New QH Colt Opinions Please NEW PHOTOS!

Meri · Member Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 59

Well I got my colt this weekend. He may not be what you horse experts call a "true" roan but he is a roan of some sort. He has white hairs alllll over him. The camera just isn't very good at capturing it. You'd have to see if for yourself but believe me when I say, all those light areas on him are the white roaning areas. Which is most of his body.

Since the temp was already dropping at nights down into the 50s where he used to be located he's starting to grow in his winter coat. It's darker and is obscuring some of his white hairs, but you can still see it underneath that coat. I can't wait to see what he sheds off as in the spring. Right now the winter coat is just mostly up by his spine and over his stomach. You can see it in the pictures. He's one interesting looking boy that's for sure.

http://wolverine.cameron.edu/~mm082031/horses/jasper2.html

As for his temperment so far I've been just flabergasted. I've never known an almost five month old to be so level headed. He'd only been in the trailer once before this weekend and the trailer I picked him up in had a bigger step than the one he'd been in before. But he just hopped right up. Didn't balk or anything! For the entire three hour drive he just stood there. We stopped a couple of times and the first time he was just staring out the back and the second he was just eating his hay.

We got home after dark and he never whinnied or called out. He just followed me to the paddock. He's only been truly halter broke and even handled for about a month. Before that he hadn't been touched. I was so proud of him. We had to call to my mare to even let her know he was there he was that quiet. You can run your hand down his leg and up pops his foot. We need to work a little on his leading but for the most part he's just a doll. He's very eager to please and tries to understand what it is you want. I've been just really pleased with him so far.

TX-WI · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:50 am Post subject:

sounds like a typical cow bred horse to me. Laughing

The bloodlines we have are very much like that. could do just about anything with them. I took several two yearolds (over a years period of time) to the state 4-H shows in the futurities. So many of those greenies were just spooking at anything and everything inside and outside the ring. When it rained I even rode with an umbrella to the main collesium and the colt I was on never spooked (first time with the umbrella, too). Pissed off some people because their little greenies couldn't handle the site of it. Rolling Eyes

_________________
gdh

I've started an exercise program.
I do 20 sit-ups each morning.
That may not sound like a lot, but you can only hit that snooze button so many times

lucky Clover Farm · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 2:18 pm Post subject:

Does seem to be some roaning there-wouldnt be surprised if hes a dun/roan-and grullo roans are a possibility-possibly they just put down roan due to not really knowing the base coat colour. AND the cream gene IS carried by duns AND grullos. Thats the big problem with the colour limitations on the AQHA-no dunalino(which very possible COULD have been the palomino) and no way of defining the base coat colour of a grey horse-I've seen many greys throw duns/grullos when bred to sorrels and bays-not to mention the lack of being able to put down rabicano-if it does not seem plausable for a roan from non roan parents-the rabicano can be quite excessive or minimal. And now with people doing the cream test-is there a spot for smokey black AFTER verification by a DNA test? Nope-so then comes the probelm of more registration problems with the offspring. AQHA definately needs to re-evaluate their colour selections.

Looks like your boy took weaning a little rough-just be careful getting his weight back on-don't want to see any damage to his joints. But I still think hes gorgeous-and before you make any final decisions on gelding him-let me know...would love one foal before cutting him lol.

Meri · Member Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 59

Yes, he lost a little weight during weaning, but he should pick it back up. I'm feeding him the same amount the breeder suggested.

We had a little set to tonight. I've been keeping him in a pen and haven't turned him loose with my mare yet. I just want him to settle in a few days before I turn him out to pasture, gain his trust. I took him for a walk tonight for exercise and he wasn't too enthusiastic about walking away from my mare. Kept hollering as soon as we were out of sight. He also has a tendency to crowd me and I've been working on making him back up every time he does this. I had to pop his leg a few times too because he started to try and paw when we stopped for a breather. I've already been warned not to let him start THAT habit. So far his behavior isn't anything I wouldn't expect from a youngster his age.

LOL TX-WI. I've been known to use some rather odd measure to desensitize horses I've had that don't have those calm bloodlines. I had one very spirited filly that I tied wal-mart bags to the stirrups so she would learn not to spook at them flapping in the breeze. It worked too though a few people laughed at me.

TX-WI · Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:09 pm Post subject:

When he crowds you, which means he's pushing to the left, make going that direction work. Next time he begins to crowd you, send him on around in a tight circle and just keep going until he wants to stop and make him go some more ideally at a trot. He'll learn really quick, pushing on you yeilds work. Backing is good too but vary it.
_________________
gdh

I've started an exercise program.
I do 20 sit-ups each morning.
That may not sound like a lot, but you can only hit that snooze button so many times

Meri · Member Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 59

Well it's not really when we're walking, it is usually when we stopped and then he starts getting impatient to go again or go BACK towards my mare and so he starts pushing his head on me and swinging in towards me. He hasn't really crowded me when walking except when he thought this tiny dip in the ground was an excuse to jump it and landed on the back of my heels. I should've expected that because I know better.

