Minitube International has achieved a scientific breakthrough that will allow for genetic testing and preservation of equine embryos. The world’s first foal from a biopsied and vitrified embryo transferred into a surrogate mare was born on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, at Minitube International Center for Biotechnology in Mount Horeb, WI. Both the mother, Lola, and foal are doing well. The birth of Biopsita marks a new era in horse breeding, providing horse breeders with an opportunity to directly test embryos for genetic traits, including gender, coat color, genetic diseases, etc., and select desirable genetics from stallion and mare combinations. The study will be presented at the 10th International Symposium on Equine Reproduction being held in Kentucky this July.

In this day and age, with the depressed economy, and poor horse market, it takes a brave soul to breed a mare.  Horses are expensive to keep and slow to sell.  Draught conditions have put hay at a premium price and make it a scarce commodity in many areas of the country.  The slaughter houses in the U.S. have been shut down, but horses are still being shipped out of the country for slaughter for a couple hundred dollars a head.  There is an increased public awareness of unwanted and neglected horses.  Many sound, sane and useful horses are falling through the cracks, and the rescue and adoption programs are full.  It is often more wise to buy than breed, adopt than buy.  It takes careful consideration before the decision to breed a mare is made.  The money spent on getting a foal could be spent on purchasing a prospect, or adopting several unwanted horses.  But, if we don’t breed, our breed will continue to fall in numbers.

My Grandmother, Gladys Carlson with one of her first Saddlebred foals in 1976

The decision to breed this mare was made several years ago in 2006.  It has taken until Spring of 2009 for that decision to come to fruition.  My mother has a small horse business, breeding, buying and selling a few horses.  We were raised that way.  My Grandmother (a farmer’s wife) was a hobby breeder too, and now it has passed through the generations to me.  We do not necessarily breed to sell.  We breed first and foremost for our own use.  However, even if you intend to keep the foal its whole life, you must still give consideration to its future marketability.  And with this in mind, we breed responsibly with consideration for bloodline, conformation, disposition and talent. 

My mother asked me to help her find a broodmare back in 2005 to replace the old mare she had lost to colic.  We went to Tattersalls spring sale with that in mind, but came home with a 2 yr old gelding instead.  The following summer, Saddlebred Rescue purchased a mare out of the “As Is” pen at New Holland. When her profile came up on Trot’s discussion forum, I recognized her immediately. She was born and bred not 7 miles from our home by a long time friend.  We had owned her ¾ sister who was a very successful broodmare for us, raising National Show Horses (including one National Champion).  I had worked for a stable that had her half brother and full brother.  Another good friend had owned another full sister. This mare was family, and I needed to help find her a home.  We started spreading the word.

A couple weeks later, my mother called out of the blue and said she thought we ought to just go get her ourselves, and would I be her business partner.  Events just seemed to fall into place so I agreed.  After all, I was enjoying the young gelding we had purchased when looking for a mare, I figured I owed Mom a broodmare. A couple of days later, my husband and I were in the truck headed to Nealia McCracken’s Northwind Stable to pick up the mare.  It was an easy decision to make really. Having known her family so well, I could tell you sight unseen what this mare’s conformation, movement and temperament would be.  When we met her, she was exactly who and what we knew she would be.  One of the best traits of these horses is their excellent temperament and manners.  The mare trailered home and settled into our routine without a hiccup.

We already had a stallion in mind to breed to.  Back when my Grandmother was breeding Saddlebreds 30 years ago, a local stable stood a stallion and the owner of the stallion, Dave Scanlon had become a family friend.  CF First Night Out is a stallion whom I have admired for years.  When we heard that Dave had purchased and was standing a son, CF First Black Out, the decision as to what stallion to use was pretty easy as well.  There were just a few considerations I needed to address so I got to work on my breeding research.  “Clint” didn’t have any foals on the ground at that point, so he was unproven, but the pedigree was there.  He offered the conformation points I needed to improve the mare’s less desireable points.  Her head is not very feminine, but the stallion has a very fine and expressive head and a neat throat latch.  I also wanted to make sure he had a good strong hindquarter.  The mare has an excellent croup, hip and tail carriage, and has plenty of hock action.  But, her entire family is what my mother once disdainfully called “cat hammed” when speaking of her half brother, a champion 3 gaited horse.  So, we needed some substance in the hindquarter, and “Clint” has this.

