Inside: - TWH Heritage Society

January/February 2016
Volume IIX, Issue 1
Published by the International Heritage Walking Horse Association
Inside:
Cover design by Jennifer Klitzke | www.naturallygaited.com
IHWHA Update
Heritage Horses I Have
Known: Society’s Dan Allen
2015: A Good & Bad Year
Readers Write
IHWHA.com
IHWHA News
What is a Heritage Walking Horse? The
Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage Society
sprang from the programs of breeders who
believed in preserving bloodlines which had
been in their families for decades. Because these
original Heritage breeders kept old stallions and
mares until their deaths, the originally certified
Heritage Horses easily had five registration
numbers dated before 1950 on their registration
certificates, and some had 20-24 of the
foundation era numbers. These horses were
never bred to pace for the show ring, so the
running walk gait came naturally to them.
Because they traced to horses registered in the
early years of the breed, their colors span the full
spectrum of those that were permitted in that era,
but they do not include the modern additions
which crept into the gene pool in the eighties and
nineties when those professing to be the “official
breed registry” fell down in their mission to
preserve the integrity of the breed.
IHWHA came into being in 2014 and the
association has seen a nice increase in
membership and registration applications,
certified horses being converted, etc. As with
any new organization, there are always some
growing pains and improvements that need to be
made. IHWHA recognizes from some of the
emails coming in that people have some
confusion about where to find forms and other
information. The registry has those items on the
www.ihwha.com website. At the top, there are
boxes that say Home, Breed, Association,
Contact. By hovering the mouse over those
boxes, the drop-down menus appear which
provide an easy way to navigate around the
website.
There has also been some confusion as to which
category individual horses should be registered
in. IHWHA has made some changes to the
categories that hopefully simplifies things and
makes it clearer as to where horses belong.
In order to obtain a certified Heritage Walking
Horse registration certificate, either 100% or in
one of the other categories, your horse needs to
comply with the criteria below AND show an
evenly timed up four beat flat walk and running
walk gait with head nod and a gentle, sensible
disposition in a video. Video must meet the
video guidelines found on our website.
1.
100% Heritage Walking Horse
- The 100% Heritage Horses (or The pure
Heritage Horse) must have all older bloodlines,
with a minimum of five stallions and/or mares
with pre-1950 registration numbers still showing
on the papers. Foals born of two Heritage parents
will be eligible to be registered in this category
regardless of how many numbers are still
showing on the papers.
- No modern show horses in the pedigree that
were shown padded/stacked after 1976;
- Various colors and patterns are exhibited
within the Heritage Horse ranks. All colors,
patterns, and modifiers must trace, generation to
generation, to horses of those colors, patterns,
and modifiers registered in the original
TWHBAA Studbooks.
- Gait certified with a video following the
video guidelines (Click to follow link).
2.
Heritage Endorsed
- This category is for horses that have
no performance show walkers exhibited after
1976 but
do not have the five old registration numbers
prior to 1950 to fall into the full
Heritage category but are otherwise foundation
bred.
- Various colors and patterns are exhibited within
the Heritage Horse ranks. All colors, patterns,
and modifiers must trace, generation to
generation, to horses of those colors, patterns,
and modifiers registered in the original
TWHBAA Studbooks;
- IF a Heritage Endorsed horse is bred to a 100%
Heritage Walking Horse, the resulting foal will
be considered 100% Heritage.
- Gait certified with a video following the
video guidelines.
3.
Heritage Accredited
- This category is for those horses that have a
majority of old bloodlines but have no more than
TWO performance horses exhibited after 1976
on their papers.
- Various colors and patterns are exhibited within
the Heritage Horse ranks. All colors, patterns,
and modifiers must trace, generation to
generation, to horses of those colors, patterns,
and modifiers registered in the original
TWHBAA Studbooks;
- These horses will not be considered full
Heritage, nor will their offspring.
- Gait certified with a video following the
video guidelines.
News from Franne Brandon,
Petersburg, Tennessee
The TWHBEA Sire Summary has been mailed.
This year, two Heritage Stallions made the list of
Top 100 Sires.
Near the top of the list is perennial favorite Buds
Sterling Bullet, bred, raised, and standing at
Leon Oliver’s Brown Shop Road Farms. Also
making the Top 100 is NFF It’s Murphy’s Law,
bred by Diane Sczepanski at Northern
Foundations Farm and now standing at Trinder’s
Ranch in Manitoba, Canada.
Congratulations to breeders and current owners
for keeping our wonderful Heritage Stallions in
the public eye in a positive way.
Heritage Horses I Have Known –
Society’s Dan Allen
By Billy Taylor, Winchester, Tennessee
Society’s Dan Allen and Billy
Dan was the first foal that I raised by Paige’s
Echo; he was foaled March 18, 1994. I had
raised several foals by this time; some were born
as wild as deer, and some were gentle and not
afraid of humans. But Dan was different from all
of the other foals born at my farm; he never
showed any fear of me. When I came in the
pasture with him and Lady Bug, he would leave
her and come to me. I had never seen any other
foals similar to him; it appeared that he liked me
and trusted me from the very beginning of his
life.
