HORSE TALES

A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you'll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision...

The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, the mule took off and decided he wanted a piece of that lion. That's when all hell broke loose... for the lion.

As the lion approached the dogs the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, than whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) and stood there ready to continue his ride... as if nothing had just happened.

Fortunately even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off these 4...

It was in the late fall of that year when her people came to the pasture of *KIRAT II, the old bay mare, and led away her companion. This was also her daughter (of three years), and one of her favorites, the lovely bay SS MIMOSA.

The old mare watched and also listened carefully, as her eyes were not as farsighted as they once were. From the sounds, it was clear that her daughter was taken into the barn. Then other sounds made her sure that the weanlings, the young of that season, two of them, were taken together from the barn and loaded into the horse van. When the young ones were settled, one more horse was taken from the barn to the van, which then slowly left the barnyard and headed out the driveway.

She knew in her heart it was MIMOSA, gone somewhere along with the weanling babies. KIRAT looked towards her people, the two she had known for many years, since her younger days in Spain. She fixed them with a long look of great sorrow. Both her people were standing quietly, observing her. One of her people spoke to the other, and that one turned to the barn and spoke to the man who gives care and also brings the good food. In a moment she heard the sound of hooves on the barn floor. Her heart lifted and she gave a happy ringing whinny.

The adored daughter MIMOSA, a special one in her heart, and one that she knew had been to the great competition to be a champion each year of her three years, was still here! Her old ears had deceived her! Then from the barn stepped a young grey mare, about the same age as her MIMOSA, but this one she did not know. She watched. The man brought the young mare to her gate, opened it, brought the young grey inside with her and loosed the halter.

What was this? A stranger in the place of her MIMOSA? How could this be? Well, we'll soon see what this one is made of! The old bay mare walked in her stately way to the young mare and stretched out her nose to give the obligatory sniff of the flank, though her heart wasn't in it. Then KIRAT walked slowly around the young grey mare and stopped in the corner of the pasture, to show clearly that she was not afraid to place herself at a disadvantage against such a puny adversary.

The young grey mare watched carefully, then looked around the entire pasture on the ranch in the desert that she had seen for the first time two days ago. Out of politeness, she stretched her neck toward but not touching the flank of the bay matriarch.

They stood so for a moment in time. No noises or other movement were exchanged. Then the young grey mare, overcome with happiness at being out of the stall with room to gallop, made several gleeful trips around the entire pasture, looking at the views of the river and distant mountains, and also automatically checking to see if there were possible hiding places for predators.

The young mare returned to the vicinity of the old mare, who squealed, stomped a front foot and said, "Don't be so fast. You are rather impetuous, for a newcomer”.

They stood in silence for some moments until the old mare said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am KIRAT. My children number fifteen. My birthplace was a hacienda in Spain, with beautiful bouganvillea growing on the arches in the courtyard. Do you know the definition of a true hacienda, young one?"

"Well," KIRAT continued, "a hacienda must be a major grower of olive oil trees and also must be within fifteen kilometers of Sevilla. This was my birthplace and where I lived happily with my family and friends until these same two people you see here came and put me on a horse van that flew through the air and brought me here, along with a number of friends of mine. In this place we found many things to be different and many things the same from the place of our birth. Now that I have been here many years it seems to me that most things are the same, although I confess that I still do not understand some of their language. It is certainly a good point in our favor that we horses all communicate in the same way, no matter where we originate."

KIRAT paused, sighed, and looked down the driveway, where the horse van had long since disappeared. "And would you care to tell me of your origins? Perhaps I shall find some old friends."

The grey mare said, "I am UA OLA. I have three years. My birthplace was far from here, in Wisconsin, where there is beautiful green hay on the rolling hills all the summertime, and the white and cold that comes in winter, when we eat the beautiful hay that still smells of summer. There I lived happily with my family and friends until very recently when a horse van brought me overland in three days to a ranch in California, where I saw these same two people that are standing there now. In two more days they took me to another ranch, quite near, and there I have had quite an adventure."

"Yes. There they put a saddle on my back and a bridle on my head with a bit in my mouth, and I was ridden,"

OLA continued, "Well, I was ridden for some weeks time, and it's rather nice. You can go out of the pasture to many other places."

