Seven Tears Into the Sea
Phantom Stallion Series
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Thursday, September 08, 2005
Trail Blazer
Dear Readers,
Though my updated NEWS page on PhantomStallion.com has only been up 48 hours, many of you have written to ask about the beautiful running horse shown at the top of the page. I contacted Buena Suerte Ranch and found out -- first, that I'd made a mistake calling him a "she." Trail Blazer is a stallion and father to many colts. Sorry about that TB!
Here's the tough little mustang's story from HIS owner:
"Trail Blazer is quite a remarkable old man. He is going on 25, and lived most of his life on a ranch in Texas. He is one generation removed from his feral family in the Bookcliffs, Utah. These horses were known for their unique coloration as well many of them being gaited. TB is gaited with a smooth, "Paso Fino" four beat lateral trot. When the owners of the ranch bought him and several other "Colonial Spanish Horses" (Barbs), the manager of the range made fun of TB's small size (he is only 13.2).
To prove a point, the owner told the manager that TB would be HIS horse to ride from that point on.
This 6+ tall fellow was determined to show what a waste of time it was to even own these horses, so he tossed his heaviest saddle on TB, and rode him through thick brush, up rocky embankments, down arroyos, chased cows, roped, and pushed this little horse past the point of reasonable work. From sun up to dark, everyday. The other hands would wear out a Quarter horse and need a fresh mount every other day or so, and sometimes everyday. But TB never quit, never came up lame, or seemed to tire. He totally won the ranch manager's heart over. New people on the ranch would make fun of TB--and his tall rider, the manager would smile, knowing that in a matter of days, they would have a much different opinion of the little guy. When the owners passed away several years later, the ranch horses were to be sold in a dispersal sale, and the manager was told that TB, and the other Spanish horses would be kept by the family of the owners. Not to be---TB was sold to the woman we acquired him from, and the rest were sent to a 'regular' auction.
The manager, "Mac" McSwain, and his wife, Diane found out, and using their life savings, they purchased as many of the Spanish horses they could---the rest, of course went to slaughter. When we contacted them to let them know we had TB, I thought Mac was going to cry. He and his wife were so grateful to know that he was alive, well, and a proud poppa of several beautiful foals this year.
This horse is one of the most intelligent animals I have ever been around. He is a "Houdini", and can slip out of any halter. You can tie him to a post, come in the house, and when you walk out, you'll find a halter tied to the post, and the horse is no where to be seen. Unless gates are chained with a snap, he lets himself out of corrals, cruises around, pulls over equipment, drags tarps, poops on the front porch, and then goes back into his corral and waits for breakfast.
He has been given full retirement, no longer ridden, he has been out on pasture with his mares. A photographer friend took some great shots, of him playing with his look-alike son, who we named "Mac"---after the ranch manager. He is a good father, protects his family, babysits for the mares, and is a good example of how horses can form strong and complex bonds within a herd structure. We have not observed this type of behavior in more 'domesticated' horses, and so that is one of the reasons that we have advocated so strongly for protection of our feral, BLM, and other misc. horse populations."
Doesn't TB's story sound like something I could've written for the PHANTOM series? In fact, if you read BLUE WINGS and GYPSY GOLD (neither out til late next year), you'll see I imagined a story line lots like this. These wild horses are special; that's all there is to it.
Best,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:57 AM
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Trail Blazer
Dear Readers,
Though my updated NEWS page on PhantomStallion.com has only been up 48 hours, many of you have written to ask about the beautiful running horse shown at the top of the page. I contacted Buena Suerte Ranch and found out -- first, that I'd made a mistake calling him a "she." Trail Blazer is a stallion and father to many colts. Sorry about that TB!
Here's the tough little mustang's story from HIS owner:
"Trail Blazer is quite a remarkable old man. He is going on 25, and lived most of his life on a ranch in Texas. He is one generation removed from his feral family in the Bookcliffs, Utah. These horses were known for their unique coloration as well many of them being gaited. TB is gaited with a smooth, "Paso Fino" four beat lateral trot. When the owners of the ranch bought him and several other "Colonial Spanish Horses" (Barbs), the manager of the range made fun of TB's small size (he is only 13.2).
To prove a point, the owner told the manager that TB would be HIS horse to ride from that point on.
This 6+ tall fellow was determined to show what a waste of time it was to even own these horses, so he tossed his heaviest saddle on TB, and rode him through thick brush, up rocky embankments, down arroyos, chased cows, roped, and pushed this little horse past the point of reasonable work. From sun up to dark, everyday. The other hands would wear out a Quarter horse and need a fresh mount every other day or so, and sometimes everyday. But TB never quit, never came up lame, or seemed to tire. He totally won the ranch manager's heart over. New people on the ranch would make fun of TB--and his tall rider, the manager would smile, knowing that in a matter of days, they would have a much different opinion of the little guy. When the owners passed away several years later, the ranch horses were to be sold in a dispersal sale, and the manager was told that TB, and the other Spanish horses would be kept by the family of the owners. Not to be---TB was sold to the woman we acquired him from, and the rest were sent to a 'regular' auction.
The manager, "Mac" McSwain, and his wife, Diane found out, and using their life savings, they purchased as many of the Spanish horses they could---the rest, of course went to slaughter. When we contacted them to let them know we had TB, I thought Mac was going to cry. He and his wife were so grateful to know that he was alive, well, and a proud poppa of several beautiful foals this year.
This horse is one of the most intelligent animals I have ever been around. He is a "Houdini", and can slip out of any halter. You can tie him to a post, come in the house, and when you walk out, you'll find a halter tied to the post, and the horse is no where to be seen. Unless gates are chained with a snap, he lets himself out of corrals, cruises around, pulls over equipment, drags tarps, poops on the front porch, and then goes back into his corral and waits for breakfast.
He has been given full retirement, no longer ridden, he has been out on pasture with his mares. A photographer friend took some great shots, of him playing with his look-alike son, who we named "Mac"---after the ranch manager. He is a good father, protects his family, babysits for the mares, and is a good example of how horses can form strong and complex bonds within a herd structure. We have not observed this type of behavior in more 'domesticated' horses, and so that is one of the reasons that we have advocated so strongly for protection of our feral, BLM, and other misc. horse populations."
Doesn't TB's story sound like something I could've written for the PHANTOM series? In fact, if you read BLUE WINGS and GYPSY GOLD (neither out til late next year), you'll see I imagined a story line lots like this. These wild horses are special; that's all there is to it.
Best,
Terri
Permalink to this blog post
Posted by Terri Farley @ 7:57 AM
Comments: Post a Comment