The Appaloosa and the CREAM Gene!!!

When it comes to Appaloosas and you have a Stallion that can pass his cream gene on to his off spring, we do not take for granted what we see before us, we have to test.

The cream when inherited does not show on black, it’s quite obvious on a new-born bay’s as it turns the red pigment into a golden colour, evidently known as buckskin.

Our two bay foals Rookie (left) and Reflection (right) are both EE Aa and both have inherited the cream gene, making them buckskins.


Our two black and white foals Revelation (left) and Relentless (right), look black and white! You can not tell if they have inherited the cream gene. They are both homozygous black (EE aa).

 

Only genetically testing has confirmed our filly Revelation has inherited the cream gene, our colt, Relentless has not inherited the cram gene.

Revelation’s black markings will eventually turn a beautiful blue/grey colour whilst Relentless will stay with that sharp black and white appearance.

Sometimes black and white is not always black and white…

 

 

 

 

The 2019 Appaloosa Foals – Three Months Old

15th July
Redheart Relentless – 3 months old today!
Homozygous black (EE aa) few spot (LP/LP) colt with one copy of the Pattern gene (PATN1/patn1).
Peyres Catori Cat x DRF Patahas Redheart
Eligible ApHC – 97% FPD, BApS GRADE A, and ApHC UK – A Register, not eligible with FAHR @ 72.0704%

21st July
Redheart Rookie – 3 months old today!
Bay (EE Aa) with one copy of Cream (CR/cr) making her a Buckskin, she’s a few spot (LP/LP) with one copy of the Pattern gene (PATN1/patn1).
Princesse Pascale x DRF Patahas Redheart
Eligible ApHC 100% FPD & GAP 5, BApS – GRADE A, APHC UK – A – Register and FAHR – 83.5937%

26th July
Redheart Revelation – 3 months old today!
Homozygous black (EE aa) with one copy of the cream gene (CR/cr) making her a smoky black near leopard filly. Heterozygous Leopard Print (LP/lp) and heterozygous Pattern (PATN1/patn1).
Redheart Pascalius x DFR Patahas Redheart
Eligible ApHC 100% FPD & GAP 6, BApS – GRADE A, ApHC UK – A Register and FAHR 82.4951%

29th July
Redheart Reflection – 3 months old today!
Bay (EE Aa) with one copy of cream (CR/cr) making him a buckskin leopard. He’s heterozygous for Leopard Print (LP/lp) and homozygous pattern (PATN1/PATN1) with one copy of nd1 for primitive markings.
Caricks Redheart x DFR Patahas Redheart
Eligible ApHC – 100% FPD, BApS – GRADE A and ApHC UK – A Register, not eligible with FAHR @ 67.8711%

Don’t Forget About The Stallion…

We all know a foal inherits 50% of its genetic make up from the sire and the dam, we constantly post about the foals and occasionally about the mares, I suppose because the foals are funny, unique and very NEW!

But, let us not forget our stallion DFR Patahas Redheart.

We have come a long way with Blu, from Switzerland at 6 months old in fact 🙂

Since his arrival Blu has been so easy to do, he’s kind and gentle, he has the most affectionate personality and that’s just a tiny contribute to his qualities as a stallion. His genetic make up is perfect for breeding and his one copy of cream adds the 50/50 chance of his foals being Buckskin or Smoky Black, not to mention his performance record in the ring!

His 2018 foal Ru has already won her first Championship and his 2019 crop are just quality with the same high level of intelligence with that soppy affectionate trait.

Blu was broken to ride earlier this year, although he turned 4 in January he needed something to focus on after the long winter, he was ridden away and took every day of learning as expected, not a bother or care in the world. None the less that doesn’t mean we are heading off in the ring under saddle, we like to give our horses time and time is what he shall have.

Out by day and in at night Blu is very chilled and enjoying a year off, time to grow mentally and physically.

He’s slightly run up at the moment in my eyes probably due to all the mares recently coming into season, we anticipate this cycle to continue unfortunately, well until our new paddocks are available, its a constant working progress here at Redheart Appaloosa Stud.

We are not breeding with him this year, we are a small stud that breed quality not quantity and we certainly don’t want a herd of young stock while the supply and demand is very unbalanced!

We are not allowed in the orchard with the horses, only for photo shoots 🙂
DRF PATAHAS REDHEART Sunday 23rd June 2019

It’s Not All About The Foals…What About The Mares!

