Meet Our Horses!
JJ Magnum Alert
Meet JJ Magnum Alert, aka Pie!
Pie is an 21 yr old purebred Arabian horse with the distinction of being a son of International Champion Magnum Psyche. He came to me from a lovely couple in Helena who adored him and rode trails with him for many years. Pie was once a champion Hunter/Jumper show horse until an injury interrupted his career. When his owners saw my request for therapy horses they contacted me and told me about Pie. Naturally, I was thrilled!!! Then they filled me in on his history and his career ending injury.
Without using any technical medical terms, he had an injury to his hindquarters that damaged a tendon. The tendon healed, but healed shortened. Pie walks with a permanent limp. Actually, more of a "hitch in his giddy-up." He is not in pain, or limited from riding in any way, but to the untrained eye (sometimes even the trained eye!) he looks really hurt! But thankfully, he's not. He has had his "hitch" for years now, and is doing well.
When his owners told me about it, I was, well, wowed and humbled. You see, I have nearly the exact same thing!! My right leg has a shortened tendon from birth, and like Pie, I limp and toe walk on that foot! Not as pronounced as Pie's gait, but nonetheless. I couldn't say no! So Pie came to live with us.
He is a trail horse, a lesson horse, and therapy horse. Like all our senior horses he gets to participate in light work that is actually good for that shortened tendon. So, if you see us riding an obviously "gimpy" horse, no worries, it's just Pie! Come over and say hello!! Better yet, come out for a ride. His odd gait takes a few minutes to get used to, but after a bit, it's hardly noticeable. He an absolute joy to ride! To the lovely couple, thank you so much for sharing him with us. He has a forever home at Thunder Ridge Riding Center!
Cricket
Once in a lifetime, you find THAT horse . . .
Way back at my first horse barn, the old man who owned it would say, "Every horse is for sale." I was only 10 then, and when I asked about buying Beauty, he told me her price was $10,000!! This old, tired, beat up, hack horse for $10,000!? I thought that this horse would be the cheapest one, except for old Peanut. To me she was just an old plug! Something that I thought would be affordable! Then he explained that Beauty was worth so much to him because she was safe, dependable, healthy, and honest.
Every horse is worth something, some more than others. Cricket is worth $20,000 in pure gold to me! She is well trained, safe, dependable, and HONEST.
Cricket came to me from a young lady that lives not too far from the ranch. I don't really remember her reasons for sharing Cricket with us, but I'm forever grateful that she did!! Cricket is an alumni of the Natural Horsemanship School at University of Montana - Western in Dillon, Montana. She still needs a little advanced training, but she is remarkable with children! As my ace lesson horse, I can remove her bridle and work with children as young as 5 years old on her back, with nothing but my voice and the lunge whip (not a whip really, but an "aid," an extension of my arm). She very carefully carries then around the round pen while they do exercises on her back, often without a saddle! If she feels them losing their balance, she stops, and waits for them to settle before moving on.
For older beginners, she is the perfect teacher. When they get it right, she responds beautifully! If they don't quite have it down, she will not move!
My advanced riders love her! She is a wonderful trail horse for beginners as well as advanced riders. She is responsive, steady, and confident herself, and I haven't seen her "spook" at anything yet! She is truly an honest horse!
If you would like to meet a $20,000 horse, come and meet Cricket. Go for a ride!! Then you can say you rode a $20,000 horse!!
I will be adding
Perm, Susan, Ice, Fred, Quita, Brava, Sunny, Juniper, and Argo,
so check back often!!