Hello!
I would like to thank you for visiting, and take the time to tell you a bit about myself.
I am an "equine enthusiast" to say the least. I have had a love of horses my entire life, as most little girls do. When I was in 5 years old, I started taking lessons at a hunter/jumper barn. This was my first real foray into riding and basic care and grooming. Unfortunately, eventually, as the cost of lessons became too great for my mom, and I had to stop. My mom always supported my passion and my dream, and without her support, I'd never have accomplished what I have to this day. Luckily, though I remained horseless, and unable to afford lessons, we lived in a subdivision which bordered a large, successful standardbred farm, and my best friend and I were able to spend countless hours watching the mares and foals, and occasionally riding her cousins former show pony, Honey. Honey was blind in one eye and had a typical pony mentality, but she could jump anything you pointed her at. From high school through graduate school I recall riding just a handful of times. But that was to change. In 1997 I graduated with my Master's degree, and I started teaching. With a regular job, there came regular pay...and the extra cash for my first purchase.
When I finally started looking, I tried many horses that would probably would have suited me better, but I fell in love with an Off Track Thoroughbred mare named Sheza Spy. She was not competitive at the track, but completely sound and not even 4. SheShe was my girl, and we endured many life-changes together, along with training issues, foaling, the births of three of my children, and the pressure of raising a family and working full-time. I am heartbroken to say I lost her to colic on July 8th, 2003. She was a true individual, and will always be my first love. Losing her really pushed me to look to finding "the perfect horse" for me, and I did my research, tried several other horses, and finally made the decision to purchase a Trakehner. I was looking for something with a good bit of athleticism, some "spark" and drive, and soundness and durability for sport PLUS brains and trainability. I found everything I have ever wanted in the Trakehner breed: athleticism, personality, intelligence, strength, beauty, and a wonderful history as well as a small but passionate community of breeders and owners who are committed to the preservation and promotion of this incredible breed. I have built a band of wonderful broodmares, and my ultimate goal is to produce high-quality sporthorse prospects, with amateur-friendly temperaments and high trainability, at an affordable price. I love my girls, and they are the backbone of this venture. All of my mares are proven in performance, pedigree, and/or progeny, and they have good minds and nice temperaments. True to their heritage, they are also hardy, and have good bone and substance, yet are not coarse. In order to afford the BEST broodmares, I looked for older, proven mares, and I have not been disappointed in any of my mares. Of course, one can't deny that we need to have "blood" in any good program over the long term, and I love my thoroughbreds, and the Anglo-Trakehner "cross".
While I have always loved riding, my true passion is the foals. I think this passion was cultivated as I spent countless watching, loving and grooming (and sneaking nighttime bareback rides on) the standardbred broodmares on the local farm. I love working with my foals, while also allowing them the freedom to learn how to be horses. I feel that this "natural" socialization and handling will make saddle training a much more positive experience, and I anticipate that each of my foals will be exceptionally trainable and amateur-friendly, yet capable of performing at the upper levels in sport.
I keep my broodmare herd "au natural" with access to free-choice hay and pasture. They do not stand in stalls all day, but rather they enjoy being actual horses, and the foals learn to socialize as they grow. They are handled young, but not overhandled, and allowed to be babies. I am blessed to have the freedom to make sure the mares are cared for as I think is most healthy and natural at my own home, with the convenience of excellent veterinary care and modern science close at hand. Overall, I feel that the horses are healthiest when they are able to live out 24/7.
In 2010 we reduced our herd down to just the "old and unsellable" broodmares in order to start the long journey towards purchasing acreage and building the facility of our dreams. We have continued to produce a small number of quality foals off and on, and in 2012, we were blessed to be able to finally purchase our very own farm! It has been wonderful to know that I can at any time look our my window and see my herd. We put in new fencing, planted quality pasture and hay fields, and added drylots and a small foal pasture. In 2013 we added a small stall barn with foaling stalls and hay storage, and slowly but surely we are where we want to be. Now, as 2017 starts, we are slowing down with the horses, as my mares age out of breeding and into retirement. I do not plan on "replacing" them, and will perhaps only breed 1-2 foals every year or two (or three), mainly for myself and to have the opportunity to enrich the life or a young, up and coming equestrian who cannot afford a "big name" horse, but with "big time" dreams and talent. Also, in 2013 we purchased our first German Shepherd Dogs, and are slowly building up a small, quality German Shepherd Dog breeding program. In 2015-16 we built a kennel, and have produced some gorgeous puppies since 2014.
I look forward to the many opportunities these wonderful animals will enable me to pursue in the future! I feel beyond lucky to have the opportunity to have them all in my life, and am grateful every day for how they have enriched our family. I have a wonderful "real job" teaching Art at a local high school since 1997, and I enjoy it just as much now as I did when I started.
The animals are my passion...my love. They are part of our family, which also includes a very supportive husband, and five beautiful children. Without them I would be just a woman with a dream, but because of them I am able to dream.
~Joie Roddy~
