Horse of the Month - Renovare Kelmore Nu Thomas
"Thomas"
Age: 8
Height: 15.2 hh
Colour: Black
Breed: Canadian
Owner: Lizzie Knight
Likes: He LOVES all things food (especially Wendy’s crackers!) and his Himalayan salt on a
rope.
Dislikes: He very much dislikes the evil river rock box and white barrels.
Thomas was born in Abbotsford in 2003. At age 2 he sired a foal (accidentally!) so soon after he was gelded and put up for sale. His previous owner bought him from the breeder and had him for 5 years on Vancouver Island. I bought him in June 2011 and he is at his forever home as an Eventer. He is now an official Knight! But he can’t be called Thomas Knight because that’s my dad’s name! We could not change his name because he is a Canadian. A rare breed, at one time an almost extinct breed! They have a whole naming system set up so..."Renovare Kelmore Nu Thomas" it is! AKA - "Thomas"
What's in a name?
You can tell a lot about a Canadian Horse just from its name. Each name contains three parts which must be included in the following order - the herd name, the sire's name and the horse's given name.
The Herd Name
Canadian Horse breeders register a herd name with the Canadian Horse Breeders Association to use when naming all foals born to mares they own or lease. This herd name must be unique as it identifies your breeding program from all other breeders of Canadian horses. This herd name may be your farm name, your last name or any unique name that has not already been registered. This name can also be a compound name.
The same herd name in two horse’s name does not necessarily mean that both horses are related to each other, for example: “Maple Lane Thomy Ellie” and “Maple Lane Duc Athena” are not related at all, but “Maple Lane” (herd name) means that both mares were
owned or leased by the same individual/farm at the time they were bred.
The Common Sire’s Name
The sire's name is the second portion of the horse’s full registered name. For example: “Maple Lane Rebel Windsor” and “Maple Lane Rebel Sally Ann” were both sired by the same stallion “Maple Lane Duc Midnite Rebel”.
The Horse’s Given Name
The horses given name forms the last part of its full registered name. For example: “Maple Lane Thunder Boy Legacy” where “Legacy” is the given name.
History of the Canadian Horse:
The Canadian Horse or Le Cheval Canadien originated from horses sent to Quebec by
King Louis XIV in the late 1600's. These horses, the best from the King's stable, were of French Norman, Breton, Arab, Andalusian and Spanish Barb descent.
Under conditions of hard use, sparse feed, and extreme weather conditions, the
Canadian eventually developed into the easy keeping and hardy animals that they
are today. It is said that the Canadian is capable of generating "more power per hundred pounds of body weight than horses of any other breed." Traits such as these earned the Canadian their nickname "The Little Iron Horse".
One of the few breeds to be developed and granted breed status in Canada, the
Canadian Horse registry and stud book was first formed in 1886. The Canadian
Horse Breed Registry is now administered by the Canadian Livestock Records
Corporation.
The Canadian Horse was influential in developing other North American horse
breeds such as the Morgan, Tennessee Walker, Missouri Fox Trotter,
Standardbred, and the Saddlebred.
STATUS
In the mid 1800's the Canadian Horse numbered more than 150,000. Due to the
desire for larger draft breeds, and the advent of farm machinery, their numbers
dwindled throughout the 1900's. By the early 1970's there were only approximately
400 left in existence. At this time, the peril of the breed was recognized, and a concerted effort was made by diligent breeders to bring the Canadian back from the verge of extinction. The breed has slowly grown to the point where there are now about 4000 in existence. Since they are rapidly gaining in popularity, the demand tends to far exceed the availability of these still rare horses.
CHARACTERISTICS
The Canadian Horse typically stands 14-16hh. Most commonly black, they may also be
chestnut, brown or bay.
They are recognizable by their finely chiselled heads, arched necks, and long,
thick, and often wavy tails and manes. They have sturdy legs with good bone,
and have exceptionally hard, strong feet. They are renowned for their kind,
sociable natures, intelligence and willingness to please.
USES
Good natured and truly versatile, the Canadian can be found doing almost any type of
equine discipline. Perhaps best known for their driving ability, Canadian
Horses have won many prestigious driving awards including the 1987 North
American Pleasure Driving Championship, the 1991 Grand Champion Whip at the
Canadian Carriage Driving Classic, the Presentation Award at the 1997 Pairs
Driving Championship, the Limit Preliminary Division at the 1997 High Country
CDE, the 1998 Preliminary Single Division at Gladstone, and the 1998 Advanced
Single Horse Championship at Fair Hill.
Whatever the interest...Dressage, Hunter Jumper, Eventing, Endurance, Trail,
Packing, Ranch Work, Mounted Patrol, Logging, Carriage Driving, Combined
Driving, Wagon Rides.....There's a Canadian for Everyone!
