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A broodmare and foal

A mare is an adult female horse or other equine.^[1]

In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse age three and younger. However, in Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four years old. The word can also be used for other female equine animals, particularly mules and zebras, though a female donkey is usually called a "jenny." A broodmare is a mare used for breeding. A horse's female parent is known as its dam.

An adult male horse is called a stallion, or, if castrated, a gelding. Occasionally the term "horse" is used in a restrictive sense to designate only a male horse.

Reproductive cycle[link]

A nursing foal. Domesticated mares may nurse their foals an average of four to six months, occasionally longer, depending on human management decisions and the temperament of a given mare.

Mares carry their young, called foals, for approximately 11 months from conception to birth. (Average range 320–370 days.)^[2] Usually just one young is born; twins are rare. When a domesticated mare foals, she nurses the foal for at least four to six months before it is weaned, though mares in the wild may allow a foal to nurse for up to a year.

The estrous cycle, also known as "season" or "heat" of a mare occurs roughly every 19–22 days and occurs from early spring into autumn. As the days shorten, most mares enter an anestrus period during the winter and thus do not cycle in this period. The reproductive cycle in a mare is controlled by the photoperiod (length of the day), the cycle first triggered when the days begin to lengthen. As the days shorten, the mare returns to the anestrus period when she is not sexually receptive. Anestrus prevents the mare from conceiving in the winter months, as that would result in her foaling during the harshest part of the year, a time when it would be most difficult for the foal to survive.^[3]

However, for most competitive purposes, foals are given an official "birthday" of January 1 (August 1 in the Southern hemisphere), and many breeders want foals to be born as early in the year as possible. Therefore, many breeding farms begin to put mares "under lights" in late winter in order to bring them out of anestrus early and allow conception to occur in February or March. One exception to this general rule is the field of endurance riding, which requires horses to be 60 true calendar months old (5 years) before competing at longer distances.

Fillies are sexually mature by age two and are sometimes bred at that age, but generally should not be bred until they themselves have stopped growing, usually by age four or five.^[4]

A healthy, well-managed mare can produce a foal every year into her twenties, though not all breeders will breed a mare every year. In addition, many mares are kept for riding and so are not bred annually, as a mare in late pregnancy or nursing a foal is not able to perform at as athletic a standard as one who is neither pregnant nor lactating. In addition, some mares become anxious when separated from their foals, even temporarily, and thus are difficult to manage under saddle until their foals are weaned.

Behavior[link]

A broodmare. Note slight distension of belly, indicating either early pregnancy or recent foaling.

Mares are considered easier to handle than stallions. However, geldings have no hormone-driven behavior patterns at all, thus sometimes they are preferred to both mares and stallions. Mares have a notorious, if generally undeserved, reputation for being "marish," meaning that they can be cranky or unwilling when they come into season. However, there is considerable evidence that much "marish" behavior is mostly the result of humans expecting or allowing the mare to misbehave. Because horses in general are very attuned to the emotional state of their riders, expectation by a rider of difficult manners during estrus can create a self-fulfilling prophecy and a cranky mare.^{[citation needed]}

While a few mares may be somewhat more distractible or irritable when in heat, they are far less easily distracted than a stallion at any time. Solid training usually minimizes hormonal behavior. For competitive purposes, mares are sometimes placed on hormone therapies, such as the drug Regumate, to help control hormonally based behavior. Some riders also use various herbal remedies, most of which have not been extensively tested for effectiveness.

Some mare owners claim that mares are more intelligent and courageous and will work harder for their owners, and there are many stories and legends about the loyalty of a mare to her rider. Conversely, others claim that mares are more nervous and high-strung. In short, much lore about "marish" mares is due to simple anthropomorphism, attributing stereotypically "female" behavior to mares.^{[citation needed]}

Mares and geldings can be pastured together. However, mares may be a bit more territorial than geldings, even though they are far less territorial than stallions. Sex-segregating herds may make for less infighting, especially if kept in close quarters. However, studies also have shown that when a "lead mare" or "boss mare" is in charge of a herd, all remaining animals rest for longer periods and seem more at ease than do those in herds led by a gelding.

