In 1990 my brother came home with a black "King" bred stallion that he intended to cut and use as a heel horse. Once my mother got a glance at his papers there was no more talk of cutting him. Instead my brother bought a Leo bred mare to cross on him and I decided to breed my Poco Pine/Senor Tardy mare.
This was the start of my horse herd...
Kings Stylish Babe-"Queenie"
Queenie inherited her mother's good looks. She also inherited a lot of bronc from her dam's side. The Senor Tardy/Poco Pine cross produces a lot of arena horses-they just happen to come out of the bucking chutes rather than the roping chutes. It took me 4 years, a bronc rider and an equine chiropractor to get this mare broke. But I was determined I was going to ride her and I did. I ended up running barrels and pole bending on her. I also used her at the cattle sale barn and roped on her. She turned into a really nice mare.
In the years it took to get her broke, I bred her(I know, a cardinal sin these days) to a Doc's Okie Quiote/Poco Bueno bred stud and got this...
Okies Royal Command-"Okie"
Love this mare. She is just the sweetest thing ever. She would have made a fantastic barrel horse or I really believe that I could have taken her to the cutting pen. Alas, she was born with a twisted left hind foot. I started her on barrels and even got some respectable runs on her, but I could tell it started to hurt so i quit and we just used her for W.Pleasure(LOL-they all look crippled anyway)and Showmanship classes. Over time the calcification on the joint has gotten so bad that I need to have her put down. I really thought about breeding her but she is in pain now and I couldn't make her suffer for a year just to get a colt out of her.
After I rode the black mare for a year, I had the opportunity to breed her to a Lady Bugs Moon/Otoe stud and jumped at the chance. Despite what some people say-King horses can run if they are crossed right. Lady Bugs Moon and Otoe are both noted producers of running horses and this was my chance to add a little speed to the mix. Got it in this one...
Ladybugs In Command-"Beauty"
Beauty stayed in SD when I moved to AZ so she didn't get broke. I suppose she wouldn't be too hard to start, she is only 7 this year, but I think I will let it go. She is halter broke and I can trim her feet and worm her. I have others that are more important to ride and I have plans to breed her to our new stallion.
I knew another person had crossed one of our King mares on a Sun Frost bred horse and the resulting foals were superior, so I thought I might try that cross. Sun Frost bred horses are good rope/barrel horses. I bred to a Sun Frost/Docs Decathalon bred stud and got this guy(finally...a gelding!!)...
Docs Frosty Command-"Frosty"
Now this is just a super, sweet horse. He started so easy and is so willing. He just happens to be as dumb as a box of hair. I know he can run. I have seen him leave the other horses standing, but when you ride him, he is just the most natural western pleasure horse I think I have ever ridden. So this year, it looks like I will be spending some time in the pleasure pen...
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing your story about your horses, very interesting! They are just beauties! Dumb as a box of hair! LOL! I have tried western pleasure on my mare and they say she is too fast! I had her going as slow as she would go! I rode my friend's western pleasure mare in what they call a lope, I was leaning off to see if she was even moving! I will give it to her, she was smooth, but I like to go! As does my mare! Good luck and of course keep us posted!
Love a great sportin' quarter horse! He's not dumb, he's just leisurely!
Beautiful pictures of your horses! How nice to have all of that horse breeding knowledge in your background. I really enjoyed your post. Glad to see the Equine Award on your sidebar that I designed!
Yes, those western pleasure horses do look crippled sometimes! I used to love watching pleasure classes, now I'd rather watch a reining or working cow class any day over WP!
Thanks for sharing some of your horse breeding history w/us!
Leisurely-I like that Callie. I found out a couple of summers ago that he can become UN-leisurely when the 2 brain cells he has collide...
Megan and I were riding in the pasture-was about an hour out and there was a spot in the trail where my brother had scooped some dirt out to put around one of the stock tanks and ol' Frosty went from pleasure horse mode to jump and suck back in the blink of an eye when he stepped from the grass to the dirt.
Megan says I still bounce pretty good. That sucker face planted me and there wasn't a thing I could have done about it. Then he stood there and looked at me with a confused look like-How did you get down there?
My brother thought that was funny as hell until a branch scratched his nylon jacket when he was crossing a creek on good old Frosty and he found himself face planted in the creek bed-LMAO.
But he has never bucked. Not once. He just sucks back and is gone so quick and smooth there is no way to prepare.
What a beautiful group of horses!! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing
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