This according to Mike & Sherry Knapp, who run cows on over 40,000 thousand acres at the base of Yosemite National Park. "To get our cows gathered in the fall we need a horse with a good mind, good legs, and a big heart," Sherry added. That is why 45 years ago, the Knapp’s started raising their own ranch horses, and before long, friends and neighbors were asking if they had any extras for sale. In the spring of 1983 Lazy K Ranch held its first Pick A C**t Day Production Sale, and now some 34 years later, the ranch markets over 70 head of "single-brand" registered horses annually to customers in North and Central America. Lazy K's horse breeding operation, located six miles east of Chowchilla in central California, has become known for its unique pairing of ranch raised working mares with the best performance horse bloodlines in the country. "When you see a horse packing a Lazy K on its hip, you know that is a horse bred for success." "Our breeding program includes stallions by some of the top money earners in our industry, including Metallic Cat, High Brow Cat, Shinning Spark, and Boonlight Dancer. And, don't forget about our mares who carry bloodlines from Doc O Lena and Peppy San Badger. Mares that know how to work for a living and pass these traits on to their foals." Because of the ongoing need for ranch horses, the Lazy K crew spends a lot of time working with young horses for their own use as well as the productions sale. “All of our yearling complete Lazy K's signature ground school,” said Michele Knapp-Stehly. The 'ground school' is part of a much larger training program Tom Dorrance helped the ranch set up years ago. “We teach all our youngsters to face up when approached, lead from the ground, tie, load in a trailer, stand while groomed and have their feet trimmed, before sale day,” Michele added. To learn more about our sale procedures you can got to our FAQ page on our website. www.lazykranch.com for more info. For those buyers interested in a show prospect, Lazy K Ranch is an AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder, which allows owners of their livestock to participate in AQHA Ranching Heritage events and competition. Many of the sale colts and fillies, will also be eligible for the NRCHA Stallion Stakes. For more information on our horse sales, please visit www.LazyKRanch.com. From the website, prospective buyers can access the online catalog and search by stallion, color, age, s*x and price category. There is also an extensive description of each horse including a 5 panel genetic evaluation, pedigree, photos and videos. Guests preferring to talk to a real person can text or call Kayne at (559) 481-9080 or Hillary at (985) 614-0436.
