Breeding season is about to wind up for most farms. After months of hustle and bustle, it will soon be time to relax for a few months. The mares are in foal, the stallions are probably a bit tired, and hopefully there are lots of good babies on the ground, all with high hopes for what the mares will deliver next year. We can imagine what these breeding farms do all spring, but what goes on in the off season?

In the February Equine Quarterly, we visited with Kim Adams of EE Ranches, Inc., Whitesboro, TX, for her knowledge in successfully running a breeding operation prior to and during their busy season. For this quarterly, she was kind enough to share with us how they wind down their breeding season and what they do post-season.

“We take the off season to get things ready again for next year,” said Adams. “The off season gives us a chance to concentrate on the grounds, office work and our production sale.”

Routine Grounds Maintenance & Additions
As with use, maintenance is required around breeding farms after a season. Things are going to break here and there. Mares will kick through a stall, gate hinges will break, the sliding door will have come off the rollers, and so on. Anyone that has a piece of property knows that these things happen. So the inevitable breakages are mended and cosmetic repairs, such as painting or re-paneling, are completed. Most new building projects are begun in the off season and hopefully finished prior to starting a new season. With fewer horses in the place and less busyness, construction moves quicker with less stress.

Clean Up
Cleanliness is kept to a high standard at breeding farms such as EE Ranches. All stalls are disinfected pre- and post-breeding season. Disease issues are the most anticipated problems and are alleviated through thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all the barns and each stall that housed a mare and/or foal. Over 650 mares are bred each year at EE Ranches and in order to keep that many mares in good health, the staff has to be proactive in keeping the place very sanitary.

Office Management
“All the office work has to be completed,” said Kim. “We work on getting the stallion reports in order.”

Stallion reports are a key issue when running a breeding facility. Most of the paperwork is handled during the breeding season with the in-house stallions and hauled-in or in-house mares. All breedings, palpations, and in-foal mares are documented as it happens at the farm. The outside mares that had semen shipped to them for artificial insemination, have to be tracked to declare whether they are in foal or will be eligible for a rebreed. The information is compiled and the names of expectant mares are sent into AQHA on the stallion breeding reports.

The off season is the best time to work on computer and software upgrades and/or changes. It is necessary to upgrade your computer from time to time. Changing computers requires a knowledgeable and experienced party to transfer data from one to another without losing data. This is especially important with desktop versions of software, where Web-based software is a much simpler case (What's the difference?). When a software change needs to be made for the ranch, it is highly recommended to take the off season for the change. After some extensive shopping and demos to make a good decision on a new product, allow the staff to get used to the new features and develop a relationship with the software provider before going live during a busy time.

Other Events
Having events in the off season allows people to continue to visit your operation and keeps the ranch active in the industry throughout the year. Many ranches, like EE Ranches, Inc., have a production sale during their off season. Much of the down time at EE is spent getting ready for their sale in September. They are able to utilize the three months between events to shape their horses and prepare for the sale, and then allow people back to the ranch for another event. If a production sale is not an option, extension agents are often looking for interesting locations to host a field day for the public. Meetings for veterinary specialists are also a good way to have people in the industry out to your place, and provide them with a service.

The beauty of the horse industry is that it offers so much throughout the year. While breeding season is an exciting time, for both mare and stallion owners, the off season offers the chance to catch up and work on other things from getting the operation in order to hosting events to simply relaxing. Best wishes to the breeding farms for a successful season and a productive off season!

For our first newsletter, we decided to feature our first subscriber. Thank you O'Brien Ranch for your continued business and contributions to the equine industry.

