The Mist Trilogy

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MESSENGER-Famous Imported Thoroughbred

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Messenger was a grey thoroughbred stallion. Messenger has crosses to all three of the Thoroughbred foundation sires, particularly Godolfin Arabian. Messanger's sire was a trotter but Messenger was never used in a trotting race. However, his great grandson, Hambletonian became the father of American Trotters and Pacers so I guess he kept that talent and passed it on. For more information on Hambletonian, read my post on December 15, 2010.

Messenger was bred in England. There, he started in 16 flat races and won ten of them. Messenger's races, usually less than two and half miles, were mainly "match" races in which the side bets far exceeded the purse.

In May 1788 Sir Thomas Benger imported Messenger to Pennsylvania. In 1793, Messenger was sold to Henry Astor. According to an article in Wikipedia, "Messenger was once advertised in a Philadelphia newspaper as: Available for service: Inquiries to be made to a certain Alexander Clay at the sign of the Black Horse in Market Street." I love little bits of history like that. It makes a famous horse like Messenger seem so real!

Messenger became a very successful stud and produced great race horses. Messenger was bred throughout Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersy. The mares he was bred with were not of the highest quality, but even so he proved himself a superior stallion, siring a great many successful thoroughbred racehorses. One example is Messenger's daughter, Miller's Damsel, also known as "Queen of the American Turf." His genes can also be found in the American Saddlebred and Tennessee Walking horses. Messenger died on January 8, 1808 at the age of 28. He is buried on Long Island.

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HORSE LOVER'S POEM

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Why do I like horses? I think I must be mad.
My mother wasn't horsey - And neither was my dad.
But the madness hit me early - and it hit me like a curse.
And I've never gotten better. In fact I've gotten worse.
I hardly read a paper - but I know who's sold their horse.
And I wouldn't watch the news - Unless Mr. Ed was on, of course.
One eye's always on the heavens - but my washing waves in vain
As I rush to get the horses in - in case it's gonna rain.
I spend up every cent I've got - on horsey stuff for sure
I buy saddles, bridles, fancy boots - and then I buy some more.
I can't sew on a button - I don't even try
But I can back a truck and trailer - in the twinkling of an eye.
It's jeans and boots that I live in night and day
And that smell of sweaty horses just doesn't wash away.
I ache from long forgotten falls. My knees have got no skin.
My toes have gone a funny shape - from being stomped on again and again.
But late at night, when all is still - and I've gone to give them hay,
I touch their velvet softness and my worries float away.
They give a gentle nicker and they nuzzle through my hair
And I know it's where my heart is - more here than anywhere.
~ Author Unknown

This poem was sent in by a reader named Jodi and it touched my heart. While I live in Breeches instead of jeans, this poem otherwise fits me like a glove (a riding glove, of course!) My non-horsey parent couldn't understand my obsession but they allowed me to pursue it all the same and I thank them for that! And you should see my toes!

LAURETTA, Queen of Horses

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

On March 2nd, 2011, I wrote a post about Jim Key...the smartest horse ever! I made a brief mention about his mother, the Arabian Mare, Lauretta. Her story is quite fascinating. The legend has it that a fast-talking, slick and handsome Englishman wormed his way into a friendship with an Arab sheik in the 1870's. The sheik was charmed by this young foreigner named Jack Randall and threw a lavish feast for him in his tent city in the desert. During the last of many feasts, Sheik Ahemid bragged about his fabulous, priceless horses that he called the Kingly Four. He said that they were the four remaining descendants of horses who belonged to the Pharaohs. He owned three stallions, named Philis, Ectes and Ranus, and one mare named Lauretta. The beautiful grey mare was his prized possession.

Jack Randall said he worked for a great sheik in far-off England whose name was P.T. Barnum. He promised that his boss would pay her weight in gold plus one thousand horses to acquire Lauretta. This was tremendously insulting to the Sheik and, in a fit of rage, ended the feast and sent the audacious Englishman back to his tent.

That night, under the light of the desert stars, Jack Randall creeped past the sleeping guards and into the tent of the Kingly Four. He bridled Lauretta, leaped on her back and galloped her across the wind-swept desert sands. Grief and anger filled Persia. P.T. Barnum paid a reported $50,000 for the kidnapped horse and her history added to her popularity as P.T. Barnum took her around Europe with his circus.

Once the notoriety died down, Lauretta was sold to a smaller circus and then to yet another. Cruel treatment resulted in poor health and appearance and her loss of value as a circus performer. Somewhere along the line, she ended up in a small circus in America where she was found by Doc Key, the well known horse trainer. Through much time, love, patience, kindness and his own home remedies, Dr. Key was able to bring her back to her original beauty though not strength.

As you might expect, Lauretta became very attached to Doc Key and he couldn't bare to leave home without her. She soon began performing her circus tricks just to show off...not out of fear of the whip or pin-pricks.

She was later bred to a Hambletonian and produced the famous horse: Jim Key that you can read about on the Mar. 2 post. You can read about Hambletonian, the grandfather of the American Trotters and Paces on the December 15, 2010 post.

I got this information from excerpts from the book: "Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World's Smartest Horse" by Mim Eichler Rivas.

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Luke, the boy book critic reviews BEHIND THE MIST

2011-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

You have to watch this darling little boy give his review of Behind the Mist!

Behind the Mist was written for the middle grade readers: 9 to 14. But this boy is just 8 so if you know of a precocious 8 year old, they will love it, too!

WAR ADMIRAL - Famous son of Man O'War

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

The picture above is of the most famous horse race in American History: the match race between the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral and the "people's darling" from the west coast: Seabiscuit. As you probably already know, Seabisuit won that race by four lengths.

However, dear readers, do not let that take away from the greatness of War Admiral! This wonderful horse was born in February, 1934 at the Lexington, Kentucky home of his father: Man O'War. The name of the breding facility is Faraway Farm. He was the sixth foal by Man O'War from the mare Brushup. The first five were fillies and didn't do great on the race track. But War Admiral was another story. In all, his owner: Samuel D. Riddle raced him 26 times and he won 21 of them. As I mentioned, he was the triple crown winner in 1937 and was named "Horse of the Year" that year. He was later elected to the National Museum of Racing and the Hall of Fame.

Unlike the movie depiction of him, he was a dark brown and smaller than average. The average race horse is 16 hands. His father, Man O'War was 16.2 but War Admiral was only 15.3 hands.

War Admiral went on to become a great sire. He fathered 40 stakes winners before he died in 1959 at the age of 25.

He is truly one of the noble and great horses and deserves to become a unicorn!

Here is the newsreal clip of War Admiral winning the 1937 Kentucky Derby, the first of the Triple Crown Races.

Send me the story of your noble and great horse. He doesn't have to be famous...just loved:

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THE GREAT BUCEPHALUS-An important player in The Mist Trilogy

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I started this blog one year ago. Since that time, thousands of you have visited and enjoyed the stories about famous horses. I am repeating this post because Bucephalus plays an important role in the third book of The Mist Trilogy: The Rising Mist. Plus, I think Bucephalus is cool!

One of the most famous horses in history is the black stallion, Bucephalus, mount of Alexander the Great. In the third book of The Mist Trilogy, The Rising Mist, the reader meets this amazing horse in his immortal life. I don't want to tell you any more about that or it might ruin the story. But I do want to tell you about the original Bucephalus. Much of what is written about him may very well fall in the category of folklore so I can't be sure of all of the facts. But I will tell you what is believed to be true.

Bucephalus was born around the year 356 B.C., the same time as Alexander The Great. He was bred by the great horsemen in Thessaly. When he was twelve years old, he was brought as an unbroken stallion to Philip II of Macedonia by a horse dealer. The dealer, Philonicus, was asking 13 talents for the horse. A talent was a huge amount of money, equaling 57 to 60 pounds of gold or silver. So, imagine the value of 13 talents! In any case, when Philip saw that none of his horsemen and trainers could ride the horse, he scoffed and asked to have the horse taken away. However, young twelve- year-old Alexander, who had been watching the attempts by his father's trainers, stepped forward and said: "I can tame this horse to ride. It only needs the right rider." The adults, of course, laughed him to scorn but he was not deterred. We can call Alexander the first "Horse Whisperer" because, as he had been watching, he noticed that the horse was frightened by the shadows cast by the men as well as their aggressive body and head movements. The young boy walked quietly up to the horse, speaking softly to him, and turned him to face the sun, thus casting the shadows behind him. Gently stroking his black coat he worked his way around to the horse's side and mounted the stallion. Off they galloped until boy and horse were one.(one famous mos

Alexander named him Bucephalus, which means "Ox head" because his head, which sported a white star and one blue eye, was extremely wide...as broad as a bull's.

At that time, bridles were used but not leather saddles or stirrups. Alexander and Bucephalus traveled thousands of miles with only a cloth laid over the horse's back. The two conquered the entire Persian empire from the Mediterranean Sea to modern day India, and south to Egypt. It is interesting to note that, on their march down to Egypt, Jerusalem folded without a battle. The people of Jerusalem quoted Daniel's prophecy found in the 8th chapter about a mighty Greek King that would conquer Egypt so Alexander left them alone and traveled on.

Alexander believed that both he and his horse would be immortal (A fact attested to in the third book of The Mist Trilogy) and when his horse died at the age of 28 or 30 (depending on the source,) Alexander gave him a state funeral and named a city, Bucephala, after him. Some say that the horse died in Alexander's last battle, other say he died of old age.

Bucephalus has been immortalized in art, literature and movies. In fact, Walter Farley's Black Stallion was loosely based upon this story. If you watch the movie carefully, you will see the father of the boy, Alec, give him a tiny statue of Bucephalus when they are on the boat.

Check out the clip below from a movie about Alexander the Great.

Send me the story of your Nobel and Great horse that deserves to be a unicorn someday and it may get published on the blog. Email me at:

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SHERGAR - Kidnapped and killed now runs free in Celestia

2011-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

I have a sad story to tell you. It is a true story but very sad none-the-less. In 1978 an exceptionally beautiful, bay thoroughbred colt was born in Ireland. His name was SHERGAR. His owner and breeder was a wealthy Muslim prince named Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. The colt grew up to be a kind and gentle stallion with a distinctive white blaze on his face. He won nearly all his races as a 2 and 3 year- old, including the famous Epson Derby. A side note: The Epson Derby is the original Derby. It began in Epsom, England in 1780. The British pronounce it "Dah-be." He won that race in 1981 by a record ten lengths and became a national hero in Ireland. He was named the 1981 European Horse of the Year.

Things looked great for Shergar at this point. He was retired to become a stud. When he arrived in Newbridge in October, 1981, her was greeted by the town band and school children waving green and red flags, the Aga Khan's stable colors, as he was paraded up Main Street.

The first year Shergar stood at stud at the Ballymany Stud Farm in Kildare County, Ireland, he produced thirty-five foals. Things were looking promising for the people who bought shares in him.

But things changed quickly. 1983 was in the middle of the decades-long struggle by the Irish Republican Army. The IRA was a paramilitary organization whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and establish a Socialist Republic by force or Political persuasion. On a foggy night, the 8th of February, 1983, a stolen horse trailer (called a "horse box" in Great Britian,) pulled into the unsecured farm. The groom who lived on the grounds with his large family sent his son to answer the knock on the door. He entered the room to see his son sprawled on the floor and masked gunmen in the room. They forced the groom, named James Fitzgerald, to take them to Shergar's stall and load the beautiful horse in the trailer. Shergar was never seen again. His body was never found and it wasn't until twenty-five years later that the sad truth about his brutal ending from machine gun fire was revealed. The ransom was never paid and a beautiful horse became the innocent victim of man's infighting.

Shergar now runs free across the fields of Celestia as a member of the Legion of the Unicorn.

Send me the story of your Noble and Great Horse.
Write to me at:

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Update from Unicorn Rider: Debbie McDonald

2011-09-24T04:22:00.000-07:00

I met Debbie McDonald yesterday at the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society Championships at the Colorado Horse Park in Parker, Colorado. She is as nice a person as one would guess by the way she rides. (Some people may not understand that statement but I do!) The update about Brentina is that they are not planning on breeding and harvesting any more embryos from Brentina and just be happy with the two foals they have.

RADIUM - A Unicorn from Down Under!

2011-09-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

themisttrilogy.blogspot.com

Radium is one of the most famous Campdraft stock horses in Australia. "What is a campdraft horse?" you say. Well, a campdraft horse in Australia is just like one of our American cutting horses. Have you ever been to a stock show and watched the cutting horses segregate one steer or calf from a herd? Cowboys do this to separate a calf that needs branding or medication or for some other reason.

While Radium died in 1947 at the age of 29, he still has his own Facebook page...That's a pretty with-it horse, I'd say! This is what it says on his facebook page:

Radium was an outstanding Australian bred campdrafter and very influential ancestor of Australian Stock Horses. He was a bay stallion bred by Donald Beaton of Levedale, Gloucester, New South Wales. This son of the outstanding campdrafter, Cecil (1899, by Red Gauntlet from Meretha II) from Black Bess by Hukatere (1882) was foaled on 11 November 1918. Beaton took great care in the breeding of his horses requiring horses with ability and stamina, for which he culled heavily. Radium’s sire, Cecil was so successful that in 1913, his owner, Arch Simpson was asked to leave his champion campdrafter at home in order that other competitors had a chance to win the campdrafting event at Geary’s Flat Bushman’s Carnival.

Radium was broken in by Archie Grant and Billy Tout when he was a two year old, after which he had several trips to the Cooplacurripa area. He began to show his exceptional ability as a stock horse as he developed and matured. Donald Beaton often drove long distances to compete at bushman’s carnivals with Radium tied behind the buggy. Radium would then compete in the campdraft, often winning and if he was going well, round off his success with an exhibition of campdrafting without a bridle.

In circa 1928, Radium was sold to Herb O’Neil, who, as a friend of Donald Beaton, had ridden the horse in competitions for Beaton when he had been unable to get away from his property. Herb O’Neill competed extensively with Radium, winning over a large area of the state. Just prior to the Second World War (WWII), Radium won a Championship Campdraft at Kempsey, New South Wales with the next ten placings going to Radium’s sons and daughters. Radium was also highly successful in led contests for the best type of Stock Horse. During WWII, at a Dungog Bushman’s Carnival over 20 horses were competing in the led stock horse class. In this event Radium received the first placing with the remaining four all being his sons.

I especially liked the part about Radium being "Towed" to shows tied to the back of the buggy. That reminds me of myself as I pull into Dressage shows and park my rusty stock trailer next to the huge, fancy multi-horse-with-living quarters-trailers! Go Radium! And now you have left your mark on Australia's stock horse breeds. Enjoy galloping around Celestia and cutting cattle in the Animal Kingdom! (If you don't know what I am writing about you need to read Behind the Mist!)

Here is an informative video about cutting horses that you will enjoy and learn from!

Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse!
email: http://mjevansbtm@gmail.com

DIA'S DEMON HORSE - Inspiration for Hasbadana

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you have read Behind the Mist already, you will know that Hasbadana is the ultimate BAD HORSE. Whenever I would write about him, I would be picturing the 32 foot tall statue that "greets" travelers as they arrive at or depart from Denver International Airport. It is mounted on a concrete and steel slab between the lanes along Pena Boulevard. You can't miss it...fortunately or unfortunately, depending upon your definition of art. In any case, "Mustang" as the City of Denver art commissioners call it or "Demon Horse" as I call it, was my inspiration for the evil Lord of the Dark Kingdom: Hasbadana.

Workers installing the Demon Horse in February, 2008

The story of the Demon horse is very interesting, while at the same time very tragic. The sculpture was commission by the City of Denver in 1992 to be the crowning piece for their new, overly expensive but beautiful airport. In Behind the Mist, DIA is referred to as the "white peaks on the plains" in reference to the canvas mountain-like peaked roof. Luis Jimenez from New Mexico was selected to complete the work and was offered $300,000 to do so if he completed it by 1996...one year after the completion of the airport. Jimenez's son said that from the onset, the artist and the horse had a "love-hate" relationship. Sixteen years, four missed deadlines, two lawsuits and one death later, the long-awaited "Demon Horse" was finally corraled.

In June of 2006, the fiberglass torso portion of the sculpture swung out of control and fell on Luis Jimenez while it was being hoisted in the artist's Hondo, New Mexico Studio. The City of Denver immediately claimed ownership of the sculpture and spent another $350,000 to rehab it, ship it to California for completion, ship it back to Colorado, install it and dedicate it. I don't know about you, but I think the dedication was necessary at this point!

On You-tube I found the the perfect song for the evil unicorn, Hasbadana:

The real thoroughbred of sin is Hasbadana! If you haven't learned to hate him yet, please buy a copy of Behind the Mist...you will be glad you did!

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DARKER N BEY - A story of love and perserverance

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another story from Jan Sharp, the owner of Black Tie Affair that I wrote about in the last post.

Since I have shown Arabian horses for nearly 40 years and am a trick horse trainer, when Darken was born, I expected him to become a champion show horse and a trick horse super star. He would be my star pupil who would reflect my years of horse training skills. A champion in the making for sure.

What I got was a crooked-legged, scaredy cat colt who was afraid of his own shadow. He over reacted to everything he saw and heard for no reason. Sudden movements practically knocked him off his feet. Standing a bit like a duck, it would seem he didn't have much future as a show horse and hope of him becoming a trick horse dissolved when he refused to learn any tricks.

I gave up trying to teach him tricks and went to work trying to get him to just behave like a normal horse. He had no intention of being normal. As a two year old, he fractured his skull somehow in his stall and needed surgery to repair the broken bones in his forehead. More surgery came later when he developed a massive infection after being gelded. After he recovered, he proved to not take to be ridden either. He'd spook and bolt at the slightest noises.

Then, one day, all that changed. He walked out of his stall and started to perform tricks on his own. He bowed, he lay down, he sat - all things I never taught him. The horse I thought might never fulfill the dreams I had for him had taught himself tricks. Apparently, his ablibly to teach himself tricks and quickly learn new ones I taught him gave him a new focus in life and there was no stopping him.

Despite standing crooked in the front at times, he went on to become a reserve world champion in halter. And, dispite being difficult to ride, he went on to earn the high score Arabian award at his first big rated open dressage show and qualified for the sport horse nationals.

By sharing his story with hundreds of kids, he teaches them to never give up because of any obstacles in their life. His example of perseverance gives hope to those who perhaps find their own life challenged in some way. Many kids can relate to the roadblocks he faced in his early life. His mother died when he was young, he suffered several medical emergencies and surgeries, he was very timid and shy, and it seemed as if he had no real talent in anything, Yet, he stuck with it and kept going.

Darken did became a trick horse star and he's been an inspiration to hundreds of people. He continues to share his story with kids and performs his tricks at horse shows, schools, Pony Club, nursing homes, special needs homes, horse shows, camps, benefits, and charity events as well as pursuing his career in the show ring.

Darken, the little horse who not only could, but did.

Jan Sharp
Ashtabula, Ohio

P.S. I have written a book about my trials and adventures with Darken ( the true story of his first 5 years ) and am working on getting it published. If you have any connections in the publishing business, just let me know!

OKAY READERS...ANYBODY HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH A PUBLISHER THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS STORY?

T.S. BLACK TIE AFFAIR - Trick horse

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Continuing my theme of horses immortalized by Breyer, I contacted the owner of T.S. Black Tie Affair, a new Breyer horse. Jan Sharp sent me the following pictures and stories about this beautiful stallion who will surely earn his unicorn horn someday!

Black Tie is a 21 year old 7/8 Arabian pinto stallion. When I saw his photo in an Arabian magazine, I contacted his owner on the other side of the country to ask about breeding some of my mares to him and ended up buying the whole horse instead. When I got him home, he would charge the front of his stall at me. So, being a trick horse trainer, I knew he needed to change his attitude and give him a new direction and focus in his life, so I would begin to teach him tricks. The first trick I taught him was to lay down. The next day when he charged his stall door at me, this time I turned around and yelled at him. He looked a bit startled, then retreated to the rear of his stall and promptly lay down. He had no idea what I was yelling about, but he had connected that laying down made me happy, so he lay down. That was the start of his brilliant trick horse career and he never charged the door again.

Eighteen years later, he had performed for tens of thousands of people, stood amid wheelchairs and walkers, and put his head into baby buggies so toddlers could pet him. Many kids first contact with a real live horse has been by touching Black Tie's velvety soft nose. I use him to both entertain and educate children about horses. They always ask the most funny questions. They want to see his teeth and his horse shoes, things they never get to see if their only contact with horses is from their TV set.
We have a good time teaching kids about horses. Black Tie stands motionless amid hundreds of kids when we visit schools. He knows he needs to be careful around them.

Not only did Black Tie become a star trick horse, but also in the show ring. He has earned 22 Pinto World and Reserve World Championships, the Pinto Open Supreme Championship, two World Show trophy saddles, and over 3800+ show points in all divisions. In 2010, he earned the Arabian Ambassador Award from the Arabian Horse Association for his many years of sharing his talents with so many people for so many years. Black Tie is also the star of the how-to book, "Trick Training Your Horse To Success" (Eclipse Press).
In 2011, Black Tie became a Breyer model horse, which opened the doors to him reaching every more people. Just knowing that somewhere out there, there are little girls sleeping with a Black Tie model, or have it standing on a place of honor, makes me happy. I hope that Black Tie and I have done our own little part of helping to ignite a love of horses to a whole new generation of children. That would make us very happy.

Jan Sharp

Thank you Jan!
You can follow Black Tie Affair on his own facebook page by clicking here:
www.facebook.com/pages/TS-Black-Tie-Affair/210648081391

Visit me next week for another story by Jan Sharp.

You can send me the story of your noble and great horse to:
mjevansbtm@gmail.com

or to the Behind the Mist facebook page:
www.facebook.com/pages/Behind-the-Mist/109311669122635?ref=ts

SSgt Reckless - Her story deserves to be told

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in the 1990's Life Magazine named a horse as one of the 100 all time greatest American Heros? That's right! A little, sorrel, Mongolian mare was a war hero, serving our country and our soldiers during the Korean war. Reckless deserves to have her story told. Watch this touching video!

Staff Sargeant Reckless deserves to become a unicorn. God Bless America and God Bless Reckless as she gallops across the flower-filled fields of Celestia!

KRIPTON SENI II - Andalusian unicorn

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Another new breyer horse is Kripton Seni II. This mighty Andelusian stallion was the United States Equestrian Federation horse of Honor in 2009 which means he was one of the five finalists for Horse of the Year. He was the winner of 12 national championships!

This magnificent stallion is now standing at stud at the Amandalusian farm in California.

I wanted to write about the Andelusian breed today.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andalusian horse
Distinguishing features Strongly built, compact, elegant, thick mane and tail
Alternative names Spanish Horse, Pura Raza Española
Country of origin Spain, Iberian Peninsula
Common nicknames Horse of Kings

The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE (Pura Raza Española), is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation has changed very little over the centuries. Throughout its history, it has been known for its prowess as a war horse, and was prized by the nobility. The breed was used as a tool of diplomacy by the Spanish government, and kings across Europe rode and owned Spanish horses. During the 19th century, warfare, disease and crossbreeding reduced herd numbers dramatically, and despite some recovery in the late 19th century, the trend continued into the early 20th century. Exports of Andalusians were restricted until the 1960s, but the breed has since spread throughout the world, despite still-low population numbers. As of 2003[update], there were over 75,000 registered living Andalusians worldwide.

Strongly built, and compact yet elegant, Andalusians have long, thick manes and tails. Their most common coat color is gray, although they can be found in many other colors. They are known for their intelligence, sensitivity and docility. A sub-strain within the breed known as the Carthusian, is considered by breeders to be the purest strain of Andalusian, though there is no genetic evidence for this claim. The strain is still considered separate from the main breed however, and is preferred by breeders because buyers pay more for horses of Carthusian bloodlines. There are several competing registries keeping records of horses designated as Andalusian or PRE, but they differ on their definition of the Andalusian and PRE, the purity of various strains of the breed, and the legalities of stud book ownership. At least one lawsuit is in progress as of 2010 to determine the ownership of the Spanish PRE stud book.

The Andalusian is closely related to the Lusitano of Portugal, and has been used to develop many other breeds, especially in Europe and the Americas. Breeds with Andalusian ancestry include many of the warmbloods in Europe as well as western hemisphere breeds such as the Azteca. Over its centuries of development, the Andalusian breed has been selected for athleticism and stamina. The horses were originally used for classical dressage, driving, bullfighting, and as stock horses. Modern Andalusians are used for many equestrian activities, including dressage, show jumping and driving. The breed is also used extensively in movies, especially historical pictures and fantasy epics.

As the article above states, this breed is used a lot in movies...especially fantasy movies. So, when Behind The Mist becomes a movie, I think we should use a white andalusian stallion for Urijah, the Lord of Celestia. I can just see this sparkling unicorn with his long, thick, flowing mane and tail and golden horn. It would be fabulous!

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the new Breyer statue of Zanyetta. However, I think the new Breyer statue of Kripton Sni II is the most beautiful I have ever seen! Don't you agree?

Get your own copy of Behind The Mist and find out how the noble and great horses become unicorns in the afterlife. CLICK HERE:

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or CLICK HERE:

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or visit your favorite book source!

STORM AND HIS UNICORN RIDER BEKA

2011-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

You must watch this video from You Tube of Beka and her horse Storm. Storm is completely blind as a result of an illness in 2005. She refused to follow the veterinarian's recommendation to put him down. Instead she built a trust so complete it can only be rivaled by Nick and Jazz in Behind The Mist.

If this video doesn't bring tears to your eyes then I don't know what will!

I, hereby nominate Storm to the Legion of the Unicorn and nominate Beka as a Unicorn Rider. Someday you will ride together across the flower-filled fields of Celestia! You are a credit to horsemanship, Beka!

Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse!

email it to: http://mjevansbtm@gmail.com

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ZENYATTA - "Hard to beat, and harder to ignore!"

2011-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

There is a new Breyer horse statue...The strikingly beautiful filly, Zenyetta. This thoroughbred mare has been immortalized by the Breyer company. When I was a little girl, I would save up my money, nickles and dimes at a time. When I had 75 cents I would walk down to the toy store in Lake Oswego, Oregon and buy the foal in the latest Breyer family. Then I would save and save until I had the enormous amount required to by the mare...$2.50. The stallion was usually about the same, maybe a little more. Now you have to fork over $39.99 in the Back in the Saddle catalogue to buy Zenyetta...and that is a special price!

Meet the real Zenatta

Honours
Zenyatta Stakes
(2010)
NTRA "Moment of the Year"
(2008, 2009)

SI – Top 10 Female Race Horses of All Time
(2010)

Zenyatta (foaled April 1, 2004 in Kentucky) is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of 19 consecutive races in a 20-race career and American record-holder for consecutive victories without defeat in unrestricted races.

Owned by Jerry Moss and his wife Ann and trained by John Shirreffs, Zenyatta was ridden by American Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for 17 of 20 starts. Jockey David Flores rode Zenyatta in her first three starts. She stood taller than most of her opponents (male or female) at 17.2 hands tall(70 inches, or 5 feet 9.5 inches) at the shoulder, and carried 1,200 pounds on her frame while racing.

According to a 2010 60 Minutes report, Zenyatta was purchased as a yearling at the comparitively low price of $60,000 because she suffered from a form of ringworm. Ringworm is a fungus on the skin that humans and animals can get. It isn't really a worm.

During her career she won purses totaling over $7 million making her the all-time North American female money-earner. She has been featured in W magazine, and the New York Times called her "hard to beat, and harder to ignore" in the 2010 racing season. Among her many honors, Zenyatta won the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.

It was interesting to learn that Zenyatta was named after the album Zenyattà Mondatta, by The Police, who were signed to A&M Records by her owner, Jerry Moss. I must admit, however, that I don't even know who The Police are!

If you know and love a horse that deserves to become a unicorn someday, write to me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com

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Behind The Mist

MY FRIEND FLICKA

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

This beautiful Sorrel Arabian mare named Wahana starred as Flicka in the T.V. series,
My Friend Flicka

The McLaughlin Family: Ken, Flicka Mother Nell and Father Rob

Ken on his best friend Flicka

I was born loving horses just like many of you. I drove may parents nuts, I am sure. Obviously my favorite T.V. show, once we got a T.V. that is, was "My Friend Flicka." The show was aired from 1955 to 1958. It was beat out by Rin-Tin-Tin. Yes, I love dogs, but horses are the best. So, after 1958, I had to settle for reruns.

The show was about the adventures and misadventures of the McLaughlin family, ranchers in southern Wyoming in the early 1900's. Father Rob allowed son Ken to pick a horse from the herd of wild mustangs. Ken picked a beautiful sorrel (the color of a shiny copper penny,) with white markings on her face. He patiently trained her and she become fiercely devoted to him, saving him on many occasions. No one else could ride her of course. Ken named her "Flicka" which means "Little Girl" in Swedish.

The star of the show was Flicka. She was a 900 pound pure blood Arabian. I was happy to learn that Ken, played by the boy Johnny Washbrook really did love her. She was owned by a livestock supplier and trainer, Ralph McCutcheon and trained by Les Hilton. She was born on June 13, 1950 at Newhall, California. She was later purchased by Patricia Ann Eaves of Santa Fe, New Mexico and registered with the Arabian Horse Association. She was given # AHR 6513. She was not only beautiful, she was gentle and intelligent. At the time she was a T.V. Star, she stood at 15 hands high. (A hand is four inches.) She lived at the Clarence "Fat" Jones movie horse stables on Sherman Way in North Hollywood. She was brought by horse trailer to the 20th Century-Fox studios in Hollywood or to the Fox Movie Ranch in Malibu Canyon for filming of the 39 episodes.