KIRAT sniffed again. "Yes, yes, I have many children who are ridden. And tell me, please, would I know your family?"

OLA looked at her thoughtfully. "It is possible. My mother *IVOIRE was indeed born at a farm in Spain, and she has told me that she, too, arrived in this

new land after a long journey in a horse van that flies through the air, and came directly to the farm in Wisconsin where, in due course, I was born. My mother told me this when I was a babe beside her, and these same two people, those

two standing right over there, came there to see us. That was the time that my mother told me that she had seen these people at the farm of her birth in Spain.

"Ah, yes?" said KIRAT, her interest expanding. "But", she continued in an offhand manner, "your mother *IVOIRE is too young. I did not know her. I suppose we shan't know anything more about your mother's family. What a pity! It is possible that I, KIRAT, knew some of them."

OLA stretched her neck out toward the old bay mare, and pricked both ears forward. "But, oh great KIRAT, there is more”.

OLA continued, "My mother has told me of her father, a magnificent stallion of your bay color, whose name was VARDULO. The mother of my mother was BRETANA, famous in Spain for her beauty."

KIRAT looked more closely at OLA. "Was not BRETANA, the young one I knew in Spain, from the father GALERO and the famous mother NOMBELA? I remember, when NOMBELA went to the great competition with three of her children, *DELICIA, BRETANA, and GEBEL TARIK. I remember quite clearly that NOMBELA was highly honored for the beauty of her offspring. Is this your grandmother?"

OLA said faintly "Yes, she is. You said you knew her?" KIRAT replied, "Of course I knew the famous NOMBELA, and her mother as well, the also famous LOPAZ, a daughter of ZURICH. LOPAZ flew in the big horse van over the ocean to South America. At the age of 22."

"Well," said KIRAT. "Please continue if you can. you have only told me much about your mother's family. We know nothing of your father?"

OLA gave a little squeal, and tossed her head. "Yes of course I know my father, as he was born and still lives at my birthplace of the beautiful green fields in Wisconsin. My father is UA LEGACY. He is a son of *FIGUROSO, who went to the competition at the age of twenty and won everyone's heart with the power and beauty of his exhibition when shown in liberty. My grandmother is *EFIGIE. She has been to the competition many times and has high honors when being driven to a shiny buggy and also when ridden by a man in a beautiful suit with a long coat. I am very close to my grandmother *EFIGIE, and she has told me that her mother, my great-grandmother KADOFA, was not able to fly to this country but was destined to remain in Spain near the place of her birth at the Military farm in the south of Spain."

KIRAT lowered her head slightly and looked hard at OLA. "Ah, yes, KADOFA. I knew her from my younger days. At one time we lived together at the same farm. KADOFA had beautiful children of good character."

OLA went on, "KADOFA could not come here, but she sent to represent her four daughters, *JEZABEL, *IBERIA, *GALAXIA, and *EFIGIE, my grandmother. My grandmother also traveled with me in the horse van from Wisconsin to this place, and now I have seen my grandmother *EFIGIE being ridden by that lady standing there, the one we know."

"Yes, said KIRAT, she and that gentleman there have ridden some of my children. The children all seemed to enjoy being ridden."

KIRAT looked over her shoulder down the road after the departed horse van. "Yes, that is true. I myself have 29 years. Some of my early children have remained in Spain, and some are right here at this place. One has just left here today, surely to do something important...surely we will see her here again."

OLA said, "As you know, I have three years." The young grey mare paused and sighed. "I do miss my family and don't know why I am here."

KIRAT gave her another long look, and sniffed a light sniff. "Well, my dear, it is clear that they brought you here to grow up strong and tall before you are ridden again. And. if they have put you with me here, it is for you to have the benefit of my many years of wisdom, certainly." KIRAT looked off across the horizon. "But really I don't think I care for the job. The only ones I want to guide now are my own children."

KIRAT raised on her toes and looked down at the young mare. "As I said, I have twenty-nine years and am not expecting my own child this year."

OLA ruminated a bit longer. "Then please, O KIRAT, could I be the one to learn from your wisdom this year? For instance, I would much enjoy hearing tales of your ancestors."

KIRAT rose up majestically on her toes. "Well, yes, there are many stories of my family. Yes, well,......... manana.…………we shall talk again another day.”

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