Concentration: Roping, Cutting, Reining and Ranch Horses

Bloodlines:
Gay Bar King
Mr. Tiny Quail
Two Eyed Jack
Sugar Bars
Scoots Bar
Doc Quixote
Wildfire Joe

Recent Achievement:2005 AQHA World Show Top 10 Calf Horse
AQHA 50 Year Breeder Award

RanchForeman Member Since: 2003

In an effort to break the "round pen mold", I did an experiment this winter and set out to design and build a very special round pen. Here were my criteria:

• Round Pen Safety - for both the horse and trainer
Sturdiness - to achieve the same sense that metal or wood round pens provide
• Maintenance - eliminate the majority of round pen maintenance
• Cost - spend the least amount possible in building the round pen

After several design modifications and rebuilds, the results were in…

For around $500, I ended up with a round pen that is safer than wood rails or metal panels, it’s extremely sturdy and has a great presence, and maintenance is virtually non-existent.

What was the trick? Well, I used vinyl rails to build this round pen. Actually, it was a roll of vinyl rail about 600’ long that was reinforced with metal wire inside the vinyl on the top and bottom. It was also anything but flimsy…I had to get a little bit of help to move and unroll it, but after that, it was a cinch to install.

Before I get into the details of my discovery, let’s take a look at why you might want to use vinyl rail. Vinyl rail has several benefits over wood rail: it can resist the elements better, it absorbs impact and it is easier to install than wood railing. Vinyl is like a plastic, and as such can stand up to the test of time better than wood. It is resistant and sturdy in both cold and warm climates, and you never have to worry about termites dining on your vinyl rail.

Vinyl also can absorb impact better than wood. This is vitally important when you stop to think that your horse (and even you!) may be hitting the rail with great force. Wood tends to break and splinter when faced with a sudden impact, or if the contact isn’t quite strong enough to break the wood rail, it’ll likely leave some deep bruises.

Vinyl round pen rails, on the other hand, will bend and absorb the force. If you think about safety for a minute, which would you rather have? The possibility of it getting injured by wood or just bouncing back from vinyl railing? I know which one I prefer!

Finally, there is installation. Wood requires a lot of cutting to get the pieces just right. Vinyl railing on the other hand comes in rolls and is much easier to install. Some string, snips, a drill, and a socket set and you are ready to go!

When working with this type of vinyl rail there are some different tools you will use as compared to working with wood. Such items include buckles, brackets, and spoolers – all common in the horse fence industry.

Now, back to second part of my experiment – The Ultimate Test.

My first subject was one of my better trained horses. He was quite impressed when he saw the round pen, probably because it was bright white. So, that was a good first sign as he paid attention to the rails. While working, he stayed nicely off the perimeter and the training session finished splendidly.

The next 2 subjects were quite the contrary in the “training” department. First, was my palomino, famous for jumping out of fenced areas. It took me a few minutes to get him into the round pen, likely because he is spooky by nature and this was something shinny and new. Once he started trotting around the round pen, he stayed about 5’ off the rail. With time he settled in nicely but kept his distance (about 2’).

The last test of the day was a 2 year old filly just brought in from pasture that had no experience or prior contact with people. Once inside the round pen, her reaction was more focused on staying as far away from me as possible. She was the one that truly made up my mind about vinyl rails.

This filly was about 14’2 and tried testing every part of that round pen. She stuck her head through the opening under the top rail and pushed to try and get out. Then she realized that she wouldn’t fit. I watched her as she sized up the top rail to see if she could jump out…but, at close to 6’ tall and very rigid looking, she quickly gave up that idea.

When we had finished, yes, she had left her mark on the round pen. However, the great part was, I just grabbed the ratchet set, tightened the spoolers and all the rails were back in their place. By the way, I’ve only had to do this twice and only after working with very difficult and little handled horses.

To sum it up, Vinyl railing is becoming a popular choice nowadays for horse fencing and a wide variety of other fencing and landscaping projects. Its long life and virtually maintenance free operation make it an ideal choice for those of you who want to spend the maximum amount of time in a safe round pen environment with your horse, and not spend your time mending fences.

PS – If you’re wondering if the palomino tried to jump out of the round pen… he did! It scared me at first as I was walking towards the barn and heard hooves in the distance. Right as I turned my head, I saw him take off and my stomach dropped! He caught his right front leg on the top rail, but managed to make it over to the other side.

