Branch River Ranch Andalusians - Read About Our Ranch News!

• Articles for Wisconsin Horseman's News by Julie Stammler | May09|Feb09| Jan09| Nov08 | Jun07 | May07 | Feb07 |

Manitowoc / May 09

I have been pinching myself lately thinking back to where I came from and where I am today. I can go back to a young girl in Webster, Wisconsin being raised on a very small family resort. My parents had an opportunity to get a horse that had been running wild with cows for many years and needed a home. Thank goodness we became the home for the mixed breed gelding named “Big Boy”. We have no idea what breeds he was all I know was he was a black and white pinto coloring and I loved him. I still remember buying him his first halter at the Webster Coop store. It was a black halter with silver inlay and he looked sharp. I loved that horse and it was the start to my addiction. He wasn’t trained, he wasn’t that manageable, he wasn’t that spectacular but he was MY FIRST HORSE. No one could ride him except for me and then it was on his terms…I didn’t care…I loved him. He did love to go swimming and that is what Big Boy and I did best. It was many years later and marriage, college degree, career and kids that I would get my second horse. A bay Arab gelding that came cheap… with a saddle included. I loved “Hot Shot” as much as I loved "Big Boy" and I built him a paddock, a shelter, got him his hay and took care of him from the first day he arrived at Branch River Ranch. My husband wanted nothing to do with horses. I remember him telling me, “you pay for it, you build the shelter, you get the hay and store it and you put up the fencing…I did. It was not until we went to Horse-A-Rama in 1993 that my husband saw a ¾ Arabian mare named Emerald City “Emmy” that it took a turn here at the ranch. My husband fell in love with her and had to have her. Secretly I was thinking…OH YEAH… this means it is now a 50/50 thing with the chores, upkeep and care!

In 1995 we once again went to Horse-A-Rama and fell in love with the bay Andalusian stallion Bonero. We bred Emmy to Bonero and ended up with a colt named EC Cordero BR and that was the start of my true horseacholics. All the Arabs and ½ Andalusians are gone today and have been placed in great homes. I have only one Andalusian here that is a S/P which means ½ Andalusian ½ Lusitano and that is the mare that has stole many hearts, Rhianna BR. She is the only baby bred here that I have kept for myself except for the 2008 foals that are still here. The rest of the horses owned by Branch River Ranch are 100% Pure Spanish Andalusians.

The trainer here at Branch River Ranch is Jennifer Bender who grew up in Sheboygan. She is a natural with horses and you can find no better. Jen has been with the horse here since 1998. There was a short time that she went out and tried other breeds and other ranches but to our benefit she is back at Branch River Ranch. During the time she was away I had many different trainers, instructors and want-a-be’s. No one had the work ethic, the commitment and the natural understanding of horses that comes so easily to Jen Bender. We are truly lucky to have someone of her talent here at the ranch. In addition to training the horses here and several outside training horses stabled here, she also manages the entire ranch. No big deal? This means that she is here more than she is anywhere else…and she loves it. How do you find someone like that?

Jen has achieved more in two years than anyone else that I know of. She has had to learn dressage from the ground up. Dressage is very hard to get started in and to understand fully what the final goals are at all the different levels. Within each level there are usually 4 tests in that level. That is a lot of tests (patterns) to remember. Not only did she do this but she did it on horses that had never had the dressage training. After only two short years in dressage she is only two tests away from her Bronze medal. You may think this is not that big of a deal but, when you add in the factor of where we live, in Wisconsin, there is not that many shows offered or the caliber of instructors available that you would get in other areas of the United States. Jen, you are my hero.

Chuck and I have had a lot to be thankful for. We were able to get away several times this winter and enjoy ourselves. After 32 years of marriage it is always important for “alone” time. We came back to Wisconsin February 1st to wait for the birth of our second grand child. Our beautiful grand daughter, Nhava was born on February 10th at home with her daddy, Grant Stammler, her mommy (obviously) Brianna and her older sister, Idaya were all their to welcome her into the world. What a blessing, two grand babies and both so wonderful.

Shortly after the birth, Chuck and I snuck away for a 2 week get-away…gotta do it at our age. We came home in time for the arrival of “Addie‘s” foal. Addie (Quarter Horse) is owned by Darla Jakum and is being leased by Sandy Boettcher for the breeding and foaling. Addie was here last year in training and was bred here to a paint stallion. She came back to the ranch for foaling and at 8:10 A.M. on March 21st she gave birth to the most adorable filly named Lexi. Addie and Lexi are doing great and I love them both even though they were a week late.

Now we wait for Shadow. Shadow is owned by Candy and Dick Golen and is carrying the foal for our buckskin Andalusian, Rhianna BR. Shadow was due May 23rd and as of today April 1st, she has still not foaled. I guess all you can do is wait. The mares have obviously talked during the night and have voted to keep us in suspense…can’t anyone foal on their due date!

April will be quiet as far as foaling but will picking up speed with breeding for 2010 foals and getting ready for the show season. We are getting ready to breed the spectacular PRE mare Artista CA that I purchased in December to exclusively breed to Gentil MOR. I am so excited for this breeding and I have such expectations for the upcoming foal. We are also excited about the breeding of our beautiful black PRE mare, Presiosa del Sol to the stunning black PRE stallion Costalero XV that was recently imported from Spain and owned by Diane McCormick. Costalero XV was bred for the next generation Olympic Spanish dressage horse to follow his sire’s foot steps. Diane thinks she is the luckiest person in the world to own this horse but I think I am the luckiest person in this horse to be able to breed to the two top PRE stallions in the world, Gentil MOR and soon come, Costalero XV.

We are still waiting for our next two foals to arrive in May, Gentil MOR x Mia and in June, Macarena del Sol x Falcon CEN. Both are being offered for sale in utero and are of spectacular breeding!

Jenny Schmitt has been giving dressage lessons at Branch River Ranch this winter and the results have been amazing. Jenny Schmitt understands the horses and the rider Jen Bender. She has helped so much in rider positioning and suppleness. Gentil and Rhianna have never looked better. I even have had the opportunity to see Gentil and Rhianna doing flying lead changes and passage with little effort. It only gets better from here! Alessandra Schwartz has taken a couple lessons with her ½ Andalusian mare Vixen MC and will be competing in 2009. In addition we have also added Rosie Goelke and her Perchron mare, Scarlet to the training program. Both mares and their owners/riders are doing great. It has been fun getting everyone under the same training program. Jen Bender helps with the future training of these mares on a daily basis in addition to the other horses in training here in the other disciplines.

Dr. Hannelore Geyer, DVM was here to make sure that Gentil MOR and Rhianna BR are fit and able to do the training that we are asking them to do. Dr. Geyer is wonderful in Equine Chiropractics and we feel it is important to know that our horses are able to give us the most that they have and are happy in doing so. Sometimes horses have muscle tension or spasms that can occur with training. A happy horse is a horse wanting to perform and perform well with no discomfort. Thank you Dr. Geyer. Until Next Time...
We all can find many things to be thankful for. My horses, family and friends are true gifts. Stop and give thanks.