bursts of speed, sometimes reaching 60 miles per hour.

Fact #5 Most gazelles give birth to one fawn, but it is not uncommon for the Cuvier's Gazelle to have twins.

Fact #6  The Dama Gazelle is the largest of the species, weighing about 190 lbs and standing about 42" high at the shoulder.

Fact #7  Characterized by their long slender legs, gazelles are medium-sized antelope. They are swift runners and jumpers, and when nervous or excited, will exhibit a behavior called pronking, a method of locomotion where the animal jumps vertically into the air with an arched back and lands on all four rigidly straight legs. Why gazelles do this is not clear. Some theories suggest that by making themselves more noticeable, they are signaling to predators that they are aware of the danger, or they may be showing off their fitness and strength to intimidate animals on the prowl for a meal.

Fact #8 Speke's gazelles have three to five folds of skin around their nose. It can be inflated to create a warning sound resembling a honking noise.

Fact #9 These grazing antelopes live in herds, which can consist of as few as ten or as many as several hundred animals. During the plentiful rainy season, thousands of animals can be seen gathering in large groups. 

And fact #10 Gazelles typically frequent wide-open spaces and plains, where they browse on grasses, shoots, and leaves.

I hope you learned as much as I did!  Also, if you what to see the cutest wild animal babies then go to http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/page/1/ to see baby animals from all around the world!  I love the site!

Araya

KING OF THE JUNGLE: THE LION

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here's my latest story for the newspaper ... thought you might enjoy it!  Had a great jumping week with Dandy ... hope you did, too!!

Your Horse Pal, @raya

I have always loved wild animals! They are all so different and have a special way of life! But my favorite of all is the lion! They are all so royal and magical! I espcially love the males with their manes! I wanted to learn more about lions and here are some interesting facts I found:

Fact #1 --- The Lion (Panthera leo) is the only big cat that lives in social groups. These groups are called prides and consist of 3 to 30 lions. The females are often related and share care of the cubs, including suckling. The lionesses do the majority of hunting with some driving prey towards an ambush of other waiting lionesses.

Fact #2 --- Lion cubs weight about three pounds at birth. By age 2, they are good hunters. They are full grown at 5 to 6 years of age. A litter usually is 2 to 3 cubs. Adult male lions weigh 330 to 500 pounds, females 265 to 400 pounds. Height is 3.5 feet (females) to 4 feet (males). Length 4 ½ to 8 ¼ feet, with the males at the higher end of the range. Lions are the second largest feline. The tiger is actually the biggest wild cat.

Fact #3 ---- Male lions begin to grow their manes at about 18 months old. It continues to grow until they are 5. 

Fact #3 ---- The Swahili word for lion is simba. It also means king, strong, and aggressive. 

Fact #4 ----- Lionesses are more agile and faster than male lions. Both male and female lions roar.

Fact #5 ---- Lions lie around for 21 hours a day.

Fact #6 ---- Lions can go 5 to 6 days without drinking water.

Fact #7 ---- Lion cubs have spots at birth that disappear with age.  

Fact #8 ---- Lion is known as the king of beasts for his bravery and fighting skills!

Fact #9 ---- The average lifespan of lions in the wild is 15 years but they may life up to 25 years or beyond in captivity.

Fact #10 --- White lions were found to exist in the late 20th century. The pale color of their coats is due to a recessive gene. 

There is also a big cat called a liger. It is the world's largest big cat. An average male liger weighs over 900 pounds and stands almost 12 feet tall. Ligers have a mane like a lion and stripes like a tiger. The reason that they are called a liger is because the father was a lion and the mother was a tiger. If the situation was reversed and the mother was a lion and the father was a tiger, he would be called a tigon, and would be a dwarf instead of a giant. A fully grown tigon is usually less that 350 lbs. Ligers are not sterile, and they can reproduce. If the mother was a lion and the father was a tiger it would be called a tigon. 

MISTY MORNING ... MY CAT RESCUE STORY

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here's a story I recently wrote for my friend's newspaper.  Hope you enjoy it!

@raya

One day when I was dog walking, I saw a cat in the road and I tried to get her off the road and she ran!  She was an all grey cat and was very scared!  I had never seen her before and I wondered where she came from!?  She was very wild!