My broodmare Sensational Copy after being adopted from Saddlebred Rescue

Also, most of us have heard the term “Golden Cross”. That is usually used, in this day and age, to refer to the success of crossing Valley View Supreme blood to Wing Commander mares.  But, in the world of Saddle Horses, the original “golden cross” was the Denmark and Chief families.  The majority of Saddlebreds today trace back to the Chief family.  The Denmarks and many other families are fading away.  With the wonderful resource of the ASHA website, analyzing pedigrees has become remarkably easy.  My mare traces mostly to Denmark.  Almost all of the lines in the stallion’s pedigree trace back to Harrison Chief.  I had my “golden cross”.  This foal would not be line bred in anyway.  There is little if any repetition in the pedigrees of the mare and stallion.  Besides the technical aspects of matching bloodlines and conformation, you have to have that “feeling” or belief in your cross.  As a hobby breeder, if the idea of the resulting foal does not strike some chord in your imagination, you might as well go buy the product of someone else’s breeding choices.

We have a good farm vet here.  His family ran a large Standardbred breeding operation.  But, anyone who has tried to schedule artificial insemination will tell you, there are a lot of things to do, and a lot of people to get involved.  The fact that the stallion lived less than a two hour drive away was a big consideration.  There have been so many advances in the science of breeding mares.  We hadn’t bred a colt in almost a decade, and the notion of dropping the mare off at the stallion’s place, for a good old fashioned one night stand was very appealing.  Little did we know it wouldn’t work out that way.   However, we had a wonderful stud owner, and he knew a wonderful AI clinic.  We could not have been more fortunate than to leave the process of procreation in his capable hands.

I should have known it would get complicated when Mom called to tell Dave the mare was in heat, and the first thing he asked was “what size follicle does she have?” There sure is a lot to learn about horse reproduction these days. But, with the cost and scheduling involved with each AI, I can see where you would want to get this stuff down to a science.  Here is my diary from the decision to breed through actually getting the mare settled.

 Feb 7th, 2007
OK, I’ve done it. I’ve mailed the booking fee for Copy’s breeding this year. We chose a friend’s stallion, CF First Black Out (a.k.a. “Clint” as in Clint Black), a black stallion by CF First Night Out.  I have admired First Night Out for many years, and certainly couldn’t afford a breeding to him. When our dear friend Dave Scanlon said he was standing his son, I couldn’t resist.

Now we are just awaiting the vet to take a culture, check the mare for breeding soundness, and get her up to date on her vaccines. The weather has been awful, so the vet hasn’t been easy to pin down when the mare is in heat. Not to worry, Copy comes in heat about every other day, so it shouldn’t take long. The stallion stands not far from our house, so we will be shipping her there and keeping this all in the neighborhood, and old fashioned in this day and age of mail order sperm. 

May 11th 2007

I took a much needed afternoon off today, and Mom and I went down to visit the stud we are breeding Copy to. I hesitate to breed anything I haven’t met in person, and let me tell you, his photos don’t do him justice! He is stunning and coal black. His disposition is excellent! Good bone, beautiful head, and correct all over. Mom snapped a couple of candid photos. I’m expecting Copy to come in heat by Monday. I’m so excited!

May 17th 2007
Copy has been at the stable where the stallion is for several days. She has been the model of a polite house guest. I told them she would be in heat on Monday or Tuesday, and even though she was not showing standing heat, she was also not telling the stud “go $%&* yourself” either which she will if she is really out. So, they started teasing her Tuesday and she is standing for the stud. The vet was there today and palpated her. She has a very good follicle and should ovulate by tomorrow. The barn owner, the barn help and the vet are all just raving over Copy and her wonderful behavior. “We just Love her”. They are going to cover her again tomorrow and Saturday and I will probably pick her up on Sunday.

Copy is doing her best to be a wonderful ambassador of the Rescue program by showing off her great manners, laid back personality and now shiney coat to everyone.  I just can’t say enough good about this mare, and I don’t usually even like mares.   

May 20th 2007

Copy is home safe and sound and hopefully in foal! The stallion owner said he noticed a small amount of bleeding from the live cover, so since he had to take the stallion to the clinic to collect for someone else’s semen shipment, he loaded Copy up too and trailered them both down to the clinic and had her AIed when he was collecting for the fresh cooled shipment. Everyone behave perfectly and she was examined by the vet to make sure everything was OK after the live cover. Imagine a mare and stud so well behaved that a person has no problem loading them in a trailer by himself and taking them to the clinic for a little AI in the afternoon! After about 18 days we can have her sonogrammed and make sure she settled. Just keeping my fingers crossed for the next 18 days.

