Couldn't Wait......

Just could not wait until there was time to work with Lady to pull the sleigh - we decided to go "redneck" and hooked up to the quad! LOL It was lots of fun and good for a laugh!!!

Birthday Present

What a wonderful birthday gift! Sweet......just have to decide on what colour to paint her. Hopefully the weather will hold and I can have some time to get Lady used to it and do some driving! Very excited to try it out, but know I need to go step by step and do it properly. Ladyhawke is doing so well with her driving that I sure don`t want to do something stupid and scare her.

RIP Magpie

We said goodbye to |Airbourn Sidekick, more commonly known as Magpie, on December 4, 2011. She had had a pasture accident (ran a stick into her thigh rupturing a major blood vessel) and after successfully containing the bleeding and two weeks of intensive nursing care, the blood vessel ruptured again during the night and she bled out. We miss this tremendous mare a lot, pasture seems awfully empty without her larger than life personality. To make it even worse, she was in foal to Stars Fim Koppur and we were expecting a very special foal.......so sad.

Yearlings

Stars Bright Eyes

2010 Gelding

Stars Smokn Hot

2010 Gelding

Here are the two yearling geldings....they sure have grown a lot. Both have superb dispositions and are doing great. They are very strong Indian Shufflers and will make excellent riding horses when they are old enough.

Horse Show

AJ (Scoot) & Cat (Dan) after their Leadline Class

Kristin & Ima Dandy Dude

The Starmyri Appaloosa gang did ourselves proud at yesterdays horse show! The little dudes were super sweet, horses were great. Danny & Krissie absolutely did not embarass themselves in any way either - after many years of not showing or even riding much, she was pretty nervous. The judge even complimented his performance in the trail class. I know he is not an Appaloosa, but he is pretty much homegrown and Krissie did most of his training and I am proud of both!

Hay has Arrived!

We got 4 loads of hay in the yard as of Thursday - always a great feeling! Not having to worry about feeding horses over the winter that is for sure. One more load ordered but not in super hurry to get it now. It is really good, grass hay too so will work for my alfalfa allergic boy.

Wild Pink Yonder

Just getting ready to leave Breton on the Wild Pink Yonder ride for the cure of breast cancer! It was a superb experience and I met some very awesome people. Thank you to all my sponsors, your support is greatly appreciated. The Big Guy did very well on his first road riding experience too and his first time in parades! Very happy with him for sure......

Unusual Experience!

We had quite the experience out riding in the grazing lease last weekend! It is always somewhat unnerving when a wild animal does not behave in a "normal" manner and this fellow certainly did not! It isn't unusual for a wolf to be very curious and follow, just not quite this closely. Sure did get some great photos though, but the horses were somewhat uneasy about it all which is certainly understandable (we were too! LOL) At least this time there were cameras along to prove what we experienced! Photos taken on Friday July 22 and Saturday July 23. There were four riders on Friday and twelve on Saturday and he still followed closely!

STARS FIRE SHADOW

It has been so wet this past week again, rivers are overflowing their banks big time, very soggy. Beginning to get a bit annoying, would be very nice to get some riding and training done! My arena was more suited for canoe lessons today than horsemanship! I now appear to have a miserable summer cold - yay :(

Here is a photo of Fire that Krissie took last week when we had some sunshine. Pretty nice looking yearling, I think. He goes on Saturday to his new home along with KoKo. We shall miss them but it looks like they will have great homes.

It has been a few days of cleaning up after last weeks crazy storms, tremendous winds and rain and golf ball sized hail on Thursday and Friday. Electricity was out from 9 PM Thursday evening until 8 AM Friday. Grass is growing like crazy, just hope we start to get some haying weather so we can get good hay this year.

A Perfect Ride

Stephanie & Scoot, Anna & Honey, Lea & Kidd and Maddy in the front

First trail ride after our torrential rains! It was the most perfect evening and we had a lot of fun.....seems like we had been waiting forever to be able to do this.

