Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[RED-DOG]

Question for Tom, serious this time.

Driving up & down through the countryside, passing countless fields in which several horses are peacefully grazing, I often see some of the horses wearing rugs, or tarpaulin things, presumably to protect them from the winter weather.

Why is this necessary? Horses in the wild don't have these.

Surely the horses would sweat, under the rugs, which will often be wet, & that will cause its own problems?

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Over many generations, sporting horses in general, and thoroughbred racehorses in particular, have developed lighter and lighter coats.To compensate for the lack of insulation, they are stabled at night and wear a blanket when they are grazing outdoors during the colder months.

All that being said, most of the horses that you see wearing coats in paddocks and fields around the country don't actually need to be wearing them. Sure, their may be a soupcon, or even a dollop of thoroughbred blood coursing through their veins, but they will almost certainly have retained enough genetic material from their less refined ancestors to be able to grow themselves a donkey jacket.

Find a horse that lives outdoors and have a look at it's summer coat, it will be short, flat, shiny and cool. Visit the same horse during the winter and it's coat will be long, coarse, dull and warm.

Horse owners are, by and large, kind, well meaning, have plenty of disposable income and are susceptible to clever advertising. The truth is, most horses do just fine without the addiction of those awful sweaty smelly rugs.

Can you imagine what it's like when you get an itch under there?  

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

Question for Tom, serious this time.

Driving up & down through the countryside, passing countless fields in which several horses are peacefully grazing, I often see some of the horses wearing rugs, or tarpaulin things, presumably to protect them from the winter weather.

Why is this necessary? Horses in the wild don't have these.

Surely the horses would sweat, under the rugs, which will often be wet, & that will cause its own problems?

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Over many generations, sporting horses in general, and thoroughbred racehorses in particular, have developed lighter and lighter coats.To compensate for the lack of insulation, they are stabled at night and wear a blanket when they are grazing outdoors during the colder months.

All that being said, most of the horses that you see wearing coats in paddocks and fields around the country don't actually need to be wearing them. Sure, their may be a soupcon, or even a dollop of thoroughbred blood coursing through their veins, but they will almost certainly have retained enough genetic material from their less refined ancestors to be able to grow themselves a donkey jacket.

Find a horse that lives outdoors and have a look at it's summer coat, it will be short, flat, shiny and cool. Visit the same horse during the winter and it's coat will be long, coarse, dull and warm.

Horse owners are, by and large, kind, well meaning, have plenty of disposable income and are susceptible to clever advertising. The truth is, most horses do just fine without the addiction of those awful sweaty smelly rugs.

Can you imagine what it's like when you get an itch under there?  

Click to see full-size image.

My point exactly, & a lovely answer to boot.

Lovely reply, too, especially growing a donkey jacket.

[Rod Paradise]

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Is this where the term warmblood comes from wrt horses Red?

[RED-DOG]

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Is this where the term warmblood comes from wrt horses Red?

Yes it is Rod, kind of.

As a a very simplified explanation, (Not that I'm suggesting you need a simplified explanation but once you start digging into genetics it's a real treacle bath) if we classify heavy, draft type horses as cold blood, and thoroughbred race horses as hot blood, then those horses that fall somewhere in between the two groups are the warmbloods.

[TightEnd]

FYI

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35797945

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FYI

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35797945

It's interesting and a bit sad that Marler believes the comment to be an insult and that Lee, knowing this, takes it as such.

[Nakor]

Question for Tom, serious this time.

Driving up & down through the countryside, passing countless fields in which several horses are peacefully grazing, I often see some of the horses wearing rugs, or tarpaulin things, presumably to protect them from the winter weather.

Why is this necessary? Horses in the wild don't have these.

Surely the horses would sweat, under the rugs, which will often be wet, & that will cause its own problems?

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Over many generations, sporting horses in general, and thoroughbred racehorses in particular, have developed lighter and lighter coats.To compensate for the lack of insulation, they are stabled at night and wear a blanket when they are grazing outdoors during the colder months.

All that being said, most of the horses that you see wearing coats in paddocks and fields around the country don't actually need to be wearing them. Sure, their may be a soupcon, or even a dollop of thoroughbred blood coursing through their veins, but they will almost certainly have retained enough genetic material from their less refined ancestors to be able to grow themselves a donkey jacket.

Find a horse that lives outdoors and have a look at it's summer coat, it will be short, flat, shiny and cool. Visit the same horse during the winter and it's coat will be long, coarse, dull and warm.

