Tarpan Horse Conservation Program

13/12/2024

Debbie and Grayson in the News!
In accordance with our dedication to conserve the Tarpan breed, our star stallion Grayson made his second trip to ERC, where Debbie used to work, for semen collection to be shipped to our friends in Canada. Semen collection in a controlled environment, versus live cover, plays an integral role in our ability to ship semen to places as far away as Canada where Tarpan horses are kept or ridden for pleasure and driven, which is what they were originally bred to do. Della, our Canadian rep, also takes her Tarpan horses to covered wagon races, expressing a special appreciation for the breed. Tarpan horses are hardy enough to withstand their harsh winters making it an ideal situation for them and their humans! Thank you to Debbie for her devotion to Grayson. A special thank you to Ireland Hayes, journalist at Rappahannock News for the article on Equine Reproductive Concepts (ERC), and the equine fertility procedures Dr. Dippert and his team have dedicated their expertise to. We at THCP are fortunate to have them only 15 minutes from the farm. Here is the link to Ireland's article:
https://www.rappnews.com/news/equine/breed-to-succeed/article_bfb3cd02-b606-11ef-9ac8-9b07c035770a.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3ZM3qvp021QssOyt62XtAs2pbfRM3h2FuJQ0ODojaIxVzgrwrXC8-fFOo_aem_U5hJaG0LJqEaqntIvUKcxA&sfnsn=mo

02/12/2024

Holiday Greetings from Dancer's Isla
Our first and only 2024 registered Tarpan filly is Della Roseth's Dancer's Isla. Pictured here, Isla is the daughter of Dylly, a stallion owned by Brenda and Garth Cramer in Alberta. Della is our Canadian rep! Along with Dylly, Brenda and Garth have several Antiquity line elderly mares and just purchased Maverick and Sapphire, who were bred by Kelly Ollenburger in British Columbia. Earlier this year, Linda Yaciw registered Legacy Xcel, Legacy Mouse and Legacy Oreo. Sally Odell registered her Tarpan-Thoroughbred-Clydesdale cross. We are very grateful for our growing network of owners in Canada and their care of Tarpan horses.

15/07/2024

You will remember Kat, who was rescued last September 2023, and diagnosed with EPM. She has persevered with the daily, assiduous care of Christal and Jane at Abingdon Donkey Lodge. Christal did not manage to uncover her ancestry. Her DNA test confirmed her Heck Tarpan ancestry. Kat is an example of a miracle of healing. See her transformation here: https://www.facebook.com/christal.presley/.

02/04/2024

We have posted the current registry of Heck Tarpan Horses in North America as a pdf on our website registry page. https://www.thcponline.org/registry
The historical registry can also be requested at [email protected].

Learn about the breed standard. Tarpan horses are rare. Our current registry of Heck line Tarpan horses in the US and Canada numbers under 100 with only half of these of breeding potential. Records were lost for both Heck line and Stroebel Tarpans, although we have segments of the historical registr...

09/03/2024

We are very proud to have reconnected with Candy Peters and Darrith Russell, who both worked closely with Ellen Thrall, breeding and training Heck Tarpan horses. Ellen compiled the American Tarpan Studbook (published in 1975), which includes horses from 1954 to 1973. Below, please find what Candy has told us. Soon, we will also post a bio for Darrith, who is a Bearfoot Ranch. Candy says:
"My journey with Tarpans began in 1990 when I responded to a plea to "Help Save the World's Rarest Breed of Horse" printed on the last page of an issue of a horse magazine. Owning my first Tarpan stallion and mares in my late teens, Ellen Thrall and Tarpans laid the foundation for my lifelong passion for horses, teaching me common sense and practical approaches to horse management and horsemanship. With Ellen’s encouragement I served as registrar and ambassador for the American Tarpan Studbook Association from 1991 - 2004 meeting with 4H groups, riding in NATRAC competitive trail rides with Ellen, administering the Adopt-a-Tarpan program, publishing newsletters on breeding and preservation efforts, providing information to universities on the breed and writing articles for contemporary equine publications on Tarpans. Assistance from THCP has allowed my daughter and I to revive my original Tarpan breeding program (Antiquity Farms) as Relics of Antiquity. Our current aspirations with our Tarpan horses lie not only in preservation of the Tarpans in North America, but we also hope to expand the available genetic pool for preserving these horses through importation of European breeding stock. We seek to honor the legacy of Ellen Thrall's passion for animals and people and the generosity of the many equine enthusiasts who have touched our lives. We hope to inspire other existing and potential horse lovers to share our appreciation of the unique character and beauty of the Tarpan horses." Here is a photo of Antiquity's Romulus, who was an important stallion for us. You can find more info at Relics of Antiquity: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555490721997

