Shameless brag! My homebred TB was the first horse selected for a USEA News magazine conformation clinic series by FEH judge Chris Ryan. I really agreed with his assessment, appreciating the colt’s balance and scope, while noting that his pasterns are on the long side and hoof could have more heel. Looking forward to seeing other horses in the series!
Congrats! Lovely horse… and an awesome testament to your breeding program. 
Congratulations! Lovely horse and really cool article. Thank you for sharing it. And good luck w him! I’m sure he’ll be successful whatever path you follow.
Well done, you! You have every right to brag; what a wonderful assessment. He’s such a pretty boy, as well!
That’s wonderful. And “Miso” is gorgeous!
Congrats!! Miso is the total package for me - love, love his type. Can’t wait to see what he does.
3 Likes
Such a nice horse, congrats!
How cool! He is absolutely lovely - CONGRATS!
Beautiful horse, and great analysis in the article!
Clearly he has several flaws so he’s worthless and you should give him away immediately… to me. ;):lol: I love his expression, he seems interested and alert, but calm.
I wasn’t surprised to see Bernardini in his pedigree. I tend to like horses with him close up.
2 Likes
He’s gorgeous! good on you!
Lovely colt. :yes:
Beautiful horse and great article! Thanks for sharing.
The sister is adorable. What do you call her?
I have zero breeding experience. How much can you tell when they are so young? Do you know fairly early on one way or the other if they will be great or not so great? Have you ever been surprised (pleasantly or not) as they grow that they turned out differently from how you expected?
2 Likes
Great question, FitzE! I’d like to know as well.
1 Like
I’m a small-time event breeder, so I don’t have a ton of case studies to share. However I foaled out a lot of TB mares and raised yearlings, and you can tell a bit about their base personality and conformation from a young age.
My first homebred, Harley, by Sightseeing out of my retired Advanced TB mare, was physically everything I hoped. He is exceptionally well-balanced and correct; FEH judges loved his conformation. He is athletic and smart, like his mother. He’s better on the flat than she was. BUT, he doesn’t have the drive and ambition to be an upper level horse, and you can’t really know that until they get going under saddle. He’s fearless, likes puzzles and challenges, but he’s lazy and would be perfectly happy going Novice his whole life. I sold him to an adult amateur who loves him, will likely top out at Training, but also plays around western, chases cows, does obstacle challenges, and 2nd level dressage. As a foal, he was VERY cheeky. Always pushing boundaries, and still does. Bossy, playful, and a trouble maker but smart enough to avoid getting hurt. Easily bored and starts poking around where he shouldn’t!
Miso has always been very straightforward and brave. Tries his best to please people. Thinks through new situations, very quick to learn. Honest and kind most of the time, never looking to “get you” or catch you off guard. Most of this has carried over under saddle; he wants to do the right thing, takes in new surroundings with confidence, and is pretty safe for a baby green TB.
His sister (“Akita”) is quite similar. She’s only 6 weeks, but you can tell she is already independent and confident. She was jumping my inflatable jumps at 3 days old! She’s easy to handle, alert and sensitive but very curious. Not too sassy or strong-willed. Their sire, Saketini, has that same easy-going nature, very kind and willing to try for you.
Raising horses, it isn’t always obvious who will turn out to be a star. Sometimes the stand-out foals fade as they age. Other times the “good” but not “great” ones step up with proper training and work. The first filly I ever foaled, working at a TB farm, was like that. I called her “Daisy” around the farm. Her mother was older, quirky, easily upset and worried. The filly was, too. A bit on the sensitive side, she needed more patience and understanding. She was athletic, but lacked self-confidence. I prepped her for the yearling sale, and she only brought $5,500. My Boss had other big sellers, so he didn’t mind that she went for less. She was well balanced, leggy, and racy type, but not by a popular sire. She was mentally a bit fragile. She started out pretty good on the track, and made it to the Ky Oaks where she finished 12th. Switched to turf, and she REALLY took off. I give huge, huge credit to her trainer, Andrew McKeever, for training her thoughtfully and patiently. That filly was Daisy Devine, who earned over $1.1M and retired to sell for over $1M as a broodmare prospect. The gentleman, Jim Miller who bought & raced her, kept “Daisy” in her name for me. His $5500 investment paid off well!
As a foal, I liked her, but from that year’s crop I would not have picked her to be the best one! She could have made a nice eventer with her athleticism, but her mind would have been a challenge to manage in a tense atmosphere.
11 Likes
Goodness, that was fun to read! Thank you for taking the time to give me a glimpse into something I’ve never experienced. You write so well and really drew me in. I feel like I know these equine personalities now.
The Japanese barn names are b/c the sire is Saketini, I’m guessing? I have some good suggestions for you for future names!
2 Likes
