Spartacus

Maddy was a dearly cherished mare of Mary’s family friend. Robert. She was initially an endurance horse in her younger years but due to hereditary conformation deformities, that were unbeknownst to everyone at the time, she was unable to sustain to a high demand of the sport. Breaking down at the 50 mile distances. In order to prevent her from breaking down further Robert reached out to Mary’s mother, Audra, to have her placed with them in a gentle mountain trails life.

2008, she had made the big trip and arrived to Oregon mountain. She was still considered Robert’s as well as Audra’s and her family’s. She belonged to all of them, as a family that included close friends. Rehoming, reselling, ect, was strictly forbidden. But of course they could not bear the thought of ever letting go of her in that way.

While in their care Chief absolutely adored her. Basically in a manner of speaking, was in love with her, and his son Spirit was as well. Spirit’s mother, Dusty, passed when he was 6 months old, leaving him with his father, Chief, and his other pony friends. But no Mare was there to take on the mother role for him, until Maddy.

One day the lil escape artist deviously pulled his gate boards aside, with his nosey little face, and found himself galavanting down to a pasture that held a newly arrived friend. He ran right up to her as if asking, “are you my mom?” And Maddy became his new mother figure.

During her years with Audra, and her family, a few breeding’s were attempted with her, by her original owner, in hopes her offspring would bear her positive traits and be able to sustain in endurance (her hereditary deformities were still unknown and discovered later.) Only one of these breedings was successful.

Maddy heavily carried a foal for many months, on our home of Oregon Mountain, until the final leg of her pregnancy was reached. She was sent back to Robert’s care to birth the foal. Mary remembers vividly, as a little one, Maddy being sent away to an old cowboy fellow.

When she met him again, on the way to crew for him on the Tevis ride, he giddily asked if she had remembered him, boy did she. Almost in tears she said to him, “you’re the one that took Maddy away!” Her big glorious black mare being taken did not sit well with her at the time. She’s since forgiven him of course

2009, Spartacus was born into the world, originally named Arrow. Mary recalls many times seeing him in his younger years from small, to a little bit bigger, to being unexpectedly quite gigantic. “I couldn’t see over his back!” she thought at one point. 17 hands, that’s how big he’d grown.

Unfortunately he was born with the same confirmation deformity and was also unable to sustain in a high demand version of endurance riding. Robert then placed him with his best friend Mike, of whom became quite bonded in his partnership of many years with Spartacus.

12 years they lived and rode together as cowboy and horse on backcountry adventures. They had as deep of a connection as any best friend could ever hope for. Their cowboy adventures came to a slow when Mike began developing health issues.

He’s been burdened with much physical pain and was unable to fully adventure with his horse for almost 2 years. So in the intentions of providing Spartacus with more years and chance of mountain adventures, Mary and her family was reached out to.

Mary already began a search of an additional horse for her family and program, so this was beyond perfect timing. It was most fortunate that a horse she has known his entire life was coming home to her and her family, rather than a strange horse that would take an unknown amount of time to adjust and train.

In the fall of 2024 Spartacus and Mike made the first leg of the journey, to Mary’s parents on Oregon mountain. Spartacus made it to a home he had not been since being carried by his mother.

He unfortunately would not have the chance of seeing her again, she had since passed in the year of 2021. But he stood in her very same pasture she had arrived to many years prior.

The following month Mary made the trip to visit and ride him. They had a wonderful Oregon mountain adventure traversing the same trails his mother had. Not much was forgotten to him in his years of stagnation, he was ready to go. Shortly thereafter he made the trip to Mary’s home, arriving to the Redwoods.

He is an incarnation of a golden retriever, an absolute gentle and loving giant, just as his mother was. In the past few months he’s met and bonded with Chief, Spirit, and Jake, his Stepfather, Stepbrother, and… well Jake is just a pal, but still family.

While on the subject of Jake, Spartacus has become quite fond of the little guy. They often snuggle and play in the pasture when they’re together. An unlikely friendship, but a welcome one.

He’s a beautiful cowboy dream to ride in the Redwood mountains. He has been tasked with becoming Mary’s husband’s first horse and will also become a pack and lesson horse for her program. Him and her husband have been doing wonderful together, they’re a perfect pair.

Everything has come full circle and Spartacus is home with his family. Much to the same nature as Maddy was Mary’s and her family’s, but was still Robert’s, Spartacus is still Mikes, and he shall remain with Mary and her family to the end of his days never to be sold or rehomed.

They are his beginning and end to his next journey and they look forward to traversing it with him.