Paint horse breeder in Freeland

Published 7:00 pm Saturday, August 20, 2005

A Freeland woman has turned her love of the American Paint Horse into an innovative home business.

While earning money to support her stable of other horses, Kim McMaster is continuing the bloodline of the iconic “Paint” through her mail order artificial insemination business. Her registered champion Paint stallion, Saint Pat’s Cat, is sought after for breeding with other registered mares. His progeny can be found throughout the country.

Cost of the service is $1,250.

Saint Pat Cat shares Moonveiw Meadows Farm with Kim and Larry McMaster, plus several boxers and terriers.

While there has always been horse-breeding businesses, the industry has gone more high tech like the McMaster’s business. More equine reproduction is accomplished through mail order now than ever before.

A small section of the McMaster barn has become a laboratory where Kim McMaster cools and prepares the seminal fluid for shipping.

“We had been breeding the horses at our farm, but prefer mail order to having mares visit the farm,” McMaster said. The stallion is bred to some of McMaster’s own mares and other mares owned locally.

To learn the technical aspects of equine reproduction the McMasters took courses at the University of Colorado where they gained extensive experience in seminal collection, evaluation and insemination procedures.

During a recent interview, McMaster displayed obvious affection for her breeding stallion.

“It is it is more than a business for me. Saint Pat is my horse, my pet. We regularly go for trail rides,” she said. “He is really a wonderful horse, very easy disposition and a superior show horse.”

Genetics also makes this stallion very special.

“All of its foals will be paint or spotted horses, even when he is bred to a plain-colored mare,” McMaster said.

In breeder’s terms, the stallion is a true homozygous Paint horse for the Tobiano gene.

In addition, he is an all-around champion and show horse.