Starmyri Appaloosas Blog

Couldn't Wait......

2011-12-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

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

2011-12-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-12-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-05T21:27:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-11T11:41:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-09-11T11:26:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-07-29T09:13:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-07-11T22:53:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-23T12:08:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-19T11:44:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-19T11:33:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-06-10T12:27:00.000-06:00

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

2011-06-08T11:47:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-28T21:52:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-19T10:28:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-05-13T11:13:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-05-10T08:32:00.000-06:00

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

2011-05-03T10:51:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-05-02T10:42:00.000-06:00

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

2011-04-16T18:27:00.000-06:00

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

2011-04-10T20:21:00.000-06:00

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

2011-03-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

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.....

2011-02-06T18:09:00.001-07:00

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

2011-02-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-01-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-01-09T13:37:00.003-07:00

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.

2010-11-23T15:16:00.004-07:00

Isn't this the thing to be doing on a -34C day like today! Sometimes think it would be nice to be a cat.....haven't posted for awhile, October and early November are such busy times here on the farm to get ready for our long old winter. We got our winter wood supply all split and stacked, foals weaned, fences all repaired, water tanks set up with heaters, horses separated into groups (different feed requirements), Thanksgiving get together at my niece's was much fun, lots of riding with great weather this year, brought Totie home, attended a Working Cow Horse clinic, 4 semi loads of big hay bales in the hay yard, straw and squares in the shed, oat bins full......can now slow down some and get caught up in the house and office, maybe....

The horses, chickens, ducks and dogs don't seem to be affected much by the cold. They all have lots of food, heated water and shelter. Even the puppy is doing great in the barn. Supposed to warm up soon, looking forward to that for sure.

Babies

2010-09-28T13:11:00.002-06:00

My daughter, Amanda and grand daughter, Desiree visited us last week with great grand daughter Jordyn. I think Jordyn was a hit with the horses! It was great to see them....

Favorite Activity....

2010-09-05T09:56:00.002-06:00

We could do this all day!

Stars Honor

2010-08-28T13:07:00.002-06:00

Stars Honor is back under saddle after a 7 year "holiday" being a broodmare! We are so pleased with this girl.....hoping that she is the typical example of our breeding program.

In Training at Starmyri

2010-08-28T12:36:00.003-06:00

Maike and Stars Satinka

Fabienne & Stars Ladyhawke

Maike & Stars Really Foxy second ride

We have been very busy working and training this summer.....very pleased with all our prospects. Thank you very much girls for all the help!

HSRAC Trail Ride at Starmyri Appaloosas

2010-08-09T22:49:00.002-06:00

Starmyri Appaloosas hosted a great trail ride on August 7. We had a nice turnout and the perfect day for riding. So nice to get out and ride with good friends.

2010-07-29T13:17:00.002-06:00

Training session at the Funny Farm!!!

Who is concentrating hardest????

I couldn't resist putting these photos on the blog.....too cute. Just a couple of my assistants....

Prodigy Growing Up

2010-07-15T13:30:00.003-06:00

Stars Fim Koppur X Stars Honor

4 year old gelding (going well under saddle)

Owned by Neil S.

Stars Fim Koppur X Raincat mare

3 year old colt (soon to be gelding)

Owned by Neil S.

It is very nice to see some of my stallion's offspring nearing maturity. Gives us a much better idea on whether the matches are working or not. I am very pleased with what I am seeing! Both of these boys are growing very nicely.

Playschool Visit

2010-05-23T20:46:00.002-06:00

Looking at the Mares and Foals

Honey and Children

I had six classes of Playschool children come visit the farm last week over 3 days. They were just awesome little munchkins, we all had a lot of fun. This is possibly the first and last time that some of these children will ever see a farm. There were several parents who had never been to a farm before and most were quite interested. Sent eggs home with one teacher, her first taste of farm fresh eggs - they most definitely passed the taste test! My Appaloosas made me so proud, the new moms kindly showed off their babies so the children got a good look, babies agreed to play a few games of tag for our entertainment! And Honey, our Appaloosa pony so patiently and kindly allowed the many tiny hands to touch and pet her. Can't leave out the entertaining greyhound X, Pluto who even won over a couple little ones that were afraid of dogs, he soooo loves kids that guy. I have one more children's group booked, a class of Kindergarten that will come in June. Guess you could call it my community contribution and my promotion of Agriculture! Lots of fun...

