Heritage Highlights - TWHHeritageSociety

Heritage Highlights
Published By: TWH Heritage Society
The above photo is of Webster Pond, taken by
Sharon Corr, Syracuse, New York. Sharon
writes: “Webster's Pond, off Valley Drive in
Syracuse, was a trash-filled lot, being considered
for a landfill when the Angler's Association of
Onondaga leased it, long term, in 1960. The
City of Syracuse owns the pond, and the Anglers
own some of the surrounding land. City Parks
cuts grass and plows snow, the Anglers maintain
the benches and watch over the ducks, geese and
swan that call this home--not to mention the
many mammals, frogs and turtles that live in this
'forever wild' piece of the city.
It is a popular gathering place for all ages.
Schools schedule field trips, working adults take
their lunch hour there. It is a place of peace and
quiet.. a rest spot for what ails you.”
Here's a website about Webster's pond:
www.baltimorewoods.org/Data/Documents/Ran
d%20Park.pdf
Volume IV
Number 11, November 2010
2011 Heritage Marvelous Mares Calendars
are ready for purchase!!!!
This year’s calendar features a variety of
Heritage mares. We think you’ll like it. This is
a full color calendar printed on heavy paper
(65 lb). The cost for the calendar is $15 and
includes shipping within the US and Canada.
Foreign sales will require more postage.
Banks here won’t cash checks from Canada
unless they are from US banks or you can
send a postal money order (not a bank money
order).
Orders of 5 calendars or more will receive
$1.00 off per calendar.
Email: northern_foundations@yahoo.com
with your order. We are set up to take PayPal
and you can PayPal payment to the email
address above. If you’re not set up with
PayPal, you can use the order form below:
Heritage Calendar Order Form
I would like _______ calendar(s) x $15 = ______
(Discount $1.00/calendar for orders of 5 or more)
Discount total _______
Another view of the pond
Order Total ________
Mail check in US Funds or money order to:
TWH Heritage Society
c/o Diane Sczepanski
PO Box 124
Whitehall, WI 54773
We thank you for your support!!
Heritage Certification by Franne
Brandon, et.al.
As promised in last month’s Highlights, we will
be opening certification for outside horses for 6
months beginning April 1, 2011. This should
give people ample time to get their
questionnaires completed and videos mailed
before October 1, 2011.
CRITERIA FOR THE HERITAGE
TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE as
outlined by the Criteria Committee of the
Heritage Society
When the Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage
Society set out to define what its horses were for
those requesting some criteria, the following
were used as standards that make a Heritage
Horse distinctly different from the TWH bred
exclusively for the show ring:
1] Older bloodlines have been nurtured and
cherished for the qualities that they represent. All
initially certified Heritage Horses had a
minimum of five stallions or mares with
registration numbers from the thirties and forties
still showing on their pedigrees
2] Modern show bloodlines bred for fire and
steam have been eliminated. No Heritage Horses
have animals on their pedigrees shown padded
from 1977 forward (No padded show horses
shown after 1976).
3] The signature smooth gait of the Tennessee
Walking Horse has been sought out. Heritage
Horses can perform a natural, evenly timed four
beat, nodding and walking gait barefoot or plain
shod. Plantation shoeing was not permitted if a
horse sought certification. Some Heritage Horses
are multi-gaited and can also perform other four
beat saddle gaits, like the rack, foxtrot, or saddle
rack. Because they are not bred to pace or swing,
a Heritage Horse learns the canter readily.
For the initial certification period, 2006-2007,
stallions or mares no longer being used under
saddle had to show a natural walking ability at
liberty or in hand.
4] Various colors and patterns are exhibited
within the Heritage Horse ranks. All color lines
trace, generation to generation, to horses of those
colors and patterns registered in the original
TWHBAA Studbooks.
5] Offspring of a pair of Heritage Horses are
automatically designated as such once they
exhibit a true, four beat, walking gait. ( Foals
from one Heritage parent and one from other
bloodlines are referred to elsewhere on this
website as Heritage Outcrosses. A few of the
Heritage stallions and mares, due to the number
of older lines in the third generation of their
pedigrees, can sire or produce Heritage Horses
from any bloodlines not discounted by #2 and #4
above.)
Videotaping & Other Instructions
1. Horses need to be from an established
breeding program. No horses who have
been traded time after time. (1-2 owners
maximum)
Important – we will accept horses for
evaluation under saddle at 3 years of
age or older.