And then one day when we went out to feed our cat, Keyoh, we saw her again!  She was looking at us as if to say "Can I have some?"  So we put another food bowl out in our yard for her so that she did not have to be so close to the house so she could feel safe.  We tried to pet her many times but every time she would run!  Every day we would just put the food bowl closer to our house and then one day she came up to it and laid on the porch.  We slowly opened the door and she stayed!  We sat near our door for a few minutes and then we tried to get closer and she still stayed!  We sat there for a few more minutes and then she came to us!  She let us pet her and then she went back to the food!  And from then on, she has let us pet her!  We tried to come up with a name for her and then we came up with Misty!  We thought it was the greatest name for her!  She is a small cat and has long gray hair.  She has green, yellow eyes and is very beautiful!  And now she runs up to us and meows for food.

We love helping animals and I think that we helped Misty find someone who will always make sure that she is OK, and that is what animal rescues do!  I have always wanted to help animals and love to donate money and other things that the animal rescues need!  You can go to any animal rescue in your neighborhood and donate things that your pets don't use - food, money and some animal shelters have a list of things they need!  With the holidays around the corner, remember to add animal rescues to your holiday giving!

   

PRESIDENTS AGREE ... DOG IS MAN'S BEST FRIEND!

Hi Horse Pals ~

Here is another article I wrote for the newspaper that I thought you might all enjoy!

As you know, I am a HUGE dog lover, along with the rest of the world!  Did you know that it is the most popular animal in the world?  And our U.S. Presidents agree!  Throughout history, Presidents have owned and loved dogs making them famous during their White House years and beyond.

Here are some fun facts about Presidents and their canine companions!

The first U.S. President George Washington owned 10 Hounds called Mopsey, Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips and Searcher.

Abraham Lincoln owned at least 2 dogs and their names were Fido and Jip.

Theodore Roosevelt owned a Pit bull Terrier named Pete, a Chesapeake Retriever named Sailor Boy, a Terrier named Jack, a mongrel named Skip and a Spaniel named Manchu.

Calvin Coolidge owned at least 12 dogs:

A Terrier (Peter Pan), an
Airedale (Laddie Buck/Paul Pry),
2 White Collies (Oshkosh/Rob Roy and Prudence Primm), a
Shetland Sheepdog (Calamity Jane),
2 Chows (Tiny Tim and Blackberry), a
Brown Collie (Ruby Rough), a
Yellow Collie (Bessie), a
Bulldog (Boston Beans), a
Police Dog (King Kole) and a
Bird Dog (Palo Alto).  That is a lot of dogs!

President John F. Kennedy owned the following dogs:
Welsh Terriers - Charlie and Pushinka,
German Shepherd – Clipper,
Irish Cocker Spaniel – Shannon,
Irish Wolfhound – Wolf,
Terriers - White Tips, Blackie and Streaker. 
John F. Kennedy was the first President to request that his dogs meet the presidential helicopter when the President arrived at the White House.
 Soviet Premier Kruschev gave him a dog named Pushinka who was the offspring of the Russian space dog Strelka.  Pushinka had 4 puppies of her own puppies who JFK called “pupniks”!  Pushinka often made the President laugh by climbing up the ladder to Caroline's tree house. The Prime Minister of Ireland gave JFK the Irish Cocker Spaniel, Shannon.

Richard Nixon owned 4 dogs:
 Spaniel (Checkers), an
Irish Setter (King Timahoe), a
Terrier (Pasha) and a
Poodle (Vicky)
When he entered the White House a member of his staff gave him the Irish Setter, King Timahoe, which he named for the little village in Ireland where his mother’s ancestors came from.

Gerald Ford owned a Golden Retriever named Liberty who gave birth to nine puppies at the White House.

George H W Bush owned a Springer Spaniel called Millie and her puppy named Ranger. "Millie", the Springer Spaniel, is the subject of a book that has sold more copies than the autobiography of George Bush himself.

President George W Bush's dogs include a Scottish Terrier named Barney and an English Springer spaniel named Spot. Spot was named after Scott Fletcher, a former Texas Rangers baseball player. President Bush's dog Spot is the only dog to live in the White House during two administrations. Spot was born to Millie, George H.W. Bush's dog, when George H.W. Bush was President. Spot was given to his son George W. Bush who returned the Terrier to the White House for his term of office.

And President Obama and his family have a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo who now calls the White House home.  Bo was a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns three dogs of the same breed, known for high spirits and said to be a good fit for kids with allergies.

It doesn’t matter what breed or age or name a dog goes by; it is clearly man’s best friend!

