“Pic of the Week”, February 25, 2017: Percheron Horses, Bar-U Ranch

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Percheron horses are an ancient breed and much of their history is unknown.  Some believe they may have been used by the Romans, others credit the breed to the Moors.  It is known that modern Percherons originated around La Perche in Normandy.

Percherons are large, strong animals that were primarily used for heavy draft work and, as such, were popular carriage and farm horses.  They were used in World War I to haul artillery.  Percherons are known for their intelligence, even temperament, ease of handling and hard-working spirit.

The horses were exported to North America in the 19th century and caught the eye of some breeders.  When I visited the Bar U Ranch in Alberta a few years back, …

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Karl on Feb 25, 2017 | Comments Off on “Pic of the Week”, February 25, 2017: Percheron Horses, Bar-U Ranch

“Pic of the Week”. April 25, 2014: Gauchos at the roundup

2014 17a April 25d Gauchos at roundup, Torres Del Paine

In scenes reminiscent of the Old West, these gauchos are rounding up the herds of horses at Torres del Paine National park in Chile.

Trail riding is popular in Chile, and the hotel where we were staying had a large stable of horses for hire.  In the evening the horses were turned into a large pasture to graze and in the morning they were rounded up and brought back to the stable.

While young, these gauchos were very skilled and the horses respected and listened to their commands.  It was fun to watch them work!

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Karl on Apr 24, 2014 | Comments Off on “Pic of the Week”. April 25, 2014: Gauchos at the roundup