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Homozygous black straight Egyptian TC Moniets Legacy (The
Minstril x Bint Bint Moniet)
Breeders Sweepstakes Nominated Sire; SCID clear;
Sire of Champions in halter and performance; Offering frozen semen worldwide.
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From
Dallas, Texas, USA, currently living in Gilmer, Texas, Angela Norton is the
proprietor of Diamond Magic Arabians, an exclusive ranch producing award
winning horses….
Welcome Angela!
How was
your recent visit to Thailand?
Thailand
is a beautiful country, and the people are amazing. It's called "the
land of a thousand smiles" for good reason. Everyone I met was
friendly, kind, and generous. Everywhere I looked, I saw beautiful
flowers, lovely decorations, smiling people, bright colors, and intricate
designs. Thailand is also a land of contrasts. The new and
innovative stands alongside the ancient.
...and the
horses there?
I was
amazed by the variety of breeds represented, and saw excellent quality among
the horses on the 3 farms I visited. I met the President of the
newly-organized Thai Arabian Horse Club, which I'm told includes about 25
members who actually own Arabian horses, and many more people who are
interested in the breed. At one farm, I saw 5 beautiful Arabian stallions
representing 5 famous sires, including Padrons Psyche and DA
Valentino. The same farm also had several outstanding Arabian mares,
including a lovely grey mare bred by Om El International, who had an incredibly
beautiful filly at side. I will be interested to see future foals from
this breeding program.
 |
Dr. Shet Meksumpun, breeder/owner, with two of his purebred
Arabian mares.
The grey mare is the filly's (below) dam; this mare was bred by Om El International. |
Did you
ride an elephant in Thailand?
The
elephant is a magnificent animal, and I enjoyed our 30-minute trail ride
through the jungle, which culminated in a walk through the shallow end of a
lake. The ride, however, is much different from a horse or camel, because
unless you are the animal's trainer, you don't actually sit on the back of the
elephant. The trainer sits behind the elephant's head and guides the
animal, while the other riders (usually two) sit on a bench seat that is
centered on the elephant's back. It's quite interesting, as the motion of
the elephant sways from side to side. We walked up and down some rather
steep hills and crossed water deep enough to swim in, but never went faster than
a walk, and I never felt "connected" to the elephant, as I do when
riding a horse. Still, it was a great experience, and one that I will
always cherish. The kindness of these "gentle giants" is
humbling, and I was glad to see the native Thai handlers treating them with
respect.
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| Angela's Thailand elephant ride (notice the machete)... |
When was
your first introduction to horses?
My
parents grew up in the country, and had ranch horses as part of their
childhood. So, very early on, I was given a rocking horse, cowboy boots
and hat, and all my early fantasies involved riding. I learned to read
early, and one of my first "favorite books" was Marguerite Henry's
wonderful Album of Horses.
I fell in love with Arabians when I was about 3 years old, and saw my first
live Arabian horses at the annual State Fair Arabian Show in 1964. We
attended that show for four years, and always went into the barns to see the
horses "up close." The first time I looked into the big,
beautiful dark eyes of an Arabian horse, and touched that soft, silky muzzle, I
was addicted for life. When I was 6 years old, my family bought the
land where I now raise Arabians; we moved here when I was 11. Along the
way, I had Shetland ponies, a Paint mare, and a Quarter Horse gelding ... but I
dreamed of an Arabian. When I was 15 years old, those dreams came
true. I was given a 4-month-old Arabian colt, who became my best friend
and beloved companion for the next 32 years. His name was Thunder Magic
(Thunder Bolt x Fadjura) and he was bred by Diamond R Arabians of Allen,
Texas. He taught me so much, over the years ... he was my first show
horse; together we won our first blue ribbon in an Arabian native costume
class; Magic hated jumping, but would do it for me if I really, really wanted
him to; I had no idea how to ask for a sidepass, but together we learned to
negotiate obstacles, and even occasionally won a trail class; he carried
me through my first dressage lessons; we went on many all-day trail rides in
open country, including some where I had no idea what might be found over the
next hill; and he helped me teach my 10-year-old stepson how to ride. On
the last day of his long and happy life, Magic taught me how to let go of
my dreams. Remembering his love and the wonderful times we had together
gave me strength to build new dreams, with another wonderful Arabian
horse. I still miss my beloved Magic; he will always live in my heart.
