The Class of 2021 – FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO FOALING

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In conjunction with Farm & Stable Supplies for supporting the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) UK  2021 Photo Competition. Thank you 🙂

Let us go back to November 2019 when we stabled our 5 mares through the winter months under at least 11 hours of artificial light, come early February 2020, our mares were cycling and obviously in season. We collected semen from our stallion and artificially inseminated the mares.

At their 14–16-day scan, the Vet was able to confirm the mares were pregnant and by the size of the embryo’s we could work out what date the mares ovulated. From this date, we worked out the estimated date of their foaling due dates.

From the time of conception, the mares lived a normal life out in the field within the herd. During the third trimester of pregnancy, foals do the majority of their growing, so we start the mares on a little stud mix and gradually build up the quantity.

With one month to go, the mares are introduced into a new routine, being stabled each night, each mare has her own stable, this enables her body to build up immunity to her new surroundings which are passed onto the foal. The mares are dewormed, have a Flu and tetanus vaccine and the last trim from the farrier prior to foaling, all are routine for us and all for the benefit of the mares and foals as we start our new evening TV show… Foal Watch.

We are now prepared, if there is anything missing from our foaling kit, it is sleep! No matter if this is your first foaling or your 100th, you do not want to miss it…the thought of creating a life and not being prepared to take accountability for any complications that might occur is something we take very seriously.

Counting down the days, we observe their udders and vulvas at 6am and 6pm, these are key to all the signs of imminent foaling. As the week approaches to each due date, we take note of the loss of appetite for hay, they have adlib hay and as soon as this becomes bedding, we know things are starting to progress. As we increase their hard feed, we introduce a sloppy grass mash with salt, this ensures they drink plenty of water to prevent their droppings change to a firmer texture.

As we watch their evening stable TV routine show, we note their behaviour, we like to say it is a “textbook” foaling but never have we witnesses two foaling’s the same, not even from the same mare. Every mare has a different pain threshold, but the fact remains they all must go through the same process with or without those obvious signs they are supposed to show us…

Here is a little video of our 5 mares:

Redheart Appaloosas New Pasture

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It certainly has been a very wet winter, we’ve never fed hay in MAY before!!!

None the less, the sun eventually came out and the spring grass was evident, the herd certainly will benefit from Dr.Green.

 

Contentment…

 

Pure Appaloosa Breeding – Future Bloodlines

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Our Stallion – DFR Patahas Redheart certainly is a huge asset to our breeding plan.
Disregard the performance record, ignore the genetics reports, forget about conformation, and overlook the temperament and you are left with The Pedigree…

These horses in Blu’s pedigree are listed on The Appaloosa Horse Club Hall of Fame (established in 1986 to recognize the unique contributions and positive impact individual horses have made on the ApHC).

