Rizla Spotted Horse Stud

Location:

Turtle Herb Estate, nestled in the African bushveld just South of Warmbaths (Bela-Bela) in the Limpopo Province, RSA is home to the Rizla Spotted Sport Horse Stud, the name given to the first foal born on the farm. The 50ha farm is an ideal place to breed horses, with large grazing areas made up of Blue and white Buffalo grass as well as normal veld grass and about 6 other different types of grass. Horses are under strict supervision, but are allowed to be out and about and as natural as possible.

Aims and Goals

Miranda has carefully selected her horses as she intends to breed what will be called a Spotted Sport Horse. This breed is a mixture of the Appaloosa and the Thoroughbred. Combining the temperament and hardiness of the Appaloosa with the speed and height of the Thoroughbred the Spotted Sport horse will be a force to be reckoned with in the eventing arena. The process of developing a good solid breed that will stand the test of time is an extremely difficult and time consuming exercise, not to mention a costly one. The end result in cross breeding the two breeds should produce a horse that is unparalleled with any breed known, a breed with good stamina and speed, a temperament and a learning ability that will provide the ultimate all-round horse.

Fine Lass (aka Sally)

Born 16 Oct 1991

Sire: Fine Edge (GB)

Dam: Dollambio

Sire of Dam: Ambiopoise (USA)

Sally is a 6 generation pedigree who has an excellent Sport Horse pedigree - including the really sought after "Fairway" bloodline. This is the most prominent thoroughbred showjumping blood in South Africa. Sally is the ideal candidate to put to our Appaloosa stallion Kondos " Man of Honour"

Kondos "Man of Honour" (aka Wally)

Born 2 Sep 2003

Sire: Waps Pyjamas (USA)

Dam: Grandwest Dante

Although Wally is, what is known as a 'solid' he has proven to be a horse that can 'throw' colour. He also has the added bonus of being higher than the average Appaloosa in South Africa which is +- 15 hh. Wally is only 3 years old and stands at just over 16hh. He shows all the characteristics of a full blown Appaloosa except having colour.

These two horses are the beginings of the Rizla Sport Horse.

Other horses in the Rizla Stud:

Nehemenuh "Sunk Gleska" (aka, Mommy)

Born 16 Oct 2000

Sire: Nehemenuh Ehrlich Mapiya Luta

Dam: Nehemenuh Katcutan

Sire of Dam: Middelpunt Rendezvous

Mommy is a 7th generation Appaloosa horse, sturdy with great conformation maybe a little small at just over 15hh but an excellent broodmare. On the 28th July 2005 Mommy foaled her first foal on our farm, Rizla's Rizla Nicholas. The stud had for sometime operated under Miranda's name until it was decided that the stud would be called after the first foal to be born on the farm, hence Rizla Stud.

Rizlas "Rizla Nicholas" (aka, Babba)

Born 27th Aug 2005

Sire: unknown

Dam: Nehemenuh Sunk Gleska

Sire of Dam: Nehemenuh Ehrlich Mapiya Luta

Babba has a great temperament and is still changing in colour by the day, a general trait in colouring of the Appaloosa. We stll consider him to be a soild but with time he might change, the general term for this is 'roaning'. He shows all the characteristics of the Appaloosa breed.

On the 27th July 2006 Mommy and Wally had a little filly Rizla's "Cleopatra Miranda". A wonderful little spotted blanket with a heart of gold and stong as hell to put it mildly. She has adapted very well to her new life on the farm, and is growing by the day she now weighs 80 kg.

Rizlas "Cleopatra Miranda" (aka, Babba)

Born: 27th July 2006

Sire: Kondos Man of Honor

Dam: Nehemenuh Sunk Gleska

Sire of Dam: Nehemenuh Ehrlich Mapiya Luta

On the 3rd of September Rizla stud had another edition to the family little 'Draco'. His start in life was not the easiest because his mother 'Sally' was not the most accommodating mother as it was her first foal and sometimes they don't quite know what to do. For the first two days we had to bottle feed Draco because Sally would not stan still to let the little fellow drink milk. But i am glad to say that after a few days of up and down every two hours to feed him we finally managed to get Sally to stand still and he was able to drink from her on his own.

This picture is of Rizla's "Draco" 1 week old.

