About Susan

I believe that every little girl has a love of horses. Some of us are lucky enough to be able to enjoy that passion hands on and even carry it on into adulthood. It is the love and passion for the American Quarter Horse racing industry that has inspired me to create this blog. The stories of Quarter Horse racing need to be told to create new fans, owners, and breeders. To this end, I am going to share some photographs and stories about Quarter Horse Racing.

To Register or Not To Register

Just yesterday the AQHA lost its case about not allowing clones or the offspring of clones to be registered. I don’t have a strong stand against cloning but I do not think that AQHA should be forced to allow clones or their offspring to be registered. It should be up to the members of the association.

The Jockey Club doesn’t allow clones. Is the reason AQHA has been targeted because they have allowed shipped semen to be used? Or maybe it’s because they have allowed the use of embryo transfer and then multiple foals from mares to be registered in the same year.

Honestly, I had reservations about the multiple registrations but it does give the owner of an outstanding mare to make her more of an influence. What about frozen semen?  I think it seems a little odd that a stallion who is dead can still be siring foals. What about you?

I had a gelding that I rode in horse shows. It was my understanding that he was gelded because he was a crypt orchid. He was a wonderful competitor and I think he would have made a great sire had it not been for that one problem. If he were still alive should I be allowed to clone him so those genetics could be carried forward?

My grandpa had a gelding who placed third in the All American Consolation and then went on to a very successful 870 career. His half-brother, Raise A Secret, was successful as a sire. Should we have cloned him to see if he had the genetics to be another First Down Dash?

Once we geld a stallion or lose a great mare who’s to say that we shouldn’t have the right to clone them so we don’t lose their genetics? AQHA not allowing us to register those horses or their foals does not take away the right to clone those horses. They only wanted to take away the right to register them within the American Quarter Horse Association so as to preserve the integrity of the breed.

Isn’t it within the rights of a membership organization to not allow for certain horses to be registered? They only allow horses with a certain amount of white to be registered. They only allow horses with certain parents to be registered. Why is cloning different?

The American Quarter Horse Association has not allowed horses that didn’t have registered sires and dams to be registered for years now. Why should it be forced to allow the registration of clones and/or their offspring?

It is entirely within the American Quarter Horse Association and its members’ rights to not allow the registration of cloned horses. Just like it is totally within the Jockey Club’s rights not to allow a horse bred using artificial insemination to be registered.

We need to stand up for what we believe in and let AQHA know that we are not happy with this verdict and support them taking the next step to correct it.

My First Article in Speedhorse

I’d like to thank Butch Wise and Jimmy Ellers for their input in this article.

First Year Sires

Standing a first year sire can be full of rewards, but you must be ready to make a long-term commitment to that stallion.

 Read the article here.

 

We Were at the Track but Something Was Missing

picture of line of cars

You could take a close look at the cars before the race.

The crowds of people headed for the track. The smells of race day. The excited anticipation. We were at the races; unfortunately it was cars going around the track instead of horses.

Last spring we had some friends who weren’t going to use all of their seats at the Nascar races in Kansas City so they invited us to go along. This was not something neither my husband nor I had ever been interested in doing but we’re always open to new experiences, right. So we drove across the state for a weekend full of racing.

Picture of racing truck

Trucks raced the first day. It was a little shorter and slower. One of the trucks passing.

This is the same trek we had made more than once when I had horses on the track since the Kansas Speedway is just down the road from The Woodlands. But I had no idea of what we were going to experience. I remember when Diane Ciarloni wrote in Speedhorse about the opening of Texas Speedway and the throngs of people going to the races. Why doesn’t horse racing draw those types of crowds?

picture of starter.

The starter waves the green flag to start the race.

What’s the Big Deal?

I asked our friends what they liked about Nascar. Roger said he enjoyed the adrenaline rush and Missy said she loved the social aspect. Both reasons that I understand after all I’ve been going to the horse races and riding barrel/pole horses and hunter/jumpers since I was a small girl to get my adrenaline rush and who doesn’t love to spend time and talk with like-minded people.

Their seats were in row 14 just before the finish line so we had a great vantage point. As a photographer I was very disappointed to see that there was a fence between me and the cars but I suppose when something is moving that fast should it lose any parts it would be dangerous if the fence weren’t there.

Picture of race car.

A car as it passes us.