Baby Dan Allen
Paige’s Echo sired twenty-four foals, twelve
fillies and twelve colts; I bred twelve of them
and I still have four mares by Echo.
The first two foals that I raised by Paige’s Echo
were Dan Allen, of course, and Society’s Lee
Allen, out of Taylor’s June Girl (Dolly); she was
by Mark’s Crackerjack and out of Red Bug’s
Lady Bug. I really liked both of these colts; I
thought both of them were very nice in
conformation, gaits, and disposition. The reason
that I decided to keep Dan over Lee Allen was
because I became very attached to Dan because
of his attitude towards me; it seemed that he
wanted to be a friend. I had never owned nor
even seen a colt similar to him. Dan was also
long-gaited and walky, with some pace. I’ve
always liked a loose moving horse. I sold
Society’s Lee Allen to Carl Parks when the colt
was approximately six months old. Lee Allen
developed into a very nice horse; he is wellgaited and has the good mind, like most of the
Echo horses have. He has had some really nice
foals also. I’ll breed more mares to him in the
future; he gets foals with not only good minds
and gaits, but also foals with really good looks.
I bred four other mares to Echo that had colts.
Red Bud’s Lady Bug had a chestnut colt that I
named Society’s Duke Allen. Diane Sczepanski
owns him now. Sonny Gulley owns a stallion
named Echo’s Roan Delight; I sold his dam to
Sonny when she was in foal. The other three
colts were gelded as young horses. Paige’s Echo
sired seven colts that became breeding stallions.
It is very unusual that 58% of a stallion’s colts
would be retained as stallions. Paige’s Echo was
the best stallion that I ever bred a mare to. His
bloodlines were the best; he was linebred
Wilson’s Allen and Merry Boy, with no modern
big lick breeding at all. His sire, Paige’s Black
Boy, was a grandson of Wilson’s Allen and
Merry Boy. Echo’s dam, Pinky Lu, was a
granddaughter of Merry Boy and had one line to
Wilson’s Allen. Paige’s Echo also had five lines
back to Boone’s Gray John, a horse that could
running walk at nine miles per hour; he was
considered to be one of the best stallions of his
time.
Danny Taylor raised five colts by Paige’s Echo.
He kept Echo’s Star Gray Wilson until he was
six years old, then sold him to Diane Sczepanski.
He became a good breeding horse. Danny sold a
colt that he named Echo’s High Society to a lady
from Pennsylvania; she retained him as a
stallion. I think all of his foals were registered
with the Natural Walking Horse Association.
Echo’s other three colts were gelded at an early
age.
Paige’s Echo’s first registered foal was born on
June 3, 1993, when Echo was 28 years old; his
last foal was born May 24, 1997, almost a year
past his death. He sired three foals when he was
31 years old. I own two mares that were from his
last foal crop.
I got Tim Holt, a neighbor of mine, to start Dan
Allen when he was two years old. He was like
most of the Echo horses; he never resisted in any
way to riding. It was as if he was born broke to
ride. He was long gaited and had some pace.
When he became a three or four year old, he
matured into a nice gaited horse; he would
running walk with adequate speed and if pushed
through this gait, he would rack. Dan was never
ridden on a regular basis. I was working two jobs
at the time, and this didn’t allow much time for
riding. I liked his gaits and never regretted
keeping him as a stallion.
The first foal that I raised by Dan Allen was a
colt that I named Echo’s Duke. He was out of
Sun’s Midnight Myriah, a Midnight Sun
granddaughter by Sun’s Midnight Mark and a
very nice mare. I sold him to Mary Ann Funk,
from Casey, Illinois. When she started riding
Echo’s Duke, she called and told me that she
really liked him. He was like most of Dan’s
foals; it seemed as if he was born broke to ride.
After Mary Ann had ridden Charley (that was his
barn name), she called and told me that he was
the best horse that she had ever owned.
Dan’s second foal was a filly that I named
Echo’s Bon Bon, out of Sun’s Midnight Bonnie,
another Midnight Sun granddaughter sired by
Sun’s Midnight Mark. I sold her to Connie
Sullivan, Mary Ann Funk’s sister. Connie had
her broke to ride as a two year old and was very
pleased with her. She rode her the summer and
fall as a two year old. She wasn’t ridden much
over the winter, though, and when spring came,
Bon Bon became barn spoiled and would not
leave the barn for Connie. To make a long story
short, I got Bon Bon back when she was three or
four. We started riding her and didn’t have any
trouble with her. I think she needed a man’s
touch. She was well gaited, no pace or trot, just a
nice running walk. I had more horses than I
needed at the time and sold her to Angelo Guerci
from Crema, Italy. Angelo still has her.
Billy on board Echo’s Bon Bon
Angelo liked Bon Bon so well that he bought
three more fillies from me, one by Dan Allen,
one by Sun’s Smokey Midnight, and one by
Society’s Lee Allen. I gave him Taylor’s June
Girl (Dolly) in foal to Dan Allen when the mare
was in her twenties. She had a black sabino filly.
