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Dream Chaser

Munchkin

Piebald

Gypsy Vanner

Mare

Color Genetics

EE aa TO/n EDXW3n

Health Genetics

Birth Month/Year

Height

Registry Number

PSSM1 Negative, FIS Negative

May 2012

13.3

GV03346

Shannon Willow (GV00180F)

Champions Lucky Charm (GV01869F1)

Shannon Willow (GV00180F)
Champions Lucky Charm (GV01869F1)

Dam

Sire

This is Dream Chaser.  As her prior owner did, we call her, “Munchkin.”


Along with broodmare improvement, we also knew the “type” that we were after.  We also very much wanted to add some quality tobiano mares to our herds.


Munchkin came up as an option for us.  We did some pedigree analysis, and Munchkin had sourcing out of MVP Gypsies in her background.  MVP was a very good program based upon what they produced, and we certainly appreciate Maggie and Munchkin.


Munchkin was a heavy mare.  She had the look and the pedigree we were looking for.  Her prior owner had wanted a foal from a specific stallion and there were attempts to make that happen that did not come to fruition.  We just happened to have a filly foal in 2024 out of that sire that was exactly what was desired.  Perfect plans often go along perfectly for both sides.  She received exactly the filly foal that she wanted, and we received exactly the type of mare that we desired.

In her prior home, Munchkin was the smallest horse there and that’s how she was given her name.  In her current home, she’s in the top 10% for size, and the name is sort of funny for her now, but I love that name for her.  She could be nothing other than Munchkin for us.


Munchkin was also trained to ride.  We have a few trained to ride and a few trained to drive.  Having another horse that we could ride right away was a real positive.  As destiny would have it, one of our adult sons fell in love with Munchkin, and he takes her out to ride quite regularly.  She is his heart horse (and we never thought that he’d love a horse so much).

Munchkin, like Maggie, is middle-aged gal.  We have the same plan for Munchkin as we do with Maggie.  We’ll see if she can produce top quality foals for us, but in a few years, we plan to retire her from being a momma after her 16th birthday on our farm.  There are some horses that we will never consider moving along to new owners.  Maggie and Munchkin are two of those (and there are others).


Being trained to ride means that Munchkin will probably have a light career as an on-again, off-again riding horse on our farm.  Mostly, though, she’ll probably become a pasture pony and a “mentor mare” to our younger mares on the farm.

It’s funny when you’ve been around horses long enough to understand some of the kinds of wisdom that older horses can pass down to younger horses.


The first month that we had Munchkin provided a very good example of the wisdom of older mares.  We had placed her in a pasture where there were a mix of older and younger mares.  One of the younger mares was not being very nice to some of her pasture-mates from time to time.  Munchkin, being the big, beefy girl that she was, took up the mantle of educator.  When that younger mare started acting up, Munchkin would nod her head at her, move slowly toward her, and herd her into a corner in the pasture.  Once in the corner, Munchkin would then proceed to post herself in that location and begin grazing.  She was putting that mare in “time out!”  It happened enough times that we could see it was a pattern.  Eventually, that younger mare learned that this was considered unacceptable behavior.  She calmed it down, and Munchkin then was one of her best companions after that.  Still is.

Another example of the wisdom of older mares is when certain conditions arise in the pasture that they have experience with.  When the temperatures dip and things get frigid quickly, younger horses will stand at the waterer and either just wonder why there’s no water in there or will start licking the top of the ice.  Sometimes they get through to the water, sometimes they don’t.  An older mare, based on experience, will lift a leg up to the ice and break it with her hoof.  We’re pretty good at keeping up with water sources several times per day when it’s cold out, but I see a huge difference in the waterers between pastures of all young stock and those pastures that have the wisdom of an older mare when doing first rounds of the morning when it’s icy out.


The entire herd is healthier, happier, and more well-adjusted to many different conditions in the pastures when they have the guidance of aged and more experienced horses.

Munchkin’s story on our farm is just beginning and we can’t wait to see how that story develops over the years.

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