Sights, Sounds and Smells of the Track

The call to the post, the post parade, the smell of horse sweat and manure and the excitement of the announcer calling the race are all things that I love. Here they announced each driver and they were driven by in a pickup and the fans went wild.

At the start of the race they all lined up and went several laps around the track before the race actually started I guess they had to all be in the right post positions before they could start. And they were off. The rubber burned and the air was laden with the smell of fuel.

Ok, so then the rush of adrenaline burst through me. But after a few laps it was just a bunch of cars going around the track. Then there was a problem with one of the cars and everyone slowed down and got in line until the track was cleared and the race was on again. This happened a few times but there were no major accidents on this day, which Roger was apologetic about.

Throughout the day there was a man a few rows down that would wave a t-shirt that he was holding every time the cars would go by, I never did figure out for which driver he was cheering. And on this particular day it was obvious which car would win several laps before the end of the race. No come from behind victory. Very anti-climactic.

Picture of trucks behind the pace car

The trucks lined up behind the pace car.

Quarter Horse Racing Offers Many of the Same Rushes

I would think the fans would love Quarter Horse Racing as well. After all it’s pure adrenaline for 17 – 21 seconds, you can get the rush 10 – 12 times during the day and you have the added rush of gambling on the outcome of each race. As an added bonus you can visit with your friends about your betting choices between races.

Picture of winning car.

The winner of the Nascar race as he is celebrating his win.

How Might Quarter Horse Racing Increase Our Fan Base?

One thing that I noticed was all the corporate sponsorships. Each car and driver was covered with logos and the colors of their sponsors. They also had huge trailers outside the grandstands where you could buy merchandise with your favorite driver’s name, number and some of the corporate logos printed on them.

Nascar also does a tremendous job of making the drivers celebrities. What would happen if we made our horses, jockeys, trainers and owners into celebrities? Look what happened with Zenyatta. People who had no connections with horse racing fell in love with her. Mike Smith and Chantel Sutherland have more visibility with the general public than most jockeys even if you don’t agree with how they won that awareness.

Roger and Missy had a headset that they could tune into a driver’s frequency and listen to the chatter between the driver and the pit crew. I can see how this would make the whole experience much more entertaining. Is there some way we can incorporate something like that?

Quarter Horse racing needs to start telling its stories to the public. With the Internet and social media we can reach more people than ever before. Kick the gates and let the story telling begin!

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

The Foal was Coming but Something was Wrong

It’s the time of year when Quarter Horse Racing owners are over flowing with the excitement of new foals arriving and decisions about breeding our mares are being made.

My husband and I had moved to my grandparent’s farm to help with the farming and the horses the first of April. I was pregnant with our first child who was due in August. In late May grandpa died and we were left to make decisions about the farm and horses with a family who either weren’t involved in the industry or were scattered somewhere between Kansas and California.

Experience But Not With Horses

Picture of Hopeful But

Hopeful Bug – Bugs Alive In 75 out of Desolate Angel by Hopeful Venture TB several years after the C-section.

It was a bright day in January and I was headed into town. Mike says he thinks Hopeful Bug, a maiden mare, might be ready to foal, she’s acting funny; he’ll keep an eye on her. Mike has calved out many calves in his lifetime but neither one of us has had a solo experience with foaling nor had we had much experience at all.

When Charlie, 5 months old, and I return he’s still watching Bugs and thinks there might be something wrong because it’s been so long and she’s not progressing. I take stuff in the house and put Charlie down for a nap. When Mike returns the foal is coming but there are no feet presenting just the nose.

My uncle is a race track vet in California so he tries to call him but there is no answer. So we call our local vet. Dr Hawkins shows up as soon as he can and starts to try to grab the legs so he can deliver the foal normally.

Exhausting for All

The baby monitor does not work well in the barn so I can only go out for brief periods of time. It seems like every time the vet gets a good hold on the foal the mare either slams her body to the ground or gets up just as fast as she fell down the previous time.

Larry, the vet, says that he can get a good hold on the back legs but is having trouble getting the front legs. This is not a good situation and he’s exhausted would I call the clinic and get one of the other vets to come help?

After Dr Winters gets there and examines the mare they discuss it and say that we have a couple of options: do a C-section or put the mare down. We still haven’t been able to contact my uncle so we have to make this decision on our shoulders. The best option seems to do a C-section, that’s what Mike would do with a cow.

Right Here… in the Barn!