The Dixie mare by Smokey was in foal to Dan
Allen; she had a filly that Angelo is keeping for a
broodmare. He says that she is one of his best
horses. Angelo also bought a stud colt from
Danny Taylor sired by Society’s Dan Allen and
out of Echo’s Merry Co-Ed. His name is Dan’s
Matt Dillon. Angelo has four mares and one
stallion by Dan Allen; he is line breeding back to
Paige’s Echo through these mares and stallion.
He also has a stallion, Billy Sunday, that I bred.
He is by Sun’s Smokey Midnight and out of
Chance’s Society Paige. I sold Billy Sunday as a
colt to Bennie and Carol Branham as a young
horse. They sold him to Angelo. Angelo loves
these Heritage Horses and plans to promote and
breed them for years to come in Italy.
Most everyone that has offspring of Dan Allen
won’t sell them because of how well they like
them. Most of the Dan Allen get make good
pleasure horses because of their good, willing
minds and smooth gaits. That’s the kind of horse
that most people are interested in for trail riding.
I have a chestnut stud colt foaled June 14, 1013,
by Dan Allen and out of Echo’s Merry Co-Ed,
making him linebred back to Paige’s Echo. He
reminds me of Dan Allen when he was a foal; he
has the same attitude as Dan and has an excellent
gait. He gaits almost all the time at liberty. I will
keep him as a breeding prospect. Katy McCall of
Tallassee, Alabama, has a full brother to this
stallion. I hope she keeps him for a stallion.
Mary Ann Funk has a stallion by Dan Allen. He
is a maximum sabino out of Chance’s Society
Paige. He is a well-gaited horse and should make
a good breeding horse.
I have four Paige’s Echo mares; two of them will
be nineteen years old in the spring, and the other
two will be twenty. I plan to breed some of these
mares to Society’s Lee Allen and some to Echo’s
Confederate Rebel, a black sabino son of Sun’s
Smokey Midnight. I will keep fillies by these
two stallions and continue to line breed back to
Paige’s Echo through Society’s Lee Allen and
maybe a son of Dan Allen. Also, I will line breed
back to Midnight Sun with Echo’s Confederate
Rebel and a Smokey mare that I own. I will also
crossbreed these two bloodlines; by doing this, I
am linebreeding back to Wilson’s Allen.
I was told by my neighbor, Clay Ervin, that
Alton Pierce, owner of Society Man, could breed
the stallion with only a twine strong around his
neck. After hearing that, I thought that I would
do the same with Dan Allen; I tried it one day
without a problem. Dan Allen was always ready
to breed a mare; he was not timid, like some
stallions, but he was easy to handle while
breeding.
Rare photo from 1999 of Billy riding Dan
Allen
I always gave Dan Allen credit for being very
intelligent and willing to do what was asked of
him, but I think his best attribute was the fact
that he liked people. He never looked at us as
predators; he liked everyone that came in contact
with him and he passed this trait on to his get.
That’s what makes the Echo bred horses
different from a lot of other horses.
Dan Allen striking a handsome pose
A RED BY ANY OTHER NAME
By Franne Brandon, Petersburg, Tennessee
(Reprinted from Walking Horse News,
December 2015)
Marjorie Lacy, Edson, Alberta sent us this
photo of mares in the fall. You can see various
shades of red in the mares
The Tennessee Walking Horse breed developed
in the Middle Tennessee basin during a period
when stallions of other noted breeds arrived in
the area to cross with the native saddle mares.
Although the blooded stallions offered to the
native mares were of basic colors, the mares
themselves presented a genetic rainbow of colors
and patterns to interact with the stallions’ shades
of red, black, and bay. When the Tennessee
Walking Horse Breeders Association of America
was organized in 1935, the highest percentage of
horses that were registered were red in color,
often with the red interacting with the sabino
gene, which was called roan during that time
period. The nomenclature for the red base color
had two distinctions, which are emphasized as
the first pair of color options in each volume of
The Register of the Tennessee Walking Horse
Breeders Association of America. * The number
1 color on the list of nine options is sorrel, while
the #2 color option is chestnut.
The Studbooks define sorrel as a color that
“varies from a light liver to washy yellow. Never
have black mane and tail. “ (Register, vol. 1,
1938, page 36) Chestnut “varies from a light
liver color to a dark liver color and copper
shades. Never have black mane and
tail.”(Register, vol. 1, 1938, p. 36) Both these
are somewhat ambiguous, but breeders of
Tennessee Walking Horses who have grown up
in the state of Tennessee in walking horse
families have no difficulty in explaining the
difference between sorrel horses and chestnut
horses. When asked to explain what
distinguishes chestnut from sorrel, those in the
breed circles for many decades, among them
Leon Oliver, Betty Sain, and Billy Taylor, all
stated that sorrels are light red and chestnut
horses are dark. This was also the definition that
I was taught by my small circle of walking horse
mentors.
