Equine Trivia

Curious about the questions that you might have missed during the Summer Sale? Here are all of the fun horsey trivia questions and answers!


Q1. Name the 3 US fall horse shows that were referred to as the "indoor circuit" or simply "indoors" Hint: they are all cities
A1. In order of schedule: 1. Washington (DC) 2. Harrisburg (PA) 3. New York (NY)

Q2. What major horse show in North America takes place after New York,
but before the Florida circuit? Hint: it's not in the USA and is also a city
A2. Toronto

Q3. Name the prestigious horse show that takes place in PA in the May
and June timeframe.
A3. Devon

Q4. Can anyone participate in most of the rated hunter divisions at Devon?
A4. No, you have to earn enough points to qualify to be eligible to enter.

Q5. If someone said to you: "I'm showing my gelding in the strip class" what type of hunter class would they be referring to?
A5. Hunter breeding/confirmation classes

Q6. What protects a horse from nicking his front pasterns and stepping on his front shoes with his back hooves?
A6. Bell boots

Q7. Name the horse that set a Puissance record, won a silver medal in
the Pan American Games, and was a top grand prix jumper in the USA in
the early to mid 70's.
A7. Sympatico

Q8. What famous 16.3 h. bay gelding did Michael Matz ride in the 1979
Valley Forge Grand Prix?
Hint: This horse won Horse of the Year, won three Pan American Games
Gold Medals, and more, and was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of
Fame
A8. Jet Run

Q9.Which is both the oldest and the longest in distance of the 5 English classic flat races?
A9. St.Leger

Q10. Which cowboy of the big and small screen rode a white horse called Topper?
A10. Hopalong Cassidy


Q11. Which character, played by Alan Young, was the owner of TV's talking horse Mr. Ed?
A11. Wilbur Post

Q12. Are the famous Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian or American side of the River Niagra?
A12. Canada

Q13. Who scored the pop success in 1972 “Riding A Horse with No Name”?
A13. America

Q14. For what purpose were miniature horses originally bred?
A14. To pull carts in and out of coal mines.

Q15. What are two coat colors a horse can have with a white mane and tail?
A15. Grey and palomino

Q16. Name one of the four face markings that have more white than a blaze?
A16. Bald face, medicine hat, bonnet face, and apron face.

Q17. What is the difference between a roan and a gray horse?
A17. A roan has a mixture of white and dark hairs at birth and stays the same throughout its lifetime. A gray is born a solid color. Gray hairs develop and progress with age, turning the horse lighter as it gets older.

Q18. What is a tapadera?
A18. A stirrup cover.

Q19. A pigeon toed horse will do what when it travels?
A19. Paddle

Q20. Name the racetrack where the Kentucky Derby is run.
A20. Churchill Downs

Q21. What do you call the deep grooves on either side of the frog?
A21. Commissures/Cleft

Q22. What bone is dislocated when a horse is stifled?
A22. The patella

Q23. Name one of the two draft horse breeds that originated in England.
A23. Shire and Suffolk.

Q24. Name the order in which a judge will call for the gaits of five-gaited horses.
A24. Walk, trot, slow gait, rack, and canter.

Q25. What is the front rise of the saddle called?
A25. Pommel.

Q26. What is the common name for Equine Infectious Anemia?
A26. Swamp fever

Q27. What is the primary cause of a horse barn fire?
A27. Careless smoking or use of smoking materials

Q28. What is added to a grain ration to settle dust and make it taste good?
A28. Molasses

Q29. When would you hear the cry, "Tally Ho?"
A29. At a fox hunt when the fox has been sighted.

Q30. In which direction should a hoof pick be used?
A30. From heel to toe.

Q31. Name the breed whose name was taken from the Palouse River?
A31. Appaloosa

Q32. What is a racehorse that performs best at distances of a mile or less called?
A32. Sprinter

Q33. The Moab is the product of what two breeds?
A33. Morgan and Arabian

Q34. What is the maximum height of a pony?
A34. 14.2 hands or 58".

Q35. How many beats does a canter have?
A35. Three

Q36. Name three common grooming supplies.
A36. Stiff brush, soft brush, mail and tail brush/comb, sponge, sweat scraper, hoof pick, curry comb, shedding blade, cloth.

Q37. Name three of the five coat color variations.
A37. Dun, gray, white, brown, black, bay, sorrel, chestnut, buckskin, grulla, palomino, paint or pinto, and roan.

