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Questions & Answers with author Fran Lynghaug about the book Official
Horse Breeds Standard Guide
1. What did you
discover in researching this book that readers will be excited to learn?
Registry professionals shared their considerable knowledge with me,
which had been generally untapped until they were contacted for this
book. They had material on their breeds that couldn’t be found anywhere
else and they passed on fascinating and enlightening facts, such as:
There is an original American war horse that is unsurpassed when it
comes to navigating water. It can literally roll out of quicksand. It is
the Marsh Tacky. It fought the American Revolution by forays in the
swamps. Now it is a rare breed.
Buffalo Bill Cody, famous for his cowboy adventures and Wild West Show,
loved and rode an English horse breed, not an American one. It was the
ancient Cleveland Bay.
The elegant Irish Draught survived winters by eating gorse bushes,
boiled turnips, and bran.
The classic white Lipizzan is born either a dark black-brown, brown, or
mouse-grey.
The Shire often sports a moustache.
The “wooly mammoth” of the horse world is the Brabant, a massive breed.
The “poodle” of the horse world is the Bashkir Curly. People with
allergies to animal hair can safely ride a Curly without experiencing
allergic reactions.
The first equine ever to be cloned was a mule. Mules can do a high jump
from a standing position in front of a jump that is higher than their
ear tips.
The best original Shetland ponies were not rode: they spent their lives
in coal mines and never left there, once they were lowered into the mine
shafts. Their eyes were removed and their eyelids sewn shut to keep out
coal dust.
Horses that pull a sulky in pace races, don’t normally pace. Only one
breed can handle this – the Standardbred. When allowed to move freely,
they will usually trot. Standardbreds also compete in trotting races.
The founding horse of the Morgan breed, known as Figure, had a
mysterious past that has been questioned for centuries, with other
breeds speculating that they had played a part in his ancestry. Now his
ancestors and complete adult life are revealed.
The Caspian is the 5,000 year old lost Royal Horse of Persia and
probably the most ancient domestic breed of horse in existence. It is an
ancestor to most other breeds. Its skull bones are completely different
than any other breed.
The “greyhound” of the horse world, the Akhal-Teke, has an unusual,
shimmering, metallic-like coat that literally glows.
Abaco Barbs have a unique five lumbar vertebrae (instead of six) and the
fuller structure of the Wing of Atlas (the first cervical vertebra
behind the skull). This diversity is found only in ancient Spanish
types, but Abaco Barbs are on the edge of extinction.
2. What differentiates
this book from any other book on this subject?
It
is the only multi-breed book that has breed standards and also the
verification, endorsement, and support of North American breed
registries. It is the only book that includes all of the American equine
breeds (that have a viable representative, national organization or
registry). It is the “bible to the breeds”, when it comes to facts about
North American equines: a definitive reference for avid horse
enthusiasts.
3. What is the thing
that the media will find most interesting about the book?
All the different and fascinating breeds found in North America and the
amazing facts about them.
There are some very unique breeds that most people have never heard of,
including breeds that have died out in their native countries and can’t
be found anywhere else but North America.
The most popular horse in the world is the American Quarter Horse, a
breed which originated here.
America hosts the largest population of Arabian horses and our Arabian
bloodlines are respected worldwide. (There are more living Arabian
horses in the United States than in all the other countries combined!)
Other countries come to America to get the best horses and the best
breeds.
Particularly our range breeds are now getting recognition as purebreds
and their inherent qualities are becoming more desirable.
North America is respected for its horses and their registries, and
this book organizes that concept into the best referral on the subject.
There is nowhere else to go for better understanding of North American
breeds and registries, particularly when it comes to registering and
showing equines, than The Official Horse Breeds Standards
Guide.
4. Tell me about the
photography in the book.
The first thing most people notice are the many beautiful photos. I
believe there are more than 400 full color photos. I requested that
each registry/organization send photos that best depicted their breed. I
didn’t want anything generic or images of poor quality horses. What they
sent included a wide variety of shots, from gun shooting competitions on
horseback, to horses swimming the tides of their island habitats, as
well as beautiful conformation shots. Examples of coat patterns, color
variations, and diverse body types were included. All different kinds of
equines are shown performing various tasks.
Also included are a number of illustrations to better explain ideal
conformation and the differences in coat colors and markings.
6. What is your
personal involvement with the subject?
Since I was little, I loved horses. I was 18 before I got my first
horse, after which I became the representative “Queen” in one of the
state’s breed organizations. Since then, I have had many different
horses and ponies. I competed with them, bred them, and trained them. I
am now retired and my grandkids carry on the craze for horses.
7. What is your
favorite part of the book?
The historical accounts, insights, and tidbits collected from the
registries. Stuff I never heard before or stories that were amusing,
interesting, or surprising. I liked working with the registries and
“picking their brains”. I pushed them to give me more than what they had
on their websites. I wanted everything they had, and they were happy to
give it. Repeatedly, they told me no else had ever approached them for
all their material. Many were disgruntled with the misinformation that
had been previously published about their breeds and, generally
speaking, they appreciated a chance to tell the truth about their breed,
which sometimes wasn’t so rosy. It was important to them to have an
accurate portrayal of their breeds.
The registries were fun. Many re-evaluated their standards just for the
book: they wanted their standards to be perfect. Many did more research
on their breed just for the book. Some went out and bought professional
cameras so they could get good photos of their horses to send. They took
the whole endeavor very seriously and related to it as “their book”,
which indeed it is.
In
general, the personality of each registry was similar to the type of
equine they had, and this atmosphere came through in their copy: some
were extremely practical and serious, others were out riding most of the
time and I had to catch them when they were in, while others just liked
“talking horses”. Their diversity was enlightening and fascinating, and
so were their breeds. I got a kick out of it.
I
like explaining the role of registries and standards to the reader. I
think the importance of the registries in regard to purebreds has been
unrecognized in the public media. It’s not possible to have purebreds
without registries. The two can’t be separated. Supportive breed
organizations play the same role and are also important.
8. Is there anything
else you would like to add about the subject or the book?
It
took a while to earn the trust of the registries (6 years in the making
of this book!). The reason why I was able to do this book was because
there was reassurance to the registries that this would be an accurate
account of their breeds and none of their facts would be changed.
For national North American registries to collaborate on one book is
nothing short of a miracle! Experts said it would be impossible, but we
did it! This is the book the registries want everyone to have. It’s
their standards, their histories, and their stories, as complete as
possible. What a joy and privilege it was to work with them!
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