Dungarron Highland Ponies

On Monday 12th February we were blessed with a lovely colt by Sue Jarman's Rosemarkie Archer out of our lovely Currie Park Staffa.

I've started an album of photos on the Photo Gallery page,

Floyd will be a keeper, and we'll run him on to see if he'll be stallion material as he is completely unrelated to any of the mares we have here. Fingers crossed.

Tain was properly weaned last weekend. He's had Ghillie as a companion for the last month - someone to play with, and someone else to help teach manners and boundaries. I couldn't be more pleased with this cross and how he's grown out.

These photos were taken last weekend.

I've had nearly all of the ponies colour tested now, their results are on each pony's profiles. This helps clarify what the ponies colours actually are, and helps predict the colour possibilties for future foals. 

Here's some information from the Practical Horse Genetics colour test returns, that may help make the letters make a bit more sense.

E/e = extension - in it's simplest form, this is the basic red or black base colour every horse has.

"Most horses are chestnut, black or bay/brown. Many other unusual coat colours come about when these basic colours are modified. Just two genes control these basic coat colours.

The extension gene (MC1R) controls the production of red pigment (i.e. to produce the chestnut coat colour) vs black pigment (i.e. to produce black or bay/brown coat colours). If your horse or pony is bay/brown or black, you will need to use genetic testing to determine whether they have one vs two copies of the version of this gene that produces black pigment."

A/a = agouti - a basic explanation is this is what restricts black to the points (makes a black horse bay.

"Agouti (ASIP) is the bay factor gene, which can restrict black pigment to the points. If your horse is chestnut or a colour based on chestnut such as palomino, you will need to use genetic testing to find out which versions of this gene your horse has inherited. If your horse is bay or a colour based on bay such as buckskin or bay silver, you will need to use genetic testign to find out how many copies of this gene your horse has inherited."

D/d (d1/d2) = dun (and non-dun / countershading) is a modifier that dilutes the coat colour, and causes dun factor - dorsal stripes, masks / cob-webbing, leg and shoulder barring etc.

"The dun coat colour in horses dilutes both red and black pigment by limiting the distribution of pigment granules to a small part of the hair shaft. This dilution is accompanied by darker undiluted markings that can include a dorsal stripe (most commonly), leg barring, dark ear tips, and shoulder bars. The face and points of dun horses are also usually darker than their bodies.

In contrast, the coat colour and markings associated with d1 reflect what is commonly referred to as counter-shading.These horses are expected to have a dorsal stripe and possibly other markings usually associated with dun. Horses that are positive for d1 but not dun are NOT dun."

Gr/gr = grey

"Horses and ponies that carry the gene variant that causes greying with age are special. They go through a beautiful range of shades on their way to becoming completely white or flea-bitten grey, but they also have a high risk of developing melanoma.

Genetic testing can confirm whether your horse has the gene variant that causes greying with age and increases susceptibility to melanoma."

Highland Ponies can also carry the silver gene, but as we don't have any silvers in Australia, i haven't bothered testing for it. Purebred Highlands don't carry any other modifying genes (cream / pearl / champagne) or any of the white pattern genes.  

Our 2017 partbred colt foal was tested for white pattern genes, as his dam is a Paint Horse, who clearly exhibits white patterning. Tain was found to carry one copy each of both overo and sabino - which is why he looks white. He's basically on big white spot, with his bay base-colour restricted to his ears and a few small patches on his body. 

New photos in the gallery section ... some of Tain in his album, and a new album with some of the other ponies taken recently.

Well, it's been a while, but as a follow up to the last news installment., River was successfully served and fell in foal. She spent the winter keeping Adie company and in the early hours of March 31, she presented us with a gorgeos colt foal, who we have named Dungarron Tain. Tain has been healthy, happy and friendly from day one, with River being a fantasic, calm natured Mum.

Despite the dry summer and late start to autumn, Tain has been growing like a weed. He's always first at the gate at feeding time, and has discovered the delights of sleeping in th fallen hay from the big round in the paddock.

Tain will be for sale at weaning (around September / October) He'll be registered APSB partbred, vaccinated, gelded, branded and handled. He should mature to at least 14.2hh.

He's already been colour tested (via Practical Horse Genetics, Sydney) Results - Ee  Aa Ovr n SB1 n. So, in laymans terms, bay carying one copy of Overo and one copy of Sabino. Unfortunately he missed out on Adie's dun gene.

Tain will be for sale at $2500

There will be an album of Tain's photos showing his progress as he grows up. Look for it on the Photo Gallery page.

A little sideways shift in our breeding program as the crop of partbreds in Australia dwindle. We'd like to welcome Paint mare, Hustle Me Dreams to the herd. Known affectionately as River, she carries a chestnust base plus the white patterns overo and sabino.

We are hoping that when covered by a Highland she'll produce a beautiful western-style pony, heavily coloured,hopefully carrying dun (Adie is Dd, so 50% chance) with a bit of extra mane and tail.

Fingers crossed. We should know by autumn 2017.

The love of my life, the Highland that started it all. My beautiful Cam.

I'm so sorry, my love. It will be a sadder world without you.

Croftcnoc Campari   3.12.2000 - 26.06.2015 

Just some photos of some of the ponies. It's exceptionally dry here, looks almost droughty rather than the emerald green we usually have through autumn. We got just over an inch of rain last weekend, but we need quite a bit more before it starts getting cold, and we lose any chance of feed growing before winter comes. I'm kind of thankful we cut hay last year.

March 8 was a bit of a sad day here at Dungarron. We lost one of our Grand Dames, Broomfield Kylie, known to all as Flora. She was the last of the Broomfield mares. A quiet and unassuming mare, dam to many fine ponies - Rosemarkie Winsome, Rosemarkie Rohan, Rosemarkie Connor, Rosemarkie Fletcher to name a few. Winter paddock mate to our stallion, Adie. Born in 1988, by the mouse dun stallion Barrymoor Banner, out of Taranganba Dinah. Dinah was by the great Scottish stallion Glenalymer out of the imported mare Debbiedene.

Run free Flora, may your pastures always be lush and green.

My husband shudders everytime he drives up our road and notices truck tyre marks. This time it was a large Carmody's truck (sorry Muzz)

Once the truck pulled up, and a very friendly and chatty driver dismounted and let down the ramps, i realised this trailer had been here before (or at least one exceptionally similar had) It looked just like the trailed that was once owned by Tasmanian Horse Transport that had brought both Cedar and Gypsy from Tasmania all those years ago. Still in great nick, there inside was the lovely Rosedene, all the way from Tamworth. Also on board was Tathradene and her colt foal Angusdene, and the old gelding Tammie Norrie of Fairlaw, all three on their way to central Victoria to their new home. But Miss Rosedene came off the truck like an old hand, the driver Charlene singing her praises (well, she was totally in love with all the Highlands, really - but who is it that doesn't fall in love with a Highland once they've met one?)

Many thanks to Mhairi McGregor for letting us look after Rosedene for the next couple of years. Rosie is out of Mhairi's personal pride and joy, the beautiful Steffiedene, by the outstanding stallion Fyfedene (sadly now deceased) We look forward to watching Rosie grow up, and i'm sure she'll enjoy the company of the other young Highlands here at Dungarron.