Last Foal of 2010

2010-05-14T20:22:00.003-06:00

Our last foal for this year was born about 3 AM, May 13. A beautiful solid black colt. He is a very strong and sturdy boy! And does he shuffle too!! Love his face markings...Starwalker X Arctic Top Spark

2010 Baby #3

2010-05-08T15:11:00.002-06:00

Baby #3 arrived safely at 3 A.M. on May 7! He is a stunnig bay with blanket and spots colt with a TON of gait. He has incredibly long legs and is so cute. Kids have been calling him Bambi (just like in the Disney movie). Starwalker X Magic Snow Flake. We have been blessed with colour and healthy foals so far this year, only one left to go.

Baby #2 for 2010

2010-05-04T17:03:00.003-06:00

Well baby #2, a filly, arrived quite by surprise this morning at about 8 AM! She is doing fine and so is mommy, but the weather is horrible.....that wind is so cold you can't believe! Have them blanketed which seems to be doing the trick, neither seem cold at all. Baby is nursing, trying to gallop already, passed the myconium and having nice naps. She is gorgeous!

The Mane Event 2010

2010-05-03T11:50:00.003-06:00

Spent another extremely busy weekend in Red Deer participating in the Mane Event April 23 - 26 as a representative for the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada. Worked in the booth and helped a friend do demos with her horses. Overall it was a really great weekend as usual.

First Foal of 2010

2010-05-03T11:29:00.002-06:00

Our first foal of 2010 is a beauty! Colt by Stars Fim Koppur out of DREA Kemosfancyeagle, born at 12:27 AM on May 2. Krissie & Lenard were pretty happy to be home for the event! It is always so exciting when the new babies begin to arrive, not much for sleep! Mare #2 is getting pretty close, due on Thursday. Of course, the weather has turned ugly, will be putting this guy and mom into the barn for tonight for sure. He is doing well though, no shivering or anything....

Happy Easter Everyone!

2010-04-04T11:56:00.003-06:00

Happy Easter everyone! And a glorious day it is. I would like to introduce our newest addition, Pratt Double Secret, who just arrived from Oregon on Friday. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to purchase such a well bred old line mare, one of the last of a superb breeding program. There is a good chance she is a shuffler or will produce shuffler foals. I will add more photos as we go along, as her red clay henna job washes out with rain and we begin training her. We have decided to start her under saddle this summer, quite exciting. We plan to breed her to Stars Fim Koppur for an elegant, dressage style foal. You can view her pedigree on the Allbreed Pedigree site.

Finally a better picture of our pony mare that we bought for our granddaughter, Catherine. She is out of quarantine now and we have started playing around with her. She has a fantastic disposition. Will be some time to totally evaluate her training level and start getting her feet looking proper. Going to try to get some better photos of little Belle, AJ's pony today too.

The kids will be here for dinner, pie and apple crisp are made, stuffed turkey is in the oven. Girls are upstairs putting the final coat of paint on the little bedroom. I love it, pretty, sunny yellow. Much better colour for a north facing room than blue. We plan to head outside soon and go do some "baby belly" watching, maybe see some foals bouncing. Gotta do some Easter egg hiding for the munchkins to find later too. All in all, it should be a good day.

Goodbye Nugget

2010-03-27T21:14:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to Joan & Tom Holder of Dancing Star Ranch, Rupert, Idaho on their purchase of Stars R A High Sign, fondly known as "Nugget". They are sure to enjoy this lovely young "Indian Shuffler" mare for a long time. Thank you Joan & Tom for considering our breeding program.

The Surprise Package

2010-03-16T11:13:00.004-06:00

Here is our surprise package for the grandkids......the mare is broke to ride and the little one will be ready for AJ about the time AJ is ready for her. Cat can start riding the mare this spring as soon as it is dry enough. Mare is about 13.2 HH, a nice size for a growing kid. Very nice minded, needs more groceries, hoof trimming etc. Already been dewormed and deloused. Next will be vaccinations and a really good grooming. Little one is getting more friendly and not so frightened of us. Svenja, my FarmStay from Germany, has been playing with her and doing a great job.

