Now that the move is almost done, we are trying to get some new pictures of everyone. This is a daunting task with so many horses, but we are determined to get it done. At the Visitor Center, we have newly retired flat racers, QMR Comet and QMR Cupid to show off as well as ZA/IL Prince of the Nite; our Sabino Palomino Thoroughbred. He has just earned himself a new title! Monte from the HJC, now with 80 points with them! He didn't seem to mind the new surroundings much or the spectators looking on as we did our photo shoot. That's right! We have opened our doors to the town to visit our facility and view some of our horses up close! It is quite the feat dealing with the visitors and the horses and the training, but we have a great group of staff members and several in training. Everyone is excited to see how this year will go, now that the facilities are complete! We have also moved our new Mini into the barn with our ponies. MM Silver Dutch Destiny is now our resident Mini American Pony (future) Stud. His profile is in the works, don't worry...and we are going to be showing him with the PBA for a while before breeding him with Sweetheart. For now, he is enjoying his new open pasture. Let the games/races begin! |
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We have continued the move by bringing in our Draft horses and a few of our other breeds. It was a busy week with all of the moves, but everyone has handled it well and has adjusted pretty quickly. We are also preparing to say good bye to a few of our horses. We will be putting some up for sale once the move has been completed. More information on that when we get closer to that date. :)
For now, enjoy a peek at some of the horses that have been moved in, you'll notice a few that don't have profiles up. With this big move, I am trying to get everyone who has been missed here on the site and get it all re-organized. Enjoy! That's right! We are officially moving in to our new facilities! There are still a few small details to be made on some areas, but enough has been done that we can start moving some horses in. We started with our little Chincoteague Ponies, Jubilee and her colt, Stormy, and beautiful sooty Buckskin splash. The two tested out their new, private little pasture and seemed very happy with it. After we let them them settle in and finished a few things on the some other pastures, we started moving the Thoroughbreds in. Just in time too since we had 3 mares heavy in foal. Two were born just this morning and the other is showing signs that she will be delivering in the next few days. It is an exciting time!
When building the facilities, we took a look around at many people's facilities to get some ideas on what to build. One thing that we loves was the use of high, thick bush fencing for some of our paddocks seen at Silver Dragon Estate. We couldn't do the whole facility that way, but it was used for our foaling mares, performance horses and ponies. We also used it for our stud and Draft barn. We also liked the idea of a simple facility seen by so many out there and used a weathered stone for our buildings. We felt that it gave it a nice comforting feel, instead of a colder feel of a crisp white facility. What do you think? Soon, we will be moving in the rest of the horses, but for now, here are a few of the snap shots that we took! Yes, I am looking back at the recent months, but also at the past year...2014 that is. For QMR, it was a big year with lots of changes and 2015 has started out the same way. There were lots of Flat races with bid wins and big loss, but some fun changes as well. As mentioned on our home page, we are now partnered with Centennial Farms, Inc. for our Racing Thoroughbreds, a switch that is taking alot of time with so much going on, but one that we are very excited about. Right now, all of our Thoroughbred Flat racers can still be found at our old website with updated racing stats here; this is only because I have been busy creating this site and haven't gotten to creating their profiles over at Centennial Farms. I will though, hopefully in the next month or two.
In 2014, we also had several first time breedings take place, resulting in many mixed or cross-bred foals. I will also be creating a page at QMR Legacy, but for now, our 2014 foals can be found Here. It was an exciting time for Quiet Meadows Ranch and we hope to continue doing such breedings in the future. We also welcomed many future TB flat racers into the world and have even seen some of them climbing the ranks already. It is such a lovely sight to see that our bloodlines are out there and doing so well. As Winter approached, the Christmas spirit began to take hold and some fun winter photos were taken with a few of our horses, Joker Jack played in the snow Cheyenne and a few of our stock racers enjoyed a fun roam in the large pasture as a light snowfall began, so much so that they didn't want to come back and required some persuasion to come in from the cold. As we got ready for the end of 2014, we sent many of our racing TBs and several show horses to leasing homes where they can continue to compete. With all of the work needing to be done here, it was decided that it was in their best interest to take a little journey. Several people offered to help in our time of need and we are forever in their debt. Despite all of the work we did welcome a few new horses and breeds to QMR. A Campolina stallion, 2 new Gypsy Vanner mares, some stock horses, a Clydesdale and Clydesdale mix, and the most recent, a British Warmblood, which we have never owned before. It will be an exciting year, that is for sure, and all of the staff at QMR are excited to see what happens! Here is a look back at some of the recent happenings at QMR: We've had 3 new arrivals in the past few weeks and one that we never introduced so I am including him here too. The first one to arrive was WHR Crossroads; a handsome appaloosa stallion that is joining our Western team. He came with 20 points total and will be competing in Reining and Trail Riding. The second horse we purchased was a new breed to QMR, a Buckskin Tennesee Walking Horse filly named Tavern Creek's High Fashion. She will be competing in a new discipline for us, Saddleseat. She is a beautiful girl and we all excited to have her and start competing in a new discipline! The last to join the team, was RCC Hollywood's Lonesome Ghost; a Cremello AQH colt. He is ready to start competing in Reining and Working Cow Horse, also a new discipline at QMR. I have been looking for a Cremello Stock horse for quite a while and finally found a great one! He is all registered and ready to go so now, I am just waiting for a show to enter him; but right now, he is having some fun in the pasture. We also had Joker Jack KS earn himself a new title, the Coryphee with the Dressage Federation with over 100 pts. He has been doing so well since coming here and I am so excited to have him! Joker now has a combined total of 116pts.
WRNGs Belle Soleil also earned herself a new title with the DBA, the DBA Excellent Equine Award with over 50 pts with them. She now has a combined total of 139 pts. These 2 horses are featured on the home page for their accomplishments and I can't wait to see what they do in the future! It’s been a few weeks now since we brought out little painted colt home. Chuck and I took suggestions from the staff and came up with the name, Haunted Symphony, or "Echo" for short. He has grown wonderfully and Sadie has taken to motherhood quite well with him. She has grown to be very protective of him, like a good mother should; but I worry, perhaps a bit too much. I worried for several days about him until we saw him figure out how to run. After that, he showed me that there was nothing to worry about anymore. He was just fine. It was so cute as he first took a little trot across the pasture. His eyes got wide with excitement, and then he figured out how to propel himself into the air, jumping around like a bunny in the snow. It was like he was testing himself, how high could he go? Then by accident, he went flying and realized that he was running. He held his head high to let the wind blow through his thin little mane. Sadie watched as the foal ran off some energy. I thought she would do that the whole day, but all of a sudden, she began running beside him tossing her mane in the air and kicking her feet up. It was like she was a foal again too. It was such a sweet moment to witness. We've been so busy lately with Echo and the racers that we haven't had a chance to get back out to see Millie and Showmane. I wonder how they made it up to the Overlook and if the bachelors gave them any trouble. Millie certainly has to have had the foal by now; her stomach was looking so big. Hopefully she didn't have any problems like Echo's mother did. I would hate to think Millie being in such pain. As we quickly made our way home, Chuck and I heard an unsettling sound as a decent drizzle began to fall. The sound was full of pain, it was clearly a horse, but we couldn't see where it was coming from. Despite trying to get home quick, we slowly, we were able to follow the sound and found a mare in trouble. She was trying to give birth but was in terrible shape. The drizzle that had fallen only made things worse for her; the ground was soft and wet, the mud was covering most of her body. Clearly, she had been trying to find a good position, but hadn't been able to. She looked weak and tired, her quiet moans and cries broke my