When the walking horse breed exploded in
popularity in the eighties and nineties, going to
all American states, and even abroad, then
regional differences impacted the names given to
red base horses. In some areas, a sorrel requires a
flax mane and tail. In others, the chestnut term is
used for flax manes and tails, while horses with
matching or dark red manes and tails are called
sorrels. In areas to the east, where Arabians,
Morgans, and Thoroughbreds abound, chestnut
is likely to be used for all red horses, including
Tennessee Walkers. Almost twenty years ago,
before internet ads became commonplace, I
bought a mare from an ad in the old Plantation
Showcase. Her breeder’s barn manager had
registered her as a “flax chestnut”, which I saw
as a good color to cross with our upcoming
palomino stallion. When she shed in the late
spring, her red coat told me that she was what I
had always called a “flax sorrel”. Red walkers in
the western states are more likely to be called
sorrels due to the use of that term in the
American Quarter Horse Association ranks.
There is also the group that seriously studies
equine color genetics, that knows which genes
are KIT mutations and which are not, and this
last group, when raising walking horses, is likely
to insist that all horses which would DNA test as
recessive ee should be registered as chestnut,
since their genetic code is exactly the same.
Brass Ring’s Favorite Cajun, owned by Larry
& Rhonda Lineberger, Tennessee, models the
chestnut coloring with flaxen mane and tail
Overstride’s Merry Chance, filly owned by
Debbie Zaktansky. Both this filly and the
Azalea mare are ee
Ebony’s Flaming Bullet, aka, Azalea, owned
by Debbie Zaktansky
Modern DNA studies have revealed that the two
shades of chestnut and sorrel designated as
options back in 1935 are genetically the same
color. Testing has proven that chestnuts can
carry genes like agouti or silver without these
two having any visible impact on the red coat.
In the third edition of Equine Color Genetics,**
Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg offers a three page
discussion on the concept of shade in horse
colors. He uses the terms “liver chestnut” and
“dark chestnut” for the darkest shades, “red
chestnut” and “copper chestnut” for the middle
shades, and “Light chestnut”. “golden chestnut”,
and “yellow chestnut” for the light shades. He
states that “The shade effect is under complex,
multi-factorial genetic control so that
relationships between the shades are not
straightforward”. Tell that to the palomino
fancier who bred a dark red stallion to a rich
golden mare only to get a light golden offspring,
and the breeder will nod his head in
understanding. Sponenberg goes on to mention a
Swiss breed in which the lighter shades of color
are dominant to the darker, which may be
happening in today’s walking horses where
sorrels are often seen but the deep, dark
chestnuts of fifty years ago are becoming rare, at
least in Middle Tennessee.
Tsuniah Red Willson’s Echo, owned by
Roberta Brebner, Williams Lake, British
Columbia, shows off his chestnut coloring.
Temp’s Red Rascal with owner, Cynthia
Priebe, Grafton, Ohio
As a person who has been around Tennessee
Walkers for almost fifty years and raised plenty
of red horses while always hoping for palominos,
I like the old distinctions of chestnut for the
darker horses and sorrel for the lighter ones. In
today’s modern equine internet marketing, photo
ads probably eliminate the need for such
distinctions on red horses that are genetically the
same. However, some people take really BAD
photos - poor angles, too much shade, or too
much sun, all of which distort the color depths. If
choosing a red horse to cross with a cream or
champagne dilution, most breeders would prefer
a darker shade of red. When crossing red with
gray, the darker shades are also desireable, even
though the gray gene does generally darken up
the coat of the resulting foal. Breeding for loud
sabinos, however, it is easier to get the most
exciting patterns with the red gene when the
lighter sorrel shades form the base coat.
Experience as well as genetic research has
proven this to be true. From a breeder’s
perspective, the shade distinctions are helpful
when searching long distance, or even over the
phone, for a red mare or stallion.
Various breed associations continue to use older
terms for the registration of red base foals. The
Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and
Exhibitors Association continues to list both
chestnut and sorrel as options for foal coat
colors, both on their paper forms and on the PDF
file available for online use. At times there is a
fine line to cross in determining what the shade
is of a red baby, especially if it has shed part but
not all of the foal coat when the deadline for
registration approaches. The incoming sleek hair
of the new coat tends to look dark in contrast to
the faded red of the foal coat. Occasionally, even
a foal that has totally shed off will appear to be
dark enough that chestnut is the appropriate
term, but the following spring, she will shed off
the brighter, lighter shade of sorrel. Over the
years, the experience of raising red babies adds
some wisdom to the picture. We registered our
surprise foal of 2006 as a sorrel although the
new, slick weanling coat was dark, and the
following spring, Delightful Sprite was indeed a
sorrel yearling. I learned that lesson from the
three daughters of chestnut Betty Chance sired
by “sorrel roan” Rip. The first was a sorrel, the
second registered as that from her red foal coat
(not by me!) but matured a chestnut, and the
third appeared to be dark when shedding, so was
registered as chestnut, but then as a yearling
grew a golden flax mane and tail to compliment
a very bright red coat.
Bright red sorrel mare named Starlet, owned
by Pamela Lacy Fowler, Broomfield,
Colorado
This is Delightful Sprite (Tardy Slip, the
surprise filly) in the fall of her weanling year.