Define
'classic Arabian, live-in-your-tent' classic horse...
The
Arabian horse has long been known as "the oldest domesticated breed"
and "the progenitor of the light horse, foundation of all riding
breeds." Perhaps because of this long association with people,
particularly in the harsh environment of the deserts, Arabian horses are strong,
with great stamina, and are known for winning endurance rides and long-distance
races. The Arabian also loves people, loves attention, loves to be petted
and handled. If the owner loves the horse and spends time with him, many
personality traits will appear, some of which might astound owners of other
breeds. My gelding Magic was playful, affectionate, and craved human
companionship. He would run to meet me at the fence, even if it wasn't
"feeding time." He loved being petted and scratched and
hugged. He also loved having his picture taken. He would turn his
head toward a camera and pose. He also loved giving rides to
children, especially around the show grounds.
This is
why I love to show my Arabians in open shows ... to combat the false impression
so many people have, that "those crazy A-rabs" are "wild"
and "spooky" and "can't do nothin useful." When the
same horse shows in halter, English pleasure, Western pleasure, trail, Western
riding, costume, and other classes, sometimes being ridden by small
children, and does his job calmly every time, people do notice. When that
horse is a beautiful, purebred Arabian, he often makes new friends for the
breed.
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Me and my first Arabian, the grey gelding Thunder Magic 73091 (Thunder Bolt x Fadjura) taken May 1982 at the Gardendale Horse Show, Gardendale, Texas,
winning our first costume class. |
What do
you look for when determining 'perfect conformation'?
The
perfect horse has never been born, but good legs are the foundation of any
equine athlete, so I look first for straight legs with large, strong joints and
enough bone and substance to be able to carry a rider across country safely and
comfortably. The horse is a rear-engine drive biological machine, so a
long, deep hip with good muscling is important. A deep heart girth and
broad chest are also valuable, with a large windpipe and large, flaring
nostrils. I also prefer a shorter back, which seems to be harder and
harder to find. The average horse of today has a much longer neck than
the average horse of the 1960s, but most of these longer necks seem to be
connected to longer backs as well, so there has to be a balance. The
perfect horse would have a long, well-shaped neck connected high up on a
well-defined wither, with a long, sloping shoulder; this horse would also
have a short, strong back with well-sprung ribs, strong muscling over the loin
and croup, a long, deep hip, and excellent, straight legs with low
hocks, short cannons, strong knees, long well-sloped pasterns, and strong,
well-shaped hooves that are a "matched set." The horse would
stand straight and square, well-balanced, with no toeing out or toeing in; no
cow hocks or sickle hocks, not camped-out behind; and this horse would have a
long, smooth stride at all gaits, with no winging or paddling.
Finally,
to be a good Arabian horse, we also want to see a beautiful, short, dished head
with large, dark eyes set wide apart; small and well-shaped ears that arch
inward at the tips; a fine muzzle with large, flaring nostrils; fine, dark
skin; beautiful, strong cheekbones; large, round jowls set far apart; and
straight teeth that meet properly with no overbite and no undershot jaw.
The topline of an Arabian should be relatively flat, compared to most other
breeds, without a sharply peaked croup or "rafter rear;" the neck
should have a natural arch with a fine, graceful throatlatch that allows a
natural headset; and the tail of an Arabian horse should be carried high, like
a flag, particularly when the horse is excited. Overall an Arabian should
give an elegant appearance of both type and substance. I must confess
that I do not own a horse with "perfect conformation" ... in more
than 50 years of studying photos and attending horse shows, I have only seen a
few that came close to my ideal. But horse breeders continue to strive to
produce better and better horses, closer and closer to the ideal. There
are many more excellent Arabian horses available for purchase today than there
were in the 1960s, and horse prices have not increased at all. It is
truly a buyer's market, and anyone who is looking for a horse today has a good
chance of finding a really nice Arabian at a very reasonable price.
At what
age do you begin training?
