There could not have been a more auspicious day to hold a horse race. The sun rose pleasantly warm over northern Kentucky in a sky bereft of clouds, and though the birds were doubtless singing, their tunes could not have been heard over the spirited chatter preceding the first running of the Kentucky Derby.
May 17, 1875, was a Monday. Most businesses in Louisville had locked their doors by noon in observance of the event. Wise merchants knew the only money […]
About the time my grandfather was lobbing hand grenades at German infantry in the War to End All Wars, a stout Thoroughbred stallion named Prince Palatine sired a colt named Rose Prince. Rose Prince begat Prince Rose, who begat Princequillo, the sire of Round Table, who begat Queen’s Knights, sire of Knight’s Mingo, sire of Mingo Mike. Mingo Mike, being a gelding, begat nothing more than pain and frustration for this cowboy and more than a few others.
Mingo Mike was […]
It’s race day. You know it, and, to your dismay, your horse knows it too. Maybe because his hay bag was smaller this morning or his grain ration was cut back. Or maybe he just knows. Because you know. You are acting different in subtle ways that only a horse could discern, the way you always act on race day.
The horse has been pacing his stall since breakfast. Already you can see fine beads of sweat glistening on his coat. […]
– A Review by Erica Beyea for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, April, 2017
This 153-page book takes what can be a very daunting and complex subject (properly feeding a horse), and breaks down the science of it into a very understandable and practical read for the layman or beginning horse owner. Having never had the experience of choosing horse feed before, we were left asking opinions of others and following advice, which was […]
As anyone who has ever tried to stay atop a rank colt on a bad day can painfully verify, pound for pound, the horse is one of the strongest animals on earth. During a mile-and-a-half race, a horse will burn up enough energy to bring a 55-gallon drum of water from room temperature to a boil. Its heart will pump blood faster than a good stock well can deliver water—enough to fill an enviable jacuzzi to overflowing. The water its […]
