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Post by Michelle Clarke on May 2, 2009 21:44:57 GMT -5
Hawk and Nitro have been getting their weeks' worth of training before they go out in pasture...snapped a few picts as Eric was working with them. Hawk, first time away from the barn area and in the roundpen: Nitro...actually 2nd day with the halter; he has only had it on a few times in a stall (deworms and trims without one): |
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Post by stlkigers on May 2, 2009 22:31:43 GMT -5
Hey Michelle.....Nice boys, tell me again their parentage??? Whats the plans for them....
Angela
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Post by Michelle Clarke on May 3, 2009 7:24:55 GMT -5
Hawk is half Lustiano/Kiger; by JPs' Hipogrifo (pure Veiga) and Sage (Riddle). He is Erics' horse and hopefully will make a stallion some day - if not, will make a great gelding! Nitro is Lusitano/hispano-arabe. The gal I sold Chilli to (hispano-arabe mare), bred her to JPs' stallion, Luciadas....I bought Chilli back two weeks before she foaled. He is for sale and is going to make an awesome saddle horse!
They're fun boys...I'll have to post the picts of Hawk with his jolly ball - he LOVES it! He and Nitro play keep-away from Lynns' QH stud colt, Zeus. If no one plays with Hawk, he walks around bonking them with it until they do.
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Post by stormyranch on May 3, 2009 7:36:13 GMT -5
They are both stunning! Love the angles on both of them, and the color is icing on the cake.
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Post by kigerfan on May 3, 2009 12:44:09 GMT -5
Both very pretty boys  |
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Post by sbutter on May 3, 2009 14:40:17 GMT -5
WOW  Those boys are flashy! I can't wait to see how they mature. What is your training strategy for your young horses? Do you just halter train them and turn them out and let them grow? |
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Post by Michelle Clarke on May 3, 2009 21:07:24 GMT -5
We don't do much with them until they are coming three years old. Some get halter broke after weaning, but most as they are turning a year old. As I said, we can do all the neccessary things we need to do with them without a halter or maybe just a neck rope. Introducing the halter is never a big deal, even when we have had to do it earlier for a vet reason.
Yearling boys go up front in large pastures and play for two years. We don't geld them until they are coming three, so they spar and fight non-stop...get big, strong and agile; build alot of confidence. Sometimes when our farrier has a new apprentice and we go out to do the boys, about half-way through we mention they are stud colts and everybody has to look underneath them because they can't belive it. That is simply because they are satisfied during play and socialization that they don't take it out on people!
The yearling girls stay with the broodmares and new foals to help raise them. This helps alot during weaning time too, as the "aunties" help them adjust well. Then they go out on 75 primative acres with some wilder mustangs we have to learn to be a horse. They travel 15 miles a day, have one water source and learn "survival" skills so to speak.
Once they are coming three, we bring them all around the barn area and begin training. This is when they learn to tie solidly, get ground work and then started under saddle. Colts that I am considering keeping studs get alot more handling sooner though. Gringo gets worked a couple times a week - in the roundpen, on the obstacle course or basic on-line stuff. He does come in at night though and most times gets his feet picked and some grooming, including standing with the rope wrapped around the tie post in the barn, but not tied off.
It's interesting though....each group has a different attitude and they get handled accordingly. Most of the Lusitano fillies do better getting under saddle at four years old. Even some of the others, we are finding starting them in the fall of their third year instead of spring, make a big difference. This years two year old fillies are kind of handfuls and because of the crosses, have more tendancy to pull on the halter and be more resistant in the poll. We have tied them early and worked on being soft so that habit does not get started.
It's always a journey!
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Post by DianneC on May 4, 2009 0:24:26 GMT -5
They look fabulous Michelle. Your breeding program is giving you some great results!
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Post by sbutter on May 4, 2009 1:16:23 GMT -5
Wow, if I were a horse, I would want to come and live at your place! That sounds like such a good program to get a well rounded and socialized horse. It's cool to have those mustangs in there to add wisdom to the young minds of their herd.
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Post by lindad on May 4, 2009 21:18:43 GMT -5
Beautiful X 2!!! Excellent results. Congratulations. I love that they just get to be horses for a while.
Linda D
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Post by stlkigers on May 5, 2009 8:42:37 GMT -5
Yeah, very cool program Michelle...I do love that they are allowed to be in a herd situation and live together and are not some stalled horse with an hour of turnout per day.....I believe it builds are more solid horse both mentally and physically.....You know lots of the old time mustang adopters I have met thru the years say they would not adopt any mustang unless it has been wild on the range at least 6 months to get that socialization and good mind....You are doing a great job replicating the wild herd life down in Texas!
Angela
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Post by fantasykiger on May 11, 2009 14:58:28 GMT -5
Oh the boys do look great. I love to see the update photos as the grow  |
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Those boys are flashy! I can't wait to see how they mature. What is your training strategy for your young horses? Do you just halter train them and turn them out and let them grow?