I do
imprint training at birth, as taught by Dr. Robert Miller. Then
I work with my youngsters as often as possible, using the techniques
described by John Lyons in his wonderful book, Bringing Up Baby. I may begin longeline training even before
weaning, but at first the baby only walks in circles, stops, turns, and
walks. Since having both hips replaced, I no longer ride
my own young horses, but I will send them to a professional trainer at anytime
after the horse's fourth birthday, depending on the individual horse's
maturity, size, strength, and mental readiness. I want a trainer to treat
the horse kindly, and ride them gently, gradually building up to an hour or
more per day, 5 or 6 days a week. After a month or two of daily riding,
the horse should be safe for me or anyone else to ride, in controlled
situations. Of course, if the horse is to be shown, much more training
will be required.
What
training method(s) do you use?
Dressage
is the basic foundation of all riding, but I tend toward "backyard
dressage" (and I love the book of that title, by Mary Twelveponies).
The object of training is for the horse to move freely forward, with the hind
legs reaching well up under the horse, and to gradually develop balance,
"self-carriage," lightness of the forehand, a light feeling of
contact, and a prompt response to cues. The goal is for the rider to
think, and the horse to move, calmly and smoothly, with very little time
elapsed, and little or no visible signal. Of course, such lightness and
communication requires many hours of teamwork between the individual horse and
rider.
Whether
the horse is intended to be ridden Western or English, he will be started in a
bosal or snaffle bit, and he will be ridden with the dressage principles of
balance, free forward movement, and lightness always in mind. Actually, I
think any horse can be ridden in either or both Western and English tack
(hunter and dressage); every Arabian horse I have ever owned and ridden
has done both. I also think that the same horse can and should do
"main ring" classes and dressage classes, at the same show, if the
rider is that ambitious; and I think it is good for a show horse's sanity (and
might help prevent colic, ulcers, and stable vices) to also go on leisurely
trail rides, around the farm or elsewhere, on days when he isn't showing.
My current show horse loves trail riding; he also shows in Western pleasure,
hunter pleasure, lower level dressage, halter, sport horse in-hand, and
occasionally costume or trail class; he has ribbons in "all the
above," including a Regional Reserve Championship in halter AOTH
with his previous owner, and he loves carrying a small child in leadline
classes. He is currently being shown in hunter pleasure and huntseat
equitation by a 12-year-old beginner rider in local open shows.
What is
your current stable configuration?
I'm
actually semi-retired. My last 5 foals were born in 2008; with the
drought and skyrocketing price of grain, with hay at $110 per round bale,
I decided not to breed any more until I sold the young stock that I
already had. I sold 10 horses two years ago, including a Padrons
Psyche daughter and a young black homebred stallion who were exported to
Thailand; and I sold two more horses last year, so I currently have only 13
Arabians here at my farm, plus my show horse, who is boarded at Triple Creek
Ranch in Hallsville, TX.
Of the 14
Arabians I currently own, 6 are "geriatrics and special needs,"
including my stallion, 4 mares & 1 gelding; 3 are young mares;
and the other 5 are geldings, ranging in age from 5-10 years. All of
the young geldings are available for purchase.
My last
stallion, now retired, is 28-year-old Ibn Hisan, a black
Egyptian-Crabbet cross who is by a straight Egyptian *Morafic grandson and out
of a Raffon daughter who was full sister to the dam of Huckleberry Bey. I
thought that was an interesting pedigree, and he is a wonderful old
horse. His past includes showing in harness, being used as a working
ranch horse, trail riding, dressage, and being ridden bareback around my
pastures by neighborhood children. Because of a spinal injury, Ibn
Hisan is no longer able to sire foals, but he enjoys his retirement, in a
large pasture with a lovely grey mare, also age 28. Her name
is Angelfire Shahna; I bred and raised her; she was sired
by my first stallion, Shah Dorsaz, and was my first futurity show
horse. I also have a sweet bay gelding, Angelfire Beau, who is 27
years old and has been Shahna's close friend for all of that time. He
shares his pasture with a 25-year-old grey mare called Amy (Silver Satinn)
who produced 3 wonderful foals for me (2006-2008) and has earned her retirement.
