October, 2015

Our latest masterpiece!   Triunfante H

Some of you know that I had the opportunity to have two glorious outside mares here during the last year.  My friend, Alice, was not planning on breeding her two mares and offered to let me breed them.    The stud muffin above is the latest arrival - he is out of Kisia, who Alice bought in utero from us (Kisia is Habana x Gitano) and by Kairo.   He is the image of his sire and the photo above was taken at 17 hours old.    I had been intending on making a new colt to keep, figuring when a colt was breeding age, Gitano would be approaching 20 years old.  I even bought frozen semen from Spain to create such a creature.  Making zero sense whatsoever,  instead, I don't think I can part with this special, delightful colt.   Should anything happen to Gitano or Kairo, Triunfante can step up to take over and carry on their lines.  Makes no sense to keep one that is related to nearly all the mares and fillies, which tells you how crazy I am about this colt!   I am way too far into my horse business to try to start making sense now.   I'll be eternally grateful to Alice for allowing me this opportunity and to Kisia for making this mini-Kairo.

To the left, you will see the other recent arrival resulting from the "borrowing" of Alice's mare, Valencia ADP.   Named Tara, this filly is the image of her gorgeous mother with an especially lovely head and neck.   So far, she is proving to be a little character in personality and likely will be for sale.   She has a pedigree that anyone would be impressed with and hopefully, will find a perfect home while her gorgeous mother is still visiting us to see who she comes from!



After a somewhat more difficult than usual winter and early spring, this Fall finds us healthier and doing well.  Valente is back to working full capacity and doing beautifully working Kairo under saddle.    All medical reports are that he is doing fine and back to his normal self.  I had my knee replacement the end of June and am grateful with every pain free step that I take that I had it done and am back to zooming around the place.

The horses, too, are doing well, with somewhat of an exodus going on.   In the last weeks, Dulci left for her home here in Texas and special thanks to Vicky for adopting her into your family for a breeding and pleasure riding career.  My friend, Melinda, has been so important in my horse life and recently purchased giant Quiana to add to her broodmare group.  Quiana is here with us until at least spring when we'll be breeding her for Melinda to Kairo.  Maximus, the lovebug of a half-andalusian went to former buyer Robin who is as loving an animal owner as I know.   Max, who shipped last week,  already looks so happy at his green and lovely home in Florida.

Tephra and Realengo have quite a journey to make through Washington State, across the border into Canada and on a ferry to Vancouver Island.   Their owner, Beverly, has become a friend and has built a brand new barn and new fencing so that they will live in luxury.  Thanks, Beverly, for being willing to buy from us and from so far away!   Cadiz is likewise heading to a wonderful home complete with brand new fencing, a soon-to-be-built new barn and with two new pasture buddies.  Thanks, Carol, for taking the leap of faith in purchasing Ibiza's last foal in utero.  Who would have guessed that he would be this super tall black sweetheart?  I figured a sweetheart, but never guessed would be a black!   Finally, angel sweet Tiersa is heading the first week of November to her new mom in Michigan.   I am certain that Lori is going to be smitten in no time with this engaging and personality-plus filly.  Niza's statuesque colt, Travieso, by Kairo, will be heading to his home in South Texas the end of December. 

We couldn't manage without our wonderful boarders and have room for even more if anyone has retired or pasture horses needing a home where they will be loved and spoiled.   Thank you to Katy, Melinda, Katherine and Whitney for trusting us with your horses.   I love them all!

One more Fall baby due who is sold if a filly.    I can always count on the cross of Destinada and Gitano to produce a wonderful offspring.   Then we have a bit of a wait through the worst of winter until Otamisia will be the first to foal this spring with another of her black Kairo offspring, and then Flama with a Gitano baby and then Isabelina with a Gitano baby.    Right now, Gentileza, Hipolita, Prisca and Niza are open and the goal is if they are cycling in November, to get them bred for next fall babies.  I am still doing "my thing" of playing on paper with who gets to breed to which stallion

Since I don't tend to write on this blog very regularly, I will go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a season of having many things to be thankful for.     Best, Terri

All spring foals have arrived

What a wonderful spring we've had and as of this morning, all of the foals have been born.   Moms and foals all healthy and I am very grateful.

First, most grateful that Valente is doing great--back to full time work and working as hard as ever.  The winter without him almost did me in, but he is back to save the day when I needed him most with babies arriving and breeding.  He is just walking for the most part, but still fabulous to see him back in the saddle. 