In the 1960's she became a mother. She gave birth to a stallion named Hanabee who became a great sire and his descendants live today. She also foaled a filly named Ross Flicka. She was never officially declared dead but is most likely buried on the Saueressig Ranch in New Mexico.

The best information I found about Flicka and the T.V. show is on the link below:

www.myfriendflicka.com

"My Friend Flicka" was based upon the novel written in 1941 by Mary O'Hara. It was made into a movie first in 1943. A new movie with a female protagonist named "Katy" McLaughlin with parents by the same name, came out in 2006. Sadly, two horses died during the filming of this movie...supposedly "Accidents." Whatever...In any case, the words "No animals were harmed in the making of this film" can't be in the credits of that movie. The movie did well at the box office and was a big DVD hit. In 2010 "Flicka 2" was released on DVD.

The bond between Ken and Flicka is much like the bond between Nick and Jazz that you will read about in Behind The Mist. Order your very own copy of Behind The Mist on

or wherever fine books are sold...amazon, barnes and noble, borders, powells, deseret book, etc, etc.

PETER McCUE - Famous horse-Future Unicorn

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Peter McCue (cute name isn't it!) is a member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. He is was a very famous stallion that lived from 1895 to 1923. His genetic make-up had more to do with the development of the Quarter Horse breed in the first forty years of the last century than any other horse. Everyone into Quarter Horses wanted his sons. Everyone knew a son of Peter McCue would out perform all others!

Peter McCue's sire is clearly responsible for his greatness. His father, Dan Tucker (I love that name, too!) was huge...16 hands tall and 1,430 pounds!

Peter McCue first became famous on the race track. As with other quarter horses, he was a sprinter. He ran most of his races in Texas, Oklahoma and Illinois. In the quarter horse racing world, he was another Secretariat! (See the blog post about Secretariat on December 8, 2010.) His speed for a quarter of a mile was phenomenal.

His last owner was Coke Roberds who cared for him until the big horse died in 1923 at the age of 28. Before his death he sired many sons and daughters that have contributed to the Quarter Horse racing world and the breed in general.

I got this information from:

http://www.karengriffith.com/foundation-quarter-horse-history/foundation-quarter-horse-peter-mccue-aqha-hall-of-fame-stallion.html

Peter McCue is also written about in the book: Quarter Horses: A Story of Two Centuries by Robert Moorman.

Peter McCue is clearly a noble and great horse that deserves to become a member of the Legion of the Unicorn!

Send me the story of your favorite horse!

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RAVEL can dance across the fields of Celestia!

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I have written about a Dressage horse. Since dressage is my passion I am going to tell you about one of the current "Greats!" His name is Ravel and he is ridden by Steffan Peters. Ravel is a fabulous Dutch Warmblood. He is owned by Akiko Yamazaki. The big, dark bay gelding was found by Steffan Peters when he was searching for his next Olympic horse. He was found in the fall of 2006 in Edward Gal's stable in Harskamy, The Netherlands. (See the post about Edward Gal and Totilas from Januaray 26, 2011) Ravel was purchased as a stallion but had to be gelded when he was in quarantine while being imported to the U.S. So that means no baby Ravels! A short time later, he had a serious injury that his caretakers feared would end his career. But Steffan Peters patiently brought him back to full and exceptional health after 8 months. This proves that Peters meant what he said in the article in The Chronical of the Horse. He is quoted as saying: "It's not just about competition-it's a serious love for animals."

In 2010, The Chronical of the Horse selected Ravel and Steffen Peters as Horse and Horseman of the Year after their spectacular showing in 2009. During that year, Ravel won 10 out of hie 11 competitions at the FEI level. This included the world cup in Las Vegas and Aachen CDI in Germany. Speaking of Aachen, it had been more than 20 years since an American had won that competition. The last winner was Robert Dover on Federleicht in 1987. All of the top dressage horses from Europe were there and RAVEL came home the WINNER! Watch this horse dance!

Ravel currently lives at Peter's San Diego home: Arroyo Del Mar Ranch. It is a 22 acre property. He spends most of each day lounging in his double-sized box stall. He is easy going and very sweet but once Peters gets in the saddle, he gets right to work. He loves to show off for a crowd or a camera.

I, hereby, nominate Ravel to the high honor of Unicornhood and Steffen Peters to the position of a unicorn rider.

Read Behind The Mist to learn about how the noble and great horses become unicorns in the afterlife.

Share with me the story of your noble and great horse!

Write to me at: mjevansbtm@gmail.com

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WIMPY - Fastest unicorn for 1/4 mile!

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Readers of Behind The Mist will remember that future unicorns come from all breeds of horse. Today I would like to write about the truly American Melting Pot horse...the Quarter Horse.

The American Quarter Horse is a cross-breed of Spanish and English horses that were brought into America at the time of Columbus and beyond. They got their name because they are considered the fastest horses for a quarter of a mile. They have long been a favorite of the American Cowboy as a work horse. Quarter horses were used on the long cattle drives and for other work on a ranch.

Wimpy is one of the most famous quarter horses. He was the very first quarter horse to be registered in the American Quarter Horse Association registry. According to the article in Wikipedia: "He was foaled on the King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas on March 3, 1937.[1] However, the original application listed his foaling date as April 3, 1937, and the original stud books gave his foaling year as 1935.[2] He was a son of Solis, himself a son of Old Sorrel, the King Ranch foundation stallion. Solis' dam was an unregistered and unnamed mare of Thoroughbred breeding who was by Right Royal and out of a mare by Martin's Best. Wimpy's dam was a mare named Panda, also sired by Old Sorrel. Panda's dam was a roan mare by Hickory Bill. Wimpy traced three times to Hickory Bill, making him quite inbred to Hickory Bill.[3][4]

He was a chestnut colored stallion, with a star and a sock on his left hind leg. When fully grown, he was 15 hands high and weighed about 1200 pounds.[1]

He was a grand Champion Stallion in March 1941 at the Southwestern Exposition Quarter Horse show in Fort Worth, Texas, which honor earned him the first number in the newly organized American Quarter Horse Association.[1]

He sired over a hundred and fifty foals for the King Ranch, before he was given in 1958 to George Clegg, who had bred Old Sorrel. However, Clegg was forced to sell Wimpy to Rex Cauble, who owned the stallion until Wimpy died on August 13, 1959, when Wimpy was twenty-two years old.[1]

Among his sons and daughters were Bill Cody, Kip Mac, Caballero, Wimpy's Image, Silver Wimpy, Wimpy II, Lauro and Showdown.[5] His grandget included Joe Cody, Marion's Girl, Codalena, Pandarita Hill and Show Maid.[6]

He was inducted into the AQHA Hall of Fame in 1989.[7] In September 1961 a bronze statue of Wimpy was erected outside the AQHA Headquarters in Amarillo, Texas.[1] "

A note: George Clegg, mentioned above in the wikipedia article is one of the most famous Quarter Horse breeders and credited with developing the breed as we know it today.

If you ask a horse person to name a famous quarter horse and they can only name one, it will probably be Wimpy!

Send me the story of your NOBLE AND GREAT horse. I don't care if they are famous or even registered...just loved!

You can email me at: http://mjevansbtm@gmail.com

or write to me on the Behind The Mist Facebook page

Young Adult Fantasy readers and Children Fantasy readers will love the new fantasy book: Behind The Mist. Behind the Mist is a wonderful book about horses and unicorns. It is available on its own website: http://www.behindthemist.com/ or wherever fine books are sold.

COMANCHE-Survived to become a Unicorn

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Comanche is the stuff from which legends are made! He was a 15 hand bay gelding of mixed breed...thought to be Morgan and Mustang. (See the post on Justin Morgan for more on Morgans.) He was purchased by the army in 1868 in St. Louis, Missouri and sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th Cavalry bought him as his personal battle mount. Later that year, Captain Keogh rode in a battle against the Comanche Indians in Kansas where the sturdy horse suffered a serious wound from an arrow to the hindquarters. Yet, this brave little horse kept going. This is where he earned his name. In fact, Comanche was wounded in several battles, yet he always countinued to carry Captain Keogh through them.

On June 25, 1876, Captain Keogh rode him behind Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This famous battle resulted in the death of the entire detachment of soldiers but Comanche and nearly 100 horses and one yellow bulldog survived. The Legend is that only Comanche survived but this is not true. In terms of fame and reputation I guess you could say it is true as his remains are kept protected at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum to this day. Anyway, Comanche was found two days later in very bad shape. He was transported to Fort Lincoln and was nursed back to health and retired.

I found the following order on Wikipedia that you will find interesting:

In April 1878, Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis issued the following humane order:
"Headquarters Seventh United States Cavalry, Fort A. Lincoln, D. T., April 10th, 1878. General Orders No. 7.
(1.) The horse known as 'Comanche,' being the only living representative of the bloody tragedy of the Little Big Horn, June 25th, 1876, his kind treatment and comfort shall be a matter of special pride and solicitude on the part of every member of the Seventh Cavalry to the end that his life be preserved to the utmost limit. Wounded and scarred as he is, his very existence speaks in terms more eloquent than words, of the desperate struggle against overwhelming numbers of the hopeless conflict and the heroic manner in which all went down on that fatal day.
(2.) The commanding officer of Company I will see that a special and comfortable stable is fitted up for him, and he will not be ridden by any person whatsoever, under any circumstances, nor will he be put to any kind of work.
(3.) Hereafter, upon all occasions of ceremony of mounted regimental formation, saddled, bridled, and draped in mourning, and led by a mounted trooper of Company I, will be paraded with the regiment.
By command of Col. Sturgis, E. A. Garlington, First Lieutenant and Adjutant, Seventh Cavalry."[2]

Comanche then lived a life of luxury and was honored to be made "Second Commanding Officer" of the 7th Cavalry.

In 1887, he was taken to Fort Riley, Kansas where he lived out his days. He died in 1890. He is one of only two horses in U.S. history to be buried with full military honors. (See the post on Black Jack.)

At least two songs have been written about him. Enjoy this one:

I hereby nominate Comanche to the Legion of the Unicorn. May he wear his horn with honor!

Read about the Legion of the Unicorn in the first book of the Mist Trilogy: Behind the Mist.

Sold on its own website:

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MAXIMUS - Tangled up in Unicornhood

2011-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

The movie "Tangled" far exceeded my expectations! I didn't know, in particular, that I would fall in love with the horse-hero...MAXIMUS! This horse was hilarious in his dog-like characteristics. If you have read Behind The Mist, you will know that I am a dog lover! But I also loved his determination and sense of duty. However, he was also a sucker for a good love story which he wisely saw the makings of in Flynn and Rapunzel. If you haven't seen this movie, I would recommend it. I hereby nominate the horse MAXIMUS for unicornhood (a term I coined for Behind The Mist.) I can just see him in the fantasy world of Celestia being a noble and great unicorn!

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Even Unicorn Riders can get old!

2011-05-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

Well dear readers, I just had my 60th birthday. I tried to forget about it but my wonderful family and friends in Oregon and Colorado didn't let me. One of them, the photographer for my Trail Guide books, Lynn Johnson, sent me this poem.

When I am an Old Horsewoman

When I am an old horsewoman
I shall wear turquoise and diamonds,
And a straw hat that doesn’t suit me
And I shall spend my social security on
(horse feed) and carrots,
And sit in my alleyway of my barn
And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night
And ride the old bay gelding,
Across the moonstruck meadow
If my old bones will allow
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod
As I walk past the gardens to the barn
and show instead the flowers growing
inside stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair
as if it were a jewel
And I will be an embarrassment to all
Who will not yet have found the peace in being free
to have a horse as a best friend
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of woman I will be
When I am old.

-By Patty Barnhart
Originally published in The Arabian Horse World magazine in l992

MEET MY FUTURE UNICORNS:

In my first post on October 14, 2010, I told you about my very first horse, Tai, who I am sure is a unicorn by now. As I write this new post, sitting in my tan breeches with hay in my hair, I want to tell you about the three horses that fill my barn and my heart.

My littlest horse is Hardy, a 14 hand 1/2 Welch pony, 1/4 thoroughbred and 1/4 Arabian. He got the best of each breed. I got him when he was 2 and 1/2 and started training him. He is now 16. He is the smartest horse ever and an absolute blast to ride. He can jump the moon and is one of those "Point and Jump" horses that picks his position for the jumps perfectly. I sometimes feel guilty that I have him instead of some 12 year old that could be taking him to the national pony championships...but I love him so much!

This is a picture of my biggest horse, Jazz just shortly after I bought him as a four year old from American Sport Horses in Utah. He is much more developed now as he is 10 and doing great in his dressage training. Yes, he is the star of Behind The Mist! He is a Hanoverian and has been a fabulous horse. He was the 2009 Rocky Mountain Dressage Society 1st Level Adult Amature Champion and the 2010 Rocky Mountain Dressage Society 2nd Level Adult Amature Champion as well as the 2010 1st Level Freestyle Horse of the Year. He is so loving and tries so hard to please me. If he could, he would just curl up on my lap and sleep! I love him, too.

This is Kit on top of Kenosha Pass in Colorado. If you read Behind The Mist carefully, you will remember that Kit in the book was an Appaloosa mare. Obviously, this handsome bay thoroughbred is NOT an appaloosa mare! But that is part of writing a fantasy horse story, I can make up anything I want! Anyway, Kit is my oldest horse. He just turned 20. I have had him since he was 6 and trained him in Dressage up through level 2. He was the 2001 RMDS 1st level champion, the 2003 1st level freestyle champion and the 2005 2nd level freestyle reserve champion. He loves me deeply...something I found out when I sold him. It only lasted 5 months. He was so unhappy that he was misbehaving and lost so much weight that he looked like a rescue horse. I bought him back and promised him that I would never sell him again. I even had to move to a place where I could have three horses so we would have room for him. He is the cover horse on both of my Trail Guide books: Riding Colorado and Riding Colorado II.

Send me the story of your future unicorn! Write to me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com

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The Meaning Behind Horse monuments

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

As one approaches Denver International Airport you pass by a very mean looking statue of a rearing horse. I always call him "The Demon Horse" because he actually killed his creator. The horse depicted in this giant statue was my inspiration for the evil unicorn, Hasbadana in the first book of the Mist Trilogy: Behind The Mist. I started thinking about the legend I had heard about horse's hoof placement in statues and what that means when the statue is of a famous soldier. In Hasbadana's case two hooves are in the air and a word of warning is necessary here: DO NOT TRY TO RIDE HASBADANA!

Statue of Robert E. Lee in Gettysburg

Several years ago, our family visited Gettysburg. We were told by our tour guide that you could tell how a war-hero died or if he was injured by the number of hooves his horse has on or off the ground on his monument. If all four hooves were on the ground, the soldier died in peace. If one hoof was raised, he was wounded in battle but lived and if two hooves were raised, he died in battle or as a result of his wounds. I generalized this and assumed that applied to all equine monuments. I have since found that not to be a reliable code anywhere but in Gettysburg. The picture above is of Robert E. Lee. All four hooves are on the ground and Lee did not die in battle so that one fits.

