40 years of raising little horses
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It was my father's belief that a kid with a horse,
a dog and a full belly should have no complaints.
Kids - Horses - Friends - Food - Fun
and a Whole Lot of Love
Welcome to the Lucky Hart Ranch.I can sum our breeding program up in three words -- Rowdy, Buckeroo, and now Express.
It took twenty years, three Rowdy sons, five Buckeroo sons and alot of culling to get where we are today.
We tried to save the best Rowdy granddaughters. They are our foundation mares. And then bred them to Buckeroo sons. The best females of this cross, which we call our Rowbucks, have been saved to be our broodmares and are now being bred to Mountain Meadows D's American Express.
Pedigree is everything to me. Maybe because I love the 36 inch horse most of my best horses are registered with AMHR, but I feel that AMHA is on the right track with eventually having everything parent qualified.
I can't stand any miniature horse that has the dwarfy charactaristics. Don't give me that dome head. I can just see the big teeth bumps later. I get the shivers just thinking about it.
I love a beautiful little headed horse with little teeth. And a narrow bridge. I like a large expressive eye but not bulging out of its head. I want an upheaded horse with a medium length back and a long neck. Also give me a horse with a good hip. I don't mind if a horse is a little hocky, but it had better not drop off and hop like a kangaroo.
I want good hoofs that wear evenly and don't need to be trimmed all the time. I LOVE tipped in ears, right on the top of their heads. And I love a horse that can bend at the pole and tuck its head to its chest.
All of these things are characteristics that we have strived for. But more importantly, we have bred for characteristics that don't show up by just looking at the horse. Our horses have been bred to be good broodstock. What good is it if you raise a horse that is pretty and that is all.
Our mares foal in the pasture on their own and we don't loose many. One out of 50 maybe. We check many times a day and I catch many foaling, but I don't usually help them out. If it is a first time mare sometimes we will give her a break if she is not a good mother, but I will not tolerate it if it is an older mare that does not take care of her baby. The Rowdy mares are exceptionally good mothers.
Our stallions are pasture stallions and given the freedom and security of knowing that no one or nothing is going to challenge them for their mares. No other horses are within 1/2 mile of their pastures. They are always left alone once they go into their pasture with their girls. No adding and no taking out, unless there's an emergency and then we don't let them see us take one away. That being said, the rest is their job. If they can't cut it, they are gone. Sometimes there are still mares to foal when the stallions are turned out. Our stallions must keep an eye on her, leave her alone for a few days and then let her back in the bunch when she feels safe enough to join in. Most will do so as it is nature's way and it is his job.
Well, that's about it. I guess I could go on about all the winning our horses have done in the show ring, but I am more excited about the future that Lucky Hart mares will have for years to come for other breeders.