26/02/2024

We are so enthused about this article in the Foothills Forum of the Rappahanock News featuring our team member Debbie and written by Ireland Hayes! Ireland is new to Tarpan horses and Debbie says a few details may be imperfect, but we are over the moon to see this in print! https://www.facebook.com/100063637897100/posts/915527700578485/

One morning after a storm, Debbie Capasso woke up to three camels standing in her yard. Little did she know, a chance encounter nine years ago with an exotic animal

22/02/2024

Join Mustangs to the Rescue (https://www.facebook.com/MustangsToTheRescue) for five days filled with invaluable insights into the world of Wild Horse Gentling with Anna Twinney Holistic Horsemanship, featuring the beloved Tarpan Horses.
Your Contribution Matters: By auditing the entire clinic for just $250, you not only enrich your own understanding but also directly support the health care needs of these unique Tarpan Horses our contribution will help us ensure they receive the veterinary care they deserve, setting them up for a successful lifetime ahead.
Let's Reach Our Goal: Our goal is to raise $5000, which will provide essential health care for these pre-historically significant rare horses. With your support, we can make a significant impact on their well-being.
How to Register: To secure your spot or inquire further about auditing, simply email us at [email protected]. Spaces are limited, so don't delay!
Thank you for considering joining us for this important cause. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of these beautiful animals.
If you're not able to audit the clinic but want to help these unique and very rare horses, please consider donating the audit fee and that amount will go directly to health care for this group of Tarpan horses.
… See more

22/01/2024

Della, our Canadian representative, says the weather is good for driving Tarpan horses! Our Heck and Stroebel Tarpans, including recovering Kat, are well suited to the cold weather! We just connected with the owner of two more Heck Tarpan horses in Northwest Frontier Province, Lublin and Dream Boat, who were evacuated to Alberta during the forest fires. For more Tarpans in the snow, see this video from Belarus!
Belarus Tarpan Horses video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGhFhXgDDFs

04/01/2024

Oak Grove Anysia, aged 27, died in her sleep the night of Christmas Eve. Anysia had many foals, including Kuno, Samo, and Elora at Brightfields, and Julia, Donald, and Saturn at Dixie Meadows in Virginia. After Anysia was diagnosed with Cushings disease a few years ago, Sid coaxed her back to vitality. Debbie showered her with affection. Always preferring pasture to stall, her gait remained notably elegant. Sweet and particularly curious, she had the expressive dark face and luxuriant mane of the Tarpan horses bred in this region.
Anysia was born on the farm of Stephanie Jones in Ideal, Georgia. As a young mare, she lived at Pleasant Hill, the farm of Chad Grizzle and his family in Sylvania, Georgia. She lived there with Pleasant Hill Heidi, and later, also with Heidi, on the farm of Julia Bright.

22/12/2023

Christmas for the Stroebel Tarpan Horses
Donald Shurtleff's extraordinary generosity ensures that the herd of Bend, Oregon will have plenty of hay during the coming winter months! Donald also cares for the stallions in his own pastures. Joan Steelhammer and her husband care for the mares and foals. We are very grateful to you!

14/12/2023

We have the exciting news that Katarina is indeed a pure bred Heck line Tarpan horse!

13/12/2023

Katarina continues to recover under the exceptional care of Christal and Jane at Abingdon Donkey Lodge (https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=abingdon%20donkey%20lodge) . In a recent video Christal sent to me, she walked in a straight line towards her! In another, she galloped up the hill. Here she is with a new friend, Ruth Ann, an American Mammoth donkey. Thank you again to all those who contributed to her rescue. She is a very special mare. We are awaiting genetic confirmation of her Heck line ancestry from Texas A & M. To us, she looks very much like the Antiquity's Farm Tarpan horses bred years ago by Candy Peters.