Q38. Name two places that you should not stand while grooming.
A38. Directly in front/ directly behind the horse.

Q39. How many bones are in the neck of the horse?
A39. Seven, as in all mammals.

Q40. How many eyelids does a horse have?
A40. 3

Q41. What grooming tool can be used to loosen the dirt in a horses coat before you go over him with a stiff brush?
A41. Curry comb

Q42. Name 3 common horse breeds.
A42. Appaloosa, Arabian, Mini, Morgan, Paint, Quarter Horse, Saddlebred, Standardbred, Tennessee Walking Horse, Thoroughbred, Andalusian, Belgian, Dutch Warmblood, Peruvian Paso, Racking Horse, Welsh Pony

Q43. What is it called when you have your horse’s teeth filed down?
A43. Floated

Q44. What are the people who trim and shoe your horse called?
A44. Farrier

Q45. Who’s the last horse before Secretariat to win the triple crown?
A45. Citation


Have any equine trivia that you would like to share? We'd love to hear it! Who knows? Maybe it will appear at our next sale...

National Helmet Awareness Day is July 10th!

The Riders 4 Helmets' campaign has one simple goal: to get more equestrians wearing helmets. So in honor of National Helmet Awareness Day, we asked real equestrians why they choose to wear a helmet. Here are some of their responses:

Jessica MacFarland Arce says, "I wear a helmet because it is responsible and sets a good example for our youth. Safe riding is fun riding!!! By protecting yourself today you're protecting yourself for your future!!! A safe responsible rider ALWAYS wears a helmet. Helmets have saved my life several times with jumping, excersizing riding, etc... One [time, when I was] jumping in an indoor over a 3'6" fence, my horse fell and I flew through a plexi-glass window in the viewing area, breaking 7 bones and only denting my helmet. The hospital told me that without my helmet I probably would have crushed my head and not survived the fall."

Wendy Bodine Helmet says, "[A helmet] saved my life at least once during a horse fall - horse fell too!! 3 broken bones, dented helmet - head was fine!!! New helmet was [an] inexpensive cost compared to damage that could have happened to my head!!!"

Steve Carr says, "My helmet is my best friend! Medivac'd to the trauma unit...Noggin to the arena gate...Learning to jump after 35. [I've] needed new helmets, but I'm still rolling. Rather crack my helmet than my head. :)"

Why do YOU wear a helmet??? We'd love your feedback!

And don't forget... visit the Toll Booth Saddle Shop on July 10th, and receive 15% off any helmet. Not in the area? Check out our Online Store.

The Truth About Equine Shampoos and Human Hair

Did you know that most shampoos and conditioners that are made for horses can also be used on human hair?
Horses and humans share a common pH factor and a similar chemical makeup when it comes to hair, so horse and human shampoos share many of the same ingredients. The only major difference is the concentration. Horse products are more concentrated than human products, meaning you do not need to use as much product each time you wash/condition your hair.

The most popular horse-to-human shampoo and conditioner would be Mane-N-Tail, but there are several other brands that are just as safe and effective. I recommend Cowboy Magic Rosewater Shampoo and Conditioner-- especially if you have hard water. It smells great, and it is specially formulated to remove the minerals that hard water can leave behind.

Other popular brands include: EQyss, Christina Said..., and Rio Vista.

So what are the benefits of crossing over? Many people argue that horse shampoos make their hair grow faster and stronger.   I can personally attest to having less product buildup in my hair which, in turn, has made it shinier and easier to manage.  Equine shampoos and conditioners are also much less expensive than many leading salon-brand human shampoos and conditioners. A 32oz bottle of the leading salon brand shampoo can cost up to $20; 32oz Cowboy Magic's Rosewater Shampoo, for example, costs around $10 and lasts twice as long because it is concentrated.

The benefits of crossing over don't end at shampoo and conditioner either.  Several equestrian brands, including Cowboy Magic, EQyss, and Absorbine, also offer detangler and shine products.  I recommend EQyss Survivor Detangler.  It does the job, it smells nice, and as an added bonus, it's cruelty free and environmentally friendly.

You can find these products online or at your local tack shop.  Don't know where the closest tack shop is?  Try Googling "tack shop near [your zip code]" or "saddle shop near [your zip code]"  It may be closer than you think!