Farm Friends

2010-03-16T10:55:00.004-06:00

I find our animals to be so entertaining here on the farm! Here are a couple of pics of "friendships" formed. We had such a lovely day on Sunday, the kids were all home for the day, critters were happy, the sun was shining, got the pregnant mares into the maternity pen, hooves trimmed on geldings.....it was a very productive day. My son and family even brought supper with them, what a treat! I was wondering what to cook for supper and not much feeling like doing it after working outside all day so it was greatly appreciated, let me tell you!

2010-03-09T21:08:00.002-07:00

I looked out my livingroom window this morning and was greeted by a beautiful bouquet of colour. Can life get much better than this?

Mommy Tummies

2010-02-19T11:24:00.003-07:00

Magic

Magpie

Fancy

Looks like the mommy tummies are progressing very nicely! Missed Dolly cause she decided to be independent and go for a drink by herself. Did the ring test on all and it says we are expecting a boy crop this year......can't wait to find out how accurate it is!!! We are expecting 3 from Starwalker and 1 from Stars Fim Koppur - had bred two to Banner, but Lady aborted twins just before Christmas, very disappointing. Fancy and Magpie are first timers for me so hope all goes well. Dolly is guaranteed a fabulous foal. Am hoping poor Magic has an uneventful time this time, she has had a run of bad luck in the past but produces stunning babies.

Family Day

2010-02-16T08:51:00.002-07:00

Family Day weekend has come and gone for another year. It was a very nice weekend, weatherwise. Went to my daughter's on Saturday, toured through the art show (her first to have work displayed), beautiful works! Finally got her drapes hung and her computer desk put together. Sunday had my farrier over and we trimmed up the stallions and five mares, good day! Went to to my sister's for a yummy ham and scalloped potato supper. Just enjoyed the sunshine yesterday, played with different ones, did the ring test on my pregnant mares and it says all Boys!!! Guess we shall see in a couple of months about that. The tummies are certainly getting very round. I am so enjoying the longer daylight hours and milder temperatures. Really starting to yearn for spring, sure hope it is nicer than what we had last year....although it don't do any good to complain about something you have absolutely no control over. :(

Litttle Spot, the two year old colt, is becoming a real little pal and is very sensible. The yearling colt, Spirit is very well named......very high spirited and full of himself at the moment. He really is a cutie. Kitty, the two year old filly entertained us for quite some time night before last playing with Mikey the llama. He got mad a few times and did a random air spit, but never at her, which he really should have done IMO. He was getting into the kicking and bucking pretty good too, not a pretty sight! LOL

Hope everyone had a great weekend and a chance to appreciate your precious families.

Stars Fim Koppur

2010-01-29T19:37:00.001-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Starmyri Stallions

2010-01-29T17:31:00.002-07:00

Here is a short video of my two stallions, commonly referred to as the "Big" Boys! They live together from August until April, the end of breeding season until the beginning of the next.

Click on title to view video.

Frosty Mornings

2010-01-27T14:19:00.002-07:00

Here are some photos of the hoar frost from a couple days ago. It is such amazing stuff and creates such beautiful scenes. Here we are approaching the end of January, the days are definitely noticeably longer, but it sure is cold again. -29 C again this morning which is getting a bit tiresome, would be nice to go outside and be able to enjoy the sunshine instead of freezing your buns off! :-) I am feeling like it has been winter for an eternity, guess it sorta has since we got snow that stuck around the beginning of October! Plus we had no spring last year either, snow and super cold into the end of May. Sure hope it is nicer this year.......am so looking forward to long, sunny, warm days and green leaves and grass! At this point, dust is even welcome....LOL

Breeders Conference Superb

2010-01-18T18:21:00.002-07:00

Well, what a great weekend! The Alberta Horse Breeders & Owners Conference has come and gone again for another year. It was superb as usual, my brain is over flowing with all the new information. Saw so many people, got to do tons of visiting too. So lovely to see folk that you only get to see once a year! The ApHCC booth was set up very nice and very well attended. We sold several spots for the Nez Perce Trail Ride and there was a lot of interest expressed. The ride is almost booked full already. The Confeence is such a great venue and so affordable. We even got to see the Olympic Torch and some of the Fireworks, they were spectacular.
Now, back home and normal life again! Went out to feed this morning and discovered that the moose had broken the gate to the hay yard so the mares feasted well overnight! They weren't too interested in breakfast...So, we shooed them back out and fixed the gate, appears to be no harm done.

