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Mighty
Mighty
is an 8 year old Haflinger gelding. He was originally
bred by an Amish family that initially trained him to
pull their carriage. Mighty eventually ended up as a
Woodside Junior Riders Summer Camp horse and then came
to the B.O.K. Ranch. He was purchased for B.O.K. by Mike
and Theresa Mansfield; Mike has been a dedicated lesson
volunteer side walking for the program 4 hours a week.
Mighty is a ‘BIG’ mover with a ‘BIG’ heart to go along
with his extended stride. Mighty is also a talented and
motivated jumper who loves to spend his afternoons
schooling on the cross country course.
In
the fall of 2008 Mighty had a rough time when he
suddenly became sick with an unknown illness. He
underwent surgery and is now recovering. Details
can be found on the
News Page.
To learn more about
Halfingers, visit the
AHR website.
Mighty
is sponsored by Kulchin Drilling, Redmond, WA. |
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Idgie
Threadgoode
Idgie
Threadgoode,
"Idgie", is by far one of the most trustworthy horses
that has crossed B.O.K. Ranch’s path. Her resume in the
therapeutic riding world is very impressive. Idgie is a
16 year old Quarter Horse Mare who has a unique blue
eye. Although Idgie protests being put away in her
paddock she couldn’t possibly enjoy going out for rides
any more than she already does. If given the choice Miss
Idgie would be walking around the horse park day and
night. Idgie spent many years as a therapeutic riding
horse for an East Bay riding center before becoming the
carriage driving horse for the Fremont school for the
blind. Since Idgie’s drivers had visual impairments she
relied on the instructors voice commands to navigate her
way. Idgie will be the center of the B.O.K. Ranch
therapeutic driving program as well as a riding horse.
Idgie is
sponsored by Kathleen Kalab. |
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Honey
Honey
is a one of a kind. Owned by B.O.K.’s head instructor,
Heather, this 10 year old mare is thought to be some
type of a Quarter Horse and Paso Fino or Peruvian Paso
mix. Although, Honey is small, qualifying as a pony, she
has the heart and will of a horse 10 times her size.
Honey would be considered a “rescue”. When Heather found
her she was going to be put down because she was
considered unfit to ride, basically uncontrollable. Not
to mention that if you look closely at Miss Honey’s neck
you can still find where she had been shot with a gun.
To make a long story short, Heather purchased the horse
for $300 and spent a short amount of time loving and
caring for the little horse with the big heart, who
turned out to be as quiet and safe as can be. Honey’s
main job with B.O.K. is to carry the smallest riders
during their lessons.
Honey
is sponsored by Wells Fargo. |
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Nellik
What
a CUTIE! B.O.K. Ranch couldn’t be happier about once
again owning a Fjord. Nellik is an 8 year old Norwegian
Fjord mare, who is proudly owned by B.O.K.’s founder,
Ann Kulchin. Nellik’s mother was used as a therapeutic
riding horse and her disposition was so good, her owners
decided to breed her. The result…Nellik. In Norwegian,
the name Nellik means Pink Carnation. Miss Nellik now
has a brand new bright pink halter and lead rope to go
along with her name and her bubbly personality. Nellik
has a very broad base, sturdy frame, tremendous
strength, and fluid movements, this makes her an ideal
mount for many of B.O.K.’s children and adult riders
alike. Nellik’s favorite past times are eating and
hanging out with friends. She can easily fit into any
herd situation, adapting easily to any new situation
that is put in front of her. |
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To learn more about Fjords,
visit the
NFHR
website.
Nellik
is sponsored by Ann Kulchin. |
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Rosie is
truly a gentle giant. Weighing in at over a ton; this 13 year old
Belgian mare weighs more than some small cars. Rosie came to the B.O.K.
Ranch from Pescadero, where she was living in a big herd of draft horses
near the ocean. Rosie’s calm demeanor and smooth gaits make her a great
vaulting horse, driving horse, and adult riding horse. |
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Rosie
is sponsored by Condon Johnson. |
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Jasper is
one of a kind! Jasper is a 14 year old, Appaloosa and Thoroughbred,
gelding. This big guy has had thousands of hours of Natural Horsemanship
training. He is extremely in tune with the needs of his riders and the
expectations of his handlers. Jasper’s sweet demeanor is a favorite in
the barn…he loves to cuddle. Jasper’s last owner rode him in a parade
with no bridle, halter, reins, saddle, etc. Wow! Amazing. With just the
point of a finger, Jasper will take his cue and go. He is truly a
wonderful horse. |
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A video of Jasper.
