The American Bashkir Curly horse is believed to have originated among the wild horses of North America. There is evidence of this unique horse in the design of Sioux winter count blankets dating back several hundred years. The blankets further suggest the possibility that these curly coated horses were a favorite among tribal shamans. There has also been some evidence to support the theory that these horses were on the continent prior to the Spanish reintroduction of horses to the region. Fossils of what appear to be Curly horses dating prior to the time of the reintroduction, were found at very high altitudes in the Great Basin area. It is believed that the early Curlies migrated to the uppermost regions to survive. Read the whole story.

THE STORY OF THE GIANT SEQUOIA

The story of the giant sequoia is the story of life. The giant sequoia grows in the Mariposa Grove in California's beautiful Yosemite National Park. They live for centuries surviving storms, fires and earthquakes. Many of the trees in this grove are well over a thousand years old. These magnificent wonders grow small pinecones in their uppermost branches. Housed inside the tips of the cones are the seeds of new life. The seeds from the cone may only be released when the tree is surrounded by the intense heat of a forest fire. These remarkable growths have a natural flame retardant in their structure, and while visibly scarred by the intense fires, they endure and reproduce. The heat of the forest fires causes the tips of the pinecones to rupture, spilling their contents of seeds upon the scorched, but now nutrient rich soil far below. The seedlings may grow for hundreds of years, eventually reaching enormous heights. They have been known to join up their root systems to one another during water shortages. To stand in the presence of these trees is to experience the quiet mystery of life in a place where time has little meaning. Click here for more information on Yosemite National Park Services