2. Horses need to color trace to the registry
3. People wanting to certify must provide
the burden of proof if there is a horse in
question on the papers that might have
been padded. They will have to do the
leg work of calling former owner,
tracking down advertisements, anything
it takes to prove the horse was not
padded after the cutoff date. If a horse
was purchased from a dealer or at an
auction, most likely it has padded show
horses after 1976 in the pedigree.
Examine the names on the horse’s
pedigree – If a horse has WGC with its
name and a registration number of 1974
or later, then it was shown on stacks
after 1976.
4. If we discover by means fair or fouls that
a horse we certified has antecedents
shown padded after the cutoff date, the
horse will lose its status, and any
offspring will lose their status as well.
5. Videos must be submitted on VHS or
DVD, no emailed videos. Videos must
be a minimum of 5-10 minutes in length
but no longer than 15 minutes per horse,
showing the horse being haltered,
walked around to show all four sides,
pick up all four feet to show
hooves/shoes, a minimum of two
minutes in each direction in the proper
four beat walking gait with no regular
walking, no stepping pace and no hard
pace. The gait must be evenly timed up,
head nodding flat walk and running
walk. Dismount from the horse. This
gait segment should all be filmed nonstop from mounting to dismounting – no
starting and stopping or splicing the
video
6. Videos will be reviewed by the Heritage
Founders review panel. Applicants need
to understand they may be waiting six
months to a year for results.
7. Only barefoot or keg shod horses will be
taken into consideration.
8. No rider manipulation of the horse such
as bumping the mouth with the bit to
influence the gait of the horse.
The cost to Heritage Certify each horse is
$25. It will be necessary to complete the
questionnaire for each horse to certify. Once the
questionnaire has been reviewed, there is a $10
non-refundable fee per horse for the pedigree
research. This fee will be applied toward the $25
certification fee if the horse color traces. Send
the questionnaire to TWH Heritage Society, c/o
Diane Sczepanski, PO Box 124, Whitehall, WI
54773. The questionnaire is in Word format for
email if preferred. The Society accepts PayPal.
Questions? Email Franne at
handfbrandon@united.net or Diane at
northern_foundations@yahoo.com.
Questionnaire for Heritage Applicants
Individuals who want to certify a horse as full
Heritage must answer this questionnaire for each
horse they wish to certify:
1.
Was any horse in this horse’s
background shown padded after 1976?
(1977 and beyond). We will need proof
such as show records, advertising photos,
letters from owners of those horses who
may be in question.
2. Why do you want your horse to be
certified as a Heritage Walking Horse?
3. How long have you owned this horse?
4. Pertaining to this animal – did you own
the sire? The dam? Any of the
grandparents?
5. If you did not own any of the above, from
whom did you purchase the horse?
6. What do you currently use the horse for?
7. How many other Tennessee Walkers do
you own and what are they used for?
8. What are your plans for this horse if it
has Heritage Certification?
9. If you are a breeder, what are the criteria
that you consider for breeding stock of
Tennessee Walking Horses?
10. If your mare is used for breeding and
receives Heritage Certification, will you
breed her to a Heritage stallion?
In our last newsletter, we announced a
recognition program for Heritage Outcross
Upgrades.
This recognition is based upon bloodlines, not
proof of gait, and the certificate will reflect
this.
HERITAGE OUTCROSSES
1. Sired by a Heritage stallion or produced
by a Heritage mare.
Anyone interested in nominating their horse
for Upgrade status can email Franne Brandon
at handfbrandon@united.net or Diane
Sczepanski at
northern_foundations@yahoo.com for
additional information.
2. The alternate parent was shown on
stacks, or has one or more ancestors
shown padded after 1976.
Cost for Heritage Outcross Upgrade
nominations will be $15.00 per horse. We will
not be issuing certificates for Outcrosses.
A Heritage Outcross is by definition:
3. If not shown, the alternate parent has
color lines which do not trace back to the
TWHBAA Studbooks.
4. Barring #2 and #3 above, the alternate
parent will not have enough registration
numbers beginning with 35, 36, 37, 38,
39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 47, 48, 49,
or any F numbers to provide the required
five Heritage numbers on the foal’s
pedigree when combined with the
numbers given by the Heritage parent.
HERITAGE OUTCROSS UPGRADES
Since the formation of the TWH Heritage
Society, both the founders and interested
breeders have focused on taking Heritage
Outcrosses and breeding them to Heritage
Stallions to increase the Heritage Horse traits in
the resulting offspring. In 2011, the Heritage
Society will begin recognition of this group of
TWH's. A Heritage Outcross Upgrade is by
definition:
1.
