FOR SALE – Full Papered Star Mare. Tara TA [Wander 352 x Thomas 327 x Tsjerk 328]
UPDATE: We checked Tara at 15 days post insemination and she is in foal to Fridse 423! This should be a really nice foal. We will recheck at approx. 60 days in late August. Assuming all goes well this foal would be due early June 2012.
It is extremely rare for us to put one of our star mares up for sale. We need a little extra space now, so we do have one mare up for sale, and she is a wonderful mare and could be perfect as a foundation broodmare. Approved home only.
2nd premie star mare, full papered, born 2006, Stam 102 . Tara is from one of the best broodmare lines in the Netherlands. Her pedigree shows that just a few generations ago nearly every dam in her pedigree was rated Model! Her motherline is unbroken back to 1948: Ster, Ster, Model+Pref, Model+Pref, Ster+Pref, Ster+Pref, Ster, Model+Pref. Tara was named 1st premie champion filly at her weanling inspection, and 2nd premie ster, reserve champion 3 year old mare at her adult inspection in 2009.
Tara is an incredible mover, but slightly on the smaller/stockier side. She is right at 15.2 hands tall. Luckily she has many tall stallions to choose from! She is now in foal to Fridse 423, the US stallion producing the most height. Fridse is acsporthorses, doing great in dressage. With Tara’s movement and bloodlines, this should result in a terrific foal.
Tara has been professionally started in harness by Wiebe Dragstra of Dragstra Stables. We are starting her under saddle this summer fall. She will likely be more of a pleasure, trail riding mount rather than a show horse. We plan to trail ride her here.
Price (in foal) – $20,000 firm
View Tara’s sales flyer Also her Pedigree and Linear Score Sheet
Photos: Tara at her inspection in 2009
Video: Tara at her inspection in 2009
Video: Tara in training as a 3 year old
Video: Tara at age 4 months
Video: Tara at age 2 years
Another video from last night – Yorick
This stallion is owned by the VanderPloegs in Michigan. This is Yorick (Felle x Jakob). He was tested for performance at one time (possibly as an offspring of Felle when Felle was being evaluated for offspring approval?) and Yorick’s scores were really high – 92 in under saddle and 85.5 in harness. In didn’t think he showed particularly well last night, but it was good enough to get him to round 2.
Breeding with Frozen Semen – Update
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I have taken my mares Dahlia and Cori to Va Tech twice now for inseminations. Once in late May. At that time neither became pregnant. I took them again in early June and got test results yesterday. Dahlia (being crossed with Onne 376) still did not catch. But Cori (crossed with Beart 411) is now pregnant at 16 days! I’ll keep checking her since it is not considered “completely successful” until day 75, but so far it is looking very good. Even the vet said yesterday that the embryo was really looking nicely formed.
Cori (daughter of Wander, damsire Lute) was born right here on the farm and has been lovingly raised by us. She has been an outstanding horse. 1st premie ster at her keuring, excellent breeder (this is her 4th foal), great mother, totally easy to handle, and smart/easy to train. And you know, she is also just damned pretty. She is now 10 years old and I am planning on putting her up for sale this summer since I wish to keep her last year’s baby Freya by Heinse 354. Cori will be a diamond for anyone’s breeding program. And with a Beart baby on the way, it is basically 2 for the price of 1.
Meanwhile, I have 2 more doses of Onne semen and plan to try once more with Dahlia. The semen is not very good but who knows – maybe the third time will be the charm!
Also, if I can get the heat cycle right, I will try one breeding with my 4 year old Tara. The season is over at the end of July, so there is not much time left. That one will be fresh semen and I am *still* settling on a stallion for her.
I will know a lot more about everything in a month’s time. What a crazy July awaits us at Tanbark Acres!
Two mares inseminated with frozen semen. Now we wait.
Quick update: Cori and Dahlia came home from Va Tech Equine hospital on Tuesday. They were there 8 days as they went through their cycle and were inseminated with frozen semen by the experts there. Cori ovulated much earlier than anyone forecasted. The vets did a post ovulation insemination but I feel certain it was too late and the opportunity passed by on this go ’round. I was trying to breed her to Beart 411. The semen quality was very good (for Friesian frozen) at 50% motility. But I think it was just too late.
Dahlia is being inseminated with semen from Onne 376. Although the semen quaility for that batch was not very great (20-25% motility), the vets had the timing almost spot on. So this one is a little more hopeful.
The pregnancy check for both is June 7. If one or either is not pregnant, I have enough frozen to give one more try.
Now, for Tara…. I still have not selected a stallion. Mostly because (a) she is not showing heat so I am unsure of when she is cycling, and (b) I am using all my funds for the other two right now. So, although I want Tara bred, she may have to wait a little longer. Possibly – though not desired – until next year.
People wonder why Friesian foals are expensive. They have no idea how difficult and expensive it is to get a Friesian mare – even the very good broodmares like I have – pregnant. It is a very tough thing.
More updates later…..
Time to decide about breeding my horses
It has been a crazy, busy winter. The snow and cold have been relentless and unusually extreme for my area. This has made even the small things a bit of a burden, so I feel very behind. But ya know, the days go by, and spring is here, and it is time to decide about breeding. What mares do I breed, and to what stallions?
I think this year I will try to blog more about the process. I’ll probably be doing something with the horses most every day. So why not write about it for others who might be interested.
I have 3 mares – all ster mares – of breeding age now. My parents have 1 (who is now pregnant and due to foal in early May). I will mostly speak about the 3 I have since I am making those decisions myself.
Due to economy I did not breed last year. I think that was a good decision. This year I am planning to try to breed all 3 mares and putting two up for sale afterwards. I only have a certain amount of space and these mares would make a terrific start for anyone wanting to become a breeder or expand their breeding operation. But if they do not sell that is fine. I love them and they are great mares. So I want to make sure I breed them in such as way as to produce the best foals possible since I could be selling foals instead of pregnant mares!
I decided to try frozen semen with my two proven broodmares – Cori and Dahlia. I ordered semen from two of the best stallions in the Netherlands, and two that would match either mare. This is my first real try with frozen semen and Va Tech is going to help me. I’ll talk about that more later.
Today I have been agonizing over what stallion to choose for the 4 year old maiden mare Tara. She is stam 102, a great but “old type” (think carriage horse) line. Tara’s father is Wander 352 and her damsire is Thomas 327. Tara is on the small side but a terrific mover. I would like to get more height and longer lines in a foal. A longer and more vertical neck would be great, as would a longer forearm. And shoot, a blacker coat and more hair, while I am wishing.
Since with Tara I am looking to US stallions (fresh semen vs. frozen) I am starting with ones who produce height, one of my biggest desires with this mare. Since Tara is a daughter of Wander 352, and his bloodlines are relatively uncommon, I have almost my choice of stallions. Do not have to worry really about inbreeding issues (thank you Wander for that). Anyhow, when looking at height, two of the top stallions in this area are Feike 395 and Nanning 374. Perhaps Fridse 423 (half brother to Nanning) is also a good choice. I also like thinking about the young stallions. Though there is not nearly as much published information about them, most of them are tall with longer lines. Perhaps one of them would be a good choice.
I have almost made up my mind. What about you folks – who would you pick? Write me and let me know
Here is a video of Tara, taken in the summer before her keuring:
