End of an Era!

Maesfen

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Today saw the end of an era for me as I finally hung up my breeding boots by saying goodbye to my lovely mare, Bea (Witches Broom) as she's gone to a new home to continue breeding some top class youngsters. The person who has bought her is sending her to some high quality stallions, ones I could only dream about using so her future is very bright indeed.

Bea is a great character with a sense of humour and came to me on loan at first from siennamiller on here and I later bought her; she gave me a lovely filly by One More Tiger which again on here (do you see a pattern?!) The Mule has on loan to compete and is doing a fantastic job with her; she then was loaned to Zoe Taylor (TayloredEqustrian on here!) and had another lovely filly to Zoe's stallion, Valeur R; I then had two H Tobago colts from her which most of you have seen.

Today she played up for the first time by not being caught which is totally unheard of, she's always first one to the gate. Then when the transport arrived she decided she wasn't playing ball, loaded OK (it's the only time she needs a chifney!) then pulled back, broke her headcollar and skedaddled around the common before ending up in the neighbour's field being a tart with their hunter who wasn't impressed at his space being invaded! Next time loaded straight away with butter doesn't melt in her mouth expression that she does so well, the old baggage! :D
I will miss her hugely but she would have been totally wasted as I'm not breeding any longer and she has a great chance now to produce something fabulous; I do hope so.

Just after she had first been covered by OMT.
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Just after she had been graded with SHBGB into their Head Stud Book and she had the top score of all mares for that year! Very proud moment and thanks to Zoe for instigating it!
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Kitty
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Sparks just born!
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One of my favourite pictures of all time!
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Merlin
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This was taken last week and shows her off!
 

Spring Feather

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You'll miss it! But you'll be able to live vicariously through the new owner and keep tabs on how she and her foals are doing. Best wishes to you, to Bea and her future babies, and of course to her new owner :smile3:
 

Jesstickle

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Any plans to keep yourself occupied now you won't have to be on foal watch all spring? Won't it be exciting to see what lovely babies she makes in her new home :)
 

eventrider23

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Awww naughty Bea! You will def be able to keep track of things with her and as SF says live vicariously through her new babies not to mention you may well have Kitty carrying her line on for you one day considering she is only off on loan!
 

Maesfen

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Thanks.

Yes SF, I will miss it (I have withdrawal symptoms already for this year!) but the time was right and I couldn't have wished for a better home for her plus I have visiting granny rights so she's not lost altogether to me.

Jess, will probably look for a poor project of some sort - but preferably not a mare in foal!

Plus today I've been given the hoping to do diary dates for Kitty so that's a lot to look forward to. I still have Manny and Merlin here to keep me amused but I've never been down to so few since before '85! Eek, that sounds scary!
 

PorkChop

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What a lovely video - what fun they are having!

It sounds like she is going to the perfect home, and she is a quality mare so they are very lucky :)
 

Rollin

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How wonderful that all your horses have such good homes and you have so much to look forward to in their future.

Enjoy your semi retirement.
 

AdorableAlice

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She is the most beautifully put together mare I think I have ever seen. A proper horse.

I am a little concerned you might be bored so I have popped a project in the post for you.
 

Maesfen

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She is the most beautifully put together mare I think I have ever seen. A proper horse.

I am a little concerned you might be bored so I have popped a project in the post for you.

Thanks AA, she's very special though that wasn't what I was calling her during her escapade but at least it stopped me crying when she went, I was just relieved she was all in one piece!

Not the gorgeous Ted? He'd fit right in with Manny the Mammoth, they could play the who gets highest first and Merlin could bite their knees!
 

Feival

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Out of interest, why sell her on to keep breeding? why not give her a nice relaxed foal free life? Sorry not keen on mares being repeatedly bred from.
 

Impu1sion

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She is such a gorgeous girl, sure she will enjoy popping out a few more, and you will enjoy from a distance. Lovely video!
 

cptrayes

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Out of interest, why sell her on to keep breeding? why not give her a nice relaxed foal free life? Sorry not keen on mares being repeatedly bred from.

You've not seen brood mares beg any vaguely masculine gelding they can get near to give them a baby then :) ?

I find that a very odd opinion, it is what they are designed to do. Do you have the same problem with them being ridden year after year, which they were not designed to do?


Enjoy the freedom Maesfen!
 

Hurricanelady

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What an absolutely fabulous mare Bea is, all the very best wishes for her, her future foals and you. Sounds like she's going to a lovely home and great that you'll be able to keep in touch and still see her :)
 

AdorableAlice

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Out of interest, why sell her on to keep breeding? why not give her a nice relaxed foal free life? Sorry not keen on mares being repeatedly bred from.

What a rude, uneducated and needless statement. A classic comment from an all the gear and no idea horse keeper, who evidently would not recognise a quality horse if it trod on her foot. The mare in question is a premium mare, proven and the type of mare that has and will breed top competition horses. Your sentiments are best directed at the endless rubbish being bred on the side of the road, not at an experienced and very much respected horsewoman who has forgotten more than most of us know about keeping, riding, breeding and producing horses.
 

Feival

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No it is not what they are 'designed' to do. do you have countless babies year after year? if not why not after all, that is a woman's 'purpose'
 

Maesfen

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How on earth do you think we evolve or improve species if it's not be bred from whether siring or producing? Bea is an outstanding example of a mare that should be bred from (not just my opinion but experienced evaluators) and she loves her job, is an excellent mother and produces some very fine examples of their type with the added bonus of having wonderful temperaments. How many other mares can you legitimately say the same?
I abhor the current practice of leaving every colt with balls so that it can produce no matter how ugly it is whereas before a lot of numpties and money makers came on the scene, all colts, unless incredibly well bred or perfect specimens of their type would be gelded as soon as possible. That is why we have such a proliferation of ugly, good for nothing but a can rejects that you see so pitifully at the markets or in rescue - if they are lucky enough to end up in one of course as many now are just dumped to take their luck because they are worthless.
 

Pinkvboots

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No it is not what they are 'designed' to do. do you have countless babies year after year? if not why not after all, that is a woman's 'purpose'
Most people that breed seriously do not put the same mare in foal every year, she is a premium graded mare and that is exactly the kind of horse you use to breed with, what should proper breeders do all give up and leave it to the idiots that just run any old stallion with any old mare and hope for the best!

Maesfen sorry to hear your giving up you have bred some lovely horses, she is a great example of a fabulous broodmare and will look forward to seeing all her lovely babies.
 

Pinkvboots

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What a rude, uneducated and needless statement. A classic comment from an all the gear and no idea horse keeper, who evidently would not recognise a quality horse if it trod on her foot. The mare in question is a premium mare, proven and the type of mare that has and will breed top competition horses. Your sentiments are best directed at the endless rubbish being bred on the side of the road, not at an experienced and very much respected horsewoman who has forgotten more than most of us know about keeping, riding, breeding and producing horses.

I just have to say AA what a fantastic post and agree totally.
 

HBM1

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No it is not what they are 'designed' to do. do you have countless babies year after year? if not why not after all, that is a woman's 'purpose'

i find it odd you are on a breeding forum complaining about breeding. Anyway, I have a video of when one of my foals was born and there is a mare in the paddock next door looking absolutely imploringly at the foal. She was born to be a mother, but hadn't been able to that year as she had suffered an injury. Mares let you know when they don't want a foal one year, they just don't get in foal! I think you should save your comments for those who do not care about their mares and do not give them good care whilst pregnant and after. We are not talking a 23 year old mare here who should be having a happy retirement after all.
 
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