Bad Boy
Ponder the possibilities, and let your mind wander to a high slanted, deep purple, mesa top. There proudly stands a jet black three year old stallion, bathed in the warm, rich golden glow of morning light. High, scattered, full bodied cloud formations blush rosily in the refracted light. The stallion's posture can only be termed "cavalier". On a sandstone ledge, at the edge of a three hundred foot drop overlooking a rugged landscape, he appraises his surroundings. High, jutting pinnacles of rock; darkened, mysterious canyon depths; and rolling hillsides dotted with juniper and sage spread out before his eyes. The cool night air is blowing him full in the face as it hurriedly tries to outrun the rising sun's rapidly lengthening rays. The horse deeply breathes in the smells of the land, which are carried by the turbulent breeze, and exalts in the rich, natural fragrance..
Unbridled emotion and independence swell in the stallion's breast as he lets rip a hearty "Neigh!" The sound rumbles across the countryside like thunder from a summer lightning storm. The magnificent animal shakes his head and snorts, his long thick mane and tail whip and flow in the wind. He stamps his hooves on the hard rock. As the horse turns to make its way down the boulder strewn path, he hears a whirring noise, something strong and tight grips his neck and chokes his breath. Confusion, frustration and anger flood his senses as he catches sight of a bronzed skinned human wearing a big black hat. This human sits astride one of the horse's tamed and humbled brothers; life, as the mustang knows it, is about to alter course.
Jan first saw the now six year old mustang as he stood unhappily tethered to the corral at Ed Black's Monument Valley Tours. She was on a National Geographic tour provided by Crow Canyon Archeological Center, and fell in love with him that first moment. Why is it that nice girls consistently fall for "Bad Boys"? She asked to ride the magnificent beast, and was quickly discouraged by his handlers. They explained that this horse could display an extremely nasty attitude when he chose to, and that he was called "Bad Boy" for a very good reason. It seems the stallion had strenuously resisted being broken, dumping a number of respectable "bronc busters" on their noggins, and damaging several once spotless Stetson hats. Jan assured Ed and his crew that she was an experienced rider, and could certainly handle this fiery beast. They reluctantly agreed to let her ride the horse.
For whatever reason Bad Boy behaved beautifully that day; he was a perfect gentleman. Whether it was Jan's gentle, assuring, nonassertive hand, or just that the horse was grateful to be back in his beloved home, nobody knew. He was almost free to roam at will, to breathe in the freshness of the valley, to smell its rich fragrance and feel the texture of the earth beneath his hooves. It was a fantastic day for both horse and rider; memorable because the ride went so well and the scenery was, well, monumental! An idea began to develop in Jan's mind, one that was to overwhelm her and haunt her dreams.
Not being one to act on impulse, Jan kept her blossoming notion to herself. She patted Bad Boy on the nose, whispered secretly in his ear, and after thanking the confused tour operators for their superior services, left the valley. Two weeks later she was on the phone to Ed Black with an offer to relieve him of his most offensive critter and export the steed to OshKosh Wisconsin. Ed flatly refused, stating that Monument Valley was Bad Boy's home, and that it would be a mistake to take him from it. Jan could not get the black stallion off her mind, and decided to write a letter to the Blacks in another attempt to acquire the horse. It worked! Whatever Jan said in the letter prompted the Blacks to sell Bad Boy to her. Ed's wife, Maybelle, called Jan and made arrangements for the black stallion to be picked up the end of September 2002.
Jan was ecstatic, and began preparing a place for Bad Boy at Wind Ridge Farm. When she drove down to collect the stallion, Jan thought it a good idea to make sure the horse was healthy and travelworthy, so she scheduled an appointment with "Doc Watkins," the local veterinarian. Now Doc has been around a while, and has an abundance of "horse sense". He looked the mustang over carefully, poked and prodded, then gave the animal a bill of good health. Just before Jan pulled away on the long journey home, the vet looked at her, shook his head and asked, "What do you want with a horse like that?" Jan just smiled, thanked the man for his services and headed north with her prize.
Bad Boy must have thought he had stepped into the promised land as he exited the horse trailer in Wisconsin. There before him was a broad field of alfalfa hay. Dispersed about the field were a number of well fed, thoroughly contented horses, acting as if this was an everyday occurrence. There was running water, moderate temperatures and an attentive human to make his stay comfortable and happy. To a creature raised on the sparse vegetation and infrequent watering holes of Navajoland, this was paradise to be sure.
As the black stallion grew comfortable, and settled into his new home, he may have become a little lazy and, possibly, more self centered.
Jan worked the horse easily, giving him a chance to become acclimated to his new surroundings, and also gave him plenty of opportunity to understand what was expected. Jan wanted to share her world with Bad Boy; to provide him with a good life and pleasant lifestyle. She wanted him to know the pleasure of a compatible relationship, where both horse and rider enjoyed the riding experience. Jan was accustomed to domesticated horses, and had known this experience before; she hoped the stallion would feel the same.
One crisp fall day, Jan decided it was time to take Bad Boy for a ride. All went well until the horse elected to introduce this new owner to his more cantankerous side. Jan said that the horse "just went ballistic." "It was like riding a tornado; a twisting, turning, bucking fit that thoroughly beat me up." Jan came out of the ordeal with body whiplash, a torn hamstring, a concussion and a short stint in the local emergency room. She was hurt badly, both physically and emotionally.
The mustang's serious breach of etiquette caused Jan to rethink her earlier position. She recalled the not so subtle warnings of Ed Black and Doc Watkins about the differences between wild animals and those bred into the civilized world. Jan made calls to some horse trainers she knew to get their opinions. Each told her that it was useless to even try to tame Bad Boy. He had grown up wild, and a part of him would always remain so. The freedom he had experienced as a colt was an indelible part of his being, it could not be pushed aside.
Jan reluctantly called Ed and Maybelle to tell them that Bad Boy needed to return home. Ed's first remark was, "Did you get that horse fat?" Jan agreed that she must have done so; he was fat and sassy to be sure. Jan knows now that she had made a mistake, she was enamored with the thought of providing a better life for an animal she believed deserved one. The truth is that the black mustang stallion is, again, where he is supposed to be. The moral of this story is: You can take the boy out of the country, but you better leave Bad Boy where he is.
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