Seasons Greetings to All

2009-12-19T11:26:00.001-07:00

Indian Shuffle - Magic Snow Flake

2009-12-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

Please ignore the background "music" - maybe I should have called this Magic's Turkey Dance! :-)

Storm's Killer Caught

2009-12-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

The cougar that killed our Storm was killed today, finally! Maybe we can sleep at nights again!

2009-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

Snow isn't ALL bad for Halloween!

Son and family getting jack 'o lanterns ready!!!! It was great fun to do up the pumpkins all together......the kids make the event:)

Yearling Updates

2009-10-30T14:10:00.001-06:00

Here are the two long yearlings - Stars Little Spot fewspot colt and Stars Sleepy Kitty, filly. Both are developing into very nice horses, great conformation and good minds. They are for sale. Neither of them are shufflers, but have great movement.

Are we ready?

2009-10-30T13:48:00.000-06:00

"Sunset at the little lake by BW"

October has been a super busy month here at Starmyri......lots of things to get ready for winter! The weather was not so nice overall but we got 'er done. The new hydrant is installed in the barnyard (working great), the woodshed is full of split wood, hay is in the hay yard, logs are all skidded and piled in the stud pen, most of the limbs etc. have been piled and ready to burn, fencing done, roof replaced on chicken house, horse pens all cleaned up of poop, tank heaters installed etc. etc. Just need to get the blade on the quad and we are set....looks like we may need the plow soon! It is snowing so hard out there today, getting way more than was forecasted (how unusual! Don't think we can have a Halloween without snow!) Poor Mireike, our last farmstay girl, was very short changed in the weather department.....we had fun just the same. Sad to say goodbye. So now we settle into our winter schedule, get caught up in my office work, and housework (yuck) and hope for some nice days to play with the ponies. I sometimes really love winter for the fact that I get to go feed and visit my gang twice a day, every day. I so enjoy spending the time with everyone that sometimes doesn't happen in the summer months when I am so busy with other things. Have to get the Regional 4H record books judged in the next three weeks, an interesting challenge.

Already the end of October!!!!

2009-10-30T13:32:00.000-06:00

Stars Dark Angel went to her new home yesterday. She is joining her sister, Stars Bright Penny. They managed to get there before the snow started, yay! Thanks Ben and Karen, I know you will be enjoying this beautiful girl for years to come.

HSRAC Trail Ride at Starmyri Appaloosas

2009-09-16T21:21:00.000-06:00

Starmyri Appaloosas hosted a trail ride for HSRAC on September 12. It was well attended, weather was awesome! Everyone had a good, safe ride and ate too much afterwards at the BBQ!

Rest In Peace little man

2009-09-16T21:09:00.000-06:00

Our colt, Stars Storm was killed on Monday, September 5 by a cougar. We are pretty sad and upset about this whole thing. Miss the little guy a lot.

Magpie's First Trail Ride

2009-09-06T21:34:00.000-06:00

Magpie went on her first trail ride since coming to Starmyri. She did good and seemed to really enjoy herself. We had a good ride, weather was perfect. Mike, my farmstay fellow from Switzerland, is on board.

2009-09-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

Some pics of the trail ride at Tawatinaw Valley Appaloosas on Aug. 22. A great ride and had a lot of fun with everyone. BBQ supper was very yummy. The big ole Totie was actually pretty good considering that I have hardly ridden him all summer. He's a good boy.

Stars Bright Totem

2009-08-11T20:00:00.000-06:00

This is "Totie" my 8 year old gelding. He is a big boy....too big for me! So, he is available for sale for the right price. Broke to ride, sound, very strong with a lot of stamina, Indian Shuffler. Love him to ride, but I do not need a horse this big at my age! I also have another young gelding prospect for myself that I will start under saddle this fall. Totie would be a great ranch, endurance or eventing horse.

