In recent years we have spear headed the effort to raise the endangered Corolla Spanish Mustangs in captivity in order to stave off extinction. Prior to doing so I had taken on several BLM mustangs which I bred to a great little Chincoteague, Wind in His Hair. The resulting cross produced a series of incredible horses, small, tough, athletic and affectionate. Two years ago I bred some of those same mares to a Spanish mustang stallion and I produced some beautiful athletes, but they lack the warmth and affection of the 1/2 Chincoteagues.
Recently I have found exactly what I am looking for in a horse in the Corolla Spanish Mustangs. They are the easiest horses to train that I have handled. Most are gaited, but I do not know exactly which gait it is that they display, some are Paso-like, others seem to single foot. They love attention and are great with children.
I am not a stickler for conformation. I am a stickler for affection, willingness to learn, and obedience. Another blog, which I have only read once, emphasizes perceived flaws in a horse's
conformation. I do not see what can be learned by looking at a picture of a horse. What matters never shows up in pictures because what really matters is on the inside.
We will continue to promote and breed Corollas. In doing so I will breed for several characteristics. I want a smoth gaited horse who is smart and affectionate. I want a horse who is glad to see me. I also want a horse who understands how you feel when your mother dies.
Without these characteristics it does not matter to me if a horse is a Triple Crown winner, national reining champion, Olympic jumper, or Tevis cup record holder. Without these characteristics, that horse is merely a shadow of what it could be be.
I am not a stickler for conformation. I am a stickler for affection, willingness to learn, and obedience. Another blog, which I have only read once, emphasizes perceived flaws in a horse's
ReplyDeleteconformation. I do not see what can be learned by looking at a picture of a horse. What matters never shows up in pictures because what really matters is on the inside.
We will continue to promote and breed Corollas. In doing so I will breed for several characteristics. I want a smoth gaited horse who is smart and affectionate. I want a horse who is glad to see me. I also want a horse who understands how you feel when your mother dies. *****************************
IT IS ASSININE COMMENTS SUCH AS THE ONES ABOVE THAT CAUSE TRUE PROFESSIONALS TO STEER CLEAR OF MUSTANGS AND MOST PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THEM. DISCUSTING!
Kigeranne
For a man who has spent a number of years working endlessly to promote and to protect the wild horses, who owns the largest number of registered Indian horses on the east coast, and gives all of his free time to his little riders and horses he has learned to respect such qualities in a horse. Maybe he carries great hope for some qualities in a horse that other breeders would find unbearably narrow-minded. So be it. His opinion on these horses is one that such people can only hope to have and the efforts he has given are beyond what others have done. Thanks to Steve and many other caring people that share his quality of thought, two strains of Wild Horses are now being saved. No one has to agree with his methods or opinions but many do and they are learning that it is not so discusting to see it through his eyes. I beleive that a horse should not be bred for certain abilitys. My opinion. Discusting, no. Simple, yes. What we want is different, what we think is different and no ones opinion is wrong on the subject. Maybe not as well thought out as some, but not wrong. Steve's goals are ones that should be admired and not put down. To think of them as ASSININE or DISCUSTING is not wrong, just a bit rude and not true. I too see it like him. I do not have to agree with Steve or like what he stands for but I do and it has caused me no problems. My breeding goals might also be classified as ASSININE or DISCUSTING. I do not care. They work and are saving a nearly extinct breed. That to me means more than conformation, gait, color, or any other quality.
ReplyDeleteplease stick to Breyer Horses!!!!! At least they can't reproduce.
ReplyDeleteI think the point here is - you are creating lives; creatures that will live for the next few decades, that won't have much value outside of your small community.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens to your conformationally challenged but sweet tempered horses if, heaven forbid, something were to happen to you?
The slaughter market is alive and well and living in Canada and Mexico. Animals with no marketable value end up there. Sure there are people who like sweet ugly horses, I have one myself, but many people who have the money for horses want show quality, conformationally correct horses.
Conformation is not just "looks" it speaks to the comfort and soundness of the animal as a riding horse. That MATTERS.
I strongly suspect that more horses go to slaughter as a result of their behavior than as a result of their conformation. These behavioral problems often result from having owners who do not know how,or do not care, about how to build a relationship with their horses. I have no interest in whatever the current fad is about how a horse should be conformed. I am interested in how a horse performs. Misplaced worship of conformation is symptomatic of a society that puts more value on appearance than on reality.
ReplyDeleteLastly, how much difference does it make to a horse that he has "good" conformation if he spends his life in a stable, is kept two hundred lbs over weight, and fed sugar?
All too often it is easy to tell the high quality, expensive horses. They are the lame ones. They were not born that way. Their lifestyle is as devastating to their health as being a couch potato is to a human.
I share your concern about horse slaughter. I support a total ban on slaughter. The slaughter market benefits greatly from an established horse culture that restricts the number of future horse owners by driving kids away from riding. Riding lessons are often quite expensive and worst of all they are all too often quite dull. Too many instructors have succeeded at doing the impossible, they have taken the fun out of riding for kids.
I appreciate you taking the time to express your thoughtful comments. I am opposed to ideas and practices that make it more difficult for a person to become a brother-friend to his horse and I think the drive for perfect conformation is one of those ideas.
I don't see where it says conformation is unimportant. All Steve is saying is that conformation is not part of his breeding goals. Our horses are not show horses, so why should they have to look like it? The only thing disgusting and assinine on this website are the unecessarily rude comments by people who refuse to take the time to broaden their minds.
ReplyDeleteMy Horse pebbles is like this! My husband and i have our horses mearly for fun, they are part of our family, when i see pebbles it really doesn't matter whether i ride him or not because the mear fact that im in his presence receiving love from him is enough. he follows me everywhere, he comes when i whistle no matter how far away he is, he really loves me back and i can feel that, i feel when he misses me and when he's in a mood.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't trade him for ANYTHING in this world!!!!