She looks like a chestnut.She was sorrel in the
spring
Glory, dark chestnut filly who was owned by
Pamela Lacy Fowler
Look at Shadow’s Go Boy, owned by Diane
Bromenchenkel of Nampa, Idaho
Jack Gurnett on Kary’s Jeepers
The Princess Stride, owned by Mark & Shellie
Pacovsky, Bainville, Montana, models a
unique shade of red, tested as ee
The Georgia Genius, owned by Sandy Cooper,
Fallbrook, California
Genetically, then, as far as DNA tests that are
available, all red coats are the same. Many
people across breed lines who study color
genetics want to use the term “chestnut” for all
red coats. Although equine color genetics has
been a passion of mine since I was fifteen years
old, I bow to the artist in me who loves to offer
color distinctions when they occur. And I will
admit to being a pushover for a rich chestnut coat
accented by a flax or silver mane and tail. I
wonder how many others share my opinion?
*The Register of the Tennessee Walking Horse
Breeders’ Association of America, edited and
compiled by Burt Hunter, Secretary. Lewisburg,
Tennessee, 1938.
**Equine Color Genetics, D. Philip Sponenberg,
DVM, PhD., Ames, Iowa, Wiley –Blackwell
Press, c. 2009.
Red Bud’s Bullet Serenade, owned by Mark
& Shellie Pacovsky, Bainville, Montana
Thank you to everyone who sent in
photos! We ended up with more than
we could use but as you can see, there
are many shades of red.
RIDING IN THE AULD SOD(S)
Part II
By Nancy Bergman, Whitehall, Wisconsin
(Part 1 was presented in the Sept/Oct 2015
Highlights)
We pulled on our boots and headed out across
the street and down a long rocky lane that ended
in a little farmstead, where all the buildings and
the courtyard were made from gray rock. In fact,
almost all the buildings, walls, and roads in
Toumintoul were built from the local gray rock.
Use what is handy, I guess. Our hostess and
owner of St Bridget’s farm was Rosie.
tolerate. I did the obligatory rising with the trot
but it was a work out. I guess I do not
understand why someone would chose to trot if
they could have a nice smooth glide ride like I
get with my Walkers. We rode up into the
forests on logging trails. At the top of the hill we
had a stunning vista of the Highlands. It
certainly was not over-developed.
Getting the horses ready to ride
Birnie Lane leading down to St. Bridget Farm
She asked us what our idea of a perfect horse
was. I answered my perfect horses were home in
the pasture but I would settle for a shorter horse
since I am a shorter person. I wound up with
Fern, a compact, husky Highland pony of about
14 hands. Jeness had a big, raw boned gelding
called Whiskey and Kandace had Cherry, a bay
Highland pony . We saddled up with English
saddles and headed out. All the horses from St
Bridget farm were out in a large pasture. Near
the top of the hill we could see a big dark bay
horse that Rosie told us was a Clydesdale cross
called Mr Fudge. ( loved the name) For our first
‘shake down’ ride Rosie headed us down past the
village to an area of Crown Land. It was
explained that Crown Land belonged to the
government, much like our parks, and was used
and managed for the benefit of the public.
Happily Fern had a trot that was not hard to
Fern, the Highland Pony with Nancy
Fern and I were getting along real well. She
was very steady if a bit sloggy at times which
was fine. I was on this ride to relax and explore
so she suited me well. Kandace’s Cherry mare
gave her a few dicey moments and won the
nickname ‘Cherrybomb’. All ended well. We
eventually arrived back at the farm where we
groomed our mounts and cleaned the bits, bridles
, saddle pads and girths. Inside of the old stone
barn were hooks and hangers for the tack, all
neatly organized. Rosie brought out ‘tea’ for our
consumption and a relaxing moment was had by
all. Rosie explained that the Highland Ponies
were an old utility breed that was used for riding,
jumping and packing game down from the
Highlands. Their compact build and cresty necks
made me wonder if Founder was a problem but
Rosie said it was not. Her personal mount was a
rangy pinto that she would be taking to a meet
that was akin to Orienteering on horseback. Our
guide for the remainder of the week would be her
helper Sheilla.
View of the Highlands from the top of the hill
in the Crown Land
The three of us trekked back up the farm lane to
our hotel. It was sheer bliss to have a hot shower
( once I figured out the plumbing) and then a
beautifully prepared and served meal. I didn’t
seem to be any worse for wear from the posting,
thank goodness but it had been a shorter ride that
day. The remainder of the week would be longer
days in the saddle so I hoped I would be able to
keep on tolerating the trot and posing as an
English rider.
After supper Jeness, Kandace and I went for
walk in the village. It was basically one long
street with a small downtown area around a park
area. We were told the town had been built in
the 1700s by the local Earl for his tenants with
trade skills. Several hotels were built to
accommodate tourists who came in the summer
to enjoy the Highland air. There was a general
store that sold newspapers, snacks and a few
groceries and also doubled as the local post
office. We also walked by a pub that seemed to
be doing a good business. After our stroll we
were ready to retire for the evening and prepare
for day two of our ride.