Horse owners are, by and large, kind, well meaning, have plenty of disposable income and are susceptible to clever advertising. The truth is, most horses do just fine without the addiction of those awful sweaty smelly rugs.

Can you imagine what it's like when you get an itch under there?  

Click to see full-size image.

My point exactly, & a lovely answer to boot.

Lovely reply, too, especially growing a donkey jacket.

Its worse then a rug or blanket these days.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=horse+onesies&biw=1185&bih=559&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjJ0-SQjsDLAhXKvRoKHX3JBQUQsAQIQg

[RED-DOG]

Question for Tom, serious this time.

Driving up & down through the countryside, passing countless fields in which several horses are peacefully grazing, I often see some of the horses wearing rugs, or tarpaulin things, presumably to protect them from the winter weather.

Why is this necessary? Horses in the wild don't have these.

Surely the horses would sweat, under the rugs, which will often be wet, & that will cause its own problems?

Some horses are bred for a specific purpose. Those that I would term 'sporting' horses, i.e. show jumpers, hunters, harness racers and full blown thoroughbred race horses proper have one thing in common, and that is that their main attribute shall be speed and stamina.

A horse's muscles need energy, which they obtain by burning fuels such as fats and carbohydrates. This produces heat. When a horse, or any other animal's muscles are working at or near to their capacity for an extended period, they produce a lot of heat, and the ability to disperse it quickly is one of the main factors governing performance.

In simple terms, blood carries fuel and oxygen to the muscles and carries waste products and heat away. The heated blood is directed towards the animal's skin where, aided by the evaporation of sweat, it can be radiated into the atmosphere. A thick coat would hamper this process. (Would you fancy running a marathon in a Crombie?)

Over many generations, sporting horses in general, and thoroughbred racehorses in particular, have developed lighter and lighter coats.To compensate for the lack of insulation, they are stabled at night and wear a blanket when they are grazing outdoors during the colder months.

All that being said, most of the horses that you see wearing coats in paddocks and fields around the country don't actually need to be wearing them. Sure, their may be a soupcon, or even a dollop of thoroughbred blood coursing through their veins, but they will almost certainly have retained enough genetic material from their less refined ancestors to be able to grow themselves a donkey jacket.

Find a horse that lives outdoors and have a look at it's summer coat, it will be short, flat, shiny and cool. Visit the same horse during the winter and it's coat will be long, coarse, dull and warm.

Horse owners are, by and large, kind, well meaning, have plenty of disposable income and are susceptible to clever advertising. The truth is, most horses do just fine without the addiction of those awful sweaty smelly rugs.

Can you imagine what it's like when you get an itch under there?  

Click to see full-size image.

My point exactly, & a lovely answer to boot.

Lovely reply, too, especially growing a donkey jacket.

Its worse then a rug or blanket these days.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=horse+onesies&biw=1185&bih=559&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjJ0-SQjsDLAhXKvRoKHX3JBQUQsAQIQg

OMG! Kill me now.

[doubleup]

Have a look at this

http://www.wildearth.tv/cam/wildearth-safaris

[Rod Paradise]

A new one for me this evening - we normally don't see one sun over Sanquhar, let alone 2...

[RED-DOG]

Have a look at this

http://www.wildearth.tv/cam/wildearth-safaris

That's so addictive. What an amazing thing the internet is when it's not being horrible.

[RED-DOG]

A new one for me this evening - we normally don't see one sun over Sanquhar, let alone 2...

Meh! It's been done.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/once-lifetime-weather-phenomenon-causes-5182806

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Warning, graphic content.




Saw something pretty cool today.

There is a rookery in the trees near us and today all the rooks left the trees and came screaming down into our back field. I ran outside to see what was happening and found them mobbing a hawk that had caught pigeon.

The rooks put the hawk under so much pressure that it had to let go of the pigeon and roll on to its back, talons in the air to defend itself.

Eventually, the hawk made good it's escape, chased by the rooks. Meanwhile the pigeon scarpered in the opposite direction.

I found the pigeon a little later, he didn't look good. I think he will end up making a meal for a fox.

I wish I had had the presence of mind to take a picture during, rather than after the fact.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[peejaytwo]

A few weeks ago a Sparrowhawk killed a pigeon that was feeding on birdseed that was on the lawn. He dragged it to the border and had his fill, before coming back the next day for another meal.
Perhaps your hawk will do the same.