Archie’s Tale: Life as I Saw It

Archie's Tale, a series, is an educational story about the birth and the life of a Quater Horse colt. Told from the perspective of the main character, the story follows Archie from his earlier than expected birth through his development into a competitive mount for his owners.


Archie, a son of the rising star in the competitive world of reining, Epic Titan, was rejected at birth by his mother, a beautiful buckskin Quarter Horse mare. His owners were shocked by his early arrival and his plainness of color as they had hoped for markings similar to those remarkable to his father. Additionally, his physical condition and survival, due to his early birth and rejection, were of concern to his owners, their veterinarian, and friends. Without a loving mother, Archie's owners solicited help from managers of a Thoroughbred stud farm in Lousiana. There they find a Haflinger mare, used as a surrogate mother for Thoroughbreds, that accepts Archie and they bring her back home to Mississippi to help raise him. Their matchup is perfect and Archie begins to exhibit signs of recovery immediately. As his health progresses, Archie's owners discover that underneath his commonness, is a very different personality emerging and they embrace him. They register him with the American Quarter Horse Asociation as Titan Up and begin planning his pathway to competitiveness.


Archie has many barn mates and finds his first friend in one of them. Betty Sue, a Mini, shares her knowledge with him. Her support, combined with the wisdom of his portly surrogate mother Charlene, encourages and excites him; he becomes hungry to learn and excel.