heart. At first, Chuck and I didn't know if we should intervene, but to let nature take its course. But neither of us could leave her there in pain, suffering like she was. Chuck dismounted from Strix and slowly and calmly made his way down to her. She was lying in between two hills, usually a nice place to quietly give birth, but not this time. The water was collecting around her and her feet began to slip beneath her as she tried to stand up. The mare's eyes widened as she saw Chuck approach. He held his hand out, talking softly to her, "easy girl. It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you." Chuck had always had a way with horses, and she calmed down. She called out again as another contraction took hold. She grunted and put her head back down on the ground. Her chest and belly rose and fell quickly as she tried to recover after each one. Chuck placed his hand on her stomach and patted her neck. I watched as he whispered to her, but I couldn't make it out this time. He softly let his hand brush across her side as he made his way to take a look at the foal. Everything looked good, the foal had good placement and the front hooves were out. Then Chuck realized what the problem was. The foal was big, possibly too big; causing her to have such difficulty. Chuck knew then, that he had to see if he could help her deliver the foal. With every push, he pulled. After a few times, he came back up to me and grabbed a rope to try and get some better leverage. The foal was proving to be difficult. He wrapped the coarse rope around the foal's legs and pulled again as the mare pushed. It started looking like they were making some progress as the foal's nose came into view. "Come on girl!" I heard him say, encouraging her to keep going. She was tiring and wasn't putting as much effort into each push anymore. I knew Boron and Strix wouldn't venture too far, so I jumped down to help. I quickly made it to the mare and encouraged her to keep on; not to give up. Her nostrils flared as she tried to catch her breath. Ever push was extremely difficult for her, she was so weak, so tired. I wondered how long she had been at this. The mud was covering most her face, so I rubbed some off so she could see and breathe better. She was nervous with us there, I could tell; but I think she was too incapacitated to do anything. As more contractions came, Chuck pulled. Every push was a move in the right direction until finally, the foal was out. The mare took a deep breath and looked at her foal. She locked eyes with Chuck for a moment and then laid her head back down and closed her eyes for the last time. Just then, her last breath left her. I held her head in my lap and rubbed her face. She wasn't a very old mare; the foal was just too much for her. I cried for her and her foal. The two would never meet and now, and we had a new foal to care for. Chuck, now covered in mud along with the foal, tried to wipe the mud away. The foal was breathing and alert despite the ordeal. We could tell it was a painted foal, but the mud made it difficult to tell any more. The drizzle started again and we needed to hurry. I softly put the mare's head back on the ground and walked around to see the foal before grabbing my camera and taking a few pictures. The foal was a colt, he cried for his mother, but got no rereply. "We have to get him out of here." Chuck told me. The mud was going to make it difficult for him to even try to get to his feet and with the mare gone, we knew it wouldn't be long before a predator would come along. Chuck whistled and Boron and Strix came down to us. Chuck lifted the foal onto Strix as I got on Boron. With the drizzle changing to a full rain, we had to move quickly. We went as fast as we could with a foal and before long we made it to Dr, Rowley's office at the Stud Barn. "Dr. Rowley!" we both called out. By now, the rain had washed most of the mud off of the colt and I was able to tell it was a sorrel painted colt. He stayed calm as Chuck got him off of Strix and carried him into the barn. Dr. Rowley came running out as we hurried in, making our way over to the stall just outside the office. Chuck put him down on the stall floor and Dr. Rowley rubbed his head. "Where did you find this guy?" he asked with a quizzical look on his face. Chuck and I told him the story of how we found his mother and helped with the delivery. Then he entered the stall to take a look. The colt just looked at us, twitching his ears and shaking the water off of his head. He looked to be in good shape considering all he had been through, but could he stand? We waited to see. As his coat began to dry Chuck called to him. "Come on now, get up." The colt looked right at him and whinnied back. "Come on, you can do it." Back and forth the two talked to each other. Dr. Rowley looked at me, "if he can get up and is healthy, we're going to need a mare to nurse him or he is going to need around the clock care." I thought for a moment, Sadie, our Clydesdale mare had just given birth to a still born foal. She would definitely have enough milk. "You'd better get her over here" he told me. I called over to the Draft Barn to Maryann and asked her and Ronan to bring her over. Sadie had been moping about the last few days since the loss of her foal. I was hoping she would accept the colt as her own and he could help her recover as well. Only time would tell, but first, we