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It is natural to believe that wild horses have “always” roamed America’s Western States, but that simply is not the case. Horses were native to North America until the end of the last ice age, 10-12,000 years ago, and then they died out.

It took the joint actions of Christopher Columbus and Hernando Cortez, to bring horses back to North America. In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought horses from Spain to the West Indies, during his second voyage to the Americas. In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Cortez brought horses to the mainland, as the captain of the third Spanish expedition.

Horses arrived in North America, by way of Mexico and Florida, as a tool of the Spanish conquistadors and were used to great effect by Cortez in the defeat of the Aztec empire.

Many horses went wild after their riders were killed. Other horses escaped from their corrals, and many more horses were integrated into Native American societies. Within just a few decades, horses had migrated from Mexico and Florida and entered into the North American interior.

The History of American Horse Breeds

Nearly all of the horses currently running wild in the ranges of the Western United States hailed from the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, in a region defined by modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations suggests that there are 17 individual horse breeds that can be defined as “Iberian horses”. Three of the breeds hail from Portugal and the remaining 14 originated in Spain. Most of the Iberian horse breeds are considered to be Baroque horses, comprised mostly of horses of Andalusian, Arabian and Barb ancestry.

Many of the Native American tribes became master horse breeders, most importantly, the Comanche, the Shoshoni, and the Nez Perce nations. Through selective breeding by the Native American tribes, the first truly American horse breed was the Appaloosa.

The wild horses of the Western United States are actually more accurately referred to as horses that have gone “feral”, or horses that were once domesticated and now are wild. Just as there is a huge population of feral dogs near the big cities of America, most notably near Miami, Florida, there is also a substantial population of feral horses in America.

Free-Roaming Horses Eventually Required Protection From Congress

In 1900, it was estimated that there were as many as two million free-roaming horses in the United States. During the early years of the twentieth century, the free-roaming horse population was severely diminished through a combination of factors including the capture of horses for use in the military, and more revoltingly, by companies who killed the horses to make dog food.

By the 1970’s, the plight of wild horses in the United States had attracted the attention of the U.S. Federal Government. This newly focused attention eventually led to the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

In recent years, it has been estimated by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management that there are as many as 29,000 feral horses and burros on BLM-managed lands in ten western states. The ten Western U.S. states that have feral horses running wild includes: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming.

It is estimated that more than half of the wild horse population resides in Nevada, and Montana and Oregon are the other states with significant wild horse population numbers. There is another few hundred head of wild horses free-roaming in Alberta and British Columbia, in Canada.

Through the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the Bureau of Land Management has the responsibility of managing the numbers of wild horses and burros, to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands. Within the mandate of the BLM, they are responsible to manage the herd numbers of wild horses and burros that roam the American West.

The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sale Program

Wild horses left to their own wits can literally double their population within four short years, provided that drought and wildfires do not diminish their numbers naturally. Horses do not have natural predators within the rangelands of North America, so their numbers will generally run unchecked without BLM intervention.

The beauty of the 1971 law is that as the BLM culls horses and burros from the wild population, those horses and burros will become available for adoption and sale through the BLM program to individuals and groups willing and able to provide humane, long-term care to these beautiful animals.

Philippe Wiskell is a writer for www.HorseClicks.com, popular classifieds of mustang horses for sale, horse trailers, farms for sale.

Fido may be man`s best friend, but the odor sure isn`t! Whether you have a cat or a dog, you`ll find that pet odor can be overwhelming at times. Many people turn to pet spa products in an attempt to get rid of this nasty smell, but do these products really work?

Pet spa products are usually specifically formulated to give your pet an odor makeover and get rid of unpleasant smells that might keep you from getting too close to your pet. Often they are quite effective, but you do need to watch what ingredients are in the products you are using your dog or cat. Most of the pet shampoos, deodorizers and conditioners are made with a number of harsh ingredients that might not be so good for your pet.

The Downside of Chemical Pet Spa Products

Many of the pet spa products that are offered on today`s market are chock full of chemicals to get rid of smells, eliminate fleas, etc. While these are great benefits, the actual effect might not be what you are looking for.

What many pet owners don`t realize is that their pet may be sensitive to certain chemicals. It`s often difficult to know if this is the case, but your pet may be suffering in silence. Itchiness and agitation are signs that your dog or cat isn`t doing so well with the chemicals in the pet spa products being used. Sometimes these symptoms won`t appear until a little later and end up being mistaken for allergies to other things. Animals can also build up sensitivities to certain chemical s that are used over a long period of time, so it`s not usually a good idea to use anything that could cause irritation.

Even if your pet isn`t reacting to the chemicals, they aren`t necessarily a good idea. Do you really want to treat your best friend with substances containing something you can`t even pronounce?

Natural Pet Spa Products

Natural solutions to pet odor exist and they work just as well as the chemical laden pet spa products, but without the side effects. The use of natural ingredients and herbs is rapidly growing in popularity and quite a few pet owners are moving toward the all natural approach.

