All posts by summerwind

Breeding, Foundation MMs, Frozen Semen, Imported Horses, SW Future Foals, SW News

SW Update – 2012/2013 SW Future Foals Expected!

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SW Future Foal rarely breeds without a person requesting a foal.  However, in 2012, we received frozen Marchador semen from superior stallions from Agro Maripa, Brasil.   This was the first importation of Marchador frozen semen – a project we had worked on for many years.   Agro Maripa has bred Marchador horses for over 30 years and they focus on producing sport horses of excellent quality, beauty, comfort and intelligence.  They have a great formula!  Mr. Marcelo Baptista is student of genetics and puts this passion into practice also in cattle and goats as well as his prized and much loved Mangalarga Marchadors.

Oma de Maripa, a proven producer in Brasil!

So, this year,  we needed to prove the semen from Brasil and so we bred our mares using Maripa frozen semen even though we had no reservation.   We were thinking to keep these historic, unique and fabulous foals to be born for ourselves, but in the end, decided to offer them also as SW Future Foals!  Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in one of the SW Future Foals.

Brasilia do Summerwind, a perfect partner for Oma.

To be born November, 2012    Genghis-Khan do Summerind  (code name, you would get to name the foal if you decide to reserve it).   The product of Brasilia do Summerwind, imported in-utero and Oma de Maripa, still in Brasil.  This is our diamond foal: strong, brilliant and clearly a Mangalarga Marchador!   Power!    Smooth and cadenced marcha batida gait, a horse that can perform well at any discipline.

Reserve Genghis for $15,000 or reserve the foal in condominium with SW Future Foal for $10,000.  We are interested in future foals or breeding rights in exchange for the reduction in price.

 

Ximoio de Maripa, pure Abaiba bloodlines

To be born 2/2013 in AZ:  Hermes do Summerwind (code name, you would get to name the foal if you decide to reserve it.)   The product of Azenha de Maripa, imported MM mare and Ximoio de Maripa, still in Brasil.  This will be our sport horse foal in the true tradition of Agro Maripa!  Ground covering marcha batida!  Add the bonus of the most beautiful features in the head and neck.  Almost pure Abaiba bloodlines, this foal will be the one that people will stop to watch.  Before it is born, I am predicting it may be the most beautiful Marchador in America.

Reserve Hermes for  $15,000 or reserve the foal in condominium with SW Future Foal for $10,000.  We are interested in future foals or breeding rights in exchange for the reduction in price.

 

SW imported Marchador stallion (frozen semen only) La Paz Jivago. He represents Favacho and Tabatinga foundation bloodlines.
Bella with 2011 Jivago foal Tigre do Summerwind

To be born 3/2013 in NC:  Hallelujah do Summerwind (code name, you would get to name the foal if you decide to reserve it.)  The product of Elba Cruzalta (Bella), imported MM mare and La Paz Jivago, imported MM stallion.  This foal will be a full brother to Tigre do Summerwind, a striped dun, who is still everyone’s sweetheart.   This foal will be pure pleasure, laid back, so smooth, but still athletic, a marcha picada or marcha de centro gait.

Reserve Hallelujah and sing Hallelujah for only $6,500.

Perhaps a fourth as Bacara do Summerwind will be bred this June.  Pricing dependent on stallion used.  We’ll let you know shortly!

Please visit the mare and stallion pages for more information about the parents and for more photos and videos..  We would be delighted to talk to you in depth about the Future Foal program, what we offer and if this approach would be right for you!

SW Future Foal offers a 10% appreciation discount on any product to our current SW Future Foal customers and to any Marchador breeder.

 

 

Events, SW Future Foals, SW News

SW Update – SW Wins and Clinic Results!

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While the main reason for holding the clinic was our education, the format was fun and exciting.   Evaluations by the judges was very informative and helpful.   We did learn a LOT!  Thank you Kate and Tiago!

A blue ribbon for Connie and Leo!

The Trail Ride – 1st place went to Aline Greene of Saint Horse Marchadors, SC on Erva-Doce de Tesouro.

Conformation and Marcha – 1st place stallion to Bill and Sandy Kambic of Haras Lucero, TN with Ritmo A.J.

