We arrive only to find out the mare isn’t for sale but the gentleman insisted on giving the grand tour of the place…you know how it goes….walking by every stall, every field, learn every horse’s name, who their sire and dam is, and why each horse was so important in their life. But it was the last field that housed three stallions that got my attention as they galloped to the gate with the thought of a treat nearby. The smallest of them, nothing more than a large pony, caught my eye. He quickly lowered his head and began licking my feet. I fell in love. The owner quickly stated the colt’s name was Half Pint, an unbroken 4 year old that no one could figure why he was so small.. The owner then threw in those horrible words…”he’s for sale” ….but I certainly had no interest in owning a stud. “One thousand dollars…” he says. Okay…it was a heck of a deal, but not interested. I head home only to think of that chunky little guy that had tiny ears, chipmunk cheeks, and resembled what one special person calls him today “Bulldog.” “He could be registered as a Paint..” the owner says. Okay…that opened the door a little since I own a barn full of Paints.

Months go by since that visit and I’ve been out to their farm twice more. Still battling with myself over that little cutie that licked my feet. It’s now late June. I’ve received several more calls from the gentleman trying his best to sell. He’s down to $900. Still…just don’t need a stud.

I’m now sitting in the grandstands in Fort Worth, Texas watching some classes at the Paint World Championship Show. I turn to my boyfriend Tim and said…”that’s it…I’m gonna buy that little guy. I can geld him..maybe even turn him into a fancy hunter pony with the way he moves…or maybe he could be my son’s toy.” Tim smiles as if he recognizes I’m looking for an excuse to buy him.

The day after returning from Texas, I call the gentleman knowing I’m about to make his day. I offer $500. He takes it. I quickly load up the trailer and head over to pick up what, in a short amount of time, turns into my best friend. After bringing him home and a few days pass, I am astonished at how quiet this stud is. With no stud behavior, anybody can handle him, and the absolute sweetest personality, I thought maybe he shouldn’t be gelded if he could pass along his conformation and attitude. I’m a firm believer that there are way too many studs in this world ….but this one is special. So much for the idea of him being my son’s toy.

After a year or so of breeding him, and spending over a thousand dollars to get him registered with the Paint and Pinto associations as TF TEXAN (I thought ‘Half Pint’ was cute but just not a name for a stud that I was breeding,) I decided to sit down with my farrier, Darren Owen at Indian Fields Farrier Service. I wanted to take him to the world championship show that next year. Knowing it would take a ‘TEAM EFFORT’ to get him there, I knew my work was cut out for me to get him fit AND keep him sound while doing it. It was five days a week of disciplined, hard work. Knowing this type of work would definitely put a toll on his hooves with no shoes (we are showing in halter classes where they typically don’t have shoes on) and not to mention, a scar that ran down his back hoof that had to be dealt with and he was slightly toed out in the front. Per Darren’s suggestion, I start Tex on Farrier’s Formula to give his hooves that extra boost needed. Every 3 weeks, Darren was at my farm checking for any slightest change, dealing with that scar, and keeping his legs as straight as he could keep them.

That day came when I loaded Tex up in the trailer, and 26 hours later, with a stop for the night in Nashville, we arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a 12 day stay. Nervous? HA! I could barely breathe. I’d hired a good friend to come along to work Tex every day, bathe him, feed…you know the routine. This allowed me time to relax and check out the competition. We gave Tex a full day of rest before starting him back to work before his classes. He slept the entire time. Tex’s attitude never changed…still the same ol’ licky-toes kinda pony he was that first day.

It’s show day. The competition looks good, Tex looks great. His game was on…and he was SOUND throughout it all.

And how do I end this story? I take a deep breath, look at Tex as the Paddock Master announces our arrival to the 6 judges waiting for our grand entrance, and say…”you get me through this and you can retire and breed the rest of your life.” We enter the ring…he was perfect in every way..and he showed like he knew it. We’re done….I breathe….the crowd cheers us as we line up for the big announcement.

The announcer says “INTRODUCING YOUR 2007 WORLD CHAMPION PONY STALLION……TF TEXAN !!!” I almost passed out.

The judges walk over to me….they all tip their hats as they approach….”Maam, we’ve never seen anything like him.”

My first phone call was to Darren Owen thanking him for all he had done and announcing his ‘Bulldog” had just won. I couldn’t have done it without him. My second phone call was to the sweet gentleman that insisted I buy Tex.

What’s Tex doing now? As I promised…he’s retired and breeding for that next world champion.

Wendy Snyder
Thunderhorse Farm
Zuni, VA
(757) 562-6388
Thunderhorsefarm.com