Born in July 1954. Died on February 5, 1968. A stallion with black markings over his shoulders and hindquarters. Height: 51-1/12 inches." These are the sober, concise, and factual statistical data recorded in the POA studbook under the entry POA # |. Black Hand's life, at not even 14 years old, was unusually short for a POA, but this stallion changed the world of horse and pony breeding, not only in America! He inspired motivated American breeders to build a new breed the likes of which the USA had never seen: the POA, or Pony of America.
It all began in 1954 in Mason City, Iowa, where Les Boomhower lived with his wife Jean and their two children, Dan and Suzie. Boomhower was a lawyer and breeder of Shetland ponies and lived on the outskirts of town at Memory Lane Ranch. In the spring of 1954, a neighbor offered Boomhower a pregnant mare, sired by a Shetland stallion, for sale. The mare was the size of a Thoroughbred and part Arabian, white with black spots. The stallion was a chestnut. Boomhower waited for the foal to be born before deciding whether to buy the mare. In July, the mare foaled, and when Boomhower saw the colt, he bought the pair. He named the mare Manitoba and registered her with the Appaloosa Horse Club. He named the colt Black Hand because of a distinctive black marking above his hip in the shape of a black human hand. Like his mother, Black Hand was a white horse with circumscribed black markings (leopard-like).
Around the same time that Black Hand arrived at Memory Lane Ranch, Les was giving a lot of thought to breeding small ponies for children and teenagers. Everyone who saw Black Hand as a foal was captivated by his appearance and temperament! The longer Les watched Black Hand with his son Dan, the more his dream of breeding medium-sized horses, between Shetlands and Thoroughbreds, took root. Les initially envisioned Appaloosa ponies for youngsters who had outgrown Shetland pony age but didn't yet have enough experience handling larger horses independently. He consulted with fellow breeders, and they were all quickly enthusiastic about the idea of a new breed.
On December 20, 1954, the pivotal meeting took place at Memory Lane Ranch in Iowa! Just a few days before Christmas, "The Pony of the Americas Club" was founded. George Barrett became the first vice president, and Shirley Nasheim the business manager (treasurer). The club had six directors: Les Boomhower, George Barrett, Nick Litzel, Jean Boomhower, Edna Litzel, and Shirley Nasheim. Before the end of the year—on December 29, 1954—Les Boomhower registered the club with the state of Iowa as a non-profit organization.
The little stallion Black Hand, who was by then a yearling, became the breeding standard: small ears, small mouth, slightly arched Arabian-like head, good muscular foundation and the colors of the Appaloosa. Since the breeding goal was a horse suitable for children and teenagers, conformation standards were set: 44 to 52 inches (approximately 12 cm to 132 cm) measured at the withers. They also stipulated that the maximum age for showing at official competitions should be 16.
On January 24, 1955, the first official club meeting was held at Memory Lane Ranch. Les presented the membership applications, information sheets, registration forms, and transfer forms. Initially, the club was administered from the law firm. Les could hardly have imagined the amount of work that lay ahead in the following years. The next 15 years of his life would be largely devoted to the POA Club.
When Black Hand turned two, Les began training him, and soon after, six-year-old Dan was showing him in the show ring! Jean Boomhower reported in POA Magazine on the outstanding stallion qualities within the herd. Visitors to Memory Lane Ranch were thrilled to see him in his herd. Look! He could pose like a model... In the winter months, he often posed on snowdrifts as if to say, "I'm special! And I know it!" He didn't tolerate any mischief from the mares, but the foals were allowed to romp with him all day. During his show years, Black Hand beat all the other ponies in the halter classes. At the 1959 International Show, he became Senior Champion, even though he was ill at the time.
Black Hand was not only an excellent riding horse but also a good driving horse. At Memory Lane Ranch, he pulled logs, helped clear brush, and wasn't afraid of the lasso. He was in He was used as a double team for training inexperienced carriage horses. He was very even-tempered and understanding in his handling of younger, untrained horses. He also helped pull cars out of the mud; his exceptional strength never failed to impress observers.
