Dakota

Dakota is a buckskin palomino paint mare who had given birth to a colt in the summer of 2021. After her colt was weaned she became a surrogate mother to Wildfire, a buttermilk buckskin orphan filly that we now have on the ranch. We acquired Wildfire in August 2021 and Dakota in November of the same year. Dakota’s previous owner had asked if we wanted to take her since she was lonely and didn’t have any equine friends. We told her we’d love to have her and that she would have lots of companions here with us. That very same day we took in another mare named Tammy and Dakota was instrumental in getting Tammy loaded into the trailer.

When Dakota arrived there was a possibility that she might be pregnant. Sure enough, on April 3, 2022, she gave birth to a pretty little filly we named April. After the baby was born Dakota was more focused on her new foal than on her new friend Tammy, so Tammy was moved down and integrated into the big herd, with Dakota remaining on the  2 1/2 acres with the other horse moms. Their new buddies, Teak and Chief, are always by their side, keeping a watchful eye on them.

Dakota had a bad past experience with a halter that had grown into her skin and had to be surgically removed. As a result of this, she is apprehensive about her face and easily spooked by ropes and tack. She is rideable and easy to work with, but catching her can be a real challenge.