Picture of So Secretive

So Secretive – Raise A Secret out of Hopeful Bug by Bugs Alive In 75. One of several foals out of Hopeful Bugs and one of two by Raise A Secret.

So the vets get some straw bales to prop the mare up on her back and took the foal out right there in the barn. The surgery went smoothly. Bugs was getting up while they were putting in the last stitch. No surprise the baby was already dead and he was also huge.

No matter what anyone else says, and when my uncle did finally call back he said there were “other options”, we have always felt that we did the right thing by Hopeful Bug. The next summer when we purchased some of the horses from the estate, even though we were not sure we’d ever be able to breed her, we bought Hopeful Bug. After all grandpa had thought enough of her to buy her as a yearling to breed to Raise A Secret and that was what I wanted to do.

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

 

The Season of the Orphans

Foal being bottle fed

Lucky taking his bottle from Charlie in the back yard.

It’s February, foaling season. My phone rings late one night. Natural Class, a full sister to Raise A Secret, foaled today, a colt, she prolapsed but we took care of it here at the farm. We’ll see how she’s doing tomorrow.

Two days later the phone rings again Natural Class had to go to the vet clinic and the vet should be calling shortly.

Foal playing with children

Lucky Like A Lark, Moon Lark out of Natural Class, playing with Charlie and Roderick.

When he does call he has the dreaded news. At two days old I have an orphan. Natural Class, who had survived colic surgery two years earlier, has died due to the prolapse.

The colt is 450 miles away so we put a topper on a pickup with bedding in the back and head south.

How Do We Care for This Orphan

Kids feeding orphan foal

Charlie’s Kindergarten class came to feed Lucky.

Where I live people don’t normally foal this early and there are no nurse mares available. The vet has instructed us to feed the foal every two hours. This is not like having a baby in the next room that wakes me up when it’s hungry. I just have to get up, on my own, with the only the help of an alarm clock with a snooze button and feed him. Yes I’m a night owl but when I get to sleep I don’t like it to be interrupted.

We live in town and the barn is about half a mile away, not too bad, but my loving husband suggested we clear an area in the heated shed in the back yard so I don’t have to drive out to feed him every two hours. What a grand plan. Now all I have to do is put on a robe and slippers and take the bottle to the heated shed every two hours.

On warm days the colt roams the back yard that is surrounded by a privacy fence and everyone is happy. Especially Lucky, the colt, who is becoming rather spoiled.

Newborn foal

A Runaway Sue, Runaway Winner out of Ala Secret Sue, shortly after foaling.

The Prized Mare – Ala Secret Sue

The same foaling season I have Ala Secret Sue, Natural Class’s dam, her front feed have abscesses and the vet is not sure she will live until she foals. She is in foal to Runaway Winner and the breeding was challenging to get. I desperately want this foal.

When she did go into labor we had to have the vet out to help, the foal was very small and he wasn’t sure she would survive. Ala Secret Sue would lie down to rest a lot but that didn’t bother A Runaway Sue she would nurse while her dam was resting. Then when she was three weeks old my husband had gone out to feed and come back to tell me that Ala Secret Sue had died. A second orphan.

Quarter Horse foal and Percheron mare

A Runaway Sue and her nurse mare.

A Nurse Mare

We already had the bottles and powdered milk, no problem, right? Wrong! Unlike Lucky who had lost his dam at two days and had been trained by the clinic staff in Oklahoma to take a bottle. A Runaway Sue wanted nothing to do with the bottle. She wanted the real thing.

Now what do we do?

A good friend and neighbor of ours had come to us the day before because he had a young Percheron mare whose foal was not doing well and he wanted to use one of our horse nipples. His foal had not lived so we asked if we could borrow his mare as a nurse mare.

Of course, so we went to move her. For the first two days we had to make sure that the mare would let A Runaway Sue nurse but after that they were bonded and we could leave them alone together.

Newborn foal and child

A Runaway Sue and Roderick being introduced.

It was a funny sight to see that Percheron mare out with my Quarter Horse mares after adopting that small baby. A Runaway Sue could walk right under her flank and did often.

Our neighbor would like his mare to be bred back to his stallion so we load them up, take them back to the pasture and turn the mare and stallion out in a small pen. But the mare comes back into heat, it was unsuccessful.

Now A Runaway Sue is three months old and Lucky Like A Lark is weaned from the bottle and eating milk pellets. So it’s time to wean Sue and take her nurse mare back to her pasture home.

