Source: http://media.radiosai.org/

Natarajan

Source….www.amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

Source: http://www.earthsky.org

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Ponies and horses are both equines. In general, a horse is an equine that stands about 14.2 hands high or more  and a pony is an equine that stands under that mark, give or take depending on region; for instance, in Australia the dividing line is 14 hands rather than 14.2.

That being said, although the main distinction between the two is size, size is not the only determining factor. There are some horses smaller than a typical pony size that are not ponies but horses. For instance, breeds such as the Falabella horse, which stand no taller than 7.5 hands, are considered very small horses, not ponies.  Further, Caspian horses almost always are under 12 hands, yet  aren’t considered ponies.

What? Why?  In a word, phenotypes.  In more words, the answer lies in their temperament and physical makeup. Ponies are typically much stockier than their horse relatives. They also have thicker manes, tails, and coats, so are better able to endure cold weather. They have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels (body of the pony that encloses the ribcage and all major internal organs), heavier bones, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broader foreheads. They also typically have calmer temperaments and a high level of equine intelligence which can be used to a human handler’s advantage. Children love getting pony rides don’t they?

So that’s it. Horses and ponies are both equines. Size typically determines whether or not they are considered a horse or a pony, but their temperament and other aspects of their physical make-up also count.

Now, you might at this point be wondering what exactly a “hand” is and how horses and ponies are measured.  The height of ponies and horses is measured from the highest point of the withers, which for you non-equestrian connoisseurs is the point where the neck meets the back. The withers is used for measurement since it is a stable part of the anatomy, unlike the head and neck which move up and down with the body of the horse. Their height is measured in hands and inches with one hand equivalent to 4 inches. When written, a pony or horse’s height is written in the number of hands, followed by a decimal and then the number of inches. For instance, if a horse is 61 inches tall, its height would be written as 15.3 h for 15 hands and 3 inches.

Bonus Horse and Pony Facts:

• The modern domestic horse can live about 25-30 years. Some have lived to be 40 years old and some even older but that is very uncommon.
• For your reference, a foal is a horse of either sex less than one year old. Foals who are nursing are called sucklings and those who have been weaned are called weanlings. A yearling is a horse of either sex that is between one and two years of age. A colt is a male horse under four and a filly is a female horse under the age of four. A stallion is a non-castrated male who is four years or older. A gelding is a castrated male of any age. A mare is a female horse four years or older.
• The oldest verifiable record of the longest living horse was that of “Old Billy”, a 19th century horse who lived to the age of 62. According to the Guiness Book of World Records the record for the “world’s oldest living pony” died in 2007 at age 56.
• The largest horse in recorded history was a a Shire Horse called Mammoth. He was born in 1848 and stood 21.2 hands high (86.5 inches) and weighed 3,300 pounds!
• The world’s smallest horse is named Thumbelina. She is a fully mature miniature horse, however she suffers from dwarfism. She is 17 inches tall and weighs only 57 pounds.
• The world’s smallest pony was named “Little Pumpkin.” He stood 14 inches and weighed only 20 lbs!
• A horse’s teeth take up more space in their head than their brain.

 

Source…www.today i foundout .com

Natarajan

Source: Leo and Chinese guardian lions

http://www.earthsky.org

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The mind is the wind that brings to us the smell – foul or fragrant from the world. When the mind turns towards foul, it makes you disgusted. When it turns towards the fragrant, you become happy. The wind gathers the cloud from four quarters; similarly your mind brings into your consciousness many disappointments. It is also the same mind of yours, which scatters away the clouds that darken it or make it feel lost in the night of doubt. Control the mind and you will remain unruffled at all times. This is the secret to undisturbed peace – Shanti, and this is the education that all of you must first secure firmly. To gain this equanimity, you do not need high degrees, but systematic spiritual effort (Sadhana). Then you will be always happy, whether you are poor or rich, appreciated or criticised, prosperous or unlucky. That is an armour without which it is foolish to enter the arena of life.

Source…http://media.radiosai.org

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Source: This Croatian Island Looks Like A Giant Fingerprint

http://www.amusingplanet.com

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I have come to reform you. I will not leave you until I do that. Even if you get away before I do that, do not think you can escape Me, I will hold on to you. I am not worried if you leave Sai, for I am not anxious that there should be a huge gathering here and a big following around Me. Who invited all of you here? Without any printed invitation, thousands are coming to Sai. But, of one thing, be assured. Whether you come to Me or not, you are all Mine. This Sai Mata (Mother of all) has the love of a thousand mothers towards Her children; that is why I do so much lalana (fondling) and so much palana (protecting). If I appear to be angry, remember, it is only love in another form that I use to evince my disappointment when you do not shape up in line with my guidance.

Source: http://media.radiosai.org/

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As many American women prepare to draw attention to their role in the workplace, a Wall Street firm on Tuesday put up a statue of a girl in front of Lower Manhattan’s well-known bronze charging bull, as if to fearlessly stare it down.

Placing the diminutive, grade school-aged girl in front of the massive bull on the eve of International Women’s Day was a way of calling attention to the lack of gender diversity on corporate boards and the pay gap of women working in financial services, a spokeswoman for State Street Global Advisors said.

“A lot of people talk about gender diversity, but we really felt we had to take it to a broader level,” said Anne McNally, whose firm is an investment management subsidiary of State Street Corp.

In conjunction with International Women’s Day on Wednesday, many American women are planning to stay home from work, which has led some schools to cancel classes.

Organizers asked women who cannot afford to miss a day of work to limit their shopping to female-owned businesses or to wear red.

Although women have made some headway against the glass ceiling, State Street said one out of four of the companies that make up the Russell 3000 Index still have no female representation on their boards.

“Today, we are calling on companies to take concrete steps to increase gender diversity on their boards, and have issued clear guidance to help them begin to take action,” State Street Global Advisors CEO Ron O’Hanley said in a statement.

Much the same as the charging bull, the little bronze girl by artist Kristen Visbal was put up in the wee hours of the morning as “guerilla art,” McNally said. But, unlike the bull, the firm discussed it with the city beforehand so that it could remain at least temporarily.

“We’re actively pursuing that it stays for a month,” she said. “If the city decides that it should stay in perpetuity, we’re absolutely on board with that.”

The bull, sculpted by Italian-born artist Arturo Di Modica, was initially taken down after he quietly placed it in front of the New York Stock Exchange in December 1989. But it was later given a permanent home, about a five-minute walk away on Broadway, in response to public support.

(Reporting by Peter Szekely; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Cynthia Osterman)