In wild herds, a "boss mare" or "lead mare" leads the band to grazing, to water, and away from danger. She eats and drinks first, decides when the herd will move and to where. The herd stallion usually brings up the rear and acts as a defender of the herd against predators and other stallions.

Uses[link]

Mares can be used in any equestrian sport and have competed successfully against males. Zenyatta, winner of the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mares are used in every equestrian sport and usually compete equally with stallions and geldings in most events, though some competitions may offer classes open only to one sex of horse or another, particularly in breeding or "in-hand" conformation classes. In horse racing, mares and fillies have their own races and only a small percentage compete against male horses. However, a few fillies and mares have won classic horse races against colts, including the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, the Melbourne Cup and the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Mares are used as dairy animals in some cultures, especially by the nomads and formerly nomadic peoples of Central Asia. Fermented mare's milk, known as kumis, is the national drink of Kyrgyzstan. Some mares, usually of draft horse breeding, are kept in North America for the production of their urine. Pregnant mares' urine is the source of the active ingredient in the hormonal drug Premarin (derived from Pregnant mares' urine).

Historic use[link]

Until the invention of castration and even later where there was less cultural acceptance of the practice, mares were less difficult to manage than stallions and thus preferred for most ordinary work. Historically, the Bedouin nomads of the Arabian peninsula preferred mares on their raids, because stallions would nicker to the opposing camps' horses, whereas mares would be quiet. However, other cultures preferred male horses over mares either due to a desire for more aggressive behavior in a fighting animal, or to not be inconvenienced with a loss of work ability due to a mare's pregnancy, parturition and lactation.

Etymology[link]

The word mare, meaning "female horse," took several forms prior to A.D. 900.^[5] In Old English the form was mere or mȳre, the feminine forms for mearh (horse). The Old German form of the word was Mähre.^[6] Similarly, in Irish and Gaelic, the word was marc, in Welsh, march, in Cornish "margh", and in Breton mar'h.^[6] The word is "said to be of Gaulish origin."^[6] The word has no known cognates beyond Germanic and Celtic.^[6] One possible derived term is a mare's nest, an expression for "excitement over something which does not exist"^[6] The term nightmare, is not directly connected etymologically with the word for female horse, but rather to homophones that meant "incubus" or "goblin."^[6]

See also[link]

• Horse breeding
• Stallion (horse)
• Gelding
• Filly
• Foal
• Colt (horse)

References[link]

Florin Stoian (born 1979, Bucharest), better known under the stage name of Florin Salam and (previously) Florin Fermecătoru, is a Gypsy singer of manele from Romania. He is one of the best known and appreciated manele performers.

Stoian has been singing since he was a child; his first contact with music took place at age of four. His father and uncle were well-known lăutari. He debuted in 2002 with help from bandleader Dan Bursuc. His first hit single was "Ce gagică şmecherită" (Romanian: "Such a picky chick"). He played an important part when the smash hit "Of, viaţa mea" (Romanian: "Oh, my life") was released in 2000, sung by Adrian Minune and Costi Ioniţă. In 2002 Florin Stoian changed his stage name from Fermecătoru (Romanian: "The Glamorous") to Salam (Arabian: "peace", cf. Hebrew "shalom", and Romanian: "salami" ).

In 2008 he performed a song together with pop singer Paula Seling and the Bucharest Symphonic Orchestra. The show host described their performance as a reconciliation between manele and mainstream pop music; in the same respect, the song's lyrics raised the problem of ethnic intolerance.

Florin Stoian is the vice-president of Asociaţia Artiştilor, Muzicanţilor şi Lăutarilor Romi din România (Romanian: "The association of Romani artists, musicians and lăutari from Romania".) In December 2005 he was announced the best manele performer of the year. According to the daily paper Libertatea, politician Mădălin Voicu and footballer Marius Niculae count among his fans.

Florin's parents are Maria and Robert Stoian. In September 2007 he married Ştefania Victoria, his first wife according to the Romani law; the best man was manele singer Adrian Minune. The wedding took place in the Anatolia Resort (Turkey.) The couple gave birth to two children. On April 12, 2009, Ştefania (aged 27) died from hepatic cirrhosis.