June 8th 2007

Well, since Copy was checked and not in foal this week, she has gone off for a “one night stand”. Dave has no stalls available, so we dropped her off this morning and he loaded her and the stud up to head to the clinic where she will be AIed when he collects for a shipment to Missouri. Now it’s back to work and wait for her to call for a ride home. I got her all spiffied up this morning, clipped her ears and gave her a shave. She got one look at the trailer and got all excited and hopped right on! She sure does love “Sex Camp”. I sure hope we got this timed as well as we think we did. All of this running around and giving hormone shots is exhausting. Thank heavens we don’t do this every year. I just want one nice colt to start before I get too old to bounce.

June 11th 2007

This time we caught her on the last day of strong heat, so hopefully we got it right.
Dave said when he got to the clinic with the mare and stallion, the stallion was so primed after having to ride with Copy in front of him for an hour and a half that the clinic said they had never seen a stallion so ready to go.
They had to drive through a horrible thunder and hail storm to get home, but everyone behave themselves perfectly throughout.

June 28th 2007

I’m going to be a GRAMMA!

I’ve been waiting for the vet to come for THREE days, holding my breath, teasing her, crossing my fingers and praying! He sonogrammed her just now, and she’s in foal!

Now a few more months to hold my breath that she doesn’t absorb, followed by a few more month of holding my breath that she doesn’t abort, and then holding my breath that everything goes ok.

July 10th 2007

Pregnancy is suiting Copy just great. She has become even more mellow and low key. She spends a good part of her day staring dreamily out the window. My husband wants to know what she’s thinking about. Well, baby names of course!

In fact, she has mellowed out so much she will even let my Mom catch her in the paddock, instead of having to be rounded up in a makeshift catch pen consisting of a longe line tied to the fence at the corner. Mom has now started referring to her as “our” mare instead of “your” mare.

July 23rd 2007

Mom was complimenting Copy’s personality change again yesterday. She was saying that Copy is the easiest one to have in the stall. She doesn’t chew or kick the walls. She piles manure all in one spot. She is generally a mild horse. Let’s hope she passes her temperament and manners to the foal through either nature or nurture.

Mom has been letting her camp overnight in the indoor arena. She still gets out in the paddock every day, but as soon as a fly bites her ear, she is ready to come in. I haven’t ridden her since she was confirmed in foal. Mom still has paranoid days and thinks she is coming back in heat, but nothing ever comes of it. So, it looks like she is settled nicely in foal. My husband is looking forward to her “showing” her pregnancy but with her long body, that will be months and months yet.

Sept 11th 2007

Two weeks ago Mom thought Copy was showing some signs of heat. We had the vet check her today, and sure enough, she absorbed it. It is too late to bother trying again this year, so we will wait for next year. Next year we will also monitor her hormone levels more closely, and she will be on Regumate.

We are now on year two of our breeding adventure. We tried twice to get the mare to settle, but elected not to keep her on Regumate. To date, excluding the stud fee, we have spent $550.00, and still have nothing to show for our efforts. This year, we are taking some extra steps. We have given ourselves over entirely to the advice of the stallion owner and the clinic, both of whom are far more well versed in this process than we are. The mare will be sutured to reduce the possibility of infection causing her to “slip”. She will also be on Regumate to regulate her hormones. Time to try again…

Apr 15th 2008

Copy is off to sex camp again! She was vetted last week and had a clean culture. She is presently on her way to the equine fertility clinic for AI. Then she will be getting Regumate ($3 a day) for the duration. This whole “grow your own horse” project is getting borderline expensive! I won’t even admit to what we spent getting the last one we raised, and he is 8 years old and has never done an honest day’s work in his life. Yes, being born into this family is a meal ticket for life.

May 09th 2008

Copy is in foal again. She is also stapled and on Regumate, so it better stick this time!

May 31st 2008

The vet was out last week, and yes, our gal is still in foal! This is the point we lost it last year. Staples are out and stitches are in. Copy is such a wonderful patient, that the vet brought his student for the express purpose of learning how to suture a mare. He knew Copy would be the perfect subject.

