Horse Tales from the LOPE Ranch

Who Makes the Best Adopters?

I’m often asked what it takes to become an approved adopter of LOPE horses. There are a couple of answers to that question.

The first answer is practical: we have folks fill out our approval form, check their references and watch how they interact with the horse they are interested in. We like to see experienced horse people (although we’ve occasionally placed gentle horses with novice riders) who understand the commitment involved in owning a horse.

That commitment comes in many forms that all horse owners recognize: financial, physical, emotional, veterinary and so on. But there is another, less obvious type of commitment -- and it’s the one we think is most important.

And that leads me to the second answer.

We only want to adopt the LOPE horses to people who truly value, respect and admire them. If you want to adopt a horse here because you feel sorry for it, we’ll very politely direct you elsewhere. Because the LOPE horses deserve so much better than pity.

We think they are the best, coolest horses ever. Whether they’ve raced until age 9 (like Double Again, pictured) or had a short career due to injury (like Quick Chris), we love their heart, their courage, their loyalty and their tremendously unique personalities.

And so should their adopters. ☺

Wooden Phone

Wooden Phone is our most famous racehorse here. He won over $830,000 -- his biggest win was the $500,000 Strub Stakes in 2001. Jim and Marilyn Helzer and Tom Durant donated him to LOPE. With his incredible history, Wooden Phone is staying here -- he is a wonderful "spokeshorse" for LOPE.

But like many big-money winners, Wooden Phone can be somewhat of a diva. Before he came here, he had a reputation for being difficult -- especially with other horses. It took awhile, but we finally figured out the right group of gelding buddies for Wooden Phone. The good news is that he now easily mingles with other horses in the pasture.

The bad news is that he has become a little herd sour -- he becomes upset when separated from his friends.

So it's time to start working with Wooden Phone more. Because he hasn't been ridden much since his racing days, I decided to go slow and start with some groundwork.

A couple of days ago, I haltered Wooden Phone and led him out of his pasture. Although he nickered a few times at his buddies (who ignored him completely), he led pretty well. But when we got too far away (in his opinion), he puffed up like a big dragon and began prancing around, squealing for his best friend (Vienna Circle, who was too busy cribbing to notice).

Anyway, I ignored Wooden Phone's dragon moves -- fortunately, we were close to the round pen, so I could lead him in there. He flew around the pen, agitated, calling more loudly for Vienna (who was still cribbing).

After watching Wooden Phone canter frantically for several minutes, I climbed into the round pen with him. To my surprise, he focused on me right away. Although somewhat excited, Wooden Phone seemed to come to me for help -- which I really appreciated, since the dragon imitation had been kind of scary.

He round penned well, slowing his gait when asked, maintaining a respectful distance and halting quietly. When I invited him, he even walked into the center of the pen with me.

Impressed with the change, I haltered him and ended the session with some grooming (which he loved). He led quietly back to his pasture and stood politely when I took off his halter.

Wooden Phone is an interesting horse -- sometimes he seems to throw conflicting signals. But he is very intelligent and I am beginning to understand his diva moods better.

I'll be posting more about Wooden Phone as we continue working together -- stay tuned!

Pony Club Visit

Members of the Hill Top Pony Club visited the LOPE Ranch recently. They volunteered their excellent grooming skills — the LOPE horses received extreme beauty makeovers, thanks to the Pony Clubbers! Afterward, three vet techs (Anne, Meredith and Julia) from Austin Equine Associates gave a great presentation. They demonstrated vet exam techniques, did a full lameness assessment on a horse, and showed off their formidable bandaging skills. It was a fun and educational day for everyone — thank you, Hill Top Pony Club and Austin Equine Associates!

Tulsa Mambo

Back in 2003, I had just opened the racehorse placement program. Each weekend, I walked the tracks, looking for horses that need new homes, trying to build relationships with race trainers. I love the track and all its vivid personalities, both equine and human.

One August day that year, Keith, an engineer-turned-race-trainer, led Tulsa Mambo out of his stall at Retama racetrack. Tulsa was a dashing black thoroughbred with two white hind ankles. His face was wise and he carried himself with a certain bemused air, as if he found everything entertaining.

