April 2020 Spotlight: the Joy of Yearlings!
Typically we save this space for our older, experienced horses or our special 2 year-olds in training. But as Spring warms, flowers bloom and foals begin to appear, we’d like to focus your attention on a special class of horse – Yearlings. Yearlings aren’t just cute, cuddly, funny, jumpy, ornery, rambunctious, naughty, flashy and playful – they represent a host of uncharted possibilities for your future, and theirs. We share a few fun examples below:
Marty (just a barn name – ever see Madagascar?) has strong cutting horse genes and is already showing serious cow potential with his playful moves with the other colts, our dogs, Mascot Maggie, the wind, grasshoppers, etc. He is clearly the Alpha Male of our group of 4 yearling colts. But he is also poised, built and conformed – maybe he’d make a fantastic money-earning reigned cow horse or a show-stopping versatility horse! Just because his lineage says “cutting, cutting, CUTTING!” doesn’t mean he’s limited to that pigeonhole. Maybe you just want the finest looking stud-muffin on the trail – that would be Marty (he’s not stuck with that name – YOU get to decide his official name!). This Yearling offers you SO MANY possibilities and has not been started in any particular direction.
Julien (also Madagascar) is an own-son of Frenchmans Fabulous and has barrel racing champion stamped all over him! You would not be disappointed taking this young man to a barrel trainer when he’s of age and bringing out the best of his bred genes. Can you say big-time money potential?? But maybe with his composure and grace and intelligence he prefers to be a dressage horse? He’s young and capable of achieving success in any field you choose. He’s not spoiled on any singular activity. He’s not stuck performing the same tasks over and over. He’s ready, willing and able to be all that YOU want him to be! Even if that’s just being a pasture pet that you sit and watch munch grass.
Free Bird (A Smart Little Tiger) is a cow-bred powerhorse with money-earners on both sides. His dad raked in more than $300k in his lifetime and continues to sire rock stars. But this sweet boy is a pocket pet, and might just be the perfect trail rider for your kids (or you with the tender behind). He already greets us at the gate, loves to be groomed, scratched and petted, and follows us around without a halter or lead. Not looking for anything in particular, just a nice horse to grow up with? This Free Bird is for you! Don’t let his parent’s career decide what training you send him to. He can do anything at this point in his young life!
This is the PERFECT time to bring a yearling into your life to create a life-long bond, a friend and an emotional support companion; spend time with your new 4-legged performance bestie BEFORE training them to YOUR desires. Unlike a 2-year-old that’s already started and headed towards a certain future, a yearling offers you 6 – 12 months of camaraderie, giving you time to make plans for your future together before he ever steps foot in a training arena.