Now when we were heading back in the general direction of my mare, he started to walk too fast and I swung him around in circles a few times when he did that.

TX-WI · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject:

When he gets impatient, send him on around too. Tell him if he wants to move his feet, then he's gonna move 'em. Pretty soon, standing still is goin' to look really good to him. AND always insist that his attention is on you. If he looks away and starts hollering or trying to do something else, make him work. If he starts backing in a direction he wants to go then back him and back him past HIS intended destination and then send him in a cirlce several times to work. He will get the idea quickly that what he wants isn't exactly what he is going to get and he'll start looking to you for when to relax.
_________________
gdh

I've started an exercise program.
I do 20 sit-ups each morning.
That may not sound like a lot, but you can only hit that snooze button so many times

Meri · Member Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 59

Sounds like a good plan, I'll give it a try next time. Last night was the first night I turned him out with my mare. I walked him around the fence line first and had my mare in the paddock. I wanted him to know where his boundaries were. No crashing into fences please. Funnily enough he never whinnied once.

At the top of the pasture I turned him loose and he started following me when I walked away. I guess he thought he was still on the lead rope. Well I stopped and then he did and then he took a few steps, realized he wasn't on the lead rope and took off. I had my mom turn my mare loose at the same time.

He saw her and ran up and she took off at a dead run and had him chasing her in circles and my miniature donkey trying vainly to keep up. I've never laughed so hard. Since she's in foal she didn't run for very long. She just stopped and pinned her eyes back at him and nipped him any time he tried to get too close.

Poor guy didn't understand why she didn't want to be friends. But they say one of the best things for a young stud colt is to put them in a pasture with pregnant mares. Ginger has always been alpha mare and now she's got an even witchier attitude. I almost feel sorry for him. Laughing

TX-WI · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:30 am Post subject:

Sounds like he is off to a very good start. I was laughing with your description of turning him out with your crew. Must have been a sight and I could soooo easily picture it.
_________________
gdh

I've started an exercise program.
I do 20 sit-ups each morning.
That may not sound like a lot, but you can only hit that snooze button so many times

hoglana · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:20 am Post subject:

hoglana · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

lucky Clover Farm · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:42 am Post subject:

So Im guessing next you're going to say that a perlino cannot carry the dun factor??? WRONG-a dun can carry the cream gene-most people don't test their duns for the cream gene because they see dun and know theres a chance of colour being passed-as there is still no test for dun. IF you need a dun to obtain a grullo(which you have to have) then how is it that grullos have been noted as having/carrying the cream gene??? Had to come from one of the parents? And if both sire and dam are grullo-or any other black based colour then it is totally possible if a grollo offspring appears carrying the creme gene then it must have come from the dun-as everyone is saying that cream on bay is buckskin-hmmm so a bay wouldn't carry but still produce a cream grullo???
Sure double dilute is a great group-dun to dun CAN produce perlino-and as there is no test for dun...most only figure out the homozygous black with cream-but when those dun factor foals start appearing are you going to assume that the bay or chestnut other parent is really dun factored??? Nope!
The genetics testing is far from flawless-there are still so many unwritten rules we haven't even begun to explore.

hoglana · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:39 am Post subject:

I never said that. I said meant that a plain old perlino or cremello cant producve a dun. A perlio with dun can produce duns and this would make one parent a dun (of sorts, a perlion/dun) You sounded as if you were saying that ALL duns/grullas carry the creme gene all the time, which is incorrect. Sorry for the miscommunication Smile

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Alicia, "Kayce"(Jeddi Kayce) and 'Star'(Layokie Lady)

Meri · Member Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 59

I'm not even dipping a toe into the color discussion anymore, I'll freely admit I know nothing about all that genetics stuff. Smile

A little update on Jasper's color however, and I'll have to try to get pictures pretty soon. His whithers which, in that picture I previously posted was turning white is now almost completely white. It's even beginning to cover up his dun stripe! Is that normal? Also I think the breeder may have been wrong about his winter hair coming in because that red hair you see is actually coming OFF, not growing in...and if you brush Jasper's hair the wrong way with your finger it's white at the base...or looks white/silver. My mom brushed him last night and a lot of that redish brown fuzz was just coming off in balls leaving the white/silver in place behind.

What's the verdict now? Laughing

I'm just watching him in fascination.

hoglana · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:55 pm Post subject:

So there is no possibility that he is turning gray? maybe a slow gray? I dont know much about gray at all so I cant tell ANY genetics behind that.. Smile

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Alicia, "Kayce"(Jeddi Kayce) and 'Star'(Layokie Lady)