ILLUSTRATIONS       EQUINE COLOR ARTICLES       OTHER ARTICLES

In August 2008 I joined the Orbis Games News Staff as an Illustrator, and contributing writer. Orbis Games created the renowned VirtualHorseRanch.com, along with half a dozen other games. Below you will find what I feel represents the best of my contribution.

ILLUSTRATIONS

SEPTEMBER 2008


OCTOBER 2008

EQUINE COLOR ARTICLES
The Shades of Black Horses: October 2008
      The color Black has always been a challenge to paint in the equine community. And taken literally, by its own simple definition, there is no such thing as a ‘black’ horse. However imagine how foolish we’d look if we were to call a horse, blue-black, purple-black, or grey-black. Instead we prefer to use the simplest term of black, and this can additionally be supported by genetic evidence.
      Irregardless, there is no denying that a Black horse can come in many different shades, and this is where the complications begin. Factors like season, shade, background, time of day, food, health, and even fur length contribute to the horses outer appearance. The results are horses who appear to have green, brown, blue, grey, and purple shades of black hairs.
      For digital artists, the eyedropper is a godsend, choose your picture, highlight the area, pick a color up, and begin painting. However for traditional artists, this poses a bit more of a challenge. Below, I have some swatches using a digital medium. For those traditional artists, compare your swatches to these colors, and mix and match as needed.

      Greys are the most common color use for highlights on black horses. However very few horses in real life will actually have grey highlights. It is usually the result of a camera flash, or high exposure of sunlight on a sweaty or wet horse.

      These are also called Fading blacks, and are generally the most common.


      Soft black is another brown shade, but like its name has soft highlights as opposed to hard crisp highlights.


CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
      Blue blacks are thought to be homozygous blacks, and this true black will never fade. However the colors that make up a Blue black appear to be vast, and more along the lines of grey black, plus a few additional blue hues.


      Purple Black, some times called Violet Black, is a deep dark color when out of the sun. However when the sun hits the coat of a Purple Black horse, it almost glows purple. This color has been most commonly seen in ponies, and gaited horses. Under most lights they appear like a soft or grey black, but in the natural light they change.


      This color is the same as the other blue and purple blacks, however some areas or the horse appear to be brown black as well, like head, hip, and inside the legs.

An Exploration of Chocolate: October 2008
      It’s the first day of fall, and Judith can be found excitedly walking into the new barn she leases from. The subtle smells of fresh hay cause her to sneeze slightly, never the less, she proceeds down the isle eagerly greeting every horse with a pat on the nose. A moment later, she catches a new and familiar smell. She grins. It was the smell of hot chocolate! As she walked faster and faster to the end of the barn, she could hear other people laughing as she ran towards the kitchen. Upon entering, there stood a women holding a mug out to her, “Would you like one cream or two?” she asks. Judith is excited, her first day of riding, and they are making home made hot chocolate!
      “Good morning everyone, welcome to your first riding lesson. This morning we’re going to do a little science experiment,” she says with a smile.
      What? Science? But Judith hated science. Although, there was hot chocolate calling to her. Maybe she could tolerate it after all. And thus, through the magic of chocolate, the instructor introduces everyone to their first, and likely most memorable, science lesson.


      The cream gene is what we call a dilution gene, and the result lightens (dilutes) the horses coat color. The horse can carry one dose, or two doses of the dilution gene. For this experiment you will need some Hershey Chocolate syrup, milk, a measuring cup, four clear cups, plus some friends to share with.

      To begin the experiment, add 1 cup of chocolate syrup to the first clear container. This represents your basic undiluted horse coat. Note that it is solid, and not lightened by the cream (milk). What other horse colors remind you of chocolate? Bays and Blacks, maybe even Chestnuts. These are what we call hard colors.

      In the second container add 1 cup of milk. This represents your pure cream gene. In science, we call these first two cups your Control, they are untouched and unmodified. They are intended for representation, and color comparison.