The offspring of a Heritage stallion or
mare and a Heritage Outcross.
2.
Has 75% or more Heritage bloodlines.
3. Only one grandparent can have been
shown on stacks after 1976.
4. Will color trace, horse by horse, back to
horses of colors/patterns recorded in the
TWHBAA Studbooks.
European Highlights from Sandra van den
Hof, Hechtel, Belgium
In our search for horses with foundation
bloodlines we visited Ray Corum Stables in
Bardstown, Kentucky.
This years´ vacation was to Tennessee and
Kentucky. It takes more than 9 hours to fly to
Atlanta from Belgium where we reside. The car
added another 2200 miles on its meter and we
have seen a lot. Our favorite stay is the
guesthouse in Petersburg (middle of nowhere)
which feels like a second home.
Besides the countless horses that we have seen,
we also visited Nashville, Kentucky Horse Park
to name a few. Of course we joined several trail
rides (both on Tennessee Walkers, Kentucky
Mountain Saddle Horses and Rocky Mountain
Horses). And I have even participated in a local
fun show in Kentucky! After riding several
gaited breeds and even riding some Rocky
Mountain Horses from a notable breeder, I can
state I still believe Tennessee Walking Horses
are the smoothest ride of all.
It had been 12 years since our last visit; a lot had
happened and we talked for two days straight
about the past and the future. Though no longer
active breeders, Corum Stables still has six
breeding stallions and 20 some mares of different
ages. We have seen real nice horses with
bloodlines that are getting more rare every day.
Each horse has a minimum of one foundation
horse still showing on their papers. My favorite
mare was Donna’s personal horse, F88’s
Angelina Delite
(www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW_nsY6vwNw).
Though not being ridden for 3 years, she
performed like a pro when we took her for a ride
in the arena. A very nice mare with great
disposition, flawless conformation and true
walking gaits. This is the kind of horse we need
to preserve!
Sandra riding a Bullet mare at the Circle E
Bullet ride
F88’s Angelina Delite
I am lucky to already own a granddaughter of
Merry Boy’s F88 called Boomtown’s Lucky
Strike. This mare is very popular at our farm as a
lesson horse. Earlier this spring I had a video
made riding her in different gaits including the
trot.
Boomtown’s Lucky Strike, aka, Spirit
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZV_o0hd3sY
Spirit (barn name) had not been ridden in a
month and was a bit stiff but still showed what
she is all capable of. In this video Spirit is ridden
with a bit less bridle. Somehow that seems
impossible to our Tennessean friends ;). I
consistently noticed nodding heads when I told
people how we ride our horses on the other side
of the pond. Here is the proof!
That life here in the south is significantly
different than in Europe is a fact. Here
everything is bigger and the space for animals is
extreme. There is much nature and wildlife. Yes,
we could adjust to living here… However after
2,5 weeks in the USA it was time to head home
to our small country, Belgium, with the
expensive land and tiny pastures. Still we
manage to keep 13 horses on 2.7 acres including
stables, round pen and arena. Meanwhile fall
began, leaves are falling and we are preparing for
the winter keeping our visit to the US as a warm
memory to keep us going through the winter. We
will be back!
A Heritage Breeding Program by Angelo
Guerci, Crema, Italy
When I was a child horses always caught my
attention and were in my life since when I was a
young boy. My grandpa was one of the last
farmers in our village to do some farm work with
his draught horse even the most of the farmers
already had the tractors. My mother’s uncle has
been a trainer of a very famous trotter of the past.
Maybe I have HORSES written in my DNA….
I started my interest in Tennessee Walking
Horses more than 10 years ago when I already
owned some Percherons but I was very interested
in what I found in some old horse books that
stated regarding the breed: “The Tennessee
Walking Horse is a very gentle horse with a real
comfortable and easy mount with its smooth
gaits especially the running walk and people of
any age can ride one”.
I never saw a Walker as in Italy; the breed was
totally unknown but I definitely was willing to
buy one for ride one day. First of all I contacted
Mr. Josef Holstermann in Germany who I knew
had some good Walkers and I contacted
TWHBEA in the US as well.
Both sent me a lot of information about the
breed, some very interesting articles and several
application forms to become a member of the
TWHBEA, to register foals, to transfer
ownerships and so on.