June 23rd 2008

On recommendations from our vet and the stallion owner, Copy got a pneumabort (Rhino) shot this weekend. We have never given our mares anything, and are still at least a decade behind on reproductive trends. They recommended giving her a shot every two months. Now I remember why we only raise a foal every 5 years or so. It takes that long to forget what a big hassle and crap shoot it can be.

Mom did it, and she is reasonably comfortable with giving shots, but she got blood and liquid back from this injection site. Copy has a little swelling around it (about 4×6 inches) and is very sore. She wouldn’t even let me put her halter on yesterday to bring her out for grooming, so I just spent some time in the stall brushing and itching her favorite spots. She has been a very cranky pregnant lady this time.

July 24 2008

…still in foal…
We just had her sonogrammed again. This mare is SO hormonal right now. Sunday morning I came in the barn and she had her tail flipped up over her back like she was in heat. Checked back three times. Still waving around. She had her “Bombeasta” attitude on. We decided to have her checked again rather than open the new package of Regumate.

The vet was just here and we’re A-OK. He stepped back to admire her. “This is such a nice mare. I really like everything about her.” (Vet raises Standardbreds) Mom raised an eyebrow… “She acts like a crazy stud every other day”. Vet…”oh just forget about that, that doesn’t matter”. Easy for him to say. He doesn’t have to repair the stall walls. But, it is always a good thing to hear approval from an unbiased third party about your choice of mares. Of course we like her, but the idea is to produce horses that other people like as well.

So, I guess the whole tail waving thing was just the heat. I even said the other day “She’s probably just trying to catch a breeze through the window”.

The life and times of a hobby breeder….

Things continued like this for several months. Copy reacted to the Regumate by behaving like a stallion. A very poorly mannered stallion, I might add. Already an alpha mare, she was now not only not able to be turned out with other horses, she was now not able to be turned out in the sight of other horses. I spent the rest of the summer hand grazing her. Since she had such a reaction to the pneumabort shot, we decided not to continue that program. Instead, we have placed our barn in informal quarantine… no new horses, no trips for our own horses, and other precautions to prevent anyone from bringing an illness onto our property.

As winter approached, she mellowed somewhat but was usually turned out for exercise in the indoor arena rather than the paddock. Other than that, life with an expectant broodmare is fairly uneventful. They can resume their normal activity level up to about two months prior to foaling. And that is where we are now. Due date is March 26th. She is getting bigger and bigger. It is hard to imagine that she might actually get bigger between now and then. Sometimes, we can see her flanks bulged as the foal repositions itself. Beyond that, it is just a waiting game. The second year with one AI cover, and Regumate totaled $3000.00. So for two years, we are now at $3550.00 for only breeding related expenses. That doesn’t include the annual upkeep of the mare.

Could I have gone out and purchased a weanling or yearling for $3550.00? Yes, I probably could have gotten a nice one, and had my choice of color and markings. But, like so many hobby breeders, there is something very fulfilling and satisfying about doing the research, making the match, and seeing the resulting offspring. Besides, there is always that chance that your foal won’t be merely “a nice one”, it will be a “great one”.

Babies of 2009

Trot members are discussing whether the state of the economy is having an effect on their decisions to breed this season.  Viewpoints differed – some were continuing as usual, others have scaled way back because they have not been able to sell the stock they bred previously.

It has really become a delicate balance between producing horses to carry on the breed that we love, and finding homes for the oversupply. It’s an issue with many aspects to consider and no simple answers.  You can view this discussion here, and if you haven’t already please add your thoughts.

Those who have chosen to breed are beginning to show off their babies on the forum as well – view the Babies of 2009  thread here, or making plans for their next breedings as well.

Foal photo is by James Lilley.

Far-Sighted Thoughts from a Near-Sighted Horseman

This is from a presentation given by Bob Ruxer at the February 2008 ASHA Convention. Some of you may have seen it before, but I thought it was worth revisiting as we begin the new year.

Before we conclude today let’s give Barbara Molland a big round of applause for this wonderful panel she’s put together. Three weeks ago she called and asked me to participate and give my thoughts on where we’ve been and where we’re going as a breed – hence the title, ‘Far-sighted Thoughts from a Near-sighted Horseman.’ I told her I had no idea where we’re going. She said, “That’s perfect; they need to know that… and you have 15 minutes to tell them.” 