      In the third container, add in 3/4 cup of chocolate syrup. This represents your solid colored horse before dilution. To that, mix in 1/4 cup of milk. This represents a horse with 1 cream gene (Ccr). Compare it to your chocolate control you have in cup 1. Does it appear lighter?
      In the fourth container, combine 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup, with 1/2 cup of milk and mix together. We use a 1/2 cup of milk here to represent the 2 doses of cream gene the horse is now receiving.

      Line up your containers in order from darkest to lightest, note the changing in color with your chocolate milk? The top row is your pure color, and pure cream. While the bottom row represents a horse with 1 cream dilution (on left) and a horse with 2 cream dilutions (on right).
      Now for last step, raid the fridge of all your fruit, check the freezer for ice-cream, and gather up the cookies from the pantry. Use up the rest of the chocolate syrup and milk as you see fit!

The History Behind Pumpkin Ponies: October 2008
“The Tennessee stud was long and lean
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
There never was a horse like the Tennessee stud”
– Johnny Cash “Tennessee Stud”
       In the 1950's men were already singing about these gold colored green eyed horses, and who knew that in 1969 the birth of a unique colored filly would start a whole new chapter for Equine Color. The filly’s name was Champagne Lady Diane, and her offspring would soon baffle leading researchers across America.
       Scientist could not explain the mare’s pumpkin like color, as a result they passed it off as a freak occurrence. Samples had been sent to two different labs, and neither had an answer. It was not until a third generation of breeding, that equine color specialists started to pay attention. However, no answers were formed as of yet. Some times, to better understand equine color, the simplest thing to do is open up a history book. It has been my experience that recorded details which you think were insignificant turn out to be a Godsend.

Behind A Name
       Before being recognized as a color, these champagne horses were often called pumpkin skinned due to the unique way the gene dilutes both hair and skin pigment. This pink skinned horses developed dark freckles (different from mottling) that often resembled the blotchieness found on the skins of pumpkins. This freckled skin, and their near golden orange coat color, is how these horses got the name Pumpkin.
       It wasn’t until years later that these horses would be called Champagne. This unique name can be attributed to the brood mare Champagne Lady Diane, a suspected Amber Champagne mare. In honor of the mare’s name, and the her uncanny resemblance to sparkling wine, all her colored offspring were registered as “champagne-colored” according to their papers. It is through this tradition that the color’s name stuck. Unlike the Pumpkin Ponies found in VHR, if it were not for Champagne Lady Diane, we could have truly been breeding our very own real life pumpkin ponies.

History of “Champagne” Horses
       So like many unique equine colors, champagne dates back to fifteenth century Spain. What was often thought of as Isabel (or Isabella) was actually a champagne variant. Nowadays the name Isabella means different colors depending on what country you are in, but back then it meant a cream color horse. However, this poses some difficulty, because there are two dilution genes that can mimic a cream color, those are: the Cream gene, and the Champagne gene.
       Queen Isabella of Spain kept well over 100 of these animals in her royal stables, and the only way to obtain one at the time was through her good graces. At one time, she gave them as gifts to knights who served in the war, and this is how some historians believe the champagne gene began to spread. It is often thought that Queen Isabella bred palomino horses, however evidence suggests that what she bred was actually cremello or ivory champagne horses. Though palominos would be part of the foundation stock for such colors, ultimately they were not the goal at the time. The horses which she sent home with German knights, were to begin the foundation for the Royal Hanoverian Creams.
       These cream colored horses with cafe-au-lait manes and tails, were used for British royal processions. Historic books show pictures of a light colored horse with legs a  few shades darker and a darker mane and tail. Since these photos are all in black and white, we can not tell the color exactly, however we do know that the points on these horses were not black. Since color photography was not invented at the time, we look at historic paintings instead. These paintings clearly depict a champagne colored horse, more often gold champagne, however many are ivory champagne, and later in the 19th century there are coach strings of classic champagne horses.
       Along with sending these horses to European knights, Queen Isabella also sent horses with her Viceroy in New Spain, which is now called Mexico. This is how the cream and champagne colors made their way to North America. And through the Spanish Colonial horse, Americans founded new breeds mixed with European imports. As a result of this importation, almost all American breeds can be found carrying the champagne gene.
       It is not clearly known what happened to these champagne colored Hanoverians, however it has been documented that the last of them were sold off in 1920 due to financial need. Some American Cream Draft breeders say their stock is based off of the old Royal Hanoverian Cream, however Hanoverian breeders never heard of such a thing, and admit that the color was most likely phased out due to it’s lack of desirability at the time.
       For over a hundred years, a historic breeding program was forgotten, and it wasn’t until recently that people began to understand how to breed these champagne colored horses once more.