In that period I spent a lot of time studying the
breed, its origin and its particular gaits. The real
problem begun when I really decided that the
time had come to buy a TWH; questions started
to cross my mind: What is the criteria to select a
good saddle horse for me and, above all, from
which breeder I would have liked to purchase my
first TWH?
I started surfing the internet for a long time and
my head was day by day more confused
especially because I found the most of the
information available on the big lick horses and
horses with “strange” boots on their front legs,
not exactly what I was looking for.
When I arrived at the Heritage Society’s web
page, my mind started to be opened and my eyes
bright. There I’ve read everything about these
particular old lineages of horses, about the
members’ farms and stories of their families and
about their breeding programs that very often
were started from their relatives 2 or 3
generations before; I realised how good, well
gaited and good minded these Heritage Horses
were….really amazing….
Soon I decided that I would start with a Heritage
Horse. Franne Brandon helped my research a lot
with her deep knowledge in the old blood lines
and with her important advice on the breed and
on the Heritage Horses also. Later she put me in
touch with Billy Taylor who had, at that time, a
6 year old black sabino mare broken to ride
available for sale: Echo’s Bon Bon by Society’s
Dan Allen.
has in her pedigree several other very old good
pleasure horses. Bon Bon is a real ambassador of
the breed here as she has a good mind, she is
very gentle, people oriented, and has really good
gaits especially a true smooth running walk with
a wonderful head nodding: she is a fantastic
pleasure horse!
Even my children can ride her….and they enjoy
a lot their stay on her back!! Billy offered to
breed her before he shipped her and so she was
mated to Sun’s Smokey Midnight owned by his
brother Danny, one of the last direct grandsons
of the very famous Midnight Sun still in
production. I didn’t know in that time yet but
now I can say that it was the starting of my
breeding program with the TWH.
The following spring Bon Bon gave birth to the
first TWH born in Italy: a nice black sabino stud
colt registered as Echo’s Tsunami Sun.
Echo’s Bon Bon
Billy sent me a lot of information about her and
her pedigree, photos and videos as well and I
really spent hours at phone talking with him
about how a TWH should be, how to recognize
the different gaits, his blood lines and how his
breeding program started with his brother
Danny….and about Bon Bon of course!!
Now I really believe that those calls were much
more expensive for me than what I’ve paid for
my first TWH!! Finally I really fell in love with
Bon Bon and I bought her!!
Bon Bon arrived in my barn in the fall of 2005
and she has been the real first registered TWH
imported into Italy. She is a granddaughter of the
great old pleasure sire Paige’s Echo, a sorrel
sabino grandson of the famous Society Man and
Echo’s Tsunami Sun pictured at age 4
Echo’s Tsunami Sun
As I was so pleased with my lovely mare and her
foal, I started to study Billy’s line and soon I
understood what a great breeder the old Paige’s
Echo was in producing magnificent pleasure trail
horses, people oriented, well gaited and very
good minded and how important he has been for
Taylor’s breeding programs and for all the
people, like me, who have had the fortune to own
horses coming down from the old sorrel sabino.
I decided that my breeding program should be
focused on the Paige’s Echo horses because I
would like to breed some good TWH for the
market of the pleasure trail horses here in Italy
and Europe.
So, one year after Bon Bon’s arrival another
important mare joined my herd: Mark’s June
Girl, an old bay mare by Mark’s Cracker Jack
out of Red Bud’s Lady Bug, a direct daughter of
the great sire of several good pleasure horses
Red Bud’s Rascal.
June Girl was imported in foal by Billy’s
stallion: Society’s Dan Allen. The year after a
tall lit up black sabino filly saw the light: Echo’s
Dolce Vita. In these days I have just started her
training with some ground work and she is doing
really very well: she is very gentle, willing to
please me and she has very good gaits with long
overstride with good head nodding.
good gaits as well. She is my hope for the future
under saddle and as a brood mare.
Echo’s Merry Angel
Finally this year I gave a real asset to my
breeding program on the Paige’s Echo horses
with two new fantastic additions: Echo’s Miss
Dixie (Sun’s Smokey Midnight x Chance’s
Society Paige) and a stud colt from Danny
Taylor, Dan’s Matt Dillon (Society’s Dan Allen
x Echo’s Merry Co-Ed) which is also double
bred on Paige’s Echo.
Echo’s Miss Dixie
Echo’s Dolce Vita as a two year old
In 2009 I imported from Billy Taylor a yearling
sorrel filly double bred on Paige’s Echo: Echo’s
Merry Angel (Society’s Dan Allen x Echo's
Society Angel). She is good minded and has
My future breeding program is based on using
my two stallions on my mares and line breeding
on the Paige’s Echo horses, as they are really
different, they have good minds and they are
really good pleasure horses.
