ENDANGERED EQUINES: SOME BREEDS OF HORSE

FACE EXTINCTION

Although there are millions of horses in the world and hundreds of different breeds of horse, there are some equine types that are actually in danger of becoming extinct. Two or- ganizations, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and the British Rare Breeds Survival Trust, maintain lists of horse breeds whose populations number only a few thousand world- wide.

On the "critical" list, reserved for breeds numbering fewer than 2,000 worldwide and having fewer than 200 North American annual registrations by the ALBC count, are such breeds as the Cleveland Bay, a once-popular coach and general-utility horse, and the Suffolk (or Suffolk-Punch), a farm draft horse noted for its unvarying chestnut color. Both are now regarded as obsolete in highly mechanized soci- eties. Nine other breeds, the Akhal- Teke, American Cream Draft, Ameri- can Mammoth Jackstock, Baudet du Poitou, Canadian, Caspian, Exmoor, Mountain Pleasure and Rocky Moun- tain, are on the ALBC critical list.

The Dartmoor, Hackney Horse, Lipizzan and Spanish Mustang/Barb are on the conservancy's list of rare horses, meaning that there are fewer than 1,000 annual NorthAmerican reg- istrations and fewer than 5,000 are es- timated to exist in the world. Under "watch" are listed the Clydesdale, Frie- sian, Gotland and Shire breeds, of

nual 1North American reglstranons ano fewer than 10,000 in the global equine population.

On the Rare Breeds Survival Trust List, concerned with livestock popula- tions in the British Isles, are four cat- egories of endangered horses and one category for populations being closely monitored. In Category 1, the critically endangered populations numbering fewer than 200 individuals, are the Cleveland Bay and Suffolk. In Cat- egory 2, endangered populations num- bering fewer than 333 individuals, are the Exmoors. In Category 3, vulnerable populations numbering fewer than 600 individuals, are the Dales Pony and Irish Draught. In Category 4, are horses who are at risk and whose population numbers fewer than 1,000 individuals; Clydesdales are in this group. Breeds whose populations have risen above 1,000 and technically are not on the priority list, but which are being moni- tored, are the Shire and the Fell Pony.

Endangered horse breeds gener- ally are of historic origin, representing hardy bloodlines from which some of the more popular modern breeds are descended. Suffolks, Clydesdales and Shires have been bred at least since the 1700s; the Gotland breed has been in existence for 10,000 Years on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea; and Cleveland B a y s - - a light horse breed that weighs from 1,150 to 1,400 pounds- -have been used in crossbreeding to produce heavyweight hunters.

Aside from their value as repre- sentatives of historic eras, these horses preserve certain genetic qualities that may prove useful to horse breeders and equine researchers. In industrialized societies, they serve as links to our agrarian past. In countries where farm-

WhOlly mecnamzed, they still hold a place.

For more information about these breeds and their preservation, contact any of the following: The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, P.O. Box 477, Pittsboro, N.C. 27312, Tel: (919) 542-5704; Rare Breeds Survival .Trust, National Agricultural Centre, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England CV8 2LG, Tel:+01203 6965551; or Institute for Agricultural Biodiversity, Rural Route, Box 309, Decorah, Iowa 52101. From Equine Care Watch

VETERINARIAN DESIGNS NEW SADDLE WEIGHTS

FOR RACETRACKS: FLEXIBLE PADS ARE FIRST

USED AT KEENELAND'S FALL MEET

In racing, horses are regularly as- signed to carry specific weights, usu- ally based upon their past performance age or sex when the weight of a jockey and his or her tack is lower than that assigned to a particular horse, so the difference is made up with small, flat lead weights that are inserted into spe- cial pockets in the saddle or the saddle cloth, which rests on the horse's back, under the saddle. The weights are about the size of a candy bar and are added on until the correct weight is achieved.

Dr. Phil Shrimpton, a Kentucky equine veterinarian who once worked for the Kentucky Racing Commission, believes that ill-fitting saddle weights can be detrimental to a racehorse. Shrimpton observed that when some horses were saddled for the pre-race warm-up they appeared uncomfort- able. He concluded that the lead inserts

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