Wando ?

[CA Michael]

Any first hand observations about him and his foals?

[Supernova]

I have a friend who works for Schonberg and he says the foals look very good!

[sunday_silence]

He's another one who has some conformation issues and who I hope is getting very correct mares.

[CA Michael]

ss,

Could you please be more specific?

[sunday_silence]

I've seen him 4 times. My impressions of him (based on memory) are as follows:

1. good size and bone
2. nice shoulder
3. pasterns=iffy
4. hind legs very straight
5. toes out left front, paddles same when walking
6. generally looks a bit off balance

[CA Michael]

1. good size and bone
2. nice shoulder
3. pasterns=iffy
4. hind legs very straight
5. toes out left front, paddles same when walking
6. generally looks a bit off balance

That's my kind of thumb nailoverview. Thanks!!! I can live with most of these defects, depending on their severity, because his race record indicates he was tough and relatively sound. Of the six, being off balance concerns me most--I think that's a must in a stallion. As a homebred, he might not have been subjected to the various surgical procedures sales horses endure, which of course doesn't stop them from reproducing them in their offspring. I'd rather know the awful truth than assume a horse's "correctness" was on the natch.

Did you get a feel for his temperament, and the shape and size of his hooves?

[sunday_silence]

I think his temperament is very nice. Probably because he was such a star in Canada, he is a ham. If you give him a treat, he will invariably put his head way up and roll back his lips.

Just going from memory, I'd say his feet are pretty large and a bit flat. Based on my photos, they have him trimmed with very little heel in front and more in back. He's barefoot at the farm. I know Lane's End doesn't use shoes on any of the stallions unless they need them. His feet are in proportion with the rest of him.

Thinking back to other stallions who were new there at that time (I was comparing them mentally), Saint Liam was kind of delicate and had little feet. Rock Hard Ten's legs are terrible, but he has big round feet. Wando's knees at least look fairly clean, RHT's do not at all. Mingun is a nice looking horse, a taller and more streamlined version of his sire, but wrapped a little tight. Wando seems to have a good mind.

He is a sturdy-looking horse, more like a throwback to the '70s and '80s runners. But, there's something about the overall picture that bugs me, though.

[CA Michael]

ss, thanks again. I watched the Wando walking video on the TB Times site and it confirmed much of what you said about him, i.e. turn out, paddling,good bone, straight hind leg (which I like.........same as *Khaled). Great shoulder and a decent overstride. He seems he's a bit front heavy--good for a mare who isn't. I see a lot of Danzig in him, except for the hip. Still, seems overall good value for $5,000. Is he syndicated?

[sunday_silence]

I'm not 100% positive, but I think Schickedanz retained ownership....pretty sure he did the same with Langfuhr. Wando isn't for the commercial breeder, but may turn out to be good for the breed to race folks with the right mares and they are very willing to do foal shares. He was versatile himself. As you said, it's not a bad thing that his flaws are on display, all the procedures done on young sales prospects worry me. I'd like to know what I'm really getting.

[Mood Swings]

Do you know how many mares he has bred? I was a little disappointed (though not surprised) that he went to Kentucky instead of remaining here.

[CA Michael]

Wando bred 56 mares. His 'counterpart' in Ontario, Mobil, received 75 mares. In your opinion, how do the two compare as racehorses?

[Mood Swings]

I would say they were both tough and durable race horses. Mobil has a lot of support in Ontario as would Wando have had had he remained here. I suppose that he would get more quality mares in Kentucky though, our loss I hope his yearlings sell well next year.