|
| |
Stubbs, 6 yo
Barbara Wooten - Del Toro
I was a middle aged woman who had a childhood dream of owning a "real" mustang. (what little girl doesn't have this dream?). I have had horses all my life, won my first
trophy at 7 and never looked back. Until the day I was 9 (in 1962) and in New Mexico with my sister. We came across a band of wild horses. I still have the picture I took
of a palomino stallion, guarding his mares.
Fast forward 49 years and countless horses later, my husband pointed out an adoption to take place just 75 miles away. I informed myself, prepared a pen and got
approved, "just in case". I left very early, took the stock trailer, "just in case" and was there before dawn. What a wonderful day! I was completely amazed at the horses there.
So many big,beautiful animals! I picked out a yearling mare, gorgeous pure black and fairly calm.
To pass the time I went through the pens again and came accross this tiny,
skinny, dirty sorrel filly with no ears (frozen off as a baby). Everyone around was saying that she should be put down because she was so ugly and in such bad shape.
She spotted me and came over, immediatly I knew she was coming home with me. My husband thought I had gone clean 'round the bend!!
Anyone ever hear the
story of the "ugly duckling"? I have had her 6 years now and people driving down the road will stop to ask about her. She ended up being a flaxen sorrel,
16 hands and 1100 pounds! I took her to the prison in Inid, OK to be broke and trained, since because of health (and age) problems I could not do it
myself as I have in the past. She came back a joy to ride, almost completely bomb proof. Now my husband wants me to join the "Extreme Cowboy Races".
Apparently mustangs do very well there.
There will never be any other breed for me. Such fasinating, intelligent, confident horses, so different from domestics.
By the way, the black filly ended up having chipped her hip during capture and could never be ridden, so I gave her to the "Wild animal Orphanage". They were
very happy to have her and she can never go anywhere else. She is there for life.
|
|