We know that Lucky needs to be introduced into the herd so we put the two orphans together so he can get acquainted to his first equine friend easily. Then when we feel they are ready we put them in with the other weanlings. A fairly painless process.

Overall I think we had a smooth experience with our two orphans. I know I’ve heard stories about ones that were much more problematic. Please share your stories with orphans in the comments below.

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

2012 AQHA Championship Announcements

Award for AQHA 2012 World Champion

The connections of One Dashing Eagle accepted awards for the 2012 AQHA World Champion, Champion 2-Year-Old, Champion 2-Year-Old Colt and Champion Owner. 

 

 

Connections for Ochoa

The Connections for Ochoa accepted the award for 2012 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old, Champion 3-Year-Old Gelding and All-Time Leading Money Earner award.

Paul Jones accepting for Rylees Boy

Paul Jones accepted awards for Rylees Boy who won 2012 AQHA Champion Aged Horse and Champion Aged Gelding.

Debbie Schauf accepting award

Debbie Schauf accepted the 2012 Mildred N Vessels Special Achievement Award.

Tom Lepic accepts award

Tom Lepic accepts the 2012 Gordon Crone Special Achievement Award.

Ben Hudson accepts award.

Ben Hudson accepting the 2012 Racing Council Special Recognition Award.

Champion 2-year-old filly award

2012 AQHA Champion 2-Year-Old Filly award was accepted by the connections of PJ Chick In Black.

2012 Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding

AQHA 2012 Champion 2-Year-Old Gelding award is accepted for El Duero.

Award for 2012 Champion 3-year-old colt

The connections of Hez Our Secret accepting the award for 2012 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.

Award for 2012 Champion 3-year-old filly

Award for the 2012 AQHA Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Flame N Flash being presented.

 

Prospect To The Top award for 2012 Champion Aged Stallion

Prospect To The Top was the 2012 AQHA Champion Aged Stallion.

2012 Champion Aged Mare Award

2012 Champion Aged Mare award was accepted by the connections of Fredaville.

2012 Champion Breeder award

Family of the Allred Brothers accept the award for 2012 AQHA Champion Breeder.

Paul Jones 2012 Trainer award

Paul Jones accepting the 2012 AQHA Blane Schvaneveldt Champion Trainer Award.

G R Carter, Jr accepts the award for 2012 AQHA Champion Jockey.

G R Carter, Jr accepts the award for 2012 AQHA Champion Jockey.

Champion Distance award

The connections for All About Larry accept the award for 2012 AQHA Champion Distance Horse.

2012 AQHA Canadian Champion was accepted by the connections of Zoomin After Six.

2012 AQHA Canadian Champion was accepted by the connections of Zoomin After Six.

For more information on the 2012 AQHA Champions go to AQHA’s Racing New site .

Go here for more information on the 2012 Special Achievement Awards.

 

 

Pedigree Research – From Hand Written to a Click of a Button

Raise A Secret pedigree

Pedigree for Raise A Secret written by Charles Socolofsky. It must have been done before a name had been decided.

As we rush toward breeding season I am overrun with some of the fondest memories of my grandpa pouring over his stud books and writing out pedigrees.

Grandpa had a set of stud books; I think it was very close to complete. He also had a subscription to what I think was a monthly report on AQHA stallions and their progeny.

The room in their house that he used had been converted from my aunt’s bedroom and it was crammed with trophies and saddles she had won as well as Breyer and other types of horses. When I was really young it was the room that I slept in when I was there but later the bed was moved out and grandpa used it for his book keeping and research.

Hopeful Bug pedigree

Part of a pedigree written by Charles Socolofsky for Hopeful Bug a mare that he purchased to breed to Raise A Secret.

Checking Out His Research

He would scrutinize his books and write out pedigrees on his horses or of possible crosses. The technology of today makes finding pedigrees or possible pedigrees as easy as clicking a button.

He would make his choices and then arrange to go look at the stallions. If I was lucky I could go along on these trips. I saw many great stallions and many beautiful farms with grandpa. Somewhere there is a picture of me at about 12 years-old holding Alamitos Bar the sire of Ala Secret Sue and grandsire of Raise A Secret. We saw Easy Jet, Special Effort, Bully Bullion, Moon Lark and many more. We went to Oklahoma Stud, Belle Mere Farms, The Lazy E and many more farms.