The advantages of going natural are many and you`ll find that your pet does far better without the extra ingredients that can cause problems both now and in the future. Your pet has no likelihood of developing an allergy to the pet spa product and the natural ingredients are often what the chemical version was based on, anyway!

Be sure to check the label on any product before using it on your pet. Often bottles that claim the ingredients are organic and natural still contain some chemicals. A brief scan of the ingredient list will let you know if that`s the case or not and you can treat your pet for bad odor without feeling guilty.

Look for pet products that contain herbs and essences to control the odor and to add shine. If you are looking for combination product to repel insects while getting rid of pet odor, there are natural methods of doing this, as well. Herbs like eucalyptus and lemon grass work well to combat both pests like fleas and those icky smells.

No one should have to tolerate nasty pet odors, but that doesn`t mean you need to treat your cat or dog with a harsh cleanser, either. Opt for natural pet spa products to get the job done . . . minus the chemicals.

Sells and markets all-natural dog products from Dog shampoo and conditioners, flea control, herbal elixirs & breath spray. Quality ingredients to pamper and soothe your dog.

You may think that training your dog is not going to be easy, or that you may not even be able to train your dog at all. Well, I am here to tell you that your dog can be trained!

You just have to know what to do and what not to do when you begin to train your dog. All dog owners know this at first before their dog is trained and this can become quite a real pain.

Peeing all over the floor, jumping on you when you come home, not listening, and anything else that dogs may do can really frustrate their owners. In order to get the respect you think you deserve as the dogs master, you need to learn to respect the dog as well.

The first no-no in dog training or in even owning a dog is never to hit your dog with your hand or any other instrument, such as a stick or rolled up newspaper.

This makes the dog more aggressive. Another thing, if you are trying to teach your dog to sit, stay, lay down or any other command, you should reward the dog with treats or praise him when he does what you commanded.

If you think your dog barks too much while you are out, this means that the dog has separation anxiety. Start leaving for short periods of time and gradually move the time up.

Make sure that you always leave her with some kind of chew toy or treat to keep her busy while you are gone. You can also crate your dog if you have to leave the house without her, but this can lead to having to crate her around every time you leave for the rest of her life.

Did you know that if a dog does not get enough exercise it will cause him to misbehave? Just walking around the yard is not enough to give your dog the exercise it needs. You should take your dog for a walk at least once everyday.

Having mental stimulation is also quite important to the dogs behavior. If a dog is bored he will bark more, but if he is understanding and interested in what is going on around him, he will not misbehave.

Potty training seems to be a big problem for a lot of people when they first get their new puppy. Potty training your dog is a must if she is going to live inside the house! Dogs love schedules, therefore, you need to keep your beloved new pet of a potty schedule.

You also need to have a lot of patience and some doggy treats handy when potty training. Dogs usually need to go outside about 20 to 30 minutes after eating, so make sure that you pay close attention.

Always keep in mind that dogs will never go potty where they sleep. You can confine your dog to a crate or a specific area while you are training him so you can control his food and water intake.

This will help teach the dog that going potty is something that is only done outside. You must be consistent with training your dog to keep it behaving appropriately. That means rewarding good behavior or dishing out discipline as required.

Once you train your dog, you will be able to enjoy him much more and he can really become your best friend. Your dog will obey and respect you more for all the love, care and attention you are giving to her.

Alan Largo is the creator and administrator of Doggie Trainer and strives to assist others identify with their dog’s adverse behavioral problems through informative reviews. You’re invited to visit Doggie Trainer to read his most recent article review.

All working dog breeds need a lot of exercise. Both to keep them healthy but also to tire them out. This is especially true of Pit Bulls, as the saying goes “A Tired Pit Bull is a Good Pit Bull”. If your dog isn’t getting enough exercise, the excess energy that he or she has will likely be spent chewing your new couch or jumping on every visitor too your home.

Everyone when they get a new dog is told to take it on long walks. Personally, I don’t think walking is enough. Pit bulls were bread to be active working dogs. If you notice when you walk your dog that it never runs. The dog’s were breed to run. Walking just doesn’t get a dog’s activity level high enough to drain much energy. You need to find another way to increase your dogs exercise.

You may be able to jog with your dog, however even at normal jogging paces the dog just isn’t really exerting himself. The object of exercising your dog much like a human is to get it to run for a solid 20 to 30 minutes. I find that adding a intense game of fetch at the local park gets my dogs running at the best pace for a good amount of time.

I have a park close by that is quite open and rarely has other people (or dogs for that matter). I normally walk my dog to this park on his leash and then once at the park, I pull out his favorite ball and we play a intense game of fetch. No short passes here, I throw as far as I am able and my dog runs as fast as possible to fetch the ball and return it too me. My dog gets a lot of pleasure out of this game.

I only suggest you take your dog to an open park if it is well trained. If you dog doesn’t return unquestioned to the “recall” command you probably need to work with the dog some more before thinking about taking the dog off of leash at a park. This is especially important for the Pit Bull, due both to the breeds tendency to be dog aggressive you may find yourself in a bad situation if your dog decides to be unruly.

