Upcoming Events

There are a few upcoming horse related events that I'm sharing, between life and life, I'm not attending too many live events, but will be watching the online ones!


AMHA Western Championship Show 

The Western Champions Show is streaming live on iEquine.com.  Show Schedule and streaming video available on the IEquine page.  July 21-24th starting at 8 a.m. PST.



Online auction

MiniHorseStreet.com is hosting a one hour dutch auction Wednesday July 20th 9 p.m. EST.  It is one hour only and will have 40 horses for sale in that time frame.  Should be interesting.  MiniHorseStreet does recommend using Mozilla Foxfire to watch the auction, so if you don't use Mozilla (I prefer Chrome but keep both on my PC), get it!  I love Thunderbird too - awesome way to get all your email in one easy to use place.

Preview Auction lots here.


MSU online classes  

Michigan State University has quite a collection of online classes (some free) that are for non-credit education.  One that I'm attending tomorrow is The Advances in Equine Genetics webcast.  It is live Wednesday, July 20 from 1pm–2pm EDT.  You do have to registered with MSU to take the classes, but it's easy and what a great way to add a bit more to the equine care toolbox!


AREA VII California Classic Show

The Area VII AMHR/ASPC California Classic Show is scheduled for July 30-31, Wilton, CA.  Pre-entry closed on the 18th, but there is still time to enter!  There are even a few non-rated (i.e. no registration required) classes on July 30th.  The show is at the Pacific Equestrian Center, Wilton. CA.  Class sponsorships are available too!!

Real Life Horse Whisperer

Just an FYI Passing this along - local showing in Davis California

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Coming Friday, July 15th ~ Playing For One Week Only

Buck
Buck, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life “horse-whisperer”, he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment.

Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses – and people – with his understanding, compassion and respect. In this film, the animal-human relationship becomes a metaphor for facing the daily challenges of life.

A truly American story about an unsung hero, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.


"In some sense it was beauty that saved Mr. Brannaman, that of his conscience and that of horses, which, having been tied to humans long ago, became companions, workers and for some, as this lovely movie shows, saviors." ~Manohla Dargis, New York Times

Click here for the official website.

Click here for Varsity Theatre ticket prices. (Davis, CA) ** Great theater, I go there often for movies.

foal update

We grabbed the foals the other day and took a few photos.  I didn't clip them as with our weather I refuse to remove the foals protection from the sun and bugs.  So, we barely knocked the dirt off just enough to get updated photos.

It was hot, they weren't happy and very resentful for the implements of torture placed on their heads, i.e. halters.

So of the bazillion photo's taken we have a few 'okay' head shots.  We have a number of wonky, had bad can I stand, ears back, scrunched up necks, butt high I hate life photos!  My hat is off to photographers that take good animal photos, I do NOT have that talent.

Topper (WCR Top Cop) did good though with these three. They all have pretty heads, great conformation, his long neck and wonderful movement.  I wish I had used him this year.  Oh well more Topper foals in 2013 hopefully!

Now to get video of these three moving.  I'm very tempted to keep Jitters, as he's going to make an awesome driving/all around horse (likely gelding in my current mode!).  He's naturally curious and not afraid of anything, uses his neck and is willing to give his ears, unlike his sisters.  Bailey and Cricket in some of their photos look earless - lol!  But they both have that same gorgeous movement.  

Yeah Topper. Although credit must be given to Swan (Wesco Farms Rogers Lady Swan Song), Annie (Wesco Farms LM Rowdys Anticipation) and Val (Wesco Farms AToy4Me Brazen Beauty) for their input.  It's thrilling to see what the 'homebred' mares are producing the past few years.

Wesco Farms TC Ascended Allure "Bailey"

Wesco Farms TC Defiantly Different "Cricket"

Wesco Farms TC Up All Night "Jitters"

Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me

One of our homebred mares came back last month, Wesco Farms Unique Toy4Me.  She's now seven and has been living with a good friend, Jen Davis of Imperial Acres.  Unique isn't really fitting with where Jen's breeding program is going, but Gemini (Wesco Farms Rowdys Gemini) is, so we traded the two.

Sired by Las Doradas AToy4Me2 out of Les Petites Avril, two horses I've always liked, Unique is a nice addition to our breeding program. Toy is one of those stallions I kind of wish I still had and Avril went to a retirement home last year at the age of 22, leaving me with a couple daughters, grand-daughters and a few great-grands.

Unique is a silver bay pintaloosa, one of the two Toy sired here.

Her two half sisters sired by Toy areWesco Farms Twila Toy4Me (bay roan) and Wesco Farms AToy4Me Brazen Beauty (bay pinto).

Her sisters' by her dam ET (Las Doradas Etiole de Mar) is one of our original mares, and Dresden (Wesco Farms Avrils Dresden Doll) is a Samis Roger Rabbit daughter.  They're both black, although Dresden does carry one dilute gene from Roger.

Wesco Farms Avrils Dresden Doll

Unique was a bit of a handful when she was younger, and when she was born she looked like a pretzel.  She had some serious bad leg issues which we attributed to the way she was laying inside her dam, having seen what both parents produced, we were fairly certain this wasn't a congenital issue.

Corrective trimming and lots of exercise she's almost dead straight in back now.

Unique was pasture bred to Bells Hollywood Heartbreaker, so maybe loud color come Spring 2012!