After reviewing my original draft, she wisely suggested changing my topic to ‘Short-sighted Thoughts from a Far-sighted Horseman.’ And I after I left everything on a plane two days in Dallas, she added ‘From a Forgetful Horseman.’ Then I put together what I could remember, and Jimmy Robertson reviewed it. He suggested changing the topic to ‘Alzheimer’s – The Early Stages.’ But this morning, after a good night’s sleep, I settled on an appropriate title… it’s now called, ‘I Can See Clearly.’

Please keep in mind what I have to say is just my opinion. I’m certain some of you will disagree with me, but I have tried my best to disguise these opinions as the pure and simple truth. So here we go…

Look around here. Isn’t it strange? The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. Once again we’re talking about how to train, how to condition, become lighter, select the prospect, develop markets, increase breedings and registrations, change the rules we’re just going to change again in two years, and raise hell with Alan and the board for not promoting our breed enough. I’ve attended this convention for 40 years. We kick this around every year, but the bottom line is that we really haven’t seen any appreciable growth. In fact, some think we’re going the other way. 

I’m here to say we have a very pro-active board, and beginning with Jim Aikman all the way to Fred Sarver, we’ve had strong leadership… much of it through some very trying times. 

In our efforts to expand, we added transported semen years ago, and we just knew our numbers had to grow [as a result]. Tom Moore founded the UPHA so professionals could share ideas and raise the standards and talents of our trainers. Let me add that I believe we have a world of talent in our trainers today – just look at Anne [Judd], Joan [Lurie], Smith [Lilly], and Eitan [Beth Halachmy] here. Look how professional they look on a horse – smooth, polished, sitting right there in the middle of the saddle, quiet hands, none of this jerking and snatching. Why, if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear they were amateurs. That’s a compliment to you. And we continue our hope to grow and promote our breed. 

Here came the riding programs, the sweepstakes, the Classics, the Grand National, the big money classes for weanlings. We’ve sold horses for more bucks today than we could imagine years ago. And now we have western and hunter horses out there showing the public the great versatility of our breed. 

But the question remains… where’s that growth? We continue to come back here to Alan and the board and say, “We need more promotion.” 

Here’s what I believe: 

• Trainers today are better than ever.
• There are more knowledgeable breeders and owners than in the past.
• Stallions and mares are better today than years ago.
• The vets, farriers, nutrition, training conditions, headsets, and quality are all better.
• And the judging is [better] 

That’s what I believe. Now, let’s imagine… Alan here finally got fed up with all this clamoring for more promotion and quit. But wanting to give back to the Association, he reaches into his personal retirement fund and gives us – let’s say – two million bucks for promotion of our breed. Now we have the funds. Do you think we can significantly grow our numbers? I say no. Let me tell you why. And this [relates to] the changes I’ve seen over the years. 

Let’s first look at our product – our horse. No wait, let’s say it’s an automobile. We must manufacture it, advertise and promote to the public, and only abut 10-20% of them actually work. How long would we be in business? 

How many times have we attempted to train a Saddlebred and somewhere along the way we, or our trainer, utter those famous words, ‘It just doesn’t think right.’ I remember years ago wrestling with a two-year-old with Marty Mueller watching. He finally stopped me and asked me what I thought, knowing I was in big communication trouble with my colt. I volunteered that it just happened to be a dumb, bad-thinking horse. Then he asked me what I planned on doing about it, since I was supposedly the teacher. My solution of a much larger bit made his eyes turn red, so I suggested draw reins would no doubt be in order. That just made the rest of him turn red, and he suggested I try a different answer if I wanted a paycheck. I told him probably the best thing to do was put the horse back in his stall and try another one. Wait, I’ll be right back. Man oh man, that guy could cuss! 

He pounded into my head that the horse was just fine; it thought like a horse. I was the problem. I didn’t think like a horse. I was close though… jackass. And to me – just an opinion – our horse is trying to tell us something… and here’s what I’m hearing… 

We have horses in the public eye today that move like never before. Each year we see some incredible individuals, and we continue to raise the bar. And each year this wonderful breed meets that challenge. How tight can we turn the screws? 

Heck, the pleasure and park horses of today would be horses of history from the past. If CH Blackberry Delight had shown in the walk-trot stake of 1956, we’d have never heard of CH Valley View Supreme. That’s how far we’ve come. 

But in the process of raising the bar, I have a sneaking suspicion that we’re losing our horse… the horse we all want to promote. 

Horses today are entering training earlier than ever. By the spring of their two-year-old year – barely 24 months old – they’re doing incredible things… racking and trotting like aged horses, would up and carrying the mail. But what about their minds? 