Born: 3 September 2006

Sire: Kondos Man of Honor

Dam: Fine Lass (Sally)

Sire of Dam : Fine Edge (GB)

Taking after her mothers friendly nature 'Isis' was the last of the foals born this year. An unexpected caramel colour she is a stunnig speciemen. We're not actually sure what colour she will end up being, which is an Appaloosa trait. If they are born one colour (solid) then over the next 5-9 years they may change colour. So it is a bit of a lucky packet situation with regards to the colour

Rizla's "Isis" 1 day old.

Born: 9 September 2006

Sire: Kondos "Man of Honor"

Dam: Kondos "Merrylegs" (Leggies)

Sire of Dam: Alpha Tobys Moonshine

History of the Appaloosa

compliments of the http://www.appaloosamuseum.org

Through the centuries spotted horses have been given names ranging from the mystical Celestial Horses in China, to the Knabstrupper in Denmark, to the Tigre in France. The name Appaloosa joins in this history around the late 1800s. It was during this time that the term Appaloosa was first used to describe the spotted horses of the Palouse region. The Palouse, or Palouse Country, is the area of Washington and Idaho drained by the Palouse River. Early white settlers referred to the spotted horse of the area as a Palouse horse. Over time the a and Palouse were slurred together to first form the name Apalousey and later Appaloosa. The word Palouse most probably has its origin in the Sehaptin language spoken by the Nez Perce and Palouse Indians. It means "something sticking down in the water" in reference to a large rock at the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers where the main village of the Palouse or Palus Indians was built. (1)

Prehistoric Man and Horses

The spotted horse has long captured the imagination of artists. The first evidence of the spotted horse can be found in cave paintings dating from around 18,000 BC at Lascaux and Peche -Merle in France. These remarkable horses may be the remote ancestors of present day spotted horses. Spotted horses can be seen in art across the globe.

Ferghana Valley (present day Uzbekistan)

The Bronze Age (roughly 1750 – 1500 BC) ushered in the use of the horse drawn chariot. Commerce and travel along the Silk Road of 100 BC to 200 CE widened interaction and connection across the Asiatic Steppes. The area of Fergana in the heart of the Asiatic Steppes appears to be a main source from which horses of superior size, strength, speed and intelligence emerged.

China

Around 100 BC the Emperor Wu Ti sent court officials to Ferghana to obtain these superior horses who they called Heavenly or Celestial horses. Some thought that they were those prophesized in the Book of Changes as “the heavenly horses will come from the northwest.” The spotted horse continues to be profusely depicted in Chinese art.

Persia (present day Iran)

Persians claim the ancestor of all spotted horses to be Rakush, the spotted warhorse of the hero Rustam who lived approximately 400 BC. Rakush was said to be sired by a white demon, a symbol of good. The exploits of Rakush and Rustam are detailed in the 11th century epic Shah Nameh of Firdausi.

Ancient Mediterranean World

Scattered evidence of the spotted horse shows up throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. This vase, found near the Tombs of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra outside the citadel at Mycenae (Greece) is dated ca. 1300 BC. It is decorated with warriors in a horse drawn chariot.

Austria

The earliest evidence of the spotted horse in Austria was a sword found at a graveyard in Hallstatt , Austria, dated around 800 BC. The sword was encased in an iron scabbard decorated with an engraving of four men riding horses with spots on their rumps. In the mid-16th century, Austria acquired a group of Andalusian horses from Spain. First put on a breeding farm in Kladrub, Bohemia, most of the horses soon moved to Equile Lipizzano. Called Lipizzans, these horses were raised for the Austrian royal family. Those that showed unusual ability and intelligence were given special training. Because the Lipizzan horses originally came from Spanish stock, their training center was called the Spanish Riding School. Those horses that stayed in Kladrub were bred to become carriage horses called Pinzgau.

Ancient Mediterranean World

Scattered evidence of the spotted horse shows up throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. This vase, found near the Tombs of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra outside the citadel at Mycenae (Greece) is dated ca. 1300 BC. It is decorated with warriors in a horse drawn chariot.

France

The first evidence of spotted horses in France was found in the 11th century. Artwork with spotted horses often depicted the horses carrying nobles, kings, or saints. In the 17th century Louis XIV and Louis XV both demanded to be portrayed in paintings and tapestries on spotted horses. Louis the XVI had a driving team made up of two spotted horses. In France the spotted horse was called Tigre.