References[link]

• Florin Salam at starmania.ro
• Florin Salam Bio
• Salam Fermecatorul at libertatea.ro

Giusy Ferreri
Background information
Birth name	Giuseppa Gaetana Ferreri
Also known as	Gaetana
Born	(1979-04-17) 17 April 1979 (age 33)
Origin	Palermo, Italy
Genres	Pop, blues, rock
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Sony Music Italy
Website	www.giusyferreriofficial.it

Giusy Ferreri (born Giuseppa Gaetana Ferreri on 18 April 1979 in Palermo, Italy) is an Italian singer-songwriter. In 2008 Giusy took part at the first Italian edition of the talent show X Factor, in which she came second.

To date she has sold around 1,5 million records worldwide^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}.

Career[link]

In June 2008 Sony BMG Italy released the debut EP by Ferreri, which includes her first single "Non ti Scordar mai di me" written by Italian pop singer Tiziano Ferro, and five covers of classic songs from the 60s–70s. The single held the number one position of the Italian singles chart for an impressive fifteen consecutive weeks, becoming one of the most successful tracks ever on that chart. The album debuted at the top spot of the Italian album chart and stayed there for eleven consecutive weeks. It went on to be certified 4x platinum denoting over 300,000 copies shipped.^[8] She is considered to be the Italian version of Linda Perry.^{[by whom?]}

[edit] Debut album: Gaetana

In October 2008 the song Novembre, the first single from Ferreri's official debut album Gaetana, was released. The tune debuted at number one in Italy and held the top for eight weeks so far. The album was released on 14 November 2008. It debuted at number one on the iTunes Italy chart and subsequently peaked at #2 on the Italian FIMI albums chart, selling over 80,000 copies in its first week of release.^[9] The album sold so far over 390,000 copies in Italy and Greece. The second single from the album, "Stai fermo lì", was announced on 8 January 2009 and was released in Italy on 16 January 2009. The third single off the album was "La Scala (The Ladder)", originally written by Linda Perry and translated in Italian by singer Tiziano Ferro. The song peaking at #27 on the FIMI singles chart and at #49 on the Greece Singles Chart.

[edit] Cover album: Fotografie

On 20 November 2009 her second studio album was released across Europe, while debuting at #10 on the Italian FIMI albums chart. The first single is a cover of "Ma il cielo è sempre più blu" by Rino Gaetano.

In her second studio album, Ferreri records cover versions of some of her favourite (Italian and international) artitsts: "La magia è la mia amante (I Was Made to Love Magic)" by Nick Drake, "Con una rosa" by Vinicio Capossela and Paolo Benvegnù, "Il mare verticale (Portrait the Sea)" by Jerome Kern, "Yesterdays" (song played in the past by Billie Holiday), "Ciao amore ciao" by Luigi Tenco and Estate by Bruno Martino.

[edit] Third album: Il mio universo

On 16 February 2011^[10] her third studio album was released across Europe.Debuting at #13^[11] and peaked at #11^[12] on the Italian FIMI albums chart and #98^[13] on the Swiss Album chart. The first single is "Il mare immenso" released on 16 February 2011^[14] written by Bungaro. The first single taken from her third studio album debuting at #8^[15] on FIMI Top 10 Singles Chart and peaked at #6^[16] on the FIMI Top 10 Singles Chart. "Il mare immenso" stayed for three months into the fifty places of the FIMI Singles Charts.^[17]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

EPs[link]

Singles[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Music videos[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site

Lucio Dalla
Lucio Dalla in 2008
Born	Lucio Dalla (1943-03-04)4 March 1943 Bologna, Italy
Died	1 March 2012(2012-03-01) (aged 68) Montreux, Switzerland
Nationality	Italian
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1966–2012 (his death)
Website
Official website

Lucio Dalla Grand Officer OMRI (4 March 1943 – 1 March 2012) was a popular Italian singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He also played clarinet and keyboards.