had to get the colt to his feet. By the time I got back to the stall, the colt was on his feet; wobbly, but on his feet. He looked at Chuck and myself and whinnied again with joy. He was proud of himself! "What an amazing little colt" I said with a smile. Chuck was laughing to himself as well as he knelt down. The colt sloppily made his was over to Chuck and nuzzled his face, then whinnied again. "He's hungry" Dr. Rowley said. By now, it had been almost two hours since he was born, we needed to get Sadie here quick. Just then, the barn doors opened and in walked Ronan with Sadie behind him. She was holding her head a bit lower than normal until she heard the quiet call of the colt. Her ears perked up as she got closer to the stall. "Hi Sadie." I said as I rubbed her neck and nose. "What do you think of your new foal?" I asked as Chuck moved further into the stall. He wanted to be close in case Sadie did the unthinkable. She lowered her big head down and sniffed the colt. He whinnied to her and sniffed her in return. Sadie took a step closer and licked his neck. He moved forward and nuzzled his head to her chest and whinnied again. It looked like Sadie was going to accept the colt! Chuck took hold of her halter and led her into the stall as the colt followed her around and quickly began to nurse. Sadie's eyes widened for a moment as the colt drank with earnest. She looked back at him and licked his hind quarter. The pair was going to be just fine. Chuck closed the stall door and watched for a bit as the two became better acquainted. It didn't take long before the foal was tired and ready for a nap. He finished nursing; his mouth now covered in milk and moved to Sadie's other side before clumsily lying down to nap. Sadie lifted her hind hoof and closed her eyes, content with her new found purpose. "Go on home now." Dr. Rowley told us. I'll keep an eye on them he said as we walked out of the barn. We hadn't noticed until then that Ronan had been kind enough to unsaddle and put Boron and Strix away for us. "They can stay here for the night." Dr. Rowley said, "Take my truck. I'm sure you'll want to come back in the morning so I can get it back then." He continued. It had been a long and exhausting day. So much to remember, plus I had so many photos to go through after our outing in the valley. But my biggest question was, "What are we going to call him?" I asked Chuck as we drove down the bumpy muddy road. He just looked and smiled at me in silence as the now heavy rain batted against the truck. To be continued...
Today, Chuck and I decided to venture out again to visit Showmane and his band. It’s been a few weeks since we were able to visit and I wonder how his mares are doing. Did Millie, the blue roan have her foal yet? Is Ember growing nicely? I was excited, but it took us a while to figure out where they were. We tried to go up to Look Out Mountain first. It was a long ride up to the top, almost 3 hours; but once we were there, we could see quite a bit of Painted Island. The Shadow Forest off to the left was thick and deep, hiding all kinds of secrets; I’d imagine. Named for its tall trees that cast large shadows across its floor, the Shadow Forest is a favorite place for the Mustangs to take shelter during the hot summer days. It holds mineral deposits and bits of snow that melt slowly because it rarely sees direct sunlight, giving the horses a reserve to cool down or eat when they are desperate. Off to the right was the thicker, darker forest and mountains, called Avalanche Range. The mountains are nearly always covered with at least some snow and the forest is so thick, the horses don’t venture there often. That is, unless they are trying to get to the Overlook. I know I have seen a mountain lion or two trailing the edge of the forest in the past, so my guess is that that is the reason why. The mountain lion is the only real predator around for the Mustangs. They are quiet and effective hunters so the Mustangs must be vigilant in watching out for them. The Overlook can give the horses a secluded place to spend their time, once they are there. It is high above the valley with rocks around the edges of the clearing. Open for the sun and large enough for the foals to run, it gives a lovely spot for when the horses need a break from other horses. The old man that lived here before told me that he had never seen more than one band here at a time; making me wonder if there was a hierarchy of some kind. In the middle was the vast valley made up of small hills and open ground for the horses and foals to run and graze. With some areas covered in tall grasses and others with well-worn ground, it was a great area to view and photograph the horses. There were a few sporadic trees and bushes throughout that must have sprung up from the forests, carried by the wind or birds. They offered bits of shade for the foals to rest or play in and gave me a great place to view and learn about the interactions that the bands have with each other. While looking around across the land, we noted a bachelor band over towards the overlook. The band was made up of several horses of varying colors, but one in particular caught my eye. It was an overo painted seal brown colt of decent stature and size. It was hard to make out what his approximate age was, but he stood out and I hoped to be able to get a closer look at him soon. The bachelors were