Horseplay

After watching some video & getting some instruction, Lea decided to see what she could do with Kidd in the arena one afternoon. Here is some video of them playing together. A bit of demonstration of the effectiveness of doing things with a horse from their perspective......gotta love it! Lea is one of my RanchStay girls and she is from Germany where this approach to working with horses is not used. It is so great to be able to open new doors and present them with a different way of doing things - they all totally love it too.

Stars Ladyhawke

Here is Lady in driving training after 12 days! She is doing super well and can't wait to get her home and get started. Tom is doing a good job as usual. It is so much fun and I think I am hooked.

Busy, Busy!

Anna, Kindergarten class & Honey

We had a very busy Thursday - the kindergarten class enjoyed the various farm animals, petting horses and a nice snack time in the glorious sunshine! This may the only time some of these children get this close to a horse in their lifetime so it is very worth the time to spend with them. It is my way of contributing to the promotion of Alberta Agriculture and our rural lifetyle.

Ooooooh! my head hurts.....poor Bright Eyes after his surgery, he is officially a gelding now! :)

Time Flies

Stars Really Foxy & Lea Ride # 6

Honey & Anna

Pictures of my RanchStay girls working with a couple of green girls - all are doing very well! Honey will be ready for Catherine very soon. We are getting a lot of rain which makes things a bit challenging but it is also badly needed so are not complaining. Good to see the grass growing once more. Some sunshine would also help lots now too. I taught a Horsemanship Clinic last weekend which went well and everyone had fun. It is only 3 weeks and Anna (Switzerland) & Lea (Germany) will be gone, doesn't seem possible. Stephanie (Germany) arrived on Monday, so there is a housefull at the moment. We have accomplished lots despite the lack of cooperation from our weatherman. Two mares are bred with two left to be done. Stars Fire Shadow and Stars KoKo leave for their new homes on the 18th, we will sure miss those two yearlings. Stars Bright Eyes and Stars Smokn Hot have an appointment with the vet tomorrow which means they will be able to go out to pasture soon! Wildfire is going to be getting playmates, should make him happy.



Stars Wildfire

Here is a little video of our gorgeous black leopard colt at about 12 days old. He is certainly growing quickly, has a very good momma - old grandma girl thinks he is pretty good too! Wildfire seems to like the old grandma an awful lot as well, he sure was excited to see her tonight when I put them all back in their pens. It was pretty sweet to see them touching noses and talking through the fence.

2011 Colt at 4 Days

Our gorgeous 2011 colt out of Pratt Double Secret (wonderful momma) and Stars Fim Koppur at 4 days of age, a little bit more unfolded than in the previous post! He is so tall and correct, awesome. I still haven't decided on a name for him, but will pretty soon. What a character he is, so curious and outgoing. Our second 5 generation foal to be born here at Starmyri. We are getting there slowly but surely towards producing purebreds.....

He Has Arrived!

This gorgeous black leopard boy arrived at 11:55 PM on May 11, 2011. He appears to be homozygous for PATN1! Oreo really delivered (no pun intended LOL) - everything that I had hoped for. He is very tall, healthy and strong. Will post more pictures once he has unfolded a bit more and in the daylight! Absolutely stunning gorgeous head, super long hip - boy is he going to be a mover! Now, have to figure out a suitable name......This foal is not gaited, was not bred to be a shuffler.

Waiting and Waiting!

Pratt Double Secret

We are still waiting on the arrival of our one and only foal for 2011....she was due between May 6 and May 10 so maybe today will be the day! She is so big and uncomfortable and her udder is so full and painful looking. This waiting is so hard and am getting impatient.......:)

Check out Our YouTube Videos

Here is the link to out video page on YouTube, check it out whenever you have some time!

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhum

What a Weekend!

Got back from The Mane Event in Red Deer last night, what a great weekend it was! I chose not to work the whole weekend in the ApHCC booth this time so got to see many clinics and shop and visit! Worked a few hours on Saturday and Sunday in the CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) booth and got all caught up on what is happening with the association, it was great. There was two emails already this morning from head office and the co-ordinator thanking us all for our help - so nice.

