YEGUADA VERDADERO NEWSLETTER

Edition Six: May – June 2010

VALE INFANTE XXXVIII

16/03/2001 – 19/06/2010

I am shattered. I lost my horse of a lifetime on Saturday 19^th June 2010. I cannot begin to describe the sense of loss and the void that now exists. 

I first met Infante in September 2007. I was chasing a dream. He chose me as much as I chose him. He arrived in Australia in December 2007, and although he took some time to settle into his new life, we developed a rapport that began as polite acceptance, and developed into a real partnership. 

Infante was a very macho stallion but also absolutely gentle and kind. He gathered many admirers along the way, and some have his legacy in their foals. He was a truly magnificent stallion – tall but of the old style with a beautiful noble head, liquid triangle eye, big neck and a lot of brio. His movement was outstanding. 

Infante was an integral part of our human and equine family. I miss not seeing his beautiful face at feed time, or the gentle nudge in the back whilst cleaning his stable. I also miss the flying changes that usually involved a lot of air time (lol) and the spectacular passage and piaffe. He was a stallion that didn’t transition well between competing and breeding, much preferring the latter, but at home under saddle he was pure magic.

My Spanish adventure began and ended with Infante XXXVIII. I take solace in the fact he is probably chasing some pretty mares across the rainbow bridge through the pampas in his home country. 

entre la paz mi amigo 

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Edition Five: March – April 2010 

Winter has come early to us here, with all the horses coating up prematurely this year – a good indication of a cold season about to show itself! 

Congratulations must go to Christina & Davyd of A La Castina who had the first ever Infante baby born in late March. She is a typey grey (born dark brown) filly with a personable nature and a zest for life. Her dam, La Querencia Pamperita, visited Infante late last season. She is one of the last direct Luisillo daughters from the Bodeguero mare, Gloriana, and is a former show champion in led and ridden. 

Imprevisto has been weaned, and all the mares were moved over to the grassy lease paddock next door for the winter. He took to the idea better than mum who is very foal proud and was quite upset for a few days. However, all has settled down now and Imprevisto is getting used to being “one of the boys” with a new abode next to Infante and Zorro. He has been introduced to the hose, a rug and the float, as well as tying up. 

We had an eventful Easter weekend, with Halle, our daughter, having a nasty fall off her cousin’s trampoline, resulting in a badly broken arm, which required immediate surgery on the Saturday and another 3 days in hospital. She will now be in a cast for 8 weeks. 

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Edition Five: January – February 2010 

We had a very low-key festive season and as a result came into 2010 refreshed and relaxed. 

On the horse front we have acquired two PRE mares, both bays (see Mares Page) for breeding. Danza is an aged PRE mare who has many progeny, and nearly all have won numerous State & National titles. Romanza was shown as a youngster and has won Reserve State Championships and progeny classes. Both girls have type, movement and are proven show horses and broodmares. I am trying to keep my mares as similar as possible and therefore produce a more uniform type of foal. 

January was a busy month, with serving our mares. Having had no spring weather the mares’ cycles were all over the place but with some mild intervention we got everything back on track. Both Leyenda and Danza tested positive in foal to Infante, both due mid-January 2011. The only negative is we’ll have to sit out the next 11 months in sheer anticipation! 

So we are looking forward to the arrival of some super quality Infante foals next season. 

February saw out an absolute deluge of rain, which caused local flooding in our area, and the consequent humidity caused no end of problems with flies and mosquitoes! Even the toughest of our brood succumbed to hives and rashes for a few weeks. 

Infante went down to Victoria for 3 weeks training and he served a WB and PRE mare (who came from waaay down south for the “liaison”!!!) while down there. I flew down on weekends and spent time riding and training – great for us both! 

Imprevisto continues to grow into a very lovely colt. Some interstate visitors were really impressed with his type and movement, which was shown to its fullest advantage when he decided to “show off”!!! He will be weaned in April/May and will move in with “Aunty Danza” for the preceding 10 months. The hardest part is waiting for him to grow up! 

Now the serving season is over, Infante will be brought back into competition mode, initially attending a few low-key events, before entering some serious comps. He seems a lot more settled this year, and his work at home is calm, established and shows some moments of absolute brilliance. 

Romanza is also going nicely under saddle and will attend a few local comps throughout winter. We may even try our hand at some Hunter Hack classes!!!! 

The website has been updated, particularly the new “PRE in Dressage” page and “The PRE” page. Have a read and enjoy!!!! 

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Edition Four: November - December 2009 

SEASONS GREETINGS

Well what a great year 2009 has been. Some of the highlights included Leyenda’s arrival in June, and Imprevisto’s subsequent birth in October. 

Reining became a part of my equestrian hobby at the end of October…! Under the guidance of reining guru, Ed Laxton, I rode my neighbour’s appaloosa gelding, “Happy Dreamer” at a NSW Reining show in late October. Although we ‘zero’d’ it was good experience and the people were a great bunch – so friendly and encouraging! 

In mid November, Imprevisto was colour tested and is EE AA Gg n/prl. In simple language he is a heterozygous grey, born buckskin and carries one copy of the rare PEARL gene…! 

This means Especial, his sire is actually a grey, masked by two pearl genes which produces an apricot colourappearance (phenotype). 

Imprevisto continues to impress us with his super type and movement. He is a real character, and opens gates, wrestles with the hose and chases any cat that dares to enter his precinct! 

Andaluka Maya has been sold. Leyenda is currently being served, despite her lack of enthusiasm for any romance with baby at foot! We are hoping for a superb foal from her & Infante next season. 

Due to me having an accident in the week preceding the AHAA State Championships, we did not attend. I badly injured my wrist, horse-related but not mine…! Its been a bad time of year to be injured as I drive a manual ute and am trying to get organised for Xmas! 

Infante has also been very busy with outside mares, which will mean some lovely pure and partbred progeny next season. 

It’s a real shame that more purebred breeders in Australia do not use the imported horses in their breeding programs, as I continue to see the same faults occurring year after year – lack of type, lack of movement, arabised heads, coarseness, pronounced withers, lack of strength in the topline, weak behind etc etc. The trend here seems to be to breed for colour or height or both, at the expense of the character of the breed and correct conformation. Those horses that are ‘straight’ have NO expression in their movement at all, so perhaps instead of looking at “straightness” we should be looking at expression. The definition of dressage does not mention straightness of movement at all:

• The freedom and regularity of the paces
• The harmony, lightness and ease of the movements
• The lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hind quarters, originating in a lively impulsion
• The acceptance of the bridle with submissiveness throughout and without any tenseness or resistance.

  Lastly, we wish everyone and their two- and four-legged families a safe and happy festive season.

♦♦♦