This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Arthur Rivoire)
Hello Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia - >From: misha nogha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Carole's new kids > >This message is from: misha nogha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Congrats Carole. Nice to hear you got another full brother to King and >Obelisk. Of the two I really took to Obelisk and think he is a dandy >stallion. Oby has a certain something I really like. You have produced some >good ones!!! Thanks, Misha, for your kind words about BDF Kanada King and BDF Obelisk. Of course, you have the right to prefer one of the brothers over the other, but I did want to point out that IF that preference has to do with behavior, and I would suppose it does, but then again, maybe not (you can tell me that), what I'd like to point out is that we sold BDF Kanada King as a six month old to a woman without a lot of horse experience. He was a perfectly nice baby when he left here, and I feel that maybe things could have been done differently with him resulting in a much happier horse, a calmer horse. An exellent example is BDF Obelisk, owned by Starfire Farm. Beth and Sandy bought Obey when he was 1 1/2 years old. We'd always kept him with a young gelding. The two of them played constantly, thus Obey was never a frustrated young stallion living alone. We advised Beth to continue these arrangements when she got Obey to Colorado, which she has done. We'd also handled and trained Obey a lot. He was ground-driving quietly in harness when he left here, and was a pleasant, contented young stallion. Beth is an expert horsewoman. She knows how to train and how to command respect, while at the same time maintaining a good relationship with her horses. We're absolutely delighted that our top notch stallion is in the care of Beth and Sandy at Starfire Farm. We honestly couldn't wish for more. Obey lives out all the time in the company of geldings. Unless you present him to a mare, you wouldn't guess he was a stallion, unless of course, you spot him in the group and say, "Wowee!!! That Fjord most certainly is a breeding stallion. He's awesome!!!" I have to tell you that almost all of the offspring from our stallion, GJEST, and the beautiful mare, STINE, have been outstanding examples of the breed. As to the sons, all but one have been incredibly good. The one that wasn't quite as good was still an unusually beautiful and well conformed Fjordhorse. He simply didn't possess that "extra something" you need for a breeding stallion. So, while you're certainly entitled to your preferences, I just want to say that all three of Stine and Gjest's sons that are breeding today are equally fine and impressive examples of the breed - BDF KANADA KING, BDF MALCOM LOCK & BDF OBELISK. They all share the same blood, which has been proven over and over to produce the highest quality to be found anywhere. If one of them has shown less than ideal deportment, then it's likesly to be caused by environment rather than genetics. --- At Beaver Dam Farm, we've learned over the years never to keep a young stallion by himself. They need companions the same as all the other horses. We sold BDF MALCOLM LOCKE to Nancy Roemer in Ohio, and he's produced many beautiful Fjords already at a young age. Malcolm left us as a 2 yr. old, and was already driving having had a lot of attention from our driving trainer. Malcolm is outstandingly beautiful, a good breeding stallion, and a pleasant using horse. Nancy is another experienced horsewoman who has also done a great job with one of our stallions. We're just as pleased that Malcolm Locke is with Nancy Roemer as we are that Obey is with Beth and Sandy. It's owners like these that make everything worthwhile. > >(By the way Carole, nice of you to point out that big babies sometimes are >born contracted and usually come out of it. Very kind and honest!) > >Misha Thanks again, Misha. You're right that big foals often are born contracted. It's happened maybe six times with us over the years out of over sixty foals born, and as I think about it, all of them were colts, and all big ones. I was pretty upset the first time it happened, but a wise old vet in N.H. said the colt would straighten out quickly. He advised me to take a Polaroid photo of the colt's legs each day to see the difference. I didn't do that, but they quickly righted themselves. One year, we had a colt born in the field, BDF JUBILEE CANADA (Gjest x Maryke). This one was REALLY knuckled over. He wasn't walking on his fetlocks, he was walking on his knees. In fact, we had to carry him in from the pasture, and hold him up for nursing. However, we started the physical therapy on him right away, and by the third day, the tendons released to a marked degree, and he was on his way to being perfect. So, that's why I don't get excited anymore about this. However, one thing I want to caution everybody about if this happens to you, and that's that some vets want to splint the legs right away. I've had this offered to me as an option several times, at which point I've always sought other veterinary advice. A lot of vets will say to just turn them out and the exercise will correct the situation. That's true if it's not too bad, and if the foal can actually walk on his feet, but if he's knuckled over and can't stand, then you can't leave him in the pasture. All I can tell you is that our method has worked very well for us. We do this therapy at least six times a day, and gradually you can feel the tendon stretching until the foal is walking almost normally. It's at that point you can turn them out to complete the cure. At that point, exercise is definitely the best you can do for them. The Physical Therapy is extremely simple to perform. Just straight the foals legs out in front of him as he's lying down. Then place your left hand on top of the fetlock, and the right underneath his hoof. Apply gentle pressure on the fetlock, while gently stretching the tendon with your right hand. The operative word here is GENTLY, but with some firmness. We've never had any of these foals grow up with straight pasterns. Best Regards, Carol Rivoire Carol and Arthur Rivoire Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet Antigonish County Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 902 386 2304 http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/beaverdf
