Saturday, May 17, 2025 | Country Acres • Page 1
Country Acres Saturday, May 17, 2025
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Volume 12, Edition 07
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
breeding hands-off
Kaydence and Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch Kenzie, both teenagers, have worked with horses emphasizes natural foaling their entire lives and now BY RAE LANZRATH STAFF WRITER
ST. JOSEPH — At Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch, horses are the key to many hopes and dreams come true. Rick Kaeter, Vicki Johnston, Barb Feia, Rick’s daughter, and his two granddaughters, Kaydence and
Kenzie Feia, work countless hours breeding, training and riding their horses. The family also hosts a plethora of events at their ranch, including weekly barrel races during the summer.
compete in rodeos throughout the state. Barb was also a teenager when the family moved to the farm, which they still work and live on today. In 1995, the Kaeter family purchased a bare piece of land outside of St. Joseph. What was once an empty corn field is now home to more than 50 horses, barns, indoor areans,pastures and three generations of horse experts. “My dad goes all in with everything he does,” said Barb, part-owner of Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch. “We built all of this ourselves, and just really committed everything to the ranch.” Two years after buying the farm, the family began breeding horses. Rick discovered the challenges and learned methods and techniques for breeding horses.
PHOTOS BY RAE LANZRATH
Kenzie Feia walks with a horse April 29 at Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch near St. Joseph. The horse, Rojo, is the ranch’s breeding stallion.
Barb said their goal is to build horses with a good mind and sound body. “They’re fairly sensitive animals,” Barb said. “Breeding and foaling can be hard.” Unlike many horse-breeding operations, Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch has a stallion onsite. Barb said they have not ventured into artificial insemination like other farms because they lack the handling facilities, resources and equipment necessary to do so. “We turn the mares out with our stallion when they’re in heat,” Barb said. “If someone brings a mare to us to breed with our stallion, then we hold them for that, but otherwise we take a very hands-off approach.” In the spring, mares will come into heat as the weather warms. They will also come into “foal heat” about a week after they have
given birth, Barb said, which is in the spring as well. The mares are put into a paddock with their stallion, Sensational Mr. Rojo (Rojo), and left alone. “We let nature do it’s thing,” Barb said. “Then, we impatiently wait 11 or 12 months for the results.” Handling the horses during breeding is not favorable, as it puts humans and horses at more risk. Through this process, a handler holds onto the mare using a halter and someone walks the stallion in, also using a halter. The handlers have to hold onto the animals the entire time, but because horses are large, powerful animals, it is a dangerous job, Barb said.
Feia page 2
(Left) A foal stands April 29 at Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch near St. Joseph. Horses typically live 25-30 years, according to Barb Feia. (Top) Horses gather April 29 at Dented K Quarter Horse Ranch near St. Joseph. The ranch is home to nearly 50 horses, most of which were born on-site.
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Publications The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
This month in the
COUNTRY: Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on June 7, 2025
5
Woodworking with the Wingards Morris
7
Closing the gate Tiffany Klaphake column
12 47 years of farming Nelson 15 From garden to grill Albany 19 Mounting memories Alexandria
21 Country cooking Kandiyohi County 22 Across the acres Gardening Q&A 25 Passion for paintball Miltona