MORE STABLE DAYS GIVEAWAY ENTRIES BY HORSE PAL LISBETH :)

My dog runs like a cheetah. 

Yes, her name is Bella and she is beautiful.

Bella loves to play fight with dogs and people.

Eating human food is one of her hobbies.

Always sniffing and pulling at the leash during walks. 

U would think she was a police dog!

Tall and skinny and black, she is.

I always thought she was the best dog in the world!

Full of energy and happy when off the leash. 

U would love her, I'm sure!

Loves me, I know.

Don't think she wouldn't like you; I'm sure she would.

Oh, she's super fantastic!

Gold, she is! I love her so!

Haflinger

Oldenburg

Rocky Mountain Horse

Shetland Pony

Exmoor Pony

Standardbred

Barbary Coast is its former name.

Are critically endangered. 

Roan Barbary was a famous Barb 

  who was owned by King Richard II  

Barbs are beautiful!

I used Araya's "5 Fun Facts of My Favorite Horse Breeds~ Barb"

for my research so you can find out more about Barbs there.

Thank you Araya! 

MORE HORSE POEMS BY HORSE PAL, DARBY :)

Horses are the best

Over fields of green they play

Running free and wild

Sunning themselves in the pasture

Eating grass, grain, hay and water

Silly little foals meeting each other

California Dairy

On The Range
Waiting On The Cattle Drive Seasons
Selling In The Spring

Harry

Ollie

Rose

Smokey

Eyore

 

Navajo

Aladdin

Marmalade

Expresso

Salsa

MORE DVD ENTRIES FROM HORSE PAL LISBETH!

Chestnut and Bunky

Chestnut is a brown bunny that belongs to my friend.

Bunky is a black/white bunny that belongs to my neighbor.

They live outside in a cage. 

They are usually nice but sometimes bite. 

They love lettuce and carrots, of course. 

They are very affectionate and cute! 

Strawberry 

Strawberry is my friends dog. 

She is a West Highland White Terrier. 

She runs really fast!

She got her name because she loves strawberries!

Sadly, she ran away and I hope she's okay.

Charlie

Charlie is a chubby beagle mix. 

He's short and stocky and he loves kids. 

He runs really fast with his belly swingin' around!

He sheds ALL THE TIME.

He and Bella are great friends!

Horse Haiku

Horses love to run.

Horses need food and water.

Horses give you love. 

Dog Haiku 

Dogs love to eat treats. 

Dogs like to sleep in my lap.

Dogs are very sweet.

Butterfly Haiku

They flutter their wings.

They have beautiful colors. 

They are delicate.

The Dog

They cuddle in your lap.

They love to swim and run.

They also like to nap.

They have a lot of fun.

I love dogs!

They need checkups with the vet. 

They need fresh water and dog food.

They make a great pet.

They're usually in a good mood.

I love dogs!

They are obedient most of the time.

They are loving and kind.

They're not sour like a lime.

They have an intelligent mind.

I love dogs!!! 

The Horse

A fast lightning bolt. 

A delicate flower.

An alert little colt. 

A strong tower. 

That's the horse.

A wonderful friend.

A beautiful animal.

A help around a hard bend.

And very companionable.

That's the horse.

Always nice to ride.

Always better than a car.

Always by your side.

And can run very far.

That's the horse.

(That girl is not me!)

Majestic Beauty

Elegant Poodle

Lovely lady

Lazy Girl

Handsome Horse

American Quarter Horse

Racing Breed

Very Sweet

Eats Horse Cookies

Yes, He's Wonderful!

Happy Animal

Oh So Cute

Racing And Jumping

Steeplechasing And Dressage 

Elegant And Strong

Chubby

Happy All Time

Always Shedding 

Runs Really Fast

Loveable Canine

Eats Grass (Yuck!)

Daisy

Otis

Ginger

Nancy

Aloha

Montana

Emma 

Spot

STABLE DAYS DVD GIVEAWAY ENTRIES BY DARBY

Casey: 

Have you ever seen a horse that glowed?

Just like shiny new gold?

Running In The Wind,

Soaking Up The Sun,

A Mane And Tail Like A White Winding River,

A Palomino Named Casey,

As Sweet As Can Be,

Honey Colored Memories.

If Clouds Were Horses:

If Clouds Were Horses, what colors would they be?

Would there still be bays and greys?

Would they still have flowing manes and tails?

What would happen if horses were clouds?

Could we ever ride them?

Could they ever even be tamed?