However, Washington D.C. has the most equine statues of any city and some of them fit the code while others do not. Here are some examples:

This statue is of Major General George H. Thomas. You will notice that all hooves are on the ground and Thomas did die in peace. Fits the code.

Major General John A. Logan. One hoof is raised. He was wounded twice in battle but died in peace. Fits the code.

Major General Nathanial Green. One hoof raised. He died in peace unwounded. Does not fit the code.

Major General Winfield Scott Hancock. One hoof raised. Wounded in Battle. Fits the code.

Lt. General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson. All hooves on the ground. Jackson was wounded in battle by his own men and died of those wounds. Does not fit the code.

There are many more examples and you can find a much more complete list that has been compiled by Debora Johnson on her website:

http://www.horsehints.org/

Look for her article titled: Horse Statues in Washington D.C.

So, the conclusion is that, outside of Gettysburg, the position of the horse's legs means only that that was the way the artist wanted to depict him!

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ANIMAL KINGDOM - Celestia or the Animal Kingdom in the Afterlife

2011-05-11T06:00:00.002-07:00

Saturday, May 7th was the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby... arguably the most famous of all horse races. I have just completed revisions on Book Two of the Mist Trilogy: Mists of Darkness, and the opening scene is at Churchill Downs a couple of months before the Derby.

I missed the running of the derby as I was attending a performance of the touring group of Lipazanner Stallions (More about that in a later post.) In case you missed it, too, you can watch the race by clicking on this link:

http://youtu.be/rQsMgu9rr1k

Animal Kingdom is a great name for the winner if you are a Behind The Mist fan. You will understand the title of this post...Will Animal Kingdom earn the opportunity to become a unicorn and serve the animal kingdom in the afterlife? Time will tell but the signs are looking good!

Animal Kingdom is the son of an inexpensive Brazilian-bred Stallion by the name of Loroidesanimaux and a German-bred mare. He is owned by 20 partners including, as the New York Times writes: "A cranky former turf-writer." This horse was fortunate to have been trained by Englishman, Graham Motion who believes that a horse should be allowed to be a horse and has never been cited for violating medication rules. He raised and trained AK in a European style training farm in Maryland. There the horses are galloped and hacked through the woods and turned out in large pastures and paddocks. Mr. Motion does not believe in subjecting his horses to the race-track life. This is a man who deserves to become a unicorn rider someday!

The Kentucky Derby was AK's first race on dirt. Now it will be on to the Preakness for him. GOOD LUCK ANIMAL KINGDOM...I'll be rooting for you!

Side note: Rep. Edward Whitfield and Sen. Tom Udall introduced just last week, legislation that would regulate the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in the horse racing industry. I am all for protecting animals but not a fan of more government regulation on private industry. So, I don't know how I feel about that. I am open to your opinions.

MOTHERHOOD = UNICORNHOOD

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day to all my readers who also happen to be mothers! What greater love is there than that of a mother for her child, whether horse or human? That was a rhetorical question because we ALL know there is none! A reader sent me these beautiful pictures of a new born Gypsy foal in Oregon. After giving birth, the mare laid down. Can't blame her for that. After trotting around a bit, the new baby crawled up on her lap for a nap. All of us who have been mothers kind of feel like we have earned unicorn status as well. Remember what we learn in Behind The Mist: Love is the source of our power!

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BEAUTIFUL BARBARO - Destined to become a Unicorn!

2011-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Some animals capture my heart...actually LOTS of animals capture my heart. But one of the standouts was Barbaro. Everyone loves a winner and everyone loves to root for the underdog (or I should say: "Under Horse!") Barbaro was both of those.

Barbaro was born on April 29, 2003. He was bred and owned by Gretchen and Roy Jackson at Lael Stables in West Grove, Pennsylvania. He was only the 6th undefeated horse to win the Kentucky Derby when he bested the field of 20 by six and a half lengths in the 2006 running of the roses. However, tragedy struck just 2 weeks later at the running of the Preakness. Barbaro broke through the starting gate prematurely. But the second start appeared fine. Within a short distance, right in front of the grandstand, Barbaro shattered his right hind leg in more than 20 places.

Dr. Dean Richardson at Univ. of Penn's New Bolton Center performed a difficult five hour surgery the next day. He fused the fetlock and pasturn joints by attaching a steel plate with 27 screws. Barbaro was then put in the recovery pool (see my post on Ruffian from January 5th) and Barbaro woke up calmly.

At first, all looked good. But by the 1st week in July, complications arose. Horses are designed to support their weight on all four feet. When one foot is injured, the horse tends to protect that foot by carrying more weight on the companion leg. When too much weight is shifted to the other foot for too long, Laminitis can develop. Laminitis is the inflammation of the Laminae in the hoof. Abscesses can then form which will leak out the white band on the sole of the hoof or out the coronary band at the top of the hoof. The swelling can pull the bones in the hoof away from the wall. This is, obviously, very painful.

Five more surgery's were undertaken to help this. 80% of Barbaro's left hoof was removed. It was unknown just how much would grow back. Now both hind legs were in casts! He was put in a supporting sling for hours at a time to help relieve the pressure and pain. His condition went up and down for the next few months. Thousands of cards, flowers and gifts arrived at his stall wishing him well. I remember well the press conference on Dec. 13th when his vets said he was doing well. Then Laminitis developed in both front feet. The owners and the vets decided there was nothing more they could do and had to put Barbaro down on January 29, 2007. I was so sad that day.

Barabo was cremated and buried in front of Churchill Downs. A bronze sculpture was created by Alexa King and was unveiled in front of Churchill Downs on April 26, 2009.

In his honor, Beanie Babies and Breyer both made horses in their respective mediums. Three scholarships were established for Vet students at the University of Florida. (I don't know the connection there...maybe one of the Jacksons went there...it is in "Jacksonville" you know!) Books have been written about him and in 2007 Universal Studios announced that they would be making a film about him titled: "Gone Like the Wind." It has been shelved, however.

For readers of Behind The Mist, Kit is an appaloosa mare, the Alpha Mare of the herd of trail horses in Rocky Mountain National Park. However, in real life, Kit is my beautiful, bay, thoroughbred gelding with a white star on his forehead...just like Barbaro!

Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse. He or she probably never won a race...just your heart! You can reach me at:

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BLACK JACK - Earned his Unicorn horn in the Army

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

November 22, 1963. That morning is seared in my memory like a brand on a horse's haunches. I was sitting in Mr. Lomax's music appreciation class at Lake Oswego Junior High School. It was a windowless room made of cement bricks that had been painted a pastel color, probably blue. Mr. Lomax was desperately trying to get a group of seventh graders to understand some aspect of music theory, a subject that I wouldn't appreciate until I was thirty, when a voice came over the intercom and interrupted, permanently, Mr. Lomax's lecture. President John F. Kennedy had been shot. A few other events are equally embedded in my memory: my marriage, the birth of my children and historical events like the first moon walk, 9/11, and today's anniversary...the Columbine shootings (we Coloradoans really remember that day!) But surprisingly few. If you weren't alive at that time, you probably can't envision what it was like. The media had made us believe that we were living in Camelot with King Arther (or, perhaps Lancelot) at our lead. It was like looking in a mirror and having it suddenly shatter before your face. I remember watching the funeral on our black and white T.V. I remember seeing a lovely, lean black horse being led down the crowd-lined avenue, riderless with riding boots placed in the stirrups...backwards.

(Photo taken by Ron Williams from the Arlington National Cemetary Website.)

I want to share with you what I found out about this horse. His name was Black Jack. He was named for the General of the Armies: John "Black Jack" Pershing. He was foaled on January 19, 1947 and became the last of the Quartermaster - issue horses. He entered the 3rd U.S. Infantry Stables at Ft. Myer on September 22, 1953. He was given the last Quartermaster brand on the left shoulder and the army serial number 2V56 on the left side of his neck. Black Jack served a long and honorable army career, including participating in the funerals of President Kennedy in 1963, President Hoover in 1964, President L. Johnson in 1964 and Five Star General Douglas MacArthur in 1964. When a riderless horse is led in a funeral procession he is called a "Caparisoned Horse." He is the symbol of a warrior who would ride no more. Apparently the tradition started with Genghis Khan. The draping on the horse, including the backward boots are part of the tradition. Black Jack died on February 6, 1976. His remains were laid to rest in a plot at Fort Myer, Virginia. He joined Comanche as the only other horse buried with full military honors. In the horse fantasy story, Behind the Mist, it is the noble and great horses that are chosen to become Unicorns once they enter animal heaven. If they complete their training, they are inducted into the prestigious Legion of the Unicorn. I, hereby, nominate Black Jack, the last Army horse, to the Legion of the Unicorn!

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BLACK BEAUTY - The fictional horse that still deserves to become a Unicorn

2011-04-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

ANTHROPOMORPHISM! How many of you know the meaning of that word? It means to attribute human characteristics to an animal or a thing. That is what I did in Behind the Mist, although I really believe that horses and animals have those characteristics if we would just pay better attention to them! But, I digress. Anyway, one of my favorite books, and I'm sure yours too, that used this technique was Black Beauty. This wonderful book broke new literary ground when it was written in first-person, or I should say "first-Horse," from the horse's point of view. The author, Anna Sewell wrote the novel, not intended for children by the way, in the last years of her life. She wrote it as a bed ridden invalid between the years, 1871 and 1877. It was published in 1877 and became an immediate success. It has since become one of the best-selling books of all time having sold over 50 Million copies! Anna died just five months later but lived long enough to see it become popular. Anna lived in England. At the age of just fourteen, she fell while walking home from school in the rain and injured both her ankles. This left her crippled for the rest of her life. As a result of not being able to walk or stand for very long, she became dependent upon horse-drawn transportation. Black Beauty tells the heart warming and heart-breaking story of a beautiful Black horse while following him from one home and owner to the next. Some of these owners were kind, loving and knowledgable, others were not, especially the taxi driver! Regardless of the circumstances, Black Beauty always put forth his best effort...a lesson for all of us! It has been said that this book lead to the formation of several societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals..."Humane Societies." There is a very happy ending which I won't spoil just incase you are one of the few people who hasn't YET read it! Black Beauty was made into several movies, cartoons and a T.V. series. I hereby nominate Black Beauty to the Legion of the Unicorn and give Anna Sewell flight as a Unicorn Rider!

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NOBLE FLAIR - A Fancy Future Unicorn

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I started taking riding lessons on a weekly basis as an eight year old at the Portland Riding Club in Portland, Oregon. Soon, thereafter, I switched stables to Highlands Hunt Club located by the Portland Zoo. Sadly, it isn't there any more. Anyway, my trainer was named Johnny Johnson and I rode under his tutelage until he got married and moved up to Seattle. At that time, another man named Gary began training there and changed the stable from a hunter/jumper barn to a saddle seat barn. I have vivid memories of gazing over the stall doors at his horses in all their artificial braces for necks and tails and their long, weighted hooves. It made me very sad to look in their hollow eyes. One of the things that attracks me to Dressage is the emphasis on working with the horse's natural movement and biomechanics. Very little artificial equipment is used by most trainers. (We could get into a discussion about "Rollkur" at this point but I won't.) However, with all of that said, I am sure that the training techniques for Saddle Seat and Park Harness showing have improved. I want to tell you about one of the most famous Park Harness horses. He was a Morgan Stallion by the name of Noble Flair. Noble Flair was foaled in 1984. He was sired by Noble Command out of Lost River. He was bred by Bob and Judy Whitney. This beautiful horse with obvious potential was purchased as a yearling by Herbert V. Kohler of Kohler Stables and lived there for the rest of his life. Noble Flair won numerous world Championships in Park Harness Driving. His first big win was in 1986 when he was the champion two year old Park Harness driving horse. His three time world championships in 1988, 1989 and 1991 are unprecidented. Noble Flair retired from showing in 1991 and became an outstanding stud. PARK HARNESS DRIVING: This is something that I know VERY little about. I do know that the horses are judged on action and animation. They are shown at the park walk, park trot and "Show Your Horse" which is the show-off time where you want an even more active trot without excessive speed. The horses are driven to a four wheel buggy. The following video shows the 1986 championships but not the 2 year olds so I don't have a video of Noble Flair but you can see what goes on at a show. Noble Flair is surely one of the Noble and Great horses that will become a unicorn in the animal heaven. I can just see him prancing across the fields of Celestia with the other unicorns galloping beside him. Read about the unicorns in "Behind The Mist," the horse lover's fantasy story for teens and adults alike!

Tell me the story of your Noble and Great horse! He doesn't have to be famous, just loved! Write to me at my email:

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SEABISCUIT - looks down from Animal Heaven

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

With an informative book and movie out about Seabiscuit, you undoubtedly know a lot about this amazing horse and his story. Horse stories are wonderful, especially when they are true! As you watched the end of the video about the match race at Pimlico did you notice the jockey, The Iceman, on Seabisuit turn back after he crossed the finish line and yell something to War Admiral's jockey? I wish I knew what he said! When the two horses were head to head, Woolf said, "So Long, Charlie!" and Seabiscuit took off. Let me back "track" and give you some background on this famous horse: Seabiscuit was born on May 23, 1933. He was the son of Hard Tack and the grandson of Man 'O War. His name came from his father's, both of which stand for the crackers eaten by sailors. He grew up on Clairborne Farms in Paris, Kentucky and was owned by Gladys Mills Phipps. He had a rather inauspicious start in life. He was small and knobby kneed and his only desire in life was to eat and sleep. (Party Hardy in the second book of The Mist Trilogy: Mists of Darkness is like that!) He failed to win his first ten races. As a two year old he was raced 35 times. (Readers of this blog know how I feel about that!) Even with such a hard race schedule, he managed to still win five times and come in second seven times. In the great scheme of things, that is very good. However, he didn't catch any one's eye. Three of those races were "claiming" races where he could have been purchased for $2,500. No one claimed him. Seabiscuit was sold as a three year old to auto entrepreneur, Charles S. Howard for $8,000 who saw something in the awkward, lazy colt that he liked. He hired washed-up and unconventional trailer, Tom Smith. Smith, in turn hired Canadian Jockey, Red Pollard. Their formula worked for Seabiscuit. His fame spread as he began winning races under ever increasing amounts of weight. In 1937, Seabiscuit was the leading money winner, winning eleven out of fifteen races. That was also the year the beautiful War Admiral won the triple crown. (As I wrote The Mist Trilogy, I pictured the evil unicorn Hasbadana looking like War Admiral!) In 1938, Pollard was badly injured while racing another horse so his friend George Woolf, nicknamed the Iceman, was selected to ride the "Biscuit." Throughout 1937 and 1938, while the country suffered under the effects of the Great Depression, speculation was rampant about a match between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. While the west coast favored the Biscuit, the rest of the country put their money, if not their hearts, on War Admiral. The long anticipated "Match of The Century" was held on Nov. 1, 1938. The grandstands and infield were packed with 40,000 people while 40 million more listened over the radio. The video shows you the results of that race! Seabiscuit was named the 1938 "Horse of the Year" and the little brown colt became the national symbol of hope through hard work...something we need now! Not long thereafter, Seabisuit tore a suspensory ligament in a race. He and his friend, Red Pollard went to Charles Howard's ranch to recover together. Slowly, they both learned to walk and run again. Against all odds, Seabiscuit, with Pollard aboard, did race and win again. Their big comeback was in the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap where they walked away with the $121,000 purse. Seabiscuit was retired on April 10 and lived out his life at Ridgwood Ranch in Willits, CA. He received 500,000 visitors a year! A statue of Seabiscuit was erected at the ranch on June 23, 2007. Side note: There was an earlier movie about Seabiscuit filmed in 1949/50 titled "The Story of Seabiscuit" staring Shirley Temple! All of you Shirley Temple fans should check it out!