Thank you to Talisman Horses for this document – Ancestors

APACHE 1942 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1986 – Apache was known as “Performance Star Extraordinaire,” and his blood runs deep in some of today’s champions. 7 X Nat. Champ. named by The Horse Digest as 1 of the top 100 racehorses of all time, in any breed. Won either a Ch. or Res. Ch. Performance Horse title in each of the five National Shows he competed in. Won 16 of 19 race starts. 1948, 1949, & 1950 National Ch.
PRINCE PLAUDIT 1963 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – Top sire with get winning in both halter and performance events. A two-time national Get-of-Sire Champion. Sired winners of one gold, three silver, and 19 bronze medallions. He sired 637 registered foals and 45 of his get also produced medallion winners. He won a bronze production plaque in 1976.
PATCHY 1939 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1986 – Bred in the ApHC’s first year and became known as the “picture horse” because of his vivid colour and correct conformation. Champion Stallion at the first National show. 1948 National Champion Aged Stallion & National Grand Champion Stallion, 1952 National Champion Performance Horse, 1953 National Champion Get of Sire 1955 & 1959 Res National Champion.
CHIEF OF FOURMILE 1952 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – National Champion Performance Horse in 1955, 1956 & 1958, the only horse to win this title three times. National Race winner, Stakes Winner and World Champion Nez Perce Stake winner. A popular painting of this horse drew attention to the Appaloosa breed. He sired 107 registered foals.
JOKER B 1941 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – The 1962 National Champion Get-of-Sire, and in the top three for Get-of-Sire in 1957, 1963, and 1966. World & National Champion Sire, Champion Running Sire X2, First place in the 220-yard race in 1956. Sire of 3 World Champions, 9 National Champions and 1 Running Champion. He was an influential sire, and during the 1960s this horse was greatly responsible for the promotion of the Appaloosa breed by way of his extensive campaigning and numerous public appearances. He sired 196 registered foals.
RED EAGLE 1946 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – He was a charismatic horse and was the first National Champion Halter Horse. National Champion titles include Get-of-Sire and Aged Stallions, both in 1957. He greatly influenced West Coast activities during the 1940s and 1950s. He sired 74 registered foals.
SUNDANCE 500 1933 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – He antedated the registry and was a popular sire. A participant in the U.S. Government’s remount program, he founded one of the more well-known leopard colour families, many of the leopard lines today may still be traced to him.
RED EAGLE’S PEACOCK 1953 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1996 – A two-time national halter champion, by earning a 1956 National Halter title. The stallion’s conformation was deemed so impressive that his image was frequently used as an ideal example of the Appaloosa horse.
PATCHY JR 1952 – ApHC Hall of Fame 2005 – Successful in the show ring and passed his talent along to his get, he sired 100 registered foals and had more than 30 halter and performance championships to his name when he retired from showing at age 12. The stallion won National titles in yearling stallions, 2-year-old stallions, 3-year-old stallions, trail, get of sire, National grand champion stallion, reserve champion stallion—twice, premier sire of performance horses and titles at the Colorado state fairs including grand champion stallion, English pleasure champion, western pleasure, trail, Camas Prairie stump race, Nez Perce stake race and heritage.
His descendants have competed in events from western pleasure to reining, gymkhana, racing and halter in the United States, Canada and Europe. Remembered as an athletic, versatile, and well-mannered champion and sire.
BAMBI E 1954 – ApHC Hall of Fame 2008 -. This stallion shaped much of South Dakota’s Appaloosa industry as his leopard colouring made him the first of his kind in the state, which drew much attention to the horse. The stallion’s sudden popularity caused a surging interest in Appaloosas. The stallion was named high-point performance and high-point halter stallion in South Dakota; he also won open reining classes in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and Rapid City, South Dakota. His show career was short, but he was quite prolific as a sire of performance and halter horses and sired National Champions.

Our mares will add the following ApHC Hall of Fame Appaloosas to their progeny by DFR Patahas Redheart.

PEYRES CATORI CAT 2008:
THE EXECUTIVE 1973 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1993 – Who won every class he entered but one (he was reserve) and became National Champion Two Year-Old Stallion, he has more than 40 medallion winning sons and daughters, diverse in their talents as winners in halter, pleasure, jumping, reining, roping, cattle classes, trail, side saddle, and racing.
GOER 1973 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1994 – The all-time leading sire of Appaloosa foals, with 703 on record to date, GOER made an immeasurable impact on the Appaloosa breed–setting a standard for conformation that will remain for generations. To date, sire of over 48 bronze and two silver medallions, as well as 46 Register of Merits. His get have earned 11,655 points in open, youth, and non-pro competition, with 6,974 of those points earned at halter.

PRINCESSE PASCALE 2009 & REDHEART PASCALIUS 2013:
DOUBLE SIX DOMINO 1943 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – With limited showing, he was a National Champion Get-of-Sire in 1970 and placed in the top five in Get-of-Sire in 1960, 1962, and 1964. He sired many colourful winners in halter, performance, and racing–including 246 registered foals with a collective total of 23 performance points, one Register of Merit and one bronze medallion.
BRIGHT EYES BROTHER 1950 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – Said to have charisma and style, lightly shown but greatly influenced the development of the breed. He sired 128 registered foals, and four bronze medallion winners–one of which accumulated 69 halter points.
MIGHTY BRIGHT 1960 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – He impacted the breed substantially. Though injured as a youngster, he was an outstanding sire with offspring winning consistently. He sired 188 registered foals, including six bronze medallion winners in halter and performance and a total of 54 performance and 16 halter points.

