Stryder

2015,Two years after I found Viggo, I was in California heading to the Litchfield Corrals to look at potential mustangs for adoption when I came across this video of a fancy five year old steel colored mustang. He was picked up by a tip trainer, the day before I arrived at the Litchfield corrals. I still looked at 100s of horses, 800 on site to be exact, it was overwhelming in so many ways. At the end of the day, I could not stop thinking about the gelding from the video.

From only pictures and videos, I decided to adopt him and get him shipped across the USA. At that time, he had already been through a helicopter round up as a three year old in Salt Wells Wyoming, he was castrated upon arrival to the holding facility, then transferred to the Gunnison prison program in Utah, that program shut down and he was shipped to the Litchfield corrals in CA, picked up by a tip trainer who took him to Oregon, then adopted by me... All before a human was ever kind to him.
Needless to say he had baggage! He had a myriad of issues upon arrival from physical lameness, behavioral aggressiveness towards humans, extreme fear, physical stress exhibiting in weight loss due to ulcers, and broken teeth. I cried the first time I saw him, questioning my thinking about getting this horse? I felt sorry for him, he had pain and fear that colored his every action.
I named him Stryder because he is a MOVER.. big gates and way more go than whoa! It took some time for his mind to settle and his body to heal. About a year.... much longer than Viggo but I can not blame him after everything he went through. Three years later and I am just scratching the surface with all of Stryder's abilities and heart. I am very lucky to be walking this journey with such talent and mind!

Sometimes we make decisions that are beyond our immediate understanding. I now know Stryder was meant to be in my care and living with Viggo.
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