Circle B Ranch Training Facility

Iles Spotted Feather

AMHR 260137

 

I received a phone call one afternoon, on December 22, 2006, from a lady in NC who had a miniature leopard appaloosa stallion she was trying to sell but no one wanted him because both back stifles were locked.  She told me she would not guarantee him sound at any time.  She would give him to me only if I would to sign a paper stating that I knew he was not sound and would never be guaranteed sound in the future.  I agreed and called my friend in a frantic voice, “You have to come over and bring your truck.  We have to hook up to the trailer and go pick up a leopard appaloosa that is being give to me only if I come today and pick him up.”

 December 22, 2006

 

                                          

Well, needless to say my friend, Jean, tried to talk me out of this stallion but I would not hear of it.  I told her I have always wanted a leopard appaloosa and we were going to bring him home no matter what condition he is in when we get there.  Well, when we arrived the lady met us, in the cold, pouring down rain, opened the garage door and there he was.  He was a pitiful site to see.  Both back stifles were locked, head down, back bone sticking up; you could count every rib on him even through his 6” of thick hair.

 

 

Jean and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s pick him up (Literally) and put him in the trailer and get him out of here.”  I signed the paper stating he was not sound and she gave me his registered papers.  We almost got stuck there trying to get out of the driveway but we finally made it and brought my appy home.

 

When we arrived I had a stall ready for him with thick shavings, heat lamps, warm water, and soaked hay.  He went into the stall and literally fell down in the shavings since he could not bend his back legs.  I went in every day and sat with him, watched him eat until one day he reached out to me and touched me.  That was a break through!  He was actually reaching out to me and with this response I reached out slowly to him and rubbed him for the first time.  As time went on he was able to stand, bend his back legs, even though they were popping, and walk around the stall.  He was beginning to trust me more and more everyday.  I knew one day he would be shown and do very well in the arena.

 

                                January 30, 2007

 

On January 30, 2007 I was able to put a halter on him and walk him outside for the first time.  I turned him out in the paddock beside my barn so he could stretch and walk around.   To my surprise he was trotting, running and bucking!

  

 

In March he had gain allot of weight, still a little thin but looking better. In April I started working with him and conditioning him.  His stifles were not popping and he had a clean bill of health from the Vet.  Then in April I told my friend that I had planned on showing him, for the first time ever, at our Area 3 show in Kentucky.  Jean looked at me and said lets see him now.  When she saw him she was astonished!   She could hardly believe that this was the horse in December of 2006.

 

 

We went to our Area 3 show and the Judge there was astonished by his shading.  The pictures here do not do him justice. 

 

Here is my Area 3 Aged Stallion Over Division…

  

                    

Model Stallion Over – 1^st.   Aged Stallion Over 3^rd.   Multi-color Stallion Over – 1^st.

 

“JR” will be going to the AMHR Nationals this year 2007.”

 

RESULTS!!!

 

AMHR National Reserve Champion and 2 times National Top Ten Stallion!!!