WFR Roan Ranger

It took six months to find the right horse, but it was well worth the wait. We had been looking for a horse that would serve two purposes. One, to be a friend for Chip, and two, to be a suitable mount for Tom to ride and compete.

Ranger is a 1997, 16.3 hand, blue roan/solid registered Paint Horse. His sire is Brown Sugar Blues, an appendix quarter horse, and his dam is Hitman's Mistake, a chestnut/solid paint. For Ranger's first 5 years, he was broke and ridden western by the Williamson Family Ranch of Oklahoma. He was then purchased at an auction by a lady who after a year decided that he wasn't suitable for her and advertised him for sale. Enter us. He didn't take our breath away when we first saw him just standing in the barn aisle, but then we saw him move.

Ranger was first put in the round pen moving freely. It was impressive because he is voice trained also and when asked to go slower in the trot, he moved at a jog. Then we tried him out under tack. What a sweetheart! It was about 5 degrees when we tried him, the ground rock hard and slick, and he was an angel. Tom decided at that point that this was his horse. He has a lot to learn about moving long and reaching for the ground, stretching his topline, but he has a wonderful attitude. In the short time that we've had him, he's been on numerous trail rides (loves splashing in creeks), on and off our property, alone and in company, and Tom has ridden him for his riding lesson. He's hasn't taken a wrong step yet!

Ranger does have one small quirk. He loves our pond. He'll go out to the middle of the pond, lay down and roll till he is drenched. Now dripping wet, he finds the muddiest spot in the pasture and will roll till it's all ground in. It makes grooming a bear, but he just thoroughly enjoys it.

Best of all, he and Chip have become great friends. They play together, chase each other around the field, and just hang out. Because of Ranger, Chip has become a much more sociably acceptable youngster now that he can get some of his energy out and channeled in the right direction.

Ranger is definitely an asset to our farm. He will be a wonderful companion and example for our future foals. As Tom says "Ranger is the bestest horse in the whole wide world!"

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