Kirkcarrion Highland Ponies

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Identikit Pony!

A couple of years ago I was looking for a new broodmare and in searching I tried to form a picture of what I was looking for which I thought might interest you!

mare obviously, ideal age range 5-10 but older mare or young filly worth looking at
has Glensuie and/or Glen Aigas lines preferably, but Department lines definitely
looks like Esme of Armoury for features/conformation
produces consistently good quality (preferably filly) foals that are preferably solid colour more often than grey
yellow dun, mouse dun or bay
plenty of bone
pretty head
kind temperament, good mother, well behaved with stallion and in company in field or on showfield
no white markings at all
preferably proven broodmare with history of easy birthing
affordable!

In the end I got 3 new female ponies rather than one (!) - Rosie was an 11yo mare with Whitefield and Tower breeding but a substantial experienced pony who had bred 2 purebred foals and a part bred (to an Andalusian stallion) that was just being weaned. She was also a ridden pony and has turned out to fulfil that role for me rather than breeding. Rowena on the other hand, was 7 and had a Glen Suie line, a mouse dun (a colour I didn't have!) and was unsuitable for riding due to an early injury. She bred a superb part bred colt for me, and then went two years in succession to purebred Highland Tarka of Orangefield, where I have to say I have been delighted with two yellow dun filly foals of superb temperament and excellent bone and presence. She is now going to my own homebred stallion so fingers crossed she can be this consistent all the time! Xee was a filly foal, again with a Glen Suie line and potential to show in hand before I start breeding.

I then decided I was looking more at bringing on fillies of my own breeding rather than buying in mares in future, as it gives a range of ages and I have something to do with them while I wait as I just adore showing in hand with youngstock. That said, not long after I purchased Fiona of Woodside, one of those things really but she's again a traditional pony of Orangefield and Invervack lines, consistent to my type and with a history of easy breeding (one covering at one season in one case!) which she has continued since her arrival. She has produced a strong filly to Beechwood Maol Rubha, an Invervack/Turin Hill lines stallion and is now hopefully in foal to my homebred stallion for 2004.

It just goes to show how good plans aren't always the best and flexibility is crucial within clear ideas of essential/desirable criteria. It turned out that type and bloodlines were more important to me than colour and age, Xee for example is still only 3 and won't be bred till 2004 so I'll have waited 4-5 years to get her first foal! Whereas Rosie sounded ideal as a broodmare but turned out to be perfect as a ridden pony and hopeless as a breeding mare! And only Rowena was solid coloured, the others are all various shades of cream or grey dun! C'est la vie as they say. But when I do see a mare/filly and keep going back for another look, I know better than to ignore that gut instinct that says "take me home NOW"! And rather than be inundated by suitable ponies, the right ones have just popped up where I least expect them.

But consistency does emerge - all four have excellent temperaments, plenty of bone and generally good manners, no white markings and in the case of the older mares, both are well behaved with a stallion.

Anyway, my next move was to take on my own stallion for breeding, and I considered a few ponies that I would have liked but weren't available, one or two that were available but weren't within my gameplan, and then, with the birth of Briagh's colt foal Bratach, I believe I have solved my problem! He is a great grandson of Glen Suie which isn't that close but there are other good lines in there, including my foundation line through Portia and the late Innes of Invervack through sire and Life Premium Kestrel of Fourmerk. He is a strong bay colour, has a lovely head, substantial bone and a superb temperament. I also have the bonus of having bred him myself and knowing what his history is, plus he bears my stud name which is a plus. So, I had to wait a couple of years to see if he'd make it, and make other arrangements for the intervening period, but at the age of 2 he was licenced with some lovely comments from the inspecting vet, and promptly got both his first two mares in foal at the first season (after the usual novice blundering and being told off!). His first crop of 2 foals are eagerly awaited in 2004.

So, is that it for mare/filly shopping? Theoretically yes it should be but lately I've been hankering for another mare to put to Bratach. I have 3 breeding mares, one of whom is his mother, and to my mind it would be nice for her and her (externally bred) foal to have company of another mare and foal. Plus it gives me another opportunity to look for a Glen Suie mare, of whom there are now sadly fewer than ever and many of them in their late teens. There are a few around the 10-14 age range though, and if I found one of those for sale, with a foal at foot or in foal preferably, I'd probably snap her up! Or perhaps an Orangefield, Invervack or other line back to Knocknagael stallions. I don't know, but my mind is open and while I'm not looking actively I'd love to hear of any reasonably priced mares of that type. Or a decent filly but they're harder to get at the right price as prices for youngsters are rising just now.

Anyone want to tempt the weak willed pony hoarding fan???

E-mail: a.douglas@dundee.ac.uk
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