Little Boys

2009-08-11T19:51:00.000-06:00

Spirit and Storm - getting pretty big!

The Big Boys

2009-08-11T19:29:00.000-06:00

The big boys are back together again - breeding season is over for another year! They are pretty happy and content, back to playing and rough housing like usual.....

Back Home

2009-07-07T20:12:00.000-06:00

Back from the Nez Perce Ride to Freedom in the Cypress Hills. Great ride, great people! Wonderful time. The weatherman smiled on us as well, perfect temps for riding.

Jeff & Krista's Wedding

2009-06-22T21:54:00.000-06:00

Here is a few photos of my nephew, Jeff and Krista's wedding on June 20. It was the absolute perfect day and wedding. We had a great time. Congratulations kids!

Stars Storm

2009-05-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

Introducing Stars Storm (pending), 2009 chestnut fewspot colt by Stars Fim Koppur out of Stars Candy Kisses. My little jackrabbit!

Stars Spirit

2009-05-28T12:24:00.000-06:00

Introducing Stars Spirit (pending), 2009 colt, Indian Shufller. A stunning black fewspot by Starwalker out of OK Ripple Hawk.

Special Moments

2009-05-25T07:37:00.000-06:00

One of our "special" visitors! As you can see, the big horse has a wonderful disposition and loves children. Of course, all safety rules were being followed......

Sad Times

2009-05-25T07:20:00.000-06:00

Betsy 1994 - 2009

Ice 1997 - 2009

We had to say goodbye to two of our faithful companions this month - Ice on May 6 and Bets on May 12. Miss them tremendously, both were exceptional workers and friends for a very long time. They chased many coyotes, wolves and bear in their day!

Banner & Rio March 19, 2009

2009-05-07T13:38:00.000-06:00

Stars Fim Koppur

Starwalker

Here's the two "big" boys! They are getting anxious to have some girls come to visit!

Spring has Finally Arrived!

2009-04-10T09:18:00.000-06:00

We finally are getting real spring weather - yay! I even got a bit of sunburn yesterday, will need to bring out the sunscreen which is awesome. Getting lots of mud and bare ground showing finally. Also, we actually got to go for a ride down the road without being buried in mud! Very exciting it is. Magpie (Airbourn Sidekick) was definitely enjoying the weather.

Starmyri Appaloosa's New Mare

2009-03-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Introducing Airbourn Sidekick, our newest addition to the Starmyri Appaloosa breeding program. She is deeply bred Appaloosa and we are very happy to have her!

NEZ PERCE TRAIL RIDE TO FREEDOM

2009-02-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWwCxuHLBCY&feature=channel_page

Here is the link to a slideshow I put together for the Nez Perce Trail Ride to Freedom sanctioned by the Appaloosa Horse Club of Canada. Ride packages are available from the ApHCC website if anyone would like to participate. It is a great time with pretty incredible riding.

FOR SALE - STARS BRIGHT IMAGE

2009-02-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to see Stars Bright Image (Bugsy) slideshow. He is a very lovely 8 yr. old gelding and ready to go in whatever direction you wish. Good solid foundation training on him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyQJPyr25is

January is Over!

2009-01-31T19:46:00.001-07:00

January is over for another year! And it has gone out with a blast - wind that is. It was tremenously horrid today with the blowing snow. The hay kept being blown off my fork and had to chase down some that went off the fork and away!

As you see, the babies have grown a lot over the winter and are super fuzzy. The day this picture was taken was absolutely gorgeous. Supposed to be fairly decent the next 10 days so am hoping to maybe start riding again but it is pretty icy so will have to be careful. Have been catching up in the house lately, boring but necessary.

This is Stars High Time at 8 months old.

2008 Christmas Gift

2008-12-28T13:11:00.001-07:00

Here is our fabulous Christmas gift - a grandson! both baby and mom are doing well. He arrived at 5:06 PM, December 23. His name is Arthur (for my dad)Joseph (for his daddy) and will be called AJ. It is wonderful to have a baby around again...

2008 Weanlings

2008-11-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

The babies are doing great! Weaning is such a tough experience.

Winter Has Arrived!

2008-11-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Much as I don't like winter - sure does make for some pretty pictures!

