Our News About Our Quarter Horse Farm, Horse Training, and Web Publishing

February 9, 2010

Although folks from north of us might think our Kansas winters to be relatively mild, this has been, for us, a fairly hard winter. We've been in survival mode. Most of our winters are so mild that I've been able to continue using the water hose through them, but not this one.

This makes it hard to plan for spring and hard to think about breeding mares.  Of course, I don't raise very many foals very often anyhow and when I do, it is to get something I'll want to keep.

As bad as the economy is overall, and as really terribly bad the horse economy is, it doesn't make sense to raise more horses without a good, clear reason for doing so.

If you must breed horses, make darn sure that you'll using stock that actually has something to offer in the way of superior genetics. Everyone thinks their own mare is the greatest ever, just because they love her. But, be realistic about her conformation, her temperament, and her pedigree. "Good Ol So and So," just off the papers just doesn't cut it as a breeding quality pedigree.

For examples of carefully crafted pedigrees and a program worthy of emulation, check out Carol McWhirter's herd, listed on her site at DanMcWhirter.com. It is better to have one really good broodmare, bred to a top stallion, than to have a dozen hay burners. As author Don Blazer wrote, "One mare can make you rich, a dozen can make you poor." (Or something to that effect.)

I've been continuing to work very hard on programming for my customers' websites and for my own. I recently set about reviving a site I've had for over ten years, Quarter Horse Times. I upgraded the photo gallery and installed an online horse show, links directory, and free unlimited photo and video ads.

I have a lot of work to get done by spring so that I'll be free to return to coaching the kids who come for horseback riding lessons, and getting horses trained.

October 26, 2009

The Eastern Kansas Horseman's Association banquet was Saturday evening.

The president, Sara Prochaska, was superb as master of ceremonies, even if it did seem odd to see Sara unaccompanied by her pack of Saint Bernards.

The last time I had been to an EKHA banquet was back in the early 70's, when I was high point in girls' goat tying. (I think I may still have that trophy somewhere.) At this year's event, it was nice to hear some of the old, familiar names called again, when trophies named in their honor were presented.

I learned that I have been appointed to be one of the three EKHA point keepers, and I am pleased for the opportunity to give something back to this fine family-oriented organization that has meant so much to me.

For my mare Chelsea's performances in Ladies 46 & Over Quarter-Bred Western Pleasure, and Senior Horse Western Pleasure, I received a plaque and a really cool folding chair. Something that amused me about the final placements of the Senior Horse WP class was that I was the oldest of the four. Marlene Patry is in the 19-45 age group and the other two ladies are teenagers. One of of the teens, Meghan Dalton, won the state 4-H 2 year old futurity; awesome!

My son Ely attended with me and did the driving to and from Abilene. Ely normally doesn't do large social events, because the noise aggravates his cochlear hearing implant and gives him headaches. It was very nice to have him along for this one.

Thinking back to when I was a kid, competing in EKHA, I remember how hard I worked and how badly I wanted to win. Classes were huge back then and it was very difficult to win. I can still tell you the names of the kids and their horses who did most of the winning! Who else remembers "Ace," a horse with a Western Pleasure style decades ahead of that time. Who remembers "Blue Solo?"

I often say that if I could have known then what I know now about horses, that I may have been "the one to beat" back then. Our 4-H horse project leader Bernard Wells was excellent and he and Betty ran the horse project in a way that should be a model for everyone to follow in how to effectively make a GREAT 4-H horse project experience. My family belonged to the local, now defunct Manhattan Round-Up Club and I got some help from people there also. But what I really needed, I think, was professional coaching, and that wasn't available locally back then.

Karen Russell of Hutchinson had come into fame as a clinician and coach, but my parents were working people who considered her services too expensive. I know now, as an adult, that I could have found some way to manage to attend some of Mrs. Russell's programs, but at the time, we didn't have the money and so I considered the door closed.

If anyone has read this far, perhaps they wonder why winning is so important. It really isn't. How we treat other people and animals is what matters. Having character and integrity matters. Accepting one's imperfections and striving minute by minute to be a better person matters. Faith matters.