clearly just enjoying life, playing and practicing their fighting skills that they would need when they are older to win a mare. Panning over to the valley, I saw Showmane and his band. All of the mares were accounted for except Millie. I didn’t see her anywhere around. Had she gone to have her foal or did he lose her to another stallion? Chuck and I quickly began the long trek down the mountain and towards the band. Before we left the mountain top, though, I smiled as Ember was being her normal energetic self, trying to get the light dun filly to play with her. I looked up at the sky while Boron and I followed Chuck and Strix; it was such a lovely shade of blue that day with very few clouds anywhere in sight. “Today is going to be a good day.” I thought to myself. I was hoping that by the time we got down to the valley, Millie would show up with her little foal. Four hours later, we finally found the band. Grazing not far from where we saw them. Showmane saw us; he looked at us carefully for a few moments until he put his head back down to grab a mouthful of grass. The young Nightshade was always by his side. I wasn’t sure which his lead mare, Millie or Nightshade was yet, but Nightshade definitely had a bond with him. Ember explored a little ways away from her mother for a bit before returning and nursing. She was growing quickly. Now close to 2 months old, she was beginning to thicken up a bit. Her long legs were giving her more speed to run, which it was clear she loved to do. The two year old light dun named Goldie was the closest thing Ember had to playmate and she did her best to encourage her to play; nipping and neighing to her, as if to say “come on, come get me!” She was a cutie. Her coat was deepening too, already a beautiful hue of amber red. Nightshade saw us too, looking at her stallion and seeing that he was not unsure of us, she grazed and allowed Ember to run about. Her body had thinned down a bit since the birth of Ember. I was sure she was pregnant, but she certainly wasn’t showing it yet. I could have watched them for days as they groomed each other; until a band of bachelors interrupted their relaxation. The bachelor band was not the same one we saw on the Overlook. This band had a large mature black bachelor named Wildheart. He was a bold colt heavy set for his age and gearing up to claim a mare of his own. Showmane began to grow unsettled as the bachelors moved closer. He stomped his feet in disapproval but when they approached him, he gave the first one a swift kick with his rear legs. Wildheart approached, holding his head high, his nostrils flaring and his chest out proud. He too pawed at the ground. It was clear; he wouldn’t back down as easily as the first bachelor. Showmane, heavy set himself, grunted and backed up to Wildheart before kicking forcefully and landing a solid blow to the chest and shoulder. Wildheart reared and kicked back; Showmane turned and reared, kicking and biting at him. As the two horses landed back down, Showmane was able to get a bite on Wildheart, causing him to turn and run. Showmane chased after him and the other bachelors over the nearby hill before returning back to his band. He snaked his family together away from the bachelors before stopping at the top of a hill and watching the bachelors from a far. He looked around, making sure no other horses were around, but Wildheart wasn’t giving up quickly. He too stood atop a distant hill, watching Showmane and the band. The two horses matched glances for a moment before Showmane turned to the band and snaked them further away. For now, it seemed the disagreement had been settled, but something told me that it wouldn’t be the last time I saw that bold bachelor. We followed the band from afar; capturing the little moments between the members. As they walked, Nightshade took the lead with Ember close behind. To get separated would have been death for the filly. Goldie was right behind Ember and Showmane not far behind her. From time to time, I watched as he raised his nose to sky, he was sniffing the air and could tell that Goldie was beginning to go into heat. This would make things a bit tougher for him and more likely that other stallions and bachelors would be challenging him. I knew where he wanted to go; the Overlook. It was secluded enough to give them some privacy, but what he didn’t know was that there was already a bachelor band there; waiting for just such an opportunity. The band stopped though at the edge of the forest. They were waiting for Millie. They had to be. She must have been close by, but why would she choose such a dangerous place? Surely there must have been a better place to give birth; further away from the forest. After about an hour or so, Millie appeared; but she was alone and still pregnant. Where had she been if she wasn’t giving birth? Why would she separate herself from the protection of the band? But then, I saw the reason. Showmane had lost her to another band stallion. He was a taller blue roan with only one other mare. Showmane was clearly excited to see her and quickly made his way over to her. She greeted him, nibbling his face, but the other stallion quickly moved over to break up the happy reunion. Despite having lost her once, Showmane was determined not to lose her again. He stood up to the tall stallion, as they pushed each other around by shear force before the confrontation came