As he scrambled up, he gave me the funniest look as if to say, “See, I did it!” Then he trotted away proudly into the back pasture. I thought to myself, ‘I’m so glad I decided to try vinyl instead of wood!’ and then proceeded to the workshop to grab the ratchet set for the second and last time.

Having something made just for you is a special feeling. In the horse world, you can have everything made especially for you, from the hat on your head all the way down to the boots on your feet. We will get to the hat and all the stuff in between in future articles, but for now, let’s talk about custom boots.

Cost
Of course the first thing we need to consider is cost. Custom boots are very nice, but they are an investment. Prior to deciding on what kind of boots you want, decide on your budget. The base price for most makers is around $800, and the sky is the limit from there. The leather choice and detailing will ultimately decide your price. As with most custom orders, you will be responsible for a deposit when the boot order is started.

Fit
The most notable aspect of custom boots is fit. They are made especially for you, not only the colors, patterns, and skins, but they are designed to fit your foot specifically.

“The great thing about custom boots is that they fit any type of foot,” said Nevena Christi of Rocketbuster Boots, El Paso, Texas. “I was visiting with a customer about the style of toe he wanted, and he said to just use the round toe because that was all that ever fit him. I told him that these boots are going to fit no matter what toe he picks!”

Fitting begins the process of having a custom pair of boots created. Makers may have you come in for an appointment for measurements, and some will have a successful method that you can complete on your own using molds or measurements with their guidelines. Nevena told me about their method of measuring.

“I have created my own system, unlike any other boot maker out there, that a customer can download from our Web site if they don’t want to come in for measurements,” Christi said. “So it is possible to have your boots made without coming to the shop.”

Design
Once you have the measurements taken care of, then comes the fun part – design. This is a completely personal preference. You will decide on your toe shape and heel styles. Stitching style will also be something to pick if you choose to have it. Then comes the leather. You can do anything from calf uppers and vamps to inlaid upper with stingray vamp to full alligator to tooled, along with many other options. Yours and the maker’s imaginations are the only limits. And let’s not forget height of the boot. They can range anywhere from ankle height all the way up to the knee.

When I asked Nevena how to go about deciding on the styles, she advised doing some homework on your own to get a feel for what you like.

“Look at cowboy boot books and figure out what you like,” Christi said. “There are so many good ideas. Just be an educated shopper.”

When you have a good idea of what you are wanting and talk with the designer, you can expect to get sketches back for you to approve. The maker will use either drawings or computer graphics to make patterns for your boots. Rocketbuster Boots uses tracing paper where everything is hand-drawn. Color leather swatches can be used to show exactly what colors your will be getting. As you know there is more than one color of red! Once you are satisfied with the colors and drawings and have signed off on the final draft, then it’s off to the shop with your order.

Waiting
Oh the anxiety! My least favorite part of getting something is the waiting. With a custom boots order, you can expect 3 to 12 months for your wait, depending on the complexity of the designs and the waiting list of the boot maker. The wait will hopefully be worthwhile!

Guarantee
You will have signed off on the design and color choices, so the only thing that you will not be certain of until you receive the boots is the fit. The maker should absolutely guarantee the fit. They are made for your feet, so you shouldn’t have to worry with them fitting anything but perfectly. Most times the fit will be amazing and you will want them to make all your shoes!

“The fit is guaranteed. We will fix anything right away that is not right,” Christi said. “We want our customers happy.”

Custom boots are fun. Whether they are plain brown exotic skin boots or funky colorful boots with skulls on them, custom boots are something you can enjoy for years knowing they are made especially to fit you – not only in sizing, but also in style and design. Enjoy!

“Custom boots are an investment,” Christi said. “So get something good and get what you want.”

References:
Rocketbuster USA
J.B. Hill Boots
Liberty Boot Company
Rios of Mercedes
Falconhead

Common terms in boot making.

If you were to visit the O’Brien Ranch today, you would see one of the last working Texas ranches. Cattle are still gathered horseback. They are brought into the pens, roped by a cowboy on horseback, and brought to the fire to be branded. Two-year-old horses are started in the pens and then sent to the pasture with a cowboy to bring in cattle. Their horses have a purpose. Their athleticism and cow-sense have been essential in the O’Brien Ranch breeding program for over 50 years because that is what it takes on a working ranch.