Having said that, I can say, "Winning is not a dirty word." My fellow EKHA members are examples of that. Everyone is competitive and enjoys winning, but it is a matter of improving one's personal best. Doing one's best does not go hand in hand with wishing less than the best for one's competitors. Luck plays a part. For example, at one show, someone's horse had left a pee spot in the dirt by the rail. I didn't see it until too late, and Chelsea jumped over it! The judge didn't see her do that--we were lucky.

If you would like to join the EKHA fun, go to Eastern Kansas Horseman's Association and find an affiliate club to join. I belong to the Junction City Saddle Club and Black Jack Saddle Club.

As for my recent web publishing actitivies, I've been extremely busy with client work over the past six weeks. I program for the Kentucky Quarter Horse Association's site, and they handle massive amounts of data.

One of the Quarter Horse breeders I provide hosting for is Chisum Quarter Horses. I came up with a different way to display their menu of horses that uses Ajax. I like the way it visually compacts their very long list of horses for sale.

A new client is PH Performance Horses. I own a mare that was bred by Bill and Orlana Hurner, and she is big, beautiful, very kind, and a great mom. Another new client (site in progress) is Catch A Dream Quarter Horses.

August 2009 News

The final show of the Eastern Kansas Horseman's Association took place in Council Grove August 29 and 30. Pattern and rail events were held Saturday and speed events were scheduled for Sunday.

Hosted by the Santa Fe Saddle Club, the final EKHA show each year is called their "state show," and it awards doubled points towards year end event high points.

I have been to all but 2-4 of the EKHA shows this season, with Chelsea (Zippos Sweet Chex), a daughter of Zippo Pine Chex. I think she may have earned one of the high point placements in Ladies 46 & Over Quarter-bred Western Pleasure, and may possibly have earned a spot in the top 3 of Senior Western Pleasure. We'll know for sure after the final point tallies are released.

Chelsea has given me the thrill of hearing my name called for first place, and that has been great fun. I've also enjoyed hearing my friends' names called whenever their rides were better than mine.

Some of the folks I've enjoyed riding with are Wanda Timm, Sheila Beemer, Susan Burgess, Sara P, Bev, Jennifer Bormann, Tyson Buchman, Marlene Patry, Jane Wallace, Joslyn Purdue, Pam Robinson, Rosetta Wiles, Kathy Martin, and everyone else whose name I have not yet put with their face.

For the awards banquet, I think I might take a notebook along and ask my friends to sign it, so I can do a better job of attaching names to faces in my faulty memory. The EKHA is such a friendly, family-oriented association. The competition it offers is challenging, but there is also supportive camaraderie.

A few words about my really awesome show horse, Zippos Sweet Chex. She was sold to me as broodmare sound only, by friends, a father and daughter who had purchased her to be the teen's show horse. Sadly, the mare became lame several weeks after they got her. They took her to a veterinary orthopedic specialist, who advised that Chelsea would never be sound again.

I bought her because of her pedigree. My friend Carol McWhirter, who is an AQHA leading breeding of Western Pleasure horses, told me that Chelsea's pedigree is "black type" on the female side. A friend of Carol's had broke the mare to ride, and he said that Chelsea was very talented, but when younger, didn't "have the mind" to make it as a winner. She's quite ADD, so I can understand that. However, now that she has more maturity, I think her ADD characteristic adds to her charm, because she has her ears pricked forward and looks alert, and that gives her a happy appearance.

After I got Chelsea home, I wondered if perhaps she might have healed and might be rideable again. I saddled her up and she seemed fine. Perhaps the time off from being ridden was all she had needed.

This year, I decided it would be fun to pursue a high point placement in EKHA. My first show out with Chelsea was promising, but not awesome. But at our next show the next day, she won 2 firsts for me.

Showing Chelsea has emphasized for me, "Why the best horses are better." I'm not saying she doesn't have her issues! But Western Pleasure seems pretty easy for her. I have "made" Western Pleasure horses before, but this one just has that amazing way of going in her genes.

At some shows, she has been awesome, and at other shows, I've just had to laugh and get vicarious satisfaction from my friends' successes. I rode her at two shows when she was in full standing heat, and those were not pleasant experiences, as she is one of those mares that becomes extremely bitchy when in season. She just about gave me a little rodeo at one of those shows!

But you see, that wasn't the end of the world. Looking back, it is one of the memories that makes me smile about the really fun summer we had!