May 4, 2008
BREEDING AND FOALING SEASON. This is one of our busiest and most nerve wracking times of the year. Be sure to check back often as I will be trying to make more frequent postings. Last week my sister Carole bred her lovely mare Oeke ster (Wierd x Tsjerk) to Mintse 384 Sport. It looks like the timing was really good so we find out in about 2 weeks if there is a [more...]
May 4, 2008
BREEDING AND FOALING SEASON. This is one of our busiest and most nerve wracking times of the year. Be sure to check back often as I will be trying to make more frequent postings. Last week my sister Carole bred her lovely mare Oeke ster (Wierd x Tsjerk) to Mintse 384 Sport. It looks like the timing was really good so we find out in about 2 weeks if there is a [more...]
May 4, 2008
BREEDING AND FOALING SEASON. This is one of our busiest and most nerve wracking times of the year. Be sure to check back often as I will be trying to make more frequent postings. Last week my sister Carole bred her lovely mare Oeke ster (Wierd x Tsjerk) to Mintse 384 Sport. It looks like the timing was really good so we find out in about 2 weeks if there is a [more...]
April 24, 2008
In early March my parents got a phone call from Geni Dowd, a writer from the local newspaper. "We want to do a story about your horses", she said. And so she came to the farm, took pictures and notes, and wrote a front page story for the March 18, 2008 edition of the Surry News Messenger. I just found the online version. The author made a few mistakes, and spelled some names wrong (and [more...]
April 24, 2008
In early March my parents got a phone call from Geni Dowd, a writer from the local newspaper. "We want to do a story about your horses", she said. And so she came to the farm, took pictures and notes, and wrote a front page story for the March 18, 2008 edition of the Surry News Messenger. I just found the online version. The author made a few mistakes, and spelled some names wrong (and [more...]
April 24, 2008
In early March my parents got a phone call from Geni Dowd, a writer from the local newspaper. "We want to do a story about your horses", she said. And so she came to the farm, took pictures and notes, and wrote a front page story for the March 18, 2008 edition of the Surry News Messenger. I just found the online version. The author made a few mistakes, and spelled some names wrong (and [more...]
March 10, 2008
Michiel 442 At the end of February 2008, Friesian horse history was made in North America. One of our stallions passed the first ever fully sanctioned stallion test held in North America. The new stallion is named Michiel 442 ("Me-HEEL", where the final h in HEEL is like ch in Bach - from the back of the throat) is owned by our friend Harry Witteveen in Canada. Tanbark Acres first two broodmares, [more...]
March 10, 2008
Michiel 442 At the end of February 2008, Friesian horse history was made in North America. One of our stallions passed the first ever fully sanctioned stallion test held in North America. The new stallion is named Michiel 442 ("Me-HEEL", where the final h in HEEL is like ch in Bach - from the back of the throat) is owned by our friend Harry Witteveen in Canada. Tanbark Acres first two broodmares, [more...]
March 10, 2008
Michiel 442 At the end of February 2008, Friesian horse history was made in North America. One of our stallions passed the first ever fully sanctioned stallion test held in North America. The new stallion is named Michiel 442 ("Me-HEEL", where the final h in HEEL is like ch in Bach - from the back of the throat) is owned by our friend Harry Witteveen in Canada. Tanbark Acres first two broodmares, [more...]
March 5, 2008
Recently I attended the FHANA Annual General Membership (AGM) meeting, held in Lexington Kentucky. As always, I met wonderful people who dearly love their horses. While there, my Dad and I had the pleasure of getting to know a young couple named Brian and Kendra, and their friend Michelle. They are officers and very heavily involved in the new (and impressively active, I must say) Ohio Valley Friesian Horse Association. These are just delightful people [more...]
February 24, 2008
Dusti Perdue and her wonderful family came into our lives when they bought Hiltje's second foal Jantsje (Wander 352 x Lute 304). We are so pleased to have one of our horses go to such a loving and good home. I asked Dusti if she would like to tell us a Jantsje story and she graciously accepted. Here is Dusti's story... Almost 5 years ago, I purchased [more...]
February 10, 2008
For a KFPS-registered Friesian stallion to be approved for breeding purposes, he must go through a barrage of tests. Some are conformation and movement exams by Dutch inspectors. Some tests are xrays, DNA testing, semen testing. And those who make it through all this get to the finals of testing - a 70 day test where the young stallion is trained to ride and drive and is judged for performance. I have [more...]
January 30, 2008
OK, I know I owe everyone more stories and videos from the stallion show, and I promise they will come. I have been traveling a lot lately and I am behind on everything. But now that the stallion show is over, all the breeders are pondering over what to do for the spring. What stallions are the best for our mares, what will the market be like in 2008 and 2009, how are our [more...]
January 20, 2008
For a Friesian lover - and especially a breeder - the "hengstenkeuring" (stallion show) is the highlight of the year. Held in an arena in Leeuwarden Friesland in January each year, the newest young stallions are judged to determine which, if any, will go to the "finals" of stallion selections. The "finals" is actually a 70 day intensive test. In 2007, about 1500 young stallions tried for breeding privileges and only about 100 made it [more...]
December 13, 2007
This year the Friesian geldings/driving horses Mark and Hessel continued their long winning streak by taking home the golden whip award once again. They and their owner/driver (and a friend of mine, I am so lucky to say) Walter Bruinsma, set some kind of record by winning this prestigious event for the 7th year in a row. These two horses, especially the more talented one, Mark, are famous all over Friesland and regularly get written [more...]
