Additional Comments
When you consider breeding your mare, you don't want to gamble on quality. You want a sure bet - a stallion that "has it all" and passes it on to his foals.
Intelligence.
Intelligence is a trait that Gambler had in vast amounts. He loves to learn and therefore has been exceptionally easy to train. His intelligence is a great asset when navigating the trails or taking in new experiences.
Disposition.
Gambler's disposition is second to none.... (read more) While Gambler has a great deal of presence, he is also very laid back. He is a perfect gentleman in every sense of the word. He is ridden with geldings and mares in heat and doesn't take one step out of line. Gambler loves people of all ages, but is especially fascinated with children. He is pictured at right with three year old Cassidy Newman. The photo was taken in 2005 by Maggie Moore for her book, Walking With Friends. Gambler resides with his herd full-time. He is an excellent protector and treats his mares with respect, even looking after his foals for them. When his first crop of foals was weaned, we left Gambler to comfort them. He was very kind to his foals - tolerating their climbing and chewing on him and spending time playing with them and grooming them. When we pony his foals from his back and he ignores their goofy antics and keeps his mind on his task.
Gait.
Gambler is 100% naturally gaited. From the time he was at his dam's side he has exhibited a great way of going. Gambler has a 100% natural 4-beat running walk and a fantastic smooth, fast rack. He performs his gaits the way that the Walking Horse was meant to: with no artificial aids and no special technique required. He has never been shod and performs his gaits at liberty, as you can see from the photo at left. The photo was taken in 2005 by Maggie Moore for her book, Walking With Friends. Not only are his gaits smooth, but he is surefooted as well. He easily navigates steep inclines and declines and treads rough terrain carefully and precisely.
Color.
Gambler's striking color is the icing on the cake. He is a true gold with jet black points and silver frosting in his mane and tail (the frosting is believed to be caused by the same gene that gives you flaxen manes and tails on chestnuts). Gambler has been DNA tested by UC Davis. He is homozygous (AA) for the agouti (bay modifier). This means that he CAN NOT produce black or smokey black foals even when bred to black mares! Instead, he will produce buckskin or bay.
Color possibilities (click on the color of your mare for the exact percentages):
Black/Bay/Chestnut mares: chestnut, bay, palomino, and buckskin foals.
Smokey Black/Buckskin/Palomino mares: chestnut, bay, palomino, buckskin, cremello, or perlino foals.
Smokey Cream/Perlino/Cremello mares: palomino, buckskin, cremello, or perlino foals.
Classic/Amber/Gold champagne mares: chestnut, bay, palomino, buckskin, amber, gold, gold cream, or amber cream foals.
Gambler in 2008Conformation.
Gambler's conformation is excellent. His neck is absolutely perfect...it comes out of his shoulder just right and has a gorgeous natural arch to it. It is long, elegant, and shapely. His shoulder is large and sloping. His tail is set high and he carries it with a natural, old-time "waterspout arch." Gambler has an incredibly expressive face: his large, soft eyes help indicate his kind disposition; his muzzle is tapered, well formed and gives him an inquisitive look; his ears are shapely and expressive; his profile strong and refined at the same time. His hooves are as hard and strong as a mustang's. He can travel over gravel and rocky terrain barefoot without taking a lame step. His mane and tail are naturally long and full, but while he was taking care of his foals, they relieved him of some of his length and thickness.
Bloodlines.
Gambler's bloodlines are a unique blend of the western working bloodlines through his sire, Blue Gold (who goes back to Roy Roger's own "Trigger Jr." aka Allen's Gold Zephyr), and the old eastern show lines through his dam, Cindy's Image-GH. We believe that this unique blend gave Gambler the best of both worlds. Not only is he a gorgeous, showy stallion, he's also a truly versatile and usable mount. Gambler's bloodlines are also unique in that he does not trace back to Pride of Midnight H.F. or The Pusher C.G. This makes him an EXCELLENT outcross for mares who are heavily linebred to those sires.
Westwood Farms
We are a family owned and operated farm located in scenic Madison County, Virginia. We breed and sell Walking Horses and Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses. Boarding, Lessons and Guided Trail Rides available.
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