Have you tried to tame a cloud, or ride one for that matter?

So What if clouds were horses?

Patches:

Pretty Pony

Athletic Angel

Thunderous Temper

Classy & Cuddly

Happy Horse

Early Riser

Sarcastic Shetland

Denali:

Divine Diamond
Earnest Emerald
Nonstop Nice
Absolutely Awesome
Lovely Lady
Intelligent & Impressive

Latte:

Little Latte

Absolutely Attractive

Tiny & Terrific

Tame & Talented

Enchanted & Elegant

Salsa:

Sweet

Affectionate

Lovable
Sassy
Adventurous

Casey:

Cute

Audible
Silly
Elderly

Yellow at Is A Horse Named Casey.

Smokey:

Smart
Majestic
Obedient
Keen
Energetic
Youthful 

Green:

Green is the color of the trees, the seaweed and the tomatoes,

Green is my second favorite color. Green and pink are like peas in a pod.

The go together oh so well.

Green is the color of my new old saddle and the grass swaying in the breeze.

Reining: 

Spinning and sliding, left and right leads, those are some of my favorite things.

Those some things that reining includes. HollywoodTinselTown and Colonel Freckles,

those are some of my favorite horses. who needs a mercedes car?

Why not a Chromed Out Mercedes Champion reining horse?

Rollbacks and circles are some of my favorite things, that can only be found in reining.

MORE STABLE DAYS DVD GIVEAWAY POEMS BY HORSE PAL LISBETH

Hey Araya and Avery! Here's some more entries for the giveaway. 

Horses

Beautiful, powerful, strong.

Jumping, racing, dressage.

Feeding, grooming, riding.

Trail rides through the woods.

Gentle giants.

The horse. 

           Crystal, Jo Jo and Charlie

                                          Crystal, Jo Jo and Charlie are my friends'

cats! I don't know their breeds. Crystal is fluffy 

and white. Jo Jo and Charlie are gray with black

stripes. Jo Jo is younger than Charlie. Crystal

purrs when you stroke her. She's so soft! Jo Jo 

loves to play and Charlie is always outside, 

sleeping in the sunshine.  They're great cats! 

 

ANIMAL POEMS BY LISBETH FOR STABLE DAYS GIVEAWAY!

Mell 

Mell is a white toy poodle. 

She likes to sleep but...

When its time for a walk she is very excited.

She doesn't care for dog food

and she loves our food.

If food falls off the table 

she'll be there to catch it!

She likes to curl up and sleep in my lap. 

Dog-sitting her was so much fun!

Paulie and Tweet

I had two parakeets. 

Paulie was yellow 

and Tweet was green.

One time Paulie hid in the house

and my brother found him. 

Tweet loved to chirp;

That's how he got his name. 

Birds are great pets!

Harvey

Harvey is a brown Quarter Horse

with a glossy black mane.

He is very lazy but very sweet. 

One time he was walking 

and he tripped over his own feet!

He is great with little kids

and he loves a treat.

I learned how to ride western on him. 

I love Harvey, 

he is so sweet! 

Bella 

  Beautiful

   Energetic

Lovely

Loving

           A great puppy 

  Terrific 

Happy

  Elegant

   Princess

                        U are the best dog ever

Puppy

 Playful

      Yaps a lot

Thanks for your submissions, Lisbeth!!  Don't forget Horse Pals, the poetry DVD giveaway ends July 31st!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE ... OF MOLLY, THE AMAZING HORSE!!

Hi Horse Pals ~ Erica sent us this beautiful story to share with all of our Horse Pals! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!  Thanks for sharing it, Erica!   @raya and @very

Ya gotta meet Molly...

photos by Pam Kaster

Meet Molly.She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana .  She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.
But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind.He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her.She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.
Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.
'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble.The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.
Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana .The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.
The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.
And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.
'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'
Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better.To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

P.S.  We have recently found out that Molly is a book, too so check it out!  

Molly the Pony: A True Story 

STABLE DAYS DVD GIVEAWAY STORY ENTRY BY NINA

Snickers

Snickers is one of my classroom bunnies. He is grey in color. He always loves to eat food! Snickers is 5 years old.  Snickers will always go with anything you do with him. Every time snickers is sleeping you know it because he snores while he sleeps! Snickers lived from the year 2005 to 2010.

I will never forget snickers. He is in a much better place now. I will love him forever!

I LOVE YOU SNICKERS!!!

