Congratulations, Carol!

 

This little dreamboat is named Cadiz--- a special reason why I agreed in utero buyer, Carol, should not follow my usual alphabetical requirement that all babies of the same year have names starting with a certain letter.  What a dollbaby and I am so grateful to Ibiza, who perhaps should be retired at her age, but who seems to be clear that she is willing to continue her job as one of the great broodmares of all times!  Sired by Gitano, this fellow was born  last night, 10/9/13 at about 11:15 pm--Ibiza even thoughtful about not keeping me awake until the wee hours of the morning.  This colt will be a real gem.  Leggy, beautiful head and personality plus.  I think it would be impossible not to fall for him and of course, within less than 24 hours, I am in love!  Thanks, Carol, for taking the leap of faith and choosing Ibiza's baby in utero--you did well.  VERY well!

 

 

Thanks also to Carlos who has bred to mine and bought two from me in the past for purchasing Wanapum's bay son, Realengo.  Since Carlos has a grey Hereje son, he needs a black colt to have the grey, bay and black trio.   I am tickled that he is also buying one of Kairo's coming babies if we have a black colt.  Or when we have a black colt in the spring.

 

One of the real blessings that I've had is that my friend and one of our mentors, Molly (who trained Galisteo when he was started under saddle and given Valente riding lessons on Gitano, Chulo and Wanapum) is buying Kidron.   Having all competitive dressage swedish warmbloods, I could not believe it when she fell head over heels and wanted Kidron.  She needed him like a hole in the head but like we all do, Molly followed her heart, took him home to ride 6 days a week for about 6 weeks and finally concluded she could not part with him.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect home for this unbelievably soulful horse.

 

Next week is my first foray into the art booth business and I hope my friends at the IALHA national show will come by. I am so excited about several of our new products and Lesley's new andalusian images. Not showing horses, I will spend more time watching classes and in the arena than my last 20 years of going to Nationals.

Will start our fall breeding the first of November if the open mares are cycling and have a couple of outside breedings lined up.  No more babies due for a while so we can spoil Cadiz rotten.   Next will be Karina, if she hasn't headed to her home by February and following or near Karina will be Otamisia's and Kairo's first offspring.  So much to look forward to.   Happy fall to everyone---we are so delighted fall decided to finally show up in Texas.

August

Counting the seconds until August ends so we can see the possibility of fall weather.  The poor horses just manage our gross Texas heat somehow.

Please say prayers, send positive energy or cross your fingers that Kidron has found his permanent home.   My good friend Molly (who has given Valente all his riding lessons and trained our Galisteo for me) is a grand prix rider who heretofore has owned all kinds of horses, mostly imported Swedish Warmbloods, but never an andy.    Just as everyone who has met Kidron since he returned here, Molly simply fell in love with him and I couldn't have wished upon a star for a more perfect owner.

Speaking of friends, Julie and Wanapum headed to another dressage show this weekend and on first ride, fresh off the trailer, got a 68.5%!   Of course he seems to have a particular talent for scoring well on the classes she hasn't signed up as qualifiers and not nearly as well on the qualifiers.   Since I don't care about the scores and just want him to be his best, be fun for Julie, and get out in the world more than he ever would here, I am just delighted that Julie has ventured to the 3rd show in the last couple of months.

Lesley just finished a painting of an andalusian so I ordered prints and have been spending money like a crazy person to have some new products for the upcoming shows.   October is IALHA nationals and the problem is there are so many images and so many products depicting them, that I don't know how I can cram all into a 10 x 10 booth.    Then in November, heading to Belton, Texas and so excited to get to see a friesian/gypsy/drum show--talk about gorgeous horses.   Lesley has numerous paintings depicting those breeds and for them, too, I'll have wallets, kindle covers, iphone covers, compacts,  afghans, baby bids, short and long sleeved tees, new cards and more!  

I hope I'll see some of you at those shows, with or without horses.  Is always a wonderful time of year and a reunion of sorts with the friends I only get to see annually.

Is it fall yet?

Cleaning and came across this photo---how old do I feel when one of my childhood photos looks this aged?   Anyway, this is me with my beloved Apache.  Apache made up in heart what he might have been lacking in looks.    Over the years from when I got him around age 6, I gave up taking piano lessons, new clothes and all kinds of things when my parents would attempt to bribe me that if I gave up Apache, I could have this or that.  I made the right decisions!   I had him until I was 16 when we moved to Texas and I had to sell him......  one of the biggest heartbreaks of my life!  I have come a long way both in quantity and arguably, quality.

Just when we Texans cannot be more sick of summertime, August arrives and gets even hotter.  A good time to catch up on indoor chores, paperwork and all the things I only do if I can't tolerate being outside.  It has been a very slow season for horse sales-I've had some wonderful sounding prospective buyers, but somehow the perfect matches just aren't happening.   Hopefully, will pick up soon. 

