Somebody please tell me about the line called "Susqueha

[Jane Hurl]

I have an e-mail friend in NJ who has a Susquehanna gelding that she adores. He is 25 years old now and has always been absolutely bombproof. She rides him sidesaddle almost all the time ... in parades ... at historical functions ... on trail rides.

He has earned some sort of medal for trail miles and was the "Paso Fino of the Year" for one Paso organization or another.

[Kerry W]

See the thread under this same heading called:

"Horse named Belladore ????"

macadoo has had the same lines, so she might be able to give you further info. :D

[stella]

There were/are two related families that each had a farm, not far from each other, eastern PA, one was the Docktors....senility has kicked into my brain to remember if the other was different...

Anyway, they both bred pure Puerto Rican horses. There were many in the NE then(I lived in MD); they did eventually buy the chestnut stallion El Amador from a friend of mine, and I brokered a big sabino coltthat they bought for color/size breeding (whose name also escapes me now) for some clients in NY, he was with me for R&R, rehab, after a mare cracked his hip, breeding(yes, do NOT ever put a stallion in a stall with a mare, esp when the stud has never been bred).

Both families used the stablename "Susquehanna," and they always diligently bred for temperament and gait, as their aim was always family pleasure horses. They were very nice people, and I'm sure they'd be pleased to see that people DO appreciate all their hard work all these years, still today!

[macadoo]

My first mare was Susquehanna Mariposa...She was magnificent. I still have her son (Billy) Guillermo el Conquistador...He is 14 now...two other friends have Susquehanna pasos...If you go on the post below for a "horse named Belladoro."..Kyle posted Susquehanna Bailador from Paso Pedigree...go to his siblings...you won't believe how many Susquehanna pasos there were...Carl and Pat Sweet and their daughter Anne Docktor....owned the farm...The Sweets and I think the daughter live in Fla. now...A lot of the horses go back to Sombre LaCE..Maria Luisa, El Amador etc...The friend you mentioned in New Jersey is Susan Date-Samtak...she has done wonders with her Susquehanna paso...He will do anything for her...

[Jane Hurl]

Yes, Macadoo, you are right. My friend is Susan Data-Samtak, and it is amazing the things that she and her Susquehanna gelding ("Mac") do! I gather you know Susan. Where from? Under what circumstances?

[Abejita]

heck Jane anyone in Mason Dixon Region (and probably the Notheast region)Knows Susan and her husband just from the pics that show up in regional news plus the local 'horse papers" Sometimes it's mentioned that the horses are pasos..sometimes it's mentioned how old these two horses are (isn't her husband's horse pushing 30??)sometimes not. The latest issue of the PA Horse Council newspaper had a pic of them leading a ride on national Trail Day in early June..it isnt like the Samtaks HIDE LOL Talk about someone who gets up to get the job done..Those train raids they do look like fun!

[Jane Hurl]

I didn't realize the Samtaks were such local celebrities! I "met" her when I didn't think I was going to be able to ride astride anymore. I was looking into the possibility of learning to ride side saddle as an alternative.

I was talking about that possibility on the old BB (pasofinos.com) and someone there sent my post on to Susan. She responded and answered all my questions. That was 4 or 5 years ago and we've been in touch ever since.

The Samtaks have two Pasos -- "Mac" and "Junior". Mac is Susan's horse and, yes, he's getting on in years. Apparently he is terrific. Calm. Steady. Isn't phased by anything. As Susan says, she and Mac "talk things over" rather than getting upset about them. She describes herself as not a good rider, but I find that hard to believe. They ride in EVERYTHING -- including HUGE parades. Recently they were in one in NY City where they had something crazy, like a 2 million person audience! :shock:

I've seen photos of both their geldings. They're really nicely put together horses, and one of them -- Mac, I believe -- is a Susquehanna horse.

[Mona Lisa]

Stella the other name of the second family would be the Sweets. They were located in or near Susquehanna PA, up in the far east corner near New Jersey and New York. I went one of the farms a few times about 15 or so years ago. Very nice horses, very well gaited. Good people. As of a few years back I heard they were still involved with breeding.

Mona

[Debbie Selhost]

We have a dunalino mare, Valiente's Coqueta, that is the daughter of Susquehanna Vela (PPR). Coqueta was green & young when we first bought her, but she's matured into a ultra smooth mare with a great range of speed including a flying largo. She's also very agile/athletic and can clear a 48" fence with ease. She is gentle in hand and willing under saddle.

I've heard that her dam, Susquehanna Vela, was a big red chestnut mare. I saw another daughter of hers once, too, that Marge McFarland had bred; she was huge and beautiful, but her crest had fallen really bad. I'm guessing that daughter may have resembled her grand sire El Amador. It would seem true that they bred for size, temperament and gait based on their stock that I've seen, too.

Does anyone have a photo of El Amador or know of one online. I'm curiuos to see what his confo was like....

[stella]

Well Debbie, I used to see EL Amador quite often, his owner then, Susan Shaffner (who was a teenager then)and her grandmother showed him quite a bit...esp Bella Forma..lots of mane and tail, too....he wasnt exceptionally large, maybe 14-14.1h, and quite compactly built, nice and round, pretty headed, kind eyed....in one of the old PFHA brochures, is a pic of Sue jumping him over a fence...I will try looking thru some old pics(I have TOO many of those! one day, I will have to buy a new computer, and just use this one for scanning and saving old pics, network it to download to the Internet)

[angiegirl]

Alex, Anne Docktor and their horses currently live in Edgewater Florida. If anyone would like to get in touch with her, they can contact me at angiegirlnev@yahoo.com and I'll tell them how.

[Pasogirlz]

Hi there angiegirl...Welcome to the forum.
http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/3.gif

[Beth Worden]

There ARE a lot of Susquehanna horses in the NE. I own Susquehanna Solona who will be 13 this May. She is a huge chestnut mare. I will post a picture later. I also bought the last two horses that Carl and Pat Sweet owned before retiring to Flordia, however they have the mother of all motor homes and return to PA about every year to visit. I bought Susquehanna Fabulosa and her 5 year old son from them about 6(8?) years ago. Fabby (aka Flabby) lives in NH now and I am not sure where her son is. Vermont rings a bell but again, who can remember stuff? These horses are BIG. My Solona is 1/2PR and 1/2 Col. The Sweet's last stud was a chestnut Col horse and I cannot think of his name right off hand. Have to look at her papers. Someone mentioned owning Susquehanna Mariposa??? I have MET you I think years ago at a clinic at Ron Moloff's in Salem, NY??? Yes? I remember discussing Mariposa's untimely accidental death. What a horror story. And - didn't you bring a chestnut colt with blaze and snip on nose and chin (maybe 5 or 6yr old) to the clinic? Small paso world, yes?

[Beth Worden]

Just a small correction - Anne Docktor and Pat Sweet are SISTERS. I don't think Pat would appreciate the "mother" tag LOL