Monday, August 4, 2008

A History Lesson and A Revelation

I have had a few readers ask me some questions about My Boy's breeding and history. I wish I had more information to share. I even had phone numbers of previous owners but reached disconnected lines, and had one unreturned message for information. However, I will tell you what I know.

My Boy was born on February 2, 1994. My birthday is in February, too. Actually, My Boy shares a birthday with my sister's boyfriend!
This is My Boy's dam, Cherry's Foxy Dawn.
She is sired by Montie High Don, out of Cherry Isle. Cherry Isle was sired by a Quarter horse named Risk Thy Isle, who traces back to Three Bars, as most stock horses seem to do. Montie High Don was a 1979 chestnut leopard Appaloosa who was a select futurity sire and had done well with limited showing. He was sired by a near-leopard named Montie High Bar, also a halter and performance champion. Montie High Don's dam was a palomino leopard named Glad-Ra-Don Freckles, whose grand sire is "unofficially" Joker B, a legend of foundation Appaloosa breeding. As you can see, Cherry got a lot of color and a huge hiney! (This is not My Boy pictured with her below.)

I was able to look up Cherry online, and I emailed a woman who once owned her and asked her for information about her. This was her reply:

"Hi. Nice boy. I bought Cherry from Frank, sold her a few years ago. I saw your colt then. Cherry was a supreme riding horse, out on the trails, if she did not want to go, you checked to see why because she was always right. Stopped 2 feet from a pit that did not show once, saved my life probably. I heard she had another blanket colt about 3 years ago or 4. Don't know where she went, she gave me some nice foals. I still have her filly and 3 grand get. Healthy, smart Appys."

Here is a picture of Cherry and My Boy as a foal This picture came in My Boy's "baby book."


Moving on to daddy. My Boy was sired by Dreamkeeper:

If you look at My Boy's face markings, you will see that he almost has an identical star and snip as his daddy!

Dreamkeeper is sired by
Dreamfinder.
This stallion appears to be a household name in the Appaloosa world.
Dreamfinder is sired by Alias King (I remember seeing this stallion advertised in issues of The Appaloosa News back in the 80's.)

So all of this breeding and who came out of it? This little stinker!

I wish I could have known him as a foal. But the few pictures I have, he looks so darn tootin' cute!



My Boy grew into a nice copper colored yearling colt with a flashy white blanket. Here are some pictures from when he was a 2 and 3 year old. He was ungelded at the time.
He has really roaned out now. I sometimes wish he was still this sorrel.

A little studly trotting in the pasture. He still flags his tail like this!

Look at the next picture closely. I know it is a fuzzy old picture, but do you notice anything unusual about one of his hind legs?

As a yearling, My Boy sustained some kind of fence cut to the front of his tendons below the hock area. It appears to be swollen in this picture so my assumption is he was still healing from that injury. Here is a close-up:
He still has a large ugly scar from it. And I wonder why my horse is off and arthritic in this leg! A picture of it today (well, taken early spring, he was still a little fuzzy-legged.)
Before he was gelded, My Boy did have at least one daughter. I have no further information on her other than this picture. I'd love to see her in person to see what she turned out like. Maybe she foaled a couple of times. Hey, wouldn't it be neat if I could someday own a horse that was My Boy's grand baby?

I believe the people that actually bred and raised My Boy sold him to the woman the trainer I got him from got him from. Does that make sense? Okay, I will break it down:

Cowgirl S bought My Boy. Here is the ad she saw on Dreamhorse.com for him (I have a copy of the ad, it was in his "baby book.") They wanted $3,500.00 for him.


Cowgirl S had some difficulties with My Boy, so she made a deal with Trainer M, trading My Boy and a Welsh pony for an Appy mare. Trainer M used My Boy for lessons and as her husband's trail horse, and I started leasing him from Trainer M (for more on this story, go here.) Last December, I bought My Boy we rode off into the sunset happily ever after! The End.
Well, almost. I would still like to know if more about My Boy's showing and training. And more about the daughter(s) he sired. For now, I am content to continue building a new history with him. And a permanent one, for that matter!

Oh....thought I'd forgotten about revealing that little secret, eh? Well, when I started blogging it was just for family and friends, and it was kind of difficult for me to "go public." I wanted to keep a few things private and sacred, including my identity and those of my family members. As I work with my horse I always talk to him and say, "How's my boy?" This "My Boy" nickname stuck. But nope, it is not his real name. His real name is actually not a barn name either, it is his registered name, with the addition of a few initials before it. So are you ready for the big reveal? Are you SURE? Wait- one more thing. I am going to continue calling him My Boy in my blog. For no reason other than I've been doing it and I like it and that's what he is, he's my boy!

