Category: News

Davis Finch Shares His Story of Watching How This Amazing Horse Changed Over Time

When I first toured Square Peg, back in 2011 at Canyon Creek ranch off
highway 92, I met several horses. One of the most memorable was an excitable 9-
year-old chestnut son of KingMambo with the barn name Stan. An exquisite
gelding who raced under the name Irresponsible King, I was told he was so
dangerous only Joell could ride him, and even she could not always stay on. When
I went to pet LeRoi, an older paint gelding who gave me my first ride, Stan butted
in and bit him in the face. Even then, he wanted to be the center of attention.

Once I got to know him better, I learned that while he was a handful, he was also
quite friendly and was eager to please, given the right circumstances. Still, I never
dreamed that someday I would ride him.

During our almost ten years at Kastl Rock ranch, Stan aged and probably
mellowed out a little, but still had his antics. He had a penchant for jumping, was a
presence in the arena and if he got loose, let’s just say it would be an exciting
afternoon. However, he also grew more trustworthy under saddle, so much so that
Joell started letting teenage volunteers ride him. Eventually she even started using
him in lessons. He was reliable on the lunge line and developed a nice trot. By the
time Square Peg left for Ocean View, he was the “old man” of the off-track
thoroughbreds but still had plenty left.

Since coming to Ocean View and living in a pasture full time, Stan has
become a schoolmaster. He is now nicknamed “grandpa” and his quirks have
become more endearing than dangerous. He loves the supplements I feed him and
greets me at the gate each time I arrive. I have started riding him and have
discovered his trot to be wonderful. While trail rides are not his thing, he is one of
Square Peg’s best horses in the arena with a good walk/trot/canter and often a calm
and happy demeanor. As the patriarch of the herd, he will show younger, more
recently arrived horses who is boss in the pasture, especially when there is food
involved. With people he is usually gentle and loves attention, snuggles and treats.

_{Author Davis Finch riding Irresponsible King aka: Stan}

Even though he is calmer than he once was, he is still a sensitive
horse. The good side of this temperament is he is highly responsive under saddle
and reciprocates emotionally when I ride him. He is also very intelligent and
will be waiting at the gate closest to me, even if he has to cross the pasture to be
there. There are still moments when the fire that got him dubbed “the terror of Bay
Meadows” in his racing days shows through, but it is rare enough that it seems
almost quaint. Due to an old palate injury from the racetrack, he has always
roared, but now it more of a sweet purr. He is Square Peg’s beautiful and quirky
grandpa.

Coastside Gives is right around the corner! Please donate and/or share! https://www.coastsidegives.org/organization/SquarePeg

Content Creator Mike engaged his mom to be the interviewer of the Square Peg horses. Let’s see what Moso has to say….

Don’t forget that Coastside Gives is underway. Your support means the world to us!

Square Peg Foundation is in its (ahem!) 20th year…. The stories we’ve amassed over the years are rich and sweet and even when it’s a story about loss, we’ve looked for the lessons and celebrated the joys.

Our commitment as we look to the next 20 years is to bring in new voices that bring fresh perspectives while upholding the value we place on playfulness, joy, and curiosity.

Mike walked into our lives about a month ago. Mike has a sense of timing and fun. Mike looks at a horse and feels their personality and his quick mind begins spinning stories, songs, and ultimately, movies.

Needless to say, Mike and I hit it off immediately and the horses adore him.

Mike is going to be producing content for Square Peg and I can’t wait to let you see what he’s going to serve up for us.

I hope you love his first musical video half as much as we do. Stay tuned for a series of interviews Mike will conduct with the Square Peg herd.

Coastside Gives is well underway with a local day of giving culminating on May 2, 2024.

You can support us by clicking the graphic below to donate and/or sharing this post on your socials.

Stay Quirky and stay tuned for more of Mike’s interviews with the horses!

I had the honor of speaking at the Journey On Podcast Summit in San Antonio, TX last month.

The lineup of speakers was thrilling and intimidating. I’d be sharing the stage with luminaries in the horse world such as Linda Kahonov, Ariana Strozzi Mazzucchi, Chantal Prat, and more. I wondered what I had to offer the audience when compared to researchers, neuroscientists, people who’d ridden from Alaska to Chile, or in the Mongolian Derby for goodnessakes!

I also wanted to try something different. Warwick advised all of the invitees to take our 19 minutes in the spotlight to bring what we wanted to see into the world.

I obsessed over how I’d present the Square Peg story, or perhaps my personal journey. Then it hit me. We often attend conferences like this looking for a hidden truth, a process, a protocol, a snippet of wisdom that enhances our lives, or untangles a knot in our brains or guts. We’re willing to hike to the tops of mountains to meet a guru, or to study at the foot of the master for as long as it takes.

But what if an answer has always been right at our fingertips? What if there’s a magic potion in our pocket or at least just within reach that makes it all better?

This is the topic of my talk.

I was willing to go to some uncomfortable places to get us all to that place – to that medicine.

I had two secret weapons with me. Two key staff, Emma Bond and Kemma Peters accompanied me to San Antonio. They brought the magic sauce with them. Their timing, their willingness, brought it all home.