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ARKLE - Greatest Steeplechaser of all time

2011-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and throughout history. In Behind the Mist, the reader learns that these are the horses, that are chosen to become unicorns in the animal heaven. Behind the Mist is the fantasy for horse story lovers!

Do any of you remember the movie, "National Velvet?" I LOVED that movie. It starred a teenaged Elizabeth Taylor and a very young Mickey Rooney. That was a wholesome, touching movie that really focused on horses as oppposed to some horse movies where the horses are just an after-thought. That was my first exposure to steeplechasing - races of various lengths that include jumps. This is a cool video with great horse clips from the movie.

Considered the greatest steeplechaser of all time, Arkle was a bay Thoroughbred Gelding born on the 19th of April, 1957. His father was Archive. His mother was Bright Cherry (I like that name!) He was bred at Ballymacdl Stud farm, near Naul, Dublin County, Ireland, by Mary Alison Baker. He was owned by Anne, Duchess of Westminster, trained by Tom Dreaper (who also trained his archrival) and ridden by Pat Taaffe.

Arkle had a strange quirk. When he jumped, he crossed his front legs. Even with that, he won 27 of his 35 starts at varying distances and often carrying lots of extra weight. In fact, the Irish Grand National racing authorities devised two different handicap weight systems: one for when Arkle wasn't racing and one for when he was!

Arkle was extremely successful during his short racing career. He won 3 Cheltenham Gold Cups in a row: 1964, 1965, and 1966, plus tons of other big races. In December of 1966, Arkle struck the guard rail at the open ditch while running in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. He broke the pedal bone in his hoof but finished the race anyway, coming in second. He spent the next 4 months in a cast but never raced again. His owner rode him for pleasure after that. (Called hacking.) Arkle was put down at the young age of 13.

Arkle was so famous and such a favorite in Ireland that the slogan "Arkle for President" was painted on a wall in Dublin. Everyone referred to him as "Himself" and fan mail was sent to him addressed simply as: "Himself, Ireland" and it would get there!

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BIG BEN - The Show Jumping Legend

2011-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and throughout history. As you learn by reading Behind The Mist, the Noble and Great horses are chosen to become unicorns in the after-life.

This blog post is about the great Canadian Show Jumper: Big Ben

Big Ben was an enormous Belgian Warmblood. He was born on April 20, 1976 in Kalmthout, Belgium. He was originally named Winston after Winston Churchill. He grew to 17.3 hands. (A hand is 4 inches and is measured at the withers.) Winston was sold in 1983 for $2,000 to a farm in the Netherlands. His name was changed to Big Ben and his price tag became big as well. He was sold shortly thereafter for $45,000 as a mount for Canadian Equestrian, Ian Miller and moved to Miller Brooke Farm in Perth, Ontario, Canada.

In 1984, his remarkable show jumping career began. His list of accomplishments looks like a mobster's rap sheet it is so long! Just to name a few: He competed with the Canadian equestrian team 3 times. He won the World Cup Jumping Championship 2 years in a row: 1988 in Gothenburg, Sweden and 1989 in Tampa, Florida. His total winnings were over $1.5 Million!

In 1992, Big Ben survived a trailer accident that left two horses dead, a third too injured to ever be ridden again and a fourth too afraid to ever go in a trailer again. Not only did he survive, he went on the win a Grand Prix just two months later.

Hold on to your heart as you watch this video of him competing!

Big Ben was retired from competition in 1994 at the age of 18 after 11 years of competing. He spent his last days at the Miller Brooke Farm, where he is now buried. He was Euthanized after a serious bout of Colic on Dec. 11, 1999.

He is a Canandian Icon and even has a stamp made in his honor. Big Ben was inducted into the Ontario Sports Legend Hall of Fame and joined Northern Dancer as the only other horse to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

A beautiful statue has been erected in his honor along the banks of the Tay river in Perth. The life-sized statue was created by sculptor Stewart Smith and depicts Ben carrying Miller over a 5 and 1/2 foot jump.

You can read more about Big Ben in the book Big Ben by Lawrence Scanlan and in a chapter found in An Apple A Day submitted by his groom, Sandi Hill.

Read about the Legion of the Unicorn in Behind The Mist. You can purchase it here:

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Noble and Great Horse: GRANITE CHIEF - 10,800 miles and counting

2011-03-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you are rookies when it comes to riding and actually get SORE after a short, little ride around the arena. Not Karen Chaton of Gardnerville, Nevada. Karen is an award winning Endurance Rider. Endurance riders race over distances from a few miles to a hundred miles! For many of those miles, Karen has ridden her Spanish Arabian, TBR Granite Chief. Chief has carried Karen over 10,800 miles...barefoot! He has been the recipient of numerous AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) awards. Here are a few:

AERC National Mileage Championship 2 years in a row.

Distance Horse of the Year Award in 2005

Winner of the Wendell Robie Trophy twice. Wendell Robie was the founder of the Tevis Cup and the modern sport of Endurance Riding.

In April 2006, Chief won the Ed Johnson Memorial Award for the third year in a row for the XP Horse of the Year.

ENDURANCE RACES: Endurance races are from 50 miles to 100 miles in length. Shorter races are called "Limited Distance" Competitions. Arabians dominate the sport of Endurance racing because of their stamina. The most famous of the Endurance races is the Tevis Cup.

THE TEVIS CUP

The Tevis cup is an endurance race that covers 100 miles in 24 hours. It was started in 1955 and is held in Ptacer County, California. It begins near the town of Truckee and goes over the Sierra Nevada mountain range and ends at Auburn, California. There are manditory rest stops and vet checks at the 30 mile mark and the 70 mile mark.

This video will give you a little idea of what the Tevis Cup is like.

Congratulations and welcome to "The Legion of the Unicorn" to Karen and Chief!

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JIM KEY - Trained with Kindness

2011-03-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Jim Key and his owner Dr. William Key

Forget 5th graders...this horse was as smart as a 6th grader! Born in 1889 in Shellbyville, TN, Jim was an ugly duckling colt with a great heritage. He was the son of Tennessee Volunteer and the great, great, grandson of Habletonian (see my post about Habletonian posted on Dec. 15, 2010.) His dam had an interesting story herself. Her name was Lauretta Queen of Horses and was an Arabian that had been stolen from a Persian Sheik by and agent of P.T. Barnum....Hummm, I think I'll write a story about that! In any case, Dr. William Key, an ex-slave, had high hopes for the foal but when he was born, the colt was so sickly that Dr. Key didn't even think he would live. When the dam died, the colt refused to be away from Dr. Key so he was brought into the house and treated with William's own medicines.

Dr. Key was a veterinarian and a businessman. He made a fortune with the invention and sales of his own medicine: Keystone Liniment. As a result of his care, Jim grew into a beautiful, healthy and affectionate horse. Dr. Key was 56 years old at the time of Jim's birth. Even so, once Jim outgrew the house and had to be moved back to the barn, William moved a cot into the barn and slept with the horse. The two were never apart again.

For seven years, Jim travelled with William with his travelling medicines show. He became wildly popular and the first "Rock Star!" His value rose to $1,000,000 (that's MILLION.) This super-star had his own bodyguard named "Monk," and a lavish stable and private train car for travelling. He drank only purified water and was fed special hay. He received endless gifts from fan.

What was all the fuss? Well, by training with kind words and gentle touches, Jim learned to read, spell, recognize money and do basic math. The results of the careful training exemplified how the power of love (See Behind the Mist) transcends both race and species.

The two companions received numerous humanitarian and literacy awards, Jim being the first non-human to receive them!

Dr. Key, Jim and Monk retired in 1960 and returned to Shelbyville where all three are buried.

Dr. Key was a great man who clearly had a reverence for all of God's creatures. I am sure that both he and Jim are now members of the Legion of the Unicorn.

You can learn more about Jim Key on his official website: http://www.beautifuljimkey.com/

There are also several books written about him. Two examples are:
Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and the Man Who Changed the World
and
Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World's Smartest Horse.

Both books and Behind the Mist, are available on Amazon.com.

Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse to:

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BEAU AND JACK

2011-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Many parents have had help raising their children from a horse or pony. These wonderful animals surely deserve to become members of the Legion of the Unicorn. Here is what one mother wrote:

We made the decision early on to raise our daughters riding horses. We live in rural Oregon and there are not many after school activities or close neighbors to keep young girls busy! We began with two wonderful horses, Takara Bluson, a Raffle bred Arab and Lane’s BlackJack, a section A Welsh Pony. Our daughters Jenny (oldest) and Megan (middle) had lessons with their trainer 3 days a week. We quickly entered the world of showing horses. Our youngest daughter, Marissa was in lead-line classes with her Daddy. The girls loved their horses and the horse show world.
Beau (the Arab) was a wonderful horse, he loved his girls and saved Jenny more than once in the show ring. Once her stirrup broke in a saddle-seat class, she fell in the arena with a pounding herd of horses thundering by. Beau immediately positioned himself over Jenny, protecting her from the oncoming horses. Everyone in arena held their breath, while the horses cleared them. After they passed, Beau nuzzled Jenny. As she stood and fixed her stirrup the audience broke into applause. Amazed by the beautiful little gray Arab who so lovingly cared for his rider.

Lane’s Blackjack, Jack, was a great little true black Welsh. He drove, went western and hunt. He and Megan were quite the team. Together they represented the Welsh breed in the Oregon Horseman’s Battle of the Breeds. Megan was seven years old in a field on adults on full-sized horses. It was such fun to watch my little girl and her beloved pony place in class after class against the ‘big guys’! Jack represented his breed well that weekend!

My girls soon out grew Beau and Jack and they were passed down to Marissa who campaigned both with great joy at finally being ‘in the big girl classes’. Jenny and Megan both got National Show Horses Pintos and we did the Pinto circuit for many years bringing Marissa in with a National Show Horse of her own. Megan and Jenny were both nationally ranked riders in their age group. They loved their beautiful Pintos but their hearts were always with Beau and Jack. We moved Beau and Jack home to our barn were they lived as pampered pets. With my daughters and later on grandchildren riding them bareback and lovingly caring for them over the years.

Last week we made the horrendous decision, that at 35 and 34 years of age their quality of life had changed drastically this winter. We euthanized Beau and Jack on Friday. Jim and I each held on to one of them, loving them and thanking them for being a part of our family over the last thirty years. Doing what you know is right does not make it any easier. We buried Beau and Jack in the pasture they had spent the last 15 years in. As I look out to my empty pasture each morning, I think of all the lessons these wonderful horses taught my daughters. I concentrate on how lucky we were to have been a part of their lives. I miss them so much! We have a new horse in our lives. My daughter Megan bought her daughter, Bella a little palomino Paint for Christmas. The horse is boarded near by, we have high hopes that she will give to Bella what Beau and Jack gave to their girls.

Wow, this was rather cathartic to write down today! It was helpful to get their passing down on paper. Margie McNutt

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HI YO SILVER!

2011-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, I distinctly remember getting our first black and white television. It was one of these big boxey sets that sat in the living room. The first show I ever watched was Lassie. Those were the days when television studios felt like they had a responsibility to promote good values and lift the standards of our society! My favorite shows were any that involved horses and I loved watching the Lone Ranger. Here is what I found out about the Lone Ranger's horse: SILVER.

"From out of the past come the thundering hoof-beats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger Rides again!

These were the words recited by radio announcer Fred Foy who died in December, 2010.

The Lone Ranger started as a radio show in 1933. The voice of the narrator was Bruce Beemer. The first live appearance of the Lone Ranger and Silver was in July of 1933 at Belle Isle in Detroit. Beemer played the ranger and he used a rented horse named "Hero." 70,000 fans came to see them.

There were actually 2 white stallions that officially played the role of Silver plus one stunt horse. Silver #1 was personally piced by the actor, Clayton Moore from the Hugh Hooker Ranch in the San Fernando Valley in 1949 just before the filming began. He was part Tennessee Walker and stood over 17 hands. His name was "White Cloud" and was very gentle and well trained. His only trick was the high rear that he is known for. Clayton's stunt man and stand-in purchased White Cloud when he started Studio Stables. Moore never owned any of the Silvers.

Silver #2 was purchased by George W. Trendle in 1949. Trendle owned the Lone Ranger show at the time. It is believed that he was originally named "Tarzan's White Banner" and was foaled on a farm near Danville, Iowa in 1945. Trendle renamed him "Hi-Yo Silver." Trendle also owned another white stallion that was used for public appearances in the 1940's when The Lone Ranger was a radio show. Silver #2 was shipped to California in 1952 for T.V. filming and replaced Silver #1 in most of the shots. He was trained by Glenn Randall who also trained Roy Roger's Trigger (see the post on Trigger.)

The second Silver was the opposite of the first. He was very high strung and skittish. He was afraid of the sounds made by the cameras. He was not as large as the first but still weighed in at 1250 pounds! #2 was the only horse that Clayton Moore toured with. Moore did a lot of the riding scenes himself and was the only rider to do the rearing.

A third white stallion was used for some of the stunts and chased, especially those where the Lone Ranger chased down and outlaw and jumps from his horse to take down the bad guy. These wer done by Bill Ward riding his own horse "Traveler." This was the horse that later became USC's trojan horse.

A funny note: Jay Silerheels, who played Tonto, later said that the Silvers were quite slow and he always had to rein in Scout as they galloped off into the sunset so he wouldn't leave the masked man in the dust!

BETTINA EISTEL AND HER VERY SPECIAL HORSE, FABULEAX 5

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

A reader sent this story to me. I do not know who the original author of the article is or where it came from but I wanted all of you to see this story. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me. Here is a horse and rider who deserve unicornhood!

I saw this photo today and it took a while for my brain to register what I was seeing. Take a look.

Look closely...

Yup. No arms. Her name is Bettina Eistel and her horse is Fabuleax 5.

What is even more compelling than the fact that she can brush her horse with her feet, is that she competes, very well, at the Paralympics in dressage.

Bettina didn't just overcome her disability, she walloped it!

WHY NO ARMS?

Thalidomide. She was born in 1961 in Germany, with no arms due to the drug, Thalidomide.
What is Thalidomide? Thalidomide was a drug they gave pregnant women before it was known that it caused birth defects. Hence, Bettina was born without any arms.