Due to his inestimable value as a breeding stallion, Black Hand's show career ended as early as 1960. His foals quickly became highly sought after, especially by breeders, and in 1963 his offspring won all the halter classes at the International POAC Shows. He passed on not only his intelligence but also his ability to develop strength in a targeted way, making his offspring ideal ponies for children and teenagers.
In 1963, after careful consideration and a long internal debate, Black Hand was sold at the Mason City sales to an experienced horse breeder to give him the opportunity to cover other high-quality mares. The sale was the best decision for Black Hand, the entire POA breeding program, and the POAC, as until then he had only covered mares in the state of Iowa. Black Hand was to have the chance to cover mares in other parts of the USA, making his genetic potential available to other POA breeders. Furthermore, Les Boomhower's work as Executive Secretary of the POAC was so demanding that he had hardly any time left for his own breeding program.
Black Hand was sold in February 1963 to G. Dee Sayles of Winona, Washington, for $7,750. When G. Dee Sayles picked up Black Hand from Memory Lane Ranch in his pickup truck the day after the sale, everyone was sad, and even the stallion seemed to know he had to leave his old home.
Spring was a very sad time for the Boomhowers, for the familiar sight of Black Hand in the fields was missing, and the mares with the exceptional stallion's offspring would never again be in foal to him. The Sayles family, on the other hand, enjoyed the last five years of Black Hand's life and experienced many happy hours together, knowing they would never again own such a unique stallion. The Sayles family wrote about the stallion's final days: "Black Hand went once more to the small town of Diamond, Washington. There he died on February 5, 1968. He choked during his morning grain feeding. We buried him in his favorite spot at the edge of the yard, from where he always watched us gardening.
Although he only lived to be 14, this small white stallion with his black hand across his flank was a benchmark breeding goal for the entire POA world even during his lifetime. His offspring inherited his qualities and passed them on: reliability, willingness to perform, good conformation, and color. But above all, Black Hand will forever hold a special place in horse breeding, as he provided the impetus for the creation of a new breed: the Pony of the Americas, a small horse especially suited for children and teenagers!
It all began in 1954 in Mason City, Iowa, where Les Boomhower lived with his wife Jean and their two children, Dan and Suzie. Boomhower was a lawyer and breeder of Shetland ponies and lived on the outskirts of town at Memory Lane Ranch. In the spring of 1954, a neighbor offered Boomhower a pregnant mare, sired by a Shetland stallion, for sale. The mare was the size of a Thoroughbred and part Arabian, white with black spots. The stallion was a chestnut. Boomhower waited for the foal to be born before deciding whether to buy the mare. In July, the mare foaled, and when Boomhower saw the colt, he bought the pair. He named the mare Manitoba and registered her with the Appaloosa Horse Club. He named the colt Black Hand because of a distinctive black marking above his hip in the shape of a black human hand. Like his mother, Black Hand was a white horse with circumscribed black markings (leopard-like).
Around the same time that Black Hand arrived at Memory Lane Ranch, Les was giving a lot of thought to breeding small ponies for children and teenagers. Everyone who saw Black Hand as a foal was captivated by his appearance and temperament! The longer Les watched Black Hand with his son Dan, the more his dream of breeding medium-sized horses, between Shetlands and Thoroughbreds, took root. Les initially envisioned Appaloosa ponies for youngsters who had outgrown Shetland pony age but didn't yet have enough experience handling larger horses independently. He consulted with fellow breeders, and they were all quickly enthusiastic about the idea of a new breed.
On December 20, 1954, the pivotal meeting took place at Memory Lane Ranch in Iowa! Just a few days before Christmas, "The Pony of the Americas Club" was founded. George Barrett became the first vice president, and Shirley Nasheim the business manager (treasurer). The club had six directors: Les Boomhower, George Barrett, Nick Litzel, Jean Boomhower, Edna Litzel, and Shirley Nasheim. Before the end of the year—on December 29, 1954—Les Boomhower registered the club with the state of Iowa as a non-profit organization.
