Conference noted::equitation

    Does anyone know of anybody that breeds American Saddlebreds?

    Bobbin Hollow Farm
    Box 460, Bay Road
    Amherst, MA
    
    (413) 253-3578
    
    Woody and Louise Henry

    Hawkewood Farm
    Old Hunt Rd.
    So. Danville, NH
    (603)382-6628
    Linda M. Weber
    
    Linda breeds, trains and shows American Saddlebreds.  I am planning
    to breed my mare to one of her stallions this Spring.
    
    Pat
    

    I have a friend named Abbott Wilson here in Connecticut who is a
    well-respected trainer of Saddlebreds.  Because he has just moved,
    I don't have a number/address handy...but I'll get more info and
    get back to you.  If all else fails I will see him March 10 and
    can get back to you then.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Ann

    Forgot to mention that there's a guy down here breeding National
    Show Horses who also advertises Saddlebreds.  He should be avoided
    at all costs.
    
    I will not mention his name here, but if you'd like to contact me
    off-line I'll gladly give you his name and the reasons for avoiding
    him.
    
    Ann

    I live in Sterling and I know of a couple of people who raise both
    Saddlebreds and National Show horses.  If you are interested, give
    me a call at home 422-7412 in the evenings.
    

    Nice to hear from someone with so much interest in Saddlebreds.
    My name is Doug Greenwood, I am a sales rep here in Little Rock,
    AR.  I have shown saddlebreds, hackneys, and standardbreds
    competitively since I was 12.  I am heavily involved in showing
    hackneys, and standardbreds, and  in the process of searching
    for my wife a nice fine harness horse to show.  My parents currently
    breed and raise about 10 American Saddlebred colts a year, and
    currently stand our stud at Paul Fagan's in Texarkana, TX. (John
    Shea trains some of our hackney's.) 
    
    All together we have approximately 80 saddlebreds and hackneys (About
    20 are show stock). I would be very interested to see future notes
    of interest on American saddlebreds, it appears you would certainly be able
    to provide topics of interest with your background.

    Hello fellow MidWesterners.  I wonder if we have been in the show
    ring together.  I have been showing Saddlebreds for 11 years.  I
    started at Lindenwood College in St. Charles, MO as a freshmen.
    Parents didn't have enough money to buy me a show horse so I got
    thoroughly bit while I was at college and my husband now accuses
    me of only working to support my three show horse habbit.  I am
    a do-it-yourselfer but am contimplating putting my four year old
    black, Night Prowler colt (17-2 hands) with Virgil Helm.  He showed
    last year at the Pleasure Horse Show in Springfield as a three year
    Rob Byers did not like big black babies.  I also have a three time
    Missouri state Country Pleasure gelding named Freedom Fox who
    came from a pig farm in Illinois---former owner Velma Wise.
    My other horse is a gutsy, much loved three-gaited Johnny Gillen
    pleasure mare named Penelope Gillen.  She has been a MO state champion and
    won the ASB National Show Western Pleasure championship in 1986.
    Her big problem in life is that she doesn't think walk is a valid
    gait.  Not to wonderful for a pleasure horse.  I think the
    author of 483.0 may be familiar with her full brother, Captain
    Gillen who is in Wisconsin. I dearly love the breed and think there
    is nothing more beautiful than a Saddlebred, but I get really sick
    of the politics and a lot of classes being decided on who your
    trainer is and who you know and of course, how much you advertise.
    That is probably why I stay in the Pleasure ranks and don't have
    a gaited horse or a walk-trot because even though they have
    gotten bad, they aren't quite as bad yet.
    
    I'd enjoy hearing from other ASB people.  I sometimes think we are
    a very rare breed.
      
    old and did very well for his first time in a show ring.  So Rob
    

    I am having problems with be dial up terminal at home.
    
    First, RE .3, my name is Paula Hildebrand and the last line
    of the previous reply should be inserted after the black,
    Night Prowler colt line and before the Rob Byers line.  It 
    might make more sense that way.
    
    Thanks.
    

    What you say about the winners of the big shows depending on who
    your trainer is, the politics and advertising is also true of the
    Quarter Horse industry.  This years World Champion All-around horse
    Rugged Lark is owened by a person that was one of the judges at
    last years show.  I got out of the Quarter Horse show ring several
    years ago because of this.  Now I just ride for fun and go to the
    shows to watch.  The lady that owns the barn that I board at shows
    Q/H's at the "A" leval and she spends a small fortune on advertising
    and training fees so that she can show from an "in" barn.  This
    type of showing is no fun for me so I bought a Throughbred filly
    and have been having a good time just riding trails and working
    with her.  
    
  

    
    RE.4 i agree with you i too got out of the aqha circiut because
    of all the politics, problem was i enjoy* showing.
    i had a palomino and the qh judges would place her , but very low.
    so i got into palomino we get our points we work so hard for.
    and i refuse to show aqha in n.e.
    
    	wendy
    

    re:.2  I'm curious... I learned to ride in that area:  at Jerry
    Vohnsen's (sp?) barn and I believe they were associated with Lindenwood
    (at least at the time I was there).  Are you familiar with the place?
    
    						Monty

    Monty---
    
    Lindenwood used to hold both their Winter Hunter-Jumper show at
    Jerry and Kraft Vohsen's stable and their Spring American
    Saddlebred Show.  The actual name of the place was Daniel
    Boone Arena.  Kraft specialized in stock horses and Jerry
    in hunt seat.  I used to haul my mare and gelding over there
    in the evenings during the winter when it was too cold or
    too wet to work outside.  The place closed and was torn
    down a year ago to make room for condos.  Kraft was 65 and
    decided it was time to take life a little easier.  I am
    also the show manager for three basically Saddlebred horse
    shows in the St. Louis area that I used to hold over at
    Daniel Boone Arena.  Are you familiar with Emerald View and
    Ruth and RS Palmer?  They are still in the area and my colt
    is boarded at Emerald View.  Horse Palace is now the only
    indoor facility in the St. Louis area that is available
    for small horse shows and is next to impossible to find
    available time to lease.  We definitely miss Jerry and Kraft.

