Our 4 Footed Family

UPDATED: March, 2011

Like poems? Check out Horses & People at the bottom of this page. It sort of sums up our herd.

COPPER'S MUD MAGNET ~ Storm ~ A 2001 APHA, bay, tovero stallion. Storm is good minded and is a natural pleasure horse who is also talented in reining. We hope to have foals by Storm in our lesson program in the future as he is smart, well built and his dam's one of the best, beginner school horses ever (see Copper) and is currently an important part of our lesson program. Storm has great bloodlines that go back to Leo, King, Hank-A-Chief, Three Bars, Cherokee Maiden and many more well known foundation quarter horses and paints. He is quiet enough as a stallion that I had some students help me to start him under saddle. Eventually, he had 3 months of reining training and if I had time to do it back then (2005-06), I would have shown him. He is smart and reining on Storm was one of the highlights of my year. It was fun! Storm is currently living a life of leisure here on the farm. He seems just fine with that!

DANCER'S RUNAWAY ~ Sunny ~ A 1987 registered appaloosa mare that I've have had since her birth. She is out of Ziyadah (aka: Filly, who was my first horse) and by Polvorin, a chestnut thoroughbred stallion. Sunny was Filly and my first foal. In her prime she was a great leader for trails, a former teacher of many students and for me on the trails, a little Porsche to ride. She has great thoroughbred bloodlines that go back to Count Fleet (a triple crown winner) Native Dancer who won upwards of $750,000, Peace Corps and Rosemont (the one who beat Seabiscuit). As of 2009, Sunny's still a trusty part of the herd but is officially retired from lessons and is living our her days here on the farm. She still strikes fear in other horses if she pins her ears back at 24 years old and will let me know if I'm late with her supper. I think after as many years as she's lived it's safe to say she now trains people. Funny and good old horse.

ONE FINE DAY ~ Sundance ~ A 1996 registered pinto mare that we have had since her birth. She is out of Hawk's White Light'n (below) and by Harlan Bars, a black and white, overo, paint stallion. Sundance has great foundation bloodlines which go back to Leo, King, Harlan, Three Bars, Hank H, Peter McCue and Traveller. She is a smart little mare who has a lot of students that love her for english or western ring lessons. She is also a bold trail horse like her mother and has taken over as my lead trail horse since Sunny's retirement. Sundance is currently my ride to lead students safely out on trails. Her mother, Hawk's White Light'n, would be very proud of her. She is just as bold and beautiful!

BANDIT'S SONNY BAR ~ Bandit ~ A 1993 registered pinto gelding that we have had since 1997. Bandit is puppy dog sweet to work with and has proven himself to be a great lesson horse for english and western riders. Bandit has been a very popular pony for my lesson program. He's just over 14 hands and is built like a little sport horse. He seems to enjoy any attention as much as everyone seems to like to work with him. Bandit also has great quarter horse bloodlines that trace back to Leo (3 crosses), Joe Reed II, Red Sonny Dee and Three Bars (TB). This pony should have his own facebook page. He's such a character and has become very bold in his teen years!

MA's GERONIMO ~ A 1988 pinto gelding I bought for my mom as a surprise birthday present in 1994. He was the best gift I ever got my mom, she loves him! I also use Geronimo as a school horse and he is very willing to please. He is a great english and western pleasure horse as well as having talent in reining, gymkhana and trail courses. He's won multiple championships in western and gymkhana. He also loves trail rides. We have also taught Geronimo to pull a carriage. He is good to work with and has taught numerous people to ride with us and he is still a wonderful horse for our lesson program. He's 23 but don't tell him that!

COPPER COLOR ~ Copper ~ A 1990 registered paint mare who is that priceless kind of horse you can put anyone on. Copper is a proven broodmare (see Storm (above) or on our foals page) and has a quiet, sweet disposition. A little green when I got her in 2000 but with a little work, she has turned out to be a great beginner lesson horse with a natural, slow jog. She works when you work, if you stop, she does too. A good trait in a lesson horse and she has made my job an easy, enjoyable one over the years. She's a real nice mare who is often the one we turn to when folks are nervous or would just like a quiet, easy ride in the ring. She can be a little more horse on the trails though so there's always more to look forward to once you get to know Copper in the ring!

