Meet the Mustangs: Saddle Shoe
By Deb Sutherland, Virginia Range Volunteer
Saddle Shoe, also known as Lil’ Bossy, was born in a canyon in the Virginia Range near the springs where many bands gather during spring and summer. Her sire was the black and white pinto, Canyon Phantom, who lived his entire life wild and free on the range. In 2012, the year Saddle Shoe was born, Canyon Phantom had several mares and a large family band of roans, pintos, and buckskins.
Saddle Shoe’s dam was one of Canyon Phantom’s buckskin mares, affectionately called Grandma due to her bent hind feet, which made her walk like an old horse even as a young mare. After becoming a documenter, I found her in the database as “Broken Hinds,” a name that perfectly described her crooked back feet. Broken Hinds and Saddle Shoe were inseparable during the early years of her life. In winter, they snuggled in the snow, and on hot days, they stood side by side, drinking from the spring.
Saddle Shoe had many half-siblings born in 2012. Her half-brother, the stunning buckskin Shaggy, still resides in the Virginia Range with his own family band. His dam was Canyon Phantom’s roan mare, Maxey, who is now part of Black Hawk’s band.
As Saddle Shoe grew older, another pinto bachelor joined their band, a stallion we called Bossy. He was the son of Bodie Braveheart and Gingersnap, known for bossing around other horses and even people. I began calling Saddle Shoe Lil’ Bossy because she resembled Big Bossy, and the two often ran and played together in the canyon. Eventually, Big Bossy left to roam with other bachelors, and Lil’ Bossy joined her first stallion, giving birth to her first foal, a colt named Half Moon, who had a crescent moon-shaped star on his face. Although I haven't seen him since his birth, he would be about seven years old now.
Almost a year later, Two Socks stole Saddle Shoe after many battles with other stallions, including Apache. Saddle Shoe spent most of her life with Two Socks. Her second foal, Little Saddle Shoe (also known as Honey May), was born under a pinion pine tree in the canyon on a spring day in May. She was the cutest pinto I had ever seen. Her third foal, Saddle Shoe Jr., was a beautiful black and white pinto resembling his “grandfather” Canyon Phantom. Saddle Shoe’s fourth foal is sweet Natalie, who looks like her first colt and remains with her today. However, Tracker stole them from Two Socks last year, and he now takes good care of Saddle Shoe and Natalie. Often, you can see Two Socks and Tracker’s band traveling across the Virginia Range together, a beautiful sight to behold.
Sadly, Saddle Shoe’s sire, Canyon Phantom, passed away on January 31, 2021, in the Virginia Range, where he lived his entire life of 21 years wild and free. The last time I saw Broken Hinds was over a year ago, standing but sound asleep. I haven’t seen her since, but I’m sure I’ll encounter her again someday.