Equine Science Class Allows All Science Majors to Work with Baby Horses

Cal Poly students of all majors are able to take the Foaling Enterprise (ASCI 290) course.The department’s materials describe the class as having students actively participate in multiple components of mare care, 24-hour foal watch, assisting with foaling, and all aspects of neo-natal care. After the birth of the foals, students handle and halter-train them while…

Balancing Act: How Foals Find Their Feet as Youngsters

Researchers have charted the development of dynamic balance in foals, saying their findings will be useful for vets when looking to deal with problems in this area. The researchers said newborn foals tended to splay their limbs, increasing the width of their base of support. This is thought to be a compensation for poor balance and…

Is Winx’s Success Due to Bilateral Symmetry?

We don’t know whether Winx has perfect structural symmetry. But her trainer and regular riders would have a strong sense of the mare’s balance during track work and races. Bilateral symmetry in animals refers to the balance of structures, such that they are mirror images along the body’s midline. Asymmetry is a disruption of the…

“The Movement,” Equine Event at Flag Is Up Farms

The public is invited to attend an equine event, “The Movement,” at Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, CA April 29-30. Founded in 2018 on Monty Roberts’ belief that non-violent forms of communication are essential to building trust and achieving outstanding results, The Movement is committed to helping people discover the unique power of horses…

Do Horses Have Muscle Memory?

Do horses have muscle memory? Could they have faster and better muscle memory than humans? Would this help explain why constant repetition can actually reverse progress? Would it be advantageous to a prey animal to have the faster memory? And does it help the human to remember this when working with horses?