Saddling

FAST FORWARD

Bettina doesn't let her disability stop her. After all, this way of being is all she has ever known.
As an aside, another disabled Olympian was explaining the difference between being born with a disability versus being born "whole" and acquiring the disability. This concept is an interesting topic. You probably can come to some of your own conclusions here.

Bridling... look at him drop his head.

Anyway, as a small child, Bettina learned how to use her feet and toes as her hands and fingers. As a youngster, she started in horseback riding lessons. (Thank goodness her parents supported her and let go of their fears around this.) She wears riding boots with cut-outs in the toes so she can have 'hands' (imagine how cold her toes must get and how often they clip a branch or a fence board - ouch!). She can saddle, bridle, hose down, wrap, blanket and do just about anything else that is needed for her horse. And, she rides by steering with her legs and holding the reins in her mouth. IN HER MOUTH. Try that!

Oh, and besides all those horse riding feats, she can text, write and put on mascara with her toes!

They say Bettina is a master at hose water fights!

"After highschool in 1979, Bettina studied the History of Art, Archaeology and Ethnology in Hamburg, followed by an eight-year study of psychology. During her psychology studies, she participated in a project with Hamburg's home for children. In 1989 she completed her studies with a diploma and has since worked as a graduate psychologist in a Hamburg counseling center for children and family therapy."

PARALYMPICS

I really couldn't find much information on her coaching (Her coach Franz-Martin Stankus) or how she learned to ride. But, I did find out that she:

"Eistel was formerly Vice-Europe and Vice World Champion (two silver and bronze at the European Championships in Portugal in 2002 and three silver at the World Championships in Belgium in 2003) and won two silver and one bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens , she won also three times the German championship. As the most recent successes are the bronze medal in the required tasks of the individual competition and the silver medal in the team standings at the 2008 Paralympics in Hong Kong."

Not bad even for a girl WITH arms.

With her dressage medal

HER HORSE

You have to really think about the kind of horse who would let this kind of a rider be his partner. Really, what temperament is needed to perform at high level dressage as well as take care of a disabled rider? Wow. I wish I knew if they looked high and low for him or if they simply trained a good horse to understand this rider? (I need to read her book.) I mean, did they find a horse and say to him that this is the way we are going to do it now? Or, does the Fabuleax 5 'know'? I often hear that certain horses are much more gracious with disabled riders than with regular riders. I know that my Gwen is much nicer to children than to me. I wonder how that happens? Is it the horse or the quality/feel/spirit of the disabled rider/child that effects the horse? Dunno.

Taking a treat from Mom

Bettina says she trained her horse via voice commands, head movement and leg aids. Funny, I bet hardly any of us would think it was even possible to ride a horse without arms.

From where I sit, I would like to be in the presence of the wonderful Fabuleax 5. He is a saint in my book. Fabuleax lets Bettina ride him in the only way she can, with the reins in her teeth and the other set of reins between her toes. And, he does his job. Simple. Gosh. Impressive.

If you notice in the photos, he lowers his head to be bridled and to be brushed. Atta boy!

Beautiful boy

TELEVISION HOST

Bettina also landed a gig as a Talk Show Host. With a weekly show on German TV station ZDF, Bettina is something of a media star. They say her popularity is because of her engaging and optimistic personalityŠ but one cannot ignore her amazing ability to do everything, literally everything, with her feet..

Bettina as talk show host

AFTERTHOUGHT

I wanted to bring this story to you because I think sometimes we give up too easily. Or maybe it is just me. Maybe I think I give up too easily or don't push through my/my horse's issues or don't get over myself/my fears or don't put as much effort/time into training my horses as I could. Reading about Bettina was a good shot in the arm for me. I sure don't feel like making any excuses or complaining.

I cannot even imagine folding the laundry with my feet, let alone living 24 hours without my hands. Wow. Very inspirational.

What a great team!

Now, dear readers, get out there and work hard at whatever you set your heart on and you will succeed!

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JUSTIN MORGAN Had and Was a horse!

2011-02-02T06:00:00.001-08:00

The story of Justin Morgan is a quintessential American story. A horse that began as an unremarkable colt, become the father of an entire breed of horses that are known, today, for their quality and dependibility.

The horse we call "Justin Morgan" was born in 1789 and was origianlly named "Figure." In 1791, he left his birthplace in Springfield, MA with his new owner, the soft-spoken music teacher, Justin Morgan. The stallion eventually became known by the same name. Figure's breeding is unknown but he is thought to be Dutch Thoroughbred and Arabian. But, whatever the breeding, his quality was plain to see. He had straight legs, a well-muscled body, an intelligent head with large eyes and short ears. He had lovely movement that sent his thick, silky mane and tail flowing out behind him.

The school teacher had purchased him for an investment, intending to sell him for a profit as he travel north to Vermont. However, the stallion's small size resulted in no buyers and the teacher found himself in posession of a horse when he reached Vermont.

Over the next 30 years, the little bay stallion worked long hours in the fields and on the roads of Vermont. He gained fame as he out-performed the big colonial workhorses and long-legged race horses. He was even selected to carry President James Monroe in a parade. In a match race, he out ran the winningest (is that a word?) race horse central Vermont had ever known.

Figure proved to be one of the best breeding horses ever. Regardless of the quality of the mare, Justin Morgan's off-spring inherited his genes and abilities. Today, every registered Morgan horse traces his lineage back to Justin Morgan through his best-known sons: Bullrush, Sherman and Woodburg.

The popularity of the Morgan horse spread across the US. New Englanders headed to the California Gold fields on Morgans. The Vermont Cavalry fought in the Civil War mounted on Morgans. Union General Sheridan rode his Morgan "Rienzi" while Stonewall Jackson rode his Morgan "Little Sorrel" for the confederacey.

The book Justin Morgan Had a Horse,by Marguerite Henry and the 1972 Disney movie about him were not terribly accurate but they were fun stories anyway.

In 1961, Morgans became the official state animal of Vermont.

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Future Unicorn MOORLANDS TOTILAS - The World Champion!

2011-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Some future unicorns are easier to spot than others! Moorlands Totilas or "Toto" is one of those. He is so beautiful he makes your eyes hurt just to look at him! This blog is dedicated to all of the Noble and Great horses in our lives and Totilas is truly one of the Noble and Great ones!

Please accept my apology if you are not as nutty about Dressage as I am, but if you watch the video (one of dozens on the internet about this horse) you will surely agree with me that this horse deserves to be nominated for unicornhood. Moorlands Totilas and his rider Edward Gal led the Dutch team at the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in October, 2010. They took away three gold medals and recieved the highest scores in Dressage History. They amased an unparalleled number of perfect 10's. In fact, during Toto's eighteen month career showing at Grand Prix they won nearly every test they entered.

Totilas was owned by Cees Viser. He is by Gribaldi and is half Trakehner. The fabulous black stallion was first put under saddle at the age of five (race horse owners take note!) and was trained exclusively by Edward Gal for the next five years until his unprecidented performance in Kentucky...his first overseas trip. Gal said in an article in the December addition of Dressage Today (my second favorite magazine) that he has never ridden a horse that can compare to Toto. He has so much power and energy but is also supple. His attitude is different, too. He responds instantly and gives all he has and everything is easy for him.

Gal kept Totilas on a strict training schedule. His day started with feeding at 7:30. He rode him at 9:00 for 1/2 hour to 3/4 hour. Then he was given lunch. He was put on the walker at 2 in the afternoon for 45 minutes. Later in the afternoon he was given a hand walk and a graze and another hand walk at 7 p.m. He was never turned out loose in the pasture as he gets too wild and he has been know to hurt himself. Such is the life of the world's top dressage horse.

This is an interesting video of Totila's Grand Prix performance at the WEG (If you watch Gal at the WEG Free Style, even with the one goof, watch the rider. He earned a 10 for his riding at that competition.

Sadly, the incredible pair of Gal and Totilas has been broken apart and the WEG was their last competition together. Either just before, and kept a secret, or just after the World Equestrian Games Totilas was sold to Paul Schockemohle of Germany. Schockemohle was a big time show jumper now a big time breeder. He runs a stable of 3,000 horses and produces 500 foals a year at his farm. Totilas was moved there right after the WEG. It was announced in November that Totilas would have a new German rider: Matthais Roth. I watched a German video of him riding Toto and it made me so sad. Totilas belongs with Edward Gal. I am so sad that Toto was taken from his rider and trainer. It reminds me of Shema being taken from Bethany in Behind The Mist. I imagine that Toto's heart is broken, too.

Totilas will be used for breeding, of course, and a contract has already been signed to breed him with Brentina. See the November Post on Brentina.

Tell me the story of your Noble and Great horse who probably never had a medal around his neck! Send me a picture and your story to:

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MY NOBLE AND GREAT BEAUTY

2011-01-19T06:00:00.001-08:00

Noble and Great horses come in every shape and size. They are a part of our life, a part of our memories or a part of our dreams. Blog reader, Carol, sent in this letter nominating her first horse for Unicornhood.

The family car bumped along some obscure Montana dirt road. I could barely make out the barb wire fence on the side of the road ,it must have been a moonless night. My four siblings and I were in the back of the station wagon, my Mom at the wheel. I remember the excitement I felt in my heart, you see, we were on our way to buy a horse! A horse for the kids! My Mom already had a half arabian horse named Copper . She had re-named him "Arab". It was soon discovered that he was half Arabian and half crazy, so not to be ridden by the kids. The car slowed down and in the head lights I could see the figure of a young cowboy. My Mom said his name was Butler. She turned the car toward him on a small turn out, facing a Montana gate. The cowboy had lifted the wire loop, stepped inside and was sorting through what looked like a wall of horses, all shaggy and caked with mud. The cowboy was pushing and pulling making his way though the herd looking for the mare. The mare that he had said was dead broke." She can carry half an elk , just tie it on, slap her rump and send her home." He had boasted. I couldn't see much through the window, but soon he had parted the herd and led "Beauty" into the pool of light shining from the headlights. I could see she was a golden color, but her mane and tail where a mass of cockle burrs. My Mom was out of the car now and Cowboy Butler proceeded to demonstrate how safe a horse she was. He hopped on her back sliding first off her rump, then over her head. He picked up her feet and crawled under her belly. I could see my Mom counting out three crisp $20 dollar bills. Sixty dollars to make an 8 year old girl's dreams come true. She wasn't just for me, but I knew I wanted her more than anyone.

We had a lot of work to do to bring out the Beauty in that mare. She had cracked feet and my Dad rubbed lanolin from a bucket on her hoofs. We curried off the mud and it was us kid's job to comb all the burrs out of her mane and tail. When it was all said and done, Beauty was indeed beautiful. She was a light palomino with a flaxen mane and tail. We didn't have a saddle for her and even if we had, I would have still climbed on her bareback.

After school, before the fall Montana days grew short, on most Saturday afternoons, (when chores where done), and in the summer, when the sun would hang in the "Big Sky" until 10 o'clock at night, I would walk the four blocks to Veterans Park, past Rimrock Elementary where I went to school, cut though Rocky Mountain Collage and down Rimrock road to the Mission Home. The Mission Home, had a barn and a pasture in the back. This is where Beauty lived, in an apple orchard with my Mom's horse Arab. I would carry her bridle with me from the house, (funny I don't ever remember putting a halter on her). At first we would weave the apple trees in the pasture, always at a walk. No matter how much I would kick her she would not go any faster. In a while when my legs were stronger, she would trot a little, until I started to bounce to one side and she would slow down and let me right myself again. She never balked, or bucked. She never stepped on my feet, maybe she knew most of the time I was barefoot.

My days became magic, full of adventures. I had my girlfriends, and we had fun, but Beauty knew all my secrets and unlike some human companions she never told them to anyone. She would let me be who ever I wanted to be. I could be Yellowstone Kelly, Liver Eating Johnson or some frontiersmen from the Louis L'Amour books I loved to read, and she never cared that those might be strange characters for a girl to want to be. We would look for treasure, or escape from an orphanage in search of lost family. I loved to think I might ride far enough to find a hidden Indian cave that no whiteman had ever seen before.

Soon I started to venture out of the apple orchard. Sometimes I would ride her all the way to my house and give her a bath in the back yard, and then back to the mission home again. I loved riding through the neighborhood, all the kids would run out to see the girl riding the palomino horse. On one of those days, I thought about my good friend Saralee Melnick, the only Jewish girl in school. We didn't get to play much . Her mother was very protective, and wouldn't let her leave the house. Sara couldn't have pets because she was "allergic" So I rode Beauty up to her front door. Saralee looked out the window, and I could see the big smile on her face. Beauty was so good, she stood so still, and she didn't even poop on the lawn. In a little while Saralee and her mother came out the door and very carefully, with much fuss, Saralee was allowed to feed Beauty a few carrots. Mrs. Melnick quickly hustled Saralee back into the house to wash up, but as the door was closing her Mother smiled and waved good bye, and Saralee whispered "Thank you".

Rocky Mountain Collage had a dirt avenue running through a large park, lined with Cottonwood trees. Beauty and I would imagine all sorts of Regal events as we traveled up this Grand Promenade. One day as I was immersed in one of these day dreams, Beauty decided that I was ready for a canter! From a merry bounce on her back bone, to Royally rolling on fluffy white clouds, that was how it felt. Beauty had just given me a gift of indescribable joy. Cantering up my avenue of huge trees became part of my riding routine!

Back then, my best girlfriend was Maureen Degnan. Her Dad was an optometrist, so they had more money than most people I knew. Maureen being the baby of the family was, in my eyes, showered with more luxuries than I could ever imagine. She had not one, but two horses that were kept in a pasture too far away to walk to. One day her Dad arranged to pick Beauty and me up so Maureen and I could go on a trail ride! Maureen had a western saddle and a fancy bridle for her Appy, MoJo. I climb up on Beauty, bareback of course, and we took off on our amazing ride at the base of the Rim Rocks. I spent a good deal of time shouting at Maureen to slow down! I could canter bareback but a gallop was pretty scary to me. I should have known that Beauty would not let me fall, just like before when she felt me start to slide she would slow down enough to let me get centered again. Suddenly, ahead of me, MoJo jumped sideways to avoid a rattlesnake in the trail. Beauty did not spook but just kept on going at a trot and landed her stride right on the head of the snake. Now you might think that she didn't see that rattler, but I know better. She always took great care of me.

I had three wonderful years with Beauty, and then the dreaded day came. My Dad had gotten a new job in California. It was just not practical to take the horses. The thought of losing my dear horse felt like a rock lodged in my gut. I didn't dare let my folks see me sulk or cry, in a family of five kids you know that it is just life. I was glad that a family with kids had bought Beauty. They came in a pickup truck with high panels on the side. They led her up a ramp into the back of the truck. I was in the apple orchard, I don't know why, maybe I was hiding, I know I was praying . "Dear Heavenly Father, please let her look back at me". Then calling to her, in my mind..."Beauty, please, please look, let me know you love me too!" As the truck pull away her head turn, she look right at me, "I love you. Why aren't you coming? " she said. Standing behind an apple tree,in the pasture of childhood dreams, I let the tears flow .

