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saddlebred
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1706 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Nov 2012 : 5:12:13 PM
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An this is something else that I typed when I was in trauma! lol
Diva’s journey
As a relatively new member I thought I would introduce myself and my horses.
I stumbled across Saddlebreds back in the late 80s when I purchased a 6 year old partbred Palomino mare Fayrelands Hawaiian Dawn. Fayre is ¼ Saddlebred, and 5/8 Arab with the remainder British Palomino. She was newly backed and had had one foal previously. I have always wanted a palomino and purposely chose a mare who had not done much and had bred a foal,l because my other horse (Maverick – a WelshxTB gelding) was diagnosed with high and low ringbone at 5!!). I thought if I bought something I could breed from it would be less of a problem if anything went wrong as I am not someone who could ever sell a horse. Maverick went on to live to 28 as a very expensive – but much loved - pet.
When I collected Fayre it transpired that she was triple registered – Palomino, Saddlebred and Arab so I decided to show her in various classes with lots of success. She was never a very good colour which marked her down in palomino classes but boy can she move and she has gone on to win many a riding horse class. She could also turn her hand to dressage and jumping at riding club level (beating ponies against the clock because she could turn on a sixpence and had a huge saddlebred stride).
22 years later and Fayre is still going strong. She is a bombproof hack, looks full of spirit and joie de vivre but is the easiest push button ride. She has never reared, bucked or even trodden on my toe in all that time. A dream horse of a lifetime.
And there starts my quest. How do you replace such a horse? I regret now not breeding from her as I was offered a free covering to Zalaman from the vendor at the time . My ideal was to purchase a palomino NSH filly which I could show in Saddlebred, Arab and riding horse classes as well as dressage and jumping. I had a dream of one day owning a Palomino British National Champion – we all have to have dreams!! However, at that time there didn’t appear to be any palomino, cremello, or even chestnut saddlebreds breeding. All the old Goldmount lines appeared to have died out in the UK and the only saddlebred influence were coloured horses – which although very beautiful were not what I was looking for.
When Fayre was 22 I managed to purchase her “replacement” Springtimer Fabulous (Jazz) who was a 2 year old high percentage Arab. She is closely related to Fayre through her Arab line being by Fayre’s nephew Shulay Faberge. Her grandsire was Moonshine Vision so she also has Zalaman in her lines. I thought this was the closest I would get to breeding from Fayre but Jazz is only about 3% Saddlebred so I wondered whether I would regret this.
Although Jazz was easy to back she proved somewhat “spooky” and I will confess to losing my nerve a little. Nothing awful just loads of leaps and spins which meant that I didn’t enjoy riding her very much and had to get help. She also suffers from Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomolysis which means that she can “tie up”. As the behaviour improved we would have the odd “tying up” incident which meant that we would take one step forward and two steps back. Saddle fitting was also a nightmare which didn’t help.
I decided last winter that perhaps Jazz wasn’t the one for me and looked at putting her out on breeding loan as I could never sell her. While doing this I stumbled across a palomino saddlebred foal for sale. Having sat on my hands for a few weeks I took the plunge and went to see her. After vetting she made the long journey from Kent to Worcestershire and became part of our family. We have registered her as Stonewalls Bourbon Rose (Diva). She is out of Roundhills Cream Rose so has Fayre’s saddlebred bloodlines through Goldmount Bourbon Genius. As a bonus her sire is Stonewalls Main Bulletin with Supreme Sultan in his lineage. I thought my dreams had come true and was very proud of my new golden girl.
However, sadly after a couple of months of owning Diva she became lame. To cut a very long (and very stressful) story short, she had a subchrondal bone cyst in her pastern and needed surgery. This is a very rare condition and in a very difficult location. She had to go to a specialist orthopaedic surgeon with a view to having a bone graft into her pastern. If that doesn’t work plan b) is to actually plate the pastern which will obviously be the end of any potential showing career.
The surgery took place at the beginning of July and after 6 weeks box rest, the jury is out on whether it has worked. The good news is she didn’t need the bone graft – as the surgeon felt that her bones were so hard that the pastern would hold up just with steroid injections to encourage growth of new bone into the cavity. She is back out in the field in the day but it will need several months to settle and we are due some more xrays in the next few weeks to check on progress.
I do hope that one day I will be able to bring Diva along to some of your shows to meet you all. I was hoping that she would be the horse that reintroduces the palomino saddlebred to the UK to carry on the work of her ancestors back in 1966. For now we are entering a few photo competitions and concentrating on trying to keep her alive and pain free.
On a more positive note, Jazz and I have turned a huge corner with our relationship. She has really grown up this year and qualified for midland championships in coloured and Arab classes, as well as coming 2nd in the ridden mares, and 4th in the dressage at the Palomino nationals.
Here are some pictures of my golden girls – I hope you like them.
Debbie Drew
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Jacx
New Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 07 Feb 2017 : 5:37:21 PM
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Hi there just wondering if after all these years your feed is still live... I too have a golden bourbon girl I bought her as a filly from the same breeders I believe
jacx
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JAC |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 07 Feb 2017 : 5:53:56 PM
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| I think I missed this thread when it was started! I still have a gelding by Zalaman, a mare by Moonshine Vision, a pure Saddlebred & an Arab mare with Zallaman/Manzala lines :) |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 07 Feb 2017 : 5:56:16 PM
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| The mare I am riding in the two pics on the right of the pics below my post is Roundhills Golden Ginger 56% ASB by Moonshine vision :) She is now 17 or may be 18, need to look at her passport! |
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Jacx
New Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 10 Feb 2017 : 4:30:16 PM
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| They look beautiful Judith - lovely breeding lines too! |
JAC |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
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Diva's journey