THIRTY SNICKERS ~ Snickers ~ A 1999, registered appaloosa mare who is just full of personality. She was a nurse mare foal and from the moment I met her, she has been an in-your-pocket type of horse. She has potential to be a dressage horse but doing trail rides and lessons suit her just fine, especially trail rides! Snickers was a great project for many students who contributed to her training and she has now proven herself to be a great broodmare. See her 2005 filly (below) and on the foals page. Her great-great grandfather was Bold Ruler who was the sire of the legendary race horse Secretariat. SNICKERS is offerered for lease (on-farm only) for an experienced rider. Lessons are required to start.

MISCHIEF MANAGED ~ Rain ~ A 2005, registered appaloosa filly by DZ Weedo (a 9-time World Champion), out of Snickers (above). With that breeding she has potential to do anything and is worked out to be a great project for my experienced riders. Like her sire, Rain has a nice, natural jog and is a nifty little pleasure horse who enjoys the trails too. See more pictures of her on the foals page. Rain's great grand sire was Zippo Pine Bar who is in the AQHA Hall of Fame and her grandfather was Dandy Zippo. Her grand-dam is the ApHC Hall of Fame mare Merry Weedo. RAIN has been sold! Congratulations to her new owner!

Off to greener pastures but never forgotten

HAWK'S WHITE LIGHT'N ~ Hawk ~ (1982-2006) registered pinto mare who we had for many wonderful years. Hawk was a great trail, barrel and team penning horse. She was a great broodmare who had beautiful foals who are built nice and are smart, sometimes too smart, like her! Sundance and Kaje, pictured on our "Foal page," are 2 of her foals. Hawk was a beautiful and irreplaceable mare who will be greatly missed.

NUGGET ~ (1970-2006) Nugget was an adorable, dun Shetland pony and another irreplaceable part of the family. She was a careful babysitter for our son Cole and had many students who loved her. She was a great first horse for Cole and will always have a special place in our hearts. Many experienced horse folk know that a good pony is worth it's weight in gold, er, gold Nuggets. Great, trusty ponies are hard to find!

Other Critters, Past & Present

Max the cat and Blue the cattle dog.

Spanky and Natick

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A favorite poem to share (author unknown)

Horses & People

We were all gathered at the sale barn
waitin for the horse sale to get underway.
When this old hand sat amongst us,
it was easy seein' "Cowboy" was on his resume!
He watched the horses come and go with an
easy, patient horseman's eye.
He studied each horse as they came through,
but he never nodded or attempted to buy.
I found myself watchin' the old man,
when to my surprise he turned and spoke.
"Horses are alot like folks I've known,
some's honest and true, others can't be broke."
Then he pointed out a nice sorrel filly
as she swatted her tail and gave a squeal.
"She's like Miss Milly down at the diner,
plenty of good looks and sex appeal.
And that skinny lookin' ole horse, actin' all touchy,
nervous and rank, he reminds me of old Mr.T Wad,
the loan officer at the bank.
Now that old mare, she's a kids horse,
she'd teach em and they'd never come to harm,
She's sure alot like old Ms Beachem a grand lady,
and my first school marm.
See that little two year old, boy he'd like to break and run.
All he wants is away from here, he reminds me of my son."
It seemed like we sat for hours, talkin', laughin' and
comparin' notes, about honest horses and people we knew,
those we like and those not worth the oats.
About that time, an old bay entered the ring,
the old hands voice began to soften.
"If he was a man, I'd call him friend
and that's just somethin' I don't do often.
A little thin and gray around the muzzle,
like me, he's gotten on in years.
But there's a heap of know how restin
between that old horses ears.
That old horse is some ole cowboys pal,
Sellin him, would be like committin' a sin.
So if you'll please excuse me boys,
think I'll just, buy him back again!"