Itajoana mixes Tabatinga and Abaiba bloodlines to produce solid, beautiful & fast Marchadors. The main stallions used there were: Icaro de Itajoana, Acai Tabatinga and Cafundo Uranio. Cafundo Uranio (a mix of Herdade and Abaiba) was the farm owner’s favorite horse. When Uranio passed away, he proved impossible to replace. Although they still prize their Marchadors, the breeder is not as active today. Itajoana is part of a larger farm called Fazenda Santarem, a magical place. The farm also produces cattle, coffee, & crops.
Itajoana Marchadors were imported in 2001 by the Lazy T Ranch and in 2004 by Summerwind. Here are the horses:
Michigan:
· Atriz de Itajoana, grey mare, being used as a broodmare with the Bryans at Great Lakes Marchadors.
Montana:
· Bambino de Itajoana, grey gelding (son of Acai Tabatinga) and Vicosa de Itajoana, buckskin mare, both with Rox Rogers and being used in reining and cowboy dressage.
· Vedete de Itajoana, grey mare, with Dr. Tia Nelson. She may be used as a broodmare or endurance mount.
· Pupila de Itajoana, grey mare, being used as a broodmare. (granddaughter of Cafundo Uranio) with Tresa Smith at the Lazy T.
Wyoming
· Violeiro de Itajoana, grey gelding being used for ranch work and pleasure with Marion Neidringhaus.
Itajoana continues with the imported mares‘ offspring.
Atriz’s foals: Agustos do Great Lakes, the Bryans, MI
Pupila’s foals: Astrud de Lazy T, Eliza Frazer, MT
Chico-Buarque de Lazy T, Tia Nelson, MT
Joao-Gilberto de Lazy T, Tresa Smith, MT
Lo-Borges de Lazy T, Tresa Smith, MT
Vedete’s foals: Amadeus do Summerwind, Kristy Everson, AZ
Belmiro de Sunset, Pat Rollingson, CANADA
Diego do Summerwind, Pat Rollingson, CANADA
Vicosa’s foals: Amethyst do Summerwind, the Bryans, MI
Yesterday I was riding Brasilia do Summerwind, a green 3 year old mare. After the ride, my husband John said “You know I watch her move under saddle and she moves exactly as she does when she is running at liberty in the pasture”. What a compliment! All the energy, enthusiasm and beauty of a natural moving horse was still there! After basking in the praise (I assumed it was for me), we talked about how we had gotten there.
We believe it is the ground work we do. We work with the foals from the time they are born, so it is easy to know the horse inside and out - how it will react to learning new things or new places. Training on the ground lets you and the horse develop a relationship of trust and a way of communicating.
We can teach almost everything a horse needs to know on the ground, and at any age. So, when we get to starting the young horse under saddle, it is just another series of steps in a life-long process.
The time spent with a young horse is especially important. What they are learning during the first 3 years of their lives set the foundation for the rest of their careers. This is time and effort well-spent and well worth whatever time it takes.
With Brasilia, I learned that the horse can also be the teacher. Here is what we learned from our smartest mare:
For those people who don’t have ground training as part of their regimen now, there are self-help DVDs from all of the world’s great trainers. Stay Natural! Or, you can go to a clinic in your local area or practice with a friend until you get comfortable on your own. The reward is a partner for life –before you ever put a foot in the stirrup.
As we get older, there may come a day where riding is no longer an option. Ground work or just spending time hanging out with a horse may be it. That would still be a great day!