Denmark

Spotted horses made their way north into Denmark , Norway and Sweden. Numerous examples of artwork showing spotted horses exist in each country. In the 17th century, Denmark received spotted horses from Austria. But, for some reason the Danish had trouble keeping the correct color and conformation in their breeding so the numbers of spotted horses declined rapidly. Then, in 1808 a Danish butcher bought a spotted mare, the famous Flaebe mare. The offspring of this single mare started the famous line Knabstrupper.

England

Spotted horses begin to appear in English art around the 12th century and much like in France these horses were usually carrying saints or nobles.

The New World

The Spanish introduced horses to North America in the 16th century. Spanish settlers moved north to the Rio Grande Valley and raised livestock. Though only the Spanish rode horses for herding, travel, and pleasure, it seems inevitable that some of the Indian stable boys did learn to ride.

Pueblo Indian Revolt

During 1680 the Pueblo Indian slaves revolted and drove the Spanish from northern New Mexico. The Pueblos kept the sheep and cattle, while they traded of the horses to the Plains Tribes. Through trade and theft horses made their way east and north. By the early 1700s the Nez Perce had acquired horses and quickly became adept at breeding them for excellence.

Nez Perce acquire horses

In the West, the Shoshones from southern Idaho were the most important distributor of horses. Because of the fine range in their territory, their herds increased rapidly. Tribes to the north, including the Nez Perce, acquired horses from the Shoshones both through trade or stealing and by 1750 all had been supplied.

The land occupied by the Nez Perce was even better-suited to raising horses than that of the Shoshones, and was better protected from enemy raids. The Nez Perce became excellent horsemen and, unlike other tribes, they practiced selective breeding of their horses by gelding the inferior stallions and trading off the poorer stock. As a result, the Nez Perce were able to produce better horses than other tribes. The Nez Perce horse herds multiplied into the thousands and in an economy where horses equaled wealth, the Nez Perce became known as an affluent tribe. Meriwether Lewis, who happened to be a skilled horseman, wrote of the Nez Perce horses in his journal, “Their horses appear to be of an excellent race; they are elegantly formed, active and durable; in short many of them look like fine English coarsers [ sic ] and would make a figure in any country.”

Not all Nez Perce adopted the horse and the changes in lifestyle that horses made possible. A conservative minority stuck to their traditional way of life without horses. Thus even by the mid 1700's there were two distinct groups of Nez Perce. In 1836 missionaries arrived on the scene and tried to get the Nez Perce to give up their old customs of horse racing, hunting buffalo and fighting Blackfeet. The missionaries taught them how to raise crops and livestock. This suited the conservative faction who preferred to stay near their villages, safe from attack, but not the Nez Perce who had adopted the horse. “Thus it happened that the more independent members of the tribe continued to breed and raise fast Appaloosas for use in the buffalo country while their farmer brethren raised solid-colored work horses.”(2)

War of 1877

To pave the way for settlement of the Northwest, Indian title to the land needed to be extinguished, so the US government entered into a treaty with the Nez Perce in 1855. This treaty, which all the Nez Perce recognized, gave them 7 million acres of land which was most of the land that they already considered theirs. “Gold was discovered on the Nez Perce reservation in 1860 and a town of two thousand people sprang up overnight at Lewiston to supply the thousands of miners and prospectors who swarmed onto the Nez Perce land in search of oro fino- -golddust. This settlement clearly violated the treaty.”(3)

Conflicts between the settlers and Nez Perce escalated. A new treaty was then created in 1863 which reduced the size of the Nez Perce reservation by 90%. Not all of the Nez Perce chiefs signed this treaty, however. Thus the existing rift between the Christian and the more independent Nez Perce became formalized into treaty and non-treaty Nez Perce.

During the 1870's the non-treaty Nez Perce were increasingly pressured to move onto the reduced reservation. Friction between settlers and natives increased, eventually erupting in a battle at White Bird Canyon on June 17, 1877 . Thus began the Nez Perce War of 1877.

The non-treaty Nez Perce fled the US cavalry with approximately 3000 of their horses. In spite of traveling with women, children and elders, the Nez Perce successfully evaded the cavalry for over 3 1/2 months and 1300 miles. They surrendered on October 7, 1877 just 42 miles from the safety of the Canadian border. The conditions of surrender stated that the Nez Perce would be allowed to keep their horses and go home in the spring. This was not to be. The Nez Perce were sent to North Dakota and their approximately 1000 surviving horses were taken from them. These were the toughest, hardiest horses which had survived the war and they included the survivors of the spotted-horse herds of the Chief Joseph band.

