The search is over.....

More info to follow once I bring her home, hopefully tomorrow.
 http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/red+wrangler+lady

Whittling down the numbers

Well the field of contenders is diminishing. The mare I was trying to find, a filly I raised and sold that was a daughter of my mare Sundee, is no longer living, sadly. The mares from High River have all been ruled out, as well as most of the ones in my original post- the only one I am still considering is the daughter of Annie's Cat. I have asked for more video and photos of her, including standing square, and walking and trotting directly towards the camera. I suspect she is toed out, and I know that she is lacking in the gaskin area. Also asked for video of him asking her for all the different parts of her body so that I can see how willing she is, as he already said she doesn't know much of that but tries to please.  Distance is a factor with her as she is about 8 hours away.
I also have 2 mares to look at this weekend, a little closer to home. They are reining bred, with bloodlines going back to Great Red Pine, Reminic and Wranglers War Leo. There is a grey and a sorrel. That will be Saturday morning- stay tuned! I'm really hoping that one of these will suit me!
I have owned some wonderful mares  and I think that's why I am being pretty fussy. Sundee was the dam of Coyote Belle, as well as the filly I just mentioned that I was looking for, and one more mare that I will be leasing this summer (if it works out) to use to teach the nieces to ride and use for ponying Josie. Sundee is the mare in the background photo for this blog.

Expectations

Well, yesterday was a mighty long day. Left here at 4:30 AM and drove to Alberta, got back at 9:30 PM. I stopped to pick up Shayla, and then went to look at the 4 mares. I was told that the mares were well broke and started on the cowboy up obstacles. I think they should have said that they were doing really well on the obstacles but were green broke.
To start with, I eliminated 2 of the mares just looking at them, they weren't appealing to me at all. Nothing really drastic on them, just not the kind of horse I am interested in- I have to like looking at them as well as like riding them!
They had one mare ready to go, and I didn't really care for her but since he was saddling her anyway I checked her out. 8 years old, did a great job on the obstacles, but was not soft in the bridle at all. I did ride her, and was pleased with how she handled the course but that's about it.
The other mare was pretty to look at, and only 5 years old, but they had talked her up so much that I figured she would be just perfect.....
To start with, he wasn't going to lope her until Shayla asked him to. She wasn't bad, a little forward and fresh- she hadn't really been ridden in the last 2 months-  and she did a decent job on the obstacles.

After that Shayla rode her and that's where we found the holes in her. Lots of trouble going left, not a lot of body control. I rode her too, and what I found was that when you asked her to do something she would not quite know what you want and give you a bunch of stuff you didn't ask for- like for example when I asked for a turn on the forehand she wanted to walk forward when I moved my leg back to push her hip over, and then swished her tail when I used a little more leg to make my request clearer. And when I asked for a whoa from a walk- I take a deep seat which puts my legs a bit forward, say whoa and wait for a response before I go to the rein- she didn't have a clue about that and kept walking until I used the reins to stop her.
Here I was asking her to pick up her shoulder and move off my inside leg as we circled- she didn't know what I was asking.

This to me is a really green horse. In all fairness, her mouth was a mess, not much movement and sores inside. A good float would make her a much happier horse.
That being said, these are things I can work on with her-my concern is that most of her riding has been in the arena with a bit of outside riding, I'd rather have it the other way- lots of outside riding and less arena work. My other concern with her is her conformation....

which I will leave to your discernment.

I got to thinking about what my expectations are. To start with, this is the first time I have looked for a broke/started horse since 1990. I have only ever bought 2 horses that had been started by someone else, and I have owned a lot of horses over the years. Mostly what I ride I have either raised, or bought as a weanling or yearling and then done the training myself or had someone put the first 30 days on and then I go from there.

I also think I have been a little spoiled by the quality of the horses I have raised, especially the Beamer babies. I don't want to downgrade! I sold two darn fine geldings to get a mare, so she will have a lot to measure up to.

 We went to visit the boys yesterday, it sure was nice to see them and they are really happy in their new home. They all 3 remembered us, but it was plain that they didn't miss us! Rio had eyes only for Rorie, and Nitro was all over Kevin

Kai was a little wary almost as if he thought I was going to take him away from his new happy home-  not gonna happen Kai, so just relax!