Morning Mist

2008-11-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

A lovely morning at Starmyri Appaloosas.

Stars Magic Moment

2008-10-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

Thanks Annette for sending me such great pictures and updates on Stars Magic Moment, aka "Sultan"! He is growing into a very handsome fellow. So, here is a sample of one of our produce as he matures. Sultan is by Starwalker out of the great mare, Magic Snow Flake. He is strongly gaited (Indian Shuffle) and it is his gait of choice even at liberty. Annette plans to start riding him later this winter. Good job, Annette and Greg!

DREA Kemosfancyeagle

2008-10-14T20:55:00.000-06:00

Here are some shots of our new mare, DREA Kemosfancyeagle. She was feeling pretty frisky this day! We are very excited about this new addition and can't wait to see how she produces for us.

Starmyri's Newest Addition

2008-09-26T11:30:00.000-06:00

Introducing DREA Kemosfancyeagle to our breeding program at Starmyri Appaloosas. She is a very lovely mare and we have great hopes for her here. Thank you to STJ Acres for the opportunity to purchase her.

Two Old Girls

2008-08-21T15:32:00.000-06:00

I was just sorting through pictures and came across this one - us two old girls sharing a moment! Babe is my 24 year old Indian Shuffle mare that I love dearly. She really loves to hug and is so affectionate, gives me great massages too with her big ole floppy lips!

New Pics of 2008 Foals

2008-08-15T10:38:00.000-06:00

Here are new photos of the 2008 foals. Top is Stars Dark Angel, then Stars High Time, then Stars Little Spot, finally Stars Sleepy Kitty. All names are pending ApHCC approval at this time. They are a fine looking bunch.

Indian Shuffle

2008-08-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

Here is a short video of my mare, Magic Snowflake, displaying the Indian Shuffle gait. It is so smooth to ride, can go all day and never get tired.

Another Great Clinic with Josh Nichol

2008-08-10T13:16:00.000-06:00

We had another super clinic with Josh! Unfortunately he brought rain with him ....again!...so we had to move indoors. But we all had a good time and learned tons more. Can't wait till the next clinic comes!!!

HSRAC Trail Ride

2008-08-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

Our Hot Spots Regional Trail Ride on the August long weekend was "lightly" attended, but we had a great time! The weather turned out to be perfect! Here is Fiona Plunkie and myself after we got back.

August is Here!

2008-08-07T10:01:00.000-06:00

We are into a new month again - where is the summer going!? The foals are growing very quickly - isn't this little guys awesome? They are all leading not badly with the neck string, picking up their feet etc. etc. Very friendly. The training continues on the young horses - have been working on trailer loading with Little Bear and Silver Flame, they think it is fun! Teaching Horsemanship Lessons almost full-time (approx. 34 hours per week) so am keeping busy. The horse flies seem to be slowing down some too, thank goodness. They make life so miserable for everyone!

What's Happening at Starmyri

2008-07-17T12:55:00.000-06:00

Well, my big travelling is done for now! The Cypress Hills trail ride was so great again and Josh's clinic last week was as awesome as usual. My head is full of new information and have lots to work on in the next few months. Am teaching about as many students as I can manage at the moment - all are progessing so nicely it is wonderful to see. The weather has made some of our horse work a bit challenging lately, some pretty wild storms have come through over the last couple of weeks. Plan on a quiet weekend coming up, need a time out to rest some. Perfect day out today so am going outside to work with the young stock. Need pictures of babies for registration applications too. All is a bit difficult at the moment as the horse flies are peaking and are very nasty. Chase the horses around a lot even with using sprays. Sultan (colt sold to Annette Dionne) is coming to visit for a few days at the end of the month - horsey sitting for Annette and Greg while they go on a pack trip holiday. It will great to see the little guy again.

Nez perce Ride to Freedom

2008-07-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

The Nez Perce Ride to Freedom 2008 was blessed with incredible weather and good folks! We had wonderful rides, great food and excellent evening presentations. Wally performed his lovely music again - very enjoyable. The scenery is spectacular and well worth the drive down to see. The Reesor Ranch always provides us with the most gracious hosts. It was a pleasure to meet our special guests from Idaho - Sandi & Mike McFarland, and Rosa Yearout. They provided us great insight into Nez Perce history with very interesting stories. Good time!

