Well, talk about an exciting adventure! Recently, a rancher named Mark Ryan, his horse, an Appaloosa named Mister Doodles, and their pack- mule named Festus made a cross country trip from Kingsfisher, Oklahoma to Ferndale, Washington to visit a friend. The amazing part about this trip is that the horse and his buddies traveled the old fashioned way- by foot…..
The Appaloosa breed is said to be a “compact stamp of horse with a well-shaped neck, short, strong back, powerful hindquarters, and strong limbs with extremely good, hard feet.” Apparently Mr. Doodles fits this description because his journey of over 2,000 miles took nearly 5 months to complete.
In those 5 months, from June 2, 2008 until mid-October, Mister Doodles and his cargo covered 7 states, carried 60 pounds of gear, and at times had 50 pounds of feed. According to some reports, the horse and his owner met and stayed with over 60 people and between the horse and mule, went through almost 10 sets of shoes. A retired ranch foreman in Colorado helped Mister Doodles and Festus by getting them get new shoes for the rest of the journey.
Obviously Mister Doodles is an extraordinary horse, and his Appaloosa ancestry has a long history of that traces back to stock imported by the Spanish Conquistadors. About 70 years ago, in 1938, the Appaloosa Horse Club was founded in Oregon. The purpose of this club was to keep records and historical data relating to the origin of the Appaloosa. The Appaloosa Horse Club also intended to preserve, improve and standardize the breed and to set up a register for approved animals.
In 1975, The Appaloosa Museum was established in 1975 to collect, study, and exhibit objects and information that illustrate the history of the Appaloosa horse. The non-profit organization is still thriving in Moscow, Idaho, and offers an array of exciting events and in-depth views regarding the history of this extraordinary breed.
Standing 16 hh, with a beautiful brown coat and the characteristic spotted markings of an Appaloosa, Mister Doodles is a bit bigger than the average 14.2-15.2hh height of the breed. An Appaloosa can also be termed as a “Walkaloosa“, if it has the ability to perform an intermediate gait other than the trot- such as the rack, foxtrot, running walk or pace. The Walkaloosa Horse Association was founded in 1983.
Shane’s Tack believes that Mister Doodles deserves some special recognition because of his tenacity and endurance in his cross country adventure. It takes an extraordinary horse, and rider, to complete a 2,000 mile journey , especially on today’s congested roadways. In fact, there were times on this long trip when Mister Doodles was almost side by side others cars on the highway. Apparently Mister Doodles got the respect he deserved from other drivers and made it to his destination safely. As Mark Ryan stated “There’s nothing like traveling 2 miles an hour.”
In order to celebrate Mister Doodles and his amazing adventure, Shane’s Tack is extending it’s offer to use Google Checkout on this visit and save $5.00 on any orders over $75 with coupon code: googlerocks. The website has a”Quantity Discounts” on many products for your equine friends and offers a 25 day money back guarantee.
If anyone is interested in sending a gift or any equine supplies directly to Mister Doodles from Shane’s Tack, please email carol@gregrobert.com .
