West of Custer and a few miles south on Pleasant Valley Road, the valley widened out like a bowl, surrounded by trees, and in the middle of this bowl was an orderly equestrian yard; a ranch house overlooked the number of outbuildings and corrals, the outdoor arena and a beautiful blue stall barn, freshly built.
HORSES, SOME BLANKETED, OTHERS SHiNiNG BARE- BACKED iN THE AFTERNOON SUN, MUNCHED AWAY AT FEEDERS, AND A HANDFUL OF STEERS LAZiLY CHEWED THEiR CUD. story by LAURA LINDBLOM
“ WE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT iNTO WHAT WE’ RE RAiSiNG, BECAUSE I WANT HORSES THAT ARE GENTLE, AND VERY EASiLY TRAiNABLE.” Randy Guggisberg
A horse or two stepped contentedly around a horse walker, craning their necks, soft eyes looking curiously at their surroundings. Inside the barn, which was immaculately kept, a few horses poked their heads out of their stalls, eyes alight with the same curiosity, and a chandelier sparkled from the ceiling in the well-lit space. There was a little rustle, and a wiselooking dog with a grizzled muzzle stretched out on a dog bed under the loaded saddle rack, every space taken up with a well-made saddle, and a row of hooks made out of horse shoes was hung with halters and lead ropes.
A black mare, young and incredibly eye-catching, was being saddled up in the middle of the barn. Magnum’ s Smoking Chic, known as Medea, had been combed and polished until her delicate but wellmuscled frame shone like satin, and when the last buckle was fastened, she was meekly led out behind Randy Guggisberg, the owner and head horse trainer at Sliding G Performance Horses, following him around to the indoor arena next door.
THE DiRT iN THE ARENA WAS
DEEP and soft, world-class ground, and Randy put the mare through her paces, gently warming her up, then gradually raising the bar and picking up the pace. She has a future as a show horse and reiner, and she danced effortlessly in a circle at Randy’ s direction, first one way and then another. He sat the saddle loose and relaxed, his calm demeanor causing his broad frame to all but disappear. All you saw was the horse. myblackshillscountry. com Down Country Roads
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