THE HORSE GAZETTE horse laffs with bob


deficient riding time syndrom Everyone knows that


In business for 54 years.


riding horses is good for both mind and body. It’s great exer- cise and it gets you away from at least some of the electronic devices that have taken control of your life and soul. Riding also gives you the opportunity to connect on a meaningful level with an intelligent and sensitive creature or even to another hu- man.


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cial scientists reading this right now and thinking: “Oh my yes, creating a positive connection with an animal releases power- ful endorphtonins (or something like that) into your brain which helps lower your blood pres- sure, reduces your stress level and allows you to sleep better and live longer.” Some say that riding horses can be addicting.


because I’ve seen it in my own daughters. I usually notice the first indications around early January. In Michigan, Decem- ber can be iffy for riding and by the start of the New Year (and the end of the NFL regular sea- son) the girls are getting a little testy. This is followed by peri- ods of stony silence interrupted by sporadic name calling and threats. By the time the playoffs


kind of healthy addiction, what happens when a riding addict is denied his or her fix? Addiction is addiction and every addiction has withdrawal symptoms. The Great Book of Horse Knowledge tells us that riding withdrawal actually results in a medical condition called Deficient Rid- ing Time Syndrome or DRITS. The primary symptoms of this condition include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, aggression, restlessness, fatigue, hives, headaches, nausea, dizziness and a profound desire to pub- licly guillotine the guy who came up with the “He went to Jared” commercials. I know DRITS is real,


A Serious Condition If riding is truly a


No doubt there are so-


are in full swing, I’m missing entire quarters just keeping the two separated. On Super Bowl Day, we all have Prozac on our pizza.


ment, the Great Prairie Dog Meltdown of ’07. This Internet catastrophe occurred during some of the worst December weather ever seen across the United States. From the Plain States to the Mid-Atlantic the nation was plagued with ice storms, freezing rain and flood- ing. There were massive power outages, schools and businesses were closed and major inter-


color genetics buckskin bred for a buckskin COLOR WHEEL WITH PRISM


mare and want to breed her what color stud do I breed to get a buckskin foal. Susan – submitted via HorseGazette. com


Dear Susan,


“Buckskin” first. Buckskin is a bay horse with one copy of the Dilute/Cream gene. And a bay horse is a black horse with Agouti (limits the black color to the mane/tail/legs). Being buckskin we know your mare is black-based, carries at least one copy of the Agouti gene and carries one copy of the Dilute/Cream gene. We don’t know the status of her Black and Agouti genes (one copy of each or two copies of them). Since we don’t know her Black or Agouti status you could get the following if you breed her to a Bay stallion – Sorrel, Palomino, Black, Smokey Black (a black that carries the Dilute gene), Bay or Buckskin. There are a whole lot of unknowns in your question. Not knowing her status, I’d breed her to a bay stallion and hope she passes the dilute gene to a bay foal. If you breed her to buckskin you could get the approximate


Let’s define


Dear Prism, If I have a buckskin


following percentages; 25% Bay, 50% Buckskin and 25% Perlino


Chestnut to Gray


Dear Prism, We are going to


breed our chestnut w/flaxen mane and tail to a gray stallion. What will the offspring color be? Thank you! Briana, submitted via HorseGazette. com


Dear Briana,


the stallions “Birth” or “Base” color. All gray horses are born a different color and turn gray with age and right now we don’t know what the stallion brings to the breeding pool. All Chestnut/Sorrel horses are homozygous for the red gene and will always pass a red gene to foals. So any color besides “Red” will be up to the stallion. If he was born Bay or Black then you could get almost any color for the foal. If he was born Chestnut or Sorrel then the only color you will get would be “Red”. The only firm, given fact in breeding horses is “If you breed a “red” horse to a “red” horse you will get a “red” horse.”