CARICKS REDHEART 2014:
WAPITI 1955 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – He became one of the breed’s most influential foundation sires. He placed in the top three in the Get-of-Sire class, 1968-1970, sired 218 registered foals with a total of 268 performance points (by four horses), 192 halter points (by eight horses), six bronze medallions, five Register of Merit winners, one Superior Halter and two Superior Performance winners.
BRIGHT EYES BROTHER 1950 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1988 – Said to have charisma and style, lightly shown but greatly influenced the development of the breed. He sired 128 registered foals, and four bronze medallion winners–one of which accumulated 69 halter points.
THE EXECUTIVE 1973 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1993 – Who won every class he entered but one (he was reserve) and became National Champion Two Year-Old Stallion, he has more than 40 medallion winning sons and daughters, diverse in their talents as winners in halter, pleasure, jumping, reining, roping, cattle classes, trail, side saddle, and racing.

RUSTLER BILL 1954 – ApHC Hall of Fame 1996 – 33 grand champion stallion titles and make his permanent mark on Appaloosa history as one of the earliest pace setters for show horse competition. Among his get were halter and performance champions.
These horses are well recognised within the Bloodlines of the Appaloosa World, noted for more than outstanding performance, they appear in ALL our Redheart Foals.
TOBY I 1936 – ApHC National Champion Get of Sire, 1948 ApHC National Champion Performance Horse,
1948 ApHC National Champion Men’s Western Pleasure, 1948 ApHC National Champion Ladies Western Pleasure,
1948 ApHC National Champion Matched Pairs with Son Toby II and Sire of ApHC National Halter and Performance Champions.
TOBY II 1939 – National Champion Most Colourful Mount and Rider, 1948 ApHC National Champion Matched Pairs with Sire Toby I, 1948 ApHC National Champion 330 Yard Race, 1948 ApHC National Champion 1/4 Mile Race
ApHC National Champion Sire.
TOBY III 1944 – Multiple ApHC National Champion & ApHC National Champion Sire
TOBY IV 1953 – Champion 1955 Two yr. old stallions
FREELS CHICO 1947 – 1950 National Grand Champion Stallion; 1951 Res National Grand Champion Stallion & National Champ Get of Sire; 1954 Nat Champ Wallowa Windfall Race & Nat Champ Color; 1959 Nat Champ Eng Pleasure.
CHIEF CHELSEA 1947 – Sire of National Champions.
DUN ROVEN CHELSEAS IMAGE 1968 – National & World Top 10 Producer Sire of 2 X CRHA National Champions – Multiple R.O.M. producer.

Other Appaloosas noted historically, KNOBBY 1918 – AKA The Lamb Horse, FIRE EYES 1840 – Nez Perce owned and
BLUE HAWK 1898 – Ghost Wind Stallion plus lots of Appaloosas owned from the Sam Fisher Herd.

His blood lines are traced back with the Foundation Appaloosa Horse Registry at 92.9687%, he has a great history of Foundation horses behind him, from the first 8 Stud Books of the ApHC.

