Here's my little Cheval Canadien

[Tia]

He is such a little cutie and I have never seen so much fur! I think he is lovely. His father is very Andalusian-looking;jet black, with the arched neck and mane down to his belly-line and his mother is just as flashy so I have high hopes for this little chap.

I really really like him. I don't know whether you can see the size of his knees in the picture but they are huge!

I think he looks like a little Aberdeen Angus calf in this picture.

And here he is with some of the other littlies.

 

[Hornby]

What a sweetie! He seems to be getting on with everyone well...what are the plans for him? (and how big will he grow?)

 

[harvgj19]

Awwwww, pretty!

He is a little black fluffball isn't he. If he grows up to be like the pic you posted earlier he will be GORGEOUS!

 

[madgirl]

aww so sweet!

 

[meandmyself]

He's lovely!

 

[vivhewe]

What a bunch of lovelies they are but he's really going to grow up to be a cracker!

Fluffies are soooo cute too tho!

 

[sojeph]

Oh now he IS cute

 

[rach1984horse]

He's lovely. Chest nut in the last pic has really pretty face markings. Can we see a full pic?

 

[Tia]

A full piccy of the chestnut? I think I have one of him somewhere - will try to dig it out.

 

[S_N]

Is he a pure bred then, but gelded? He's gonna be large

 

[Tia]

Ye does seem to be a total sweetheart. I'm really not sure what the plans are for him - he was a bit of an impromptu buy

.

He will only make about 15.2hh. His mother is 15.3hh and father is 15.2hh - both absolute stunners! The stallion was actually very like my stallion; incredibly quiet and gentle.....I'd have taken him if I didn't already have a stallion......and of course if I had that sort of money, which I don't.

There are only 2,500 Canadiens in the whole world - they are at Critical on the Rare Breeds Register so my thinking is that either he may make a decent little showjumper, perhaps a trail horse, maybe just a mascot as you hardly ever see them around here (too expensive for most folks - waay too expensive for me too normal price for one of this breeding is around 4.5K for a weanling - but someone was shining down on me that day - just happened to be a right place at the right time scenario) or maybe he will become a seller-on. I honestly have no idea what I will do with him but I hope to have fun deciding. His breeder is trying to get me into showing him; but I am not a showing-girl sadly.

 

[Tia]

Yes he is a pure-bred Canadien, registered and standing at 92% pure, which is very high apparently. I have just been very quickly learning about Canadiens (I knew nothing prior to a few days ago) and how the breed has come back from the brink of extinction. There were only 400 of them in the 1970's and when things looked dire the Canadian Govt became heavily involved in the preservation of the breed. They seem to be succeeding, albeit slowly.

He is gelded but I'm not so sure he will be too big - I would like him to be 15.2hh as that is a decent size.

 

[Tia]

The piccy earlier was a nice horse - but I am hoping to go back down to his breeder and take some piccies of his sire. This horse is absolutely stunning! Far more impressive than the one shown earlier.

I'm hoping he will be delightful too.

 

[Tia]

Thank you everyone who said he was cute - well he should be thanking you really

. He is darned cute. Honestly you should see the thickness of his coat

. He's a funny looking little thing - bit of a calf face, bless him.

I bought him sight-unseen and it was a really rushed job, so I wasn't sure what he would look like but when I went to collect him I just thought he was adorable.

 

[Sooty]

He is gorgeous - lovely proportions, like a miniature horse. I see what you mean about looking like a calf! Does he have a name yet?

 

[S_N]

OMG - Tia, I have to have one!! I've just been browsing that site and WOW!!!! The history of the breed is just fascinating!! This picture is breath taking!!

I posted this in the other thread aobut the breed, but thought you'd see this in this one! Hopefully your chap will look like this eh - and if he grows to over 16hh - I'll have him!

 

[Tia]

This breed has a really neat way of naming horses; the first part has to be the registered name of the stud farm, the second part has to be the foal's sire's "barn-name" and the final part has to be a name beginning with a set letter; 2006 started with an "S". His name is Skip; well this is the last part of his name; here is his pedigree: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com

The proportions aren't too bad ..... all except for the knees, LOL!! That was the first thing I noticed about him - they are just enormous. Oooh I just want to squoosh him - he's sooo fluffy and cuddly.

 

[Tia]

Oh yeah that is a beautiful horse! Gosh I do believe I could be a convert, LOL!!

I am going back to see the stallion and the dam and will get some piccies of them. Becoming the owner of this little foal is one of my bigger moments of incredible luck and I do feel quite lucky to have him and he will be appreciated.

Are there many Canadiens in England - I don't know anyone who has them.

 

[Enfys]

Gorgeous little man Tia, once again, someone has been smiling down on you. I look forward to hearing how he progresses.


Totally off subject, apologies. Is that a bank barn in the background? Being nosy here, we went to see a place with one and the Realtor nearly fell through the floor it was so rotten!

 

[Tia]

Yes you have to be careful of bank barns, and yes it is. The floor on ours is in decent order but I certainly wouldn't be driving my tractor into the top part of it LOL! A friend of ours did and his tractor wheel fell through!

Silly person. We are having some of our beams replaced next year although they are probably good for another 5 years....but would rather be safe than sorry.

I think we have come up with a stable name for this foal - I am liking it more and more.......Polar. I do appreciate irony and I think it is pretty quirky. As a lot of you will know; the little chestnut in the last photo is last year's foal and I named him Skipper so didn't really want another with that name. I can't do anything about his registered name though, but at home he can be known as whatever we choose.

 

[S_N]

No, I think the only one was the Queens Burmeese (sp?). How says I need to find one over here - Canada is looking quite attractive............

 

[MillionDollar]

He is stunning, i love black horses for starters but he is just so gorgeous!

Can i ask why he was gelded? Seems such a shame really? But i know you can't keep everyone entire, lol

 

[Snowberry]

OMG what a cutie!!

and how do you keep all their rugs so sparkly clean??!! All of mine have grey/brown rugs after 24hours!!!! lol

 

[Patches]

What a little stunner!

Judging by SN's picture, he's going to grow up to be a very special man. You must be incredibly excited. I can see you and Megaribbon having to draw straws to settle who'll ride him!

Lovely! What with him and Cloud's foalie due next year, you're having an exciting horsey time of it. Christmas has certainly come early on Planet Tia!

 

[Tia]

I don't know why he was gelded but my guess would be that even though the breed is at critical levels, the breeders with a passion for restoring the breed possibly only want stallions with 100% purity to the original foundation horses. I could be totally off the mark here mind you, so don't put any stock in what I say. I don't know the breed well at all - I'm just a newbie at it.

Of course it could just have been that because the sire and dam are owned by the same chap and neither of them, nor the foal were for sale. So perhaps he was worried about foal covering his mother?

 

[Tia]

The answer to sparkly rugs = no mud.

It's too cold here for mud thank goodness.

 

[Tia]

Oh Meg loves him. She went straight out to him when she came home from school and was leading him around and picking out his feet and grooming him. I think she is quite taken with him too.

 

[Irishcobs]

Wow he is nice. Looks like he's going to make a nice horse.
I've just looked up the breed. Very nice, I like alot. Good find there.

 

[Tia]

He found me.

Just one of those offers that you can't turn down, LOL!

 

[henryhorn]

You've got snow Tia, you didn't say!!!!
I like him and yes, I would have bought him too....