A Humble Thank You to Some Special Friends of Ours

There are many people that we have to thank for the successes that we have had thus far.  One of our strongest beliefs is that a person should never forget where they came from.  We have been blessed with many incredible friends and a solid upbringing from wonderful families.  From Lisa’s youth on a ranch and working for Portia Sue Kalinka to the great conversations Mike’s shared with Larry Laramore and so many others of you at recent shows…  We thank you all so much for the hundreds of ways that you’ve helped us throughout the years.

We’d also like to thank these specific people for the contributions that they have made to the birth and growth of Strasslein Stables.

Lee and Barb Martin

The Martins have been a huge influence on us from the very beginning.  The very first Miniature horse that Lisa bought was a Martin bred horse.  Since then, the base that we’ve built our little ranch on has been obtained vastly from the Martins.  Our friendship with them has enabled us to acquire a level of quality that we just wouldn’t have been capable of getting anywhere else.  The horses that we’ve received from them have been a dream. 

They’ve been open and honest with us every step of the way as they offered the kind of guidance and advice that only years and years of experience can provide.  If it weren’t for Lee and Barb, we’d still be floundering around trying to get started.  Their mentorship has been nothing short of a blessing to us and the knowledge they share...a treasured gift.

Belinda Bagby

Belinda has been the perfect catalyst to turn our dreams into reality.  In the world’s top echelon of small equine halter trainers, she doesn’t have a lot of open spots on her show string.  We felt truly lucky to become a client of hers. 

Since then, we feel that she has become more than just a trainer to us.  She’s a friend and an advisor.  “B” continues to offer us guidance to help us achieve the most possible with our herd.  Her ideas and suggestions are something that we will always welcome as we continue to strive to help her stay on top the same way that she’s helping us to get there.

I suppose, looking back, that it’s not surprising that we’ve been as successful as we have been when you examine the combination of the Martin’s knowledge of the right bloodlines, Belinda’s unique understanding of how to make the those bloodlines the best they can be, and the ranch named "B&L" that was a huge part of the history behind it all.  I wish that we could say that we knew exactly what we were doing from the start, but the truth is that we’ve been learning every day.  So, one last thank you to 2 people whom we’ve never even met but did know what they were doing for sure:  Bonnie & Loyd Hittle, thank you for your amazing breeding program and the excellence that is now your legacy.  Others might try to make a name for themselves or profit from the fruits of your labors, be we will not forget the people who made it possible.  If you hadn’t found the right horses and worked so hard to find the perfect crosses for them, the small equine world just wouldn’t be the same.

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