The mares have given birth, the mares are being great mothers and feeding their foals very well but make no mistake these foals are “calorie suckers”, it’s very important to feed the lactating mare.

The mares and foals are out 24/7, they come into the stable every evening for a feed and this gives me a great opportunity to spend just 10 minutes with each foal.

They have their foal slips on and off in the stable whilst they under supervision, we are now encouraging them to lead and they all seem pretty chilled about it!

The mares, a month or so post foaling.

Redheart Pascalius

Peyres Catori Cat

Princesse Pascale

Caricks Redheart

April FOALS…

Well, what a month!

Two weeks (from the 15th to 28th April) we’ve seen the delivery of four healthy foals!

At 344 days Catori gave birth to an unusually marked few spot colt, six days later at 349 days PP gave birth to a buckskin few spot filly, which we will keep because the odds for another is quite high (50% filly, 50% buckskin and 50% homozygous). This is the 5th foal born at the stud on the 21st of April!

Another six days passed and we saw just before midnight the safe arrival of Evee’s first foal, a filly born at 333 days on Friday 26th. With what seemed like only a few hours sleep…we sat waiting and watching our second maiden Myka deliver her leopard colt at 355 days (just past midnight) on the 28th.

All our mares are exceptionally well and being great mothers to their foals, all the foals are healthy and have all straightened up and now running around the field.

To be honest, April has been a blur, there are many emotions of foaling but the best sight for any breeder is the view of two feet and a nose!

From the delivery, the foals all managed to latch on and all the mares passed the placenta (all intact). We do consider ourselves very fortunate especially seeing what unfolded before us!!!

 

Redheart Reflection

Please see each page for more information…

April madness!

Appaloosa Mares Nightlife…

Our four broodmares

They are all showing the right signs for foaling, some more than others but one thing we religiously do is watch them closely.

Our two broodmares Catori and PP (bottom left and right) are 342 and 341 days gestation. Our maiden mares Myka and Evee (top left and right) are 340 and 320 days gestation.

They’re all in a similar routine and enjoy a lie down for a few hours before midnight!

Redheart Broodmares – Mothers Day…

No reason why we shouldn’t celebrate our wonderful broodmares past foals this Mothers Day!

 Princesse Pascale, 328 days gestation today.

Princesse Pascale (middle), her two-year-old gelding Redheart Reality (right) and her six-year-old daughter Redheart Pascalius (left).

 

Peyres Catori Cat, 329 days gestation today.

Peyres Catori Cat (middle), her two-year-old gelding Redheart Regent (right) and her seven-year-old gelding Redheart Catorrius (left).

Princesse Pascale and Redheart Pascalius.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 1st May 2012.

Redheart Pascalius was born 21st April 2013 at 336 days gestation.

Princesse Pascale and Redheart Royal.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 11th May 2014.

  

Redheart Royal was born 21st April 2015 at 346-days gestation.

Princesse Pascale and Redheart Reality.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 9th May 2016.

 

Redheart Reality was born 28th April at 355 days gestation.

 

 

Peyres Catori Cat and Redheart Catorrius.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 21st July 2011.

Redheart Catorrius was born 13th June 2012 at 329 days gestation.

Peyres Catori Cat and Redheart Cateaster.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 15th May 2013.

  

Redheart Cateaster was born 21st April 2015 at 342 days gestation.

Peyres Catori Cat and Redheart Regal.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 11th June 2014.

Redheart Regal was born 13th May at 337 days gestation.

Peyres Catori Cat and Redheart Regent.

AI took place and ovulation occurred 9th May 2016.

Redheart Regent was born 21st April at 348 days gestation.

 

 

Well, I’m enjoying my Bailey’s (Strawberry & Cream limited edition), my chocolates and admiring the beautiful flowers whilst my mares are heavily in foal and bagging up…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redheart Pascalius in foal to DFR Patahas Redheart – 24.02.19

Redheart Pascalius, our first retained home-bred filly, a maiden mare and at 6 years old she’s carrying the UK’s first GAP 6 foal!

ApHC – 100% FPD & GAP 5, ApHC UK – A Register, BApS – Grade A

Black (EE/aa) roan mare, heterozygous for Leopard Complex gene (LP/lp) and negative for the PATTERN1 (patn1/patn1) gene.  5-panel and grey gene negative.

Here she is in her working clothes in foal to DFR Patahas Redheart 24.02.19