Even if you don’t have access to a vacant park or have a dog that isn’t quite trained enough to be allowed off leash. There are several things you can still do. I use a Flirt pole with younger dogs to tire them out. This can be done in a normal sized back yard. Also, you could hang a spring pole from a tree or other structure and train your dog to use it. I have also read about people that have trained their dogs to use a treadmill.

Exercise should be an important part of your dogs daily routine. I have yet to have behavior problems with any dog that has been properly exercised.

Dave Russell is an advocate for the true conforming pit bull breed. Visit his site and learn valuable tips about Pit Bulls.

Socializing is important for any breed of dog because it teaches them about the world around them. Much like a human child does when it’s young. The dog needs to smell, see, touch and feel things in order to get an understanding about what is around him.

A pit bull that isn’t properly socialized can have several problems. The majority of dog bite that occurs is caused by dogs that have been chained up or not socialized properly. When this happens the dog tends to see everything as a potential danger and acts accordingly.

Dogs don’t just have to be socialized when they are puppies. Socialization is a process that should start when the dog is young and continue until it dies. However, young dogs are like sponges much like young children, it is especially important that a young puppy be properly socialized.

When you start socializing your dog, it is important to get the dog around as many different type of people as you possibly can. Young, Old, Small, Large, Short and Tall, it is very important for a young dog to get use to be handled by children.

When you are socializing your puppy or dog it is best that you control the experience as best you can. Don’t take your dog to dog park so that it can get overwhelmed by 20 dogs. Instead invite a friend over with their dog or meet somewhere neutral so that the dog can be introduced slowly.

Even if you do the best job socializing a Pit bull, it may still show aggression to other dogs and animals. This isn’t a bad thing. It isn’t a sign of future aggression to people. It is just a trait that has been genetically bred into the breed over hundreds of years. Never trust a pit bull not to fight with other dogs.

Make sure to introduce your dogs to as many sights and sounds as you can. Don’t limit the socialization to just people and other dogs. Introduce them to cats (just have them leashed), take them to a park and have them smell the trees and watch the squirrels. Take them too the lake and have them play in the water. Just don’t push them; causing undue stress early in the socialization process can cause problems down the road.

Just remember that socializing doesn’t ever stop with dogs. Be patient and introduce them slowly on their own terms and you find that your dog will enjoy learning about and meeting new things.

Continue to introduce your pit bull to new things for the rest of his or her life. Socialization should never stop. You will find that a dog that is continually socialized will enjoy learning about and meeting new things.

Dave Russell is an advocate for the true conforming pit bull breed. Visit his site about redeeming the Good Pit Bull Name.

It is important to monitor your horses weight regularly, especially if he is prone to weight loss. A good way to monitor weight gain or loss is with a weigh tape that can be purchased at most local tack shops or feed stores. If you use this tape at the same time each week, it will be about 90% accurate and will let you know if there is any potential health problems with your horse with weight loss being a symptom. There is also a way to monitor weight called a weighbridge that your horse can walk up on to get an accurate weight, however these are not owned by most people as they are very expensive and for the most part, only the large horse breeders can afford to install them. Either way, just know that there are several ways you can monitor weight and then act accordingly.

When a horse looses weight, he looses his fat first and then the muscle tone. In this way he is just like humans. Usually a horse has a good amount of fat in reserve that he has stored during the warm summer months to prepare for the long lean winters where food is scarce. As with many animals, it is inherent in their nature of the horse to store this fat. Usually, its more than enough fat to get them through the winter. Unfortunatily, by the time weight loss can be seen by the human eye on a horse, there has been a significant loss of weight already, so it is important to keep track of any changes before it can be seen.

One way to put some weight back on your horse is to feed him special conditioning cubes or feed. There are many varieties on the market such that can do the trick for your horse. You should see results fairly quickly in as soon as two weeks in most cases.

Feed more grain than your horses usual portion. Grain can be very fattening to your horse but you have to be careful as to the protein content. Use a feed that is higher in fiber and lower in starch as this reduces the chances of your horse exhibiting bad behavior from his over abundance of energy caused from the high protein content. More protein and energy intake builds weight. Low energy feeds can be fed from 1kg to 6 kg without your horse going thru the roof with energy.

If you have your horses on property that is not conditioned for good coastal hay or other good forms of hay, offer more bailed hay during the day to provide extra roughage and nutrients. Of course fresh grass is much better, but the hay will still provide what is called, gut fill. Gut fill will create heat from the process of fermentation in digestion. Try to stay away from large round bales as they can develop mold and are not suitable for horses. Round bales are usually only acceptable for cows and other farm animals such as donkey’s. The horses can walk in the hay which is not clean. Over all, square bales are preferred.

Lastly, consult your veterinarian if you are unsure how to best feed your horse to get your horse back to the proper weight for optimal health. If nothing else, a veterinarian can suggest a good nutritionist that will guide you to the proper diet and supplements for your horses overall good health.

Beth is the webmaster of Posh Pampered Pets. If you have any questions regarding Horse Supplies or Posh Pampered Pets, please feel free to call 979-221-7251 or email
info@poshpamperedpets.com.