Even got a good visit in with Josh and his mom, although one had to wait in line :) He is looking forward to picking on me again in September and I am looking forward to getting picked on!!!! Jonathan and family are doing well and Westin is sooo cute with his cowboy hat, boots and jeans. It will be interesting to hear the figures, but I am thinking the attendance this year is up and the number of exhibitors definitely was up a lot from last year. Can't wait until next year and I will be sure to book my hotel early - we had to stay at the Ramada, very expensive is not worth half of the price. Certainly do not recommend it at all. Anyways, got a busy day ahead so must get on with it! Sun is shining, mud is drying and horses are waiting to be rode.......

Some Exciting Times

Stars Bright Totem & Me

Here  it is mid-April, snowing outside and we did not reach warm enough temps for thawing today (-2 ). I have begun to wonder where spring is hiding and yearn for warm days and sunshine and green grass! But, there are bright and exciting spots in the future. First off, Horse Ilustrated magazine invited the breeders of International Purebred Appaloosa Association to place a group ad in the June issue which comes out in May!! I am so impressed with this great group of enthusiastic Appaloosa horse fans.....to come together and decide on a format, pictures and get the payments done in such an incredibly short time is truly amazing and shows what a group can accomplish if they wish to do so. So horse enthusiasts - look for our ad in the June issue of HI!!! Of course, this means the website must definitely be updated etc. so it makes for busy days for sure, especially when the internet decides to play games with us. But it is all coming together...

Only a few weeks left and we should be seeing our one and only foal for 2011. Hoping that all goes well and we get a healthy baby. We are very anxious to see what this lovely foundation bred mare and Banner will do together! She is bagging up nicely, just wish the weather would smarten up. Yes, we have the barn and shelters but sunny days are still preferred for the arrival of the little ones.

Our first RanchStay girl arrives on Sunday, April 23rd. Glad she wasn't scheduled for March, it would have been so boring for her with all this crappy snow. She arrives just in time to take in the Mane Event in Red Deer with us. Am sure she will enjoy that event. Have already started teaching some with clients who are renting time at the Ag grounds. Got to get the brain back into the right frame of thinking already! Once the ground is safe we will be getting Fire and KoKo loading in the trailer and off to their new homes. Will certainly miss them, but they look to going to have very exciting futures.

Come on spring! We are more than ready for your arrival......

Great Visit

A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon - visiting with another Appaloosa fan! Thanks for the lovely conversation Sherry!
Yes, spring has sprung and we have water and mud and still snow everywhere! But, it is so nice to be doing outside work in above 0 temps for a change. It is melting like crazy, but there is a LOT of snow to melt. The horses are shedding by the handfull and I am walking around looking like some strange, white, hairy creature :) The hair seems to leap off the horses and onto me. Everyone is feeling good, frisky and soaking up the sun. I even got sunburned yesterday, time to bring out the sunscreen again...so good!

March, no sign of spring

We finally got a day with some sun but again with windchill temp is very cold (felt like
-21°C). This is about the only sign that we may even have spring on the way - a large tummy showing on Pratts Double Secret. Winter has been way too long and way too cold this year.....have not been able to do anything except feed and water the horses for weeks again. Need to get doing something with the sold yearlings soon so they can be loaded in a trailer for their trip to their new homes, but stuck yet for awhile. Tried to do some playing with them the other day but my hands were totally frozen within minutes as was my face. No fun at all :(  Have been trying to get feet trimmed for weeks, guess it isn't the end of the world but surely is frustrating. Horses are all fat and healthy, starting to shed with the daylight hours. Unfortunately they kinda need all their hair at the moment. The puppy, Maddy, is still growing like a weed. Such a sweetheart and so very smart. She has become my shadow and helps with chores every day. Always makes me nervous when she decides to swing off Banner's tail but he doesn't seem to mind at all. Go figure these stallions sometimes. Well, time to get outside and feed once again, get all bundled up so the face doesn't freeze with the wind blowing.....

RETIREMENT DISPERSAL!

