Dawn to Dusk………….
At Redhearts, we are no different to any another horse owner during these winter months, finding the long months a challenge. Irrespective if your horse/s live in and worked or live out or come in during the night, the work load is immense. The commitment to strive through the elements of the weather is the small price you pay for the satisfaction of being a horse owner. Taking on the frozen pipes, the extra manure due to the longer hours spent in the stable and ad lib hay. Not to mention the muddy fields……..I could go on!
None the less I look forward to the winter, “letting the horses down”, letting them get muddy, grow a winter coat and be “horses” is all part of their education, especially for the young stock, I believe this is one factor of many that is key to their future.
Although I find it a challenge, with work, the school runs and general family life, it is only what I know now. The race against the day light hours,I find preparation and organisation at the weekends without compromising the care of the horses makes life easier. Long gone are my days of changing rugs and warming the bit up…..
Today the sun shone and I had time to take some up to date images. It is amazing to see what a bit of sun can do, the young stock certainly had fun……
The broodmares grazed….
The Redheart fillies played……
Reus constantly annoyed the pony……..
Despite a thick dirty coat, an over grown mane and splashed with mud, he still looks a “handsome two-year old colt”…..
Who is the Appaloosa?
The cold dry days are far more enjoyable than the wet windy ones and the horses actions support this quite clearly.
The race against the clock from Dawn to Dusk has been captured beautifully by my very patient daughters.
Dawn, the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before the sunrise, time to get those horses out…..in aid of Easter because of her night blindness.
Dusk, during early stages of twilight, there is enough light in the sky under clear-sky conditions to get the horses in without the aid of a torch….
When twilight sets the scene, when the Sun itself is not directly visible because it is below the horizon, it’s the countdown to wash your boots and lock up……
Same horses, new names…..
A myth or not, I have always believed to change a horses “stable name” is bad luck. I cannot say I know anyone who has changed a “stable name” and experienced bad luck but then how do you decide what is bad luck? The life of the horse or your own personal life with that horse?
None the less, I know plenty of horses and owners that have re-named their horses registered name. I do not believe you obtain bad luck for changing the registered name and I can vouch for this in my own personal experience.
When Mr Jones bred his mares Helen and Mary, his late wife Doreen named them Mary So Gay and Helen So Gay. They were re-named Helen Tudor and Mary Tudor after the farm “Mount Tudor”. We had great success with them and no bad luck during their days, Mary passed away of natural causes a few years ago in her late 20’s and Helen is still going strong nearly in her 30’s. Fantastic ages for Thoroughbreds.
So, I do not believe bad luck is upon me for having (out of my control) to re-name Hevans EV Pascalius and Hevans EV Cateaster.
With the prefix “Hevans” already taken in the UK under the Central Prefix Register, the rules are different in the USA where my horses are registered. Although “Hevansev” was a prefix available to me here, it made little sense for future foals and was very difficult to pronounce.
Having collected my passports yesterday, I can officially introduce you to the same horses with their new names, REDHEART PASCALIUS and REDHEART CATEASTER.
HEVANS EV PASCALIUS
Evee, same horse new name….
REDHEART PASCALIUS
HEVANS EV CATEASTER
Easter, same horse new name…..
REDHEART CATEASTER
Wish us luck………..
Educating Easter……..
With Catori settled away from home it has given me an opportunity to bond with Easter, frequently using short periods of quality time educating her without any other distractions. I like this weaning process, only once the first 24hrs have passed. Easter has accepted her mum has gone and not there to comfort her, she is calm and absolutely adorable.
Although Easter was imprinted at birth I believe it is very important to expose her gradually to the sights, sounds and procedures she will encounter next year and future life. I spent and completed the same tasks with Reus and Evee and they both have made the last two years showing an enjoyable and hassle free experience. (Reus’s hormones excluded from that statement).
In my experiences, handling/training light weight impressionable young stock is far less of a risk than the four-year old National Hunt store horses I have always been used to…..very challenging.
I really enjoy working with young stock, earning their trust and respect is very rewarding. Starting with a blank canvas is very precious and can easily go wrong if their reactions are misunderstood. The important thing is patience, a calm positive approach and plenty of time.
Learning from repetition, I do not move on to the next stage until the first stage can be repeated without question with any task. Their reward is only ever a good scratch on the neck with a kind tone of voice and never a titbit, that’s just a personal preference.
Here are the task’s Easter has encountered, overcome and completed with A* so far………
Will confidently enter and exit her own stable without question and will stand back from the stable door and wait for her head collar to be applied without moving.
Easter could tie up (next to mum) but now on her own, in and out of the stable.