1st place mare to Bill and Sandy Kambic of Haras Lucero, TN with Aliane Fazenda Zouga.  Aliane was bred in Brazil by Rick Schatz, then Fazenda Zouga, now in the U.S. breeding as Flying Oaks Ranch, OK who also was at the clinic.

1st place gelding to Connie Claire, our clinic organizer, of Ocala, FL with Leo, aka DaVinci do Summerwind, bred by us.

Jeff showing his winning form on Bacara! Whew - it was close!

Functional Test – 1st place won by Jeff Bosley of SW Future Foal @ Lumber Bridge on his mare, Bacara do Summerwind, bred by us.

For many participants, this was the first time they had ever done this!  The riders and horses were learning fast, but there was only time for one run.

Grand Champion – Combining all of the scores over all three days, this was awarded to Jeff Bosley of SW Future Foal @ Lumber Bridge with Bacara do Summerwind.

Almost every person and horse earned a ribbon!  There were quite a few Marchadors just started under saddle so we were all impressed by how well they behaved.   As Tiago would say “You can see, this is a real Mangalarga Marchador!”

Congratulations to everyone!  It was a great accomplishment!

The awards ceremonies were on Sunday, a great finale!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education, Events, Marcha, SW News

SW Update — Clinic, Marcha Gaits 2!

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Kate riding Cheveyo do MManor, owned by Brooke Little, Marchadors InMotion

We all had a taste of riding and training under Kate’s expert guidance.   Kate was able to ride each of the Marchadors herself to understand the movement and what it might need.   She brought with her a toolkit and recommended different things with each horse, sometimes changing to a milder bit.   Because she only had a short time with each horse and rider, she worked on getting the rider to feel the marcha when it was correct.  Then they could recreate it when they got home.

The quality of the marcha is based on many components, not just smoothness.   So, there was some range in the smoothness of the gait, the extension, the lift of the front legs and the expression of the movement (as compared to the “diagram” that should be in your head at all times.)  Part of the answer in the difference was in conformation, which Tiago evaluated on every horse at the clinic with the owner and sometimes the breeder paying close attention!

Conformation check for Leo (DaVinci do Summerwind) by Tiago with owner Connie Claire looking on.

The Brasilians have a complicated and precise expectation about each body part, the angles, the length and the proportion to one another.   Both the conformation and the marcha are evaluated and tested on all Marchadors being registered in Brasil by the ABCCMM.  Some breeders in the U.S. like us, also follow that tradition.  SW Future Foal is an  ABCCMM breeder.

These measurements and evaluation relate to the horse being able to move and flex the front legs and the back legs in a similar fashion.   In the marcha, the front leg hits before the opposite hind leg – this is called dis-association and it’s why it is a marcha and not a trot.  There is often over reach where the hind legs hit in front of where the front legs landed.

Surprisingly, all but one of the Marchadors in the clinic were marcha batida horses, even though some owners had believed perhaps that they were marcha picada because they were so smooth.

Kate in teaching mode. Bill Kambic, owner and rider on his stallion Ritmo A.J., Haras Lucero

So much valuable information given to each rider and owner!  Much of it was videotaped and I will be producing videos all summer so that we don’t forget!

From this year’s clinic, here are the learnings that are ringing in my ears from Tiago and Kate.

“There are 5 senses to help you feel that the marcha is correct.  Two eyes (if you are watching).  Two ears (close your eyes and listen).   One seat.  (you can feel it).”

“Relax your horse – the neck must be flexible and supple.”  

“Don’t bounce or post! Relax your hips and move with the horse.”  If you move up and down the horse will follow you and not stay smooth.

“Keep your hands steady with his mouth, but relax your arms and shoulders.”  I found this instruction fascinating. How can I keep my hands set but keep my shoulders relaxed?  But yes, you can do it.   If your shoulders are not relaxed, your hands will not be quiet.

“More speed!  More leg!” Most of us here in the U.S. seem to be riding our Marchadors way too slow for them to find their way.   The marcha has speeds and often the horses smooth out at higher speed, almost at a canter.