November 14, 2007
It has been really hectic lately. Between work and finishing off the new barn (fencing is going up now), it has been hard to find a minute of peace. I have been feeling stressed outta my mind. Yesterday mom told me of a radio show she listened to featuring cellist YoYo Ma. One of my favorite pieces of music is the Prelude for Bach's Cello suite 1. I think this is one [more...]
November 14, 2007
It has been really hectic lately. Between work and finishing off the new barn (fencing is going up now), it has been hard to find a minute of peace. I have been feeling stressed outta my mind. Yesterday mom told me of a radio show she listened to featuring cellist YoYo Ma. One of my favorite pieces of music is the Prelude for Bach's Cello suite 1. I think this is one [more...]
September 26, 2007
*** UPDATE 28-Sept: Here is Oeke's Keur Video!*** We had a great day today. Wikke, the 3 month old baby, was named a 2nd premie. He was adorable and moved very well - just needs more lengthening in his walk. If they had had baby awards for "most beautiful", "sweetest", and "most personality", I think he would have won all those! Sara, his owner, was really proud of him and so was [more...]
September 15, 2007
When Dahlia was just a little baby, dad tried to put a halter on her. They were in a 12 x 12 stall (with Dahlia's mom) and it still took him 30 minutes to catch her. "I'd put my arms around her" he says, "and she'd jump out - like a bunny rabbit." Later on it was typical to see her wander off all by herself in the pasture. Her momma would panic and desperately [more...]
September 9, 2007
In the summer of 2004, Mom and Dad visited Friesland for Anneke's wedding. They stayed with our friends, the Bruinsma family. Watte (Walter) and Gryt Bruinsma breed and raise some of the best mares in all of Friesland. That summer they were blessed with 5 fillies. Usually Walter does not sell his fillies, but that year he agreed to sell us two. These cousins, Ock and Oeke, came over on the plane in the fall [more...]
August 28, 2007
Back about 7 or 8 years ago we met a young Friesian man named Auggie when we were in Canada picking up our mare Hiltje. The next year Auggie came from Friesland to the farm and worked the horses for a month or so in preparation for the keuring. Most of the pictures on our website where the horses are pulling a carriage have Auggie as driver. Over the years we have become friends [more...]
August 26, 2007
The Mid-Atlantic Friesian Association ("MAFA") - a local Friesian club in the DC metro area - put together a keuring clinic August 25-26. It was presented by Jan Englesma, a former judge. This was held in Beallsville Maryland at the stables of Wish Upon a Ster Friesians, which donated their lovely facilities. I know pretty much about Friesian horses, and everyday I research to learn more. So I was unsure of how [more...]
August 16, 2007
A couple of months ago, the stallion Wierd 409 won a major Dutch harness championship. Son of the wonderful world champion Folkert 353, Weird has finally started to get some recognition. As a 3 year old his stallion scores summed up to 83.1 with the highest being in the trot (8.3) and Show Driving (9.0). The judges said "He is an honest, spontaneous stallion, who loves to work. He often starts with lots of spirit, [more...]
August 1, 2007
With Friesian horses, there is a performance test which an adult horse may undergo. This test, in either harness or under saddle, indicates the horse's capacity for doing well in that particular discipline. That is, the inspectors are evaluating the horse's potential to perform well (based on inherent musculature, movement, conformation , attitude, etc). A horse may be young, and therefore not very well trained, or may be older and very experienced. The inspectors should [more...]
August 1, 2007
With Friesian horses, there is a performance test which an adult horse may undergo. This test, in either harness or under saddle, indicates the horse's capacity for doing well in that particular discipline. That is, the inspectors are evaluating the horse's potential to perform well (based on inherent musculature, movement, conformation , attitude, etc). A horse may be young, and therefore not very well trained, or may be older and very experienced. The inspectors should [more...]
July 26, 2007
Yesterday our three year old fillies - Ock and Oeke - headed south for a two month training session. Since we are not professional trainers ourselves, we send the three year olds to a professional for training in harness and under saddle. This is timed so the horses will be in peak physical condition just as they go to their Friesian breed inspection ("keuring"). The keuring happens once per year. For us, this year's [more...]
July 12, 2007
Breeding horses is an expensive and stressful endeavor. Breeding Friesians (all artificial insemination, of course) is a true labor of love and dedication to the breed. After all, Friesians have not been culled based on fertility - we are lucky just to get one here. If a cow is not very fertile, it becomes hamburger. But if a Friesian (male or female) is not particularly fertile, it is a secondary consideration. At Tanbark Acres we [more...]
July 10, 2007
After a bit of experimentation, we've succeeded in using an online journal entry ("blog") facility for multiple websites. The "Tanbark Tales" front page story on the Tanbark Acres website will now show the latest "horse" journal entry from Jeannine's blog at http://accidentalessayist.net. What does that mean to visitors to the Tanbark Acres site? It means that the front page story will be updated much more frequently now. And that the blog archive is now available [more...]
July 3, 2007
This past winter while in the Netherlands I was able to meet the grandmother of my mare Dahlia. Grandma's name is Wilmaa B and she is 16 years old now and has had 8 foals. Wilmaa B's mother recently died. Her name was Hillie B. and she was a daughter of the famous stallion Hearke. Hille B. had a rating of Model + Preferent. Less than 2% of all mares will make the Model rating. [more...]
July 1, 2007
It was a gorgeous July 1 day. The heat and humidity abated, the sky was a springtime blue and the green on the tree was mind-numbingly brilliant. At 8:45am, Sara and I headed down to the farm so she could visit her 15 day old foal. Wikke is starting to exert his independence. He didn't want his halter and didn't want to be petted. He constantly used his [more...]
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