The O'Brien Ranch has been breeding Quarter Horses since the 1940s and continues a reputable breeding program today. The South Texas ranch is family-owned and operated and considers raising good, usable horses their greatest achievement. The ranch is run by John Morgan O’Brien and his three sons, Morgan, Mick and Dick. Each has their part in the horse program from choosing broodmares to breaking colts to showing at a competition to book work.

“We all work together to get the horse program taken care of,” Morgan said. “There is always something to be done, and everybody pitches in to keep it working.”

The breeding program starting in the 1940s, but it really turned into a full breeding operation in the early 1950s, when John Morgan purchased 23 King-bred mares.

“I attribute most of our good fortune to this broodmare band's foundation,” John Morgan said.

From those means, O'Brien's breeding operation branched out into its own trademark bloodlines bearing his name. Some of the O'Brien ranch's earlier stallions include Joe O'Brien (Duke), Zanty O'Brien (Zantanon H) and Royal O'Brien (King). In more recent years, his stallions include Moon Rocket O'Brien (Musty Chub), Jacks Sugar Babe (Two Eyed Jack), and Gay Bar Morgan (Gay Bar King). Among the horses bred by the O'Brien Ranch are 1963 AQHA Champion Wildfire Joe, and 1979 AQHA Junior Calf Roping World Champion Quincy Dude.

The O’Brien Ranch has recently put horses back in the show circuit again. There are currently three ranch-raised horses being shown. Beginning in spring of 2005, Quail Bar Quincy (Quincy Gay Bar x Quails Priss) started his show career under James O’Brien, son of Morgan O’Brien. Quail Bar Quincy is a 1994 red roan gelding trained in tiedown calf roping. Quail Bar Quincy and James qualified for the 2005 AQHA World Show in Senior Tiedown Calf Roping and Amateur Tiedown Calf Roping, and ended up Top 10 in the Amateur Tiedown. Quail Bar Quincy completed his Performance Register of Merit and Superior in Amateur Tiedown, as well as third place in 2005 AQHA Honor Roll.

Zan Parr Lindy (Zan Parr Otoe x Skipka Two Eyed Lindy) is a 2000 red dun mare trained in calf roping and heeling. James is currently showing Lindy in both the Tiedown Calf Roping and Heeling. Rugged Holisway (SR Jackaroo x Rugged Stingette) is a 2002 brown mare that is beginning her show career in reining under Tonni O’Brien, James’ wife.

“Having horses back in the show pen allows us to showcase what the O’Brien Ranch horses can do,” said James O'Brien. “We know that these horses are capable of just about anything we ask, and it is nice for other people to see that too.”

Today, the O'Brien Ranch has just over 90 mares and stands 10 stallions. All of the mares are ridden before going into the band to ensure that sound minds and usability are continuing in their program. The ranch practices turn-out breeding. Each stallion is assigned a band of mares. He is dropped out in the spring at the beginning of breeding season and picked up early summer.

“We like to work with Mother Nature when it comes to the breeding program,” John Morgan O’Brien said. “She’s been doing a pretty good job for us for the last 50 years.”

After the colts are weaned, they are turned out to continue to grow. As yearlings, they are gathered and halterbroke, then returned to the pasture to mature for another year. All horses are broke to ride as two-year-olds. The O’Brien Ranch has at least 40 2- and 3-year-olds in training at all times. These horses are used on the ranch prior to being sold.

“One of the things that makes our horses so marketable is that they are used on the ranch and have some miles on them,” Morgan O’Brien said, “and that’s a valuable thing these days.”

If asked, John Morgan O'Brien considers raising good, usable horses his greatest achievement.

“I enjoy raising the type of horses I like and knowing that those same horses can win for any given horseman," O'Brien said. "Conformation and eye appeal are wonderful, but unless they deliver, regardless of the task, you're afoot."