to blows. Showmane reared and kicked at the stallion, then turned and bit him on the chest. The stallion kicked back and got Showmane pretty good on the left side. Then the stallion turned and ran. Showmane followed close behind; biting again and again. The stallion tried turning back for the mares, but Showmane was too determined and forced him to leave them behind. Once out of view, Showmane stopped the pursuit of the stallion and came back to his family. Nightshade was happy to have Millie back as she greeted and groomed her face. Goldie was interested in the new mare. A blue roan three year old, named Iris. She was a quiet and slightly timid girl. Looking closely at Millie as Goldie approached. Millie must have befriended the mare while away with the stallion and now, Iris looked to the older Millie for reassurance. She called to Iris to relax and Ember confidently returned to Nightshade’s side and clacked her teeth for attention. I laughed. She was a jealous little girl, but Millie turned and nuzzled the filly as if to say, “I missed you too.” The sun was beginning its descent and that was our queue to head home. It was a few hours walk from where we were and Chuck didn’t think we would make it home before dark. To add to the threat of darkness, a fog began to rise and there were storm clouds moving in quickly. We began to make our way home as I said good bye to the band. Millie watched as we left, I waved to her and told her I would see her again soon. Chuck was insisting that we travel quickly. I wasn’t sure we were going to get anywhere close to home before the rain began and I was right… Introduction Quiet Meadows Ranch is a misleading name for what it really is. It is a large team of Thoroughbred flat racers, to a strong Stock horse racing team, to regular performance horses of varying disciplines, a large group of people who now call each other family and an untold number of wild Mustangs. Together, they all live on the same land, working with each other, getting to know each other better and building relationships; all because of one person, Cheyenne Cavender. Cheyenne Cavender made it her life mission to rebuild an old family name in the powerful world of Thoroughbred flat racing. What she has since created is far more than that. She has regained and surpassed the legacy of her family, and has encouraged growth into so many other disciplines. With horses like WRNGs Belle Soliel and QMR Shadow’s Star, she is bringing Quiet Meadows Ranch into the Dressage and Eventing curcuits. She has a daughter, Evelynn Rose who is growing up on the ranch, learning the ways of horse care and good showmanship Despite all the success, something had always called to her. Years ago, in the early years of Quiet Meadows Ranch, Cheyenne visited a land oddly called Painted Island. It wasn’t an island, but an area surrounded by mountains with plenty of water, but definitely not an island. On her visit to this land, she noted the breath taking hills, valleys and lakes. The views of the mountains, cliffs and forests were captivating, but not nearly as captivating as the creatures she fell in love with, the Wild Mustangs of Painted Island. Her visit was done so on a whim, with her late husband, Roger. They wanted to take a trip and discover a land they hadn’t seen before. They backpacked throughout the hills and forests; discovering what life was like away from civilization. Learning about the creatures that called the land home and how the subtle changes of a breeze or a rainfall could affect things. Cheyenne had had a deep love of Mustangs, stemming back to her childhood with her grandfather and his once wild Mustang, Vince. Vince was the reason she loved horses today, the reason she made it her life’s work to be with horses every day. Now, so many years later, Cheyenne was watching, perhaps, his distant relatives roaming wild. The first time, she and Roger saw a wild Mustang, it was like Cheyenne’s breath had left her. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t speak. She was fully captivated by the dark bay stallion looking intently at them from across the valley. He looked at them as they looked back. All she could do was smile as he watched over his family band; made up of three mares and a foal. Together, the band grazed while their stallion kept a close eye out for danger and he was deciding if Cheyenne and Roger were just that. Far enough away, they didn’t pose a threat, but was he content to allow them to see him and his family? At first, Cheyenne worried that he would make them leave. It even looked like he might as he moved over to one of the mares and gave her a sharp grunt, causing her to move lower on the other side of the hill, away from their view. But then, he stopped and began to graze. His silhouette was beautiful against the crisp blue shy with wispy clouds strewn across it. He swished his tail from side to side occasionally and looked back up at the pair so far away from him. Roger set up the camera and tri-pod to capture the family and managed to get a few good ones before the band moved out of sight. After that day, Cheyenne was in love. Painted Island became her refuge and idea of paradise. She ventured there every few years to visit and relive that day. Seeing new horses and watching funny foals scamper about. She regretted not being able to visit more often and began to dream of a day that she could