Tanbark Acres’ 2008 Friesian Foals
Hiltje has a new son born May 13, and his name is Beau. Beau is a very big foal with quite the attitude. Just full of himself and proud as he can be. Beau’s dad is Wander 352 and Beau is the full brother to our Cori and Dusti Perdue’s Jantsje. While Cori is a piddling 16 hands tall, Jantsje is 17 hands and Beau is gonna be a whopper too. He has a lovely conformation and movement – one of Hiltje’s best foals so far I think. But all her foals are nice and I like every one of them. Beau is for sale, but we’re getting awfully attached to him. By the way, you can see another video of Beau when he was only 5 hours out. Check out Beau’s Day One video and story.
Dahlia’s new foal is Chip (Friesian “Tsjip” but pronounced the same way as the English “Chip”. This is one of my favorite Friesian names so I’ll spell it the Friesian way), born May 29. Tsjip’s father is Feike 395, who is doing very well in dressage. Tsjip, like his half sister Tara before him, is incredibly good to work with and easy to train. At 10 weeks he has made huge progress in his baby training. He is also showing a bold trot, like his momma. Tsjip has been sold to a local woman who has long wanted “an Everhart Friesian” (as she calls our foals). She plans to train and show Tsjip both in harness and under saddle. He should be great at both – lovely movement but a level headed guy.
So, here are some recent video of the new foals. I selected music from one of my favorite sound tracks. Say hello to Butch and Sundance… er, I mean
Beau
Tsjip
And check out some photos by Sara Andrew, who is becoming quite the photographer.
A Keuring Remembered – 2004 and Hurricane Ivan
 It is a good thing Friesians like rain. Dahlia – 2004 Keuring |
People are starting to talk about the upcoming (as in September) annual breed inspections for the Friesian horses. We still use the Dutch word (“keuring” where “keur” rhymes with “her”) for this big event.
This year our family does not have any adult horses to take, and have decided not to take the babies since we do not have any fillies where one might be willing to haul a little one 5 or more hours (babies can be judged as adults when they are 3 so a foal keuring is nice, but not mandatory).
Anyhow, today I was thinking back to 2004 when Dahlia went as a 3 year old to her adult inspection. We also took Hiltje and daughter Marigold. For these horses, it was a very good result – Dahlia made ster and Marigold was 1st premie, champion filly.
But otherwise, it was a frightful, dangerous event.
The night before the keuring Hurricane Ivan went through western North Carolina with 90 mph winds. This was one of the worse hurricanes in US history. Our family drove 4.5 hours to get there in the rain the day before, and missed the worse of it. But some people drove 10 or more hours to get there. One woman had a limb come through the her pickup truck’s back window as she was coming down the highway with her horse in tow. It is a miracle no one was hurt.
The next day, which was the morning of the keuring, no one knew what the heck to expect. We were just hoping the barn (with our horses) was still standing. Indeed, it was still there and over 30 horses had come. You see, no one expected the storm to come this far west and once you had been on the highway 6 hours or so, what were you to do but continue on? In the barn there was no electricity and thus no lights. And our host was late – her house had been hit by 2 falling trees (yes, a great deal of damage but again – amazingly no one was hurt). Her brother Dan had to get out the chainsaw just to open a lane to drive out of the driveway.
It was still pouring rain and the ring – all we had were outdoor facilities – was a pool of mud. We left it to the judges as to whether or not they wished to continue. It was obviously treacherous for the runners. They all talked amongst themselves and looked over at the faces of all of us. Well, they said, if you call can drive 14 hours to get here, the least we can do is inspect your horses.
During the event everyone pitched in to help each other with prepping horses, leading them, cheering each other on. I have never been so proud of a group of people in my entire life. One fellow pulled his horse trailer over by the ring so the judges had a dry place to keep their notes. A few of us shot video from inside the trailer. Not a single runner or horse slipped or was hurt in any way. The whole thing was, well, surreal. Had I not been there, I would never have believed it.
Tonight I dug through old video tapes and found Dahlia’s. Probably about the only video made that day. I’ll swear, I think if I squeezed the cassette, water would come out.
So, here ya go. A keuring in a hurricane.
Dahlia’s new foal and the letter to my vet
Today I mailed off a letter to my vet, Heather Jenkins. She is a wonderful vet and has been great with our horses. She is practical, yet kind. Knowledgable and skilled, yet always open to learning more. We are lucky to have her. She helped me navigate some tricky waters yesterday and today I mailed a letter to her. The contents were of some thoughts I had concerning Dahlias new foal. I do not think Heather will mind if I share this…
May 30, 2008
Heather,
Sometimes I write down the stories of things that happen to me. I have found that I enjoy this, and it helps give me insights to my own thoughts/feelings. And besides, the stories on southwest Virginia and the horses are good stories that deserve telling.
Yesterday I wrote to my other Friesian breeding friends – the people I am closest to. Here, with a few edits, is what I said:
You are all my best Friesian friends. I probably will not post this, because it goes to my heart. But I wanted to tell you about my day.
