Today's Horse Trader Highlights Marchadors!

Our latest article is in July’s issue of Today’s Horse Trader magazine. Please email me or the editor to get your copy. Today’s Horse Trader is distributed in the Western states of AZ, NM, CO, TX and WY.

Email to info@summerwindmarchadors.com

2010 ABCCMM Inspection Visit and Bacara

photos: Jeff Bosley on Bossa Nova de Miami, Bacara's mom and yearling Bacara do Summerwind that Jeff fell for 3 years ago.

In August 2010, Dr. Getulio Vieira will be again visiting the US to inspect and approve the US born Marchadors for dual registry with the ABCCMM – the Brasilian MM association. Jeff and Michelle Bosley have chosen to continue tradition with their mare Bacara do Summerwind (Caboclo da Piedade x Bossa Nova de Miami)

The ABCCMM’s inspection process is one of the cornerstones to the quality of the breed. Horses are inspected by the ABCCMM technicians when they reach age 3 (or later) – for conformation, for gait and for temperament. The Mangalarga Marchador is an unusual breed of horse with traits that have been carefully cultivated for generations. When a breed of horse has specific traits that are highly desirable and unique to that breed, then protecting it from indiscriminate or random breeding practices is wise. The purpose of the ABCCMM inspection is to make sure the animals that are registered and used for breeding purposes satisfy the clearly defined and developed breed standard.

For the ABCCMM, Marchadors that pass inspection are registered in their breeding books and allowed to breed. In Brasil, stallions are further tested on a group of 30 or so mares. After their foal crop is evaluated, the stallion may or may not remain a breeding stallion, even though he is fully registered.

The USMMA (US MM association) does not require inspection, but the breed standard is very close to that of the Brasilian ABCCMM breed standard. For us at Summerwind, we encourage and support the inspection process as a way to learn about the MM breed, your horse and if breeding, what characteristics to look for in a breeding partner for your horse. The goal of a good breeder is always to IMPROVE the next generation.

Jeff bought Bacara do Summerwind as a young yearling beauty. Bacara is now four years old and was started under saddle this year. Michelle Bosley seems to be enjoying her time in the saddle, even though she is a young horse. They live in Lumber Bridge, NC. Bacara is the only daughter of Caboclo da Piedade, so she is unique in our genetic pool of Marchador horses here in the US.

Given a choice, my next dog will also be a border collie, like our wonderdog, Mac. I love the breed – their intelligence, spirit, pure joy and beauty when they are running. Wait – that description could also fit a Marchador!

Like dogs, there are now too many horses in the U.S. It’s a problem. But while I donate to some of the rescue efforts, I would not want a different breed of horse, even for a good cause or for free. And now having raised horses from birth, that is the way to go for me. I breed Marchadors because they possess all of the characteristics that I value in a horse. They are what I want to own, ride and spend time with.

It isn’t all about the breeders; it’s also about the owners. Both produce unwanted horses. I make a commitment to SW horses. We find a new home, sell it for you or even sometimes buy it ourselves if you can no longer keep it. My dream would be for every horse to find a forever home.

Marchador Trivia

The USMMA with the help of all the importers will be writing our history and stories soon in the USMMA newsletter, perhaps to be published in a book too. Tresa Smith is heading up the tremendous effort. Here are some of the numbers to whet your appetite.

69 Marchadors have been imported from Brasil. Of the 69 imports:

1 had to be returned to Brasil when he failed testing in Miami

4 have died since being imported (only one from old age)

The oldest import is a mare born in 1982 - Formosa do Crocoto.

26 were stud colts or stallions. Of these, only 11 are still breeding.

37 mares were imported to become foundation breeding mares in 11 states with 14 breeders.

5 horses were imported as geldings.

The importers:

The Guerra family in FL – MM Horse Farms. Regal Legacy Farm, out of business, in CA, GA and OH Tresa Smith in MT – Lazy T Ranch and Montana Marchadors Premier International, out of business, in FL and CA John and Lynn Kelley in AZ, Summerwind Marchadors Susan Gabriel in CA, Dreamcatcher Ranch Rick and Liz Schatz in OK, Flying Oaks Ranch Holm and Susan Neumann in OR, Cascade Marchadors Keith Mosing in TX Peter and Lori Silcher in MT, 4 Seasons Marchadores

The foundation horses represented a great mix of bloodlines. Abaiba, Tabatinga, Favacho, Bela Cruz, Herdade, JB, Traituba, Caxambu and more. Some of the imported mares were pregnant to Brasilian stallions further adding to the genetic pool if they remained breeding animals. All of the other Marchadors found around the country are products of these original horses.

Loving horses....

I am in love with horses. I stop and watch when they are running in the field and admire their beauty, their spirit, their exuberance for life. It is a delicate balance in training them to meet our needs and wants and not lose that spirit that so attracted us to begin with.

I did not understand horse behavior when I started; I just loved the horse. That is not enough. I needed to learn.

In my earlier days, I thought the lesson was about dominating the horse – “winning” the battle. As I progressed, I became a leader instead of a tyrant. In this new way of being, I am still respected, but my horses are freer to express themselves too. In this new way of being, when a lesson goes wrong, I go back to think about what I am doing wrong, not the horse. It’s The Black Stallion story all over again – and isn’t that what we wanted all along?

Marchador mares - Breeding Tips

We believe the Marchador mares are very robust and natural in their heat cycles. Like some other ancient breeds, the Marchador mares hold on to their egg folicles much longer and their follicles get much larger. Many breeding vets start their breeding process with a follicle of 35 mm. With a Marchador mare, we often wait until at least 45 mm or 50 before we begin breeding. We have seen follicles of 52-60 mm without ovulation in our mares.

So, our advice is - when breeding with AI - wait a day or maybe two - more that what the textbook calls for.
Of course, every mare is unique and ultrasounding each of your breeding mares during their estrus cycle will provide valuable information to you on how to manage that mare.

Good luck!

I rode Bella today (real name Elba Cruzalta) just around the ranch property and marveled at our journey together. Such a sweet mare and willing to try to do anything - like walk by that blue tarp over the hay - even though I can tell she's very apprehensive about it. Perhaps, I think, we need to do some tarp and scary things training to help this old girl.

She went comfortably - just at a walk, at my request. Such a difference from the mare who would rush almost out of control if you ever loosened the reins. I am content and happy on her back.

So now that she is happy, we will move on to the finer elements of riding. I would love to get her to bend and supple, to give her head some and start using her back end a little more. (She's learned on the ground to do that, but under saddle, not so much). But, I think, we have time for that - and today we just enjoy the walk - the sunshine and fresh air, the feeling of eternity like time has just stopped and that this ride can last forever.

I will miss you Bella when your owners come for you. For the rest of my life. You are a special one, a spirit horse.