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ZHAKI, THE WILD MUSTANG STALLION
5 YEARS OLD Zhaki was captured by the BLM in 2006. He was adopted out 3 times by the BLM and returned as untrainable. I was
unable to take him home at the auction when we first met. As I walked through the corrals after the auction, Zhaki
was huddled in the back of his corral. He had wide eyes and was trembling with fear in the midst of all the commotion.
One of the BLM managers approached me as I looked in awe at the gorgeous little stallion quietly approaching me.
He started to tell me what a wonderful horse this little man was. They told me how they had captured him a
year earlier when he was only two. They had herded him into a corral of six foot panels with the rest of the herd.
When they started to load the horses into trailers he turned and fled toward the fence. He launched himself into
the air and cleared the fence to regain his freedom. They allowed him that freedom and did not chase him. The
next year he was captured again and began his life in captivity. Zhaki has been the subject of many inspirational stories, I
will share them all with you as time goes on.
Wapteke, a 2year old Nez Pierce appaloosa. Wapteke is 1/4 akhal teke and 3/4
Nez Pierce Appaloosa. She is being started as an Endurance horse to work with a team of Veterans that will begin competing
in Endurance races over the next couple of years. She has a wonderful personality, and an eagerness to please.
She is not a rescued horse, but was donated to our program to enable our group of Veterans to compete in Endurance successfully.
Dimitry, born Sept 11, 2009. This little guy came into our program
as a donation. He is a very special colt that I believe will be a fabulous asset to our program. This colt is
a Nez Perce Horse with a strong foundation of Akhal Teke blood. This breed of horse has been as asset to many of the
most hostile groups of conquerers in world history. The Akhal Teke was the mount of Alexander the Great, Ivan the Terrible,
Ghangis Khan as well as the Sythians, Parthians and many others. We will be taking this little horse that has been utilized
as a weapon of war to heal the trauma that war creates. We know that he is a very special addition to our program.
His ancestors come from Turkmenistan, a small country that borders both Iraq and Afganistan. His bloodlines trace back
to about 900 BC. This is believed to be the first domesticated breed of horse. Their genetics have been fiercely
guarded to protect this regal bloodline.
Ned, 8 years old, This clydesdale stallion has been part of our program since the
beginning. He is such a mild mannered stallion. He is a leader that encourages others to follow him with gentleness
and kindness. Rarely do we see Stallion mannerisms out of this guy. He gets along with almost anyone, but is never
a pushover. He is big and intimidating. He came to live here as a 4 year old that had very little experience with
people. He had spent much of his life in a pasture with his mom. He had not learned to work with people and
was very big to start teaching to lead and connect with people. He is always the center of attention when he is included
in group activities. He has a presence that lets everyone know he is in charge. Most Veterans identify with him
as a natural leader.
| Lochsa, Our Akhal Teke cross |
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| A Nez Pierce bred horse |
Lochsa, or Loki as we call her, came to us as a very generous
donation to assist in creating a team of Endurance horses to race in the AERC endurance sport. She is very loving and
enjoys being with people. She is training to compete this spring and summer in the NW Conference of the Endurance sport.
She will begin the year on April 16 in the Antelope Island Endurance Race doing 50 miles on Saturday and an additional 50
miles on Sunday. Lochsa was bred by the Nez Perce Tribe in Lopwai Idaho. She was the offspring of Mangus
Colorado, a stallion the the tribe aquired as a donation to help to bring back the earlier horses that the tribe was
famous for. Mangus colorado was an Akhal Teke from Turkmenistan, The Nez Perce used him to enhance the bloodlines
of their appaloosa mares. The Nez Perce tribe has an ongoing project to bring back the magnificent horses that
they were known for when Luis and Clarke expedition came through this area in Idaho's early history. The Akhal Teke
stallions were chosen for their history of success with endurance, athleticism, flexibility for all equine sports. The
breed has been set apart for their incredible hair that unlike other equine breeds has a hollow hair shaft. This gives
them a metallic gleen that is particular to this breed. A little about the history of the
Akhal Teke, they have been used historically as horses of war. The Teke hails from Turkmenistan, a country that was
part of the former Soviet Republic. It is said the Ghangis Khan's mount was a Teke, as well as the mount of Alexander
the great. It is also told that the Chinese emperor, Wu Ti, in 141 BC sent an expedition with Gold and gifts to purchase
Akhal Teke breeding stock. His offer was refused, so several years later he sent 60,000 soldiers and returned with 10
Akhal Teke's, 1 stallion and 9 mares. The Teke can be traced back to the 7th and 8th century BC. They were
the primary mounts of the Scythians, as well as the Sarmatians. We believe here at the sanctuary that these horses,
used for so many centuries for raiding parties and war parties in the area between Iraq and Afghanistan, are a blessing sent
to help us to help the US soldiers that are engaged in warfare in these areas. These war horses were used for centuries
to help to win wars and conquer countries, now they will be used to help soldiers readjust to life after being in a war zone.
Just a note, It is my personal goal to put 8000 miles on Loki in the next year. This is
the approximate distance between Idaho and Kabul Afganistan. I am striving to bring the publics attention to the fact
that there is a American POW that was captured in Afghanistan in 2009. We have not heard anything about his fate in
the media in a long time. His family deserves to know where he is. I simply want the public to know that we do
still have one of our own missing in Afghanistan, and to keep him and his family in their thoughts and prayers.
Misti Misti was born and raised at
Tranquil Valley Sanctuary. She has given birth to a beautiful little filly this year born March 27, 2010. The
filly has been named Bella Amor. She is a wonderful combination of her mother and father. Misti is one of the
most enjoyable and challenging horses that resides at TVS. She loves people, but never fails to challenge them.
She requires your full attention when you work with her. She will only respond to people when they devote their entire
attention to her. She is very responsive and cooperative when included in group activities, but if you do not remain
focused she can become difficult and nonresponsive. This makes her a tremendous asset to our program as people that
work with her in a class setting learn to stay focused on the task at hand.
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