That will depend on Sorrel bred for a Bucksin


flaxen mane and tail. What should I breed to, to give me the greatest chance in getting a buckskin? Melissa – submitted via HorseGazette.com


Dear Melissa,


a Chestnut we know she is homozygous for the Red gene. Since Buckskin is a Bay (black with Agouti) horse which carries one dilute gene. For your mare to have a buckskin foal you would need to find a stallion which is homozygous for black, homozygous for Agouti and homozygous for the Dilute/Cream gene (a Perlino). A guaranteed buckskin foal would be achieved by breeding your mare to a Perlino (Bay with 2 dilute genes) which is homozygous for black and homozygous for Agouti. The stallion will pass the black gene, the Agouti gene and one dilute gene to the foal resulting in a Buckskin foal.


online and submit your color genetic questions - www.hor- segazette.com


You can visit Prism American paint horse association


american paint horse association announces addition to paint horse journal editorial staff


Texas—The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) recently added Laura Stevens of Katy, Texas, to the editorial staff of the Paint Horse Journal, the Association’s award-win- ning monthly magazine. Stevens comes to


APHA with more than three years of experience in publica- tions, social media, graphics, photography and writing in the equine and cattle industries. She has written for the Ameri-


Page 22 FORT WORTH,


with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture media and communications from West Texas A&M University in Can- yon, Texas.


American Quarter Horse Asso- ciation, Stevens owns a 4-year- old red roan Quarter Horse mare that she is training for show-


A member of the


can Quarter Horse Association as well as Palomino Horses Magazine and The Cattle Range web-based company. Stevens graduated


manship and Western pleasure. She hopes to expand her mare’s training to include more classes in the future. Stevens is excited


Since your mare is


Dear Prism, I have a sorrel with


Internet and like it very much for mostly the right reasons. But as any social scientist worth his Macbook can tell you, there is one major problem with all of this. By providing DRITS victims with a common virtual venue, you’re putting a whole bunch of grouchy people in one virtual place, at one virtual time. Once a critical mass of crabbi- ness is achieved, the result is a virtual disaster. Consider for a mo-


thing generally, and it is espe- cially a great thing for DRITS sufferers. In the Dark Days prior to the Great Cyber Hookup, horsepeople would come in at night after completing their evening chores and actually have to engage in non-horse activities. The horror. But now, with immediate 24/7 access to an entire universe of horse-re- lated websites, chat rooms and bulletin boards, equine lovers can get a virtual fix anytime. It doesn’t replace actual riding, but it can take the edge off. I’m all in favor of the


ing through withdrawal from anything, people with DRITS will seek ways to alleviate the symptoms. Some turn to medi- tation or self help books. Others turn to drugs or alcohol. And everyone turns to the Internet. The Internet is a great


A Cyber Solution? Like anyone go-


By Bob Goddard


state freeways were shut down. Worst of all, it was lousy riding weather.


evitable. Unable to ride, DRITS sufferers flocked to the Inter- net. In particular they flocked to the largest equine related bulletin board on the net - the one sponsored by that super- serious sportshorse publication with occasional dog articles. In normal times this board has its share of snobby put-downs and condescending comments. But in December of ’07 it all got out of hand.


social scientific of me to bring up this problem and not offer a solution. And much to my own surprise, I actually have one. It has nothing to do with the Internet or mood altering substances or self-help books. It is this: whenever the weather gives the slightest break and it is reasonably safe to ride, do it. Always be prepared for these days. Be ready with the right clothing and the right gear. Most important of all, be ready with the right attitude: you have to be absolutely willing to shift gears and drop everything and anything (except a baby) and go riding. Whatever you think you’re supposed to do that day – whether it’s work, school, housework, grocery shopping, changing your oil, just let it go and go riding. You have my permission to make it your #1 priority. Just do it. Go. Please.


someone said something unkind about some guy’s pet Prairie Dog. You know, like usual. And from there it descended into the absurd and ugly. It got so absurd and ugly that the people from the super serious sportshorse publication with occasional dog articles threatened to shut down the entire bulletin board. But in a few days, the weather got better and everyone went back outside. This is a true story. It would be very un-


It all started when The result was in-


to work for the second-largest stock horse breed registry in the United States. “The horse industry is where I want to be. APHA is a very welcoming and family-oriented association, which appeals to me, and I’ve heard only great things about the American Paint Horse Associa- tion,” she said.


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