twhstar.com - What we do with our Walkers

CSR MORNIN'S MIRACLE
2003-[CAN]3005

Allen's Midnight Rascal X Top O'the Mornin'

SOLD--CONGRATULATIONS TO GUY FURGUSON AND HIS DAUGHTER JACKIE OF ANDREW ALBERTA

Mira has been my main riding horse since 2006, when I started her as a three year old. Her show career actually started as a weanling when I entered her into the Canadian Futurity.  She was then shown as a yearling, and after that there was no futurity. However, it was replaced with a video analisis where the horse could earn Bronze (in hand), Silver (conformation, walk, runwalk) and Gold (conformation, walk, runwalk and canter). I submitted her tape when she was a four year old and we got GOLD!!
There is now a permanent record of her achievment on her registration papers.

Mira is such a fun horse to ride. She just glides seamlessly from her working walk to flat walk to run walk and now the canter.

Story of how Mira got her name

Mira's registered name is Mornin's Miracle. Mira beat the odds a couple of times when she was born. Mornin' has had NI foals in the past, which means that her blood type is incompatible with her foal's, something like Rh neg. and positive in people.

With a horse, the mother produces anitbodies against the foal's blood. So when the foal nurses that first important colostrum from the mother, the anitbodies go to work destroying the foals red blood cells, eventually causing the foal to die if it doesn't get treatment immediatly.

After Mornin' lost one foal from NI, we bred her to a different stallion. Unfortunatly, that foal also developed NI, but I caught it in time, pulled her off the mare and fed her goats milk for three days. She also made a daily trip to the vet's for a bloodtest to check out her red blood count. If it had fallen below an acceptable level the little filly would get a blood transfusion.  Thankfully it never did and after a week of driving 90 miles every day, it was clear she was going to pull through.

We then made the decision that any foal Mornin' had, we would just pull off for three days and hand feed the foal and milk out the mare until she was done producing colustrum. This worked for well for the next few foals.
One late winter day Rascal got out and went visiting the mares. I knew he bred at least two of them, but Mornin' showed no signs of having caught. She was riden in 4-h all that winter and was out on the half section across the road in spring. Now, when Mornin' is in foal she usually looks it, she get huge, has a milk bag like a jursey cow, all the usual signs. Not this year though! she just looked like a mare who came through the winter well.

We had a spring snow storm that lasted for about 2 days and the mares went and hid out in the back forty. When they came home, we looked out the living room window and saw a FOAL running with the herd! Wow, that got the troops moving. The whole family went running across the road (as well as you can in 2 feet of fresh snow), and sure enough, Mornin' had had a stunning coal black filly. I figured her to be about 2 days old. No frozen ears, no frozen tail, and no frozen feet. What a miracle! Next I checked the whites of her eyes and her gums to see if they were yellow -- the eyes were a nice white and the gums a healthy pink -- no NI! she beat the odds twice.

MIRA'S SHOW RECORDS

2003 Canadian Futurity weanling filly class
          - 5th in a large class of 12

2004 Canadian Futurity yearling filly class
          -2nd in a class of 7
2004 Canadian Futurity yearling in hand
          - 6th

2006 Wild Rose Versitility Show (we only showed one day, English)
           - 6th Champion class of 12
           -4th Jr horse 2 gait open, class of 10
           - 2nd horse 1st year to show, class of 6
           - 4th Equitation , class of 6

Great Northern Regional Versitility Horse Show
           (entered Trail Pleasure)
   English

           - ?? , Model (Tyler showed her as a Jr handler)
           - ?? , Halter (Tyler showed her as a Jr handler)
           - 2nd, Two Gait open
           - 1st, horse first year to show
           - 2nd, 2 & 3 year old
           - 1st, Jr Horse

   Western
           - ?? , Halter (Tyler showed her)
           - ?? , Jr showmanship (Tyler Showed her)
           - 3rd, 2 gait open
           - 1st, Jr Horse
           - 2nd, Stake
           - 4th, Champion
Mira recieved the TWO GAIT HIGH POINT award at this show

Western Canadian Regional Horse Show (we only showed one day English)
            - 1st, Jr Horse
            - 3rd, 2 gait trail pleasure stake, 11 in class
            - 6th 2 gait champion, 11 in class

MIRA'S OTHER ACTIVITIES

Although we haven't made it to the shows for a couple of years, that doesn't mean we haven't been busy! Mira is such a good ambassidor for her breed, I've taken her to various functions and activities. We had a Japanees exchange student one summer, and she gave him and another exchange student their first ride on a gaited horse (or any horse for that matter).

The highlight for 2008 was attending the Mane Event in Red Deer. Mira was the only Tennessee Walking Horse doing the breed demo.   She wasn't stressed, but I was! That is alot of people to ride in front of. Even though she hates going into an arena by herself, she did it with no problems and showed off her gaits beautifully. We rode Westen for Friday and Sunday and English (Saddleseat) on Saturday. Saturday night is the big Gala with 12,000 people in the stands. She went out did the best runwalk I'd ever gotten out of her. The applause was a litte unnerving though!
We also did a question and answer session once a day in another part of the building.

Mira has also been Tyler's 4-h project horse for the last two years.  He does enjoy using her, and she sure stands out from the quarter horses.

October 25, and 26 2008 we were invited to the St Paul Harvest Festival. Although we couldn't do riding demo's, I did take Mira out and ride her when the arena wasn't being used. She was a perfect ambasidor for her breed again, hanging her head over the fence for pets and attention for two days, while I manned the booth.
We also got to try something called Cattle Sorting. It's kind of like team penning, but there are only 2 riders and you have to take the cattle out in numbered order. I'd never worked cattle with Mira and it was alot of fun!

PLANS FOR 2009
We are going to attend the Mane Event again, and I would like to go to at least one show. I'm also tossing the idea around of trying competitive trail, but I've got to fit the training in somewhere.
I'm also going to work on her canter. She does a lovely canter now, but I'd like to see if we can do flying lead changes. Gaited dressage also interests me, so much to do!

Mira and I did attend the Mane Event. We had a good time infront of a large crowd, participating with 5 other members of the CRTWH. After that we went to the Wild Rose Show in Thorsby in June. We did not bad, considering I had ridden her like 5 times before the show.  She was an absolute jem to deal with, even her cold bath.
We then attended the Fun Show in Beaumont. We did pretty good in the barels and poles, Tyler rode her in the 5 buck bareback and almost won!,  she packed flags and giant spoons with eggs, all with out complaint.

However, I decided to sell her and let someone else enjoy her as much as I have. I just have too many young horses coming up that need my time and attention. Guy and his daughter Jackie came over for a trail ride and took Mira home! I know they will love her as much as I do, they are avid trail riders and ride alot, so Mira will be well used. They are also thinking of showing her next year, so it will be nice to see Mira in the show ring.

CSR MIDNIGHT CUPPA JAVA (Java)
2006-[CAN]3320

May 9, 2006
Allen's Midnight Rascal X Mornin's Cupa Koko

My son Tyler has picked Java for his own personal mount. Although she dosn't look too big in the picture, my son is quite tall. Java should grow to be 15.2hh. She is very quiet and calm, has the nicest eye. Java lets Tyler trim her feet, giver her shots and just play around with her.

After completing her 30 days of training, Tyler has taken Java on several long trail rides and even took in a fun show. She wasn't very fast, but was very safe and wasn't scared of anything.