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The Cost of Quality...
My best customer is an educated consumer. If they are a first time buyer, I hope that they have read everything they can get their hands on regarding the breed they are interested in. I hope that they have visited different farms and talked with trainers and their Veterinarian. If they are a long time mule owner, then I hope they will appreciate the time, effort and expense that we put into our colts.
Allow me to explain: Let's start with our mares, jennets and jack. We have purchased mares and jennets that have outstanding conformation, intelligence and sweet, willing personalities. Color is the last thing we look at. Some of our mares and jennets work, some do not. All of our Mammoth jennets are registered. However, the crossbred mares show the best traits of the two breeds they are out of i.e.: Friesian and Percheron or TWH and Percheron.
Our Mammoth jack is a smart, gentle giant with some of the best names in jackstock history in his pedigree.
Our mares and jennets receive ultrasounds approximately 18 days after they are bred to verify if they are in foal. If so, they are rechecked at 25 days to check for twinning. If twins are present, the Vet will perform an embryo reduction. This is done for the health of the mare or jennet and the remaining foal. At 5,7 and 9 months of pregnancy, our mamas receive a Rhino shot. Three months prior to their due date they are taken out of pastures with fescue grass and moved to a dry lot where they receive only Bermuda hay. All of our equines are fed a pelleted food daily along with a vitamin supplement, a daily pelleted dewormer and corn oil. During fly season a feed-through larvicide is also added as a top dressing. Each herd is moved daily to feed and each animal has his or her own individual pen to eat in.
Now let's discuss the foals, which is what y'all are intrested in anyway! All of our babies are imprinted at birth. Within 24 hours of birth, blood is drawn from the colt for a test to determine transfer of colostrum and they are given a Tetanus Antitoxin. At two days old while their mom is eating in their pen we halter the babies for the first time. They wear the halter until mom finishes her food and then it is taken off before we turn them out. They will be haltered daily until weaning. Within the first week we start to pick up their feet and brush them. At 10-14 days old, the babies start to eat the pelleted food. At 4 weeks old, they receive a paste dewormer and they get a Tetanus Toxoid shot. After the paste dewormer, we start adding daily dewormer to their food. At 8 weeks old the farrier gives them a "baby trim". At 4 months they receive a 5 in 1 shot (Eastern/Western Encephalitis,Tetanus,Flu and Rhino) as well as a West Nile vaccine. At 6 months they receive a booster for all of the above as well as Coggins and a Rabies shot. (I would like to point out that these are suggested vaccines for our geographical area. Your Vet may add or delete vaccines as he or she sees fit).
Now we are at the weaning stage. We like to park our ramp load draft trailer in the pasture where the babies are weaned and feed them in it. This really does away with a lot of stress associated with the trailer and loading.
At approximately 8 months of age our colts are sent to an out-of-state trainer for "PRE-K" ground school. Before they leave our farm they will lead, load and stand for the farrier. At school they will be stalled for the first time, lightly worked in the round pen, sacked out, etc. for 30 days. When the babies come home they are offered for sale.
When you buy one of our colts, you will receive their medical records, a health certificate and a file of any pertinent articles we feel you might need. We will also provide you with a booklist and resource guide. We will advise you on your colt's personality and talents and what discipline we believe any given animal is suited for. We want you to enjoy your colt and will assist you 24/7 with any problem that should arise. If we don't have the answer, we will locate a Vet, clinician or behaviorist to assit you.