 

Have been busy as Lesley's 2014 calendars are in and thankfully, lots of orders.   I didn't order as many this year as so expensive, so if anyone wants one, better order sooner than later as may run out this year (hope so!)   http://www.harrison-keller.com/calendars.php .   I am planning to do a booth at the IALHA national show in October and Lesley is, as I write, painting a new andalusian so that I'll have several new andalusian images with some various products depicting it, for the show.   I only have a very few of each thing made, but will have some large kindle covers, some compacts, wallets and a few "new" products by October.   The next goal is to go to Belton, Texas the end of November for a gypsy vanner and friesian show as we have tons of images and products depicting those beautiful breeds.

 

Probably will have more interesting news when I next write but wishing all of you the best for the remainder of summer.   

Breeding season over! Yahoooooooo

 Lucky Sarah who purchased Romantica, pictured here on the left last week.  She is another giant filly from the pairing of Gentileza x Gitano.                                                                

Although I love having the babies, the making of them gets old, especially when our Texas heat is upon us.   (I'm sure the stallions don't agree).   Poor Valente makes a zillion trips to our too-busy-to-come-here vet and the poor mares and babies in a trailer gets us anxious to finish the whole process by the first of June.  Besides, it is simply too hot for later babies to be born in the oppressive heat.

 

As usual, we were super fortunate to have had a successful breeding season with every outside mare that chose one of my boys having been confirmed in foal and all of mine except new Scarlet (more about her later) and possibly Conesa.   In the fall, Ibiza is the lone foaler, with her foal already sold.   In the spring, we'll have 7 or 8 coming, with 3 purebreds by Kairo, all of which could be black and one of which for sure black, and 4 purebreds by Gitano.   Then Sirena (more later) is bred to Gitano and could have a champagne, bay or black three-quarter andalusian, if she is still here.

 

Too long a story to bore everyone with, but two IALHA registered half-andalusians have joined us, brought here with the promise of either keeping them or finding them perfect homes.   Information about both is on my sale page of my website.   Scarlet is a pretty and sweet, timid but loving bay mare that has a trot that is jaw-dropping.    We didn't see her signs of heat and now too hot to breed her.  If she is still here in the fall, we'll be breeding her to Gitano or Kairo to keep color.

 

Sirena de Oro is a bold champagne pony-type that we are told has been ridden by youths and shown in english pleasure and hunt seat a few years back, but the last few years, not ridden frequently.  She has had one bay colt (an Hereje grandson) by a grey stallion and is an amber champagne.   We did not make alot of effort as did not take her to the vet, but she teased, I inseminated her with Gitano's semen and lo and behold she took so she'll be having a spring, 2014 foal that could be the colors referenced above.  So if she hangs around that long, will be super fun to see what she throws.

 

So now the time of year we try to stay indoors as much as possible and keep up with the mowing and fly-spraying and bathing sweaty horses.    They all manage the heat without complaint, unlike moi!  Wishing you all great summers with hay aplenty and temperatures enough to enjoy your horses. 

Last spring foal arrived

This is Riqueza, (Conesa x Gitano) and a great way to end this spring's foaling season!   Leggy, feminine and sweet, pending dna verification of color, she is hopefully sold.  As I predicted last blog post, Conesa chose a cold night so we took down fans, turned on heaters, locked down windows and welcomed this beautiful filly into the world.

We still are busy breeding before the heat forces me indoors more hours than out.    Two of the outside mares were confirmed in foal and headed home and Sylvanna shipped out to her forever home in California and lucky Quebracho arrived yesterday in his dream home in New Mexico.   I've gotten great reports of Quintina and Octavia settling in well in New Jersey and Florida, respectively, so the revolving door spins with horses coming and going.

Riqueza is Gitano's first and for sure I'll be breeding Conesa back to Gitano unless the gentleman asking to buy Conesa's next, if a colt, in utero, decides he would prefer another stallion.   Destinada didn't take the two cycles that we bred her to Hereje so I trust nature is telling me something and bred her last week back to Gitano.     I have not heard back from a couple of people with mares who supposedly wanting to breed to one of mine and reminder, if you are reading this, that in the next couple of weeks, we will stop breeding until next October.

 

Crazy as it seems, I have two horse surprises coming so check back with us for more news.  Our thoughts and prayers to everyone who has been affected by the terrifying weather extremes.

 

Gitano's daughter

How cute is this filly?
We had the privilege of breeding a truly lovely paint mare last year and her owner just shared the photo of the resulting foal.    Mamma's name is "Princess Joy" so how perfect is the filly's name: "El Gitano Alegre" (The Joyful Gypsy).

Yesterday, I mowed and got sunburned and today, temperature dropping to freezing tonight which pretty much assures that Conesa will foal.   This will be Conesa's first by Gitano and although every anticipated foal is exciting, these first crosses are even more so.   No sleep for me tonight and guess I'll get out the gloves and winter garb that I had put away!

Baby magic

Okay, so not the most flattering photo of me, but my friend took this one of her QH/TB mare's day old Gitano daughter, Conesa, and I taking a nap in the sun!    More proof that I love the horses who end up here as boarders or otherwise at my place just as much as my own.  This filly is a particular gem!

