The grey Davenport mare, Soave, well bred (Sargeant Major CF/Chablis CF) and of distinguished lines, has arrived Sensible, intelligent and of a lovely upright "Saqlawi"-type conformation, Soave will either be bred to Starantez, or to his sire, Kamil Antez, (while we still can.) Meanwhile, she'll have her earlier English training brushed up by me. Hopefully we'll be able to enter Soave in an endurance ride or two as well. I'll put pictures up soon...
Unfortunately, the Pritzlaffs will not be coming here after all. It seems the Klinginsmith Estate's executor has changed her mind and is unwilling to provide financing for them. This is certainly a disappointment and frustration, as alot of energy and money went into preparations for their arrival. But we'll turn it around and put those facilities to use with our Davenport program. If you happen to be the lucky soul who ends up with Alblua or Bint Pinnacle, let me know?
Soave was located with a person who bought her as a riding horse from a stable - for the back-due board fees! The heritage of these horses is far too rare, irreplaceable, for such a circumstance to have transpired.
If you know of a Davenport, or other Al Khamsa eligible horse which is in the hands of people unaware of their history and lineage, please contact me. Someone may want to make offer on the horse, in order to preserve its genes. At the very least, we'll want to inform the person of their horse's special history and help to make sure it lives a long, happy, healthy life.
A Note on the Handling and Diet of an Arab horse...
Pure-bred Arabian horses lived on nearly nothing for centuries in the desert. Their systems are considerably different than other breeds. In order to maintain good health, certain minimal dietary differences are in order. For example, they should not be fed alot of alfalfa. Rather than being a boon to them, this can effectively clog their gastro-intestinal tract, leading to colic and eventual death. Is it not ironic that one of their strengths (being able to survive on poor diet) could be turned against them by people intending to feed them well? If you have a Davenport or other true, full-blooded Arabian horse, please take the time to find out about their rich heritage and dietary and handling/training differences. These horses are not like most, and need to be handled in a different way than a Quarterhorse, Thoroughbred, Appaloosa or mixed breed. Again, get in touch with the Arabian Horse Registry, Al Khamsa, or myself, if you've questions. Many Arabians have been thought to be uncooperative simply because the training was too heavy-handed. With today's trend towards Natural Horsemanship, the tide is turning, but there's still a long way to go til we're living and working harmoniously with these truly magical creatures.