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Collecting Stallions is Much Like Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears

Yesterday we were reminded of the important of making sure everything is “just right” when collecting stallions.  The second important lesson is about keeping good collection records to refer to prior collections and spot trends easily.  While some stallions are very easy to please, others require all variables to be exactly as they desire.  We worked to collect the stallion only to find he wouldn’t ejaculate once in the AV.  We were  puzzled as to what exactly went wrong.  Finally after moving the mare to a closer location to the phantom, using a halter without a chain and raising the temperature of the artificial vagina, and filling the AV with more water – we got our collection as planned.  Stallions are picky so – be aware of this and write down all the little details.  In the end you will save time.  

Congratulations to Safina Arabians on the Purchase of Tahnmara

New Photo of Al Zaafirah

This beautiful SE filly is proudly owned by Sharon and Ed Litizzette of Weed, CA.

Al Fahdeelah sold to Kuwait

Al Fahdeelah (Majestic Noble SMF x Noble Imdalia)

Al Fahdeelah (Majestic Noble SMF x Noble Imdalia)

Al Fahdeelah will be headed to Kuwait.  This lovely mare is sired by Majestic Noble SMF and is out of the Imperial Imdal daughter Noble Imdalia.  “Danny” as we call her is in foal to Nebras Al Rayyan for a March 2014 foal  and we are excited about having more Nebras foals in the middle east.

Al Fahdeelah’s pedigree encompasses very precious and rare bloodlines and we look forward to seeing her future foals.  Many thanks to Alicia Midgett Palmos for your assistance in making this match.

The Tao of Pooh…Listening to Your Inner Needs and Enjoying the Present.

Years ago I was driving down the road somewhere in the middle of no-where with my manager – a great guy by the name of John Siegman.   John is a unique person always able to see both sides of a situation.   I was angry about something done to me that I felt was unjust.  I boiled about it for some time and couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting mad with me as it impacted the both of us and it had me really upset.  He told me I should read a book called “The Tao of Pooh”.   I got even more angry that he was telling me to read a children’s book and this was somehow supposed to help me with my anger and frustration…

We got to our hotel and as it turned out there was a Barnes and Noble in the same area where our hotel was located.  I bought the book as John had suggested.  I started reading it and found myself glued to it and couldn’t put it down.  There where many examples in the book where something happened to someone and their perception was “Oh no this is just horrible”, and Pooh would say “Is it”?  And instead of playing out all the negative outcomes – he suggested some unthinkable positive outcomes which where exactly the outcome.  In some cases something would happen and the person would say “Oh I’m so lucky this wonderful fortune happened to me” and it turned out it was not good at all in the end.

The point of the book was life is much better when you can “Just Be”.  When you don’t try to make things work that are not meant to work, when you listen your your inner being, when you know what brings you joy and what brings you unhappiness.

I was thinking about how much happier I am when I focus on the things at our farm that I get the most joy out of – creating new foals, helping others see the joy of Arabian horses, playing with our dogs, having coffee with my husband on the porch and just sitting there taking it all in.

When I have to worry about impressing people, or keeping up with some new trend or style of horse in industry, or attend functions just to say I went, I am not happy.  I’d rather be at home, breed what I like, and appreciate the many little things that seem to effortlessly fall in place all by themselves.   When things are meant to be they just fall into place and when they are not meant to be – they seem to take alot of effort, time and stress.

We have had so many wonderful things happen lately that seem to just be luck and with no effort at all they bring me the most joy.  The two new dogs that my husband spontaneously adopted make me smile all day as they sleep under my desk while I work.  They were totally unplanned for and yet they make me happy.  The stranger that Ricardo brought this weekend to help us with breeding – who turns out to be looking for some weekend work – or work in general will help us now on weekends which I have been wanting for some time.  My husband deciding to buy us a new weed eater today made my day.  My friend calling me today just when I could use some extra funds and asking if I could get his mare bred and take her foal at side to our farm was a wonderful surprise, and even the little check in the mailbox for $25 since I overpaid a bill was a nice surprise.   Ironic since I had just decided to spend money on folks that was unplanned but I thought they could use.

Likewise some “bad” things have happened like losing our best mare, losing a big sales opportunity, or not sticking to a diet and gaining back 15lbs.  In the end it turned out even the bad things were good as we got a new mare, I gained a respect for my management that they didn’t seem to want me only based on if a sales comes in that day or not, and I’m now working hard to get that weight off again and my husband is even buying us a new oven so I can cook healthfully.

We must enjoy life’s simple pleasures today, because we really do not know – what is good, and what is bad all the time.  And we certainly do not know what the future will be.   Sometimes it just is what it is and we have to not assign it as good or bad – just that it is.    And most importantly we need to just know that it will work out either way for the best.

For those who want to read some cool quotes from the “Tao of Pooh” here is a link and I highly recommend it!   It applies to all aspects of life whether breeding horses, dealing with friends and family or just anything in life.   Enjoy!  The Tao of Pooh Quotes