OTHER ARTICLES
Equestrian Games for the VHR Soul: September 2008
      The second Friday in August marked the opening for the 2008 Olympic Games. American members of VHR chat stayed up into the morning, waiting to catch a glimpse of the first six eventers performing Dressage. Those few brief moments of air time were not enough to hold the community over through the horseless weekend, but thankfully, due to the wonderful invention of internet streaming video, horse-starved rabid members were able to get their quick fix before the Equestrian games aired the following Monday.
      Throughout the next two weeks, the community rooted for their favorite of nine countries participating in this year’s Equestrian Games. Eventing, Jumping, and Dressage were divided into Team and Individual events, leaving six chances of taking home the gold. Australia took the lead during the Dressage segment of Eventing with a very low penalty score of 102.8. However Germany bumped them down to second with their Cross Country score of 158.1. But Australia held firm during the Jumping segment, and was awarded silver for over all Team Eventing, leaving bronze for Great Britain. Germany took home gold in Individual Eventing, however the United States made a come back by bringing home Silver and Great Britain taking the bronze.
      Winning gold since 1984 for Team Dressage, the Germans once again have proven the old adage to be true, when you find a winning formula don’t change it, adding a third gold medal to their name. Those paying close attention could see the unspoken battle for gold between Germany and the Netherlands, with a 1.167 difference in score, the Netherlands took home silver leaving Denmark the bronze.
      With Germany already having three golds under their belt, this foreshadowed a potential Equestrian smack down for Individual Dressage. Who better to face off with Germany than the Netherlands? Together Dutch owner/rider Anky Van Grunsven, and gelding Salinero, the beautiful bay Hanoverian, received the gold by a 2.03 difference in score, making this the second gold the pair won for Individual Dressage (having won in 2004). Those who collect model horses, may be familiar with the name Salinero. Recently Breyer Horses released a beautiful sculpture of Salinero performing a passage in an attempt to immortalize the gelding for all his achievements. But maybe I should stop drooling over this horse and get back on track. Wrapping up Individual Dressage, Germany held strong and took home the silver and the bronze.
     The influence of Thoroughbred blood can be greatly seen in the Olympic Eventers, however it is clear that Hanoverians rule the dressage world. Now with Eventing and Dressage out of the way, other breeds like Dutch Warmbloods can flourish and take the gold home. Gold medal horses for both Team and Individual Jumping were KWPN, registered with the royal studbook of the Netherlands. The United States team brought home their first and only gold, with Canada taking claim to the silver, this left the bronze for Norway (their only medal).
      In the Individual Jumping we see a change of pace. While the top three horses were all KWPN, it was Canada who took home the gold, and Sweden earning the silver, leaving the bronze for the United States. Beezie Madden, riding for the USA team, did 3.14 seconds better then Canada and Sweden, however had acquired four faults, dropping her back to third.
      To honor my fellow VHRians, I say this to you, Germany pwned They took home five medals, the United States took home three, Canada, Netherlands, and Great Britain took home two, while Australia, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway took home one. Over all I’d say it was a great turn out.