First to foal was Flama-- a big relief after a couple of complicated pregnancies.   She had a black/bay filly named Tyche who has a first time to own andalusian owner locally.   Congratulations, Milly, on choosing this spunky, athletic and ever-curious lovely girl!

My friend, Donna, brought her two mares here to foal out and be rebred.   The next arrival was Fantasia's super tall grey filly by Gitano and after, Leia had a bay colt by Kairo. 

Otamisia was the next of mine to foal - she had a solid black filly named Tephra who will be going to Canada when she is old enough to travel.   Her forever mom was here for a week and helped me more than I could have ever known at Nationals and I know Ota, as well as Realengo, will have a wonderful life with Beverly.   Thank you for buying two of these special horses.

I sold Isa this winter when I needed to sell and fortunately, the nicest lady who is a great animal owner and Arabian and dog breeder came along to adopt my friend, my counselor and this beautiful mare.   The top photo is Isa with this spring's Tosca by Gitano.   I know that Isa meant for this to be her special gift to me and I will keep Tosca.  No animal can ever replace what Isa means to me, but Tosca is so special that I feel like it was a miracle to have her.  Isa will stay until fall when Tosca is weaned and leave rebred to Gitano.  Thanks, Victoria, for making a home for this enchanting mare and also for bringing your stunning black Arabian mare up to breed.  It was our pleasure having her here.

I was very excited to welcome Prisca's first foal and lo and behold she had a black filly by Kairo.  This is my first Wanapum grandbaby so I named this one Tamarinda, after Wanapum's grandparents.   She is very like Prisca in her conformation and hopefully will have her momma's movement too!

Niza had a black colt by Kairo who was sold in utero and my thanks to Jeorge for taking the plunge to commit ahead of time to a dark colt.   You lucked out as this is such a tall and statuesque colt.  His owner chose the name Travieso which I like very much.

Hipolita had her second grey (I think?) filly in a row by Gitano and Tiersa is the outgoing, in-your-pocket girl of the year.  She makes us laugh and everyone who has come is enthralled with her outgoing and fearless approach to life.   Feminine and sweet but seems to have a sense of humor about her.  What a delight!  Tiersa is for sale.

Last but not least, Gentileza had a grey filly who I named Traviata.   Two fillies this year so beautiful they needed to be named after operas!   Like Gentileza's other Gitano babies, Traviata is long legged and beautiful.  Traviata is for sale.

We had late foals this year and so in quite a rush to try to get as many as possible back in foal before we quit breeding in a few weeks.  Because of the heat and my June surgery, anybody that doesn't take in the next couple of weeks will be left open until fall.  Speaking of fall, have Destinada's (Gitano), Valencia's (Gitano) and Kisia's (Kairo) foals coming to enjoy when all the spring babies turn into teen agers and no longer want to play with me as much!

Another huge bonus this spring has been my growing friendship with professional photographer Kristi Johnson.   Kristi is as nice as she is talented and I am overwhelmed by the photos she has gotten and her generosity in allowing me to post them here (she took both of the photos I have on this post) and facebook and my website.   If I am not looking at horses outside, I pretty much want to be surrounded by art or photographs of them inside!

In short, life is wonderful.   We survived a nearby tornado, haven't washed away yet with all the rain, Valente's surgery and that scare and birthing season!   I have never felt more fortunate that I have so many things to be so be happy about and when I get my new knee next month, whoa----you'll have to get out of the way when I get going full speed again!  I hope all of you that read this have had a wonderful spring and have a wonderful summer ahead full of things to be happy about, too.

Happy New Year!  Thanks to Marsha for sending me uplifting info like the quote above.  I hope this is an incredibly great year for everyone.

Where, oh, where, did the fall go?   I wish I had appreciated more back in the days when I had two full time guys---now that it is just Valente and I, I have no time and feel I am losing contact with people that I think of all the time and should keep in better contact.  Thanks for putting up with me!

Gee.  What has happened since I posted in August?  Several babies went to their new homes, we showed Prisca and Kairo in October and I put up the art booth at the IALHA National Show.  It was sad to know that this was probably the last Ft. Worth show---so many years we have gone and gotten to annually see so many friends.  I will miss it and since we are not in a position to travel due to no help at home, it may be our last nationals after 21 years of showing. 