The little stallion Black Hand, who was by then a yearling, became the breeding standard: small ears, small mouth, slightly arched Arabian-like head, good muscular foundation and the colors of the Appaloosa. Since the breeding goal was a horse suitable for children and teenagers, conformation standards were set: 44 to 52 inches (approximately 12 cm to 132 cm) measured at the withers. They also stipulated that the maximum age for showing at official competitions should be 16.
On January 24, 1955, the first official club meeting was held at Memory Lane Ranch. Les presented the membership applications, information sheets, registration forms, and transfer forms. Initially, the club was administered from the law firm. Les could hardly have imagined the amount of work that lay ahead in the following years. The next 15 years of his life would be largely devoted to the POA Club.
When Black Hand turned two, Les began training him, and soon after, six-year-old Dan was showing him in the show ring! Jean Boomhower reported in POA Magazine on the outstanding stallion qualities within the herd. Visitors to Memory Lane Ranch were thrilled to see him in his herd. Look! He could pose like a model... In the winter months, he often posed on snowdrifts as if to say, "I'm special! And I know it!" He didn't tolerate any mischief from the mares, but the foals were allowed to romp with him all day. During his show years, Black Hand beat all the other ponies in the halter classes. At the 1959 International Show, he became Senior Champion, even though he was ill at the time.
Black Hand was not only an excellent riding horse but also a good driving horse. At Memory Lane Ranch, he pulled logs, helped clear brush, and wasn't afraid of the lasso. He was in He was used as a double team for training inexperienced carriage horses. He was very even-tempered and understanding in his handling of younger, untrained horses. He also helped pull cars out of the mud; his exceptional strength never failed to impress observers.
Due to his inestimable value as a breeding stallion, Black Hand's show career ended as early as 1960. His foals quickly became highly sought after, especially by breeders, and in 1963 his offspring won all the halter classes at the International POAC Shows. He passed on not only his intelligence but also his ability to develop strength in a targeted way, making his offspring ideal ponies for children and teenagers.
In 1963, after careful consideration and a long internal debate, Black Hand was sold at the Mason City sales to an experienced horse breeder to give him the opportunity to cover other high-quality mares. The sale was the best decision for Black Hand, the entire POA breeding program, and the POAC, as until then he had only covered mares in the state of Iowa. Black Hand was to have the chance to cover mares in other parts of the USA, making his genetic potential available to other POA breeders. Furthermore, Les Boomhower's work as Executive Secretary of the POAC was so demanding that he had hardly any time left for his own breeding program.
Black Hand was sold in February 1963 to G. Dee Sayles of Winona, Washington, for $7,750. When G. Dee Sayles picked up Black Hand from Memory Lane Ranch in his pickup truck the day after the sale, everyone was sad, and even the stallion seemed to know he had to leave his old home.
Spring was a very sad time for the Boomhowers, for the familiar sight of Black Hand in the fields was missing, and the mares with the exceptional stallion's offspring would never again be in foal to him. The Sayles family, on the other hand, enjoyed the last five years of Black Hand's life and experienced many happy hours together, knowing they would never again own such a unique stallion. The Sayles family wrote about the stallion's final days: "Black Hand went once more to the small town of Diamond, Washington. There he died on February 5, 1968. He choked during his morning grain feeding. We buried him in his favorite spot at the edge of the yard, from where he always watched us gardening.
Although he only lived to be 14, this small white stallion with his black hand across his flank was a benchmark breeding goal for the entire POA world even during his lifetime. His offspring inherited his qualities and passed them on: reliability, willingness to perform, good conformation, and color. But above all, Black Hand will forever hold a special place in horse breeding, as he provided the impetus for the creation of a new breed: the Pony of the Americas, a small horse especially suited for children and teenagers!