STABLE DAYS DVD GIVEAWAY POETRY ENTRIES BY DARBY

Denali, One Moment Of The Ride

When you ride a horse like Denali, all you can say is wow. With all the speed and power in the world, held together by a peice of horseflesh. All you know and learn can be forgotten, in one moment of the ride. Like riding a black tornado, your sure to be surprised. Running like the wind, flying through the sky, you can get lost in one moment of the ride. When you ride a horse like Denali, your breath will be left behind, you will be beckoning with danger, the excitement, of real life. You can lose all sense of mind, in one moment of the ride.

Salsa

When you see a horse, black as midnight, sweet as sugar, you can think of Salsa, think of her. Let you mind go blank, your body go limp, think of what is, and what was, then picture Salsa, who stands for everything, and everyone. Like midnight on a sunny day, Salsa's black coat will surprise you in every way. Sweet as sugar, brown eyes will win your heart. Think of Salsa, who stands for everything and everyone, black as midnight, sweet as sugar, she is sure to surprise, even the waryest believers.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW STABLE DAYS STORE FOR AWESOME HORSE GIFTS!

Hi Horse Pals ~

Avery and I are so excited to launch our own Stable Days Store!  Click on the store button located on the right column at the top of our blog to check it out.

We have created a "Live Your Passion" line of products that go with our motto of 'playing hard and living free'.  We helped design these t-shirts and tote bags and hope you all like them. 

 

You will also find our Stable Days DVD for sale in our store.

The cool thing about buying any products in our store is that you are also helping animals because we donate a portion of all of our sales to animal rescue.

Our t-shirts and tote bags make great gifts for all your family and friends.

Happy shopping, @raya and @very

P.S.  We are in the process of designing a dog tee so check back soon!!

  

STABLE DAYS DVD GIVEAWAY ENTRIES BY NINA

Tinkerbell

There is a pony named Tinkerbell.  She is so cute and nice to me. Tinkerbell hates the girth that is on the saddle.  She nips at you and kicks her leg up.  She loves to eat food and treats.  She always does what I want her to.  She has a great walk, trot and canter.  I could canter on her all day if I could.  Tinkerbell is the best pony ever.  I was leasing Tinkerbell but now I am leasing a pony named Buck.  I wish I was still leasing Tinkerbell.  I LOVE TINKERBELL!

Cheerio

Cheerio is so much fun to ride.  He is only four years old so he doesn't know much yet but I still got to ride him. Cheerio is so nice and when I tack him up he makes this really funny sound. When I jump him I learned that if he isn't fast enough for the jump he stops then jumps the jump.  Cheerio is the best horse ever.  I really love Cheerio.

'Helping the Blind' by Araya

Hi Horse Pals -

Here's my latest article for Michaela's newspaper.  I just brought my cousins over to meet Madision and they fell in love with her, too!!  She is so amazing!  It is going to be so fun to get to know her and watch her grow.  She has the sweetest personality.  I just LOVE puppies, don't you?

Your Horse Pal, @raya

My friends, Ronnie and Michael belong to a charity called Seeing Eye Dogs of America where they part train Labradors and other dog breeds to become seeing eye dogs!  They teach them to sit, stay, come, heel and a few other commands that the dogs will need to know to become registered seeing eye dogs. The dogs they are currently training are named Karson and Jupiter.  Karson is a chocolate brown and Jupiter is yellow/tan.  When I went to their house, the dogs started to bark and when I went in they started to lick me.  Once they went to Long Beach Aquarium for part of their training.  When they got there, they saw the sea lions and the dogs and sea lions went nose to nose through the glass.  Then when they went to the top where the sea lions were doing a show, the sea lions started to bark at the dogs and would not do anything but bark!  It was too funny!

They have rencently gotten a new puppy for training.  Her name is Madison.  She is so cute!  She is so playful and funny.  When they first get a puppy for training, they are seven to eight weeks old and when they send them back for the last bit of training they are fifteen to seventeen months.  

Here are some pictures of their dogs:

Sin-Claire the Kitten by Araya

Hi Horse Pals -

My friend, Michaela has recently started her own newspaper and has invited me to write an animal column.  I thought it would be fun to share the stories I write here on the blog, too!

 

My Aunt just got a new kitten: his name is Sin-Claire.

His breed is a Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat mix.  He is an orange/blond color and has beautiful green eyes.  My Aunt invited my sister and I over to meet him and his is so sweet!  He loves to play with toys and loves to be held in your arms and have you rub his tummy.  I set his toy on a low table and he jumped on it, took the toy in his mouth and then went to eat it!  He also plays with his friend and sister Chloe!  He likes to sleep with her, too.

