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
