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On The Farm 

After years of breeding Angus cattle on our beautiful properties west of Esperance, as a family we made the decision to breed horses suitable for use on the farm, working the cows, and away from home, as mounts for pony club, campdrafting, eventing---whatever equestrian pursuit they are needed for at any particular time!

We decided that the Australian Stock Horses was the breed for us; purpose bred to work stock, but versatile enough to allow our children to enjoy pony club, polocrosse and hacking at local shows.

We are not aiming to breed horses that will event at Olympic level, though Australian Stock Horses have shown they can do that, or to win gold cups in campdrafting, but we are aiming to breed horses that will work at home, quietly and calmly getting the job done and allowing our children to do the job safely, and then calmly and quietly get on the horse float, go to town, plaited and brushed, and allow them to enjoy a dressage test or showjumping round. Safely and happily!

Up until now, the horses we have already had have had to do exactly that; stock horse one day, eventer the next. Ranging in size from 11hh to 16.2hh, we have been blessed with a range of equine friends to suit our children, aged from five to 17, as they have grown up on the farm.

But as those horses have aged, we have seen a need for more horses like them, and so the breeding operation has started.

After a search for bloodlines that suited our needs, we purchased two fillies, Cunnamore Slingshot and Cunnamore Calibre from the Cunnamore Stud at Mount Barker. We also purchased Easterly from the same stud. She is a Brown Chans Way mare, and was in foal to Tinagroo Winchester when we bought her.

We also purchased a gelding, Cunnamore Huntsman, who at four years of age slotted in to the family like an old hand, going to pony club, hacking, doing a few dressage tests, attending the pony club riding camp, and chasing a few cows at the local campdraft.

To increase broodmare numbers, we purchased Escholar October from the Esperance Senior High School's  horse stud.

Recently we purchased a yearling from Qualia Stud: Qualia Cufflink, by Binnia Impressive Destiny out of Haydon Brooch. He is a lovely little chap and we hope his bloodlines and temperament will work well with what we already have, and resulting foals will be just what we are after!

So that is that, the start of the stud! The first foal is on the ground and in the process of being weaned, and the horses that we already had continue to form the backbone of the team that carries out the stock work and off farm work on a regular basis, but we are confident that the animals we have purchased, and those that we are breeding, will ultimately take their place as all rounders doing whatever they are asked to do!



 

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Waiting...waiting...waiting

Posted by DE&DL Henderson on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Spring is well and truly here: we have mulberries on the tree, two chicks newly hatched (thanks to the efforts of a determined and patient hen who has been broody for nearly two months), and the broodmares are out with the stallion.
Our two new lovely ladies, Tullie and Star are blossoming as motherhood approaches. However, the watched kettle never boils and it seems that we are going to be waiting FOREVER! The foaling kit is on hand, the children are on alert.....
Meanwhile, the hustle and bustle of the Esperance Show is behind us, and the end of the year is fast approaching.

The show was the most relaxed one we have attended for years, with only four horses and three children competing, it was about as simple as it could possibly be! For the first time in years, there was even time to explore side-show alley properly (too much for this parent, would rather be at work in the showjumping arena lugging poles!). Stocking Stuffer (David), Cunnamore Slingshot (Barbara), Cunnamore Calibre and Guiness the grey (Alexandra) took part in a variety of classes including the pony hunter, stock horse, showjumping, dressage and, best of all, the fancy dress.

Now attention has focused back on the farm: there is more stock work coming up, and a pony club rally ...and another team penning day! Plenty of work to keep our minds off the mares who have yet to foal...

Guiness and Slingshot in the grand parade, Esperance Show 2012.
Photos courtesy of Mareeka Coward

Slingshot, Guiness and Stocking Stuffer (Buddy)