DREA Bluhawks Pataha FAHR #939 90.625%, DREA Fire Frangelica FAHR#938 95.3125%, DREA Comanchebluhawk FAHR#140 93.75, OaksPatchy Cloud FAHR #50 87.5%, Pratt Sully Fire FAHR #49 96.875%, DREA Blucomanchemaid FAHR #58 93.75%, KK’s Blu Phoenix FAHR #217 90.625%, Pratt Sul IM Tobena ApHC #522075 96.875%, Oakselah ApHC T346587 75%, SS Stillwater ApHC #266140 100%, Kemos Fire Shadow FAHR #18 100%, Pratts C Girls Im ApHC #422619 93.75%, KK’s Blu Phoenix FAHR #217 90.625%, Pratt Sul Im Tobena ApHC #522075 96.875%, Oklahomas Fly Boy ApHC #82099 100%, Kaniksus Karalea ApHC #498785 81.25%, KC Choc Chip “CC” ApHC #450182 93.75%, Pratts Sul Ima ApHC #448934 100%, Daymon ApHC T102655 75%, Lebars Kanina ApHC #452404 75%, XR’s War Bonnet ApHC #15048 100%, Running Water ApHC #162880 100%, Minindoka Snowy Britches ApHC #153025 100%, Kemo’s Kaprice ApHC #157145 100%, Pratts Sully Saska #167783 100%, Pratt Chelse Girl #331837 87.5%, Oklahomas Fly Boy ApHC #82099 100%, Kaniksus Karalea ApHC #498785 81.25%, KC Choc Chip “CC” ApHC #450182 93.75%, Pratts Sul Ima ApHC #448934 100%, Oklahoma F2398 100%, Shawnee City Sue #7171 100%, Kaniksus Spots #280805 87.5%,Kaniksus Krissie T304932 75%, KC Chipo Plaudit #376128 87.5%, Freckles Joker #377738 100%, Dun Roven Chelsea’s Image #191 100%, Pratts Sully Paty ApHC #298956 100%, Tumalo ApHC #46684 100%, Mona’s Daydream ApHC ID1675 50%, Wolf’s Tiny Bar ApHC #96409 50%, Wolf’s Bobby Socks ApHC T23648 100%, Surprise Patch F1677, Modock Ellie #5371, Warren’s Tribal Dance #48985, Radar’s Tonya #112601, Snake Rivers ApHC T220160 100%, Smokey Rock #42243, Thunder’s Kemosabe #52819, Centaur Ota Onspa #42688, Sully’s Chavelle #83964,Saska Chiquita #13049, Dun Roven Chelsea’s Image #191 100%, Pratts Sully To Geta #261150, Oklahoma F2398 100%, Shawnee City Sue #7171 100%, Kaniksus Spots #280805 87.5%, Kaniksus Krissie T304932 75%, KC Chipo Plaudit #376128 87.5%, Freckles Joker #377738 100%, Dun Roven Chelsea’s Image #191 100%, and Pratts Sully Paty ApHC #298956 100% in the first 6 generations.

Our breeding horses pedigrees can be seen here:

DFR PATAHAS REDHEART

HEVANS EV CATORRIUS

PEYRES CATORI CAT

PRINCESSE PASCALE

REDHEART PASCALIUS

CARICKS REDHEART

TALISMANS REDHEART

Appaloosa Stallion Semen Collection – DFR Patahas Redheart

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We can confidently put the Artificial Insemination (AI) kit away as our last mare scanned in foal. We pray all mares to carry full term and wish them a safe delivery resulting in five healthy mares and foals for 2021.

Here is a little clip of our 2020 Stallion Semen Collection – Made easy by DFR Patahas Redheart

All five mares are confirmed pregnant, looks like January, February, and March 2021 will be busy and exciting. Due to current government guidelines, it is not essential for us to have the mares sexed scanned although we seem to have orders for fillies!!

Princesse Pascale is our first mare due, from the size of her embryo we can work out she ovulated on the 12th February, this means her estimated foaling date for 2021 is between January 8th and January 23rd (330 – to 345 days).

Peyres Catori Cat, from the size of her embryo we can work out she ovulated on the 15th of February, this means her estimated foaling date for 2021 is between January 11th and January 26th (330 – to 345 days).

Caricks Redheart, from the size of the embryo we can work out she ovulated on the 16th of February, this means her estimated foaling date for 2021 is between January 12th and January 27th (330 – to 345 days).

Talismans Redheart, from the size of her embryo we can work out she ovulated on the 17th March, this means her estimated foaling date for 2021 is between February 10th and February 25th (330 – to 345 days).

