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Our Breeding Program:
We use proven, foundation Quarter Horse bloodlines. Our goal is to raise functional horses with natural cow sense and good minds. We want enough size and bone to hold up over years of use on the ranch. Our stud is a son of Doc O Niner. A proven Doc O Lena son that has sired many great ranch horses with excellent minds, athletic ability and cow. Our stud's dam side is right from the heart of the Haythorn Hancock and Eddie breeding.
Our broodmare band carries the bloodlines of King's Pistol, Colonel Freckles, Peponita, Sky High Leo, Two Eyed Jack, and Zans Diamond Sun.
How they are raised:
Our mares run on pastures year-around. They foal on their own in 40-80 acre pastures. The pairs run on grass all summer vs. raising the foals in dry lots or box stall environments. As a result, the foals are well socialized, learn to negotiate rough terrain and creeks and don't pick up a lot of bad habits.
At 45-60 days of age, we gather the pairs and handle the foals just enough to get them bending and stepping over behind on the end of a rope. We halter them and give them their first round of vaccinations. They spend the remainder of the summer on grass with the mares.
At weaning, we work them on a rope and halter again, give the second round of shots and worm them. They spend the winter in dry lots in small groups on a diet of prairie hay with some grain. They may get handled again before spending their yearling summer out on grass again.
In general we don't push them hard to grow them. They do very well out in the open on grass from early spring until later in the fall.
As two year olds we would commonly spend about 10 days on them. Basic groundwork, getting them good about their feet and heads, saddling, hobbling, getting them used to a rope and flag, etc. Generally we would only put 5-10 rides on them in the spring of their 2 year old year and then get them on grass to grow again for the summer. In the fall we would put another 30 days or so on them.
Starting in their 3 year old year, they will get more steady riding. We will gather pairs off of wheat pasture, check cows and heifers with them, move cattle around in pens, drag calves at spring branding, etc. They may get used in a commercial feedyard for 60-90 days, to handle cattle in alleys at the sale barn, or to pony younger colts we are working. In the fall of the their 3 year old year, we would use them to gather and sort cattle coming off grass.
Our goal is to raise and handle them in a manner where they can progress mentally as well as physically at a normal pace. We want them to be soft, dependable, willing mounts. They don't get handled a lot when they are young, but the handling they do get has quality and purpose. They don't get spoiled, pushy, barn sour, or have a lot of the other problems that tend to come with horses raised in a less natural environment.
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Sonny, our 2002 consignment to the Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic Ranch Horse Sale. He sold in top 25% of the sale, well above the sale average.
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Chad Conard
Fort Calhoun, NE
(402)468-4948
Terry Conard
Timken, KS
(785)355-2369
Chris Conard
Leoti, KS
(620)375-4522
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