When we left, he sat on the widow and meowed for us!  It was so cute! Here are a few pictures of him:

One of the most interesting things about the Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat and the Bengal cat is that they are one of the only cats that have an “M” for eyebrows!  It is so cool. (check it out!) 

And another thing about Maine Coon cats is that they can grow up to 20 pounds!

I can’t wait to see him again soon!

Araya

"THE CLOUD AND THE GREY CAT" BY AVERY

Once upon a time, the sun came up and it was a bright blue day, and puffy white clouds were floating in the sky.  And kids were playing in a big green field at the park.  Some were swinging and some were doing monkey bars, and some fell off and some stayed on.  Well, that blue morning a little grey cat was climbing up a tree.  While he was climbing up the tree, a dog started to bark at him and a squirrel followed him up.  When the dog stopped barking, the cat went down and got some food.  Then he took a little nap.  Then he went down the tree and went for a walk.  When he looked behind him, he didn’t see his house.  He realized he was lost.  He said to himself, “Why not go to the beach?  They might find me there.”  He thought it wasn’t that far because he had gone in the car, but now he had to go on foot.  So, he looked at the familiar green hills and started to walk up them.  They were so hard to climb, but in the car they had seemed effortless.  He realized he was a small little cat and he wasn’t that fast of foot.  He said to himself, "Maybe I'll rest on this tree and play for a while.”  So he dangled his front paws over the tree and swung himself back and forth.  He almost fell when suddenly something caught him.  He stepped on it and thought it must have been another tree branch but it was actually the very special cloud who was interested in this little cat.  She watched every little step he took … she watched him in the tree, climbing the mountains, every little step he took.  The cat walked on until he found the nice beach he was looking for.  The cat dug a little cave in the sand and the cloud followed him inside.  She said hello but the cat couldn’t hear her airy voice, because of course she was a cloud who lived in the air.  Then the cat jumped at what he saw … a little puffy cloud speaking to him with big blue eyes and big bushy lips.  When he saw the cloud, he was surprised because he thought the air would only keep him up, not down.  He carefully said, “What are you doing down here?”  The cloud said, “I saw you watching the kids playing, climbing up the mountains and I followed you everywhere you went.  And I knew you needed some company so I couldn’t wait for you to stop so I could talk to you.”  They talked for a while until a little girl came to the beach.  The cat cried, “My little girl’s back!”  He ran over to her and she stroked him on the head.  They went back home in the car and he was happy she came for him.  He climbed back up in his tree and he said to the cloud, “Good-bye, I will see you tomorrow.”  And that’s how the cloud and the little grey kitten met.

A MAMA AND HER BABY ... TOO SWEET FOR WORDS!

Hi Horse Pals,

Our friend sent us these adorable photos today and we wanted to share them with all of our Horse Pals.

This is a newborn offspring of Taskin, a Gypsy Stallion owned by Villa Vanners that was born in Oregon.  These pictures were immediately after his birth on April 6th.  The mare laid down and then the foal trotted around and crawled right up into her lap.

How sweet!  Your Horse Pals,

Araya and Avery

ANIMAL ACRES: SAVING ONE CUTIE AT A TIME!

Avery and I had an opportunity to visit one of our favorite places for photo club recently: Animal Acres.  It is a wonderful animal sanctuary that is home to many beautiful farm animals.

This trip, we met a new baby pig named Jumper who was six weeks old and sooo cute!  We got to play with her in her pen and get many great photos of her.  It was hard to get a picture of her because she would always move around her pen.  Here is the cutie:

{Isn't she cute!}

Next we visited the goats on a little mountain.  There was a baby and her name was Faith.  She was a few months old and absolutely adorable!

Oh, I have a funny story about a goat!  A goat on the hill started to come down and it went in between a mom's legs and it looked as if she was riding the goat down the hillside backwards!  She had to hold her camera up so it didn't drop!  Too funny!

Here are a few shots of the goats:

{Little Faith}

{This is the one that gave the mom a ride}

Next we saw two adorable baby cows!  Their names where Cassanova and Sunny.  Cassanova is the one with more brown and Sunny is the one with more white.  Sunny was more shy than Cass but was really sweet and Cassa was really playful.

