Redheart Mares – Sex Scanned…

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So last weekend, our repro vet Mark Georgetti gave us his time, his patience and his expertise by sex scanning our three mares at around 60 days. We would like two fillies to continue our breeding programme with the semen stored from Hevans EV Catorrius (Reus). The only mares unrelated to him are Princesse Pascale and Caricks Redheart. You cannot breed two non-characteristic Appaloosas’s, (maybe one day the rule will change) therefore our fillies need to be heterozygous or homozygous.

We have inseminated all our mares with fresh semen from DFR

Left to right, Princesse Pascale carrying a filly, Peyres Catori Cat carrying a colt and Caricks Redheart also carrying a colt.

PP – Filly

 

Catori – Colt

Myka – Colt

The 60-day ultrasound identified our mares are carrying single live fetuses. Mark was very patient to find the view required and eventually the genital tubercle was located.

We are grateful our mares are in foal and the foetuses are “single” and “alive”, we pray the gestation and births follow suit!

Peyres Catori Cat, who is Reus’ dam is carrying a colt and Caricks Redheart is also carrying a colt.

Princess Pascale is carrying the next future Redheart filly, how ecstatic are we?

We await Redheart Pascalius’s (Reu’s half-sister) sex scan at the end of the month, our GAP 6 foal is definitely a filly or a colt though!!!!

At 61 days gestation, our last mare Redheart Pascalius (Evee) has been sexed scanned.

The live scan definitely showed a filly but the picture I took looks like a colt, so time will tell.

Redheart’s first GAP 6 foal (six generation of Appaloosa x Appaloosa breeding).

The genital tubercle (which eventually will become the penis in a colt and the clitoris in a filly) develops on the midline of the fetuses, between the hind legs. The structure moves towards the umbilicus in a colt and toward the anus in a filly.

I wonder when DFR Patahas Redheart (Blu) was watching over his herd as a yearling did he think one day they will all be carrying his babies?

Artificial Insemination & Semen Collection @ Redheart Appaloosa Stud

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Our ten-year plan is now well underway, we have imported new Appaloosa blood into the UK, we have shown in-hand all our “foundation” breeding stock and strongly believe our stock have earned their merits to breed, now we begin competing under saddle.

We have tested all the stock’s genes to clarify breeding forward with clear genetics. By definition, breeding negative mares to negative stallions can only result in negative foals. HERDA – Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia, GBED – Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency, HYPP – Equine Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis Disease and MH – Malignant Hyperthermia and of course the two most important here in the UK as Appaloosa registration default, the Grey gene, and PSSM1 – Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy.

For our own interest, we have tested the “foundation” stock for their colour and Appaloosa genetic makeup. It’s good to know what percentage of chance you have for specific color and coat patterns. One definite result we will never know is the gender, although saying that, our 2016 sex scans were correct.

The British Appaloosa Society (BApS) and the Appaloosa Horse Club UK (ApHC UK) have very strict guidelines for breeding registered purebred Appaloosas. We make sure our paperwork is fault free with DNA on file, genetic tests, stallion licensing and of course pedigree percentages. Redheart Appaloosa Stud pride themselves on not only ensuring completed registration certificates but the highest of the grades possible from each mating, being 100% Foundation Pedigree Designation (FPD), Generation Advancement Programme (GAP 5 or GAP 6) with Appaloosa Horse Club and GRADE A or STUD BOOK with the British Appaloosa Society. Our horses are overstamped with the Sports Horse Society and all foals are eligible.

We treat our mares like “princesses”, they are very important and are not breeding machines. We believe in quality, not quantity. The current supply of “Appaloosa’s” is high and the demand is low and if you’re looking for a spotty horse, then the market is plentiful, it is only through education will people understand the history of a Purebred Appaloosa, albeit BApS or ApHC UK registered.  The current market offers some wonderful spotty horses, but beware and ask the right questions, not every spotty horse is an Appaloosa. The realisation that the purebred Appaloosa is a rare breed in the UK with less than twelve 100% FPD horses, less than six GAP 5 horses, not one GAP 6 and there are less than ten British Appaloosa Society Stud Book registered horses. (These figures might have increased to date).

We treasure our stallion, DFR Patahas Redheart, his age is a huge advantage to the longevity of the stud and his colour test confirmed homozygous black with a cream gene and homozygous PATN1 with foundation lines traced back to the first 8 Stud Books of the ApHC at 92.9687%. We know we have something quite unique, a very rare find in the Appaloosa world and one of a kind here in the UK.

Many studs and stallion owners allow their stallion to run with mares, some cover in hand and it works perfectly fine. On the other hand, some owners have seen and experienced detrimental damage to their stallions and mares under these conditions. Trying to limit the damage of such accidents we have stored frozen semen from our stallion Reus before castrating him, allowing him to have a rich life among his relations. Planning ahead with our stallion Blu, we have established a small AI unit, consisting of stocks, a basic lab, and a dummy mare. Certified by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a UK AI technician I have the certificate of competence in AI of equines.

We are delighted to announce Princess Pascale, Caricks Redheart and Peyres Catori Cat are scanned in foal, due early April 2019.

We await Redheart Pascalius to come into season, looks like we will be busy next year!.

