PJ's Choco Latte

Hailey and CL have been working on everything from obstacles to trails.

Chief's Mistaken Jamaican

This coming 4 yr. old filly is out of  Tenn. Walker, Jamaica Mistake, & Spotted Saddle Horse, Chief's Mighty Man D.  Her registered name is:  Chief's Mistaken Jamaican.  This picture was snapped at two weeks of training & she is proving to be as smooth & easy riding as her parents.

Under saddle!

This is PJ's Coco Kiss after her second week under saddle.  She doesn't even have a bit in her mouth yet.  She displays the typical mountain horse disposition & basically the trainer was able to just get on & ride!  I love mountain horses!!!

Jamaica's legacy

Jamaica Mistake, the first Tennessee Walking horse I raised, has a new home in Oklahoma, but some of her offspring still reside here.  The first filly will be 5; her full sister, pictured below, will be 4 this year.  Both are giantesses ... much taller than either their dam or sire...and both are bound for the trainer's.

Last week's snow storm made all the animals look like they had dandruff, including this 3 yr. old Spotted Saddle Horse filly.  The horses seemed to enjoy playing in the snow (especially the youngsters: weanling Caspian & newborn ASB), but the cows just sort of 'hunkered down' & endured it.  I kept big bales of hay rolled out on the ground to give the livestock something dry to bed down on - as well as eat,  & they all seemed appreciative.

Little Bull...

This is the 'Little' Bull -- the replacement bull for the Big Bull when Big Bull can no longer fulfill his duties to the herd.  Up until now the Little Bull has led a life of isolation, save for being pastured with the horses.  But just this week, LB was turned in with his very own herd of 5 cows.  Two of the cows have already calved (courtesy of BB) & 3 are ladies in waiting.  But LB is now at home in his herd & he will assume his breeding duties as soon as the cows are ready.  For now, LB is just enjoying being back with his own species.  (Big Bull is currently with the rest of the cows at another location.)

Weanling meets newborn...

Caspian filly weanling, Shovan's Finale, meets American Saddlebred, Missouri Showtime, & her foal.  She thinks the foal is just about the most interesting thing she's ever seen & simply wants a closer look, but mama is having none of it.

Giving the kids a ride...

Sometimes a horse just has to put up with a little indignity - like wearing a baseball cap in the summer or antlers for a Christmas parade.  Jim, the Spotted Saddle Horse gelding, willingly tolerates just about anything as long as he gets a little attention from nephew, Zack.   Bella B. Walker, Rocky Mtn. Horse pictured in the background, is equally cooperative with niece, Allie.

All grown up...

Per a request to post a current picture of the foal below, here's the foal all grown up.  (Actually the top picture is a re-post from earlier, but there was no way to connect it to the foal shown below.)  Chocolatte is now scheduled to go to a trainer just as soon as her coggins test comes back.  For those who don't know, a coggins test is good for one year & is required any time the horse leaves its property.  It tests for EIA or Equine Infectious Anemia and here's more than you probably ever wanted to know about EIA.

How time flies...

Kiss and her first foal...now 4 years old.

Love those Rockies!

One great thing about our Rocky Mtn./Kentucky Mtn. mares is that they can stand out in the pasture for months with no attention - let alone no riding - & then we can catch them & ride & they behave as if they'd been ridden all along.  The Rocky Mtn. breed is known for its 'puppy dog' disposition, & our broodmares have been excellent representatives of the breed.

HELLO, WORLD!

This little filly was born early 1/23/12.  She's the last foal by TWH stallion, Threat's Silver Sun, who was sadly put down last April due to blindness.  Silver was white, and white horses are more prone to skin cancer, so perhaps his color also contributed to his weak eyes.  Before his death we put the above ASB mare, Missouri Showtime, in with Silver in hopes of keeping him from running into barbed wire fences.  But it became increasingly apparent that Silver was going to keep injuring himself as well as injure us.  Due to his inability to see, he practically ran right over me on a couple of occasions...not his fault, he simply couldn't tell where I was.  His last foal is a 'lit up' bay...one with lots of chrome.

Seve's Pushover

This black beauty is a 4 yr. old stallion ready to send to the trainer.  He's out of world champion, Seve, & a big, black mare named Pushover's Heart of Gold.  He's a tall fellow & has a 'loose' way of traveling...he should be very gaited.

Oops...Handsome Dan

THIS is Handsome Dan...mistaken in the previous post for Gentleman Jim.  They are full brothers, both registered Spotted Saddle Horses, and look a lot alike.  Dan is one year younger than Jim.  This picture depicts Jim back in the summer learning about obstacles...shown here learning to cross a wooden "bridge".  Sometimes the hollow sound of their hooves can create a scary scenario, but both Jim & Dan took it all in stride.

Jim

This is Jim (sometimes referred to as Gentleman Jim), a 5 yr. old registered Spotted Saddle Horse gelding.  Jim is naturally gaited and has a quiet disposition.  He is the top colt shown sunning in the picture below.

Callie and Kiss

The saddle was way too small for her, but Callie still managed to take Kiss for a spin.  Then we took the saddle off & Callie had a much better time riding bareback.  Unfortunately we failed to capture the bareback ride, but Callie said she much preferred that.  Callie & Kiss make a good looking team!  This was Callie's first time riding a gaited horse, but she & Kiss made it look as easy as it is!

Lying in the sun...

This is an old picture of our two Spotted Saddle Horse geldings when they were much younger.  They are full brothers & share the same, easy going attitude.  The trainer saddled & rode each one within a matter of minutes after their arrival at his place.  Neither had ever been 'sacked out' with a blanket let alone saddled.

Bella and Mystic

This is a photo of Bella B. Walker being ridden by Mystic back in October.  Bella is a double registered RMHA/KMSHA broodmare/trailhorse.  Bella has done it all...from the show ring to the trail to pulling a buggy  to raising babies ... all with style & a great disposition.