My straight Egyptian
mare, MB Noramses, age 19, is expecting a foal in September of
2013, and I'm also hoping for foals from CBA
TSavannah and Diamond TSabrina next spring, all to be sired by
the homozygous black straight Egyptian TC Moniets Legacy. My favorite
mare, also now semi-retired, is 24-year-old Diamond TSable; she has the
pedigree that I wanted for more than 30 years, being related to my first
Arabian, Magic, through his dam, Fadjura. The two young mares that I hope
to breed to Legacy for next year (CBA TSavannah and Diamond
TSabrina) are both daughters of Diamond TSable; my third young
"future broodmare" is Amorosa Hisanna ("Rosie"),
the 2007 daughter of Ibn Hisan and Silver Satinn.
My
geldings include: TA Alandro ("Alex"), 2003 bay
(*Kordelas x *Ala) who is my show horse;
Diamond
TSeraph, 2005 bay (DE Mohumed Ali x TSerena) ridden dressage and Western and
has completed an ACTHA ride;
Marshal
Matt Dillonn, 2006 grey (MS Summer Flame x Silver Satinn) ridden Western and
hunter/dressage; has talent for cutting or reining & enjoys trail rides;
Diamond
TSaber, 2007 bay (Ibn Hisan x Diamond TSabrina); and
Cheyloh
al Hisan, 2008 chestnut (Ibn Hisan x BA Cheyene).
I'm also
excited about the opportunity to offer frozen semen worldwide, from the
homozygous black straight Egyptian stallion
TC
Moniets Legacy (The Minstril x Bint Bint Moniet). Legacy, who died
in 2009, was a Breeders Sweepstakes Nominated Sire; SCID clear; and
sired Champions in halter and performance. His offspring are known
for good minds, trainable dispositions, athleticism and versatility, as well as
being beautiful, and with the added allure of his rare black color.
Legacy's stud fee at the time of his death was $1500, but through a special
agreement with his owner, Suzy Foss of Gold Creek Arabians, I am able to offer
breedings to Legacy, with a live foal guarantee, for just $750. All foals
will be black, from black mares or from non-Agouti chestnut mares, and
regardless of color, Legacy foals are wonderful family horses. Many are
used for pleasure trail riding, ranch work, and natural horsemanship projects,
as well as being show horses or dressage horses or endurance trail
horses. Legacy is enrolled in the Sport Horse Nationals Payback program,
also: http://www.shnpayback.org/stallions/tc_moniets_legacy.xml
What makes
'Diamond Magic Arabians' different?
50 years
of dedication to the Arabian breed, by a horse-crazy kid who never outgrew that
first, starry-eyed addiction. My goal is to find the best possible,
loving, forever home for each horse that I produce, and to help as many people
as possible find their "dream horse," wherever that horse may be.
What does
horsemanship mean to you?
Horsemanship,
to me, means communication, with love, which flows both ways between a person
and the horses she meets. Horsemanship is an endless process of learning
and practicing, which leads to growth and development of the skills that
allow horses to understand the horseman, as the horseman gradually learns to
better understand the horse. We who would be horsemen know that we are
fortunate to have the love and companionship of these beautiful athletes.
There is no thrill greater than those found on the back of a willing and
well-trained horse, who executes your wishes almost before you have time to
translate them into requests. The true horseman doesn't need to think
about how to ask the horse to do something; he or she just rides the horse and
thinks about doing the thing, whether it is sidepass, piaffe, or turning back a
cow ... and the trained horse feels the intention in the hands, the legs, the
seat of the rider, and executes the movement with willingness, impulsion, and
confidence. True horsemanship is seen when the horse and the rider
perform as one, and it is beautiful to watch.
Connect with Angela...
Barbara Morgenroth is an internationally
acclaimed author of fiction and non-fiction. Formerly from New York City, she
now lives somewhere else. Barbara envisioned a career as a globe-hopping
photojournalist, but after college she determined her hop muscles weren't
global strength so turned to writing. No life experience is safe from her
keyboard and Barbara has proven that being a magnet for story material may be over
stimulating to live through, but it's all ultimately research….
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