Meet the Mustangs: Rapunzel

By Deb Sutherland, Volunteer

PROPERTY OF AWHC(February 2, 2021) Rapunzel was born March 16, 2014, and I had the honor of watching her take her first steps.  She was born in a field near my house and when I was driving by on my way home, I saw that Ginger Snap, aka Aurora, had just finished giving birth.  With camera in hand, I went over to see who the new foal was. Rapunzel stood up and got caught under her dam's tail, and it looked as if she had flowing silver and blond hair, so I aptly named her Rapunzel! 

She is the fifth foal by Bodie and Ginger Snap.  After she untangled herself, Rapunzel stood facing Ginger Snap and they looked like beautiful bookends.  They were often seen standing side-by-side, and Rapunzel didn’t stray far from Ginger Snap or Bodie.  I called them the two prettiest ladies in the canyon. 

I have been photographing Bodie and his family band for over 10 years. I have known all of Ginger Snap and Bodie’s foals, as I started photographing them right after their first foal was born.  inger Snap’s sire was Skydancer and her dam was Windsong. One day Skydancer vanished and Windsong was pregnant with Ginger Snap when she joined Bodie’s family. Shortly after that Windsong gave birth to Ginger Snap  and she became one of Bodie’s mares when she grew up,along with her sister Momma Mia who is Prince, aka Steener’s dam.

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Rapunzel has seven full siblings but she and her sister, Aurora’s Princess, are the only ones who are still with us. When Rapunzel was growing up her best friend and playmate was Steener (aka Prince) who is Rapunzel’s half-brother, they are the same age as they were born just weeks apart. The two were always seen running around the canyon together along with their older half siblings Spats and Sandra. 

PROPERTY OF AWHCRapunzel has many half-siblings and I am glad to see that she is still living in the same band as her three half-sisters, Sandra, Spats and Sunday. I’ve known them since their birth as well.  Sandra and Spats are Pinkie and Bodie’s daughters. Sunday is Momma Mia and Bodie’s last daughter who is Prince Steener’s full younger sister. The sisters have been together since birth, even surviving a few stallion changes.

After Bodie vanished, they lived on and off with Goldie, Shaggy, Tank and Flashy, until Flashy finally won the band after a 3-year battle.  Now, Flashy is sharing the band with Midnight and more changes in the family are taking place but the sisters are still together … at least so far!

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Rapunzel has needed to be rescued several times in her life and I was called upon once to help find her band.  Rapunzel has given birth to three foals, Princess Mitten, Cricket, and Paddy. I spent New Year’s Eve (2020) with my heart horse, Rapunzel and her sisters, and it was a great way to bring in the New Year. I am thankful for all the people and groups who help the wild horses, because of them Rapunzel and many other wild ones are still living wild and free.