Beauty left that day to fullfill dreams for other children. Now that I am an adult and have had a few other horse companions, I feel that Beauty was there when they came into my life. She blew in their nostrils to greet them, and she would say, let me tell you about this woman, I knew her when she was a child, I can tell you her dreams, but I will never tell you her secrets.

Carol writes her own blog about her equestrian adventures. Check it out. http://www.equinexplorer.com/

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Behind The Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy

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MARENGO - Tiny mount of Napoleon

2011-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind the Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy, the reader learns that the Noble and Great horses in their life and throughout history are selected to become unicorns in the after-life. This blog is dedicated to those wonderful horses!

Famous Painting of Napoleon and Marengo by Jacques Louis David

Marengo was the tiny mount of the once most powerful man in Europe: Napoleon I. He was born in approximately 1793 and was named after the Battle of Marengo through which he purportedly safely carried his rider. Marengo was imported to France in 1799 as a 6 year old. He was a gray Arabian, probably from the famous stud farm, El Naseri. Napoleon much prefered the little arabs to the more commonly popular thoroughbreds. Marengo was only 14.1 hands but was reliable and couragous.

Napoleon was not a trained nor a skilled equestrian. He would bounce around in the saddle so much that he would wear holes in the seat of his breeches. Yet, he loved riding, both out of necessity and for pleasure.

Marango was just one of many horses that carried Napoleon into and out of battle and was injured eight times. Napoleon had a stable of 52 horses (or 80 depending upon the source.) The name "Marengo" is not found on any of his registries. Marengo is believed to be a nickname for his favorite horse, Ali. Napoleon even gave his wife a nickname so this is believable.

Anyway, back to Marengo. The little gray arab was one of the horses that escaped from the Russians in 1812 but he was captured in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo by William Henry Francis Petre. Petre took the stallion to the United Kingdom and Ireland and sold him to General Angerstein when the horse was 27. He was not successful in his intended career as a stud. He died at the age of 38, Arabs are known for living a long time but this is remarkable! His skeleton, minus 2 hooves, is on display at the National Army Museum in London. The skin was set aside for Taxidermy but was lost along with one hoof. One hoof was made into a snuff box and still holds a place of honor at St. James Palace in London. Yes, that is kind of gross!

ANOTHER INTERESTING STORY:
The fame of the Napoleon Family horses goes on and this time in the U.S! Deep in the bowels of the tiny Heritage Hall museum in Marion, Ohio, are the stuffed remains of Prince Imperial, Napoleon's horse. Not THE Napoleon, but his nephew, Napoleon III. Oddly enough, the guy named his son and his horse the same name. That's my kind of guy! This horse ended up in Ohio when he was purchased by a local breeder and brought to the U.S. from France in 1869. The man paid the enormous sum of $3,000 for the horse and made much more than that by exhibiting the horse. He was billed as "The Greatest Living Curiosity of This or Any Other Age." Why? Because the horse actually had a forelock that extended seven feet in length and a mane that was nine feet, ten inches in length. It was kept in braids and the braids had to be looped! When the horse died, he was stuffed and put on wheels and pulled in parades. Now that is a weird but true story. This horse definitely deserves his unicorn horn!

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RUFFIAN - Lost race, Lost Life

2011-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind the Mist, The reader learns that the noble and great horses on earth are selected to become unicorns in the afterlife. This blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses that we know and love.

Ruffian may well have been the greatest thoroughbred filly to ever race. She won all ten of her races. On the eleventh race, she not only lost the race but she lost her life. This is the story of Ruffian, a noble and great horse that has surely earned her horn.

The beautiful filly, Ruffian, was born on April 17, 1972. Her racing career was phenominal. But it ended suddenly and tragically. In her eleventh race she was paired up with the 1975 Kentucky Derby winner, ..... It was billed as the "Equine Battle of the Sexes." Both horses had been ridden by the same jockey, Jacinto Vasquez. For this highly publisized race, Vasquez chose to ride Ruffian, thinking her the better horse. 18 million T.V. views joined the 50,000 people at Belmont Park to watch the race. The 1st quarter was run in an astonishing 22 and 1/2 seconds and Ruffian was ahead by a nose. About 1 furlong later, Ruffian was ahead by half a length. Suddenly, both sesamoid bones in her right foreleg snapped. The poor jockey struggled to get her to stop running but wasn't able to do so before her leg was pulverized.

After three hours of surgery, Ruffian awoke and began wildly thrashing about while laying on her side on the padded floor of the recovery stall. Her wild flailing undid all the repair work done during the surgery and the vets were forced to euthanize her.

I struggle everytime I see a race horse break her leg. My hanovarian, Jazz, (yes, he is the star of Behind The Mist,) didn't even have a rider on his back until he was four. These thoroughbreds are raced at TWO! I wish that could be changed.

People have suggested that the in-breeding is to blame for the delicate bones. Indeed, Ruffian seemed to have inherited weak bones. Her sire, Reviewer suffered four breaks before being put down. Her dam, Shenanigans, was put down after the second break. Her Damsire, Native Dancer, is considered the purveyer of "softbones."

One good thing happened as a result of Ruffian's death. It led to the invention of the "Recovery Pool," where horses awaken from surgery suspended in a pool of warm water.

Ruffian is buried by a flagpole in the infield of Belmont Park with her nose pointed toward the finish line. She was posthumously awarded the 1975 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-year-old filly. Sports Illustrated listed her as the only non-human on their list of Best 100 Female Athletes of the Century! She was 53rd on the list. Also, in her honor, the Ruffian Equine Medical Center opened on May 26, 2009. It is located outside Gate 8 of Belmont Park.

Attached is a touching tribute to her life. Beware, the beginning is quite disturbing.

The words to the song let you picture Ruffian galloping through the animal heaven as it is described in Behind the Mist.

Tell me the story of your Noble and Great Horse. Email me at:
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MR. ED - A Horse is a Horse

2010-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind The Mist, the reader learns that the Noble and Great horses are trained to become unicorns in the after-life and earn their horns. This Blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses that we have known and throughout history.

A horse is a horse, of course, of course
And no one can talk to a horse of course,
That is, of course, unless the horse
Is the famous Mr. Ed.
So write to this source, and ask this horse,
he'll give you the answer that you'll endorse
He's always on a steady course, Talk to Mr. Ed!

People Yakity Yak a streak and waste your time of day,
But Mr. Ed will never speak unless he has something to say!

A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And this one'll talk 'til his voice is hoarse,
You Never heard if a talking horse?
Well listen to this: I Am Mr. Ed!"

If you are singing along with this song then you must be about my age!

Mr Ed was an American situation comedy on CBS from October 1, 1961 to February 6, 1966, in the days when situation comedies were worth watching. I was just a ten year-old so, of course, I loved it! The star of the show was Mister Ed, a beautiful, intelligent, palomino horse played by a gelding named, Bamboo Harvester. His voice was by Allan Lane who originally wanted to remain anonymous but once the show was a hit, he asked for credit...which he never got! The credits listed Mister Ed as being played by "Himself." The co-star was an eccentric and klutzy architect named Wilber Post, portrayed by Alan Young. Ed would only speak to Wilber and loved to cause trouble for his owner.

Bamboo Harvester was a crossbreed of American Saddlebred, Arabian and Grade ancestry. "Grade" horses are basically Mutts of unknown ancestry. By 1968, Bamboo Harvester was suffering from a variety of health issues. He was quietly euthanized in 1970 and buried at Snodgrass Farms in Oklahoma. A different horse that was used for publicity shots died in 1979 but that horse was not the t.v. actor.

Wikipedia had an interesting explanation for how Bamboo Harvester was trained to move his lips:
"Others argued that examination of Mister Ed footage shows Ed's handler pulling strings to make him talk, and that this method was at work at least some of the time. Young later said during an interview for the Archive of American Television that a nylon string was tied to the halter and the loose end inserted under his lip to make Ed talk, saying that he had used the peanut butter fable for years in radio interviews instead of telling the truth. The loose thread can be seen tied to the halter, and it is clearly not taut as it would be if it were being pulled. Young also states in the AAT interview that after the first season, Ed didn't need the nylon – Alan and trainer Les were out riding one day and Les started laughing, telling Alan to look at Ed, who was moving his lips every time they stopped talking, as if attempting to join in the conversation. This difference is visible when comparing first season episodes to later ones, as it is clear that early on he's working the irritating string out, sometimes working his tongue in the attempt too, and later on he tends to only move his upper lip, and appears to watch Alan Young closely, waiting for him to finish his lines before twitching his lip.
Young added in the Archive interview that Ed saw the trainer as the disciplinarian, or father figure, and when scolded for missing a cue, would go to Alan for comfort, like a mother figure, which Les said was a good thing.^[11]"

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BECAUSE OF LOVE - A Christmas Story

2010-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

This story was sent to me by a friend. I hope it will touch you as much as it did me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre- Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farm. Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the city hustle and bustle added more excitement to their lives, and called them away to a different life.
The old folks no longer showed their horses, for the years had taken their toll, and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder, but it gave them a reason to get up in the mornings and a reason to live. They sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end.

Angry, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks "Why do you not at least dispose of The Old One." She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had foals from her. You should cut corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse bring you anything but expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?"

The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, " Yes, I could use a pair of new boots.

His arm slid defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her near with gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Nothing else, just love."

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley.

The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace of the love that filled their hearts? So it was, that because of the unhappy leave-taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One".

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms, clinging to each other, they wept at their loss.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together before the barn. They were speechless as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now. The old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulders as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us gather strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved most precious gifts that have been taken from us.

And so, he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old and withered hand. The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the steep snow. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they paused to rest, looking up to the top of the hill the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.

Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.

Bedded down about the "Old One" close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe. At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his wife.

Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years, tired from the climb, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift---

Because of love. Only Because of love.

Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy... And again the peace of love filled their hearts.

This is a true story.

Willy Eagle

What is your story about the noble and great horse in your life? Send it to me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com.

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Special Christmas Day Post:

2010-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

The next post will be a special true story on Christmas Day. Take a moment away from your wonderful family activities to read this touching story. I hope Santa brings you your own copy of

Behind the Mist!

HAMBLETONIAN - Grandfather of the trotters and pacers

2010-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind The Mist, the readers learn that the Noble and Great horses are selected to become unicorns in their after-life and earn their horns. This Blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and throughout history.

Rysdyk's Hambletonian by Currier and Ives

When Tom and I were newlyweds, we drove across country from Oregon to New Haven where Tom was going to Yale. It was late at night and we were somewhere in upstate New York ( I still don't know where!) when we saw bright lights up a head. As we approached the source of the illumination we realized that it was a race track and that they were racing Trotters and Pacers. For you non-horse people, trotters race with a normal diagonal gait and pacers race with both legs on one side moving in unison. Anyway, I had never seen a harness race before but had read about it in Marguerite Henry's book: Born to Trot (about Hambletonian's famous daughter Rosalind.) So, we pulled over and had a great time watching the pacers that were running that night. Memories of that night piqued my curiousity about harness racing in the U.S. This is what I found out about the grandfather of the sport...a future unicorn.

Hambletonian 10, the Great Grandson of the imported English Thoroughbred Messenger, greatly influenced the sport of Harness racing. He was born on May 5, 1849 in Sugar Loaf, New York. Both the foal and his dam were owned by Jonas Seeley but Seeley's hired hand, William Rysdyk cared for them and grew to love them. He convinced Seeley to sell the pair to him for $125 and took them home.

Hambletonian made quite an impression on the local horse community as a 6 month-old at his first show and began his stud carrier as a 2 year-old. Rysdyk was challenged to a race by the owner of Hambletonian's half brother. The two horses were raced pulling skeleton wagons with their owners driving at the Long Island Union Course. Hambletonian came out on top. After that, Rysdyk was able to ask $500 for a stud fee.

Hambletonian became a great sire. He sired 1,331 foals. The lineage of nearly all American Trotters and Pacers can be traced to one or more of just four of Hambletonian's sons.

This famous horse died at the age of 27 in 1876, outliving his owner by seven years. Both are buried in Chester, New York. Seventeen years after his death, many people who had known and loved him banned together to put up a granite monument on his grave which stands today on Hambletonian Avenue.

I am quite sure that Hambletonian is one of the fastest unicorns in Celestia. His daughter, Rosalind, makes a brief appearance in the last book of The Mist Trilogy, The Rising Mist.

Send me the story of the Noble and Great Horse in your life:

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To purchase Behind The Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy, go to:

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SECRETARIAT IS A UNICORN!

2010-12-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, readers, I am thinking about this blog and Behind the Mist, WAY too much! I dreamt about Secretariat last night. You will be happy to know, however, that in my dream, Secretariat had earned his horn and was a member of the Legion of the Unicorn. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to get Behind the Mist!) I envisioned Secretariat, his chestnut coat glowing, galloping across the flower-filled fields of Celestia. Of course, he was leaving the other unicorns far behind. I can't say "in the dust" because there is no dust in Celestia! His horn looked like it was made of sparkling rubies. He was a sight to behold! What a great dream.

SECRETARIAT-You've Probably Heard of Him!

2010-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind the Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy, the reader learns that the Noble and Great horses are trained to become unicorns in their after-life and earn their horns. This Blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and throughout history.

When I was a newly-wed living in Connecticut while my husband, Tom, completed his undergraduate studies at Yale, we watched and cheered as Secretariat, arguably the greatest race horse ever, burned up the track and won the Triple Crown. I will never forget that horse!

In October, 2010, my trail riding buddies and I went to see the movie Secretariat. I think I cried through the whole thing! If you haven't seen it, it is a must. I was re-motivated to reach for the stars...to run my race. Great movie...go see it. It is also fitting that Penny Chenery Tweety, Secretariat's owner, is a fellow Coloradoan. So, this Blog post is dedicated to the Great Secretariat.

Secretariat was born in Mar. 30, 1970. This would be a good place to retell the story of the coin-toss by which the Chenerys obtained ownership of the big red stallion. The owner of the great Bold Ruler had proposed the idea of a coin-toss for the offspring of his stallion. Christopher Chenery sent two of his best mares, Hasty Matilda and Somethingroyal to Phipps' stallion. The coin-toss was held in New York City and was won by Phipps. He chose the weanling out of Somethingroyal which left the Chenerys with the colt born of Hasty Matilda and the, as yet, unborn foal of Somethingroyal. (Hasty Matilda had lost her first foal the year before.) Secretariat was that unborn foal.