Dahlia delivered at 1:15 am and it was picture perfect. It could not have gone any smoother. I gave the enema (“ah. a colt”), he nursed. I went to bed exhausted but relieved.
Today I called the vet to do a vet check. At eleven she got there and said “oh, a filly!” Huh? How did I get that wrong? Well, I had the feeling Dahlia would have a colt. Dad thought a filly. We were both right. This sweet, beautiful baby has a congenital defect in the reproductive system. He is a little of both. So, he pees funny and has odd looking privates. And his testes are sort of here, there everywhere. But otherwise, he is perfect in every way. He is just “special”.
I read up on this defect. It is not hereditary, so neither Dahlia nor Feike is at fault. It is just one of those things that happens in utero every now and then. There is no reason this horse cannot be a wonderful trail horse and companion. You just need to make sure he is gelded early and his hormone levels are monitored so he will not be a problem at puberty.
But of course it makes no sense to try to register him or send him to a keuring. He is not “up to snuff” per the KFPS. After the vet and Va Tech confirmed the diagnosis, I was a little at a loss. I could not really sell him to people wanting a sporthorse. And I did not want to sell him to someone who would not care for him, or would look down on him because he is “different”. But I could not keep him as a pasture ornament. I do not have the space or money for it. I asked my vet, should I euthanize him? “DONT YOU DARE” she exclaiimed. “He is perfect except for this one thing. I will find a home for him or take him myself. He is wonderful.”
“OK”, I said “I will keep him with his momma and our herd until he is weaned. Then we will find him a good home”.
Two hours later my vet called. One of her vet techs, who has little money but adores Friesians and has always wanted one of ours (“an Everhart Friesian!.” That is what she calls them.), heard about my little fellow from the vet. She came to see him and fell in love immediately. She asked if I would sell him, because she would give him a great home (I knew this would be true because it was the vet who made this match).
Unlike a lot of Friesian owners, this family is not exactly rolling in money. But they are horse people and know Friesians. I gave her the Friesian magazine with Feike’s picture on the front. And I told her about how talented Dahlia is as a carriage horse. “I will teach the baby to ride AND drive”, she said. I told her that if she would pay my dad to baby train the foal until he was weaned, she could have the horse. I could see she was filled with joy.
And so my sweet little colt has been sold. He will live with us until he is weaned. Every day he will play with our other colt and be admired by his mother, who thinks he is absolutely perfect. When he reaches puberty he will be with an owner and vet who understand his special needs and will help him, so he will keep his good heart, and remain a safe horse. He will be just 20 minutes away where we can visit him any time. He will be with a family who does not care that he is a little different. A little special.
As they were leaving, the young woman’s mother, who is paying for 1/2 the horse, said to me “I am sorry the breeding program did not go well for you this year. But I promise he will have a good home.”. And I asked the young woman, “will you love this horse?”. “Oh yes, I already love him”. “And”, I said, “will you work with him every day and teach him so he will be a good partner and companion?” “Yes,” she said, “I will not spoil him, and I will always be kind to him and teach him”.
“So,” I told the mother. “I think this year my breeding program has been a great success”.
Atticus is a big name for an Appalachian vet tech to remember/appreciate. So, we have decided to call him my favorite Friesian name – Tsjip (“Chip”).
I am not so keen on the hand I was dealt today, but I must say, it played out well.
As odd as it may sound, today I am very grateful.
Regine Brockway, a small but incredibly experienced breeder in Washington State, answered me with this:
dear jeannine,
i read your story and while i feel for you, i am glad that you decided AGAINST euthenization. nature sometimes plays us a bad hand, but i do not consider a hermaphrodite to be one. i have met 3 altogether and i must admit, all three impressed me because of their beauty, athleticism and kindness. you have a lot of “positives” of two genders combined in one horse with both gender specific genitalias. it is nothing to be embarrassed about. fact is, the foal is healthy. while it may not be a profitable business endeavor, i think you got your satisfaction by making someone extremely happy today, which may not have been the case if the foal had been a single gender. you also found a heavenly place for your foal by finding someone who will love him regardless what “it” is.
i give you a big hug and while i am sad that you did not get the filly you were hoping for, i am glad that tsjip is healthy and will have a happy life!
So, my final thoughts?
I feel grateful because I got so many life lessons over this. I saw a kind vet who went out of her way. I met a wonderful family who knows the value of a great horse and does not care that he is a little different. I am a little “different” myself, and this meant a lot to me. My friends have been so sweet and it is comforting to know they are there. I see how Dahlia loves and cares for her baby – and I’ll swear, she really is proud of him – and I realize (yet again) that animals often have their priorities correct when we do not. And I got all these lessons at almost no cost – monetary or otherwise. Sure, I am out the breeding/vet costs, but they were not that great. And the baby and Dahlia are completely healthy – no one even had to go to the hospital. Not even a retained placenta! Many of my friends lost foals or (shudder) their mares this year. Mine are fine, and I am immensely grateful for that.
