About Aus Ranch Performance Horses
The roots of Aus Ranch Performance Horses can be traced back to early 1900's North Dakota homesteaders and, separately, to a granddaughter of Man O' War that was given to a little boy in Colorado.
Bruce Bainbridge grew up in central Colorado next door to a Thoroughbred farm. When a friend of his fathers was looking for a place to pension an elderly mare, Bruce found out at a young age that fast horses were just more fun. The elderly mare was an granddaughter of the great Man O' War . . . and Bruce was hooked for life!
Bruce's wife, Kristin Aus, is a third generation horse breeder. Her parents, Merle and Rose Marie Aus, have been raising quality horses in eastern Montana for over 40 years. Merle's father raised horses in western North Dakota from the time he homesteaded there in the early 1900's. While horse breeding has changed a great deal over the intervening century, Bruce and Kristin greatly value the wisdom and common sense they have access to since they combined their horse breeding operation with Merle and Rose Marie's at the ranch in the fall of 2000.
Kristin grew up on this ranch and it is an ideal location to raise healthy, sound, sensible horses. Because the terrain is so rough, horses learn at a young age to pay attention to where they put their feet. This is an invaluable advantage to barrel racers, ropers, and hunter/jumpers - and it is something you cannot train into a horse later in life. In addition, because horses here have to travel to find feed and water, young horses have the opportunity to grow up where they can run enough to develop strong bones and muscles. This rugged lifestyle is complimented with the best of nutritional supplementation and vet care. We think it's an ideal combination!
Merle has led quit an interesting life. If you enjoy reading about the "good old days" and what cowboy life was really like, check out his web page at http://www.merleaus.com and buy his autobiography!