Why can't I find a mare that looks this good!

It was nice to be able to get all 3 boyz in one photo!

Kai and Nitro are deciding if Rio's blanket needs alterations.

More on the contenders

I have video of 3 of the mares I am considering. Two of them I have ruled out, based on the videos and other info I have gleaned from various sources. First up is the dun mare, she is a granddaughter of Hollywood Dunnit.

This is not a current video of her, it was taken last fall. She has 7 months of professional training with Natalie and Wendy Weichel and is 7 years old. Here is a current video:

Next up is the buckskin mare; she has nice breeding with Fritz Command and Doc Bar as her great grandsires. She is 6 years old and has 2 months of professional training by Lindy Barron including working the flag and working buffalo.

The third mare is the Annie's cat daughter, her dam is a granddaughter of Colonel Freckles. I have a video of her loping and a conformation video. She has been ranch ridden.
This is the conformation video:



This video shows her being ridden at a lope.



So lets have your opinions folks! Give your preferences on which two you would eliminate.

I  am heading to Alberta tomorrow, I have 4 mares to look at over by High River at the Heintz Ranch. These mares are registered AQHA mares, between the ages of 6 and 8. Well started on lots of Cowboy Challenge obstacles, ridden outside, and I had a nice conversation with Doris Heintz, who is 80 years old and rides and shows a 5 year old gelding. She said that what most people call well broke they consider green broke. Bodes well for these mares I am going to be visiting! I'll be sure to take photos and videos to peruse before I make any final decisions.

Red headitude

Played with Josie some more today. She is pretty funny- gotta show a little bit of 'tude, but basically she is pretty good and such a smart filly. I started out by taking her for a bit of a walk, and we found a log to walk over, at least I walked over it... Josie had to make a bit of a production out of it first. Once she discovered that it had nice nibbly green grass on the other side of it, it became important to step over it. So we worked on that until she didn't hesitate to step over it. She reminds me of Rio a little bit in that if something startles her she makes a big move and then stands there and figures it out, only she is a whole lot smaller than he was at this age so much easier to hold. Then there was the old glass window still leaning against the house from last summer's renovation- very wide eyes as we approached that and checked out the pretty horse she could see in it.
After that I turned her out for a bit in the turn out pen, still a bit soft in there but she really needed to let loose for a bit.

On the way back to her pen, we have to pass a big hay tarp that the hay farmers next door left lying in a heap. I noticed that on the way past it the first time she gave it the hairy eyeball, so I figured maybe I should load her front feet onto it (insert evil grin).
So I tromped about on it and made a bunch of noise with it until she stopped jumping and stood and looked. Once she thought about it a bit, she loaded one foot....

Yeaaaaaaaahhhhh, I got this......

and then after a bit she loaded both front feet.

Good girl Josie! I gave her a treat for that and called it a day.

Riding and schooling and still searching!

While everyone back east is getting hammered with cold and snow, we are enjoying balmy weather.  The other day I had my first ride without a jacket this year- so beautiful! Beamer was happy to get out and go for a stroll.

There is still water lying on the ground, but the mud is drying up. And yes for you picky types, I don't hold my reins correctly for one-handed; I cross them over the same way as if I was using a snaffle, that way I don't drop a  rein. From here we rode back out to the gravel road that goes by our place, in the video it is just ahead and on the right. If you turn your volume up a bit you can hear Josie whinnying for her daddy right at the end of the video. When I pan to the right, you are looking at Idaho.

Steps out mighty fine for a little horse!

I even took old Reba along for the ride, we kept it short so she wouldn't get too sore and tired. She was so happy to get out just like old times! I really thought last September on her 13th birthday that it would be our last trail ride but that cancer surgery in December made all the difference.

  The next day I worked on trimming Josie's feet and then decided it was high time little miss was put in kindergarten, horse style. I sacked her out a bit with a towel, after the usual wide eyed what-the-heck-do-you-have-there-will-it-eat-me look she was fine with me flipping it all over her, fussed a little a couple of times but not bad for a first try.

