Colt for a Cause! AKH Fall Foal FUNdraiser

All the King's Horses is proud to support the European Brabant Registry of America in their goal to preserve and promote the traditional European Brabant draft horse. We are strong believers in 'putting your money where your mouth is' and, as such, we are excited to take the chance to give back to this organization as well as the horse community at large by donating a foal to raise funds for the EBRA and two additional equine charities of someone's choice.

To get in on the fun, you can purchase a pledge (or two, or three) for $100 each by completing the entry form HERE. Once payment is received, we'll contact you to confirm and you can either select your lucky numbers or we'll assign one to you. We're offering a maximum of 100 pledge spots... not too bad for your odds! We're hoping to do the prize drawing on October 18, the anniversary of the launch of the EBRA, provided that sufficient pledges have been claimed or no later than the end of the year. The Grand Prize winner will select one of the two foals we're offering, and the two Second Prize winners will each select an equine industry 501(c)3 charity to receive 25% of the fundraiser proceeds. The remaining 50% of the funds will be donated to the European Brabant Registry of America. Full contest rules are available below.

Colt for a Cause Contest Rules

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Download PDF • 478KB

Now, meet the eligible boys! The Grand Prize winner can select either of these colts to join their herd.

AKH Mountain Man: Purebred (95.75%) European Brabant. Bay Roan. Expected height 16 hands. Sired by Chris uit den Blommendaal and out of Carter's Kit Karson. This boy would make an amazing sire of Brabant horses. He's made well and has an excellent mind on him. Very stout and big boned. He is very willing in his lessons and eager to please. A foal video can be found at https://youtu.be/phRDB34-nUs

AKH Pepper: Appendix Brabant (50% European Brabant, 50% Percheron). Grey. Expected height 17 hands. Sired by Chris uit den Blommendaal and out of AKH Sequoia. Pepper is a very sweet boy who will gladly follow his humans around the field all day long. He has a lot of leg under him and appears to have gotten his mama's height. He would make an excellent riding or working horse for someone wanting a little more get up and go than the purebred European Brabants generally show. He could also be upgraded to the European Brabant Stock studbook if the new owner planned to keep him intact for breeding. A foal video can be found at https://youtu.be/S2f8j2ll1dI

***Full contest rules are available below including the responsibilities of the Grand Prize Winner regarding cost and timing of transport for their foal. Participants agree to indemnify All the King's Horses, Dehan & Rebecca Courtney, and the European Brabant Registry of America from any claims arising from their participation in this contest.

Colt for a Cause Contest Rules

.pdf

Download PDF • 478KB

Winters Woes & Wonders

It never fails to amaze me how people can see or experience the same thing very differently. Winter is an excellent example- seems that most people either love it or hate it!

Personally, I'm not a fan of winter AT ALL. While I enjoy the sight of snowy landscapes, the reality of having to work in them makes it hard for me to truly enjoy the season. Last week, it was unexpectedly finding that one of our 'non-freeze' waterers in the pasture had, in fact, frozen. Thankfully we caught it early enough that the pipe could be thawed and water started flowing again but checking the waterer is a little task that I'd rather not have on my daily list, but the consequences are huge if you miss it! Yesterday, ahead of today's predicted 3-5 inches of snow and ice followed by 5-8 inches of snow overnight, I found a calf that couldn't stand. Doctoring mystery ailments is a challenge to begin with and having to find a way to move the little guy in from the field through knee-deep slushy snow only added to the work. These are the big things that can pop up at any time, and even without emergencies there's the simple reality that every chore is harder in winter when you consider trudging through the snow, cold fingers and toes, and ice causing trouble in the weirdest ways.

On the flip side, Dehan absolutely loves winter. He enjoys the beauty of the snow and the crisp, cold air. He is blessed with a body that seems to never get cold and will gladly spend the entire day outside working with the horses and taking in the season. One of his favorite things to do is to take pictures in the wintery environment and marvel at the effects the snow and ice create. If you ever want to read his poetic descriptions of these special days, just check out the Logging with Horses Facebook page! Even when winter throws us curveballs and days don't go as expected, he takes everything in stride, deals with the problems, and is thankful for a little more time outside.

Over time, I've learned to be thankful for the way that we all have different perspectives. Dehan's joy in the season helps me to slow down and appreciate the beauty and when I'm tempted to be discouraged by the thought of yet another snowstorm it helps to know that it will bring lots of joy to Dehan and other winter lovers. We've also found some activities that we can enjoy together, such as going for sleigh rides in the snow, that help to bring some fun into the harder seasons. In the end, it's unlikely that I'll ever be a winter lover but spending time with those who do appreciate the unique benefits of the season adds joy to my winters as well :)

Setting the Stage for 2022

Now that we made it through New Year's Eve (and I even made it to midnight.... barely) it's officially a brand new year :) I've been thinking over some of the goals and plans we have for the farm and for ourselves and I thought it would be nice to share. Feel free to check in on us throughout the year and help us keep on track!

Horse Herd Goals:

- Maintain herd size. We're at the point where our herd numbers are about maxed out. We don't have any major purchases in mind for 2022 and are hoping to sell most, if not all, of our 2022 foals. That's a good place to be, as hard as it is to say goodbye to the youngsters!

- Improve our weaning rates. In 2021, we were expecting 15 foals. After one miscarriage and two foals lost early in life, we weaned 12 foals. Although we know that losing animals is an unfortunate reality of farming, I'd like to see this number improve in 2022

- Maintain high herd pregnancy rates while also moving the foaling season about 2-3 weeks earlier in the year to get out of summer foals

- Investigate our herd nutrition program and find ways to improve what and how we feed our critters

General Farm/Life Goals:

- Convert our recently purchased cropland to hay fields

- Intentionally pay down real estate debt

- Seek outside help to handle the additional workload of increased hay production and intensive herd management

- Relocate from our one-bedroom apartment to something with a little more space. It's still up in the air what exactly that will look like but it's time!

Customer Relations Goals: - Find ways to offer our boys to more of their fans, through creative collection options or leases

- Grow excitement for and involvement in the European Brabant Registry of America as we share our foals (and their parents) with breed enthusiasts

- Attend local horse events to network with the horse community and raise awareness about Gypsy Vanners and European Brabants

Thanks for being a part of our adventures and sharing in our successes as well as our failures. We look forward to growing relationships with friends new and old throughout the year. It's going to be a big one!