Cass tried to eat Avery's shirt!  Avery said it tickled:)

They were soo cute!  Our friend Denise got to feed Cass with a bottle!

She had to hold the bottle really tight because they were really hungry!  

{Cass is sucking Sunny's ear}

Then we went got a behind-the-scenes tour up a trail where we met some more cows and two donkeys.

They were so beautiful!  We got to pet them and there was a BIG bull!

Near the cows, I caught and then released a lizard.  It was a blue belly.

As you can see, Animal Acres is a paradise for farm animals.  We always really enjoy our visits there and can't wait to go back and visit our farm friends.  

If you want to learn more about this special place, check out www.animalacres.org. 

I hope you love this post!

Your Animal Pal,

Araya

ODE TO GUINNEVERE

Hi Horse Pals ~

I know a lot of you call your barn your "home away from home" and we definitely see our barn pals as extended family.  We recently lost my favorite Hanoverian at the barn, Guinnevere.  She was a beauty and well loved at our barn.  I'd like to share with you a beautiful poem our friend, Donna wrote in memory of Guinn.

"Camelot"

Hush, Listen

was that another bell?

The clouds make it hard to see through, 

but,  am sure the sound was true.

Another precious soul has come to us today.

There she is,

there is the beauty we have been waiting for.

Oh, joyous being come closer.

Bounding proudly, free spirited flame,

the wind blows through heaven bearing your name.

And those who rose before you

Line up to welcome you here,

the lovely, gentle lady you know as

Guinnevere.

Shoulder to shoulder the company stand.

These dames and these sires - all royalty meet.

Cavorting and snorting in dance they do greet.

Secret exchanges through breath soft and sweet.

A circle binds them together as one supreme,

in the castle Arthur built awaiting his queen.

For Kelliann and Isabelle by D.M. Bion

RECYCLE AND SAVE THE PLANET AND HORSES, TOO!

I recently wrote this article that is featured on www.ecology.com.  It's an awesome site and they have a great kid's section ... check out the Kids Corner!  

Kids' Recycling Effort Helps the Planet and Funds a Favorite Cause

Hi, my name is Araya, I’m 10 and my sister, Avery is 7 and we are passionate about animals and nature.  We live right next to a wildlife reserve and we love to hike there and bird watch.  We have seen really beautiful birds and it is so pretty there.

One of our very favorite things to do is horseback ride.  We LOVE horses!  Last summer, we decided it would be fun to start raising money for a horse rescue so we did some research and chose this great organization called Adopt-A-Foal located in Texas.  It is run by this really amazing couple who rescue foals and place them for adoption.  You can check them out at www.adoptafoal.org. 

We started thinking of ways to raise money for Adopt-A-Foal and decided by recycling we could save horses AND the planet!  We started a recycling company called Earth Wranglers and we have been recycling ever since.  We have asked friends and family and even the barn to save their recyclables for us, and it has been really successful.  We found a recycling center that accepts all types of glass from pickle jars to spaghetti sauce jars to juice bottles along with plastic and aluminum.  We have a weekly pickup where we collect all of the recyclables and then we sort them by type and then drive them to the recycling center.  There we put them in plastic bins and mesh baskets where they are put on a big scale and weighed.

This is a fun and fabulous thing to do and it feels really good to be able to give back to animals and Mother Earth.  So many people have thanked us for recycling for them – they say they had no idea how much they were wasting and they now feel so good to be doing their part to help the environment.  It has been really fun to help educate people about recycling.  We hope you will consider starting a recycling program and help your family, friends and neighbors recycle.  We can all help out Mother Nature by donating money to our passion and helping out the planet at the same time.

I hope you'll visit my blog at http://stabledays.typepad.com/.

Araya

"DIABLO AND THE PONY" BY HORSE PAL DONNA MARIE

Our friend, Donna from the barn wrote this story about her horse, Diablo.  We hope you all enjoy it!  Thanks, Donna for sharing it with our Horse Pals.

Blackie is a small pony about three feet tall, almost as tall as my son, Billy, and shaggy as our sheep dog, Mike.  

In a pasture lives a big red horse named Diablo.  A little girl owns him and hugs his neck every day after school.

Today, as my son and I were walking, we heard a loud, shrill nicker.  Diablo was standing in the corner of his pasture holding his head high, wailing at something in the distance.

Way out on the hill stood a little black dot.  Then, a tail swished.  It was Blackie!  He was on the loose and running toward the pasture gate!

