By now you know who LaBamba SE (Ritchie) is. My yearling Zweibrucker stallion, my dream, the nicest horse I've ever owned, possibly ever laid hands on, my boy.
So why keep him a stallion, Amanda? That's a darn good question. I really don't NEED a stallion and, with the increasing access to high-quality studs internationally, why on earth should I try to raise a warmblood stallion myself? I'm not a professional trainer/rider. I don't have aspirations to show Grand Prix dressage internationally (I do have aspirations to show it, just not internationally), I have no desires to have a big broodmare band and breeding farm. So what on earth is in my head?
Well, here's what is in my brain:
He's not my first stallion. Surprisingly my first stud colt came about about 7 years ago. A lovely pinto arab named Bacardi Breezer LA (Beau). He introduced me to the MIND of a stallion. I learned more from that little horse than I ever would've expected from the beginning. He was beautiful (2 x national champion stallion), he was willing to learn although I had to learn how to teach him. He definitely had a different mind than other horses I'd worked with. He taught me to be a strong and clear leader and that things needed to be so consistent, he needed to always be very clear about what I wanted and where he was safe. Unfortunately I had him before we had the farm and I couldn't afford to keep him at a facility that would give him a life as a stallion. And so I sold him, he bred once and was gelded. 
The next year came a yearling Pintabian stallion, BG Northstar. He too took home a National Champion Stallion title as a yearling, reserve as a 2 year old. Northstar helped me really reinforce my understsanding of stallion brain. Unfortunately Northstar also educated me that not all stallions (no matter how much consistency and training they get as a young horse) make happy mature stallions. Northstar was gelded as a 3 year old and is now affectionately Norton <3 A wonderful gelding and becoming a talented trick horse as well as dressage athlete.
During the time I had Northstar as a young stallion, I bought a purebred Arab colt named Pyralis. A sporty and lovely purebred colt, Pyralis, he had the MIND to stay a stallion. He was lovely, willing, calm, obediant, social, etc. What he was not was exceptional. He was athletic certainly. There was nothing wrong with him but he was not special enough to stay a stallion. He did sire one offspring, a lovely buckskin arab x QH filly we named Pyrotecnix. Pyralis taught me another lesson. He taught me that, once in a while, there's a curve ball and a horse has a better mind as a stallion than a gelding. Nothing is ever guaranteed!
So with all that, when Ritchie came out a lovely colt with 4 even socks and a star and a snip, level as the day is long and MOVEMENT, I thought it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance. If he has the mind to keep all his parts intact, then I have a good chance of having a super-stellar partner, a little bit MORE than as a gelding. Nevermind his powerhouse breeding, he, himself, is exceptional enough (in my opinion) to give it a shot.
So with the mystery resolved, now what? Well, that's why I'm so glad for the lessons I've gotten with the three previous young stallions. I've definitely learned that they get a much better chance by having a lot of regular handling and starting training (not necessarily under saddle now) early and keeping it really consistent. That is his future. This summer Ritchie will continue in training and will start learning some tricks in addition to working on a lunge line, tacking, accepting the bit, etc, etc. He needs to accept early that humans will ask him to do things, push him around, change things, and it's ok. I sure hope he gets the best of the boys before him. I'll continue to do the best I am able to for him until he tells me he wants things otherwise.
By the way, all the pics of the stallions were taken when they were 2 years old, except Ritchie. He's still just a yearling.
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