Oskar baby owners - please speak up! (small brag)

[eventer_mi]

I've never posted on this forum before, but I'm so stinkin' proud of my young one that I had to brag, a little, and see what others think of their Oskar babies.

My guy, Olezka, barn name Oliver, went to his very first show this past weekend. Yes, it was a schooling show, but the Maiden division was HUGE, so they had to split it up into three separate divisions. Guess everybody had their babies and green riders out that day. A little history - I bought Oliver from his breeder in South Carolina - he's by Oskar II out of Maskottchen, a Trakehner mare. Oliver was a bit difficult to start under saddle, due to the fact that he had never been off his 200 acre farm (mostly wooded, in the middle of nowhere) in his life. He hadn't seen anything, done anything - nada. So, he was very overwhelmed being moved to a busy boarding barn. I moved him to a much quieter facility, leased by my trainer and friend, and decided to put him in partial training for a month while I got my job sorted out. He went from being an incredibly spooky, hot youngster to a calm, cool young man. She (my trainer) has been forever telling me that he's so, so easy and laid back, but I didn't truly believe her until this past weekend, where she rode him in his first show.

It was COLD, and breezy, and I expected to have a handful on my hands taking him off the trailer, but he marched off, took a good look around, and fell to eating grass. He did everything expected of him - put in a very nice dressage test, jumped everything in the stadium arena, and loped around the cross country course like it wasn't even there, doing the ditch, bank, and water with hardly a look. The jumps were decorated in a fall theme, complete with spooky waving cobwebs and creaking signs (it was windy!), and the stadium course was a very bright and spooky one for the level. Remember, it was his first time doing anything like this. Although he was a bit wobbly in cross country, in the wide open with everything to look at, he was perfect.

He won his division on a 29.5pp, and since the same judge scored all of the rides, he would have won his division even if they hadn't divided it up, so I was thrilled. Comments were: "Beautiful horse!" He also scored an "8" for impulsion/submission. He did get quite a few comments in the warmup arena as well.

Bottom line - I would buy another Oskar baby in a heartbeat. He's incredibly easy, doesn't get rattled, very forgiving, and such a loving soul. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he's very eye-catching and gets compliments wherever we go.

So, tell me about your Oskar babies! Are they like mine? Give me the good and bad, if there is any bad. I'd love to hear about them. Thanks for sticking with this post!

[acottongim]

I rave about my Oskars all the time!!! (prob to the point of being obnoxious I'm afraid). I am VERY lucky to be good friends with Oskar's owner and live close to him. I have gotten to see all of Joe's babies over the past couple of years, and I have 2 of my own right now. ALL of them are like what you describe. BRAVE, friendly, curious, adventurous, funloving... and they all have great movement and long legs!

My yearling filly, Emerald Fire, is HOY this year (USDF and this is for All Breeds) for 2007 fillies with a median of 79.3%. Just can't say enough good about her - she is the long awaited, filly of my dreams o/o the love of my life mare so I tend to be pretty "barn blind" with her.

Her full brother, Emerald Tsar, promises to be just like her. Both of my foals are on my website.

Joe has just started posting here somewhat (aquafarms).

Your horse must be from when Hokken was breeding Oskar.

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

:) Luckies!!!! Someday maybe I'll have my own Oskar baby to brag about!

[amdfarm]

I was thinking the same thing Bugs!! It's all acottongim's fault!! :winkgrin:

Speaking of, how's your pony filly doing? You can PM if you'd like so I don't derail this whole thread.

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

amd, Oskar was at the top of my stallion list for Bugs but it was back when Hokan still had him and I had some trouble getting in touch with Hokan. I have loved Oskar for YEARS!

I am super duper happy with my young boy though and would not trade him for the world... even when he is a toad... like was today. :sigh: :rolleyes:

[acottongim]

:) Sorry guys.... I just can't help it! But I am super impressed with what Oskar has thrown. And not just with my mare.

I think it is interesting (Joe and I were talking about this last night) that if you ask anyone what to breed to for a Dressage horse Oskar gets mentioned a lot.... that is kind of what he is "known" for (I guess because of his own successes with dressage)... BUT while he doesn't have a lot of foals on the ground from when Hokan had him, many of them are Hunter/Jumpers. Interesting huh?!

Oskar himself actually can jump quite well and I know that my two have demonstrated their talents by jumping all kinds of things that will give me gray hairs LOL. Just not what he is normally thought of for.

amd - Allie is doing GREAT. She has quite an ugly scar on her leg and there is a 'bump" on the front of her cannon bone (kind of looks like the bone calcified there) but she is SOUND and alive. Maybe this weekend I'll do an update "before/after" photo session with her so everyone can see.

