Home from Winchester

First I want to welcome a new follower to my blog. Welcome Jessica P. Jessica is new to Rocky Mountain Horses. And a new follower to my blog. Thank you for joining my list of followers. Yes, Jessica these are marvelous horses and congratulations on your purchase of Twister. From the accounts I hear of him at Van Berts, that is a wonderful horse. I can see you are hooked on Rockies. Welcome to that club. It is getting larger all the time. They are very addictive.

We just came home from the Carson Masters Show at our new UMH facility in Winchester. I can only say it was a great show. There were many fine examples of the Rocky Mountain horse at this show and I hope the number of horses and the crowds continue to grow as more people learn about these horses that are treasures of a not so distant past. They represent a way of life that America has left behind as the country moved quickly into the machine age. But there is such an innate love of horses in the hearts and souls of so many people all over the world, that we just can not get over the need for horses. Although we love our cars and all the other machinery that has made our world more comfortable, we still long for that relationship with a horse. And many of us have discovered that the Rocky Mountain horse really fits that desire.

All you Rocky owners out there and the wanna bes have learned about the attributes that make this breed so beloved. They win our hearts from the warm and loving response to us as we live and work with them. They have that gentle disposition that allows us to get on a stallion and take him on a trail ride or into a show arena with mares. Many of the stallions can be ridden by the most novice of riders. And the young ones are so lovable. It is hard to not spoil them. My colt born on 3/31/09 is a fine example of their loveability at an early age. He comes gaiting up to me in an open field for some scratching in those itchy spots. He has no fear of me and I think maybe views me as just a funny looking horse.

In the show arena, I am amazed at the skill of the younger riders Coby Tipton is 7 years old and he was in the arena on a nice mare during the recent show in Winchester. But at 7, Coby is an old hand riding in the show arena. He has been riding from a very early age. Coby is not a large child for being 7 but he was able to ride very effectively and the apparent ease of handling his horse was a testament of not only his training but the easy temperament of Rocky Mountain Horses. As with any breed there are horses that are more suited to age and skill of a rider. And parents still needs to know the horse and what a child is capable of doing.

Coby's grandparents are Vera and Larry Patterson and great grandson of the Wilda and H T Derickson of Van Bert Farms. His father and mother are Brook and Derick Tipton of Rockin Ridge Stables.

So Coby has a deep roots in the Rocky Mountain Horse industry and is very capable of handing many different mounts. But still as with any horse I am sure his parents choose wisely when putting him on a mount. But this is not only what Coby's parents should be doing but what we all should be doing Not every horse (even Rocky Mountain Horses) is suited to every person. And although the really good riders can ride almost any horse, those of us who are novices to horses need to choose wisely until we gain the necessary skill, knowledge and confidence to ride a wider variety of horses. One area that makes it easy to choose the perfect Rocky Mountain Horse is the choice of size. The Rocky Registries reconize a size from 14.2 to 16 hh. I like to 14.2 and 14.3 sizes. I am short (plus not as agile as I once was) and they are easier for me to mount and dismount from.

The size of the Rocky Mountains and their nice dispositions have made them an even more attractive horse for people of all ages but increasing in the senior citizen age group. I am 67, and have not ridden in years. I don't need a horse that will put me on the ground, is hard to mount and has a mean temperament. I don't think most people need or want that either. Many people my age want a horse they can ride that has the easy gait due to aches and pains of growing older. We don't need a horse that will bounce us up and down or that we have to learn to post on.

And then there is the many choices in color. Although that is not relevant to ridability, it is nice to be able to choose a color that suits our personal preferences.

I had a young filly that I was absolutely crazy about that was chestnut. I also have a chestnut colt right now. Both are outstanding examples of Rocky Mountain Horses. Some people only want Chocolate with a white or flaxen mane and tail. Some people like bays or blacks. There are some really beautiful silver colors. There are also palominos and buckskins. Whatever the color one likes the best when you take a Rocky Mountain on a trail ride your mount gets noticed.

So enough for this posting. I really meant to write about the horse show from over the past week end but it seems that I got off on a side trail in discussing the Rocky Mountain Horses. It is certainly easy to do.

One final thought for today.

My one disappointment in the show was with the yearling classes. There are a number of us who would love to see more of that age group in the show ring. They are the future of our breed and we would all be interested in seeing what the future of the breed holds. Those of you with yearling should consider showing more of them. Do you have an idea on how to get those with young horses interested in showing them? We also have the weanling classes that will come up later in the summer. Send any idea to me at marifranie@aol.com. I am not the official spokesman for anything or anyone but I would be happy to pass any suggestion along. May I invite you to brain storm with us on this issue?

Later everyone!!

God bless and keep you in his loving care.




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