2015- A Good Year and a Bad Year
By Rachel Hill, Fort Frances, Ontario
(Reprinted from the December 2015 Walking
Horse News magazine)
2015 has been both a good and bad year for me.
first project that I took from baby to bombproof.
He taught me so much. He left me far too soon.
Then in August, I had to put down my beloved
Jasper, a yellow lab I rescued 8 years ago. Over
the past year, Jasper developed laryngeal
paralysis and his breathing gradually became
more and more difficult, especially in the hot
humid weather. If there was ever an animal who
loved life, it was my Jammy. He was forever
grateful and had a perpetual tail wag no matter
what the circumstance. I arranged the vet to
make a farm call, to make the day as typical and
normal as we could for him. He wagged that big
ole lab tail right up until he passed. And I just
buried my face in his fur and let out all my pain.
Another friend, companion and partner that left
me too soon.
Dakota’s Ransom
(Photo by R. Hartley)
In January my beloved Dakota’s Ransom took
suddenly ill with what we thought were ulcers.
It was a strange thing, as Ransom had handled
many challenges that come with the sport of
endurance, that would have, or rather should
have triggered ulcers if he was prone. But early
this winter, he showed basic symptoms of
stomach ulcers, something I had not experienced.
Our vets are not equipped with scoping
equipment, so he was never diagnosed, but he
responded to ulcer medication so we were
hopeful we could move on. Then one bitterly
cold day late January while I was away for work
he suddenly relapsed and took very ill. After a
discussion with the vet over the phone, we made
the call to have him put down. I will never really
know what it was, but the vet suspects is it was
an abdominal tumor that likely ruptured. My
husband Mark, took amazingly good care of my
boy, while I was away and did all the right
things. But I still feel a strange loss, not being
able to say good bye to my good friend, that I
had done so many things with, and had so many
firsts with. My first 25 and 50 mile endurance
rides, my first competitive trail rides, my first
camping adventures. All the early morning
training rides we did together alone, in the rain,
in the fog, in the heat, in the sleet. He was my
Jasper
Then the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, I
brought my horses in for their morning breakfast,
and for the first time in 28 years my old Ebony
did not eat. My heart sank, I knew something
was wrong. Although Ebony was going into his
29th year, he was in amazing shape. He had good
body condition, a lovely shiny healthy coat, his
teeth were great, he was not arthritic and he was
always game for a ride. I had only just ridden
him a few weeks earlier and he gaited up the
trails like he always did. I was not expecting this.
After checking his vitals, which were all normal,
I made a call to my vet. She advised that there
was nothing else she could do without blood
work, which could not happen until Tuesday. I
continued to watch him carefully all day and a
clue to his illness came when I could see his
urine was very dark, the colour of black tea.
Another call to my vet and she confirmed it
could be organ failure, likely his liver shutting
down. A quick Google search revealed many of
the symptoms matched. Amazingly, horses will
not show symptoms until there is 75% loss of
liver function. Mark and I discussed the option
of hauling him to Winnipeg where he could get
immediate treatment, but it was 30 degrees
Celsius and would be about a 5 hour haul to the
clinic. I decided keep him home and make him
as comfortable as possible, with the hope he
would make a turn, but it was not to be. Instead
he separated himself from the others, wanted
nothing to do with the herd and only wanted my
company. Looking back at it now, I think he was
preparing himself. I spent the next few days
offering him sips of water, giving him
electrolytes and vitamins and hours grooming
him, and just spending time with him. I had had
this horse half my life and saying good bye was
incredibly difficult. We had been through a lot
together and he had been with me every step of
the way. He got me through my bout of
depression when I lost my job in 96. He got my
niece through her troubled teen years. He was
not just a teacher to people, but he was a rock to
many horses too, giving them confidence when
they needed it. He was a great herd boss, but in
his older years was the horse I put in with new
arrivals. He was kind and patient and would take
care of the most nervous of newbies. He was an
ambassador to the breed and introduced many to
the world of gaited horses. He was never sick
and always sound. I just always expected him to
be there and never thought he wouldn’t be. I so
miss him.
Midnight’s Merry Dan, aka Ebony
I have had many animals in my life time, and of
course many losses come with that. And the one
thing I have learned is that you cannot predict
how you will feel with any of them when they
go. It doesn’t matter if you have had them a short
time, or a long time. They are all special and
each of them take a piece of our hearts and hold
different memories for us. So to all reading this,
take the time to acknowledge the soft nicker you
get at feeding time and the warm spot by the
door from the body that has been there all day
waiting for you. Because one day they won’t be
there and you will miss them.
On a positive note, I have had a great year with
my young horse NFF Society’s Noble Traveler.
This year was the first year I really got him
going under saddle. We did a number of road
trips and have had some adventures and he has
truly lived up to his heritage walking horse
reputation.
He has been a solid boy with
whatever I have thrown at him. I am very much
looking forward to next riding season, where we
can step up his game.
Ransom and Beamer were two very wonderful
horses that have taken me higher than I could
have ever dreamed I could go in the sport of
endurance. Especially Beamer who is by all
accounts, the biggest underdog of all with his
size being a huge handicap. Many vets told me
he was the biggest horse they had vetted in. But
he proved many wrong who doubted him, and
showed time and time again that he was a
contender for the sport.