[TKR]

I'm thrilled with my Oskar filly also. She's a yearling and never went through an ugly stage, she just hit the ground being gorgeous and kept going. She is very sweet and certainly bold and very nice to handle and eye candy to watch. Getting big! Her dam is a beautiful, intelligent mare also, and the match was certainly a good one. I think Oskar is one of the most beautiful, charismatic stallions I've ever seen. I would use him again on several of my mares if I were breeding!
PennyG

[lalahartma1]

Pictures, please!

[eventer_mi]

Here is Olliver just standing in the crossties: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2838455040053515467IiyNiw

Here is a picture of his temperment - he's pretty much like this all the time: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2838455040053515467IiyNiw No, he's not drugged :winkgrin:

From the show: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2151734420053515467duFEed
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2248145530053515467oyvjuz

Horrible pic of him flatting: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2566323640053515467ECvzVt

I wanna see pictures of your more mature babies! Yes, Oliver is from when Hokan had him. The breeder said that she was very impressed with Oskar's temperment, even when he was being "disciplined" for something. That's why she bred to him.

Good to hear that Oliver is typical of the Oskar babies. I will definitely get another one should the opportunity arise.

[TKR]

What a nice horse! I can see why you are so proud! He certainly epitomizes the prepotency of Oskar (as I see in my filly). He looks very scopey, too. What is the damline?
PennyG

[acottongim]

Yep, pretty typical in looks etc of Oskar. There AREN'T a lot of "mature" Oskar foals out there. Hokan really didn't have him bred to a lot of mares prior to Joe getting him - I'm going to GUESS a ball park of 50 or less mares I think it is actually much less than that really. Joe got Oskar 3 years ago now (I think, might have been 4 years - time flies by for me) and he has bred MANY more mares since Joe has had him.

Shawnda Nadaeu has bred to Oskar and has a few offspring out there and Patricia Mallet has a few also that are older but there are really just a handful. Perhaps one of them will pipe in and show off their photos. Patricia does have an Oskar 3 yo that was just approved this year up in Maine (stallion). His photo etc is on the ATA website: www.americantrakehner.com (http://www.americantrakehner.com) and his name is Bond James Bond.

All of my foals are on my website www.emeraldacrestk.com (http://www.emeraldacrestk.com). Joe has some of his on his website: www.aquafarms.net (http://www.aquafarms.net)

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

For all those who say Trakehners can't jump: :eek:

http://www.aquafarms.net/forrest.html

[amdfarm]

Oh, I know Bugs. I liked him when Hokan had him also, but Annisa's posts got me thinking about him all over again when I didn't know he'd changed hands.

Frodo being a toad... nah, not your deer sweet boy. :winkgrin:

Oliver is a great looking boy. He surely looks like an Oskar baby. Congrats on your successes w/ him.

Annisa... how wonderful Allie is doing so well. I'm glad she's sound AND alive, the silly girl. Would love to see pics of her.

[HiJumpGrrl]

Kim, I scribed for his dressage test ;) He's so cute! He's going to be quite a nice horse--is already, of course, but imagine what you'll have when he's grown!

[mcp]

I thrilled that another one of my young horses has found a great home. I must add though, that Oliver's temperament is also the product of his dam and upbringing. We have just completed a new barn designed by Blackburn Architects and built by Jack Hart of Kentucky --so come see us if you are near Rock Hill, SC. www.ketchenplace.com

Mary Quarles

[Shawnda N]

Is your gelding registered ? There are numerous year end awards that he could qualify for if he was.
Phavoryt by Oskar out of Pyrrha by Graditz is the oldest Oskar Trakehner baby. he's presently 6 1/2 . I bred two mares to him while Hokan still owned him. Phavoryt is owned by Annie Lacasse, and I do have a few photos of him, but I cannot post them here. Phavoryt is the typical Oskar in that he was born broke, he's brave, very laid back, good natured kind of guy. He's close to 17.1 hh, so his owner has taken it very slow with him, but he placed very well in a large field of hunters at the Montreal Hunt Club Trials a few weeks ago. He's also a very handsom boy.

[TKR]

My Oskar yearling filly, Playbook, had her first massage today. The lady who does the massages is also certified to teach and brought a student to practice on my horses. I thought it would be a good experience for Playbook, since she is used to be handled primarily by a woman (me!) and the student was a guy. It was also a good opportunity for her to come in by herself away from her buds and stand quietly while someone unfamiliar put their hands all over her (sounds pretty promiscuous, LOL!). She was quite the little lady and enjoyed a few treats as well as the massage. She has a cute way of "listening" to everything around her and digesting the information and dealing with it in a very serene way. Whoever ends up with this filly should enjoy having a horse that is obviously intelligent and is capable of being comfortable in a new situation -- kudos to her sire and dam (her dam also enjoyed a massage very much!).
PennyG