Secretariat's fame rests on his success. Not only was he the 1973 Triple Crown winner, the first in 25 years, but his record in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont still stand. His time in the Preakness is not counted because of a faulty timer. His success is usually attributed to two things: His trainer, Lucien Lauren and his enormous heart. At his autopsy, it was found that his heart weighed close to 22 pounds. The average thoroughbred's heart is 9 pounds. Not only that, but unlike Eclipse's big heart, it was not malformed. Studies have found what is called the X Factor that is carried by the mare that contributes to the large hearts that are found in the fastest thoroughbreds. Secretariat's heart was so large that it was able to pump a huge amount of blood, giving him both speed and stamina. However, because this trait is passed through the mare, his off-spring did not inherit it from him. It is interesting to note that Man O' War is often credited with passing on his speed but, in reality, the mare he was bred to, Brush Up, had a bigger heart than he did and the result was War Admiral and Seattle Slew.

In life, all of "Red's" handlers knew he had a big heart but they were referring to his love of running and his work ethic. His primary jockey, Ron Turcotte, said when describing the horse, "I was just along for the ride." Indeed, if you watch a tape of the Belmont, you will notice that he never uses a whip.

In the fall of 1989, Secretariat developed Laminitis, a very painful and often fatal condition of the hoof. Surgery failed to correct it so the great red horse had to be euthanized on Oct. 4, 1989. He was given perhaps his greatest honor after death by being buried whole at the Claibourne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. By tradition, most thoroughbred's graves contain just their head, to symbolize intelligence, their heart, to symbolize strength, and their legs, to symbolize power.

Tell me about your Noble and Great horse. Send me your story to:

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TRAVELLER - Famous mount of Robert E. Lee

2010-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

And now at last,
Comes Traveller and his master. Look at them well.
The horse is an iron-grey, sixteen hands high,
Short back, deep chest, strong haunch, flat legs, small head,
Delicate ear, quick eye, black mane and tail,
Wise brain, obedient mouth.
Such horses are
The jewels of the horseman's hands and thighs,
They go by the word and hardly need the rein.
They bred such horses in Virginia then,
Horses that were remembered after death
And buried not so far from Christian ground
That if their sleeping riders should arise
They could not witch them from the earth again
And ride a printless course along the grass
With the old manage and light ease of hand.

— Passage from Army of Northern Virginia, a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet

The history of Dressage, which means "Training," is deeply imbeded in war. The horse was long an essential part of war. Dressage was designed as the method of training war horses who needed to respond quickly forward, backward, left or right and turn on the forehand or the haunches. One of the most famous war horses in the U.S. was Traveller, the mount of General Robert E. Lee, who carried his rider into the battles of the civil war.

Traveller, originally named Jeff Davis (yes, weird name...I like Traveller better, too!), was born in 1857 in Blue Sulpher Springs, Greenbrier County, Virginia (now part of West Virginia.) He was half thoroughbred and half Saddlebred. He was originally purchased by Captain Joseph M.Broun of the Third Regiment of the Confederate Infantry from Capt. James W. Johnston, son of the breeder. His purchase price was $175 which would translate to over $4,000 in today's dollar. Captain Broun's brother latter wrote of the horse:
He was "...greatly admired for his rapid, springy walk, his high spirit, bold carriage and muscular strength."
From Thomas L. Broun, Southern Historical Society Papers, Richmond Virginia.

Major Broun also noted that there was never a need for whip or spur with Jeff Davis, the problem, unlike what is written in the poem above, was holding him back!

In the fall of 1861, General Robert E. Lee was camped with his brigade near Big Sewell Mountains, in close proximity to the camp of the Third Regiment. It was there that General Lee first laid eyes on the big, gray, Gelding. He took an immediate fancy to the horse and called him "My Colt." During the winter, both groups were sent down to South Carolina where Lee saw the horse again. Captain Joseph M. Broun offered the horse as a gift, which Lee declined. He said that if Broun was willing to sell the horse he would try him out for a week. After the week was up, Lee paid Captain Broun $200 for Jeff Davis.

Lee renamed the horse "Traveller." While he used Traveller for most of the war, it was not always a match made in heaven. In 1862 during the second Battle of Bull Run, Lee was standing beside the excited gelding on the front line. Traveller bolted and dragged Lee down a steep bank, breaking both his hands! Lee spent the next two years ridng a nice, calm mare named "Lucy Long." I can't blame him!

Lee returned to riding Traveller when Lucy Long got pregnant and rode him for the rest of the war and until the General's death on Oct. 12, 1870. Traveller died shortly thereafter in 1871 after stepping on a nail and developing Tetanus.

Traveller is currently buried on the Campus of Washington and Lee Univ. in Lexington, Virginia. The stable where he lived his last days is connected to the Lee family house that is on the campus. Traditionally, the stable door is left open so Traveller's spirit can wander freely.

I am attaching a link to an interesting video about three famous civil War horses, including Traveller. The video is from the Museum of the Confederacy.

No doubt about it! Traveller has his unicorn horn by now. I just can't decide if the horn is white to match his body or black to match his mane!

Share your story about the "Noble And Great" horse in your life!

email me at:

www.mjevansbtm@gmail.com

BRENTINA UPDATE FROM DEBBIE MCDONALD

2010-11-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

I just received a message from Debbie Mcdonald who read the blog about Brentina. She wants all Brentina's fans to know that the mare is well and happy and gets ridden about three times per week. She still likes to show off if anyone is watching!

Dressage-Great Brentina

2010-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the book, Behind the Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy, the reader learns that the Noble and Great horses are trained to become unicorns in the after-life and earn their horns. This blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and in history.

In the fall of 2002, I traveled to Salt Lake City to receive some training in Public Affairs, my volunteer service (we call these "callings") for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I happened to sit at the same table with some Public Affairs Volunteers from Seattle. The lady sitting next to me and I started talking about horses. Yes, I was probably the one who brought them up since I don't know how to converse intelligently about anything else. But I digress! She said to me that her cousins owned some "big, fancy dressage horse in Idaho." I caught my breath and said: "Brentina?"

"Yes, that's the name," she responded.

"Your cousins own Brentina?" I responded in awe.

"Yes," she responded, clearly not aware of why I was so thunderstruck.

I had the privilege of seeing Brentina and her fabulous rider, Debbie McDonald, at the World Cup in Las Vegas, in 2004. I cried all the way through her performance to "Respect." I am attaching that for you. This is a great video because you get expert commentary along the way and you will undoubtedly learn something new about Dressage.

Brentina was foaled in 1991 in Germany. She is a 16.2 hand chestnut Hanoverian mare...just the right size for the tiny Debbie. I really relate to Debbie because she is just my size! The mare was purchased by Perry and Peggy Thomas (my dinner-mate's cousins) for 150,000 Deutsch Marks in October, 1994 at the Elite Auction in Verden.

The mare's bond with Debbie, who was a trainer at the Perry's stable in Sun Valley, Id., was, apparently, immediate. Brentina has that great combination of being both a hard worker and a show-off! Her international show carrier started with Double Golds in the 1999 Pan American Games. Over their 14 year partnership, they won a huge list of metals and awards including the 2005 USEF Horse of the Year.

Brentina had her share of injuries and always received the best of care, of course. In February 2009 she underwent Colic surgery...which should strike fear into the heart of all you horse owners out there! Brentina was retired from competition on April 17, 2009 at the World Cup in Las Vegas.

She is now making big bucks as a brood mare but she will not be carrying any foals herself...too risky. Her first foal was born in April, 2010. His name is Dillinger and is a black Hanovarian Colt by Damsey. Her second foal was born in May, 2010. His name is Brighton and is a chestnut colt by Leslie Morse's stallion, Kingston. Unfortunately, the mare died as a result of complications during birth...See, the Perrys were wise not to take any chances.

I do not doubt that Brentina is one of those Noble and Great horses that will, someday, earn her horn. But I hope she has a long life and contributes many wonderful American-bred Hanoverians to the warm-blood world. Everyone Loves You, Brentina!

Tell me about the Noble and Great horse in your life!

Email me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com

If you enjoy fantasies and horse stories, you can purchase Behind the Mist for just $10.95 at:

www.behindthemist.com

It's COOL in Wyoming

2010-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

A Blog reader named Lisa sent me this story about her horse that she wants to nominate for Unicornhood:

Lisa wrote:

"Hi Margi! The story line of your book is intriguing. I love the unicorn's beautiful mane! Your Noble horse,
Tai, story is so uplifting! The YouTube story is amazing too! I too had a
Strong and Noble horse once. My sorrel gelding "Reining" Quarter Horse"Cool"-
was such a kind, gentle and forgiving horse allowing me to learn Reining, taking
care of me through showing, trail rides and loving me through 2 relationship
breakups..he had a kind eye and gentle spirit. He was small, but grew under the
saddle as we rode and showed in the show ring. He grew to be a strong survivor
of a hard life prior to him coming to me, and became my best friend! He resides
in Wyoming on a ranch- retired at age 24 where life is good and his new best
friends are sheep! I miss him so much, but I have many pictures, his show blankets
and tack with his smell to remind me of him and our tough and glorious times
together forever! He will no doubt earn his Unicorn horn in the life hereafter.

Tell me the story of your Noble and Great horse.

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Behind the Mist can be purchased on the website by Thanksgiving:

Trigger - The Smartest Horse in the Movies

2010-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

In Behind the Mist, Book One of The Mist Trilogy, the reader learns that the Noble and Great horses are given the training and skills needed to become unicorns in the after-life and earn their horns. This blog is dedicated to the Noble and Great horses in our lives and throughout history.

1953This was Roy RogerRs favorite poem, it was written by his friend Mike Bright.

Trigger by Mike Bright

You've heard the tales of man and beast

Of how they rose to fame

Here's the story of a horse, that's true,

And Trigger was his name.

A Stable horse - that's what he was;

Just a horse on a movie lot.

But he caught the eye of a cowboy star,

And that horse won't be forgot.

He was a steed of rarest beauty

As he raced across the plain;

That golden palomino

With the flowing tail and mane.

We watched him at the rodeo

As he would rear and bow and prance

You've never seen a horse like that.

Why, that horse could even dance.

We watched him on the movie screen;

The greatest horse of all.

With the king of the cowboys on his back,

He held his head so tall.

When the outlaws got the upper hand

And there seemed to be no hope in sight;

When it seemed his master's doom was sure.

Ole Trigger took up the fight...

The smartest horse in the movies,

that's what they used to say.

But he's the smartest horse that ever lived

And ever came our way...

The Golden Palimino that was owned and ridden by Roy Rogers in his western movies was born in 1932. He was 15.3 hands (a hand is four inches and the measurement is taken at the withers-where the shoulders meet.) He was originally named Golden Cloud. He made his movie debut as Maid Marion's mount in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Roy Rogers bought him in 1938, renamed him "Trigger," and they were together ever since. Rogers even proposed to his wife, Dale Evans while riding Trigger.

Trigger had 150 trick cues and could walk on his hind legs for 50 feet. There was also a Dell comic book made for him and a Breyer horse as well!

Of interest: when Trigger died in 1965, his hide was stretched over a plaster cast and placed in the Roy Rogers, Dale Evans museum in Victorville, CA and latter moved to Branson, MO. When the museum was closed in late 2009, Christi's Auction House sold it in July 2010 for $266,500 to RFD-TV. (If you haven't found this cable station yet, look for it. It has some cool horse programing!) RFD-TV is planning to make a western museum.

Shema, one of the unicorns in Behind the Mist - Book One of The Mist Trilogy, is a beautiful palimino. A palimino is a color of various breed (although they have started their own registry, now.) Trigger was sired by a thoroughbred out of a palimono mare of mixed breed (called a grade.)

Tell me your story of the Noble and Great horse in your life that you think deserves to become a member of the Legion of the Unicorn. Email me at:

mjevansbtm@gmail.com

To purchase the first book of The Mist Trilogy, Behind the Mist, go to:

www.behindthemist.com

Future Unicorns abound at the World Equestrian Games

2010-11-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

This YouTube clip was sent to me by Syd in Castle Rock, Colorado. While this is not my typical post, I wanted you to see this cool video comparing two fabulous dressage horses at the WEG. Hands up everyone who thinks these horses will earn their horns someday!

The World Equestrain Games were held at the Kentucky Horse Park the end of Sept. to mid Oct. of this year. Fabulous horses and riders from most equestrian disciplines were there to show off their Noble and Great horses.

Many Noble and Great horses never see the inside of a show ring. Send me the story of your Noble and Great horse to:

Behind the Mist will be available soon through the website:

Behind The Mist Release

2010-10-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Behind the Mist will be released for sale on the Website before Thanksgiving 2010. It will be available through other sources in January 2011. The website is: www.behindthemist.com

My First Noble and Great Horse

2010-10-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

In Behind the Mist, the first of The Mist Trilogy, the reader learns that the noble and great horses are chosen to become unicorns in the afterlife. After receiving special training, they are awarded their horns. This entire blog is dedicated to the "Noble and Great" horses both in our own lives and throughout history.

      The first Noble and Great horse that I ever knew was my first horse, Tai. Tai, short for Asjieb Taif (Gray Dawn in Arabic-or so I was told,) was a beautiful dabble-gray 3/4 Arab. The first time I saw him, he was galloping across a field, head and tail straight up in true Arab fashion. Tai was just 2 1/2, but since I was only 13, I was too young to realize that this might be a problem. In point of fact, it never was. From the first moment I rode him, he took care of me. I was able to lease him for nearly a year before purchasing him with the $300 that my Godmother had left me. It was my total responsibility to support him myself. By babysitting and cleaning a neighbor's house I was able to pay the $15 per month board, buy feed, horse shoes, the occasional horse show, and my Lake Oswego Pony Club dues. I got to pony club every Saturday morning by riding across town, usually in the rain (this was in Oregon, after all!) Without pony club, I would never have become as good a rider and horsewoman as I am. THANK YOU to all those adults who donated their time!
      Fortunately, Tai was the ultimate "easy keeper:" no special shoes, no special feed, no big vet bills!
      Tai took me where ever I asked whether over 4 foot fences (what was I thinking?) or across rivers. He carried me bareback or let my friends ride double. He was by my side through all of my teen years, and every heartbreak and success was shared with him first. His soft muzzle comforted me through boyfriend problems, girlfriend problems and family problems.
      The only injury I ever suffered was when I asked Tai to go down a steep, muddy slope. He slid down the hill and got his front feet tangled. This caused him to fall onto his side, crushing my left foot. My friends actually brought him into my bedroom to visit me as I lay recuperating and miserable on my bed. My Mom never new that!
      In return for the love and support he gave to me, I gave him my heart, my energy and all of my money! His stall was never dirty, his hooves always clean, his coat thoroughly brushed. He never had to wear dirty tack nor worry about getting his next meal. All of this taught me the importance of hard work and self-reliance. Parents, if you ever have second thoughts about letting your son or daughter get involved with horses, read that last sentence again!
      I sold Tai when I got married as I would be moving to Connecticut with Tom and would not have a place to care for him. The last time I saw Tai, he was marching in the Grand Floral Parade in Portland, Oregon with the Oregon State Univ. equestrian drill team.
      I dedicate this blog to Tai...I'm sure you have earned your unicorn horn by now. I will always love you.

What is your story about the noble and great horses you have known? Send it to me at