Danny Taylor with Dan’s Matt Dillon
Echo’s Merry Angel, Echo’s Miss Dixie, and
Dan’s Matt Dillon
My hope is that several other people here will
have the fortune to appreciate in the future the
qualities of the Heritage TWH especially the
Paige’s Echo horses as I did and I hope to be a
part of this story.
Echo’s Miss Dixie
Dream Catcher Country by Jim Vandenburg,
Keokuk, Iowa
Several weeks ago my son Toby called and
invited me to go with him to western South
Dakota. He was going to bow hunt for mule deer
and he said the rancher who owned the seven
thousand acres he was to hunt said I could come
along and bring my horse. Toby did not know
how excited I was about making that trip. I had
been through the Black Hills/Badlands country
many years ago and I remembered saying to
myself then that I would love to bring my own
Walking Horse and just disappear riding in that
beautiful country. Now it looked like that earlier
vision might come true.
I was to be in charge of planning, cooking, and
shopping for the week's food. I planned out the
meals and made sure we had ice chests, etc, to
take care of it. We would be cooking on a one
sided burner propane gas grill and staying in
pole barn.
My first problem to solve was going to be which
horse to take with me. I have three pleasure
Walking Horses, two mature trail tested, go
anywhere, do anything mares and a broke but not
mature three year old gelding.
Jim with Ginger and daughter
I decided to take Koko, the young horse because
it had been my experience that these extended
trips of hauling and riding away from home
made them able to cope with unexpected noises,
animals, and events much better. I am 72 years
old and it is a concern of mine that if something
happens to me and I am not able to care for my
horses any more that they will go to owners that
value and appreciate them. I feel responsible to
train them in such a way that they will be
excellent trail and companion animals.
Jim with Koko
From left: Star’s Ginger #845193, her
grandson, Siko (middle) #20704491, and her
daughter, Apache & Ginger’s Spice
#20102398
I have taken horses lots of places over the years
but 750 plus miles one way was going to be the
longest for me. I asked several of my friends
who had hauled quite a bit what their thoughts
were as to hauling tied or loose and how often I
needed to stop and get the horse out. As you
might expect, I got lots of different ideas as to
the best practice. I have a two horse slant
Chaparral trailer and decided to haul with the
slant gate tied back and the horse loose and able
to move around. I stopped twice and got the
horse out going to South Dakota, but did not stop
for that on the way back home. I did tie up a
bucket of water and gave him plenty of hay for
the trip back and he got along fine. I noticed no
stress on him at all. He, of course, was glad to
get home to his mom and grandma.
I checked the South Dakota weather for days in
advance of our trip and always got a good report.
So much for weather forecasts. It was cool and
rainy the first day, wind, snow, and 22 degrees
the morning of the second day with 60 mile per
hour winds the third day but not rain or snow.
The fourth and fifth days were beautiful.
Spencer, the ranch owner, was really nice to me.
By the way, they still use horses to work their
cattle.
Of course they have no learned to use Walking
Horses yet and are still stuck in that Quarter
Horse mind set (kidding of course). He said I
could ride anywhere on his seven thousand acres
and not to worry about getting on property that
was not his as all I needed to do was tell them
who I was staying with and it would be okay.
I am blessed to live in southeast Iowa and have
wonderful neighbors who allow me to ride on
their 700 or so rough country acres anytime I
want, and I can do this without even transporting
my horses. But to be turned loose on 7,000 plus
acres in beautiful low mountains, prairie, old
Native American buffalo country was almost
beyond my imagination. Needless to say, the
rain, cold, snow, and wind did not even start to
reduce my enjoyment or my riding time. I
wanted to experience as much of the old time life
as I could in five days. We were able to help
Spencer move a couple hundred of his herd to
winter pasture closer to home one day, and by
ourselves take an escaped heifer a couple miles
back to where she belonged. We saw rough
weather, pleasant weather, beautiful big country,
sunrises and sunsets, antelope, coyotes,
jackrabbits, some kind of large cat but not sure
enough to name it, foxes, mule deer, white tail
deer, wild turkeys, many beautiful pheasants,
grouse, raccoons, swans, geese, ducks, older
cattle, younger cattle, pastures of bulls, donkeys,
horses, and miles of rolling rough prairie and
low mountain land.
