“Braveheart” Earns His Keep
Remember this is a farm post……………………….
I ramble on about farm things.
Farm things are not always polished/pretty/and polite……………….well, what’s considered polite by suburban, well-scrubbed ratings anyway.
But I try to be factual………………well, fairly factual…………..I attempt to be, anyway.
Brave is entering into a new phase of his life.
Successfully and fruitfully, I hope.
It’s time.
In fact, it’s over-due.
In the very near future, we are going to start training him, so that we can collect and ship his semen.
Well, let’s face it……………….some aspect of this entire process he already knows quite well.
Additionally, he has very valuable stud potential.
Like I’ve mentioned before, his father was Galway Warrior.
(The following website and video are from Black Forest Shires website.)
Galway Warrior <—Click on his name for more information.
“The” Galway Warrior, and the Queen of England’s Drum Horse. The real Queen of England.
To be fair………….she has had a number of Drum Horses over the years.
I had the opportunity to use some of Mom’s & Dad’s inheritance money when they passed to buy horse semen………………………
I think they would have approved. I really do.
My daughters are fourth generation horse breeders.
I’ve got some old photos of hunter/jumpers my grandfather bred…………………..when/if I figure out how to copy them on this blog-thing, I will……………………..they’re truly phenomenal.
………….anyway, investing in horse semen made good sense to me.
(To quote my Dad———“just like the man who sat on the cactus, it seemed like the thing to do at the time.”……………………….?)
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And then with a little bit of help from FedEx, modern science, the long reach of our vet, and a willing Lady Christina (my Clydesdale mare)………………….Brave made his debut here on our farm eleven months later.
*****(Real quick aside……………Why is it always dead-quiet at the crowded FedEx pick-up desk when they ask you……………”And what is the contents of this package, Ma’am?”)-(And yes, I have been at many pick-up counters over the years, retrieving various “Bio-Hazard” containers of critter’s semen along with baby chicks and/or other assorted/mundane—-yet startling—-farm things.)-(And yes, I always seem to stand out in said-crowd with an answering voice that is always too loud, incurring a great many worried mumblings, along with quick shuffling out of my way, and resulting silent stares following my exit out of the FedEx building——–awkward moments…………..good times.)*****
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And now it’s time for Brave to earn his keep and make babies.
Eezy peezy…………………………right?
Well…………….that’s my plan, anyway…
To collect from Brave and ship cooled and/or frozen semen to prospective mares for artificial insemination.
I wasn’t agile or quick enough before to be able to help train Brave to a “phantom” mare.
(A phantom mare actually does look a lot like a gymnastics horse———-with a few extra attributes).
A human has to be capable of putting the stallion in the right place at the right time……………………and then be quick enough to get out of the way and let nature take its course.
And now with bionic hips and knees, I can do this!
I should probably invest in a football helmet.
I’ve got the speed of a super hero now (ha!).
I’m up to the task of training Brave how to use a phantom………….along with the help & direction of more experienced people.
Then it’s up to the “receiving” mares.
Over the years, we’ve had a number of foals born here both from cooled semen technique and frozen semen methods……………………….really not too dissimilar……………………..and let’s not forget the old-fashioned way, too.
This science and technology stuff really does work!
Don’t worry Brave, science will never take your place.