Healers of Nations to Symbols of the Past: October 2008
       You have heard the story before - how the Darley Arabian, Byerly Turk, and Godolphin Arabian founded the Thoroughbred breed - but what has become of the culture that gave us these horses? To answer that, it is first important to understand how these cultures came about.
       It is not known precisely where the domesticated horse originated, however, one of the oldest Babylonian myths tells a tale where horse and human sprung forth together, and explains this symbiotic relationship between man and beast in the years to come.
       For over 3,500 years, the breeders whom contributed to the horse, were as celebrated as the horse itself. Historians cannot seem to agree on who was the first to refine the horse, however that seems to matter little when it is taken into account everyone who has left their mark on history.
       The Bedouin are desert-dwelling nomads of Arabia, the Negev, and the Sinai. This tribal culture is organized on several hierarchy levels, which primarily revolved around family and similar interests. It is due to these interests that the Bedu horse breeders gathered and generally accepted one another, sharing their secrets and passions for their livelihood. At times of large gatherings, such as Ramadan, these tribes set aside their tribal disputes and celebrate the Arabian horse through show and racing.
       The Bedouin would race their finest horses, and the winner would get to choose the best from each tribe's herd. For those that could not access the secrets of other bloodlines, this was the next best way. In these tribes, a person's value was measured in horses, and Arabian horses were therefore given the best and most royal respect. They were allowed to sleep in the same tents at their masters and mistresses, as well as eating from the same bowl. In this way, the Arabian horse became a healer of nations, and would later seal the pact through the birth of a foal from one nation's stallion, to the other's mare.
       Islamic rule reigned for a hundred more years, spreading east and west, until being defeated in the mid 700s A.D. As a result, the Arabian horse traveled out of Arabia and eventually into the rest of the world. The Crusades brought back Arabian bloodstock to England and France, however, one unfortunate downfall was that all horses which came from the middle east and Africa were called Arabians. This caused for a number of misconceptions, and only recently, through genetic testing, are we able to delve further into history.
       One breed of horse this new development has help to correct, is the Godolphin Arabian. Evidence suggests this horse should be called the Godolphin Barb, and is believed to originate from Northern Africa. Generally countries residing in North Africa are included in the definition of the Middle East, since both reigns make up the Arab world. And the Maghreb, which covers a the largest area of Northern Africa, just so happens to be known for its great horse culture.
       These days throughout Morocco, the Fantasia is preformed during cultural festivals. In Maghreb, it is more traditionally known as the Game of Gunpowder, and is used to close a berber wedding celebration. This equestrian performance consists of a group of horse back riders, decorated in traditional cloths and tack, charging in a single straight line at the same speed. Think of it as the Moroccan equivalent to drill team. At the end of this synchronized act, the riders fire their guns all at once into the air so that only a single shot is heard. The Barb horse used for this event is specially bred, and is known as a fantasia horse. This modern display was actually the result of inspirational and historic wars between the Berber and other desert tribes of Northern Africa. Now days, it’s considered a cultural art, and symbolizes the strength of a bond between horse and rider.
       Unfortunately modern improvements have halted, and in some cases reversed, this pastoral culture from flourishing. The Bedu, and other subtribal groupings in Africa have had to face change in favor of a more opportunistic system. Trucks for instance, make transporting animals and water much easier, and telecommunications are now used to check the availability of limited pasture land. Available land is limited now due to the closing of national boarders and breakdown of a traditional authority system. What rangeland left is often used for intensive cultivation, and natural forage is completely gone in many areas now.
        In spite of all of this, many nations of Africa have began a program called the African Renaissance, and aims to bring back indigenous activities of their past culture. One such activity is called the Rural Horse Festival, which premiered this past July. Modern horse racing is a very big event in South Africa, but this nation is taking a more traditional twist on the subject. This years festival featured over 140 horses, with the main focus being on uKutelebhela, a type of traditional African riding. One of the governments additional goals, was to address the issues of transformation, nation building, and quality of life. Their solution was to inspire tourism and call awareness to these traditional activities in celebration of their horse culture. As a result, a new race track was established with hopes of seeing black jockeys in the future, and with the support from the Harness Racing Association of South Africa, this department will insure that all horses owners are trained to take care of their animals, which is a new program they are testing currently. Even though these cultures have had to face many changes, one thing remains the same, the ties between man and horse will preservere.