“Disassociation”  The rider should be able to feel AND hear that the hind feet are not hitting the ground at the same moment as the front feet.  The shoulders and hips of the horse should be swinging free and easy.  That’s why it’s so important that the horse stay relaxed.   And it’s also why some horses get smoother after they warm up.

“Inside rein.  Move your fingers!” To keep the head flexed and neck bent and soft.

“Breathe!”  To keep you soft.

Rebecca Boone on Aviadora do Campo Real, waiting her turn. Aviadora was the most improved marcha at the clinic. For her it was all about releasing tension.

Here’s what I wrote up after the 2011 Clinic and it is remains the same too.

  • Perfect the 4 beat extended walk.  (How many times are we told to practice a good walk in other disciplines?)  It is ESSENTIAL for a good marcha as it is the take-off point and retreat point always.
  • Practice in straight lines before teaching in circles, lateral work or ANY other discipline.  Teach the horse to elongate his back, his stride, relax and stretch without speeding up.
  • Always start on the good side for the stretches, but do both sides.  Stretching from the good side will help the bad side to stretch easier.
  • To move into gait:  From the walk, apply more leg pressure and ask the horse to speed up without losing the smooth rhythm that was there in his walk.  Collect the reins (have contact) with the horse’s mouth to ask him to collect his body in a good frame.
  • Do NOT let your horse continue to gait if it is gaiting badly.  Go back to the walk and start again.
  • On the other hand, keep the marcha going for long and longer periods of time.  Don’t stop! Ask for MORE SPEED from his legs while maintaining the collection.   You are trying to build MUSCLE MEMORY.  (This works really well!  I tried it on my horses after the clinic)
  • A marcha picada horse that paces is often still very smooth (I was surprised by this).  You can tell because your hips will go side to side instead of forward and back.  Try to put your leg on for more leg speed, but if that doesn’t work, return to the walk and start over.
  • Place your horse on the marcha gait line L4-D4.   Some horses will need training help because of poorer conformation or genetics, but some horses might need help because someone interfered with their natural gait during training.  The Marchador is a willing partner.  If you ask it to change its natural footfall, it will learn to do what you want.
  • You can use dressage to supple the horse and build muscle, but not too soon (remember straight lines).  Once you can do the circles, you can move to a higher-level figure.  The Marchador can do lateral work and the higher moves IN GAIT!  (Another surprise for me!)

Click here if you want to read the whole SW News article:   SW News411

Also, for Kate’s slides from the 2011 Clinic, follow this link:   https://www.namarchador.org/2012/04/mm-clinic-slides-2011/

Press Release, SW News

SW Update — John Kelley resigns as USMMA President

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Below is the letter John sent to the USMMA Board with his resignation.  Susann Gabriel is now the new USMMA President.