    The ASHA (American Saddlebred Horse Association) is holding the
    1988 Annual Membership Meeting in Chicago on Friday-Sunday, February
    26-28th.  (First time it's been held outside of the hallowed
    fields of Kentucky during this century!!!!!)  I'm planning to go
    for the day on Saturday, since I can drive it in about 2-1/2 hours.
    Anybody else planning to go?
    
    Cathie

    Re .2 --- Politics
    
    Paula, you're ABSOLUTELY right about politics in the show ring.
    That's been obvious from the time I got involved with the breed,
    but it became increasingly so after having worked in the ASHA
    office for several years.
    
    This has been the subject of MANY discussions in the office,
    Charter Club meetings, the Board of Director's meetings, barns and
    anywhere else show people congregate.  This is one of the major
    reasons that the Association has put so much emphasis on including
    at least one amateur judge on 3-judge panels.  Having been in center
    ring during several large shows that included an amateur judge,
    and hearing some of the discussion between classes, I can tell you
    that it does, indeed, have some effect.
    
    The Illinois ASB Charter Club (IASPHA) makes a special effort to
    hire "new", "young" and/or "qualified amateur" judges for 3 one-day
    all-pleasure shows each year.  One of the things we ask judges to
    do, where time permits, is tell several exhibitors in each class
    why they were placed as they were --- what things they may have
    been penalized.  Our exhibitors REALLY appreciate it!  They may
    not always agree, but at least they've heard a reason for the placings.
    
    Anybody else out there have any effective methods for de-politicizing
    the show ring environment?
    
    Cathie
    

        HAVE I GOT A GOOD SOLUTION TO THE END OF POLITICS WITHIN SHOW
    ASSOC.  TAKE A FEW AQHA JUDGES AND A FEW ASHA JUDGES AND SWAP THEM(
    GIVE THEM A LITTLE CROSS TRAINING)  I'VE ONLY RECENTLY GOTTEN INVOLVED
    WITH SHOWING HORSES(NEW KID ON THE BLOCK) BUT IT IS BAD WHEN I CAN
    PICK OUT A BLOWN LEAD CHANGE AND SEE THAT THE JUDGE SAW IT AS WELL
    YET GUESS WHO GETS PINNED FIRST.  I'M TAKING LESSONS FOR
    REINING,CUTTING AND WESTERN PLEASURE BUT I HOPE THAT IF I MAKE A
    MISTAKE THAT THE JUDGE CAN TELL ME ON WHAT POINTS. 

    re:  blown leads
    
    Sometimes when you are judging you have the choice of pinning a
    lovely horse which is a great mover of excellent quality.  But the
    horse picked up a wrong lead for a few steps.  Another horses DOESN'T
    take a wrong lead.  But it moves like a pogo stick or a hog on ice.
    
    Which horse has committed the worse fault?  
    
    The one that makes a minor bobble and corrects it?  Or a horse that
    consistently exhibits poor quality gaits and form?  Or a horse that is
    totally mannerly but doesn't fit the specifications for the class
    (i.e., a blatantly western horse being ridden LIKE a western horse with
    English tack in an English pleasure class)? 
    
    There have been MANY times I could understand why a judge pinned
    a horse that made one mistake over other horses that just kind of
    went along.  
    
    Anyone else have any comments pro or con?
    
    Mary Jo
    

    Hi,
    
    I would love to get info on the Association.  I just purchased a
    15 year old Saddlebred and am in love with him.  He was shown quite
    extensively and did well.  He's great around all levels and everyone
    says we were blessed with such a great horse.  My blacksmith says
    that once you own one Saddlebred  you'll want a barn full.
    
    So let's hear from you...
    Fred

    Hello Saddlebred owners,
     
    Are you still out there?? We have three and they
    are our pride and joy. 1 stallion, 1 mare and 1 gelding. Breeding is
    from PEAVINE and BOURBON GENIUS. We live in NH and have owned 
    Saddlebreds for eight years. WE DO NOT SHOW these days , but do a
    little breeding. We trail ride with our horses on four to eight hour
    trips. We have just relocated from Vermont to NH so we have a whole          
    new set of trails to explore. 
    
    I'm curious about how the rest of the Saddlebred folks are doing these
    days. The people I knew are no longer horse owners of any type. This 
    resession has taken it's toll along with with the tax changes that took
    place a few years ago.
    
    							Gene
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    the tax changes a few yers ago.  

    Hi!
    I became the proud owner of a four year old three gait gelding this
    past April. This is my first experience with the breed but I was not
    dissapointed. My goals for this horse include Dressage and trail
    riding, he is of older Stonewall and Uptown Commander lines.
    Sandy
    

    Anyone out there that's still involved in American Saddlebreds?  I'm
    getting the feeling that I'm about the only one not TSFOd (though that
    could happen any day), that still is interested in Saddlebreds.
    
    Tina D. Merrimack, NH

    As a matter of fact I own a beautiful gelding of Supreme Sultan lines.
    He is being trained as a dressage horse since he was not interested in
    picking his feet up high enough to make it in the fine harness ring
    like his dad, Take Heart(1989 amateur fine harnes world champ). It is
    an interesting breed, though rather more excitable than the other
    breeds I have owned in the past. He is much too smart for his own good!
    Sandy A.  Pittsburgh,PA