Jasper
is
sponsored by The Department of
Veteran's Affairs. |
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Frazier is a
14 year old Thoroughbred, Appaloosa Gelding (the same breeding, color
and almost the same age as another horse in the barn, Jasper). Frazier
is sort of a Jack of all trades as he has dabbled in a little bit of
everything in his life including Western pleasure and trail,
hunter/jumpers and now therapeutic riding. Frazier has been a show
horse and a personal pet horse. His long legs and strong back allow him
to easily carry adults as well as children. |
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Frazier
is still in need of a
sponsor! |
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Ranger, what
a love bug….This super gentle horse is a 16 year old, Strawberry Roan,
Quarter Horse Gelding. He has spent the majority of his life as a
Western trail horse. He has also done some mounted patrol and mounted
shooting work. His quiet demeanor makes him a perfect candidate for this
type of service work. Ranger tries his best to give 100% of his
attention to his riders at all times. He listens and waits for cues
before taking a step. Ranger is often times the first horse riders will
canter on. He has a very slow Western lope that is very easy to sit. |
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Ranger
is still in need of a
sponsor! |
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Joe
is a 9 year old Tobiano Paint gelding. He is owned by BOK Ranch
instructor, Joanna (aka Jo). Joe was born in Nebraska and moved to
California as a colt. During his early years Joe was known for being a
bit on the wild side and was leased out to many different riders; one of
them was Joanna. When Joanna first decided to purchase Joe, she knew she
was going to have to invest a lot of time and energy into calming him
down and teaching him to trust just one owner. With hard work and
consistency, Joe is now a quiet gentleman who takes good care of his
riders. He is mostly ridden as a Western pleasure horse, but he can be
ridden English too. Joe loves barrel racing and carrots and in his
spare time, he likes to graze. |
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Joe
is still in need of a
sponsor! |
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Where are they
now?
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Shale is an
Arabian/Peruvian Paso cross who joined B.O.K. in the early 90's. She came from Hidden Villa, and while her true birthday is unknown, by her teeth she was born around 1973.
For many years Shale provided B.O.K. with service as an awesome therapy horse.
She was even named "Therapy Horse of the Year" for NARHA's Region 11.
Because of her age Shale was put into semi-retirement in the fall of
2001, and fully retired in 2006 with Leslie Schoon. |
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Dan retired in 2007, and is currently living with Shale in Paso
Robles.
Dan is always available for the local children and the youth groups from
Leslie’s church to come and groom, pet, and feed. Dan is as patient and
understanding as always, allowing young children to climb all over him. |
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Sugar
retired in late 2009 to the BOK Ranch retirement
facility in Paso Robles, after eleven years in the
program.
Born in 1988, Sugar was bred to be a cutting horse in Oregon. She has a brand "C2" from her first home on her left hind quarter. She has four white socks with unusual black ermine marks on each sock. She has a tiny white snip and a very kind face.
Sugar was ridden by a variety of students, with some that rode her independently. She
was especially good at giving a stimulating forward walk as well as a slow western jog, which earned her several fans.
To learn more about Quarter
Horses, visit the
AQHA website. |
In memoriam...
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The
end of an era.

The Norwegian Fjords Zeke and P.J. were
the founding horses of the B.O.K. Ranch
"The Boys" arrived
at B.O.K. from the same farm in Illinois in 1984. Though often
confused for brothers (all Fjords share the same markings, though their
coloring can vary), they were actually not closely related. P.J., born on
February 8, 1980, was then known as "Ryvar". Zeke, born on May 17,
1981, was "Vilar".
P.J., often considered the
more stubborn of the two,
was a good mount for "active" riders, as he had smooth gaits and ignored
unintentional leg and hand movements. Zeke, "the gentleman", was
more sensitive, with animated gaits ideal for riders needing more
stimulation.
Even as new horses joined the herd
P.J. and Zeke remained the backbone
of the program, slowing down only
slightly as they got older. It was only after over twenty years of
loyal service with B.O.K. that they retired;
P.J. traveled to Jamie's
farm in Colorado in July of 2006, and
Zeke retired a year
later to sunny Paso Robles with Leslie, rejoining Shale.
After a year and a half of
happy retirement, P.J. was sadly
put
down on December 1st, 2007, after he was
unable to recover from a sudden, severe colic.
Zeke joined
him on January 31, 2008, when he was put down following a brave battle
with a rare cancer.
They are
deeply missed. |
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