Racehorse Names

Ok...so I just got my braces on and I don't have enough energy to right a big post on Akhal Teke horses (which I promise I'll do tomorrow).
Today's topic: Racehorse names. A few of them are pretty normal, like Beckermet and Rachel Alexandra, but most of them are pretty weird. Take Big Brown, the 2008 Kentucky Derby winner, for example. I'd really want to know what he's named after, but on the other hand, I kinda don't...
Even more of them sound like they're trying to be epic or something, but it fails (i.e. Honour and Glory, Boundary, Bold Truth, Thisonesforabbby, you get the point).
I suppose if your goal is to name your horse something that will catch the bettor's eye, you'll want to name it something eccentric. Still, there's a fine line between eccentric and just plain weird.
If you survived the last 2 badly-written paragraphs and are reading this, write PEACHES in the comments.

Our First Breed: The Galiceno

Photo from http://pugmania.homestead.com/HorseBreeds.html

Galiceno

The Galiceno made its North American debut when Hernando Cortes invaded Mexico in 1519. It has endured cruel treatment in the Mexican silver mines and devastating droughts in the unforgiving Central American heat to become one of the hardiest, friendliest ponies the world has ever seen.

Origin

The Galiceno was created by crossing Spanish Galicians with Portuguese Garranos. Some believe that it is a descendant of the Sorraia because of it's unusual running walk.

History

The Galiceno has been present in Central American culture for over 580 years. During their conquests in modern-day Mexico, many Galicenos escaped from the Conquistadors. They were captured by the native people, who let them roam the land, semi-wild.

Eventually, the ponies wandered far enough north so that American Mustangs and Galicenos ran side-by-side. The Florida Cracker Horse and the Kiger and Spanish mustangs are all distantly related to the Galiceno.

The Galiceno was officially imported into the United States in 1958, and the Galiceno Horse Breeders Association was created a year later.

Today

The Galiceno has evolved to become one of the greatest children's pony of all time. It is intelligent, beautiful, and has a wonderful disposition. Still, this tough little pony is strong to carry a grown man over rocky terrain all day. Galicenos are used by ranches for anything from cutting cattle to light draft work.

Sources

• A Pocket Guide to Horses and Ponies, by Corinne Clark. Paragon Books, 2007.
• Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America, by Judith Dutson. Storey Publishing, 2005.
• The Ultimate Guide to Horse Breeds, by Andrea Fitzpatrick. Chartwell Books, 2008.
• The International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds, by Bonnie Hendricks. University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.

The Akhal-Teke

Image from http://www.akhaltekeranch.com/

In 1948, archeologists stumbled across the bodies of 3000-year-old horses, frozen in tombs in Siberia. These ancient equines eerily resembled the modern-day Akhal-Teke(ah-kul TEH-key). Because of this (and a ton of other things that I'm not going to get into), many people believe that the Akhal Teke predates the Arabian horse, making it the oldest breed in the world.
Origin
The Akhal Teke comes from the Akhal (or "pure") oasis in the Kopet Dag mountains in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan where it is bred by the Teke tribesmen. Turkmenistan is located in between the Caspian Sea and Afghanistan.

History

The Akhal Teke has played a major part in history. Alexander the Great's army rode Tekes during his conquest in Persia. King Darius's calvary owned 30,000 Tekes ridden by highly skilled horsemen.

The ancient people of Turkmenistan were among the first to domesticate the horse, and traditionally bred the Teke for racing. When the horses were two years old, they would begin training. A common training practice (still used today) was bundling the horse up in heavy rugs and blankets, which let the Tekes to sweat off excess fat during the hot, desert days and stay warm in the freezing cold nights. Only the horses who finished well in races were allowed to breed. These tough little horses became famous throughout the ancient world for their speed. They became valuable trading items, and so Tekes ended up in China, Saudi Arabia, and North Africa.

The Chinese were especially fond of the breed. At one point, Emperor Wu Ti raided the kingdom of Dawan for their 'blood-sweating' Tekes (yes, that's right, blood-sweating. There's a place in Asia where the horses sweat blood by ingesting a parasite that breaks through their skin in late spring, causing a small amount of blood to flow).

In the 1700s, the British started extensively importing the Tekes or 'turks'. A common belief is that the Byerley Turk, one of the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred, was an Akhal Teke. Right now, debates between Arabian and Akhal Teke fans are taking place over which horse the Thoroughbred resembles most.

Unfortunately, the Akhal-Teke fell into obscurity after World War Two, as the world favored heavier, stronger warmbloods than the skinny desert horses. The breed gained a breif rise in popularity when a Teke stallion named Absent won a gold medal in dressage at the 1960 Olympics:

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Nevertheless, it became virtually unknown a few years later.

Today

When there were only 21 purebred Tekes left, breeders decided it was time to bring the breed back from the brink. Now there are over 3000 purebred Akhal Tekes all over the world, including 250 in the U.S. Many of the American Tekes are being used in a breeding program run by the Nez Perce Indians in an effort to 're-construct' the type of horse the tribe used in the 1800s. Akhal Tekes are always making a name for themselves in dressage and show-jumping competitions all over the globe.

Sources

• A Pocket Guide to Horses and Ponies, by Corinne Clark. Paragon Books, 2007.
• Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America, by Judith Dutson. Storey Publishing, 2005.
• The Ultimate Guide to Horse Breeds, by Andrea Fitzpatrick. Chartwell Books, 2008.
• The International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds,by Bonnie Hendricks. University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.

How ya doin'

Since I can think of no other way to open this up, I'll get straight to the point.
This blog was created to teach anyone who wants to spend the time of day reading it that horses have played a huge part in the development of cultures all over the world. Also, it's summer break and I'm bored.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!!