128 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Jan Westmark-Allan
My quest for the Perfect Paint (the nickname I had given to
the horse I was searching for) has already come to a close.
I thought my quest would be long adventurous expedition
flled with many colorful Paints and pintos – but instead the
Perfect Paint has arrived and is doing double duty as my
horse and as the Sidelines mascot.
His name is Spirit and he is Medicine Hat Paint, complete
with a war bonnet, two blue eyes and a shield on his chest.
Indian legend says that a warrior who rode a Medicine Hat
into battle considered himself to be invincible. The only
battles I have faced so far have been getting Spirit to put
his ears forward for a holiday photo while wearing reindeer
antlers and trying to mount without him taking a bow.
Spirit originally belonged to Sidelines publisher Samantha
Charles. He was a rescued PMU foal that Samantha adopted
when he was four months old and thanks to his spirited
attitude he
was taught
how to do
tricks. Spirit
isn’t your average
“one trick pony” –
he knows many
tricks; but his
favorite “go to” trick
is the bow.
A
talented
Russian circus
trainer named
Luba Tchepiakova,
who was living
in Aiken, South
Carolina, taught
Spirit his tricks
and he took to
the tricks like a
pony in the circus.
He can bow, sit,
play dead, shake
his head yes and no, kick a ball, smile and keep me safe while
playing cowboys and Indians (he is a Medicine Hat after all.) But
his favorite thing to do is bow. And bow. And bow some more.
As I have been learning the cues for Spirit’s different tricks, I
have occasionally given the wrong cues. I was about to mount
the other day when he suddenly though I gave the cue for “play
dead” and he stretched out on the ground – not exactly what I
was going for. But given his choice of tricks to perform, Spirit will
always choose the bow. While it seems
to me that executing a perfect bow takes a bit of work, for Spirit it’s
as easy as swishing his tail. He drops down onto one knee if he
hears a carrot snap in half or someone rustle a treat bag – even if
it is far, far away. Needless to say, Spirit is spirited when it comes
to performing and seems quite pleased to be the new Sidelines
mascot – and my fearless steed.
The Perfect Paint Takes A Bow
e
The Bottom Line
Spirit shows what he thinks
about wearing reindeer antlers
by sticking out his tongue.
Luba Tchepiakova teaches Spirit his tricks –
including how to sit.
A young Spirit.
The Bottom Line: I am thrilled with my one trick pony and now that my quest for the Perfect Paint has
ended, I have another quest. (Having goals is important, after all.) My new pursuit is to fnd a Breyer
Medicine Hat horse statue. Breyer released a Medicine Hat statue years ago that came in a box set with
Marguerite Henry’s book SAN DOMINGO The Medicine Hat Stallion. Spirit is the “spittin’ image” of San
Domingo so I jumped on eBay and bid on a hardbound copy of the book. I only meant to order one – but
somehow I ended up bidding on and purchasing two copies! Spirit’s enthusiasm has apparently rubbed
off on me. Now my goal is to fnd the Medicine Hat Breyer – and when I do I am sure I will be so excited,
I will take a bow!