The Introduction

2008-06-01T16:57:00.001-06:00

Catherine meeting foals for the first time! She is 2 years old and is crazy about the horses.

2008 Foals

2008-05-30T07:28:00.000-06:00

We have 4 babies so far this year, 2 boys and 2 girls! One left to go and is expected about mid-June. We couldn't be more pleased with everyone. I apologize for not getting them posted sooner, but there was a problem with the blog site which seems to be fixed now. top left is Dolly's colt, top right is Ladyhawke's filly, bottom left Honor's colt, bottom right is Feather's filly. I will post new pics soon as I have the time to download from my camera. They are growing so fast it is amazing.

Stars Red Hawk

2008-05-05T20:34:00.000-06:00

Here is recent picture of Red in Greece. He is really starting to color out, getting white spots everywhere. Helena says he has grown a lot this spring.

The Mane Event

2008-05-05T20:20:00.000-06:00

Well, here is a shot of Totie and I in the demo ring chatting it up with some interested folk. What a weekend we had! Busy, Busy, Busy and so much fun. Totally exhausted. Now into foaling season and our first is due any day now. Momma is having a hard time walking anymore, she resembles a waddling duck! Will try to get photos of the new babies posted as quickly as I can once they arrive.

Typical Starmyri Morning

2008-04-19T11:48:00.000-06:00

A typical Starmyri morning scene - definite funny farm!

A Poem for this Week

2008-04-19T11:22:00.000-06:00

I See Only Your Heart

A person got lost and afraid.

Not knowing what to do, she sat down, folded her arms around her legs and tucked her head down.

Fear covered her like a dark, cold blanket.

Slowly a shell, like a seed covering, grew around the person folded up inside.

But as hard as the seed was, the person inside still felt afraid and lost and cold.

The person began to grow tired and cramped inside the seed, but the seed shell had grown so hard and thick it could not be broken open.

The person inside shivered and frost appeared on the outside of the seed.

A horse came by and saw the large frosty seed glittering in the sun.The horse was curious, and came closer, and put out its nose to sniff the hard seed.

The horse's breath was warm and melted the frost.

The horse breathed again and the shell began to thaw and fall away.

Inside was the folded-up person, blinking in the sudden light, not moving.

"Why don't you unfold?" asked the horse.

"I have been cramped so long I forgot how to use my legs.

I am small and weak," the person replied.

Horse said, "I am large and strong. I will carry you."

"I can hardly breathe," said the person.

Horse said, "I will hold you up to drink the wind."

"I must be bad," said the person. "I displease others."

Horse said, "You please me with your voice, and with the touch of your hand gentle on my neck."

"I am ugly."

Horse said, "I see only your heart."

"I am afraid."

Horse said, "I trust you."

"I have nothing to offer," said the person. "I am stupid."

Horse said, "Scratch my back. Talk to me. Take the stone from my hoof, and show me the good grass.These are precious gifts to me. You know how to free my foot from the fence and brush the straw from my eye. When you come it means relief from these troubles. You have much power and wisdom."

"I cry; I am ashamed," said the person.

Horse said, "When you are with me I am content, and I will stand with you while you cry."

As they talked the person had begun to unfold, reach out an arm to the horse and slowly stand beside it.

The person smoothed the horse's mane and the horse nosed the person's hand. Horse's breath chased the last cold from the person's fingers. Without speaking, they moved on from there together.

~Nancy B. Marshall~

GRANT MacEWAN DESIGN STUDIES SHOW

2008-04-19T11:01:00.000-06:00

We attended the Grant MacEwan Design Studies Grad Show in Edmonton last night. The work was very impressive! Enjoyed meeting some of my daughter's friends - finally some faces to go with the names! Brought back a load of her things so she hasn't very much left in residence to move home next weekend. Am looking forward to having her home again for awhile. She'll be here when I get back from the Mane Event in Red Deer.

The weather was horrid last night - the wind was icy cold, snowing. But, the roads were not really bad at all. Got home around 3 A.M. so a bit tired this morning, that was WAY past my bedtime! LOL