Seth and Roberta, 1/05. Photo by Dave Zeigler.

This website's goal is to promote the Nokota horses by exposing them to interested individuals. North Dakota is a long way off, and although the Kuntz Ranch is more than happy to have visitors at any time, the distance can present a formidable barrier. Fortunately, the small Zeigler farm in southern PA provides a great opportunity with its own representatives of the breed, and technology like this website facilitates an even better spread of information. So please do not hesitate to email or call with any questions or comments.

The small Zeigler herd near Dallastown, PA, currently consists of one Traditional mare (Eyrie), her yearling Traditional filly (Graydon's Ms. Anna) one cross mare (Roberta) and her foal by Thunder Hawk (Night Storm), one part blood mare (Sprinkles), and a Traditional two year old colt (Xenicus). Graydon's Ms.Anna was the first Traditional Nokota born in Pennsylvania . This band is only a small sampling of the breed, but there is no better way to come to know Nokotas than in person, and we love to host interested visitors.

Zach leading Theodosius and Seth With Xenicus testing the load capacity of the Zeigler home's floor, 1/05. Photo by Lindsay Werkmeister.

These supplanted Nokotas found themselves in PA after a convoluted series of events built upon the facts that Dave and Anne Zeigler, who own the farm and co-own the horses, are my parents, and that I have lived at the Kuntz Ranch, at least part time, since June of 2000. Actually, this was at first to the dismay of my family, who thought that I was insane and obstinate, but we eventually gained an understanding, especially after I enrolled in college. Anne and Dave were likewise initially skeptical about having their own Nokotas, but they were soon convinced by Roberta. Roberta was only intended to pass through on her way to a new owner, but she soon won them over as an exceptional horse with an incredible disposition. This, and the purchase of a small farm that Dave had adored since his youth, opened the way for later Nokota immigrants, like Eyrie, Xenicus, and Sprinkles.

Thunder Hawk and Seth in the basement at the Kuntz Ranch, 2/07. Photo by Jared Kuntz.

Thunder Hawk, who is featured in many of these photos, only remained in PA for a year before being sold to preservation breeders in Georgia, but Roberta now has a foal to him, Night Storm. Thunder Hawk is an especially unique Nokota, an exemplar of the "Dakota Stout", also known as the "Montana Puddin Foot" type, a mix between Native and early draft lines that played a central role in morphing the Northern Plains from scattered ranches on expansive range lands to countless small immigrant farms. This is a particularly rare and underrepresented type within the larger Nokota breed that shares the same identifying characteristics but does not garner as much attention as the dauntingly tall Ranch type horses or the undeniably quintessential Traditional Nokotas. But if you appreciate power in an incredibly compact form, whether for hitching or riding, Thunder Hawk may prove breathtaking, especially in person. His bulk certainly does not compromise overall athletics, as Thunder Hawk was a dominant and revered stallion by his peers in the semi-wild state on the Kuntz Ranch, as is any stallion who can relentlessly hold on to his mares, as Thunder Hawk did, in the presence of the then most dominant Nokota stallions: Dancing Wolf, Lakota Dancer, and Dark Warrior. But don't let his record in the field fool you, Thunder Hawk, also known as Mellow Fellow, was broke to ride as a young stallion and is very tractable. I took him on his first ride in nearly a decade in the summer of 2005, bare-back and with only a halter, and he was great. I rode him whenever I could thereafter, including across tricky hills and steep banks, through deep creeks, through heavy brush and timbering slash, over impressive snow drifts and frozen streams, and right along a major road in Chaska , MN , a bustling Minneapolis suburb where we got many very surprised looks. Thunder Hawk has given a number of people their first ever horseback rides, let alone on a stallion who can just as easily survive in the wild. He even confirmed my suspicions that a horse can go up and down at least ¾ a flight of stairs, for it was just too tempting to take him into the basement. Furthermore, in spite of his short legs and even my expectations, Thunder Hawk is a smooth ride with a back almost as spacious as the living room couch.

Eyrie on her first ride out. 1/06. Photo by Zach Zeigler.