The thinned skinned, fine boned Arabs definitely
have an advantage at cooling faster, and if you
know endurance, you know it’s all about having
that horse with the low heart rate at the finish
line. Everyone races to their buckets and
sponges at the vetting station to help to bring that
heart rate down. With Beamer, I had three times
more horse to sponge than anyone else did! But
he always came down within seconds of them.
Quite a feat for the big guy.
Rachel on board NFF Society’s Noble
Traveler
I also did something very different this year. I
purchased an….Arabian. It shocked a lot of
people and I still have a hard time believing it
myself. This breed was never, ever on my radar
before. Before I got into endurance that is. If
anyone has done endurance, they know how
predominant this breed is for the sport. The
breed out ranks any other breed by far. It is
obvious when you see them, how they are very
efficient at cooling, on the hottest humid days.
They were after all, originally bred for the desert
and adapted to deal with the heat and work that
was asked of them. I have sat back and observed
them, and have admired their agile ability, their
stamina, their ability to cover 50 miles with
ease. But I have also observed their flightiness,
their fear of things and of course, that bouncy
trot. Factors that had me saying I would never
trade in my faithful, predictable, smooth,
dependable Walkers for the greatest heart rate in
the world.
My biggest hurdle with my Walkers was the trot
out. If the vet judge was a horse vet, I had less
issues. But a cow vet, seeing a gaited horse for
the first time, was usually a head scratcher for
them. There is quite a bit of breed prejudice in
the sport of endurance, and I have found that non
Arab horses are not always judged fairly.
So, one day whilst scanning the kijiji site I came
upon this nice looking 2 year old Arab gelding,
who was located 15 miles down the road. I
thought it could not hurt to just go look at him.
Immediately the good breeding of these horses
at this farm was evident. I did not see any dished
in heads, no crooked legs, no spindly builds.
The farm is run but a mother/daughter team, still
building their breeding program. "We don't
breed for show, we breed for performance” they
told me. And that was evident. Many people
can remember when prices catapulted for
Arabians in the 70-80’s. And the market was
flooded with inferior horses. This, along with
the extreme breeding for the ’ show look’ has
changed the breed from what it was originally
intended for. Is this all sounding a bit familiar to
anyone??
This mother/daughter team has taken great effort
in finding the right breeding stock. It has meant
researching and patiently importing the right
mares and stallions. They breed straight Russian
horses, of which I had never heard of. Russian
Arabians are actually the best of the Polish
horses, which were taken after WWII. The
Russians saw the value in these horses, and
through a stringent culling regime, filtered out
the best of the best. The result is an Arab that
was made to work and has a brain. We also have
to remember that the Arab was one of the breeds
that influenced our breed. And sometimes when
I see my horses running around the pasture, my
Echo bred Walkers have more of an Arab tail
than the Arab does!
I did not know much about the Arabian breed, or
the different types of breeding. I just knew I
liked the look of this horse. But I can’t help but
feel there are some amazing parallels here. That
is; the value of keeping horses true to what they
should be means going back to the grass roots of
what they were bred for in the first place. When
I look at Fabian’s papers (I called him Fabian, as
in Fabian the Arabian), all his lines are from the
1940’s and 50’s. Essentially, he is a heritage
bred Arab!
Update to Rachel’s Story:
Rachel and her husband, Mark, made a 38 hour
round trip drive to a relative who breeds labs and
came home with Rudy!!!
“I still really miss the others, but he has filled the
emptiness and added much needed life to the
house.”
Rudy helping Mark make the long drive home
Whether or not Fabian will be my 100 mile
endurance horse is yet to be determined. The
sport demands a lot and just because he is an
Arab does not guarantee anything. And, I am not
the young, fearless person I used to be. But so
far I see a horse with a good mind, good build
and he is brave. He also has the best teachers in
the world to learn from. Beamer and Traveler
give him great confidence, set a good example
for him, and he leans on them a lot. Which is
why I will never ever not have my Walkers. :)
He’s not at all spoiled….well, maybe a little
Readers Write
“Another great read”, Dianne Little, Calgary,
Alberta, Canada
“Great newsletter. Love Franne's article”,
Pamela Lacy Fowler, Broomfield, Colorado
“J.Peter Braun here. I love reading about you and
Franne and the horses.Good Job!
Thanks for sharing the Journal.
My barn is still empty - just lots of cats as in lots
of cats.” J. Peter Braun, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
“Fun dinner reading. Thanks!” Heather
Campbell, Trophy Club, Texas
“The Pris story is a tear jerker. I will be
depressed for days.” Nancy Bergman, Whitehall,
Wisconsin
“Interesting stories as usual. Great one about the
lady who took her Walker into dressage. A
beautiful horse too.” Marjorie Lacy, Edson,
Alberta, Canada
“So glad to see the article on gait. Since I moved
to TN I've had a doozy of a time finding a horse
that actually does a running walk. I thought I was
the only one who noticed that a "trail" gait is
really a stepping pace. Something I was taught
was not a desirable gait. Don't even get me
started on the riders. I just acquired one of Larry
Lineberger's horses. What a great ride!” Polly
Aulton, Summertown, Tennessee
“The Miss Pris article was great. It really brings
back memories. Hard to believe how time flies.
