Change of Heart

[LaVern]

I’m going to get off this size thing because everyone has their own opinion and everyone has a right to their own opinion. I am thankful that we have this Forum to express them, and also just to vent once in awhile.

Before I do I would like to put down in writing my feelings and how they have changed in the past few years.

!0 -15 years ago I used to be on my high horse and had this better than thou attitude towards the height measurements. I was the only one that was honest. Call a B a B. If it was over 38 inches it was out.

I have done a complete turn about. And here is the reason why.

There are 8 old Reb daughters out in my lot. There used to be a lot more.

Those old girls are so heavy with foal and yet they stand there without being haltered and lift their feet for me, to do their hoofs. So did their sisters that I dumped without papers because they got an inch too tall.

They are Rowdy grand daughters and they are beautiful, so were their sisters that I dumped without papers because they got an inch too tall.

They produce wonderful babies, so did their sisters that I dumped without papers because they got and inch too tall.

What did those, a little bit too tall mares, ever do to me that I should take their birthright and value away, besides get an inch too tall. They did nothing but treat me right, and what did I do? I said, “You are not who your papers say you are, you are just grades because you are a little too tall.”

I bred those mares, then I used them and then I dumped them, because I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t honest.

What did I think was going to happen? Was the Shetland Board of Directors going to come and spank me? For Crying out Loud.

They were all born here and those that were lucky enough to be an inch shorter will probably die here, never knowing a hardship. What happened to the unlucky taller ones, who knows and I have to live with that.

This old Midwest Scandinavian upbringing has always got me worried about going to heck. And I think that when it come time to judge me, Old Saint Peter, (I think that he is a horse lover) will be harshest on me for dumping those mares and basically throwing away their lives.

Whether it is AMHA, AMHR or ASPC, I feel that to deny their heritage and say that they are not what they truly are, is morally wrong.

Some day I hope that the only measuring that will matter is in the show ring. As long as the parentage is right, they are what they are bred to be.

 

[lildrummer]

Nice

 

[MountainMeadows]

Several years ago I was approached by someone who wanted to purchase Prince - for a LOT of money. He was only 3 at the time, so still too young to be hardshpped into AMHA, even tho that was my eventual goal.

The potential buyers tried to convince me that he could be "snuck in now" as it wasn't any big deal for him to have AMHA papers at 3 or at 5 because the parentage was going to be listed as UNKNOWN/UNKNOWN anyway.

BUT I KNEW WHO HIS PARENTS WERE, I BRED HIS PARENTS - HIS SIRE IS A MULTIPLE AMHR NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPION, I AM PROUD OF THEM - PRINCE IS A RESULT OF SELECTIVE BREEDING AND I DID NOT WANT TO THROW AWAY HIS TRUE HERITAGE.

Of course it meant that I still had to wait another 2 years, but wait it out I did because I did not want to throw away his true name or parentage - even tho they were very recognizable, National Grand Champions in AMHR OVER Division. Maybe not the decision that a lot of people would have made, but as a BREEDER the parentage of my horses is very important to me.

He could have come on the AMHA scene much earlier - surrounded with mystery - but then I would have known the truth and living with that lie was not something that I was interested in doing - after all, I would have spent the money and then would have to spend the rest of my days looking at a stallion that I had bred and keeping my mouth shut about his true pedigree. Not my way. Not then, Not now, Not EVER!

Stacy

 

[bfogg]

I understand completely.

Hugs

Bonnie

 

[LaVern]

All I can say Stacy, is Thank Heavens you persisted and believed in your horses. Think what the industry could have lost out on, had you given up like so many of us would have. You did everything by the book and still took alot of flack.

For one farm to produce a 2 Time National Grand Champion Stallion that inturn sired a 2 Time National Grand Champion Stallion is something.