I think my favorite part about foals and young horses is seeing their personality develop as they learn and gain confidence. And if there’s one thing that none of Sadie’s babies have lacked, it’s personality. Is there some kind of genetic component to being a goofy little shit? Because all of them are. Manny especially.
Presto’s newest half brother is almost 4 months old now, and boy is he something. It’s almost time to take his advertising pictures and formally list him for sale (if he was a filly I don’t think Michelle would ever let him go), but in the meantime he’s just been running and playing and acting a general fool. He is brazen, super curious, and always in the middle of everything, especially if people are involved. Sadie’s babies have all shared these qualities. They definitely aren’t the kind of foals that hide behind their moms or seem indifferent to humans.
One of Manny’s favorite things is playing with his oversize soccer ball, which he won’t let the other foal, Mari, play with. It’s his. He’s not a sharer. She’s not really sure that she wants to play with that death ball anyway, because she is far too sophisticated for such nonsense. Manny definitely IS NOT.
I see a lot of Presto in that last picture. He was doing the same thing to one of his donkeys the other day (sorry Dudley).
Manny also recently discovered that he can jump, and boy can he ever.
True to typical Manny form, he does it with excessive panache. That video kind of sums up both babies perfectly. Manny: WHEEEEEEEEEE! Mari: Dear God WHY?
It’s so funny how they’re both by the same sire, and yet so very different. Living proof that the dam, and especially her temperament, have so much impact on the foal. Even more so than the sire, really.
Manny is also a big fat chunk. Like… CHUNK. He doesn’t look much like Presto. Typical Sadie, throwing the sire’s type. Manny is so round with a lot more natural topline than Presto, who is way leggier and rangier and more refined. Manny has about 25% less thoroughbred blood, so it makes sense.
I hope someone I know buys Manny so that I can keep comparing them as they grow. It’s just so fascinating to see all the similarities and yet all the differences between them, with how Sadie is throwing her temperament but the foals look like the sires. Surely somebody out there wants a fancy hunter/hunter derby prospect? He might even come with his soccer ball…
breedrideevent.com 
brb, donating a kidney …
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This. He’s gorgeous.
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I can imagine it… “hey husband I found another horse. I might keep this one. Just fyi.” Spouse a few weeks later “what happened to our emergency fund?”
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I feel like the statute of limitations on that is 5 days, so if it takes him longer than 5 days to notice then the horse is yours fair and square.
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Paige seems to do the same thing by letting the sire’s physical attributes shine through and lending her personality, though Joey seems to have a little extra something personality wise. I can’t tell if that came through from his sire or if it is an age thing where I didn’t know Paige as a young horse. Manny is extra, as he should be! I love that he’s such a chunky thing!
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Mari is more my speed/style, but Manny is going to be a force to reckon with in his future career. It would be great to follow him along and see how he ends up
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he is truly a lovely individual but i shall always think of him as the filly that wasn’t 🙂 HA HA HA
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#alwayscounttheholes
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That video – the only Grand Prix jumper advertising visual needed! Or eventer! lol I have no idea, actually, not being a foal buyer, but he sure didn’t hesitate. 🙂
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Gosh he’s so handsome. I really need to stop falling in love with the hunter babies since I event. lol
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Chunky hunk!! Wow he is gorgeous
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He is already showing quite the nice technique over the jump. Clearly a natural. It would be so great to get updates on him, so here’s hoping a fellow blogger buys him.
It is really interesting to see that while they do not resemble each other, like, at all, Presto and Manny are clearly brothers. Besides awesone character traits Sadie seems to throw the “little shit” factor…
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I WANT. But have absolutely nowhere to keep a foal or any idea what to do with one until it’s like… 4 with 6 months under saddle. Also… no money. BOOOOOOO
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The first picture is killing me…like he’s photoshopped on there saying “LOOK AT ME!” 🙂
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He might be a show jumper with that jump on him…..
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In that pic of him with four feet off the ground- was he kicking at Mari? That right hind looks a little like he was taking aim…
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Stop making me buy things!
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Noooooooooooooooooo.
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He is a stunner! Questions: Was he bred to be a Hunter/Jumper, not an eventer? Is it common for babies (with the right breeding, I wouldn’t expect from a Saddlebred) to jump like that, or is really quite special? Seems that way to me but I haven’t been around youngsters enough to know.
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He was bred with the hunter derby stuff in mind – his dam is by a hunter stallion out of a tb, and his sire is a jumper stallion in Europe that competed through the big grand prix classes and has exceptional technique. Both of them are very amateur friendly. The idea was to take the hunter movement and way of going from the dam and inject extra scope from the sire, since the hunter derby classes classes can get pretty big as far as fence height goes. Everything we’re seeing so far looks promising that it worked, but we’ll see how he matures! He does seem to have quite a good jump on him.
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He is beyond cute. And what a jump :O
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If I had the money! **drooling**
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