Since I was about five years old I’ve had a single line of horses out of my grandmother’s mare, Cha Cha. She came to us in around 1995 or so after her ankle was blown out during a barrel racing accident. She wasn’t even in her teens yet and still had a ton of love to give but was no use anymore in her collegiate-ranked barrel racing world. Through a twist of fate, she ended up at my mother’s work.
You see, at that time she was working at our local feed store and a semi came through taking a load of horses to the slaughterhouses in Mexico. Unfortunately, slaughterhouses are legal in Mexico and when horses aren’t sold at auctions in the states the “killer wagons” will buy a horse based on its price per pound, and that’s what happened to this mare in ‘95. When that truck stopped word got out that there was a decent young mare with an injured ankle that still had a possibility of healing up correctly with proper care, time off, and love. And so my mother offered the driver what he paid per pound. Basically, we got a well-trained, incredibly talented, and very loving horse for around $200.00.
When she was brought home my sister and I loved on her for months while a vet was monitoring her care. To us, she was not a tool to be used to make money and take home ribbons on but instead, she became part of our family. It wasn’t too long until she was cleared to be ridden again. Of course, this time we had to keep in mind her ankle, so we did. Over the years she carried my sister and me through gymkhanas, sycamore tree-filled trail rides, and many hours spent in the area bareback, just her and I.
Cha Cha taught my sister and me so much more about horses, riding, and unconditional love than any human ever could have. She lived well into her old age and was finally laid to rest on September 2, 2013. However, we had a beautiful little paint filly out of her born in 1998. I could go on and on about this bloodline but I’ll simplify it for you: These were grade mares but exceptional in mind and body. There’s a saying that goes a little something like this, “You can’t ride papers.” And that means that even though we bought Cha Cha off of a killer wagon heading to Mexico with no papers, it doesn’t mean she was less than the horse. She was so exceptional that we bred her to continue her line. Many professional breeders will quickly say it’s not worth breeding if they don’t have papers but I guess that’s where my rebellious nature shines.
At this point, we have Cha Cha and her filly Outlaw, but now Outlaw is old enough to breed, and continuing this bloodline is something we wished to do. So we did. Outlaw’s filly, Solara, was born on Easter Day in 2009. Solara is now fourteen and both her grandmother and mother have been laid to rest. She’s a stunning mare and has so many characteristics from those two. But this is where my questioning comes into play.
Do I breed Solara to continue this bloodline or do I let it run dry? In life, we have to understand that nothing lasts forever. This bloodline of mares has been nothing short of amazing but I’m struggling with the idea of breeding Solara. Maybe this is because she is the last one in this line and I’m terrified to breed her only for her to have possible complications and now I’ve lost the entire line due to my actions. So the question still stands true; to breed or not to breed?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this matter. Would you continue to breed if you were in my shoes and had healthy, level-headed fillies from this line? You can reach out to me on my personal Insta @unbridledmama.
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