……. in a world far older and more complex than ours, they move more finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear….. Henry Reston 1928
The photos presented in this section depict many of the horses I have worked with over the years.
These horses were important in my life and this reminiscing has given me much pleasure.
My hope in that the viewer will understand, and possibly cast back into their own memories.
1 - 1968 -- nice minded little gray Arab cross mare, Silver. Photo taken on the outskirts of Calgary. All houses now. Our young lab pup, Della, would accompany us. Della stars in a Stories-long…(Coitus….)
2 - 1972 -- Buck. Quarter horse. Bought as a yearling. Discovered he had contracted strangles, a respiratory disease, the short time he was at the auction. Took a year to bring it under control. Big willing gelding. Trained up well. Sold as a five-year-old.
3 - 1973 -- Buck at a horse show. Placing in hunt seat. Good-looking rider helps.
4 - 1973 -- a nice little quarter horse mare, Secrets Smoke. Bought from a breeder in southern Alberta as 2 year old. Trained up well. Raised two good foals. A colt here at side, and a nice filly later, DD.
5 - 1973 -- some of my horses “chowing” down. The pooch is from Africa. Owned by my sister, just back from a teaching job in Ghana. Am sure had never seen a horse before. Nice pup but no training. What can you say to your favorite, and only, sister. Was glad to see him go. Just taught my dogs bad habits.
6 - 1975 -- Otoe, big stout quarter horse gelding. From little Secret Smoke. Here ponying a growthy three-year old filly. Racing bloodlines. Turned out okay too.
7 - 1976 -- Bob. Second smartest horse I ever owned. As a colt was terrified of cows but ended up as a pretty good rope horse.
8 - 1986 -- Miss D Day King. Out of Secret Smoke. Called her DD. Birthday June 3. Old-timers may recognize the date. D Day. Invasion of Europe 1944.
Nicely put together and handsome.
But like all good looking gals, sort of tough to handle.
One of my very favorite horses. See Videos ( No Bridle)
9 - 1986 -- portrait of DD. She was very vain. Said this was her best side.
10 - 1986 -- Nighthawk. A fine Arab gelding. Built along old foundation bloodlines, good bone, good muscle, good mind. Trained up easy and went to a good home.
11 -- 1986 -- Rocky. A Registered Paint.
This was a nicely put together gelding. Bought as a non-started two-year old stud. Trained up well.
Good in the mountains and around home. Should have kept him, but in those days could not keep them all.
12 - 1986. -- Rocky again. A kind eye and was a kind horse.
13 - 1986 – Tivio. Gelding. Bought as a yearling. Quarter horse. Probably the most athletic horse I ever had on the place. Had a good mind although he did dump me really good one time.
Not sure of his final fate. Sold to a good home. Understand he later got cut up playing or fighting with another horse across a barbed wire fence. Shouldn’t happen.
14 - 1995 -- Blue. A big ranchy gray quarter horse gelding. Bought him at a quarter horse breeders sale. As a two-year old, I think. Had been started. Nice horse. Another keeper but had too many. Sold to a friend as a six or seven year old.
15 - 1995 -- dun quarter horse gelding, medium size. Called him Dunny. Well bred, good mind, good mover. Took training well. Calm and willing in the mountains.
One of those horses a guy should never have sold. I believe he ended up as a rodeo rope horse. Which is okay as those folks generally look after their horses.
16 - 2000 -- my horses, plus a visiting black, on their home pasture. Given their “druthers”, where they would prefer to spend their entire life.
No humans to screw up their day.
17- 2001 -- Appy. A super little Appaloosa gelding. Purchased as a three-year-old in 1997 from Randy Rabbit, Montana Reserve, Hobbema. Smooth as silk. Fast walker. Great horse in the mountains; could really make time. Lost his tail as a five-year old. This photo taken six months later. See Stories-long (Tale of a Tail). As a ten-year-old developed a front hoof problem. Lots of Vet work but no recovery. Sadly had to put him down.
18 - 2003 -- Trapper. For many years my main man, locally and in the mountains. Still use him. He stars in some of the mountain pictures. Born 1988. Big strong gelding. Close to 16 hands .
Careful and surefooted. Always felt secure on big Trap. He has plowed through high water we probably should not have been in. Due to his bulk, sprung a little heavy. As I age, notice that more.
Quite athletic for his size. Can perform a number of dressage movements, which meet my low standards. Has some faults, naturally (can get a bit cranky). Easily handled.
19 - 2004 -- Wyatt. A seven year old gelding when purchased in 2004 from some good people in Saskatchewan: the Donauers, Anne and Troy. Registered as a “solid” Paint.
Stout, short, surefooted, good mind, smooth as silk. Fastest walking horse I have ever sat on. Will knock an hour off a five hour journey in the mountains. Taking the load off Trapper.
Purchased from the Internet. I always said I would never buy anything that way. But had traveled the country looking to replace my Appaloosa. His description was accompanied by a good photograph. Just what I was after.
Had a trainer friend in the region, Cliff Elliot, check him out. Said he was as good as he looked.
I should add, in the picture there was a little girl on his back. I thought “if that little girl can ride him so can I”.
20 - 2006 -- horse with an adopted fawn. This unusual photo was taken by an American forester, Melanie Miller.
The fawn mothered up with some nearby horses. The doe returned later to claim her baby and everything worked out well, I understand.
There is a message here about the nature of horses.
21 - 2006 -- Marathon Margo. Mike. Big bay gelding. Born 1983. Super all-round horse, mountains and ranch work. Has always been the big favorite around our place. Now semi-retired.
Bought as a three-year old from a cutting horse breeder, Don Hunt. Thought I would go into cutting at one time and did a bit of it. Great sport. Nice people.
Bill Speight, who trained him up, said Mike could be an open horse i.e. could compete in the open classes, which are the most competitive. Bill kindly didn’t add …but the rider has to know more than the horse.
