Duke



Duke is my 14 year old stud, a 1997 bay by Blues Grand Lady “Blackie”, a mare that is a daughter of Boston Blue Boy and a granddaughter of Boston Mac.  His sire is Good Asset, a son of Zippos Mr Good Bar and a grandson of Zippo Pine Bar.  On the maternal side of the stud’s lineage, he goes back to Miss Rebel Rita and Top Rebel.  On the dam side, his maternal side out of Grand Lady by Grand Duke by Gold Mount.

Duke was a wonderful weanling, yearling, and 2 year old. I started riding him as a 2 year old, and he was so easy to start and ride. He was so well mannered. That year, we kept him in with a pen with geldings to keep him socialized with horses.

The year Duke turned 3, he found his testosterone.  He went to a trainer for Quarter Horse Hunt Seat training. He traveled slow enough to go western, but his long legs made him pass every other horse in the arena, giving the perception that he was going too fast.  He was just traveling true, but with forward impulsion, not what you saw 10 years ago and still not what you see today. When will that western pleasure world change?

Anyways, he was shown in Hunt Seat, in Open and Amateur classes.  Sara was out of her youth years, and showed and placed with him in her Amateur classes. I wished we knew then, what we know now, because I think we could have gone so much further with him. Isn’t that always the case?

Duke became our stud, and we started breeding our mares, who were by Deck of Stars. We bred to a few other of our mares, as well as to some outside mares.

Then the market crashed, and I started breeding every 2 or every 3 years. Two of the 3 kids were out of college and married, and the 3^rd was beginning college. My helpers were out of the house. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do all the winter and summer work by myself.  100 degrees to 0 degrees work.  What a difference in temps. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to have a lot of young horses to start by myself.

Throughout the years, I rode Duke off and on, a few times each year. I love his big lope. He is so deep in his stride. And it is so smooth.  As I look at him now, at age 14, except for his thicker stud neck, his conformation is perfect. For a tall, 16 hand horse, he has a relatively short back for his size.  When he lopes, it’s amazing.

And I should start riding him more. He is very responsive. I feel good when I ride him. He makes riding easier. He probably is the horse I’ve enjoyed riding the most, even more than Finny and Shaggy. I was going to geld him a few years ago, but then I wouldn’t have my 3 year old Duster and the 2 weanlings, Dove and Fawn.

Now, I am done having foals for a while. I have enough young horses. And that is the reason I’ve decided to geld him now. Duke went to the vet on Monday. He is my gelding now. I look forward to riding him with my Centered Riding principles and in Dressage lessons.

I hope the testosterone leaves his body and mind.  The vet says to correct him for every little bit of bad manners.  We started that on the day after his gelding. On the day of his gelding, he laid down and slept, all laid out like a newborn foal. The next day, there was very little swelling, and he was ready to move! I think he is going to heal fast. I have my Dressage horse.