 

The Appaloosa Mares are out in the pasture..

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After a long winter, the ground has certainly dried and the spring grass is coming through.

Over the last week, our mares have joined our two yearlings, Regent and Reality in the pasture. Slowly increasing the amount of time spent grazing, they haven’t come up for air!

 

Heads Down

 

And then…waking up to this view!

Appy Redheart Valentines – Ten Years

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Redheart Appaloosa Stud specialises in the breeding, showing and promotion of purebred Appaloosas to achieve what our breed is known for – versatility, athleticism, stamina and the heart to compete in any equine discipline.

Redheart Appaloosas breed purebred Appaloosas (30/30) with a 5 generation pedigree and our horses are a “cocktail” of height, colour, stature and pedigree percentages.

We ensure our mating’s are created to complement each foal, aiming for the perfect Appaloosa.

Redheart Appaloosas provide all registration documents, pedigree, genetics and colour test certificates and all our horses are negative for the 5-panel test and the Grey Gene.

We shall not forget where we started, 14th February 2008 travelling to France and importing Peyres Catori Cat and a year later, travelling to Austria and importing another weanling, Princesse Pascale. Both fillies imported to become our “Foundation” broodmares.

Ten years on both mares have produced seven wonderful foals between them, creating a unique gene pool in the UK and enabling the Stud to expand, continuing on our journey, enhancing the Foundation Appaloosa bloodline.

We created a plan, we have implemented the plan and we have stuck to our plan. Ten years on, we have superior broodmares and an exceptional unrelated stallion.

The future Redheart foals can only exceed our high standards and expectations of breeding PURE Appaloosas.

 

Princesse Pascale

Princesse Pascal’s sire Akawaio Potawatomi

Peyres Catori Cat

 

Peyres Catori Cat’s sire – Sully Tomcat Peyres

 Appy Redheart Valentines 

Winter 2017/18 At Redheart Appaloosa Stud

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The Winter With The Redheart Appaloosas

At 6 am the stable lights go on and at 6 pm I’ll straighten the bed

Without a doubt, come rain or snow, out in the corral they must go

Stretching their legs and keeping their head, it’s never long before they’re fed

Our stallion likes to smell the air and our broodmares like to stand and stare

The yearlings love to buck and run, they really have so much fun

The rest are easily pleased as we wait for spring it seems

There’s always one that loves to roll, the one by the gate see’s the feed bowel

The night-blind horses can see in the day but in the dark, only the light shows the way

They follow me with never a doubt, they trust me when they go out

The days are stolen and I want them back, never time for cleaning tack

I used the camera and as you can see, the horses are posers, just like thee

Peyres Catori Cat

Redheart Catorrius / Hevans EV Catorrius
 

Redheart Regal

Redheart Regent

Princesse Pascale

Redheart Pascalius

Redheart Reality

DFR Patahas Redheart

Caricks Redheart

The Apron Strings – Between Mare & Foal……

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A mare and foal have a very strong bond. Princesse Pascale and Peyres Catori Cat have both displayed the normal reactions to their foals and kept them close.

BUT…..

It’s also very normal for the foals to venture away from their dams, not too far, generally running around them. Regent and Reality have passed close to each other a few times and today they met!

As each day passes, the foals start to socialize, it’s a beautiful sight. One minute Regent is playing the dominant foal and the next minute its Reality’s turn.

Here are a few pictures, when they met for the first time.

I’m not sure if it’s the mare or the foal who “release” The Apron String?

Redheart Regent is Born….

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Peyres Catori Cat x Kiss My Finest Heart 97% FPD Colt

Full sibling to our stallion, Reus.

Our Vet, John Campbell at Three Counties Equine Hospital who sex scanned Catori was right, a COLT!

Although Catori was uncomfortable for 12 hours before giving birth, veterinary examination either end of the day confirmed the foals knees were situated high in Catori’s pelvis. After the foal had repositioned himself, Catori’s foaling was very straight forward at 11.45 pm on the 21st April!!!!

By 3 am, she had cleansed, passing a fully intact placenta and Regent was up nursing.

Mother Nature, is wonderful and Catori is a wonderful mother herself.

Redheart Regent is Born….

The Build Up To Foaling…..

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Princesse Pascale and Peyres Catori Cat are now carrying low and are slowly showing all the right signs of foaling.

We have our new sensor motion camera, I receive instant image updates sent to my phone and can view the mares live at any time, anywhere. Modern technology is great but it can become quite addictive….

The mares, keeping their legs crossed!

 

The broodmares at 344 days.

Foaling is far from imminent but The Build Up is exciting….

335 Days – 2017 Foaling Count Down…..

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It’s one week until Princess Pascale and Peyres Catori Cat reach their 342 (average) foaling date.

We are under no illusion they will foal next Sunday, we are not expecting them to foal on the same day just because they were inseminated on the same day. What we’re hoping for, is two safe deliveries this month or even next month?

Both mares have been in their new day and night routine for over a month, they are very much set in their new routine.

I am sure if they could open doors and gates they would walk themselves in and out!

Both mares are bagging up.

At the end of the day, the foal will decide the day.

The mares will decide the time.

2017 Foaling Count Down…..