Likewise, Roberta is riding better and better as she accrues more experience. Unlike Thunder Hawk, she has a relatively long back and legs, at least for a Nokota, and she is even smoother yet. But her longer legs do not compromise her agility, as she too has been through some very rough areas. I am particularly surprised by how smooth she is when descending steep slopes, as she burns them right up.

Roberta and Thunder Hawk's 2006 foal, Night Storm, is an awesome blue roan who has already caught many eyes on the trail while snubbed behind his mother, and someone has actually already purchased him.

Meanwhile, Eyrie was halter broke and green broke to ride in the winter of 2005/2006. She was not even gentled until the summer of 2005, when she was already four, but this little mare is a real thinker and a joy to work with. I look forward to putting many more miles on this tough little mare.

Sprinkles came to the Zeigler farm as a horse with some baggage, and she did manage to make a reputation for herself fast, but now things are going well with her. We are keeping her rides fun and interesting, and she took me for seven or so rides during the week and a half that I spent in York County this summer, at least one more than 10 miles, with no major problems. I usually rode bareback and with nothing but a halter, and she is very athletic and a blast to ride, so hopefully this is the start of a great relationship. Sprinkles is an interesting mix of the pony lines that the Kuntzes bred for decades, reservation and racing bloodlines, and foundation Nokota breeding straight from the Park, so it will also be very interesting to see what sort of foals she produces.

Trying to impress Sprinkles, 8/06. Photo by Dave Zeigler

The Nokota horses would undoubtedly not exist if it were not for the Kuntz family and most importantly Leo and Frank Kuntz. These two self sacrificing brothers have given the horses their all and are the epitome of "horse poor". They are unquestionably the largest owners and protectors of these horses. They are also the heart of the growing Nokota Horse Conservancy, which has recently expanded its own horse ownership in an attempt to better protect the breed. Leo and Frank always have some horses for sale, and it is especially important to encourage other preservation breeders in new locations as it is far too dangerous to have almost all of these imperiled horses in one place. There are currently less than 100 Traditional and 75 Ranch brood mares, and even for a population like the Nokota that has existed for generations in relative stability at low numbers, simple genetic tenets warn that long term viability and survival is compromised until numbers and the accompanying genetic diversity can increase substantially. Furthermore, many specific lines are only represented by one or a few individuals, and the loss of any one of these and its genetic variation would be devastating to the entire breed.

Xenicus & Seth. Photo by Dave Zeigler, 4/06.

Xenicus - Traditional red roan 2004 stallion

If you are looking for a Traditional stallion, Xenicus may be your horse. Few Nokotas are worked with as much from such a young age, and Xenicus already has a wide range of experiences. He is by nature very curious, intelligent, and level-headed, excellent qualities for a working stallion. Xenicus is the product of Sharpie (see photo gallery) and Black Squaw Older, a rugged Crazy Horse (also see photo gallery) daughter and very productive brood mare. Xenicus's specific strengths should be endurance and durability; this is one horse that you could release right back into the badlands and he would be right at home. If you build a good relationship he can serve equally well in preservation breeding, on the trail, or at work. He is well halter broke, has begun harness training, and has been ridden multiple times out in the open, although he is still young and naturally has a lot to learn. If you would like to see or hear more please feel free to contact Seth at 701-260-0791 or seth.zeigler@gmail.com or Dave and Anne Zeigler at 717-428-0510.

Xenicus skidding slash. Photo by Zach Zeigler, 1/06.

Graydon's Miss Anna - Traditional 2005 red roan grey filly

Anna at about two months old. Photo by Anne Zeigler.

Xenicus is not the only Sharpie offspring in Pennsylvania, or at least since July ninth of 2005. Anna's mother, Eyrie, was essentially wild until only a few months after Anna's birth, and Anna likewise was rather aloof for her first few days, but time and experience have unleashed this little filly's unbelievably friendly personality.

Anna at less than three weeks old. Photo by Zach Zeigler.

It appears that Anna will be much smaller than the average Nokota, and probably even smaller than her approximately fourteen hand mother, although her sire is fourteen and a half hands tall. Nonetheless, Anna is a little powerhouse and very robustly built, and she should prove to be a great mount. Her extreme amiability has already won the hearts of the Ziegler's, and thus she is no longer for sale and will instead stay to be used on their farm, including in showing others just how amazing Nokota horses really are