And, our last mare Redheart Pascalius,  from the size of her embryo we can work out she ovulated on the 10th April, this means her estimated foaling date for 2021 is between 7th and 22 March (330 – to 345 days).

There are many ways Studs collect from their stallions, there is no rule. Most studs comply with what suits the stallion, what facilities are available, and depending on help available. The main criteria for collection are health, safety, and all measures in place to limit disease control.

We have found training our stallion very easy, he’s a sensible horse and we “read” him well. Once he has reached the point of “no return”, there is only one objective for him – mount the dummy mare and ejaculate. For this reason, we have been able to safely collect from him and successfully AI our mares.

 

Making 2021 Redheart Appaloosa Foals by Artifical Insemination (AI)

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Frisky February

Artificial Insemination (AI) – A process that involves depositing good quality semen into the mare’s uterus at the right time, taking all necessary precaution to reduce infection.

 

There are many reasons why I decided to plan my barn the way I did, there are many reasons why I decided to complete an Artificial Insemination course and there are many reasons why I choose to try for early foals but all my reasons are due to my own personal thoughts on breeding and what suits me.

I’m employed full-time, up at 6am and home at 6pm, the work load I complete on my own and would never complain, breeding is a passion, every day is a school day and everything must work for me as an individual. Therefore, the stallion and mares must be cooperative in all manners, you can’t have a mare trying to get out of the stocks when you have fresh semen ready to be inserted.

To start at the beginning we needed to control our mares estrous cycle which is affected by light, turning the barn lights on at 6am and off at 10pm has given the mares 16 hours of “artificial light” and sure enough come February the 5th we saw our first mare “show” to our stallion.

This year we have 4 seasoned mares and 1 maiden, the seasoned mares are faultless with AI but we certainly prepared our maiden well in advance, washing her vagina, bandaging her tail and teaching her to stand quietly in the stocks well before AI could take place.

We invested last year in a set of stocks, a dummy mare and an AI “kit”, we successfully inseminated 4 mares, the mares were not a problem but teaching our stallion was certainly a challenge. The aim is for the stallion is to “flower” or “called belling” (which basically means he reaches the point of no return before ejaculation), I won’t go into detail, but our stallion went from being unbelievably shy to being obsessed and overly keen with the dummy! All his actions have been noted for future reference as his mating behaviour certainly changes with individual mares (such as he flowers and ejaculates within seconds with one of our mares but takes 4 or 5 minutes to even get aroused by another one of our mares). His sexual response (libido) certainly has increased this year with a very mature and sensible attitude.

AI takes less than 5 minutes to complete, from collection to insemination but preparation takes nearly an hour…
Many factors affect collecting from a stallion with an AV, temperature, the tightness or pressure that surrounds the AV, some like it loose whilst others like it tight, we have not experienced a “non-collection” from our stallion so I guess either we are doing what he likes or he really isn’t fussy? The last reason is the amount of lubrication (Ky jelly) used, remember, you are trying to mimic a vagina, if the AV is too slippery or too dry many stallions won’t ejaculate, I think we have this lube sorted 😉

As soon as our stallion sees the AV, the screaming starts, to an inexperienced person the noise is quite frightening but to a breeder its music! We are ready, hard hat on, steel toe capped boots, mare ready and stallion ready. The stallion’s stable is opposite the dummy and we put the mare in the stable parallel to him, her stable is opposite the stocks. We watch and wait for the stallion to become aroused and just as we see the flowering, we open the stable door, timed to perfection within a few strides he’s on the dummy making love to the AV like it’s his right and duty!

Our stallion likes to have what I call “his cigar moment”, after ejaculation, he always turns his head to the right, as if he’s looking at the mare – “was that good for you?”. He climbs off the dummy in a daze and he’s returned to the stable! The mare is then walked into the stocks and inseminated…

We have collected many times during February, we are convinced we have at least three mares pregnant but two just didn’t feel right, we’ll soon find out at their 16-day scan. At this first scan we gain vital information, first a positive pregnancy, secondly the detection of twins and thirdly by the size of the oocyte (egg) we can work out when ovulation took place and therefore predict the foaling date.

