Mystic Rain's Story
by Janet (Stanley) Hanks, Owner

In January of 2003 I lost my job. I was feeling very depressed and had no ambition to speak of. In February some friends of mine said they were going to drive out to Palomino Valley Holding facility to pick up some Mustangs they had wanted. They asked me if I wanted to go with them as they needed another driver and I just needing to do something. So I agreed to go with them.

When we got to the facility, one of the ladies I had come up with pointed to a horse off in the distance of one of the large corrals. She said that that was the horse she wanted. Her daughter got the binoculars and took a closer look at the horse. She said Oh, mom, she has blue eyes, you don't want her She was clearly disappointed, but she didn't want the horse anymore, for some reason she doesn't like horses with blue eyes. All I saw was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen. I told her if you won't take her I will. I was not even on this trip to get a horse but something about that horse called to me, if was like she was there waiting for me to come and get her.

We went out into the corral with the facility staff to get a closer look, and what I say left me in awe. She was a black and white pinto mare. She had a Medicine Hat (where the face is white and the ears are covered, like a hat), and the most beautiful shade of blue eyes. Her coat was white and she had a few large black spots on her body. She also had a spot on the side of her face, just under her right eye that looked like a rain drop or a tear drop. As I said this horse was mine, I had to have her; she was calling to my weary spirit. We went up to the office to start the paperwork and while we were up there some other people were looking at horses. Just as I signed my name to the adoption form one of those people called up to the office asking if my horse was available. It makes me think all the time, If we had been even a half hour later I would have missed her. The horse that was meant for me would have gone to someone else.

When I got her home my niece and I decided to name her Mystic Rain. There are many Native American Tribes that believe Medicine Hats are powerful horses, they are mystical and can protect there owner from harm. It is also said that the animals with blue eyes are great messengers. Her spot below her eye looked like a rain drop to me so Mystic Rain was her name.

It didn't take long to realize that she was a smart horse. We had her halter trained within a week. By two weeks my 11 year old niece could run into the corral from under the bars and hug her neck. When we started her under saddle I had only had her four weeks. She was such a good horse and a fast learner that I was able to put my niece on her and lead her around the round pen. I decided that she was looking to heavy for her body frame, so I took her to the vet where I was informed that she would have a foal in about 30 days! So training was put on hold.

The foal arrived at 2:30am at night on May 29th 2003. I was about to go to bed when I decided to check on her one last time. It was a good thing I had. The foal was on its way and the shoulder was stuck behind her pelvic bone. I didn't have any idea how long she had been struggling with the delivery but I had to help. I grabbed the foals front feet and when she pushed, I pulled. I could feel when the shoulder came loose and the foal slid out almost all the way. Within seconds Mystic was cleaning her new baby and the foal, a filly, was up in a matter of minutes. I couldn't believe my eyes, she looked just like her mommy, down to a dark spot under her right eye as well (even thought hers was bigger than her mothers). The only differences were that the foals color was a light brown and she had brown eyes instead of blue. Her name is Choctaw Magic.

After a month or so we resumed training. By July 4th we had her being lead in a parade with baby at her side. By the end of summer I was taking her on trail rides around our neighborhood, on occasions we join a trail ride with various groups through the Santa Anna River bottom and we started Gymkhana in the fall. She has been in the top four placing all three years we rode gymkhana and we were only a few points off of first place the last season we rode. She is such a bright horse, I can put beginners on her and she acts like a seasoned kids horse, she won't move above a trot if she feels that you are an unsure rider or too young to run. She loves children and she lives to please. Her foal has turned out to be a very good horse as well; Magic starts her first season of Gymkhana this fall.

I don't know what possessed me to adopt a horse that day, with no job; all I knew was that I had to have her. She was made to be with me. I feel with my whole heart that she was sent to be with me, to make me happy and whole; to have something that gave me purpose and meaning. To this day, six years later, she still greats me with a whinny when she sees me, and if she is lying down she will let me lie with her for a while. She is my mystic horse, sent to give me hope and love. A messenger with blue eyes to tell me it would be okay.

And on August 3rd 2009 she gave birth to a painted mule filly foal we named Two-part Harmony or Harmony for short.