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Percheron y Falabella en español
CABALLOS PERCHERON
y FALABELLA
Big Horse, Small Horse
Nivel: intermedio/avanzado
Left: A Percheron
Below: the Clydesdale of Scotland. Se dice que podría ser el más grande de todos.
The biggest horse in the world is the Percheron, which reaches 1 meter 73 or more when fully grown. It can weigh up to 1181 kilos. It is, of course, a very powerful animal and has been used in farming for centuries.
In addition to its value as a hard working ‘heavy horse’ the Percheron is a favorite with owners because it has a very good temper: it is relaxed and easy-going. It can be ridden in the normal way and some Percheron horses are good jumpers over fences.
THE PERCHERONS COME FROM FRANCE
The Percherons are named after the La Perche region in France, where they have been bred for centuries. No one knows exactly where this breed originated, but it is clear that La Perche has been the great center for the breeding of this horse since at least the Middle Ages.
The Percheron horse of today was established when the French government brought two outstanding Arab stallions to its stud at La Pin in the early 1800s. All Percherons trace their ancestry back to this event.
The Percheron became very popular in the United States in the early years of the twentieth century, as the farmers appreciated this horse's stamina and willingness to work.
PERCHERON POWER
These qualities, and the pure power of the Percheron, were necessary in many cases because the farmers had much larger areas of land to work on than were usual in ‘the old country’.
Thousands of these horses were exported from Le Perche to the USA in the 1920s and 30s, but the invention of the tractor and the use of cheap gasoline virtually destroyed the breed in North America.
The Percheron horses did not revive again until the 1960s began an age of leisure; people turned once again to this remarkable horse, not for its brute strength in the fields, but for its placid temperament and the majesty and dignity of its appearance.
 Like many other heavy horses, the Percheron gives something of value to humans who simply like to admire it.
PERCHERONS' CEREMONIAL ROLE
Their modern role tends to be ceremonial – pulling carriages, appearing at horse shows, processions, weddings and so on. But this big horse can still do some heavy work that tractors cannot do, such as pulling fallen trees out of a dense forest.
Life is easier for them nowadays, but their long history of hard work surely entitles the Percheron horses to more relaxed working conditions.
Questions:
1 . What work has the Percheron horse been used for over the centuries?
2. Can you give another phrase in English that means it is a 'very powerful animal’?
3. What do owners like about the Percheron?
4. Is it possible to ride a Percheron?
5. Only one of these statements is TRUE. Which one?
a) The French government bought three sheep.
b) The British government bought two horses.
c) The French government acquired two Arab stallions.
d) Some pins were bought by the French government.
6 . Which country did the Percheron horse come from?
7 . How many of these horses were exported to the USA in the 1920s and 30s?
8 . What caused the farmers in the USA to stop using Percherons?
9 . When did the breed become popular again?
10 . Describe briefly the work Percheron horses do nowadays.
Respuestas: (palabras claves)
1. Farming
2. very strong beast, very strong creature
3. It is relaxed, easy-going
4. Yes
5. c
6. France
7. Thousands
8. Invention of tractor, cheap gas
9. In the 1960s
10. Ceremonial, weddings, horseshows
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¡Por primer vez en español!
LA GENTE de PUSHION
The Pushion People
Por John James Carty
Traducido por Luis Fernando Carvajal
La Gente de Pushion: pequeños seres, inteligentes, y con poderes especiales; viajan por todo el mundo viviendo de aventuras. Siempre ayudando a los humanos a donde quiera que vayan. La novela publicada aquí resulta ser algo fácil de leer en español y en inglés, que te ayudará a practicar tu inglés sin más esfuerzo que el de leer.
En español ........... En inglés
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THE FALABELLAS
Photo collage: Irish Creek Stud
The Falabella of Argentina is the smallest horse in the world. It is approximately 84 centimeters tall. In recent years some have been less than 75 centimeters.
The origins of this fascinating little horse are obscure.  It is thought that the breed might have originated with the indigenous Indians of the Pampas running them with their herds of Criollo horses. However, it is clear that it is a native of the South American sub-continent.
Another theory is that the Falabella horse is related to Eohippus [also called the Dawn Horse], the dog – sized horse that inhabited North America in the mists of pre-history rather than being descended or bred from full - size horses.
Photo: Siam Horse Polo
The ancient history of the breed will probably never be known, but it seems that its modern history began in the 1800s when Patrick Newell, an early settler from Europe and ancestor of the present-day Falabella family, found a miniature stallion drinking at his stream.
FALABELLA BREEDING PROGRAM
The Falabella family began a careful and scientific program to establish this breed and reduce the size of the horses. It seems that they did this by making sure that the smallest mare went with the smallest stallion, thus making the foals smaller in each generation. This seems a bit too simple to be true, but it makes sense.
It is hard to imagine how small the Falabella horses are, but you can see photos of them by using search engines like Google and Yahoo on the internet. Some of these photographs show a horse relaxing in an armchair like a domestic dog or cat! In other photos the horses appear with children and this demonstrates just how small they are.
Over the years, many Falabellas have been exported to different parts of the world. The Falabella family continues to breed these fascinating animals, preserving a small wonder of the world for our education and pleasure.
Questions – Falabellas:
1 . Which sub-continent does the Falabella horse come from?
2. Who owned herds of horses on the Pampas?
3. Only one of the following statements is TRUE –
a) The Criollo is the national horse of Algeria
b) Falabella is a district in Los Angeles
c) Falabella horses had races with dogs.
d) Criollo horses lived on the Pampas
4. From which event does the modern history of the Falabella begin?
5. Where did Patrick Newell come from?
6. Who began a careful breeding program for these horses?
7. Only one of the following statements is TRUE –
a) The Falabellas grew bigger every year.
b) These little horses always ran away from their owners.
c) The Falabellas grew smaller in every each generation.
d) Many of the Falabellas drank coffee.
8. What computer-based invention can we use to look at images of Falabellas?
9. Only one of these statements is UNTRUE (false). Which one?
a) The article mentions using the internet.
b) The article suggests using a rotary engine.
c) Google and Yahoo are indicated as aids.
d) The article refers to using assistance like Yahoo and Google.
10. What kind of human beings are shown in some photographs of the Falabella horses?
Respuestas: (palabras claves)
Answers. (key words)
1. South America
2. Indigenous Indians
3. d
4. Patrick Sewell found a small horse drinking from river.
5. Europe
6. The Fallabella family
7. c
8. Internet, search engines
9. b
10. Children
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