*Parenthesis around genetic symbols indicate that genetic testing has not been completed. In such cases, genetic makeup is determined using phenotype, parentage, and offspring.

The Official CHBOA Representative of Belgium!

Potter was offered for sale at the age of 5 and that is when we met for the first time. Despite his lack of experience and untrained body, his movement is loose and strong without a tendency to be pacey. He could compete with his sire looking at his conformation and besides this his disposition is outstanding and that what makes me fall for him... A laid back stallion with a positive and happy expression.

As of 2006 Potter will be officially at stud with a stud fee of €500 (euro). We prefer artificial insemination (AI) to protect your mare and our stallion. Potter has had a very extensive vet check including x-rays of his legs and feet with good results. Be early and reserve now for a '06 AI breeding.

Standing at Pleasure Gaits.

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Promoting (Champagne) Tennessee Walking Horses in Belgium

We are not sure if Pleasure's Pot o' Gold a.k.a Potter is the first Champagne colored horse in Belgium but he for sure is the first Tennessee Walking Horse breeding stallion and Champagne TWH in Belgium! I acquired Potter in July this year after searching for a TWH breeding stallion for several years. Never would I have considered a bright color like champagne but that was before I met my pride and joy.

First I have to tell you Walking Horses are pretty rare in Europe. Here in Belgium there are only 12 TWH's of which we own 5. Germany has the largest number, approx. 600. The Netherlands (my birth country) has about 60 Walkers. I started promoting the breed over 10 years ago in the Netherlands and moved to Belgium 5 years ago. Promoting a rare breed with 'strange' gaits is not that simple but we are slowly getting more and more interested people. It certainly helps when you have a shiny golden colored stallion who attracts a lot of attention at exhibitions!

Potter had lived with us for 5 months now. He was green broke when I bought him, his muscles were undeveloped and he lost a lot of weight due to the move and the presence of mares in his sight. I decided to take the slow approach and not to rush anything. I fed Potter plenty, rode him twice a week and he was in the pasture several hours a day with his new girlfriend Secret (who is in foal to Potter ;)).

Potter quickly gained weight and developed muscles. He got stronger every day and it was time to show him to the public. Here in Belgium they don't have horse exhibitions like Equitana USA. They do however have animal exhibitions with all kinds of pets and other animals. It's called Animal happening and is a 3-day event with over 35,000 visitors. This is where Potter would be exposed for the first time.

You bet I was nervous. You never know how a horse behaves at an exhibition, how do they respond to an audience, the lights, music, applause, microphones etc. As far as I know, stallions can be even more complicated in such situations and I knew for a fact Potter didn't like new environments. Well, it all turned out very well!

Friday we arrived early in the morning. The horses had one hour to settle in before we had our first demo. To my surprise, Potter and his new friend Tracker both were pretty relaxed and our first demo went fine. My friend and I both rode Western and I explained about the breed wearing a headset. It's not that simple to both talk and ride, specially if a horse acts up but that was not the case at all. Potter behaved like he had done this a 1000 times before! So I explained about the breed, the history, gaits, versatility, disposition etc while performing the gaits explained. At home I had practiced with a neck rope but I wasn't sure if I had the guts to use it. Friday afternoon, during our second demo that day, I decided to just give it a try........

I started with a bridle, switched to the neck ring half way the demo, stopped........ unbridled Potter while still in the saddle, hooked the bridle on the horn and continued my ride. We rode in a dogwalk, flatwalk and canter. We showed how to turn on the hind quarters, forehand and backed up all without a bridle. The audience loved it and I was extremely proud on both of us.

On the booth people came to congratulate us and to tell me how much they enjoyed the demo and how beautiful Potter was. We had so many people on our stand who just 'had' to touch Potter. His color was so attractive! And his name.......... I never realized what his barn name meant to kids! Thousands of children saw the name 'Potter' on his stall and rushed to him because the name is so familiar to them. Potter gently accepted all the little hands touching him, rubbing his nose and never even went to the back to the stall to rest.

On Sunday evening we were all exhausted. We went home with a great feeling of excitement. Potter his first performance in front of an audience was a huge success to all of us. At home we celebrated with hot slobbermash for the horses and a good meal for us. We'll definitely do this again next year!

Sandra van den Hof
Pleasure Gaits TWH
Belgium
www.pleasuregaits.com
ps. more pictures can be found on my website