This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Mike,
Thanks for your advice on the grey. Odin's muzzle is grey - so maybe he is a grey. As to his conformation, I didn't mention it, but we are looking at his conformation. I would be tarred and feathered (gently, of course) by various persons on this list if I didn't consider that. :) So far, I can find nothing out of place. Very nice hindquarters, *beautiful hard pony feet - he looks like he may never need shoes*, very balanced body, straight legs, nice balanced movement - though more an exquisite flat hunter type like his mom's (she is beautiful when she trots) than the flashy dressage type (see Susan Harris' book on gaits for comparision of these types), friendly and spookproof to the max (he whinnies (sp)and comes running whenever anyone approaches the pasture), very friendly, good neck and shoulder. He is going to be a tall, big and solid Fjord, but also move light on his feet. EVERY time the vet or farrier come around I tell them - "Tell me ANYTHING you see that doesn't look right - in the slightest." Believe me, my farrier would tell me immediately - he is a friend and would definitely prefer it if I did not have a stallion around. He is not thrilled that I bought Romulus - and definitely would discourage me from maintaining an inferior stallion. I keep asking Amy (the horsetrainer) about anything wrong - whenever I talk about gelding him early she pleads with me to wait a bit longer. I ask the vet to walk around him and check him out too - actively invite him to point out any conformation flaws. The vet is a popular one, breeds horses and mules himself, does a lot of AI work with the local warmblood breeders and with a nationally known dressage trainer. I think he would be straight with me. The only thing I can find to criticize is I would like his head to be a perfect Fjord head - it looks to me like that is not going to happen - though the overall look may change when his forelock grows out. He won't have a bad looking head (not the overlong "horsie" look), but I don't think it will be that exquisite look some Fjords have that makes grown men weep - and kiss pony muzzles when no one is looking.<g> The only reason I would geld him if he were not grey is that I believe that there are plenty of Anvil's Regin (Regin is his grandsire) offspring out there - particularly in the Pacific Northwest - and lots with the nice qualities that come with those bloodlines. In grey - I don't think that is necessarily so - that is why I asked about other gray offspring from Rudaren/Regin. I think he might well be a good addition to the pool of grey genes - particularly for creating a 14.2+ pony hunter/low level dressage type horse that would be suitable for adults or children. Oh - and Jean reminded me to mention that Odin's sire is Leidjo - which is almost certainly where at least some of his grey genes came from. Anita and Orville regularly got grey babies from Leidjo x Lena(Odin's granddam) - in fact I believe Luisa (Odin's dam) was a one-time test mating with Regin to see if he would transfer his good qualities well. Then Lena went back to Leidjo as she reliably produced greys from him. The fact that Odin carries Leidjo blood is another reason to geld him if he is a brown dun - in that, between Regin and Leidjo, he will be related to a lot of the brown duns in the Pacific Northwest. Probably no real need for more of those bloodlines - unless Odin could add something in particular to the grey gene pool. Speaking of Lena - does anyone on the list have her, or know about the grey filly she had after Luisa - or whether she is still producing babies or what....? My next project is asking about breeding for "perfect pony feet" - unless someone does it for me? Thanks all :) Gail > >How about looking at his conformation too? Don't just look at his >color. A bad grey stallion is no more desirable that a bad brown or any >other color. Color is of course a consideration but don't let it be the >only thing your looking at. > >Mike > > > > Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED] Clicker List Web Site : http://clickryder.cjb.net