Charles Socolofsky Christmas 1985

Charles Socolofsky getting a cap for Christmas in 1985, the year Raise A Secret won two Grade 1 Futurities.

Pictures May Not Tell The Whole Story

On my last trip with grandpa to see stallions I learned a very important lesson. We were at Lazy E and they got out Coup De Kas. I had seen pictures of him and I couldn’t understand why he was so popular but wondered if his age was the reason that his picture didn’t impress me. When I saw him I was struck by how well balanced he was, he was a very impressive stallion despite his age. Obviously photographs could be deceiving.

Another time a friend had been to Granada Farms and had seen Runaway Winner and Ronas Ryan. This was when Runaway Winner was a relatively new sire and it was hard to secure a breeding to him. She said that Runaway Winner was nice but there was something special about Ronas Ryan. Looking at their photos I just didn’t see anything extraordinary about Ronas Ryan. Then I had the chance to see him in person. She was right. Ronas Ryan was an exceptional individual and it wasn’t something that showed in his pictures.

Win picture of Easy Secret Sue

My first win picture as an owner. Easy Secret Sue at The Woodlands on July 12, 1991. A very emotional win but that’s another story. Picture courtesy Coady Photo.

In the Digital Age Can We Market Stallions Better

From those two experiences I have been trying to figure out ways to show those exceptionalities in stallions. With the changes in technology like artificial insemination it is harder to meet every stallion that you would like to breed to in person because there are great Racing Quarter Horse stallions spread all over the country.

You also don’t have to rely on single pictures and hand written and researched pedigrees to choose your stallion. There are many options for a stallion owner to use to showcase his horse to mare owners. With the Internet it’s easy to have a lot of full color pictures and/or videos to promote your Quarter Horse Racing stallion along with their personality. Many views can be used to show all angles of your horse but make sure your pictures are uncluttered. If possible capture some great candid shots or short videos of him that show his personality.

Supplement your print advertising with an easy to use Web site where mare owners come to get all the up to date information they would like on your stallion. Then keep them in front of mare owners by using social media to complete that impression we get of your stallion by showing his personality setting that emotional hook to catch the best mares to pair with your stallions. After all isn’t it the emotional highs we all want from Quarter Horse Racing? I know I do.

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

The Medication Question

I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about horse racing medications. I understand the need for therapeutic medication. Who hasn’t taken ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or aspirin on occasion? I was on Naprosyn for a year for a shoulder injury. I live with an asthmatic so I definitely understand the benefits of clenbuterol having lived with rescue inhalers for 26+ years. And Lasix has been proven beneficial in horses that bleed. But where do you draw the line? How do you know if a horse needs medication?

Middle School Football tackle

My son tackles an opposing player. He’s the one on the ground holding onto the black player. If you look closely you can see the ankle brace on his right ankle.

Middle School Football and a Teen-aged Boy

I’ve had a few heart-wrenching, eye opening experiences watching my children in middle school and high school sports activities. My eighth grade son hurt his ankle in football practice and was taken to the hospital for x-rays. The doctor, my dad, and nurse practitioner who looked at the x-rays didn’t see anything of major concern.

The radiologist who read the x-rays the next day did and since there was a visiting orthopedist in town we went to see him. He proclaimed that he had a fracture in his growth plate but it was not too worrisome. Although the thought of a fracture in the growth plate of a 13 year old boy sounded serious to this mother. He was put on Tylenol and ibuprofen, which he refused to take, and put in a boot for two weeks.

When the two weeks were up, and he had been walking on it, the orthopedist said we must have “over read” the x-ray. So he resumed light activity and injured it again in PE. The doctor who read this x-ray said it looked like he had an old fracture that hadn’t healed so we were back to the orthopedist who told him to stay off of it for another two weeks.

When he was finally allowed to play I remember watching him limp onto the field after being taken out for a play and thinking if he were a horse I wouldn’t ride him. But when I asked him about it he responded “but mom it doesn’t hurt.” Then why was he limping?

Middle School Triple Jump

Triple Jumping in Middle School track two weeks after being released to practice.

Middle School Track and a Teen-aged Boy

He’d reluctantly spent basketball season in an ankle brace and now wanted to stay in shape to run the two mile in track. Because we had so much snow that winter we got a tread mill. He wasn’t running so I asked him why. He responded his foot hurt when he ran. After about a month of this and consulting with my dad who now winters in Texas I took him to see another doctor.