All of this was a great learning experience for
Koko and a pleasure for an old would-be
cowboy. My youngster experienced riding in an
unfamiliar trailer with a strange cow pony, many
mounts and dismounts in very windy conditions,
and saying at my shoulder related to opening and
closing barb wire gates. He will be a better
animal for the seasoning of the trip.
Koko and Jim back home in Iowa
Star’s Ginger (daughter of Red Bud’s Rascal)
Apache & Ginger’s Spice with Jim
Old Buck's memory is not so good, but this
dream was in color and I hope it will not escape
my mind. Thanks, Son, for catching my dream
and making it possible.
Riding with Billy by Joan Hendricks, Owen,
Wisconsin
One more time, I got to go along with Diane
Sczepanski and Nancy Bergman on an annual
trip to Tennessee. This time, before we went,
Nancy made arrangements with Billy Taylor for
her and me to go for a ride in the hills of
Tennessee. Nancy told Billy that I like to ride
wild broncs and that he should arrange for me to
have a green horse to ride. Lucky for me, Billy
didn't listen to Nancy.
We arrived in Tennessee on Friday, October 8,
and made arrangements to meet Billy early on
Saturday morning at his place. We loaded the
saddles in Billy's pickup and then the horses in
the trailer. Billy took his very big sturdy mansize horse, Wilson; Generose for me; Mike
Stephens' Starla Gray Wilson (aka Echo), who
was staying at Billy's place, for Nancy. We drove
a short distance from Billy's to Keith Springs
Mountain on the Cumberland Plateau where
Billy's friend has a cabin. We saddled up our
horses and before we mounted up to ride, Billy
checked our tack to be sure we Yankee women
knew what we were doing when it came to
tacking up a horse.
From left, Nancy on “Echo”, Joan on
Generose and Billy on Wilson
Joan and Generose
Billy adjusting the stirrups for Nancy
As we started down the steep trails, Billy
cautioned us about the slippery limestone on
those steep trails. Generose wanted to be lead
horse, but I made her stay behind Wilson so I
could watch how Billy guided him around the
slippery rock. We saw lots of interesting rock
formations that are different from any we have in
Wisconsin. And, tulip leaf poplar trees - we don't
have any of them in Wisconsin either. After
about 45 minutes of riding, Billy stopped to ask
if we were tired and wanted to head back. "No,"
both Nancy and I said. Billy then took us on
some trails that we thought might not really be
trails. At one point, Billy got off Wilson to clear
a small tree that had fallen across the "trail". He
let go of Wilson's reins for a bit and Wilson
started to walk off. Billy slipped on one of those
slippery rocks when he went after Wilson but
luckily, Wilson didn't have any plans to run all
the way back to the cabin and Billy was easily
able to catch him.
Since Echo was unshod, she was wearing Easy
Boots on the front. (You can read about Echo's
episode with founder and Mike Stephens'
rehabilitation program in September's Heritage
Newsletter.) After we had ridden farther on the
rocky trails, Nancy noticed that one of the Easy
Boots had come off. Luckily, they are the newer
Easy Boots that have an extra band so they stay
with the horse instead of being flung off into the
bush. Then what happened? Did Nancy get off
and put the Easy Boot back on? Nope. She called
for Billy to do it. Billy did make her get off
while he picked up Echo's foot to put the boot
back on.
In all, we rode for 3 hours. The weather was just
about perfect although it did get pretty warm
when we rode out of the wooded area and the
sun started shining on us. Billy told us that Mike
Stephens was hoping to visit while we were in
Tennessee and maybe we could take another ride
on Monday. Unfortunately, that didn't happen,
but Nancy did get to ride Mike's horse! Mike
wrote in the October Heritage Newsletter "If you
ever get a chance to ride the trails on Keith
Springs Mountain, I would recommend that you
go." Nancy and I surely agree with that
assessment. I would only add that maybe Billy
should start having paid horseback riding tours
there!
November 1 Trail Ride from Billy Taylor,
Winchester, Tennessee
Mike and Janet Stephens came to my place
November lst to pick up their mare, Echo that
Mike left here back in September to breed to my
stallion, Society's Dan Allen. He also brought
back my mare Royal's Merry Dee, which he
took home with him a month earlier to break to
ride. She is eight years old and was never ridden.
Mike put approximately twenty five rides on her
and did a great job training her. She is a well
gaited mare, no trot or pace; she is natural gaited
for the running walk. Mike, Janet and I went for
a ride November first, Janet rode their mare
Echo, Mike and I rode Merry Dee and Generose.
