Our mares, in particular, have to live up to the standard of the old, gentle mares I rode as a kid. An example illustrates what I mean by a gentle mare. My grandfather’s mare Charla, that Dad trained in 3 days and could be trusted with anyone was the epitome of a gentle mare. When I was very young, Dad and I were riding around the farm. As we neared the barn, Dad’s gelding heard the other horses calling and he bolted towards the barn. I mean he took off like a rocket. Dad was thrown and Charla did not move an inch. She calmly looked down at Dad (as did I), wondering if he was okay. I don’t think she even flinched. She had resisted what was probably the oldest calling in a horse’s nature- to run with the herd. I think about that day a lot- it has a lot to do with why I’m still surrounded by horses.
It is hard to summarize how absolutely invaluable a grand, old, mare can be. They are not always “easy”, and mares like Sage can be downright intolerant of something they think of as “unfair”. However, with a kid plopped on their back, will put up with nearly anything, because they know how precious the passenger is. I don’t know if many people today really understand what the old timers meant by a “gentle” mare. This is the kind of mare we look for when selecting breeding stock.
As you can probably tell, I love mares.
McGuire’s Carbonara, aka “Ladybird”
Ladybird, a black mare that is full of the foundation breeding that the McGuire Farms is known for. Her lines include Nick, Blue Man McGuire, Neace’s Blue Lady (by Tobe), China Blue, Toco Sam, and Smith’s Ginger. Her conformation is near perfect and she is a very pretty mover. Best of all, she is a sweetheart- a true people loving horse.
LF Sterling Liberty Bell, aka “Belle”
Belle is a broodmare prospect for Sentinel Oak Farm. I have tried for years to get a broodmare by Buddy’s Mountain Major, and those efforts have yielded great geldings, but no fillies. A few years ago, one of Bill Haack’s mares caught my eye, but was not for sale. Fast forward to 2017, and she gave birth to a filly that was stamped with the best qualities of the breed. Belle has a tremendous build, good bone, and near perfect conformation. She is calm, curious and people loving. Her pedigree is outstanding, going back to Buddy Roe, Nuncio, Polly, Johnson’s Toby and Jock. Buddy Roe was a horse that could do it all- Carl Vivian could hitch him to a log and the next day enter him in the show ring. Nuncio and Johnson’s Toby were two of Kilburn Chocolate Sundowns very best sons– Nuncio was the ambassador for the Rocky Mountain Horse breed for many years and Johnson’s Toby was known for his speed. Finally, Jock has been described as the most gentle Rocky Mountain stallion to have lived.