Blackie saw us and kept running.  The closer he came, the more excited Diablo got.  He paced back and forth and screamed at the pony.  And the pony started screaming, too. Something was going to happen soon and all of a sudden, it did ...

When Blackie reached the pasture, he jumped clean over the fence and into the pasture! "Wow!" we said.  The little pony tossed his head proudly and Diablo stood still like a stone statue.

Then, he saw Diablo.  He might as well have been in with a bull.  Diablo lowered his head and pinned back his ears.

Suddenly, the little girl ran in yelling, "Diablo!  Diablo!"  That mean ol' bully begged for forgiveness.  She cradled his head in her arms.

The pony wanted to join them.  He strolled over to the pair but was stopped by a menacing snort from Diablo.

Turning to us, the little girl shouted, "Bring me the rope."  My son grabbed it off the gate and ran to her.

While she placed the rope around the pony's neck, Billy stroked his soft fur and combed his fingers through his mane.  They were in heaven.

Alone and getting no attention, Diablo let out a great sigh.  He was not happy.  I yelled at Billy to come along.

As the pony was led back to his stall, my son and I continued our walk.  Diablo grazed happily in his green kingdom.  Horses, like most animals, live in the moment.  For Diablo, all was as it should be.

The little girl waved good-bye.  I hugged my son and smiled.  What a day we had!  What a story we had to tell! 

THE END

"PUP PASSION" AN ANIMAL STORY BY ARAYA

Hi Horse Pals,

I wrote a story a while ago and I wanted to share it with you.  It was one of the first stories I ever wrote and illustrated.  I hope you like it!!!

PUP PASSION                     

One Spring day, there was a puppy named Cutie.  He lived with his mom Duchess.  Today Cutie felt a strange feeling, he did not know quite what it was... and then it struck him, he did not have a PASSION!!!!  

On that Spring day, Cutie went to the dog park to see if his friend Turkey was there, and he was.   Cutie asked Turkey if he had a Passion and Turkey replied, "Yes, I LOVE to eat!'  Cutie said, "That is not a Passion!"  "It is to me!" exclaimed Turkey.  "Oh, that is a funny Passion to me," said Cutie.  " You know Cutie, every Passion can be different, and mean different things to each of us."  "Good point Turkey," said Cutie.

After Cutie left the park, he went back to his dog house to think about his Passion.  He knew he could dig it out if he just tried!  

"Cutie," called Duchess " Can you please come pick up all your balls?"  "Sure Mom" exclaimed Cutie.  Cutie ran to go fetch his balls when he suddenly realized ... that's it!! My Passion is fetching Balls!  " Mom!! Mom!!" barked Cutie," I found my PASSION!!"  " That's great Cutie." howled his Mom, "What is it?"  "Fetching balls, big, small, polka dot, I like them all!"  Cutie was very happy!

First thing the next morning, Cutie ran off to meet Turkey at the dog park.  Cutie then told Turkey his Passion, fetching balls.  They fetched all day!!

THE END 

"ODE TO HORSES" BY HORSE PAL CAYCE

Here's a poem that Cayce wrote and wanted to share with you all ...

"Ode to Horses"

Horses are beautiful.
Horses muzzels are soft.
Horses are a girl's best friend.

Thanks, Cayce, keep them coming!  

FIRST HORSE PALS' FUN POEM

Thank you to Stevie and Rebecca for our first Horse Pals' submission.  It's a great one!!  I hope you like it as much as we did!

Hi Araya and Avery,

The blog just keeps getting better every day. Stevie wanted to send a poem so here we go,
 
Horses are friends,
as people are too.
My love for animals
will always shine through.
 
In good times and bad,
especially when I am sad,
I think of all my friends
and know our friendships will never end.

Love Stevie and Rebecca 

Stevie's ready to give Marshall a yummy apple!

CREATE YOUR OWN ANIMAL TALES

Hi Horse Pals ~

As you know, I love to read and I thought it would be fun to create my own horse story.  I've been writing for the past few months and I add to it whenever I feel inspired.  I'll give you a little taste ... the girl's name is Victoria and her horse is Speed Racer and it takes place in a beautiful setting.

Let's make a place on the blog called Horse Pals' Animal Stories and share stories here!  You can send in any animal stories or poems you've written or anything else you'd like to share with our Horse Pals Club.  How fun!!  I can't wait to hear all the fabulous stories!

You can e-mail them to me at [email protected] and I'll post them to the blog.

Happy trails and happy writing,

@raya