As The Gate Swings: Cap-boy...

Craig always wanted a Mustang. Through the twists and turns of fate and chance, an opportunity to get one honestly magickally dropped in his lap. It may have been the same place we got Yaqui. The people had gotten a Mustang gelding who'd gone through the Extreme Mustang Makeover program, but something happened and they didn't want to keep the horse. Without hesitation, Craig said he's take it, and in short order, a big bodied bay with a broad white stripe, white cuffs on both back feet, and the majesty of America's wildness stepped off a trailer and into our hearts.

Kiowa flirts with Cap upon his arrival...

Cap exudes majesty, regal...

Not long after Tell arrived and had been rechristened in honour of a beloved Louis L'Amour character, I told Craig we needed a "Cap". Veteran cowboy actor (though I am not at all sure he was "acting") Ben Johnson played seasoned cowpuncher, Cap Roundtree in the Sacketts movie where we meet those three Sackett boys, Tell, Orrin, and Tyrel, and Cap was definitely one of our favourites. Cap fit him perfectly, and there we were.

The Extreme Mustang Makeover is an event where trainers are matched with a Mustang right off the range. They have 90 days to work with the horse and prepare it for an exhibition and competition. Afterwards, the horses are sold at auction. Cap, then inanely called "Smokey", participated in the inaugural Extreme Mustang Makeover. He tied for second, half a point out of first, then was sold in the auction for $3,330 - just $200 less than the high dollar horse. Because technically he was still in his year's "probation" period, Craig paid $25 to transfer Cap's ownership to him. It took a year for the transfer to happen, and Craig let Cap just hang out and be Cap for that entire year. He was concerned that Cap had been dragged from place to place, and he wanted Cap to know he was home. To know he was loved beyond measure.

Craig also promised Cap as soon as the transfer papers arrived he would show them to him, letting him see for himself he was really and truly Daddy's boy.

He did. The papers arrived, and he took them out to the pasture and showed them to Cap. He really did.

After the year, Craig finally saddled and sat on Cap in the round pen. It was a successful effort, despite not being touched for a year. Craig remarked on how light and sensitive Cap was, how easy he was to ride.

Out, Cap would always call out, looking for his herd. He was born at 10,000ft elevation in Nevada. We would joke how Cap would look at our Chiricahuas dismissively, saying "You call these mountains?" Once at Rucker, Cap dropped his head and crowhopped a few times, but Craig rode it out and settled him back down. To this day, I couldn't tell you what caused the hiccup. Then, once at the Stronghold, a branch on Manzanita next to the trail got caught in Cap's back girth, and spooked him. He shot forward and Craig, caught off-guard, toppled off. I jumped off Taza, had a guest hold him, and ran after Cap who was nearby nibbling quietly. Craig got back on, and back to the trailer we went.

We didn't often let guests ride Cap. He was born wild, free, and you had to keep that in mind. Riding him involved some minor negotiation and a a sizeable amount of respect. I rode him. Our favourite young German girl and Cap would have weeks together. Josh loved taking Cap out. Our beloved Anne from Denmark sat him beautifully. Sometimes, I would let guests sit on Cap once we were back at the trailer so they could go home and tell family and friends they rode a real "wild Mustang". I loved riding him. Just loved it.

Cap with Josh...

Cap with Isis...

Cap, at the best lunch spot in Granite Gap...

Cap, helping me with my lunch at Bowie...

Cap and Isis at Rucker...

Cap and Anne headed to the wilderness at Price...

Cap's personality was bright, playful, curious. He would look at you sometimes with all the wildness in his eye, then do something a born-in-your-backyard horse would do. Like help Daddy build a shade.

Craig had the old red truck in Cap's pasture as he worked on assembling a shade for them. Up on the ladder, Craig looked down to see Cap nosing around his drill bag and the other tools. He lipped the handle on the bag containing drill bits, screws, sundry hardware, and who knows what all.

"Cap! No!" Craig called from the ladder.

Cap looked up at him with utter innocence, then dropped his enormous head to sniff it again.

"Cap, I said no. Leave it alone."

Cap, again dripping innocence, proceeded to pick up the handle on the drill bag and shake the entirety of its contents out into the dirt. Then, to Craig's consternation, he stepped neatly over to the truck, pushed his head through the open window, and proceeded to pull whatever he could find out.

Then there was the drinker incident. Cap would stand with his front feet in the drinker. Just stand and observe. He stood there long enough to snap the bottom seam and empty the drinker, flooding the pasture. In the interim, Craig put in a drinker with a float attached to a hose. Should be fine, Craig thought. Well, Cap reached and pulled the hose off, spraying the other horses.

Most likely, bad words were said loudly, but Craig went over and fixed it. However, before he reached the gate, Cap had the hose back in his mouth, spraying the others again. Craig shook his head, and Cap just looked at him, dripping innocence.


Cap in his kingdom...

Craig would stand and watch Cap out in his pasture, looking over the fence toward the mountains. He would look as wistful as Cap, and say, "Sometimes I think I should set him free..."

After losing Craig and faced with the overwhelming reality of running the ranch by myself, I decided to rehome as many of his beloved horses as I could - despite the pain it would inevitably cause. I called Josh, the young man from Wyoming who lived and rode with us for a year, and asked him if he could come down and pick up Hawk and Mac. Something, suddenly prompted me to ask, "Would you take Cap, too?"

Stunned more at the idea of my giving up Craig's much loved Mustang than the actual request, Josh said he would. He knew what it took for me to take this step and has ever been cognisant of the enormity of that ask. Before they left out, we took one more ride around the ranch. Josh swung up on Mac, and I stepped up on Cap. I know I cried as I rode this magnificent animal who was indelibly special to my beloved husband. He was fabulous. Cap was always fabulous.

Cap and me on our last ride...

Next morning, Josh and his dad loaded the boys into the trailer, and off they went to the wilds of Wyoming. Josh and his family kindly send me photos of Cap in his new life periodically, and I am grateful for them. I am grateful for Josh's generosity in taking on three mouths to feed. (Josh likes to think Hawk is his, but he's not. He's mine.) Cap will always be Hideout Ranch's Wildness, will ever be Craig's best boy...