Dalla was the composer of Caruso (1986),^[1] which has been covered by numerous international artists. A version of Caruso sung by Luciano Pavarotti sold over 9 million copies, and another version was a track on Andrea Bocelli's first international album Romanza, which later sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[2] This piece is also on Josh Groban's album Closer,^[3] which sold over 5,000,000 copies in the United States. The song is a tribute to the emblematic opera tenor Enrico Caruso. Maynard Ferguson also covered the song on his album "Brass Attitude", after having previously paid tribute to Caruso with his rendition of Vesti la giubba (titled as Pagliacci) on the album "Primal Scream".^[4]

Biography[link]

Beginnings[link]

Dalla was born in Bologna, Italy. He began to play the clarinet at an early age, in a jazz band in Bologna, and became member of a local jazz band called Rheno Dixieland Band, together with the future film director Pupi Avati. Avati said that he decided to leave the band after feeling overwhelmed by Dalla's talent. He also acknowledged that his film, Ma quando arrivano le ragazze? (2005), was inspired by his friendship with Dalla.^[5] In the 1960s the band participated in the first Jazz Festival at Antibes, France. The Rheno Dixieland Band won the first prize in the traditional jazz band category and was noticed by a Roman band called Second Roman New Orleans Jazz Band: with them Dalla performed his first record in 1961, and had the first contacts with RCA records, his future music publisher.

The singer-songwriter Gino Paoli hearing Dalla's vocal qualities, suggested that he attempt a soloist career as a soul singer. However, Dalla's debut at the Cantagiro music festival in 1965 was not successful probably due to both his physical appearance as well as his music, which was considered too experimental for the time. His first single, a rendition in Italian of the American traditional standard Careless Love was a failure, as it was his first album, 1999, that was released the following year. His next album, Terra di Gaibola (from the name of a suburb of Bologna), was released in 1970 and contained some early Dalla classics. His first hit was "4 Marzo 1943", which achieved some success due to the Sanremo Festival. The original title of the song was supposed to be "Gesù bambino", however in those years there was still stiff censorial control over the content of songs, and the title was changed to Dalla's birth date.^[6]. "Piazza grande", which Dalla would sing at another Sanremo Festival, was also a success.

Albums with Roversi[link]

At this point, Dalla made a decisive move in his career, starting a collaboration with the Bolognese poet Roberto Roversi. Roversi wrote the lyrics to Dalla's next three albums Il giorno aveva cinque teste (The Day Had Five Heads) (1973), Anidride solforosa (1975) and Automobili (Automobiles) (1976). Although these albums did not sell in large numbers, they were noted by critics for the unusual mix of Roversi's lyrics with Dalla's improvisations, his sometimes experimental twists and compositional abilities. The duo had already broken up by the time the concept album Automobili was released. Roversi, who had been against the album's release, chose the pseudonym "Norisso" when it was time to register the songs. The album, however, included one of Dalla's most popular songs, "Nuvolari", named after the famous 1930s Italian racer. ^[7]

Singer-songwriter[link]

Affected by the end of the collaboration, Dalla decided to write the lyrics of his next albums himself. This decision proved to be surprisingly good,^{[citation needed]} and he soon emerged as one of the most intelligent and musically cultured of the Italian singer-songwriters.^{[citation needed]} The first album of this new phase was Com'è profondo il mare (1977), in which Dalla was accompanied by members of the future pop band Stadio. The title track was a hit called Quale allegria. In 1979, his popularity was confirmed by the success of the Banana Republic tour and album together with singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori, his band, and his friend Ron. The hit single Attenti al Lupo (1990) gave him wider success in Europe. He was invited to duet on Pavarotti and friends, singing his own hit Caruso with Pavarotti.^[8]

Death[link]

On the morning of 1 March 2012, three days before his 69th birthday, Dalla died of a heart attack, shortly after having breakfast at the hotel where he was staying in Montreux, having performed in the city the night before.^[9]

Albums[link]