Darryl and you and Nancy 1999 wow!” “Duke”
Schutlz, Winona, Minnesota
“Ok, got it, read it, enjoyed it - and wow, that
palomino is gorgeous!!! Bet you'll be busy with
him!” Gayle Davis, Withee, Wisconsin
“Wow, he's beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!” Ann Gerrity,
Thorp, Wisconsin (Talking about the Tsuniah
Sage King’s Echo stallion)
“Tsuniah Sage Kings Echo -wonderful
bloodlines : His dam’s side brings in old
bloodlines such as Beauty’s Sage King, Hey Joe,
Silvertip-Rickey, and Allen’s Gold Ace to name
a few. Mixed with his sire’s lines back to Paige’s
Echo, Red Bud’s Rascal and Williams King, he
should be an interesting cross with the herd here.
Tom Moss was the original owner of the LaMarr
horses . He wrote articles that were published in
the Canadian Walking Horse News as well as
Western Horseman . My mother bought these
horses from Tom Moss in 1949 . Black Beauty
Allen , Patty LaMarr, Margaret LaMarr , Ruby
Jones , and Baby Kay II .” Grace Larson,
Kalispell, Montana
STANDING AT STUD IN IDAHO
Tsuniah Red Willsons Echo , “Rhett”, (Society’s Duke Allen x Red Rock Evangelista)
TWHBEA and TWH Heritage Certified/Registered
16+hh solid chestnut.
Standing in Idaho Spring 2016. Please contact me for videos.
Email Nya at: rocknya.bates@gmail.com for more information
This young horse goes back to Williams King and Red Bud's Rascal, two good old Heritage working
bloodlines known for being excellent family pleasure riding horses. These horses are known for being
dependable, good producing stock. The goal is to breed for quality, gait, and disposition. This horse will
provide a sensible and exciting ride that only true using horses can!
Rhett WALKS! And his gaits are natural, he has a willing temperament, sensible and un-reactive to
sudden stimuli.
Readers seem to be enjoying the stories of every
day people and their horses so we thought we’d
share a publication dedicated to Tennessee
Walking Horses that are not show oriented:
Canadian Walking Horse News, is published bimonthly by Marjorie Lacy of Alberta, Canada. The
magazine is dedicated to the plain shod horse in
Canada and features articles by the Heritage
Society’s Franne Brandon on the history of the
Walking Horse breed.
Website: www.walkinghorsenews.ca
HOW TO SUBMIT MATERIAL TO
HIGHLIGHTS
By Franne Brandon, Petersburg, Tennessee
Do you enjoy reading the articles in Heritage
Highlights and sometimes wish that you could
share your own adventures, experiences, or
knowledge with the readership?
You can! Heritage Highlights encourages all
articles, long, short, or of moderate length, about
all aspects of the Heritage Horse world.
Submissions can be sent via email messages or
in Word format as email attachments. Grammar
is not a major issue because we have a copy
editor (C'est moi!) who reads each article before
the layout editor works her magic touch.
Highlights welcomes all photo submissions that
accompany an article.
Photographs tell the story in many cases, and
because we are a non-print publication, we do
not have the photographic limits of a magazine.
It is best to send all photographs separately from
the text, as downloadable email attachments,
with each shot accompanied by a clear caption.
This works out best from the layout perspective.
The Heritage Highlights staff looks forward to
hearing from more of the readership in future
issues.
Advertising in Highlights:
If anyone would like to place a classified ad in
Highlights, our set up fee is $10 for photos
and text.
Also, if you purchase a Heritage Horse from
someone who already has a certificate for the
horse and you would like the certificate in
your name, we can print a new certificate and
mail it for a $5.00 fee to cover the certificate,
mailer and postage.
For a listing of horses for sale, visit us
on our website:
www.twhheritagesociety.com
The Heritage Highlights will now be
available on our website so you can
download them any time!!
We also have a Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/he
ritagetennesseewalkinghorse/
CONTACT US:
Franne & Harry Brandon, Petersburg, TN
(931) 276-2232
Email: handfbrandon@united.net
Sandra van den Hof, Hechtel, Belgium
+32 (0) 11 666 158
Email: sandra@pleasuregaits.com
Leon & Mary Lou Oliver, Cornersville, TN
(931) 293-4156
Billy & Mary Taylor, Winchester, TN
(931) 967-9621
Email: confederatehills@gmail.com
Diane Sczepanski, Whitehall, WI
(715) 538-2494
Email: northern_foundations@yahoo.com
The Heritage Society does not endorse any
trainer, style of natural training, or tack and
horse equipment, to the exclusion of others, as
each horse is an individual and not all will
respond positively to a particular trainer or
training style. Articles published by the
Society, which include such endorsements,
reflect the view of the author, but not
necessarily that of the Society.
IHWHA Membership Application
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