Another x-ray. She said there was a small break, the radiologist said there wasn’t. He was put in another boot for 6 – 8 weeks. This one came off a week before his first track meet where he ran the in the 4×200 relay, the 1600 and triple jumped. He also asked the coach to scratch him from the 800 because he didn’t feel up to running anything else. But it amazes me that a 13 year old was able to do so much in such a short time.

Zandy Parr jumping

Zandy Parr jumping in Rifle, CO. Photo by J Bar D Studios.

How Horses React Differently to Pain

My hunter/jumper, Zandy Parr, had tender feet. He could be perfectly sound but if he stepped on a rock during his soundness circle I could be disqualified because he looked lame for a few steps. It didn’t take long to have the farrier put pads on him before I took him to a show where we knew there were a lot of rocks.

We finally gave up on another hunter/jumper. He had beautiful, possibly World Championship, form and would go great for a while then would just stop at the fences. We’d lay him off for a while and he’d be great again, for a short time. He was also one that would have a minor injury and be three-legged lame; he might not even come in to eat. We never did figure out if he had physical or mental issues or both. He was sold to be a trail riding horse.

Westbound Viejo jumping

Westbound Viejo, Dummy, jumping in Columbia, MO. Hmm, maybe the nick name is why he had those problems. Photo by Dan McClatchey Photography.

How do We Know?

My point is how do we really know when a horse is hurting so much that it shouldn’t compete? My son, who was obviously lame, said it didn’t hurt and went back on the field in one instance and asked to be scratched in another. The x-rays were apparently inconclusive since they were read differently by so many doctors. But he could at least tell us how he was feeling.

The horse can only tell us it hurts with its actions. Is it limping? Is it cranky or sensitive to touch? Medication can certainly help race horses recover from injury or help with a breathing or bleeding problem. But do we put them “back in the game” too quickly?

Olympic athletes who can tell us what they feel can be disqualified for a bad test and professional athletes probably push their bodies too far. How do we know we are not pushing our horses too far?

There is no way to be 100% sure. We can only have the vet run tests, observe their behavior and movement and use our best intuition. We do our best to make sure that they don’t break down on the track unfortunately sometimes our best isn’t good enough.

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

Quarter Horse Stallion Advertising: How to Catch the Mare Owner’s Attention

Raise A Secret 1985 win picture

Everyone wants to breed a winner and have an award picture. The connections of Raise A Secret after he won the 1985 Los Alamitos Futurity.

I dream of breeding a World Champion Quarter Race Horse. As I begin my quest to find just perfect stallion to breed to my mare isn’t this my ultimate goal? So as I’m perusing the stallion directories, ads and online what exactly am I looking for? Do I look at the statistics? Maybe. But first you have to catch my attention with the emotional pull of the possibility to breed the winner of the 2016 All American, Los Alamitos Two Million or whatever Futurity I’m longing to win.

So your full color, full page ad or above the fold (part of the screen that is visible without scrolling) on your stallion’s Web page is the bait that will hook me and reel me in to take a closer look.

So as a mare owner what do I look for in a stallion? Since my grandpa raised Raise A Secret most of my mares are daughters of his sisters so I will research what crossed well with him and his daughters. I have one mare that is not of that line that I would, very sentimentally, like to breed to a son of Raise A Secret. Once this is done I start browsing ads and surfing the Web to see what I can find.

Corona Cartel Ad

This ad has good emotional appeal. It makes you want to breed your own legend

An Emotionally Compelling Headline as Bait

A headline that evokes emotions will draw me in. Now I need to be able to easily find the information I need to make my decision. I like to see a clear, uncluttered photo so I can see if the stallion has confirmation that will balance out any conformational weaknesses in my mares. And of course I will look at the statistics which can help to make me believe that crossing on that stallion will help me to produce that World Champion Quarter Race Horse that I dream about.

The ad on the right from the Lazy E is very emotionally compelling.

Social Media for a Consistent and Authentic Presence

Chad Hart Facebook Posting

Chad Hart has been promoting his stallions by posting about qualifiers they have sired.

Another way to grab my attention is through social media, Facebook is what I’ve found to reach the most people right now. Once you have established a good base of “friends” build a fan page for your farm and one for all your stallions. Then ask your friends to “like” the pages and start posting. Posting two-five times throughout the day will give you the best reach. But don’t just post, try to engage your readers in conversation and then join the conversation.

