The Elusive Horse Breeding Programme
When I was a teenager, I used to buy and sell ponies to earn a bit of pocket money (it sure beat working at McDonalds!). I quickly found that the most popular and easiest to sell were quiet, uncomplicated, cobby ponies that any child could ride.
Around the same time I also sold a few thoroughbreds that I'd hunted. Given that they were ex-racehorses, full of hardfood and very fit from a fearless teenager belting around the hunt field on them, I assumed that they would appeal to reasonably advanced riders. However, in many instances I got enquiries from novice riders, and "rusty riders" returning to riding after a long break. "I really don't think this is quite the horse for you", I'd always explain.
However, with a few people they'd keep asking questions, "Does it buck?," "Does it shy?", "Does it have any vices?"
"Well... no, but..."
"Then fine, then we're coming to look at him"
When such people did visit, I told them exactly the horse I thought they should get; a bigger version of a lovely kid's cobby pony. They'd agree with me, but said that they'd searched and searched and just couldn't find that sort of horse, were getting frustrated, and while my horse wasn't ideal, but was better than everything else they'd looked at, and they'd take him.
At the time, I thought that if I ever got into breeding horses, I would aim to breed straightforward, safe and sensible adult's pleasure horses... a horse that anyone can ride and everyone loves. And when you're trying to buy one, seem as rare as hen's teeth - "The Elusive Horse".
Later on, on my OE, I met the Gypsy Cob, or the Traditional Cob, as they are known as in Britain. These super-quiet, chunky and beautiful horses weren't quite like any I'd ever met before, and I was completely smitten with them.
Later, on returning to NZ, I looked up the net to see if they were here, and was delighted to find a few stallions had recently been imported. Now being older, having had a long break from horses, and having had a child, I was hardly a fearless teenager anymore, and only wanted to handle safe, sensible "elusive horses" myself.
Easily enthusing my Mum, Jan, on my project, we started buying up quality broodmares, that we thought would cross well with gypsies, and had the type of temperament that we were searching for. We were utterly delighted with our first crop of four part gypsy foals. They were just so easy to handle and train, with attractive personalities that made spending time with them a pleasure.
From there things snowballed, and we bought quite a few more mares, and then decided that we really wanted a purebred gypsy of our own. We are delighted with our choice, The Vicar. His sweet, kind temperament and unflappable ways are everything we could have hoped for.
Around the same time I also sold a few thoroughbreds that I'd hunted. Given that they were ex-racehorses, full of hardfood and very fit from a fearless teenager belting around the hunt field on them, I assumed that they would appeal to reasonably advanced riders. However, in many instances I got enquiries from novice riders, and "rusty riders" returning to riding after a long break. "I really don't think this is quite the horse for you", I'd always explain.
However, with a few people they'd keep asking questions, "Does it buck?," "Does it shy?", "Does it have any vices?"
"Well... no, but..."
"Then fine, then we're coming to look at him"
When such people did visit, I told them exactly the horse I thought they should get; a bigger version of a lovely kid's cobby pony. They'd agree with me, but said that they'd searched and searched and just couldn't find that sort of horse, were getting frustrated, and while my horse wasn't ideal, but was better than everything else they'd looked at, and they'd take him.
At the time, I thought that if I ever got into breeding horses, I would aim to breed straightforward, safe and sensible adult's pleasure horses... a horse that anyone can ride and everyone loves. And when you're trying to buy one, seem as rare as hen's teeth - "The Elusive Horse".
Later on, on my OE, I met the Gypsy Cob, or the Traditional Cob, as they are known as in Britain. These super-quiet, chunky and beautiful horses weren't quite like any I'd ever met before, and I was completely smitten with them.
Later, on returning to NZ, I looked up the net to see if they were here, and was delighted to find a few stallions had recently been imported. Now being older, having had a long break from horses, and having had a child, I was hardly a fearless teenager anymore, and only wanted to handle safe, sensible "elusive horses" myself.
Easily enthusing my Mum, Jan, on my project, we started buying up quality broodmares, that we thought would cross well with gypsies, and had the type of temperament that we were searching for. We were utterly delighted with our first crop of four part gypsy foals. They were just so easy to handle and train, with attractive personalities that made spending time with them a pleasure.
From there things snowballed, and we bought quite a few more mares, and then decided that we really wanted a purebred gypsy of our own. We are delighted with our choice, The Vicar. His sweet, kind temperament and unflappable ways are everything we could have hoped for.
Sue and Kiwi Showing Off, 1989
This is Kiwi, one of the ponies I sold as a teenager. This wonderful mare was as genuine and honest a kids' pony as you could hope for. She was completely bombproof, and yet responsive and lovely to ride. When it came to jumping, she amazed me by gamely and easily clearing big jumps that you'd think would be too challenging for one of her stout proportions. She was sold to a local girl and took her young charge from being a complete beginner to qualifying for the Horse of the Year. During their long and happy partnership Kiwi taught her owner just how much fun horses can be, and I'm sure many other life lessons as well. Although she has probably passed away by now, I remember Kiwi with huge affection, as I'm sure many other people do too. There are several factors that make special horses like Kiwi, but it begins with good genetics, and our goal is to breed quality horses that start out with the potential to be just as good as she was.
