Quarter Horses & Paints
56th Annual Production Sale - September 9, 2007 - 1PM

In 1948, Raymond and his brother, John, bought Quarter Horse mares of Yellow Wasp/Bivins breeding. The first registered foals were born on the ranch in 1949 and named Agar Peggy and Agar Goldy. Today, the horse unit of the ranch consists 120 registered Quarter Horses and Paints. The majority of the population is 90 broodmares. There are also stallions, young fillies (to be used as replacement mares when they become three-year-olds) and a group of working geldings.

Mares
Although a number of the mares have been broken and used briefly to work cattle or in the showring, their function is to produce foals for our annual production sale held annually in September. Each mare is continually evaluated as to her contribution to the breeding program. They must be able to produce saleable offspring, but beyond this, these mares must have disposition, conformation, and ability; they must be able to pass these desirable traits on their produce. Any mare not meeting these standards is not retained in the breeding program.

Stallions
Our stallions are used mainly for breeding, although occasionally they may be called upon to work cattle for we feel that they must be able to prove their ability. However, because we are very serious about our breeding program, we hesitate to put them in positions that could cause possible injury. Instead we rely on their get to do the hard work. The ranch stallions and mares sire all geldings in the remuda. This way we have first hand knowledge of the success of our program.

Our geldings are used exclusively for ranch work. Although we do some of our cattle work from the cab of the old "4 x 4", the majority of livestock work is horseback. Horses are called upon to sort, move, help doctor or anything else needed to keep our cattle healthy. Our horses are very important as there are a number of places on the ranch and tasks that can only be done on horseback. At odd times they are even called upon to move bison.

Foals
Our philosophy is that the younger an animal begins to have a positive relationship with humans, the more productive the ensuring years will be. Annually we keep about 10-12% of our foals for replacement either as breeding stock or for cattle work. The majority of those kept, will go into our breeding program. All Foals, including those chosen for sale, are halter broken when they are 6-8 weeks old. We have found that very young foals do not learn as rapidly or retain what is learned as willingly as those a few weeks older. From 3 to 4 days are set aside and the 60 to 70 foals of the current year begin their schooling. Time spent on each individual foal varies, but the average is at least 45 to 60 minutes the first session. Each foal will have 2 - 3 more sessions before the sale.

Foals sold this year carried the bloodlines of: Cutter Bill, Doc Bar, Two Eyed Jack, Rapid Bar, Scooter S, Bill Cody, Leo, Par Three, Clabber Bars, Rimrock, Impressive, Mr. San Peppy, Peppy San Badger, Young Gun, Cielo Del Gaello, Pretty Boy, King, Jet Threat, Jackie Bee, Skip Silent, Skipper W, Te 'N Te, Boston Mac and Blondy's Dude.

Health and Nutrition
All horses are vaccinated and wormed in the spring and fall – competition horses more often. Horses receive Rhino, Tetanus, Sleeping Sickness, West Nile and flu shots. We do not breed a large number of outside mares and any mare coming into breed must arrive with all shots and health certification. All our horses are Coggins tested. Doctoring of specific problems is done on an individual basis through consultation with Heather Sutton, DVM or our local veterinarian.

Non-competition horses (broodmares, geldings, replacement stock) are left on good native grass pastures with generous supplies of fresh water and trace mineral salt. The mares and foals are placed on free choice pelleted creep from the end of July until the sale in September. During snowy months, the pasture is supplemented with alfalfa hay, ear corn and range cake. Our ranch is blessed with artisan wells so a supply of fresh, warm water is available year around.

Awards
In 2001 our ranch was honored with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Legacy Award, and in 2000 was honored with the AQHA 50 Year Cumulative Award. Our stallions and mares have also earned the AQHA year end Get-of-Sire and Produce of Dam awards as well as having Solid Gold Edition in the top 5 AQHA Aged Stallion group for two years.

In 2004 we registered our 1900th foal. An example of honors earned by foals purchased in our sales include: a 2-time world champion PHBA youth pole horse, the 2001 AQHA High Point Amateur International yearling filly, the 2002 Wrangler Tour Champion Barrel Horse, the 2002 PHBA Reserve World Champion youth barrel horse, the 2001, 2002, & 2003 SDQHA high point youth pole and barrel horse. There has never been a year in the 50 year history of the SDQHA that at least on of our horses didn't bring year end awards.