Your posts to Facebook can include photos, videos or just text. Make your farm and your stallion seem authentic by posting about yourself and the personality and disposition of your stallion. Show some video or photos of him playing in his paddock. Make it personal so breeders will identify with him and your farm.

Chad Hart of Hart Farms has a good start on this. I’ve seen several postings similar to the one to the above saying that one of the stallions has sired a colt or filly who has qualified for a major race.

As a stallion promoter you want me to believe that crossing on your stallion will produce the next big futurity winner or high seller. Catch my attention with the emotional bait that will hook me and reel me in to take a closer look.

That’s my quarter’s worth. Let me hear yours by leaving a comment below.

 

The Smell of Horses Permeates the Air

 

Ms First Prize Rose 2011 bay filly

Ms First Prize Rose, 2011 bay filly by Coronas Cartel out of First Carolina by Mr Jess Perry, in the sale ring.

Anniversary Scooter 2011 sorrel colt

Anniversary Scooter, 2011 sorrel colt by Heza Motor Scooter out of Wild Wonder Child by Dash ta Fame, getting ready to go to the sale ring.

When you enter the sales pavilion at Heritage Place for the September Quarter Horse racing bred yearling sale you can easily forget that it is 90+° outside. After all, the pavilion, lobby, offices and restaurant are air conditioned for our comfort. But when you open the door to go into the barn to see the horses before they go into the sale ring the heat and the smell of horses hits you like a ton of bricks. A lot people would turn around and go back inside but for those of us with a love for horses it is either unnoticed or we relish it.

Captain Ceder 2011 chestnut colt

I’m bored says Captain Ceder, 2011 chestnut colt by Captain Courage out of Salt Ceder TB by Salt Lake, acting like a typical kid.

Sights and Sounds

Ms First Prize Rose 2011 bay filly

Ms First Prize Rose, 2011 bay filly by Coronas Cartel out of First Carolina by Mr Jess Perry, being prepped to go into the sale ring.

You are also struck by other sights and sounds. The most noticeable is the din of the auctioneer as he sells the horses. It is broadcast throughout the pavilion and the barns on loud speakers and TV monitors. Everyone standing around the make-up ring, where the horses wait before they go into the sales ring, is studying their sales catalog. A bible to the buyers that they’ve had their nose buried in since it arrived in the mail includes the pedigree and records of each prospect’s sire and dam.

Equine pedicure

A yearling getting a pedicure before going into the sale ring.

Each consigner decorates their area differently. Some have a booth where they offer snacks, drinks and various information about their farm’s services, stallions and the yearlings that have at the sale. Some have video monitors with clips from races their stallions have won or videos about the services offered at their farm. Some aisles have plants. Some have fans. At least one had an air conditioner, a very popular place in the un-air conditioned barn today!

Cha Ching Corona 2011 brown filly

The hip number sticker at the base of Cha Ching Corona’s, 2011 brown filly by Coronas Leaving You out of This Lady Likes Cash by Feature Mr Jess, tale.

Choosing Your Winner

As you wander down the aisles you notice some of the yearlings are resting while others are playing with their buckets or the stall door. These are only babies after all. The poster on the front of the stall announces their number that indicates when they sell and where they are in the catalog. It also has their pedigree, their page out of the catalog and stickers for other engagements or tidbits of information. Plus if there are any updates to the information that is in the catalog there is another poster with that information. These are the fact and figures that entice prospective buyers to come take a look and, hopefully, at least two will decide “that’s the one that will win my dream races – I’ve got to have it!”

Preparing for the Ring

As each Quarter Horse racing prospect is taken out of its stall and prepared to go into the sales ring it is brushed to remove any dust and shavings paying particular attention to the mane and tail. They get a pedicure and an application of hoof oil to moisturize and make their hooves glisten. Baby oil is placed on their muzzle and other areas for a final polish. After all they have to look their best for this dance. Then a sticker with their sales number is placed at the base of their tale and they get their number painted on each hip. Now, after two long years since the mare was bred, they are ready to go to the make-up ring and await their turn in the sales ring.

As they enter the sales ring most of these babies are wide eyed but they have been prepared so they are well behaved. Sometimes the bidding starts slowly and sometimes there are a rush of bids. When the gavel falls on the final bid the young prospect is taken back to its stall to start a new chapter in its life that of a young race horse in training.

Best of luck to all the new owners and safe trips to all these young Quarter Race Horses!