So there were a lot of gifts to me.
Well, now I look to 2009. Since the winter I had been considering only breeding Cori, and leaving Dahlia open since the economy is a bit tough and I figured I might have Dahlia’s foal on the property a while. But now, he has a good home to go to in 5-6 months.
Hmm, maybe I will breed Dahlia this spring after all….
Heather, thank you for all you do.
- Jeannine
The Happy Harness Horse
When Dahlia was just a little baby, dad tried to put a halter on her. They were in a 12 x 12 stall (with Dahlia’s mom) and it still took him 30 minutes to catch her. “I’d put my arms around her” he says, “and she’d jump out – like a bunny rabbit.” Later on it was typical to see her wander off all by herself in the pasture. Her momma would panic and desperately start to look for her. Dahlia would roll her eyes as if to say “holy cow momma, just chill out, would ya?”. We knew early on we had one fiesty, independent minded equine on our hands. She is still the same way. And that is why I love her.
You can go into Dahlia’s stall to find her lying down (a lot of the time) and if you wanted, you could probably sleep in there and use her as a pillow. But when it is time to work, you see a different side. If she sees a saddle, her face says “oh crap, I hate that thing”. She tolerates the exercise, but seemingly complains. On the other hand, if there is a harness there she perks up – looking like a kid about to get on the ferris wheel. Then she goes and you can almost hear her shout “wheeeeeeeee!!!”.
I took Dahlia to Wiebe Dragstra, her trainer in NC, about a month ago. She loves him because he is the carriage driver. Which means he is her buddy – they are part of the same fraternity that the rest of us cannot quite get into. Wiebe is exercising her for the IBOP test. They are not supposed to judge her on looks – just performance – but they have a hard time with that. Dahlia is a short, chunky mare. She really does look like a Friesian – one from 1950. She cannot seem to get trim, no matter what Wiebe does. So, I am not sure how she will fare in her scores. But that’s ok. If nothing else, for 6 weeks she gets to be a harness horse. And a happy one at that.
Today I went to visit Dahlia and watch as she and Wiebe played. If a horse could laugh, she’d be laughing. Or, at a minimum, she’d be yelling “wheeeeee!”
To IBOP … or not?
With Friesian horses, there is a performance test which an adult horse may undergo. This test, in either harness or under saddle, indicates the horse’s capacity for doing well in that particular discipline. That is, the inspectors are evaluating the horse’s potential to perform well (based on inherent musculature, movement, conformation , attitude, etc). A horse may be young, and therefore not very well trained, or may be older and very experienced. The inspectors should be able to tell potential and good performance blood in even the more junior horses.
This test is called an IBOP (pronounced “EE-bop”[correct], or “EYE-bop” [not actually correct]) and is a very difficult test to score well on. I am unsure of exactly how horses are scored, but I do know that if a horse can reach 77 or more out of a possible 100 points, that horse is considered very very good. 77 points is an elite measure, in fact, and not often achieved.
Traditionally, people prepared 1st premie star mares for an IBOP, because 77 points or better could position her to make model. Nowadays, you are hearing more about the IBOP and I feel more people will be striving to achieve a good score with their horse, regardless of the horse’s gender or papers. Why? In my opinion, this is because the KFPS (the Dutch Friesian registry) very much wants Friesians to prove their utility as sport horses. IBOP is one indicator of performance capability. So, although taking a horse for IBOP does not happen in the US much now, I have a feeling this is about to change.
My ster mare Dahlia is not model material, but I do think she has the potential for doing well on her IBOP. She loves driving and took to it like a fish to water. She has not been in training much at all and is very very rusty. But this year, though recently pregnant, she is still young and does not have a foal by her side. If I would like for the inspectors to look at her, this is the year for it. It will cost a good bit of money for the trainer and transport. I woudl have one good month to get her ready – and that is not much time at all.
And come on… practically, what would be the benefit of spending the money and time to condition Dahlia to be ready for an IBOP in early October? Would it make her or her offspring more valuable? Possibly yes, but probably no – the IBOP, though prestigious in the Netherlands, is too unknown in this country. So why should I bother?
I have been thinking a lot about this question of “why”. Finally today I came to the realization that it is mostly out of a desire to let Dahlia try to achieve part of what I think she can. I feel somewhat guilty that I have not utilized her more and I am letting her talent go to waste because I have not placed her in a position to succeed. She could be a good performer I think, and win points and recognition. I think she would be very happy in competition. But for me, she just eats and has babies. I think of last winter when my Friesian friend Marten asked me “what do you do with your mares?”. “They are broodmares” I answered, puzzled. He looked at me quizically and said “yes, but what do you do with them?” In a small way, the IBOP gives Dahlia the opportunity to do.
So tell me, what do you think? IBOP, or not? Take the poll.