Keith was worried that Tulsa wouldn't find a home before the race season ended. "He won't pass a vet exam, with his racing ankles." Charmed by Tulsa, I jokingly comment that I'll take him if no one else does. Keith looks relieved…and thoughtful. Tulsa nuzzles my arm for a peppermint, making Keith smile.

Sure enough, Tulsa didn't find a home in time (I suspect a conspiracy between Keith and Tulsa), and suddenly I was the unexpected owner of an ex-racehorse.

Tulsa arrived at the LOPE ranch soon after. He was magnificent, full of energy, and liked to gallop around the fields for fun. At the track, Tulsa had a reputation for running away with his exercise riders - but only the ones he didn't like. It took me weeks to work up the nerve to ride him.

Slowly I inched my way from lounging to saddling to mounting him, while Tulsa dozed out of sheer boredom at my snail's pace. When I finally rode him, he was kind and willing. Sometimes he was spirited during the pre-mounting phase, but more due to his twisted sense of humor than true misbehavior.

You had to be able take a joke, a pretend spook as you stepped into the stirrup, in order to ride Tulsa. Once in the saddle, he was a perfect gentleman. Still, I remained alert, his amused eyes and reputation as a runaway always in my mind. I didn't fully trust him.

Until one ride - on a windy October day - when Tulsa spooked violently, then balked, as I tried to urge him forward along a path with a brush pile. Tulsa refused to move, looking over his shoulder at me, then pointedly staring at the brush rustling in the wind. I stared at him from the saddle, perplexed. Then I finally looked at the brush - where a rattlesnake was undulating in strike position, full of rage, its rattling lost in the wind.

Right then, I resolved to keep Tulsa forever - he is mischievous, has weak ankles, and is the most unlikely of Lassies. But he is the first horse to ever save me from a rattlesnake.

And hopefully the last.

Zuper

I want to tell you about Zuper, my "right hand" helper here at the ranch. We first met in 2004, as I walked along the shedrows of Sam Houston Race Park.

"Hey, lady!", an outrider reined his horse by me as I walked along the track shed rows. He was tall and hard faced, with a grim scowl lined on his face. "Lady!" Startled, I looked up, feeling like a naughty cocker spaniel.

"Barn J – there’s a trainer gal there named Robin. Her horse got injured last night – he needs a home." I nodded, wondering why he was going out of his way for this horse.

I soon met Robin and her injured horse. Zuper was gorgeous. A tall bay with an endearing splash of white on his nose, he radiated wisdom and Buddha cheer. Zuper was nine years old, ancient for a working racehorse.  His right front leg was grotesquely swollen at the ankle – like a cartoon character hit by an anvil, the injury had created a triple sized ankle.

Robin explained that he needed months of pasture rest, that the ankle would never be the same. Zuper looked calmly at me, with confidence and poise, an expectation of good times in his eyes.

"I don't want to sell him" she said emphatically. "Just want to give him to a good home" Zuper arrived at our adoption ranch soon after, one of the first arrivals there.

I felt sorry for Zuper – he was handsome and intelligent but so limited. The type of horse most people would dismiss as "useless" with his permanently injured ankle.

But then unexpected things happened – every previous race owner of Zuper contacted me, asking how he was doing. A racetrack gambler emailed, to thank Zuper for all the times he won. In spite of his ankle, Zuper quickly established himself as the herd boss. He is masterful at calming down the younger, more nervous horses.

Zuper is also an early detection warning system. If a neighbor's calf wanders on to our place or a horse acts ill – Zuper will stop suddenly, frozen in an alert posture, staring. And he is our best equine supermodel, posing shamelessly whenever a reporter or camera crew appears.

I soon realized that this "useless" horse has had a tremendous impact on many people. And that I have come to rely on him for many key duties.

I promoted Zuper to assistant ranch manager – a wise move, as more and more racehorses arrived at the ranch that first year. And I needed all the help I could get.

Zuper is now indispensable here – the exact opposite of a "useless" horse – we can't imagine running the ranch without him!