We crossed Elk River and rode the hills on a
farm that my neighbor owns. We rode for about
two hours and had a great ride.
Janet on Echo, Mike on Generose
Mike on Merry Dee, Janet on Echo crossing
the Elk River. First time for both horses to
cross a river!
From Mike Kinder, Circleville, Ohio
Enjoying the view
Mike riding Merry Dee back at the barn after
the trail ride
Sabrina and I went to TN to meet Billy Taylor
and Benny & Carolyn Branham and to pick up
our new horses. We bought a Heritage filly from
Billy and a mare (Society's Miss Dolly) from
Benny. We had a great time on our visit. After
meeting Billy, he took us down to the barn to
meet our new filly and mare. We saddled up the
mare and each took a ride. Billy then took us
down the road to meet Carl Parks. He was out
riding his horses and ended up getting his stud,
Society's Lee Allen, out and Carl even let
Sabrina ride him around a time or two. We went
back to meet up with Benny and his wife and
made plans for dinner later that day, then Sabrina
and I drove to meet Leon Oliver. Leon showed
us all over his farm, got to meet several of his
horses including Buds Sterling Bullet! Leon also
took us over to meet Tod Finley and his stud
"Slim". Later, we ended the day with a very nice
dinner and conversation with our new friends
Billy & Danny Taylor and Benny & Carolyn
Branham. What a great adventure we had, it
was neat to meet such fine people. Sending you
a few pictures of our wonderful weekend in
Tennessee.
Meeting Society’s Miss Dolly and Billy Taylor
From Billy Taylor, Winchester, Tennessee
This is Society's Red Bud Lady, By Society's
Dan Allen/Sun's Midnight Rena. She is four
years old and has only been ridden a total of
approximately four hours. She has never bucked
or resisted riding in any way. She is a natural
gaited horse, exhibiting the running walk from
the beginning; she has no trot or pace in her. She
is a perfect example of how well the Heritage
bred horses can gait from the first ride.
Mike Kinder and Miss Dolly
I sold this mare to Benny and Carolyn Branham
when she was a weanling, but because of her
size, which is approximately 14.2 hands high,
they decided to sell her back to me. They are
selecting Heritage mares from 15.2-16.0 hands
high to keep as breeding stock.
Sabrina on Society’s Lee Allen
Billy and Society’s Red Bud Lady
Leon Oliver’s Buds Sterling Bullet
From Bob Long, Fayetteville, Tennessee
From Yona Hefer, Karkur, Israel
Mike Hamilton riding his Heritage out cross
gelding, Creators Blessed One, on the Fall Bullet
ride at the Circle E. "Bo" as Mike calls him was
sired by Buds Sterling Bullet out of Dandy's
Geanette. Dandy's Geanette has foaled eight
colts for Mike, all sired by Buds Sterling Bullet.
I’m sending more photos of my horses!
( Mike sent the pic but looks like Oscar took it )
2010 colt by Bud’s Topper out of Echo’s
Emelu
Emelu & colt
Mike Hamilton & Bo
Bud’s Topper
From Terry Walsh, Castor, Alberta, Canada
More photos from our Montana trip
Waiting their turn
Matt & Toby
Our accommodations in Froid, Montana
Penny & Flirt looking for birds
Flirt on the run
Dave hunting in Scobey
Dave & Matt tacking up
Ron, Terry & Matt
My horse, Ranger, at the end of the day
The kennels – we brought 13 dogs
Dave with our host, Darnell
Tuesday a storm blew through
From Diane Bromenschenkel, Nampa, Idaho
Pictures of Chime, sired by Nya’s Go Boy’s
Windwalker. Diane says: “ Chime shows a lot of
a square gait...her preference is a trot in the
pasture. She has correct conformation, good
bone and her legs are straight (a rarity in today's
show horse). I'm attaching another photo of her.
I haven't measured her, but she's going to be 15.2
to 16 hands. I'm off work tomorrow and can
play with horses in the daylight. She's a people
horse, easy to handle and trim.”
Me & Ranger
Ben
Our Readers Write
“Wow!!! I think the Newsletter is fast
approaching "Magazine" proportions!
Good job!!!!” Bob Long, Fayetteville, Tennessee
“Nice Highlights issue--great photos, especially
the field trials out west. Looks like that type of
rolling countryside is just made for getting a
good Walker really moving out.” Nancy
Bergman, Whitehall, Wisconsin
The Stork Report
Congratulations go out to John & Kate Oliver on
the birth of their new son, Jacob Wyatt Oliver.
