So, this weekend I get to go take a look at a five year old mare.

I should clarify that while I technically own Smokey, he is my dad's horse (they have a bro-bond), and so, since Stubb passed away several years ago, I have not owned my own horse.  This has been a difficult situation for me, because while there are several horses that I could ride, many of them belong to my mother, who strictly uses her horses for barrel racing.  While there is nothign wrong with that, it means her horses mindset is WE-MUST-ALWAYS-RUN-AND-BE-CRAZY.  I can ride Smokey, but as he is the calmest horse, my dad has been riding him since his injury to his back.  I was riding Doc to train him for my uncle, and then two others, but they have been trained and are gone.

So I want my own baby again.  I though long and hard about buying a weanling and raising it, or even a 2 year old, but the fact is I would be 30 before riding occurred, and I just don't want to wait three more years.  So my grandparents suggested buying a mare of training age (4-6), of decent enough lineage that in the future, I could breed her to a stallion of my choice and have the baby I want, but until then I could ride her.  As somebody who comes from a family that for multiple generations has kept and bred Quarter Horses, this, to me, seems like a fine idea.

So far, I've been looking for seven months seriously for a possible mare.  

I found China Joys Hot CD.  
Her lineage is not perfect, but, it has decent foundation lines, and a lot of colour, which I like.

Wish me luck - a lot depends on meeting her in person!

Oh, and, this is her:

SHES GORGGG !

Thanks :)

I'm hoping that she's bigger than her dad - he's a wee thing, but a great horse.  And if I do get her, think of all the buckskin stock!

Does your family have any horses listed on allpedigree.com? I'd love to see, if they do! So I can steal names or replicate a line on HP. ^_^

Anway! That mare's gorgeous! I love buckskins. So pretty. And it'd be great if you're able got breed her later in time! :D

i talk about them often but shining c quarter horses are stupid pretty ;)

I love Grullas, Maha, but the only breeder here who produces them pays more attention to colour than lineage or anything.  Sadly, because its ruined a LOT of horses.

@Murd; I dont think so.  When my grandparents had their breeding farm, they didn't really understand the internet (it was dial up, anyhow), so they never did.  I should ask for the papers on the four barrel racers mom has, and put them up, but I rearely have time.  The only reason this mare is on there is because I added her, lol.  Her sire was there, and dam, but not her, which is common here.  If you ever need line names and ideas, just pm me.  I know a ton, because I named the foals.

You're the Naminator! Hahaha!

Why do loads of AQHes have "Zip", "Doc" and "Bar" in their names? O_o

When you breed Quarter Horses, you use a combination of the sire and dams name to create the name of a foal (actually, you submit 6 entires, and the AQHA decides which to use based on availability, etc).  You do not HAVE to, you can choose an original name, but many do this so that by saying the name, if gives indication of the lineage of the horse.

China Joys Hot CD for example, shows the China from her dam and the Hot CD from her sire and grandsire.

Zip is commonly from Zippo Pat Bars, a stud line that is in the Hall of Fame.  Same goes for Doc (Doc Bar), and Bar (most go back to Three Bars, a Thoroughbred).

For example, Sassy, my moms mare, is named Kings Velvet Skip.  King is from his sires line, Skip from her dam.  Velvet was to be her stable name, but Sassy suited her instead.  We bred her to Attitude Problem, a local stud who traced back to Class Act, and named her foal, Atty, King's Classical Attitude.

Smokey is another example.  His dam is McQues Smokey Jazz (Jazz), whoze named goes back to the McQue breeding farm.  His Sire is Kip Cole King (Cole), who against, has King on his sire's side (Sassy's half brother, actually), and Skip on his Dam (hence the Kip).  Smokey's registered name is McQues Smokey King.

Pride too, followed this method.  His dam was Chica Moon Bar, his sire Kip Cole King.  His name was Pride of the King's Moon.  His full siblings includes Lacey Moonlight, King's Moonshine, Dark Moon Pride, and Skip to the Moon.

Basically, you try to incorporate the lineage into the name, as it helps people read the name and immediately know a bit about lineage.  As well, is homage to the generation before.  Sometimes they have unique names if they race, but if you look at 90% of Dash for Cash babies, they have Dash or Cash in the name (Dashery Magic Dawn, The King's Dash, Dashing to the Moon were some of ours).

That help?  LOL.

That...was confusing. Hahahaha!

She is a beautiful little thing!

It makes me quite sad that people breed soley for one thing (ie colour, or with pugs short faces) and they completely ruin a beautiful line of animals. Silly people - theres more to breeding than asthetics! 

Not confusing Muuuuurd.  Seriously, I could explain better via IM.

I know what you mean, Kirre.  I understand breeding for colour - when we had the farm, our goal was duns, greys, and roans.  But our solid horses were valuable too, because their bloodlines were nice (some better than others), and their training was good.  I don't get the mentality of "Oh its a grulla so I'm just gonna let it pop out babies."  Like, no.  If a horse has a hurt leg, lick Chick did, yes, its only for breeding, but if its a good horse, why just breed?  Why ignore conformation for colour?  GRARGH!

Good luck this weekend!
She's pretty! :D

Sadly I went to meet her and her conformation was not what the picture indicated.  :(  No bueno.

Aww :( I missed photos and now no horse. I hope you find something that suits you soon! :D

Paints since 6-8-14