I was flicking through an Equestrian magazine at the weekend and an advertisement for a Vitamin C supplement for older horses caught my eye. I know that the immune function declines in older horses but I did not realise that the horses ability to produce Vitamin C declines with age. I didn’t even know that horses produce their own Vitamin C.

A Paso Fino recently won a battle of the breeds so I have done some research as I was not familiar  with this breed.

The Paso Fino has a long history and was originally based in Spain. Its ancestry included the Barb, the Andalusian (one of my favourite breeds) and the gaited Spanish Jennet, which is now extinct. The latter came with Christopher Columbus to the Dominican Republic to be used as conquistador mounts during the 1500s. Their heritage is shared with the Peruvian Paso and the American Mustang.

The unusual inherited gaits of the Spanish Jennet are the breed’s hallmark. The gaits are the paso fino (slowest), the paso cordo (the preferred gait which is approximately the speed of trot) and paso largo (fastest).

Two different strains of Paso Finos developed in the Dominican Republic and in Columbia. Both are relatively small at approx 13.2 to 15.2 hands but their body shape can vary quite significantly from quite small and light to quite large and powerful. The gaits of the two strains are quite different with the Columbian horse having a stronger action.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the breed, here’s the link to the Paso Fino Horse Organisation

I suppose it’s not that surprising that horses can have hardened arteries as well as people.  Research in Canada into 100 sudden horse death at racetracks in 2006/7 showed that hardened pulmonary arteries may have been a factor for 25% of the deaths. However the article also mentioned that 85% of racehorses show some hardening. I wonder if like humans, the tendency for such conditions is partly genetic and partly diet/lifestyle.

Unbeaten filly Zarkava was recently named Horse of the Year at Britain’s 2008 Cartier Racing Awards.

Zarkava was undefeated in 7 races in France in 2008, including the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe and has been retired to stud. Her perfect record included 5 Group 1 wins and winnings of more than 4.5 million dollars. The distances varied from a mile to 12 furlongs. She was also unbeaten in her two races as a two-year old.

She was the first filly since Allez France in 1993 to win the French 100 Guineas. French Oaks and the Prix Vermeille in the same season. Her Timeform rating of 133 is the best rating in 20 years.

I looked up the pedigree of this super-filly, who was bred and owned by the Aga Khan and it was full of some of the best-known stallions of recent years, including The Minstrel, Secretariat, Northern Dancer, Nijinsky, Blushing Groom and Mill Reef.

I’m sure it won’t happen but a foal by Big Brown out of Zarkava would be a very interesting pedigree…..

Having visited Hong Kong a few years ago and stayed near its racecourse, I was surprised to learn that there had been no horse racing in China for 60 years. Apparently no race meetings have been held since the republic formed in 1949.

The first race meeting took place in Wuhan, which was a racing centre previously, at the end of November.