SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100
Equestrian Lifestyle

“I Was Born For This”


The Characters:

  • “Dad” – palomino stallion
  • “Mom” – black roan mare
  • “Amos” – buckskin roan colt

When I made plans to breed my mare, I considered all the important things, like the temperaments of Mom and Dad, their conformation, breed type, and bloodlines. So when my colt was born, I’d already anticipated some of his traits: I knew (roughly) how tall he would be, what his head should look like, his overall type, and his personality. And I was right. But additionally, Mom and Dad passed on a few “extra” traits to little Amos.

#1, Dad’s Golden Color — But Mom’s Modifier



I wasn’t breeding for any particular color, but, given the parents, it wasn’t surprising that Amos turned out to be buckskin. The day he was born, Dad stood in the next pasture, looking over at his new son and seeming to say, “Good strong yellow coloring—that’s the best.” “Oh, you think so?” Mom seemed to nicker back. “Well, look what I did!” Not one to be topped, Mom had thrown her own roan stamp on top of Dad’s yellow.

“Oh, you tossed in your roaning again, huh?” I asked Mom as I leaned against the fence and watched them graze in the sunshine.

“Of course!” my mare seemed to say, casually licking her own roan coat. “Babies should always be roan.” Amos stood nearby in his smart yellowish-roan coat, the visual combination of his two parents.

#2, Lead Rope Fiddling

Both Mom and Dad have this habit about picking things up with their mouths. Most mornings, Dad likes to proudly hold the end of his lead rope as he dances out to the pasture. Sometimes Mom likes to let her lower lip droop and try to catch the halter as it goes onto her face. Just goofy stuff that I’ve come to ignore. In both cases it’s just a game, something that they like to do. So I wasn’t expecting it one day when 3-month-old Amos coyly tried to grab the halter with his lower lip as I slipped it onto his face.

“Amos, what are you…” I started, but no sooner had I begun to speak than Amos reached down and picked up the end of his lead rope. He stood there holding it, looking quite pleased, as if he’d just mastered a great skill.

“Chip off the old block,” Dad seemed to say from his stall.

“My boy,” Mom seemed to sigh.

“Oh brother,” I said, removing the lead rope from Amos’ baby teeth.

#3 Bucket Banging

I didn’t think about it ahead of time, but both Mom and Dad are chronic bucket-bangers. After eating, Dad will bang his empty grain bucket around and around until I come to get it; Mom just rubs against hers until something gives way, either bucket or wall snap. These aren’t the kinds of things you consider when planning a breeding, so I got surprised one more time. A few days after Amos was old enough to try a little grain, I went into the stall to find his tiny grain bucket on the floor, covered in stall shavings.

“Roll it around a few more times,” Dad seemed to call from his stall. “Get it really dirty!”

“Next time see if you can crack the handle,” Mom seemed to suggest.

“Goodness, Amos,” I said, taking his bucket away to be hosed off (along with Mom’s—who had also spilled hers). “Did you have to do that?

“Of course!” Amos seemed to reply. And, as if quoting Joan of Arc, he seemed to add, “I was born for this!”

Liked this article? Here are others you’ll enjoy:
9 Things I Wish My Horse Would Stop Doing
The Bond Between Mare and Foal

Daniel Johnson

Daniel Johnson is a freelance writer and professional photographer, and watcher of horse movies. His favorite is probably Misty (1961). He’s the author of several books, including How to Raise Horses: Everything You Need to Know, (Voyageur Press, 2014). Dan’s barn is home to Summer, a Welsh/TB cross, Orion, a Welsh Cob, and Mati and Amos, two Welsh Mountain Ponies.

View Comments

  • I raised Guide Dogs for the Blind and I'm a licensed veterinary technician of 20 plus years. I was too amazed at little traits that were inherited in my guide dog puppies. We knew a lot of the parents as we had raised them and then got to raise on of their puppies and these puppy would have some of the quirky traits too. One of my dogs had a habit of groaning when was resting especially in chruch. So did his mom and sister. Another dog would back up when he was ready to leave and bored. It was a surprise that theses nuances where actually no coincidence but inherited just like color and conformation. Thanks for this article! I really appreciated it!

Recent Posts

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Morena

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

10 hours ago

Breed Portrait: The American Saddlebred

The American Saddlebred has an unmistakable presence wherever the breed goes, and these horses can be found just about everywhere…

1 day ago

Keep Loping: Prevent Breaking Gait at the Lope

It’s no fun to ride a horse that needs to be pushed constantly to stay in a lope. It feels…

2 days ago

Equine Affaire Event Preview

Knowledge is power, and nowhere is that more true than in the equine industry. Empower yourself this spring to become a more…

3 days ago

What is the Cause of Your Horse’s Behavior?

If asked what type of personality your horse has, you might say he’s an alpha, stubborn, people-pleasing, nervous, difficult, easy-going,…

6 days ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Divine Indy

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

1 week ago