Had a great fun visit with Michelle from Virginia and now she and her husband are the proud owners of Nemo, Danzarina and Saragossa!  I couldn't find a better home with their gorgeous pastures and passion for horses so am very grateful they once again chose me to buy from.  Also, unending thanks to Hernan, who has now bought Querendona, Sarape and Soldado.   We look forward to having Querendona back this spring to breed to Kairo.   My wonderful boarders are keeping me afloat financially and it is such fun to have humans that are so delightful occasionally come to visit.   Naturally, I fall in love with all the horses that live here, whether they belong to me or now.  Especially fun is having Salvador and Quebracho back.  I so rarely get to see my former babies so having these two back in bigger body forms to stay with us for a while is heaven.

The sad news is that my beautiful and too special for words, Gita,  passed over the rainbow bridge last week.   Gita was born without eyes and many thought I was insane to not put her down at birth.  But for thirteen wonderful years, she managed without so much as a significant cut or injury and all those who met her immediately felt her soulfulness and what joy she exuded.   She slipped in the mud and tore her hind leg ligaments and tendons so that her femur dislocated and the only option in view of the seriousness of her injury and her situation was to euthanize her.   I feel so fortunate to have experienced this happy horse who taught us so much and was never a day's trouble.

My big, sweet mastiff, Yoshi, was also put to sleep.    She has been such a comfort all the years I have had her and I miss her terribly.   My way to try to heal was to immediately go and get another dog--but one that absolute opposite of giant Yoshi.   The new one is Jackie, an australian terrier.   My wonderful friends Terrye and Joel have an animal sanctuary and when I went down to get a dog,  they had 50+ mostly small dogs.   Jackie has had a different background and is settling in to our wacky lifestyle.  Of course I adore her.  

Myrtle, my great dane, is 12 to be 13 this summer so I am also getting a great dane youngster from these same friends in the spring when they bring up a mare for us to breed.    Vette, the new one, (named for Star Wars' character that is a bounty hunter by previous owners) looks like Myrtle's twin so I am counting the minutes until she arrives and becomes part of the canine family.   Am I the one who said I would like someday to get down to one little and one big dog?

Hereje looks impossibly good as he turns 23 but looks about 10 and still takes my breath away.  Gitano is happy to breed, doesn't care if he only gets ridden occasionally and stays the studmuffin that he has always been.  Kairo is maturing more beautifully than I could have hoped.  He is over 16.2, has a fabulous breeding/pregnancy record, and is starting out under saddle perhaps the easiest and fastest of any of the stallions we've started over the years.  His first two colts last year looked like his clones and we are very excited to welcome some more of his babies this spring.

The mares are fat and happy.   Destinada turned up not pregnant so we bred her (to Gitano) as well as our two visiting mares, Valencia (to Gitano) and Kisia (to Kairo) this fall for fall, 2015 babies.   It will be wonderful  to have 3 babies next fall but that sounds far away so I am focusing on the 7 coming this spring.   3 are sold in utero if turn out the right colors and sexes--I need one big black/bay colt, one dark filly and one bay or black of either sex for customers who are anxiously awaiting the babies' arrivals with me.   

My days seem to be full of horse chores so my endless emailing days seem to be over.   The art business is still fun for me as I can do at night when outside work is over.   We have our property listed for sale, but like all the other horse properties in the area, not alot of traffic so waiting for the perfect person who could come close to loving this place as I do.   I will stay as close to where I am as possible as I love Denton, need to be close to my brother and his family in Dallas, and want to be close to my long established vet, shavings and feed deliverers, etc.   Valente's son is the varsity football kicker (last year as a sophomore) and his wife works literally up the road from us, so trying to stay convenient for them and so his two kids don't have to change schools.  We'll see when the time comes.    I trust the perfect place will be available when I need it!

I wish I heard more from those of you with horses that originated here.  I just got some remarkable footage from Courtney who has Melegant doing amazing liberty tricks and jumping that I can't believe!   Karra has kept in touch and showed Khan in dressage and has Palisandro and Obriza training to show next year.  Lucie sends me the most wonderful slideshows and videos of Principe and Romeo and I wish I could write as beautifully as Sarah who keeps me updated on Romantica.    I won't ramble on about the rest of you I hear from but invite anyone else to send photos or update--I really do love hearing how the horses are doing.   

Thanks for looking at my posts and my best wishes for a terrific year.   Terri