Can be led at a confident walk from both sides, this was really from her early days with mum to and from
the field.
A tiny venture on the lane which was a fantastic effort to leave the yard, this was Easter’s curiosity taking me not me asking her….
She already was able to pick up her feet with ease and confidence but now whilst tied up on her own with great balance.
Can confidently enter deep water and play….
She has been desensitized all over her body with a towel but now we can use a soft brush, finding those itchy spots.
Asking for a step back, a light pressure to the shoulder has been applied and accepted.
Can confidently walk up the lorry ramp, stand, wait and walk slowly back down.
Here is the process of Easter loading the horse lorry for the first time.
Content, confident and happy. Job done.
The ongoing tasks not yet experienced……
One of my favourites, “the clippers” especially around the head…..a long working process.
Throwing a sheet over her (even head) from both sides without flinching.
Walking on and over a polythene sheet, seeing blowing balloons, hearing loud music, playing with a variety of objects and the best one of all, the aerosol spray can……
To tie and stand on the lorry and later accept the ramp closed. Eventually go for a journey around the block. This is probably the best education that puts them just right before their first show.
Allowing traffic to pass, with the dark nights the lights on cars I believe is not a true reflection of what a car looks and sounds like. Easter has night blindness so I will be leaving the traffic experience until next year.
Only by teaching her these experiences will make the preparation for showing an effortless task next year but also a valuable education for the future. When leaving the yard at stupid ‘O’ Clock in the mornings, when time is so precious, do you realise how much your yearling has learnt and should never be taken for granted.
Catori is home now and was reunited with Easter over the stable door. It really is an unbelievable reaction as they act like strangers. Easter greeted her mum with the “mouthing” action demonstrating her submissive behaviour, “I am just a baby, please don’t hurt me”!
They are all back out in the field and as you can see, all very confidently grazing away from each other, yet in their comfort zone.
When mum is out of sight and ear shot there is an exceptional window of opportunity to educate a weanling, they are like “sponges” and readily absorb any education offered to them.
Weeping at weaning time….………
Over the last four years, I question myself why am I breeding when it comes to weaning. I feel so much pain for the mare and foal it’s pathetic but perhaps it has something to do with motherhood?
Easter is now six months old and I have observed her very closely over the last few weeks. During the day (out in the field) I have noticed the distance between her and Catori and Easter’s strong bond with Evee has developed considerably. Catori (although five months pregnant) has been content being with her best friend PP, a perfect match for scratching and grazing.
Being one of the most stressful experiences in a horse’s lifetime (never mind the owners) my aim is to minimise the stress for mare and foal. I have ensured Easter has had a good start in life, she is up to date with her jabs, her feet have been regularly trimmed and she’s carrying enough weight to head into the winter months and cope with the weaning process. She is a greedy little filly and I have no doubt her digestive system is ready.
So I did it, yesterday Catori was loaded into the lorry as a vacancy arose at Will Hunt’s yard, taken away out of ear shot from Easter for a holiday to allow her milk to dry up.
Today is the first day Easter has been without her mum, although a constant neighing last night, the other horses constantly replied to her. I guess, reassuring her they were only next door or telling her to shut up?
Today, the appropriate company was Evee, PP was stabled as I believe three could be a crowd. Evee was so quiet and calm with Easter, no running around, no bossing about, just a quick meet and greet then graze. What a relief and wonderful to see.
Before it got dark, I took Easter for a walk around the yard and made a fuss of her……..
No neighing at this present time.
No more weeping at weaning time.
The night before, the night before …………….
Friday 15th August.
There is a lot of preparation the night before a show. Finishing work I collected my girls from their “Kids Club”, got the horses in from their fields, worked Reus, bathed and plaited him. Frank came and worked Evee, I then bathed and plaited her. A few other jobs completed and all was good to go.
Saturday 16th August.
Fed horses at 5am, loaded and on road for 7am to Hartpury College / Equestrian Centre , it was only a short drive away which meant no pressure. Our arrival was like entering a ghost town.
Not sure how many people have done this but I can confirm I am now one person that has gone to a show a day early, better than a day late I guess. Thankfully the short journey home was most entertaining as my children thought it was hilarious funny, as I explained it was “a trial run”
Surprised to be un-loaded at home, the horses enjoyed a relaxing walk around the lanes.
Hevans EV Pascalius
Hevans EV Cataorrius
“All dressed up and nowhere to go”
The worse thought;
I knew they would need bathing and plaiting the night before (again) the British Appaloosa Society National Breed Show ON Sunday 17th August 2014.
Another huge relief…..