Has been an exciting week.   First time mom produced a wonderful Wanapum bay colt I named Realengo just in time for us to host Revision.   Dr. Arnau Garriga was here and a lovely and charming man that I got to spend a little time with.   Under the new rules, Ancce is now taking measurements of every spot and angle one can think of, from the length of lips to the width of forehead all the way to the hind end of the horse.  In addition, inspection includes movement in a walk, trot and canter in each direction.  The entire process was almost an hour for each horse.   I am pleased with the changes as the criteria will gradually get more and more stringent and the approval process have more meaning.

 I am happy that Niza is now revised, even though getting her lunging with her brand new baby was not as pretty as it was 2 years ago when we showed her in the pre classes and she behaved without trying to be such a good mom!  Thanks to those who brought their horses here to be approved so that there were enough horses that I was allowed to host.

The other news that I am most excited about is that my great friend, trainer Julie Van Zee in Michigan, took Wanapum to his first big dressage show.   As she had no way of predicting how Wan might respond to the more crowded venue than the pre classes at our IALHA national show, she signed up for 4 first level tests.   Lo and behold, Julie and Wan were the first level grand champions!   I am so thankful to Julie for wanting to work with Wan and so proud of him.   Hopefully, in June, he'll be at another show and at second level.

Pictured above, Lady had a special bay Gitano filly and now we await Conesa's foal for the last spring baby.   We are working at getting everyone back in foal and have 4 outside mares currently as guests to breed.   A hopping and happy time at Herradura.  That is alot of H's....

Gotta love April!

This lovely girl is Romantica, daughter of Gitano and out of Gentileza--the third of this cross and as special as the first two were!  Sold within 6 hours of birth, this photo taken at 4 days old.

Names this year starting with R and what more perfect than to name the first of the year that is a Remate granddaughter for Lesley's gorgeous painting of Remate entitled "The Romantic".   That she is such a sweetie makes the name fit too.

First time mom Niza is outdoing herself in kindness, attentiveness but not overly nervous with her bay Wanapum son, Realengo.  Realengo means "kingly" or "royalty" and he has an enormous personality packed in his few day old body.  I think his photo should appear whenever the term "animal magnitism" is used--he makes me laugh every time I enter the stall or get near him.   And first spring one for sale since Romeo and Romantica are sold!

Julie and Wanapum head to a dressage show this weekend in Michigan, will be hosting revision next week, have 4 visiting mares and one stallion here to breed, and family coming into town next week to visit.   So many fun things going on which balance out the fact I turn a year older in April!

Another big excitement for me is we have our black mare, Otamisia, confirmed in foal to our black, Kairo for our first baby coming spring, 2014.    No rationale person breeds a young stallion at age 2, but I simply couldn't wait and lo and behold, these two first time breeders paired like veterans and Ota got pregnant first try.   I hope will be the first of many blacks since so many people want them.  It took many years for me to finally find the dark bay I wanted in Gitano.  It has taken equally as many years to find the black stallion I wanted for my breeding stallion and Kairo is for sure the one.   Otamisia means "perfection" and she is stunning.   We have a number of other mares that may have black some day with Kairo and for sure, our black weanling filly will throw black with Kairo.   I now have all the color bases covered so this means I will never want another horse.  Right?   Well, except every single baby that is born...

Our boarder qh/tb mare will be next to foal and then Conesa so will keep anyone interested posted.  I hope your April is filled with beauty and enjoyment, like mine.    T

March madness already

February was a month of great joy but also grieving.    Heaven is now an even more beautiful place as Remate is there.    Zeus and I miss our special friend but mostly, I feel fortunate for all the time I had with such a wondrous stallion.  

 

The good news is that with Rafael's departure and reducing to one full time worker, I have had a ball doing alot of the stall cleaning and feeding and have felt better than I have in a long time with the increased physical activity.    And bonded closer to several of the horses that I have shamefully not spent enough time with like Hereje who returns my special affection for him.

 

Quantico is ready to head to his home in Colorado any time now to make room for the new arrivals---the fewest since 1993!!!    The photo above is 2/28/13 Gitano/Hipolito son, Romeo at about 11 hours old.    One of my favorite people, Lucie, who bought Principe, chose this one before he was born and lo and behold, he came out just to order--a male and bay and the supersweet personality she prefers.  To know he'll be going to an A+++++ home makes his arrival all the more special.   About a month at least until Gentileza has her Gitano baby, undoubtedly another treasure like Perfeita and Quebracho and we anxiously await Niza's first foal who is by Wanapum.

 

Speaking of Wan, Julie reports that he is doing well and not at all bothered by the severe winter that northern Michigan has experienced.  Hopefully, Wanapum and Chulo will be heading to the first show of the northern season for Julie, the end of April.

 

Hoping that the spring brings all great things to all of you.  Stay tuned for more baby news!