live there. It was a big dream. The land was privately owned in order to maintain the freedom of the horses. She had become quite close with the owner over the years and was allowed to visit anytime she wanted. But eventually, the visits became less frequent as Quiet Meadows Ranch grew. Then the fateful day came. The day that shook Cheyenne’s world to its core; Roger was killed in a freak racing accident. She was left a pregnant widow with an entire ranch to look after by herself. She leaned on her friends, Cuck and Kiki. She gave birth to her daughter, who required so much of her time, like all children do. The racing team was winning, with horses like SHS Marilyn M, HPS Dreamcatcher and QMR Full Moon; and her first Dressage horse, WRNGS Belle Soliel, was gaining points. There just wasn’t time for the Mustangs. Her mind ventured there though, from time to time. Watching some of the broodmares running about in their large pastures; she drifted back to see the wild horses racing across the valley and hills, living life free and untethered. But she was quickly brought back to her life of motherhood and ranch owner though. Horses needed to be registered in races and shows, records needed to be updated and breedings needed to be planned. There was never a dull moment. She did however; keep in touch with the owner of the land. Getting updates on the herds and foals. He captured pictures to send to her and little notes about each family. It was almost as good as being there. Almost. Then one dark rainy day, Cheyenne got a call. It was from the attorney of the man who owned the land on Painted Island. The man had passed away and left his land to her. Knowing her love and passion for the horses, he knew she would do right and keep his dream of keeping the horses wild. She nearly dropped the phone in shock. The land was hers if she wanted it. Of course she wanted it. How could she not? It was her dream, it was her refuge. But how could she keep up with the wild horses now, so far away? Her business partners and friends, Kiki and Chuck, discussed things with her. The buildings of Quiet Meadows Ranch needed updating and new buildings and pastures were needed to house the growing number of horses. If they were to update or move, now would be a great time. The three of them took a trip out to Painted Island the following week to survey the land and to visit the horses. Cheyenne knew that the pictures she had received and the stories she told, didn’t do the land justice. Both Kiki and Chuck agreed as soon as their truck stopped at the top of Echo Point. “From this spot...” Cheyenne told them, “We can see all around the valley.” Off in the distance, they all caught their first glimpse of a horse the old man had named Showmane and his family band. He had his lead mare close by, a blue roan named Millie. Millie was clearly due to give birth soon. Her dark belly lightened as it grew; her rump was nearly all grey ans she had a thick white blaze down her face. Near them, were his other mares, a light dun, a grulla, and a little sorrel filly I named Ember. She was a spunky filly. Running side to side, pouncing like a bunny as she passed the adults or when she came to a stop. She tossed her head side to side as the breeze swept through her thick mane. Her mother, the grulla mare, named Nightshade, was clearly a young mom; maybe only two or three years old; kept a watchful eye on Ember, allowing her to stretch her legs and play nearby. This filly was probably her first foal, but she had a calmness to her as if it were her tenth. For hours, we watched the band graze and even caught a glimpse of some bachelor bands from time to time. The colors varied from black to grulla to bay to painted. “They’re all so beautiful” Cheyenne thought. They took photos of some of the areas and took notes as to where the horses were primarily foraging. By the end of their two week stay, they made their decision. Quiet Meadows Ranch would move to Painted Island. There was a small island in the middle of a large lake off the north shore where Cheyenne began building. First, a sturdy but unobtrusive bridge from the island to the mainland was built. The breeding stock horses were moved in as soon as possible. Then the work of the other buildings and pastures were built. Over the course of three years, Quiet Meadows Ranch was rebuilt and moved to Painted Island. When the final days came and the move was officially done, Cheyenne and her now boyfriend, Chuck, held each other close in the great accomplishment they had taken part of. Now, they had plenty of space for their horses and managed to still only take up a small part of the land to give the wild horses their freedom and space. Her dream of being close to the Mustangs had finally come true. Now, when the pressures of racing and showing became too much, she could get atop her faithful Mustang, Boron, and explore the land. Ride on a land otherwise untouched by mankind and soon, she would be able to share this world with her daughter and everyone of Quiet Meadows Ranch. She never thought her message would ring out to so many more than that… |
Cheyenne
Cheyenne is a well established horse woman with a reputation of high quality Thoroughbreds as well as a variety of other breeds. She is president of the ESTA and loves to talk with other members. Archives
October 2015
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