“Since the outbreak of the war caught the Nez Perce leaders by surprise, many of their horses were still on the open range when fighting broke out. A large number escaped the hasty round-up and were claimed later by the first white men who could corral them. They were then sold to cattlemen throughout the West… As a result of the war and subsequent raiding of the ranges, the Appaloosa became a “lost” breed, its glorious history neglected until 1937.”(2)

For the rest of the story click on The History of the ApHC.

1. Sprague, Roderick. "The Meaning of "Palouse", Idaho Yesterdays, Summer Issue, 1968: Volume 12, Number 2.
2. Haines, Frances. Appaloosa: The Spotted Horse in Art and History, Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1963.
3. Cheryl Wilfong. Following the Nez Perce Trail, Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 1990.

How to use essential oils

Essential oils are highly concentrated, and have to be used with great care. Only lavender oil and tea-tree oil can be used undiluted, and under no circumstances should any oil be consumed by mouth. Also, however much aromatherapy appeals, it should be avoided during pregnancy as some of the essences may stimulate contractions.
Essential oils should not be used for children under two years old. For the rest of us, the oils can be used in several different ways.
1. In a burner
Burning essentail oils perfumes the air, often creating a sense of well-being. you will need a special burner which consists of a shallow bowl over a small chamber containing a night light. Put a tablespoon of warm water in the bowl, add a few drops of essential oil, light the night light, then sit back and enjoy! You will need to top up the water as it evaporates.
Once lit never leave the burner unattended, even for a few minutes. (But we are all adults here!!!)

2. In the bath
Relax in a scented bath and enjoy the soothing benefits offered by an added essential oil. The oil (no more than 10 drops) should be diluted in a little almond or other vegetable oil in a bowl before being added to the bath waters as this will help to disperse it.

3. For massage
An essential oil blended with a carrier oil such as almond, wheatgerm or soya oil makes a perfect massage oil. Blend the oils in the proportion of 2 - 3 drops of essential oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil.
For larger quantities, use 20-60 drops of essential oil to 100ml/3 1/2 fl oz carrier oil.

4. As an inhalation
Inhaling tiny droplets of essential oils into the lungs means they can be quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Add six drops of essential oil to a bowl of steaming water. Lean over the vowl, and breathe in deeply through your nose.

All my articles and more on my website Turtle Herb Estate

King of Herbs - panax ginseng

Called the "King of Herbs", ginseng is the most well known herb of all time to longevity enthusiasts. The Taoists say that ginseng has the strongest ability of any herb to condense the earthly ch'i and the five elemental energies into it's root. Thus it can impart the "three vitalities" (ch'i, jing and shin) to anyone who partakes of it. Ginseng is revered for its ability to impart a clarity and awareness to its users. In the first recorded Chinese treatise on herbs, Shen Nung said: "Ginseng is a tonic to the five viscera, quieting the animal spirits, stabilizing the soul, preventing fear, expelling the vicious energies, brightening the eye and improving vision, opening up the heart benefiting the understanding, and if taken for some time will invigorate the body and prolong life..."Ginseng root is said to aid in replacing ch'i to the meridians and organs. It develops the center (earth element) and supplies an adaptability to stressful situations. It's name means "essence of the earth in the form of a man". The chief constituents of ginseng are largely long chain polysaccharides, saponins, ginsenins, panoxic acid, panaxin, panaquilon, elemental minerals, and some B vitamins as well as other substances. Over 28 of the ginsenosides discovered in the past few years in research have been used in studies proving ginseng's great value to health and long life.
Article from my website

Herbs in South Africa

I am cutivating herbs here in South Africa on my farm. I tried to market fresh herbs, but the market is not there. People prefer buying dried herbs in a bottle. It is more convenient, but fresh herbs give much more aroma and taste in your food.
I am also trying to find out more about using herbs for horses. But most information I get is about herbs from overseas, mainly because England and America have been studying this for longer.
We have a weed growing here called Kaki Weed, and my horses love to eat it. It's internal propperties is good for gastritis, indigestion and intestinal worms. It is also used as an insecticide.
To my knowledge this weed is exotic. The British brought it over from England with the horse feed during the Boer War.
I will talk more about the herbs and their uses with my next posts, and more about my herb farm.