Yeah I know the halter is loose....
After that I worked on moving her feet. She is pretty good at moving her hip with just a look at her hind quarters but it was a bit more work to get her to move her shoulder over- and then bang, her attention span had reached its limit  and she wanted to leap around and enjoy the beautiful day and being out of her pen for the first time in a long time. Not bad for a first mini session! One thing I like about her is that she is really good with her feet, lets me crawl around on the ground while I fuss with getting things right. Good girl Josie, it was fun!

Still haven't found the perfect mare, have another couple I'm considering but I think it's going to be a long grind- and I want one now!

Another contender

This is a daughter of Annies Cat , she is 5 and has been used for ranch work since she was 3. I kinda like her!

Contenders

My criteria for the mare I want to buy are pretty simple: Between the age of 5 and 12, with lots of riding; I don't mind doing a little finishing work but don't want green; between 14 and 15 hands, no taller. Colour doesn't matter although I do prefer black based colours. I have a reasonable budget and don't want a high dollar show-ready horse.
Sounds fairly simple huh?
Well, let me tell you they are few and far between.
Everyone has geldings for sale, and most of the mares for sale are either green broke, or brood mares, or are expensive show horses. Guess everyone keeps the good ones!
The other thing I insist on is a registered quarter horse. So many people are advertising grade horses (she's a quarter horse and could be registered but I don't have the papers is  the common excuse). People why would you not register a foal if it is eligible! I know you don't ride the papers but they do give you a history on the horse and give you insight into its genetic make up- many traits are inheritable! It's a crap shoot buying a grade horse no matter what it's current owner says about it. And they want just as much money for them as the registered horses, so why buy grade? And they are losing out on sales by not registering them- I am a prefect example.
Any way, rant over. :0)
I have found a few contenders, one was a non pro cutting horse mare who is in foal with a very sellable baby, but she is 11 hours away and I can't make that work. Then there is a buckskin mare I like but I can't get over to see her until the end of the month, and she may sell by then.

 There is another mare, a dun with reining training that I am super interested in and I do have an appointment to see her at the end of the month.

 Also found a nice black mare who is registered but the owner cannot find the papers......

Also there is a mare raised by my friend Carol but her owner is really slow at getting back to me.

Another horse I'm trying to track down is a buckskin mare that I raised, sold as a weanling and she is 12 now- trying to track down her current owner; this mare is off my old Sundee mare so she is a half sister to Coyote Belle.

Wordless Wednesday

Hat trick

Those of you who know hockey terminology know that a hat trick is 3 goals by the same player.
How about 3 full brothers in the same home?
Yes, that's right.
Remember I said someone was coming to look at Kai?
Kai and Nitro are joining Rio.
I couldn't be happier for th' boyz; this is the perfect home for all 3 of them.
I hadn't done anything with Kai since Christmas, and today he was as good as could be.

His wonderful temperament shone through and he tried hard to please.
Now, about Nitro.....
My husband for quite some time has been unhappy with me starting and riding colts. He worries about me. And I agree- I am past the age where it's a good idea to get on the youngsters no matter how sweet they are. I can still do it, I just don't enjoy it much any more. I want a broke horse that I can just go have fun with- and, I want a mare to ride. So I asked if they would be interested in Nitro too.
They were.
And Nitro is joining his brothers in Alberta.

That is Rio's girl holding Nitro, and her dad with Kai. I think Kai will end up being her mom's horse, Nitro will be her dad's horse- and she has Rio. It's a family affair! How cool is that that they will all be mounted on full brothers.
I'm over the moon!
Josie isn't too happy though. I'll have to find that perfect mare soon.

Finally my own space

It's been a long time coming but I finally have a dedicated space for drawing. Our place is pretty small, there was nowhere I could make room to set up until we cleared out part of the addition this past summer. Yesterday Ted drywalled the ugly wall and today I painted it and set up my gear. I need to buy a lamp to put above the table and get a few supplies and then I can start getting creative!

If this spring is as wet as I think it's going to be, I foresee a lot of time spent in here!