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American Mustangs are some of the most amazing horses in the world. Not only have they managed to survive, and even thrive, on a continent that they are not native too, they are some of the most intelligent, kindest, and most trustworthy horses I have ever met. Truth be told, (and I would NEVER tell my beautiful Solid Bred Paint horse this)I would rather have a mustang than any other type of horse. I was sold on mustangs the minute I met Bear, a.k.a, the CareBear.

Bear is a short, stocky bay mustang gelding about ten years old. He was caught wild in the mountains of northwestern Colorado when he was approximately two years old. Once caught, he was shipped to a prison training facility in southern Colorado for inmates to work with. His training, according to his records, was very short and very sweet. He was an equine prodigy.

One thing I have to say, Bear is not an attractive horse from the outside. He is short, fat, and pigeon toed. However, he is also the MOST intelligent horse I have ever met. For being a relatively young horse, he is also incredibly trustworthy and the best hack horse we've ever had. Anybody can ride him, from experience horsemen to children to extremely nervous moms. He is also the best mountain horse I know. He is very careful going down hills. He never trips. I have seen him stand at the top of a hill he has never gone down and study it. Once he starts down, he doesn't stop, but he knows exactly where to place his feet so that he doesn't stumble and his rider doesn't ever have to worry about his footing. That has been a godsend more than once. This is how he got his nickname, the CareBear.

About two summers ago, Bear was one of a group of horses taking novice riders on a two hour tour in the mountains. The lady on Bear was very nervous and not good at hiding it. Halfway through the ride, the trail takes a very steep turn downwards (what goes up must come down, right). The poor woman on Bear began to hyperventilate and became woozy. The point in the trail that we were at did not allow any of the other riders to get off and help her. That's where Bear came to the rescue. He could sense how scared that woman was. He slowed down and began to take baby steps down the mountain. He would take a couple of steps and then stop. He would wait for his rider to calm down a bit and take a couple more steps down the mountain. Fortunately, there were only two horses behind him, so he wasn't holding up a lot of people. The guide sent the rest of the group on with another guide from a different group and stay behind to help Bear, his rider, and the remaining two horses and riders.

What should have been a thirty minute descent down a mountain turned into an hour long ordeal. Bear would take a couple of steps, then wait, take a couple of more steps, and wait. By the time he got to the bottom of the mountain, the woman riding him was more in love with him than she was her husband. To this day, Bear is the only horse I know that gets a Christmas card.

Bear is also an amazing kids horse. Nothing bothers Bear. He is always eager to see you. He will greet you at the gate every morning, nickering and whickering for his cookies and to have his ears scratched. He is so gentle taking treats from children that they barely feel his lips touch them. He can definitely tell when he has precious cargo on his back, because he walks differently. If there is a child in the saddle, his walk and trot smooth out and he never tries to munch on the trail. Bear is truly a gifted horse.

Learn more about this author, Diane Jaramillo.
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