Tiffany Ranch Arabians
March 2004

Kathy McWilliams-Smith and Thomas Smith
Caliente, Calif.

"The weather, the vast blue sunny skies, the open western landscape, and the whole ‘Old West’ atmosphere are among the many reasons Tom and I love living and raising our horses here," says Kathy McWilliams Smith of the California setting of Tiffany Ranch Arabians. "Having lived in many places in California, Carmel Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and San Luis Obispo, to name a few, we have found what we consider the perfect place for our horses." Tiffany Ranch Arabians is nestled in the foothills of the Piutes on 40 acres of oak-studded meadow, overlooking a spring-fed pond and surrounded by open range cattle country. It has direct access to trails leading up to the Sequoia National Forest and the Pacific Crest Trail. It just doesn’t get any more idyllic than that. The ranch is also rich with history, being located on a State of California Historic Landmark. "At the front gate is a stone monument that reads ‘Piute Ranch Homesite. Elizabeth "Lizzie" McGuirk, Scobie, Shipsey, Kersey, 1860-1932. Came to Territory by covered wagon in 1865. Settled here in 1876. Owned and operated Gwynne Gold Mine, Store, Hotel, and Stage Station. Cattle Rancher, Indian Agent, Postmistress.’ It gives Tom and I a great feeling to be living and raising our horses on this historic site."

McWilliams Smith believes in being ‘hands on’ with the horses. "Tom and I have over 50 years experience with horses between us. In the course of all that experience we made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of hard lessons which we feel benefit us today." Tom has three certificates from the University of Colorado — in equine reproduction, AI, chilled and frozen semen techniques — and handles the stallions, does all the AI breeding on the ranch, and collects semen for shipping. The couple works together to foal out mares, start youngsters, and condition, video and market their clients’ horses. "This is a full service breeding facility with a strong marketing program," says McWilliams Smith. "In addition to Fire An Ice, we have added two new cremello stallions, Dreammaker, a Morgan, and Skips Cream Supreme, an intensely line-bred Skipper W Quarter Horse. Both will produce 100% palomino and buckskin when bred to chestnut and bay mares. They will be Sweepstakes nominated and their foals can be registered as Half-Arabian. The youngest and newest purebred addition is Priceless, by a Padron Psyche son out of a *Muscat daughter. This exquisite chestnut colt has four high white stockings, a beautiful face and an even more beautiful disposition."

Tiffany Ranch Arabians’ program places strong emphasis on producing high quality Half-Arabians with size, athleticism and great dispositions, that come in a range of beautiful, unusual colors, such as palomino, buckskin and golden chestnuts with white manes and tails.

"Our life on the ranch is demanding but the rewards are many: delivering a foal, hearing its first nicker, witnessing the amazing instincts that show it how to nurse, mare owners calling to tell us how beautiful, friendly, smart, their Fire An Ice babies are, others reporting their recent show ring victories," says McWilliams Smith, who believes in the same principles that helped the historic founder Tiffany Ranch Arabians’ site succeed. "We share the same values as ‘Lizzie’: the pioneer spirit, willingness to face challenges, dedication to hard work and service. We make our living with wonderful horses and the horses are our life. For us, this is a dream come true."