Welcome to the on-line home of the 477!
We invite you to have a look around our web site, preview our AQHA stallions,  
and horses for sale!

We've got some great HeBe White Lightning and Black Prince Hancock 2008
foals on the ground and still a couple more due to arrive around the State. It has
been a straight, colorful crop for both Prince and HeBe!






Our stallions have attracted attention! Please make an appointment to see them
in person if shopping for a sire. The reason there is such a flap about these
fellows is because their better quality is quite obvious, turning some folks a
bit.....green.  It isn't an accident. A lot of hard work and money goes into the
ranch and it's fine quality horses. Why breed anything else?

.It is a known fact that young horses mature larger and with better muscle, and
bone density in an open expansive setting. Come check out the size on our
foals. We think you may be pleased. Alaskan's can grow very nice foals on the
right lands.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture:

"Weanlings, which were allowed to exercise through either
continuous access to pasture, or partial access to pasture, had
greater cannon bone densities than weanlings which were
continuously confined to stalls. Stalling of weanlings will prevent the
normal mineral deposition of the cannon bone and may be
detrimental to the future athletic ability of the horse. (Comment:
Bone is continually changing and the architecture of that bone will
change to adapt to the requirements placed on the bone.
Continuously confined horses will have lower bone density than
horses which receive exercise regularly.)"

We agree with this article. Let your Fillies and Colts run in pastures
Alaska!
You may read this paper in it's entire format at:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_abstra
ct.htm
According to the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Equine
Health Research Fund....

In the horse industry, the animals performing stereotypies are often labelled "bad actors", no
doubt a carry-over from the term "stable vice" which implies a negative act. It is also widely
believed, but remains scientifically unproven, that stable vices can spread as a result of having
a "bad actor" in the stable. Even if the behaviour can be learned from watching other horses, it is
a mistake to focus the attention onto the individual horse rather than the environment or factors
contributing to the expression of the stereotypy. For the animals who perform them, stereotypies
may be coping mechanisms to dissipate their anxiety. Simply preventing the display of the
behaviour with aversive therapy (ie. electric shock, restrictions), drugs or surgery without
eliminating the initial stressor does not alter the anxiety of the animal and would be cruel. In a
recent British questionnaire-study by McGreevy and co-workers, management factors
had the greatest influence on the risk of stereotypic expression. They
found an increased risk when less than 6.8 kg/day of forage was offered. They found an
increased risk when good quality hay was offered. The authors postulated that the increased
level of protein may be too different from the forage they would normally select while grazing. An
alternate explanation is that the high quality hay may meet their nutritional requirements faster
than it satisfies their drive to engage in the physical act of eating. They also found an increased
risk when horses were kept in stall designs that did not allow contact between horses. Other
workers have found that daily exercise was beneficial in reducing wood chewing among stabled
horses.

We at Pitcher Ranch agree with this article called STABLE VICES: A Poor Measure of
Welfare? We think it is better and more natural for horses to have more space to socialize, and
more forage of acceptable quality to eat.
It would be humorous, if it wasn't so sad.... It is quite feasible that some back yard horses are far
better off both physically and mentally than many pampered city stable horses.

You can read this article in it's entire format at:
http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/articles/flannigan.html
The Pitcher Ranch
is dedicated
primarily to keeping
horses happy.

Pitcher Ranch is a
real, working
Alaskan
horse ranch.

Horses are bred
here. Horses and
people are trained
here.

Jim and Flo Pitcher
are usually easy to
find.
They have their
residence inside
the barn with the
horses.

The Pitchers strive
daily to improve
this 477 acre
Agricultural
business for those
it serves.
Pitcher Ranch
"come relax in western style"
AQHAStallion Black Prince Hancock
Horse Keeping Articles We agree with
The Pitcher Ranch Barn
We are located in
Point Mackenzie

30 miles from Wasilla City
center
in South Central Alaska.
James Pitcher and
AQHA Cremello Stallion
HeBe White Lightning  (age 3)

at the
2007 Parade of Stallions
Alaska State Fairgrounds.
Below: A smooth muscle Appendix bred 2008 Filly by
Hebe 2 weeks before weaning. Photo taken Aug 25,
2008. Her name is Pitchers She Be Suede.
Click
any
photo
for a
larger
view.
These are candid photos of the mares who foaled and their 2008 foals. Photos taken on August 25th,
2008.  It is nearly time for weaning these fillies. Of these three only Gypsy (the dark brown mare) is
re-bred for 2009. Angel and Spade (not pictured here) are also bred for 2009 foals.
Below: an outstanding 2008 Buckskin filly sired by
HeBe 2 weeks before weaning. Photo taken August
25, 2008. Her name is Pitchers She Be Dusty.
At Right and below right: A super nice 2008
dark palomino filly Sired by Black Prince
Hancock. Photo taken on Aug. 25, 2008, 2
weeks before weaning..
Her name is Pitchers Holly Luja.