It is time to start preparing for retirement here at Starmyri Appaloosas so we are offering up several of our breeding herd for sale. If there is anything you are interested in that is not listed here, please contact me at 780-723-7899 or starmyri@xplornet.com

1. 1999 bay varnish roan mare, Arctic Top Spark 4 generation Ap x Ap granddaughter of High Sign Nugget. Gorgeous mare, easy to handle, great producer and appears to be homozygous for E (black). Dolly is an easy breeder, foals out no problem, great mother. Very consistently produces excellent quality – beauty and athletic ability. Has been only used as a broodmare. $1500 + GST

2. 2002 bay leopard mare, Queen’s Jubilee. Feather is a 4 generation Appaloosa to Appaloosa bred daughter of DREA Domino Hopichip. I purchased her as a broodmare, good producer, easy breeder. She stands nicely for farrier and is good to handle. $1500 +GST

3. 2008 bay with blanket & spots filly, Stars Sleepy Kitty. This filly will mature near 16 hands, very well put together. Good to handle, ground work started. Will be under saddle this summer and price will increase with training. $1500 + GST

4. 2007 solid chestnut mare, Stars Really Foxy. This is a gorgeous young mare that could carry a ton of pattern (dam is a leopard and sire has a large blanket) and would be a great addition to any breeding program. She has a wonderful, quiet disposition, super easy to work with. Very athletic. Started under saddle and training will continue when the weather will allow it! $2000 + GST

5. 1999 bay leopard broodmare, OK Ripple Hawk. A great little mare, pure sweetheart. Beautiful head that she passes on consistently. She was injured prior to my purchasing her and has some arthritis in her rear hocks and fetlock joints. Easy to get in foal and no foaling problems. Great to handle. Bonus to any breeding program. $1500 + GST

6. 1999 black roan with spots over hips, Stars Honor. Good producing mare broke to ride. Shown at halter as a youngster, placed in top three in every show. Honor is very good minded, kind and easy to work with. No problems foaling out, good mom. A very comfortable and nice ride, always willing and tries to please. She would be a great 4H project horse for a Level 3 and up member. $2500 + GST

7. 2010 black near fewspot filly, Stars KoKo. Very nice filly that will mature near 16 hands, well put together, great disposition. KoKo is a lot of fun to work with, she is very outgoing and game to try things. She is homozygous for Lp so will give you colour from whatever she is bred to. Learning to stand for farrier etc. $1500 + GST  SOLD


All are up to date with vaccinations and deworming. The experienced mares are all excellent to be with during foaling and for us to handle the foals right away. I have never had any problems with any of them being overprotective etc. The ones that were foaled here have been handled since birth and are very people friendly but respectful of our space. All are easy for me to catch anywhere. Extended pedigrees may be seen for all on All Breed Pedigree website - http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/



We are willing to take payments, but the horse stays here until fully paid for. We have a Purchase Agreement Contract for all sales. They can be bred to the suitable stallion for the same price if you wish, after the middle of May. Thank you for considering a Starmyri Appaloosa – PUT A “STAR” IN YOUR PASTURE TODAY!

Snow, Snow and more Snow

Molly on snow pile in front yard

Well, the past month has been quite the roller coaster ride weatherwise - from extremely cold to extremely warm, freezing to melting! It has been a long time since we have had this much snow to deal with. Very thankful for the tractor! Too much for the poor little quad to handle that is for sure. Unfortunately with the melting, everything is covered in ice and it is very slippery, so even with milder temps there is no riding to be done.....:(  But, have been spending time with everyone just playing around so it is not all lost. The gang is healthy and in good shape. Oreo's tummy is growing, only three more months until baby time. Spring is going to be very welcome this year....

Winter Fun

A good way to enjoy a winter afternoon! Unfortunately there has not been very many of these this winter. We have a lot of snow now and getting more with pretty cold temperatures, staying around the -21 degree range today.

Lots of Snow!

Queen's Jubilee, Stars Ladyhawke, Stars Sleepy Kitty

The New Year has started with a bang it seems! 20 + cm of snow in a 24 hour period with lots of wind has created a bit of difficulties on the farm. Feeding has been a very challenging chore with having to wade through deep drifts. Plowing is going pretty slowly but will get there sooner or later! Then you run into the problem of "where do we put the snow piles now?" spring is going to be super welcome this year for sure. Horses do not seem to be affected by the weather in the least, just the horse feeders! :) They are all happy, fuzzy and frisky.