Hi from the middle of Nowhere!

I am in northern Nevada and just read about the Ammy Army. What a wonderful idea!! I've been an Arabholic for about 30 years, used to show but stopped some years back. Slowly being dragged back in again and this is the way to go!

Hello all

Glad you're joining us. I love the term Arabholic!! Horses are very addictive!

Great to have you. Welcome aboard.

I just read about this site in the new Modern Arabain and thought I'd check it out -seems like a great place for us "true" amateurs to get help and share ideas. I have been showing Arabs since 1986 or so ....bought and broke my first Arab and showed him successfully for 16 years.. now on a new "project" which is always fun! ( 1/2 Arab this time). Never had a trainer or been a part of a "show barn" (even though I'd love to) and there are very few of us like that!
Looking forward to getting some good information on this site!!

Welcome aboard Rabbit and Tan...you will find the Ammy Army is a low key, but high motivation and support system place to be. Lots of great folks who share the same passion for their horses, too! Glad to have you!
Cheers! Rebecca

Hello, I just wrote alot and lost it so here goes again.
We are in Colorado, Region 8 and although we did get some help from some
clubs for a year or two...we are finding to show, breed, etc. is so far away and
so costly.
We have two mare's we'd like to show (one is sweepstake nominated), the other is so old we may need to consider embryo transplant. Her sire, Nankin
is pretty famous in "France". We had originally hoped to breed her to a Crabbet, Elyctron from Billings Montana...Where we bought our first set of
gelded arabians.
The problem has been, my son has worked to save up the the money. We have a trailer, but now the pick up died and his job is night/evening shift so he's not able to work "the girls as much as hoped".
My son is a graduate of CSU in Equine Science and taken pre-vet, pre-engineering classes as well. He's worked at CSU Vet Clinic (large animal sanitation stalling, some blood drawing, some small animal care), also the CSU Equine Center, a little AI, and walking the stallions as an assistant in a feed research. He participated in calf and calving hands on, but lack confidence as he has not yet experienced foaling. He's not yet been selected for the equine science intern (he must have recommendations and working in the field to get the experience to be considered as an intern to work in the field.)
He was told to go to Kentucky to work in the quarter horse sweepstake breeding barns. He did go, but could not find the quarterhorse barns. His passion is the Arabian.
He applied at the "Arabian Center", would have been excellent, but they laid off 8 staff after he interviewed.
He is a senior assistant manager at Cinemark and could probably pull strings to have the Arabian Literacy movie shown, but we need some viable help to get that going.
Ironically he is currently in boot camp, Arny National Guard to try to pay back student loans and get a little better income.
He's gotten some pretty high honors in teaching and leadership, and has been a lead director and horse wrangler for summer camp. He's also been to pony club regionals and National's two years as well as riding in Germany where he
observed and talked with the veterinarians at a local station of the state stud
farm. You just seem like a group (part of the Arabian Association) who would understand and maybe help/talk to us.
One of the immediate things I need is to build a shelter and trailer our older mare from Ft. Morgan to here to keep her warmer and hand fed, soon. Thanks for listening. Sue

Welcome everyone!

Sue--A lot of the big QH breeding operations are mostly in TX and OK with some (particularly ranch horse) up north a ways (NE, SD, etc). KY has a large number of TB programs, but you really need to have connections to get in with any of the major barns.

Thanks, maybe so, we are low on connections, but that's why this quarter horse sweepstake in Kentucky is supposed to be so important. Probably temporary compared to the TB etc.
His college had taken a tour of the SB, and TB ranches in Tennesse & Kentucky.

I did not know there were so many ranches in NE, or SD. And of course his passion is the Arabian.

Thanks for the reply. Sue

Now is definitely not the time to get involved in the TB industry, at least in KY. All the farms around central KY have been laying off grooms, office help, & sales help, for over a year now. Even some veterinarians have been let go from large clinics. The sales have been affected heavily by the banking industry & many breeding horses have been shipped to states like PA & LA since they have slots money & KY hasn't passed slots yet.

When National City Bank was bought by PNC Bank, PNC axed the equine lending division, which was where most of the pinhookers & industry players were getting their loans to buy at the sales. The fall sale prices were supposedly a bit better than last year, but no where near pre-banking crisis levels. Industry experts predict a long recovery.
Also be aware while the cost of living in KY is I think about 15% below national average, the pay scale is 20% below national average. It's typical of farms to work people 6-7 days a week on a small salary, & management positions are difficult to obtain unless one is a European male.
Quarter horses have outnumbered TBs in KY since way before the last 2 years.

Hummm. Thanks for that information.
If I wanted to contact Quarter horse breeding farms in Kentucky where would I begin? Or PA & LA?

Look on the KyQHA website. They have a nice site w/lots of info. The Ky Horse Council has a lot of resources now too. Not sure about PA, I haven't visited there much lately, but many states have an active QH assn. & state Horse Council which may a starting point.
I spent several months living in France this year, where I discovered western & reining growing by leaps & bounds, as well as Polish National Champ Stallion Harbin hidden away at one of the French National Stud farms, Haras du Pin!

Thanks for the links. How truly wonderful to make your discoveries in France.
It seems France may be interested in the Polish and a bit of Russian?? Or are they all into the sport horses? We did see some interest in Germany for Fresians. They show all in white and sometimes wear "western aussie hats". That was fun, too. Please stay in touch.
Sue

Harbin was 2004 National Champion Stallion of Poland, over Piaff! He's by the renowned Eukaliptus, out of the Palas daughter Halfa. But the reason they have him in France is because of his race record: in the money 17 times in 18 starts on the track with 5 wins & 4 seconds too.
The French are into breeding & racing Anglo-Arabs & endurance with full Arabs.. They do some halter showing but from what I understand, they are only recently starting to focus on Arab type as opposed to racing or endurance.

Anyway the state stud farms offer good stallions at very affordable prices, as a service to local breeders & to promote agriculture. Amazing compared to KY, where horses are not even considered agriculture!