Susann,
I wanted to give you a heads up on the announcement  that I plan to send to Aline for the next newsletter.  I suggest you or someone from the Board provide additional information on this policy change so the membership will get a perspective on the change.
There has been a change in the USMMA Organization.   I have resigned as President of the USMMA, effective May 5, 2012.  Susann Gabriel, an eight year USMMA Board Member, current Vice President, and passionate owner of Marchadors will become President until the next USMMA election in 2013.
The USMMA is a strong organization, with a solid balance sheet and outstanding reputation in the United States, Brazil, and Europe. The USMMA  Registry includes nearly all the owners, breeders, and Marchadors in North America. We have a strong working relationship with Brazil, evidenced by the very successful 2012 Sela de  Ouro and Clinic recently held in Ocala Florida. 
The USMMA Board has recently approved a policy change that I cannot support and over my strong opposition.  It was clear to me that I should step down.  The direction approved is to move toward a requirement that US inspections for Mangalarga Marchadors be performed before a horse can be registered with the USMMA, based on the USMMA breed standard that is similar to the ABCCMM standards.   Here are a few of the reasons behind my strong opposition:
– I do not believe, at this time, that we should be excluding Marchadors from the USMMA based on inspections. We had already enacted safety and quality measures with parental DNA and a verification of no genetic defects at birth.  I believe the number one goal for the USMMA should be growth and diversity.  I fear that this change will discourage some USMMA members from registering horses perhaps simply because of the cost of inspections or fear that their horses won’t be accepted and we will lose Marchadors and perhaps those members from our base.
– The Marchador is a BRAZILIAN breed.   I believe our current process of encouraging American breeders to join the ABCCMM and voluntarily seek ABCCMM inspections keeps that connection strong.  I believe, for breeders especially, that inspections provided valuable information but should not be mandatory or a requirement to register Marchadors with the USMMA.
– In my mind, the quality of the MM breed in the U.S.  is a three legged stool.  One of those aspects is genetics.  However, limiting the gene pool also creates an adverse affect – poorer quality in the breed.  The other two legs of the stool are presentation and training.   If a very well-bred quality Marchador is not presented well or trained correctly, then it will look like bad breeding.   We all imported or bought the highest quality Marchadors to begin breeding programs.  It is the other two legs of the stool that I personally feel need the most attention.    The USMMA  could do more with education, more with show kits, more with clinics and bringing up gait trainers than will ever be accomplished with an inspection program. 
Lynn and I have enjoyed our time actively involved in the USMMA Board of Directors but it is time for new leadership. We are confidant that the USMMA will continue to be a successful organization. We will continue to support the Mangalarga Marchador as members of the USMMA and as members of the Brazilian Association, the ABCCMM.  We will also maintain dual registration of our Marchadors including inspections performed by ABCCMM authorized inspectors.  We will now focus our time on our personal goals of improving the quality and diversity of the Marchador breed via imported frozen semen and frozen embryos from top Brazilian breeders and developing the M Foundation.  
We will try to be available to other members to help in any way we can since we share a common passion, the Mangalarga Marchador.  
John J. Kelley

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

Many people will still have questions after reading this letter, so here is some more from the SW Future Foal perspective and our thinking.

Inspection & Registration

We believe strongly in the Brazilian inspection process and the quality of the MM breed.  There is a process to become members of the ABCCMM and to obtain ABCCMM inspections.  Every SW Future Foal is from ABCCMM inspected parents and is provisionally registered with the ABCCMM.    They are also registered with the USMMA, so if the new owner does not want to inspect, the USMMA paper becomes primary.

We do not believe the USMMA should link registration with inspections nor change its registration policy to require mandatory US inspections.  Today about 10% of the current Marchador horse population whose owners are “unknown” to the USMMA.  We would like all Marchador horses to be registered and not become lost.   We think mandatory inspections could make more animals (and their offspring) unregistered (for a variety of reasons, could be cost, could be quality, could be indifference – the owner doesn’t care about inspecting)  and there is a real downside to that, in our opinion.

When we originally founded the USMMA, the registration process was designed similarly to the Andalusian design where all Andalusians (and half-Andalusians, for that matter) are registered with the IALHA.  Then if the owner or breeder desires, they can complete the paperwork and process to get their Andalusian registered and approved in the Spanish association – Pure Raca Espanol or PRE.    Fresians and Icelandics both have inspections where quality is assessed, but it is not tied to registration of the horses.

We also do not believe that any U.S. vet has the experience and knowledge of the MM breed to become an inspector for conformation, gait and temperament or for judging a Marchador.  We put our trust in ABCCMM inspectors.  It is the ABCCMM Horseshoe M brand that is the international mark of the Marchador horse and of its quality.  Substituting a USMMA brand is not the same in our mind.

As mentioned in the letter, John was the only dissenting vote on this issue.  As such, it was clear that he could no longer continue as President.   If John had remained as President, both he and I would have had to work on communication and implementation.   Clearly, because we are so against this policy, we did not want to work to make it a reality.

ABCCMM, Brazil and the USMMA

The Marchador is a Brazilian breed.  The ABCCMM (the Marchador association in Brasil) will always have more knowledge, more horses, more money and resources than the USMMA.   We have encouraged Marchador owners and breeders to become members of the ABCCMM and to inspect and register their Marchadors with them, as we do.   We would love to see that continue.   (The ABCCMM is creating a new registration book to solve some of the paperwork problems of the past.)  We would like to see everyone that owns a Marchador travel to Brasil to feel the passion, ride their horses and relive the history at the birthplace of the breed.