I remember years ago, we’d send our CH Wing Commander horses to Frank Bradshaw, and we’d visit every four months or so to check on their progress. You didn’t see much of what you’d hope to see, just a horse pulling a big-wheel training cart. I asked one day when he was going to start gaiting them, and he said he already was. They weren’t even broke to ride, and I said, ‘How so?’ The lesson was he wanted them mannered, settled, and strong enough in the hindquarters to take the rigors of future training before he ever asked for that first racking or show step. I know what you’re thinking – CH Yorktown, CH Dow Jones, CH Sky Watch, Pluto – they racked their way into history as two-year-olds. They were also exceptions… and exceptional. 

Look at our horses today, trotting higher than ever. In fact so high, they have to pull themselves forward, rather than pushing from behind. We’re losing the engine, the backend we used to be famous for. But that’s okay. The public we want to promote to doesn’t see this, and it still looks pretty impressive. 

Let’s move on… whatever happened to that “Rock ’em back and slow gait?” – CH Denmark’s Daydream, CH Summer Melody, CH Belle Elegant, and CH Imperator. Once again, more often than not, they’re pulling themselves along, rather than shifting their weight back to the hindquarters, because the strength just isn’t there. Don Harris still makes his living on this gait and brings the house down. But you won’t see it on a horse that isn’t strong behind. What we do see today, too often in my eyes, is a slightly slower version of the rack. (Alan, don’t we have a poster that refers to the Saddlebred as the only 5-speed horse?) That’s okay, the public doesn’t really see this either. 

Let’s try the canter. Our equitation horses canter great. What can’t the others? Anyone here remember how CH My-My or CH Sky Watch – two superstars – cantered? My western and Thoroughbred friends like to quiz me why we canter our horses the way we do. I don’t have an answer, except maybe tradition. And I was as guilty as anyone. 

We’re getting these horses wound up, folks. Look at our pleasure horses. If a judge calls for a flat walk for more than 20 seconds, he’s criticized, because even the best ones have trouble coming back down to a true relaxed walk. That’s okay, the public really see this either. 

These are just some of the changes I’ve seen over the years. You hardly notice them over the past ten years, but over time, I can see them clearly. You know what? I still believe, and you believe, we have an exciting breed. 

That’s not the point. What we see is not what the public sees. Until we see what the public sees, all the promotion in the world won’t advance our cause. 

We’re now through performing our gaits to a standing-room-only audience and heading into the line-up with our wound-up horses… that is, if they’ll come into the line-up to be judged. How must that look to the public? Now we get off and pull the saddles and then try to get back on. That’s when the fun starts. Hey, I’ve been there, done that. A few years ago it was wisely suggested that we leave the saddles on, not so much to hide the Lordosis issue, but because some of our horses are so wound up – and you guessed it – it looks bad to the public as we try to step back aboard. 

Well, we’re almost through. We’re back aboard trying to find our stirrups and gather our reins as our horses smartly retire to the end of the ring. Whoops! There goes our eventual winner vaulting through the air and unseating its rider. Such excitement you sometimes don’t even see at NASCAR races. Now we proceed to give the viewing public our version of bumper cars at the carnival because our wound-up horses are fed up with all this and looking for the out-gate. When it opens, some, in fact, leave automatically and can’t even return for their ribbon. 

That’s what the public sees. 

Accidents are on the rise, to the point we devoted a session at the last UPHA convention on what to do when one occurs; not a word on what to do to keep them from happening. 

We have the product, friends; but all the promotion in the world won’t override what the public sees. What I’ve just described actually happened [last] year… on our three largest stages – Lexington, Louisville, and Kansas City. Our horses are talking to us. Are we listening? 

How much easier would their lives be if we taught them manners, if we taught them how to wait on us, how to relax between gaits, how to stand and be mounted with no one holding them? Hey, they’re already stopped. Why hold them? I wonder how that would look to a prospective buyer, our viewing public. 

I’m for stepping back and building a more complete, more dependable, safer, longer lasting, and even more exciting horse. It’s there if we want and are willing to make some adjustments. 

Let’s get together and polish our product, and when we finally have the horse as it needs to be – as it wants to be – let’s go out and give ‘em a show, the show the public needs to see. Then, and only then, will we have something to promote. I believe in our horse. I believe in our breed. And most of all, I believe in you. Food for thought…