INCREASED INTEREST IN PLEASURE HORSE ACTIVITY EXPOUNDED BY READER
The following letter was received by The Voice Editor . We feel it represents a point well taken and is worthy of the attention of all our readers . We appreciate such inquiry and interest . “ Dear Mr . Green : “ This is a plea for recognition of the “ forgotten man ,” the small stable owned and operated by one who loves horses and would like to raise pleasure Tennessee Walking Horses for sale , and a modest profit . Perhaps the small operator hoping for a modest profit is a thing of the past . I abhor this thought , since I belong in this category . While living on the West Coast , and keeping a few Quarter brood mares , I bought for my personal riding horse a Registered Tennessee Walking mare . She is a granddaughter of ROAN ALLEN , and almost old enough to vote . I loved riding this old bald faced mare , but found my time taken up with my young Quarter horses , so I bred her to one of the Bishop stallions . Soon after this we sold our ranch and moved to Virginia . This old mare and her filly , out of GOLD BOOTS , have become the foundation for a setup to raise registered Tennessee Walking Horses for pleasure riding .
Being a newcomer to the Walking Horse field , I began to look around for stallions , and a market for my young stock . What I have found has not been encouraging . The emphasis in publications and shows seems to be on the show horse . While I have nothing against show horses . I realize that sires of show horses do not always produce the temperament required for a pleasure horse . The breeder of pleasure stock should look for good conformation , good disposition . and intelligence in a sire . I found many good stallions available for breeding , but most of them were out of show lines . I can understand why a stable would prefer to stand a GO BOY or MID NIGHT SUN line ; these are well known lines the public has seen and heard about . Their foals sell themselves . I am sure there ate good stallions available for breding pleasure horses . The question is . where are they , and what will it take to make them known to the public and potential breeders ?
In trying to find a market for my young stock . I went to small , local shows and some larger ones . I found the same problem . The small shows have a class for Walking Horses , but these are only stepping stones to the big one . If there were a pleasure class , all breeds and grades were classed together . As for the larger shows , the classes for show horses outnumber those for pleasure horses . It ’ s quite true that the paying customer comes to see the high stepping horses , but if he wants to buy a horse for a pleasant ride , he hardly knows where to start looking . Potential owners I have talked to seldom realize that a show horse does not often make a quiet pleasure horse . They want a well bred good looking horse with an easy gait , gentle and intelligent .
How do you stimulate and educate this potential buyer ? We all know the Tennessee Walking Horse has the qualities the buyer is looking for . The best way to interest this buyer is to show him this horse he wants . Small local shows should have a class for registered pleasure horses . The stable area should be convenient and open to the public so the horses could be seen under all conditions . Perhaps Mama could be persauded to stop cleaning tack and show how easy it is to wash and groom the family pet . The atmosphere around local shows is usually friendly , so I am sure the owner would be delighted to show and talk about his horses . The biggest problem would be to shut him up . Area workshops could be of great assistance to the small owner-breeder-trainer , and the potential buyer . An entrance fee would be necessary and
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perhaps owners could get together and underwrite the expense . An experienced trainer should be engaged to conduct classes in handling and training from young foals to the finished product ." I am
aware that in a class of this kind the trainer would only be able to give suggestions and a general plan . Halter classes for brood mares , weanlings and yearlings would provide a showcase for your breeding lines . A discussion group where owners could talk over their problems with each other , and thereby benefit from the experience of others , would be interesting . The most valuable item on the agenda could be a discussion conducted by an expert , on how to sell both young stock and finished pleasure horses . I attended a workshop held at the C . C . Turner Farm . It was both interesting and informative , but again the emphasis was toward show horses . Another suggestion for stimulating interest in the pleasure horse would be for the Voice to recognize the potential interest in the pleasure horse and his owner . Give us some news or articles about this side of the breed .
Perhaps the greatest need is to acquaint the buyer with what it costs the breeder to produce a well trained pleasure horse . The breeder ’ s initial investment is in equipment ; barns , fences , pasture , tack , etc . Then his investment in brood stock : stud fees and transportation for mares to the stallion . This is only the beginning . The foals arrive : the mares handle this board bill for a couple of weeks , but the foals soon have their heads in the feed trough along with the mares . The mares should be re-bred , so back to the stallion they go and in come bills for breeding , board and transportation . The mares are back home and eating heartily . By this time the foals should be handled and taught some of the amenities . By late summer the foals are weaned : they need supplementary feed to offset the shock of weaning ,
and more constant handling . Grass is getting short , so more hay and grain is required ; winter comes
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