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Breed, Train, Show
Breeding for Working Cow Horse Performance
The plan
Our goal at Bar TT Cowhorse is to produce great horses first, and competitive cow horses when they show us that they have the talent and desire for the sport.
We believe in starting with good conformation and strong genetics - clear AQHA health tests and performance history, preferably in cowhorse or cutting in the parents. Earnings are great as they show a level of achievement and continuity of work in the sport but we also put stock in talented ranch work. Previous successful cow horse offspring suggests that the parent passes their performance traits to their offspring. We try to look at all the angles and balance our desire for agility and speed with cow sense and personality. A cow horse has to have it all!
We try to select a stallion that complements our broodmare, enhancing any weaker areas with their strengths and adding the stallion's signature to offspring. The stallion should pass all of the same criteria as the broodmare in terms of physical conformation, mental attitude, health and longevity along with their own performance record and personal flair.
The broodmares
We have recently highgraded our broodmare band. From four good quality mares we have moved to two great mares. We may produce fewer foals but they should be spectacular!
Our current broodmares are;
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Bayywatch, the well known cutting futurity winner under David Taurel
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Ms Smarthash, our Hashtags mare.
The process
We look at stallions available at home in Alberta if possible as it simplifies the logistics of breeding. We have used stallions in the USA and imported both fresh and frozen semen. From experience, we know that fresh, local semen is our best chance to get a successful pregnancy.
We start with reproductive checks at Pioneer Veterinary Services in Sundre. Dr. Haley Safnuk is very talented in all things equine and they are closer to the ranch. She will do a dental float if necessary so that we don't have to worry about that during pregnancy.
We usually breed at Burwash, just south of Cochrane on Highway 22. We have good relationships with their reproductive vets and have had good success relying on their timing advice.
We follow the basic guidance to provide the bred mare with 45 days of ease before resuming any work. From there, they may be called to help on the ranch or teach some yearlings a few lessons. They won't be worked hard but they do need to stay in shape.
We believe in top quality nutrition but have learned that too much protein has adverse effects. We try to manage our feed ration to provide everything the mare needs, especially the minerals required for healthy embryo development. We continue with regular hoof care and general health maintenance throughout.
For the last month, we bring the mare into the barn at night to get her used to the new surroundings. It's handy to be in the barn at foaling if any difficulties arise, but the mares often supercede my plan and foal in a puddle or snow bank outdoors. We'll keep the foal inside until we are sure they are healthy, eating well and sufficiently warm to venture outdoors. As soon as possible, we will get them out for a few hours in the sun to play and soak up vitamin D. We believe the early days outdoors help strengthen bones.
The results
The newborn foals are priceless. I can spend all day just watching them play, learning to run and turn. They can do everything we need, except the back up, within a couple days of birth. It's amazing to see them figuring out those long legs and sharp stops.
Continued good food and plenty of outdoor exercise provide lots of natural experiences to strengthen their bodies and develop their sense of where their feet are as they jump over deadfall and sneack through gates. We don't bother them much with grooming at this stage. I believe time with the dam is most important for their learning to be a horse.
Anything born at the ranch is generally kept until they are started. It's only then that we start to see the physical and mental differentiation between foals. The best protection a horse can be provided is to know a few useful things - so we make sure they know enough to be a valued mount before they head out.
Those foals with talent and a consistent working attitude are kept in our training program until they show us that they really can't or don't want to do the work. It's very challenging training and for some foals it is not their best destiny. If they show us that they are better suited elsewhere, we'll get them started with a rope or moving cattle so that they have some marketable skills. Often these are the sweetest horses we will produce.