As a qualified AI technician, I can only use fresh and chilled semen, I can not use frozen. I am only allowed to use my certificate within the UK as per the Veterinary Surgeons Act 2010 No 2059. I must adhere to all limitations of disease control, for this reason I do not stand my stallion at public stud and do not have boarding mares here at Redheart Appaloosas, it’s just too impractical.

It will be wonderful to have all mares confirmed in foal earlier in the season to enable our stallion to compete back under saddle for the 2020 show season without him loosing weight fretting over in season mares…

Redheart Appaloosa Mare Pedigrees – Caricks Redheart

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A look back at 4 years with Caricks Redheart.

Myka joined us at the age of two in November 2016 from Doncaster, England. She completed one season in the ring and was mainly shown by a junior.
Myka always looks for the mud and has a very affectionate character. Standing at 15.2hh she’s a great asset to our broodmare herd and has proved to an excellent broodmare.

With 28/30 Appaloosas in her 5 generation pedigree we see her sire, Drea Yakima Firshado has ApHC Hall of Fame horses, Red Eagle, Bambi E and Sundance 500 whilst her dam, Lambrigg Dollar Girl bloodline’s trace back to BRIGHT EYES BROTHER, JOKER B, THE EXECUTIVE, WAPITT (1966), PRINCE PLAUDIT (1963) and RUSTLER BILL (1996).

She has many Quarter Horses listed on the American Quarter Horse Hall Of Fame – LEO, DEAPTH CHARGE, JOE REED, JOE REED II, OLD SORREL, SOLIS, JOE HANCOCK, OKLAHOMA STAR, BILLY GLEGG, POCO BUENO, SKIPPER W, THREE BARS as well as OLD FRED (PHBA) and just to add for a giggle, SIRI SHEIK (1945) owned by Paula Cooper 😊

Myka’s pedigree is also steeped with some impressive Thoroughbred racehorses – West Australian (Triple Crown winner), BOLD VENTURE (won Kentucky Derby G1, Preakness Stakes G1), ST GERMANS (leading Sire in 1931). BLENHEIM (won The Derby in 1930), ROCK SAND (1903 British Triple Crown Winner), THE TETRARCH (leading Sire in GB & Ireland in 1919), SANSOVINO (winner of Epsom Derby 1924), BLANDFORD (Three-Time Leading Sire in Great Britain & Ireland 1934, 1935, & 1938), GAINSBOROUGH (winner of the English triple crown), MUMTAZ MAHAL (Champion 2YO Filly in 1923), PHALARIS (leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1925 & 1928), MACARONI (won Epsom Derby 1863) and many more…

The 2019 Redheart Appaloosa Foals Are Weaned…

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Well, that was the easiest weaning we have ever had…

Maybe because we have four foals, maybe because our new stables have “windows” for them to interact?

Minimal “calling” from the mares and foals, quite honestly, we don’t know why the foals were actually not bothered, so we are just going to go with it!

The Appaloosa and the CREAM Gene!!!

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When it comes to Appaloosas and you have a Stallion that can pass his cream gene on to his off spring, we do not take for granted what we see before us, we have to test.

The cream when inherited does not show on black, it’s quite obvious on a new-born bay’s as it turns the red pigment into a golden colour, evidently known as buckskin.

Our two bay foals Rookie (left) and Reflection (right) are both EE Aa and both have inherited the cream gene, making them buckskins.


Our two black and white foals Revelation (left) and Relentless (right), look black and white! You can not tell if they have inherited the cream gene. They are both homozygous black (EE aa).

 

Only genetically testing has confirmed our filly Revelation has inherited the cream gene, our colt, Relentless has not inherited the cram gene.

Revelation’s black markings will eventually turn a beautiful blue/grey colour whilst Relentless will stay with that sharp black and white appearance.

Sometimes black and white is not always black and white…