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It is 5:00 am on this cool November morning. I settle into my favorite chair with my warm cup of coffee and the November 2004 issue of Horse and Rider magazine. I wasn't prepared for what happened next. I picked up where I had left off, and began to read an article about the plight of the Nokota horse. The headline read, 'Between 1880 and 1940, ranchers and the National Park Service, which regarded the horses as undesirable "exotic" outsiders, killed or rounded up and sold most of them.' As I read the story of these unique animals, I felt an immediate connection. I read about their resemblance to the Spanish colonial breeds, such as Barbs or Andalusians, with large, kind eyes, broad foreheads, and thick manes and tails. Their heads are straight or slightly concave in profile. They are large-boned with thick hoof walls and rarely need to be shod. They possess keen intelligence and a calm, curious disposition. I knew that when I got my first horse I wanted a Nokota. I craved more information; I went to the Internet for answers. I was hooked, I read many testimonies from owners and all had something in common. A Nokota horse is unique in character, willingness, athleticism, sensible and CALM. To be continued... |