Our Founder - Art Butler

Art Butler is a name well known in horse circles in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northern Ontario.
Art hailed from Solsgirth, MB. where he grew up on his family's mixed farm.   In those days, it was common practise to use horses for farm work, riding, and going to town.

Art learned to ride when he was quite young.  His father used to bring in boxcar-loads of wild horses from Alberta, and break, train and sell them.

At the age of 9 yrs, Art decided to try getting on one of these horses, and "riding the buck out of it". (He did this without his father's permission or knowledge).   When his dad found out, he asked Art how he had made out.   Art told his father that everything went okay, and so, his father told Art that if he wanted to break horses, to "get at it".

While growing up, Art learned the farrier's trade, trimming hooves and hot shoeing.   He was well-known in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Northern Ontario for his work.

Art did some ranch work and rodeoing, as well, and developed his horsemanship skills to the point that people would come to him for advice on "problem horses".   Many people brought Art horses to break and train, and sometimes, "spoilt" horses for Art to re-train. (Although, as Art told it, it was more often the owners who needed the retraining).

Art moved to Rosser Municipality in the early 1960's, and leased land for his first ranch from a prominent local farmer.   He started a boarding stable, and also bred fine "Foundation" Quarterhorses, using his Foundation stallion, Cowboy Ross.

After Cowboy Ross' untimely death, Art kept one of Cowboy's sons, "Little Boy Beaver" (or "Beav" as he is affectionately called), as a stallion, and began using him as the Ranch Studhorse.   Beav was born April 7th, 1970, and lived to the ripe old age of 33 years old, he was humanely euthanized on December 9th, 2003.