MOON RIVER ARABIANS PHOTO ALBUM

Trish — where do I start? The first "let’s see what they have" late spring trip from WY with friend and Arabian horse owner, Celia, became an annual event - even to helping with sales, worming, etc. Good friends are a gift and we have been blessed over the years! Orphaned at birth, Kai Amiskas(Jusseim x Amiska Kalila) was only a few weeks old, (and a mighty cute colt) when they arrived one spring. Who could resist a sweet baby? So he went home with Trish to a big ranch where he beguiled husband Hugh and became his (and everyone else’s) special pet. Many hilarious emails told the story of how he won hearts, even a no-nonsense lady vet! Later geldings CALADINN (*Almaddinn x La Cometina) and CHEAMAAN (*Almaddinn x Chesamanda) joined the group and that is how the Arabians invaded a Wyoming Quarterhorse stronghold! Might as well sigh and give in folks! Spring of 2006 should add a Jusseim colt to the group!

EF, sitting straight and tall in the saddle, and his big red Arabian gelding have become tourist attractions in their little Montana hometown. Posing for pictures, trotting in parades, being petted by admirers - Timmilee thinks it is just great! Then he goes to work. Taking home the money in team penning, hunting in the mountains, Timmilee does it all. He even lets EF shoot a hunting rifle off his back, and carries the meat home. A true partner!

Timmilee’s influence goes even further! A pretty tiny lady, with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes, used to be afraid of horses. Being a friend of EF’s she soon saw what fun he was having, and decided she needed a horse too. When she asked me if I had a really, really, gentle little horse, a sweet young bay gelding named Romeo immediately came to mind. Now this lady who was afraid of horses braved going out into a herd of about 25 and guess who came up first - yep - Romeo! They clicked from the beginning and when told his name, she almost cried. A treasured letter from her mother written years ago said, "Someday you will find your Romeo!" Wow - that was it! Romeo is pictured with EF on his first ride. Today he & JP happily join Timmilee on trail rides - even an exciting encounter with a bear.
(Romeo wasn’t half as scared as JP!)

WMR in full costume on his gelding, Shaladdi, bring a bit of the fox hunting lore to Western Montana. WMR is the Master of the Hunt - he says their club is small but fun. He also plays a bit of polo with his Arabians and enjoys the trails on his ranch near a wilderness area. Recent mare purchases indicate an extended venture into breeding and showing which will add depth to his growing Arabian experience!

Rest of the story: Purchase of our Pure Polish Sweepstakes Stallion ALADARA, as well as several more mares makes a visit to WMR's ranch like old home week for us. He is producing some glorious foals!

The pride and joy of C’Mar’s Arabians has 2 fine colts to his credit (one for sale) and ready to try for more! Up and coming breeders, C’Mar bought several of our best young mares over the years. The cross to Ta Night Lee is a winner!

Just one of the several lucky Moon River Arabians that have gone to live with a very special lady in the nearby Bitterroot Valley. Having done endurance riding for years, she believes horses are happiest when they have a job. To that end, the youngsters are being started under saddle, the older ones are ridden often and in between they are treated with love and respect. Her relaxation is turnout time watching those airy trots and tails over backs.

Sad news: Friend Lin Taylor passed away suddenly leaving family, friends and 11 lovely Arabians behind. As she would have wished, her horses have been adopted by several good and caring people where they are continuing to bring happiness.

Love at first sight! Felicity floated across the pasture and local artist, CM, couldn’t take her eyes off her! Having owned an Arabian in the past, the old love of the breed was re-born. Lucky girl, her guy (a talented goldsmith) joined the admiration society and MOORO (Jusseim x Moor Een) has gone to join Felicity. Soon MOON RIVER TASHINA (Aladara x Tiffanhi An) will be there also. Might even be a little Tashina or Felicity someday?

This isn’t the best picture of either the horses or their owners, but you may recognize the author of the book (Chance & Montana) shown on the Ranch page. These horses have spent many happy hours on the trails with their owners and hope to spend many more. Well loved, well cared for, great ambassadors for the breed — could any breeder ask for anything more for their horses?

CA and gelding Tajour are endurance enthusiasts. Pictured here on one of their first rides, they have since successfully completed several 50 mile rides. CA says Tajour could easily do 100's but he thinks that is one long ride! Amen to that!

Even Arabians age a bit over the years and long time friend RI felt it was time to start making life easier for his best friend (but still snorty) gelding so he started checking out our herd looking for just the right one. Alandre caught his eye (more than once) and soon went home to start school. Busy schedules and business stress make those trail rides (and trips into the Bob Marshall Wilderness) all the more special.

MON BLEAU ARON - A LOVE STORY
told by Kimberly a former Montanian now living in Virginia

I began taking lessons on Blue when I was about 7yrs old, I fell in love and my parents purchased him for me. Blue quickly became my best friend and I would sit in his stall for hours talking to him as we went through some hard times in my childhood-one thing I remember most was the way he would lower his head, place his nose in my hair and just leave it there while I talked to him-as if he were trying to console me. We had a successful show career until I was 18, when I decided it was time for him to benefit the youngsters once again. We sold him back to the original owner who kept him for some years for her son. I always missed and thought about him. Eventually he was sold to someone who basically abandoned him at his boarding facility. I had been having dreams about him for months during this time, nightmares is a better description, and I began to feel desperate to find him-that is when I began to contact every Arabian breeder I could find in Montana, and found you. You pointed me in the right direction, to a neighboring stable, and Blue came home a week later-which apparently was just in time. (home with Kimberly's Mom in Billings, Mt.) As of now, he is 28, looking great and feeling great and we are so happy to have him back home again. We will always be grateful to you for your help in finding him.

Note from Kimberly’s Mom: I can still go for a nice little pleasure spin around the field on him and he is still Tops!

Isn’t that a nice story? Hats off to caring sensitive people and great reunions!

4/28/09
Hi there. I wanted to give you a final update on Blue since you have our story up on your website. Years ago you helped us to find him and bring him home which I will be forever grateful for. Anyhow Blue passed away over the summer from colic. He was 32 years old. We are so blessed that you helped to bring him home to live out his days with the people who know and love him most. He was ridden fairly regularly until he passed and was given his daily dose of love always. Anyhow just wanted you to know since you have our story up - the grand ole' man has gone "home."

Thank you again

Garlyn & JR first met while working at Moon River and tuning up a few horses to show. It soon became evident that they were a good match and were entered in a local Class A show - Country English Pleasure. It was the first show for both so it was expected to be a great learning experience but not much else. When Silver Stock was announced winner of the class, it took a few seconds for any of us to realize that they were announcing JR! Such happiness. Garlyn was soon ready for a horse of her own and JR was the one. That was quite a few years ago. Her little girl now rides him sometimes and he is very careful. However, I hear that he can still do his "airs above the ground" when Garlyn’s aboard!!

JR (in his 20's) and Garlyn won every dressage competition they entered in 2007!
How proud are we of them both? VERY!

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The site for the equestrian enthusiast with news, results, articles, shopping in our Equine Mall, and extensive horses for sale and real estate listings.

Laura & Stan Slominski
28 Moon River Ranch Lane
Clinton, Montana 59825
Phone (406) 825-7555
E-Mail: mrarabians@blackfoot.net