Partnering with the ABCCMM also helps us with the other aspects of marketing and promoting the breed:

  • the rich history and passionate stories of the Marchador breed,
  • the breed’s value in Brasil,
  • their marketing and international press about the Marchador,
  • training for the marching gait that is the hallmark of the breed &
  • visits back and forth, for clinics, shows and other.

A New Beginning

This is just our opinion and obviously others, just as passionate about the MM breed felt differently.  In the end, it does not matter what we think.   It only matters that the USMMA continue to grow and prosper and that the Mangalarga Marchador get more recognition and attention here.

It is a good thing to refresh the association; to get new members involved and working.   John and I have been around,  since the beginning of the association in 2004 when we formed it with other founding members and great friends, Cristiana Guerra, MM Horse Farms and Tresa Smith, Montana Marchadors.  Now eight years later, with a strong membership and bank account, it is a good time for us to step aside.

Remember that our work was voluntary.  We did it because of our passion for the breed.  Now it is time for others who are just as passionate (and hopefully younger) to take on the work we need for the next decade.

 

Education, Events, Marcha, SW News

Marcha Gaits, Part 1

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(For anyone who was there at the clinic, I encourage you to try to hear our instructor’s voices while you read this! Please feel free to add anything you picked up in individual lessons.  I have written about the gaits before, so I will not repeat those comments, but I’ll link to them in case you want MORE!)

Tiago showing the diagram of the Marcha

The Mangalarga Marchador has 2 marching gaits.  The Marcha is the same footfalls in both marcha picada and marcha batida.

The footfall sequence is

3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2
RH RF LH RF LH RF LH LF LH LF LH LF RH LF RH LF RH RF RH RF

When the length of time spent in lateral supports is higher, then the gait is marcha picada.  When the length of time is higher spent in diagonal supports is higher, then the gait is marcha batida.  In both,  there are moments of triple hoof support, which is what makes the gait smooth and easy to ride.

When the length of time spent in diagonal and lateral pairs are equal, it is sometimes described as marcha de centro.

To the human ear, in marcha picada,  there is a much longer time (in lateral) between the footfalls making the 4 beats very distinctive and easily heard.   In marcha batida, the marcha is still 4 beat, but the footfalls of the diagonal pairs land closer together making it harder to hear 4 distinct beats.

Training can help improve a Marchador’s natural gait, but genetics determine the innate quality and movement of the horse.  Breeding for the center of the spectrum is the goal for a smooth and well-balanced movement.

Below is the gait spectrum:

 

Pace                           Marcha Picada             /\            Marcha Batida                                         Trot

(True lateral)                                            CENTER                                                         (true diagonal)

 

 

Here is are some videos comparing the 2 gaits and you can HEAR the difference, although all Marchador gaits are smooth.  These may not be the best examples of the MM breed, but I chose them because the horses were ridden on hard ground so you can hear as well as see.

Marcha Picada

Marcha de Centro (Marcha Batida)

Marcha Batida

“To help you feel and analyze the marcha, you need to use 5 things:   2 eyes, 2 ears and 1 seat.” says Tiago during the classroom lecture.   Sometimes the marcha is not visible to a untrained human eye.  The feet move too fast for us.   The ears are very good to listen for the gait.   And the seat, it should signal when the gait is smooth.   As the rider, you try to put the horse in that place, and make that feeling and sound last for longer and longer periods of time.

“It is like a dance”.  The horse must stay relaxed in the neck, but driving from behind.  “So, the rider, he sets the boundary in front to make a door that is closed.”  So, the horse moves into collection, but it is a give and take between the horse and rider, especially in the beginning, for the horse to stay relaxed and giving to the bit.

Okay, now we understood the diagram of the marcha.

The quality of the movement in Brasil is judged on many levels:  the showiness of the gait (the C with the front legs), the diagram of the marcha (how close it comes to perfection in footfalls and timing), the length of the stride (they want it to be ground covering, extension is valued) and finally, the smoothness of the gait.

So, now how do you bring it out in your Marchador?    For this, we relied on Kate’s individual riding instruction on the Marchadors brought to the clinic.  Next post!