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We finished the south fence and built the new east fence of the arena with help from friends and
family. The arena is being constructed of RR ties for posts and landscape timbers for rails. This is of course an expensive
and time consuming job but when finished we will have a nice working arena which hopefully will be lighted as well to allow
for cool evening training sessions.
Last fall was hectic and we didn't get to those training chores we had planned for that time frame.
Brenda Hebl of Hebl Farms and I will be teaming up to train together in 2008. We will retain our seperate identities but simply
take advantage of each others strengths to make both farms viable. As those of you know it is never a good idea
to break out babies alone and we are both independent trainers with different skills. Each of us valuable to the other.
Watch for us at shows competing together!
If this winter showed us one thing, it is that we need to install some good automatic watering systems.
So we are going to do just that. I am going to order a Bar-Bar-A from Horsedrinker.com fairly soon and see how we get along.
I think it will probably fit the bill as several of my collegues have them and rave that these are the very best to have.
They require no electricity and yet do not freeze in even the coldest weather. I am looking forward to getting some installed
in all the lots eventually. Spring is fast approaching though it doesn't seem like it with temps hovering just above zero.
We are swapping two of our fine paint mares for two very fine purebred Arabians. Both Knight
and Stormy are grandget of the immortal Blacklord Arabi. Jessica Babydoll, a deep red tovero is being traded for
Czars Black Knight, a black yearling of polish and egyptian lines. Pampered Princess is being traded for RTR Lacis Stormy,
a 4 yr old filly and half sister to Knight. Jessica and Princess will be going to a reining breeding and training facility
in Strawberry Point IA known as Rolling Thunder Ranch. I plan to show both Knight and Stormy in Arabian shows and integrate
them into our program to produce 1/2 arab quarter ponies.
In addition to the two black Arabians from Rolling Thunder Ranch we have acquired a 2 yr old stud
colt named Amir Ibn Of Jamaal, a grandson of the great Ali Jamaal. He is bay and small for his size due to circumstances beyond
his control. Any foals he produces should mature at a good height.
The winter ice storms took their toll on our facilities here this year and my place looks like a
war zone with limbs still hanging precariously from the trees or laying on the ground waiting to be cut up and carted
off. There is so much it will take a while to restore order.
My stud pen has seen its better days and is getting replaced this summer. I will take advantage
of the situation and have a bulldozer clean off the spot to improve both footing and drainage. The initial pen size will be
enlarged and then divided into two runs about 20' by 80' each. At the moment only one stall has access to the pen but once
the new pens are in place, an outside access door will be added to a second stall. My cremello stallion Duality will
spend the summer at our Cambria facility during the remodeling time along with Prince, the bay Arabian stud. Plans call for
an automatic watering system to be added before winter and shared between both lots.
We have alot of fence building to do. My pasture is being rested this year and treated for weed
control before being reseeded to a quality pasture mix. Those displaced horses are on pasture near Humeston for the summer.
When they return in the fall, we hope to have a new automatic waterer in place for them. The new arena hopefully will be finished
as well, the south and west fences are in place and I just need the north and east fences to finish the job. The drive
way fence has been torn out and will be replaced by a post and rail fence. The east lots are not usuable at the moment but
once we get the oak boards from the sawmill we will begin refencing at least the north two. These lots and the small east
pasture desperately need their own automatic waterers as well but the budget won't allow that until next year.
June 10 Brenda and I made it to one show so far
with the last one having been canceled due to the incessent rain and truth be told, it may be canceled yet again! That
said, we both did well at the show. Brenda won the halter class we both entered with our yearlings and I was second
with Golden Moment.
I also took my bay mare Mama's Babette. This was her first show and she did very well. Taking
5th in her first class, a rather crowded walk/trot class but then rallied to take 2nd in Western Pleasure and to my great
shock in Egg and Spoon as well! Brenda and I shared her in one of the partnered games called musical pairs and placed
third as a team. We are both too old for this game as it requires us to run on foot!
All in all, it was an enjoyable show and one I plan to attend next season as well!
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