Okay, here it is. My Boy's real name is: Riley.

31 comments:

  1. Great history lesson on your boy! Although I have seen his baby book numerous times. At least the people who raised him kept all this great info on him for "future" owners to have! I will always do the same for all of mine, even though I am not getting rid of mine! Ever!
    Your boy's daughter has a neck like him. What do you call it? The Saddlebred? High up in the air!
    Your boys previous owner came by today. She had her 3 young kids with her and they went out to see him. Trainer M said she couldn't believe your Boy was being so good about getting his face petted by the kids. I told her that he has gotten alot better about that. We know he use to be a little headshy at times. But I think with all the attention you give him and the spoiling you do with him has really taught him alot! Like petting him without his head going up like a Saddlebred!

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  2. How neat that you were able to come up with even that much history about Riley. He's a nice boy, I can tell. I wish more folks were diligent about horses in their care and kept track of heritage. It does a great deal to secure their future and prevent them from being served up on a platter in a foreign country.

    I wish I had just one little clue about Buena, but alas, I never will.

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  3. If you had been speaking, I think I would have covered my ears and went 'lalalala!" so I wouldn't have heard My Boy's "real name" (I won't even say it!)

    To me your wonderful, big-bottomed Appy pill will forever be "My Boy".

    I do hope you can find out more about his past training and his daughter(s). I recently saw a photo on Pedigree.com of the one colt from my Baby Doll and had that same yearning feeling to meet him in person and to know more about him.

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  4. It's great that you have so much info!! I know so little about my horses' backgrounds. Wish I had a "baby book" on them. Lots of unknowns...

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  5. Your horse is practically Appy royalty. Just last night I was reading about Joker and Dreamfinder on the Appaloosa Museum website. I'm a sucker for red roans, so I just drool every time you post pix.

    Lucky you!

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  6. Rats......I was wrong! I was sure his real name was My Boy. I tried getting history on my Appy, but didn't get too far. What a great look back on your boy. My girl was a strawbery roan with a blanket as a youngster and now looks like a leopard App.....can't see the blanket unless she's wet.

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  7. Love the photos and all the info on the handsome boy.

    Our painted pony came with an entire book of photos and a similar book for his dam. It's amazing that we have so much of his youth documented for us.

    My horse came with a folder of papers and no photos, but I have since managed to get photos of his dam (I was easily able to track his well-known sire) and of his one full brother.

    The one piece of history that I don't have that drives me crazy is that my horse has a name that was given to him by his original breeder but which was not used as a registered name by the subsequent owner/trainer. All I know is it started with a D. :0 This drives me nuts. I really want to know his original D name. His full brother's name was Dragoon.

    I would absolutely LOVE to get a photo of my horse as a foal.

    And finally, I like the name Riley! I think it suits him. :)

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  8. That was a lovely post. I wish I had any information on my two. Kind of odd that his name is Riley cause that was my daughter's dog's name, the one that passed away recently.

    I like My Boy and I was one that voted it was his real name. I don't care that I was wrong cause My Boy is such a cool name. You two make a great "couple."

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  9. I wish I had that much history on my JJ. But, honestly, to me it doesn't matter much. I do know he had a happy life before me. Riley huh? Good name, but My Boy seems to fit him better from my perspective. Probably because I don't know him and that's all you've called him here! ;-)

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  10. RILEY!! I love that name! Very interesting on the history of your guy. I wish I had some info on my Possum. I don't know if he's registered or not. He doesn't have atattoo or anything like my old appy who used to race. All I know about Possum was when I first met him up until now. Even the stock dealer who used to own him in VT died right after I got Possum. I never even got a bill of sale for him which I had asked for. I love you appy, he is just striking. SO do you have plans to show or anything?

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  11. Very nice! Finally a name, Riley! Nice to have the history on your horse, though. I really don't have much history on either of my girls.

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  12. Aww I was totally wrong. I guessed it was his real name. That's eerie how much their face markings match! That's cool that you know about his parents and childhood. We've got a AQHA horse supposedly, but we haven't been able to trace him. Those baby pictures are great! I'm jealous. :)

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  13. What an awesome post! How neat to have the hisory on your beautiful appy and to know his breeding. It appears that he was well cared for, too. Most of my horses have been unwanted grade ponies, so I don't get much info. at all on their backgrounds. When we bought Tonto from a horse trader, I contacted the name on the coggins test. The lady I spoke with told me he was the most horrible little pony she had ever been around and that they would chase him with a 4-wheeler into a pen to be able to catch him. We walk towards the pasture and he runs up to us; he literally sticks his nose in the halter for us....
    That's the kind of background my poor horses have...My Boy is so lucky to have found his way into your heart.