He was born on October 26 at 11:24 AM,
weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz, and was 21 inches
long. His dad reports this baby can’t wait to get
on a horse!
“I really enjoy the newsletter. I still hope to send
you a story about my Bullet colt, Deacon, who is
2 and 1/2 now. He is awesome.” Karen Bogle,
Tennessee
“I came to work today to use the computer since
I had to go to the grocery store anyway - it
opened fine here. I got to open it and I saw my
wonderful LePew's butt - a little blurry, Joan were you sneakin' dog-beers on that ride? I love
it though- I love his muscle - and I love my
horse! Fun to read the article.
Some of those horses out of Star Gray are
gorgeous! and I noticed one of the mounts the
Benefields had reminded me greatly of Tilly - I
enjoyed the issue - and I'm sure Cathy will be
pleased as punch to know Hernando is now
known as a psycho! lol - the photos, however,
have him looking absolutely stunning - I like
him!! I must say those photos of Joan that I took
in the woods look great, and certainly show off
our beautiful fall here!” Gayle Davis, Owen,
Wisconsin
Jacob Wyatt Oliver
The Sales Barn
Tanasi Topaz Goldmine with 2010 foal
Tanasi Topaz Goldmine is the only Heritage
certified cremello double agouti in the world at
this point. She has produced several fine colts
that have gone on to be herd sires all over the
United States. When I broke her to ride, she had
all the old natural ability barefooted just as any
Heritage Horse should have. She can flatwalk
and run walk with no shoes and very little
training. The gait is just there. She passes this on
to her foals also.
Tanasi Topaz Goldmine has been recognized by
virtue of her pedigree and true walking gaits to
be a Heritage Walking Horse, certificate number
70. She was raised by noted Heritage
breeders Harry and Franne Brandon of
Petersburg. Tennessee. I am extremely pleased to
have this fine mare and she has
produced several double agouti colts that are
standing at stud all across America. This mare
along with a strongly gaited Heritage stallion
could preserve the old bloodlines for many
generations. She is for sale priced at $8,000.
Contact Jim Holmes at jdh840@yahoo.com for
more information.
NEWS & CONGRATULATIONS
The TWH Heritage Society firmly believes that
the term "Performance Horse" should be
reserved for animals that typify the original
purpose of the breed, as using horses that can
cover ground smoothly, work cattle, climb hills
and mountains safely, and be enjoyable mounts.
For this reason, in 2010 the Heritage Society is
offering its first TWH Heritage Society
Performance Achievement award to the Heritage
Horse and the Heritage-Sired Horse that best
exemplify these talents for which the breed was
developed. Horses must be enrolled in one of the
following: FOSH, NWHA, or TWHBEA
distance riding programs, TWHBEA Versatility
program, other state or regional programs, such
as PWHAT, or NATRC, including Canada’s
Ride Your Walker program. Participants will
need to provide the Society with a copy of their
log book or whatever they turn in to their
respective organizations. Participants will write a
brief narrative as to why they feel their horse
deserves this award. The winner will receive a
prize and a page in Highlights. Winners in the
Heritage and Heritage Outcross categories will
be chosen and announced January 2011.
Contestants should email their materials to
TWHHS@yahoo.com by December 1, 2010.
Heritage Horses Sold
Society’s Noble Traveler, weanling gelding,
purchased by Rachel Hill, Fort Frances, Ontario,
Canada
Heritage Outcrosses Sold
Readers seem to be enjoying the stories of every
day people and their horses so we thought we’d
share a couple of publications dedicated to
Tennessee Walking Horses that are not show
oriented:
Walking Horse Journal, published bi-monthly by
Four Craftsmen Publishing of Lakeside, Arizona.
Website: www.fourcraftsmen.com/whj
This magazine features stories on flat shod horses
who are used for trail riding, endurance, and other
disciplines and there are some good training
articles as well.
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
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 websites:
www.walkinghorse.com/twhheritagesociety
and
Both of these are very good publications for
people who are interested in the versatile using
horse!!
www.twhheritagesociety.com
The Heritage Highlights will now be
available on our website so you can
download them any time!!
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
Danny & Sherry Taylor, Winchester, TN
(931) 967-9553
Billy & Mary Taylor, Winchester, TN
(931) 967-9621
Email: confederatehills@wmconnect.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.