Awaiting the following cycle after her foal heat, Peyres Catori Cat was booked in at Three Counties Equine Hospital LLP for an Artificial Insemination (AI) package with the semen from RDF Ti Kha Atta Rain.
Peyres Catori Cat had her 1st pregnancy scan today,
which proved to be positive!
Princesse Pascale also had a scan to confirm a
heartbeat and healthy maintained pregnancy !
As I look out across the field I see the mares happy and content, pregnant for 2015 and my two Kiss My Finest Heart fillies growing and enjoying life……
What a relief, very excited about the new arrivals out of Peyres Catori Cat & Princesse Pascale by RDF Ti Kha Atta Rain.
Chalk & Cheese…..
Today I received and have loaded on her page, Easter’s Genetic Report.
One of the lovely things about these Appaloosa’s is their colour and coat pattern, very much what the breed is so well recognised for.
If you look at Reus, you could not say for sure “That’s an Appaloosa”. Look at Easter and it’s obvious she’s an Appaloosa, bearing in mind they are full siblings!
Easter has been confirmed LP/LP – Homozygous for the Leopard Print gene. I can confidently say she is affected by Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (CSNB), therefore her management will be dealt with appropriately.
All my horses are kept in a routine, out during the day and stabled at night. Easter will already be adapting to her condition since birth. Keeping her routine gives her a safe place to eat, drink and sleep during the night. I will adjust my transporting times during her future showing career ensuring I plan the travelling times to and from the events in the daylight, for her own safety and to protect all parties involved.
The advantage of her LP status is she will produce a characteristic foal 100% of the time!
Knowing your roots…….
When choosing the blood line of any Stallion it is always a good idea to know the history!
Kiss My Finest Heart as an endurance Stallion is wonderful and all that “goes” with him as the father of my present youngstock. What stands behind him is his Sire Eagles ThundernToby, a resident stallion of Deanna Brown at www.thunderntobyranch.com.
It was some time ago when I contacted Deanna to give her the news of Thunders three grandchildren her in the UK. Today I received the most encouraging letter along with a few pictures of Hevans EV Catorrius, Hevans EV Pascalius and Hevans EV Cateasters Grandfather!
I hope you appreciate their website as much as I have. Thunder is a horse that has a beautiful story behind his accomplishments! I have listed his achievements below these photos.
Eagles Thundern Toby’s Achievements:
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2006 ApHC Bronze Medallion in Distance with 355 miles.
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2006 ApHC Register of Merit in Distance
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2006 Sixth place in AERC Central Region.
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2006 8th place in Palmyra, WI at the ApHC National Championship 50 mile Endurance ride. The only stallion to compete.
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2006 High Point Appaloosa – Ozark Country Endurance Riders
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2006 High mileage Novice Horse – Colorado Ranger Horse.
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2006 Jo Ann Tate Memorial Annual Achievement Award for High Point Appaloosa – Ozark Country Endurance Riders.
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2006 Colorado Ranger Horse Association Novice Endurance Horse- Bill Wicklund, Rider.
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2007 First year working cattle: World Championship Appaloosa Horse show Timed Roping Finalist
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2007 Sundance 500 International Open Show Point Program. Second Place, Cattle.
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Appaloosa Journal: August 2007 Vol 61, No. 8, Page 48, Distance Article
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2008 ApHC World Show, Paul Tiernery rider on 2008 World Championship events:
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Third in Open Senior Judged Heeling. Year end Finalist.
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2008 ApHc World Show Sixth in Open Senior Judged Heading
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2008 ApHc World Show Fourth in Open Heading and Heeling.
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2008 First in the Nation in Steer Daubing.
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2008 Year end high point. ApHC Silver Medallion
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2008 Sundance 500 International Open Show Point Program. High Point in cattle
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2008 ApHc World Show Seventh overall High Point Timed Roping Champion
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2008 FOUR ApHC Register of Merits
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2008 Sundance 500 International Open Show Point Program. Supreme Champion
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Appaloosa Journal: August 2008 Vol 62, No. 8, Page 90, On a Loose Rein.
The blood line continues at Redheart Appaloosas……
Stepping out……
After a few days bonding in the confinement of a stable, it was time for Catori & Easter to stretch their legs and allow Catori time to graze. The purchase of a corral ensured no galloping but an area large enough for the mare and foal to be turned for a few hours.
Peyres Catori Cat & Hevans EV Cateaster, first day out!
After a few circuits of the corral, Catori took a deep sigh and put her head down to eat, which was a relief for Easter who was exhausted mentally and pysically by her mother’s actions….
Once Easter is strong enough they will be introduced to Princesse Pascale and Hevans EV Pascalius in the big field.