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  14. That's so cute, I love horsey history, it's like Day's of Our Lives, so sordid! Riley is like the horsey equivalent of the dog girl name Roxy. Everyone seems to have owned a horse named Riley...

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  15. I am quite partial to the name Riley! I just posted some pics of my Riley on Skip (whose real name is Count on This Star).

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  16. That is really cool that you have that much info on My Boy. Dreamfinder on of my all-time favorite Appaloosa stallions. No wonder My Boy is the handsome devil he is-good breeding tells.

    Now about those daughters of his-you ought to be able to contact the Appaloosa Registry and request the information on his get. I don't know if you have tried this. If nothing else they can send you a list of the names of the registered foals(I would hope that someone would have registered them).

    Good luck hunting down the rest of the info that you are looking for.

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  17. OK, if I ever need help tracing my family tree, you're my gal!! That was incredible...and so fun! I love how much you LOVE your boy! That's how it should be.

    Fun reveal with his name. :)

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  18. It's funny, because Riley has been a popular name lately for children and dogs. My parents had a beagle, who passed away a couple of years ago at 9 years of age, and his name was Riley. I always liked the name for a child but don't think I could use it now that I've had a horse named Riley, hee!

    BEC, thanks for the idea about contacting the ApHC for informatoin on his get, I will try that. I might have to become a member to have access to those services, but I suppose I should become a member and support the association.

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  19. Okay, first -- so cool to see baby pictures!

    And secondly, can't resist commenting on My Boy's other name... How appropriate, since he's now living... wait for it... the "life of Riley"! ;)

    Couldn't resist.

    (For those of you who might not be familiar, the phrase originated in WWI, and refers to an "easy and pleasant life" according to Phrase Finder.

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  20. How nice to have some history on your boy, I would love to have that on all of mine.

    Wait I guess I do, since most of them are from similar bloodlines, I just never put it all together like that.

    Very impressive

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  21. Now thats a fine strong name for that spotted hunka horse of yours!

    LOVE all the spots in this post PG! Great job tracking things down there. You should be very proud of yourself!

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  22. Dudley is emailing me asking me where his baby book is.....now, really you had to show us all up with Riley's book!! Big Smiles!

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  23. fsfunnysd: It is really ironic that you mentioned the "Life of Riley", because in My Boy's baby book there is a postcard w/a painting of a blanketed Appy on it, and it's signed by the artist and the quote she wrote on it is "The Life of Riley." Obviously his previous owners picked up the postcard for this reason...probably the same reason I buy every little model horse that looks like my Appy, too! ;)

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  24. I'll admit, I was one of the ones that thought "My Boy" was his real name... or at least his real barn name.
    My appy gelding has roaned out a lot too. We've only had him (almost) 2 years and he's lightened noticably in that time. Our guy was registered as a bay with a white blanket, now most of his body is white.
    Thanks for the history lesson :)

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  25. OK...I was one of the readers who figured that "My Boy" was not his real name, and even though I now know--for sure!!--that is in not, I will still always think of him as simply your "Boy."

    What a great post. You should be an investigative journalist or something:)

    I was my horse, Shadest's, only owner, other than his breeder, and I made a huge portfolio of all of his family members...I still have it. It's always a good idea to learn as much as you can about your horses past.

    Wow did he have a leg injury or what??? At least you know all about it!

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  26. i swore that was his real name!! oh well....riley is a cute name though!

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  27. That's awesome! The horse that was briefly a contender against Jack last summer when I was horse shopping was named Riley. I love the name, but I like that you use My Boy- it's so endearing!

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  28. that is so cool to know about your horse! that is the kind of "history" i like! and i absolutely LOVE his name!!

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  29. What, that is it? I was expecting some really fancy big long super star name with all his famous fancy named parents. I do like Riley. I rode a TB named Riley and I loved him. I think My Boy suits him very well. He will always be "My Boy" to me too. I think his large rear is definatley in his genes. LOL that is funny, in his "jeans". Okay it is getting late! I should stop while I am ahead! Fun post, and you do know a lot about your boy. Good thing for that baby book of his.

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  30. Wow-thanks for sharing My Boy's family with us!

    Great pics!

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  31. I absolutely loved this post and enjoyed learning more about you and your MyBoy (Riley). That is so great you have all this info. I know nothing about my mares other than they are mine and I love them.
    Isn’t it great sharing some common things with your horse. My Toby was born May 9th 2006. I am a May baby also. I was fortunate and did get to see his conception and his birth. It was wonderful. I too hope to be here for him forever. You have inspired me...I will have to do a blog about my Toby one of these days.

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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