• 1999 (1966)
• Terra di Gaibola (1970)
• Storie di casa mia (1970)
• Il giorno aveva cinque teste (1973)
• Quel fenomeno di Lucio Dalla (1973)
• L'album di... Lucio Dalla (1974)
• Anidride solforosa (1975)
• Automobili (1976)
• 4 Marzo 1943 (1976)
• Come è profondo il mare (1977)
• Lucio Dalla (1979)
• Banana Republic (1979, with Francesco De Gregori and Ron)
• Dalla (1980)
• Lucio Dalla (Q Disc) (1981)
• Torino, Milano e dintorni (1981)
• Gli anni Settanta (1981)
• 1983 (1983)
• Viaggi organizzati (1984)
• Bugie (1985)
• The best of Lucio Dalla (1985)
• DallameriCaruso (1986)
• Dalla/Morandi (1988)
• Cambio (1990)
• Il motore del 2000 (1990)
• Il primo Lucio Dalla (1990)
• Amen (1992)
• Henna (1993)
• Maria Farantouri sings Lucio Dalla (1995,with Maria Farantouri)
• Le origini (1996)
• Canzoni (1996)
• Ciao (1999)
• Luna Matana (2001)
• Live@RTSI – 20 dicembre 1978 (2001)
• Dal vivo – Bologna 2 settembre 1974 (2001)
• Caro amico ti scrivo... (Best of) (2002)
• Tosca. Amore disperato (2003)
• Lucio (2003)
• 12000 Lune (Best of/Box Set) (2003)
• Il contrario di me (2007)
• Angoli nel cielo (2010)
• Questo è amore (2011)

DVD[link]

• Live@RTSI – 20 dicembre 1978 (2001)
• Retrospettiva (2003)
• In concerto (2004)
• Banana Republic (2006)

References[link]

1. ^ "Caruso" lyrics with translation
2. ^ Crossover superstar Andrea Bocelli finds beauty in wide range of music The Columbus Dispatch, 27 November 2011.
3. ^ Josh Groban, Closer, CD (143 Records/Reprise Records, International Inc.)
4. ^ Maynard Ferguson, "Primal Scream", CD (Columbia Records, 1976)
5. ^ La Stampa, "Pupi Avati "L'amicizia con Dalla l'ho girata in un film"
6. ^ repubblica.it: "Lucio Dalla, canzoni camaleontiche tra jazz, Caruso e Gesù Bambino"
7. ^ rai.it: "Nuvolari"
8. ^ youtube: "Caruso (Live). Luciano Pavarotti & Lucio Dalla"
9. ^ "Lucio Dalla Dead: Italian Singer-Songwriter Dies At 68". http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/lucio-dalla-dead_n_1313115.html. Retrieved 1 March 2012. 

Carlos Alcántara

Personal information
Full name	Carlos Alcántara Cuevas
Date of birth	(1985-02-01) 1 February 1985 (age 27)
Place of birth	Zarandona, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	Leganés
Youth career
	Nueva Vanguardia
	Villarreal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	Villarreal B
2004–2006	Villarreal	5	(0)
2006–2008	Deportivo La Coruña	0	(0)
2006–2007	→ Jaén (loan)	12	(0)
2007–2008	→ Cartagena (loan)	12	(0)
2008–2009	Atlético Ciudad	35	(0)
2009–2010	Ferencváros	8	(0)
2010–2011	Alicante	34	(0)
2011–	Leganés
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 June 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Carlos Alcántara Cuevas (born 1 February 1985 in Zarandona, Region of Murcia) is a Spanish footballer who plays for CD Leganés as a left defender.

Football career[link]

Alcántara signed with Villarreal CF in 2004, spending the vast majority of his spell with the Valencian with the reserves, and appearing in five La Liga games over the course of two seasons. His debut came on 17 October 2004, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against RCD Mallorca.

Subsequently, Alcántara signed with Deportivo de La Coruña, never appearing officially with the Galicians during his two-year stint, and being loaned to two clubs in Segunda División B, for which he also played sparingly. In 2008–09, he represented another side in the category, CF Atlético Ciudad.

After an unassuming spell in Hungary with Ferencvárosi TC, Alcántara returned to his country and joined Alicante CF, still in level three.

External links[link]

• BDFutbol profile
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile
• Stats at HLSZ (Hungarian)