TRANSCENDING TIME
By Heidi Schlenker
By Heidi Schlenker
Not just a horse, but a spirit set free,
With a twinkle of wisdom in each glance we’d see.
A tongue to be scratched, a peppermint sought,
He knew how to charm—no lesson was taught.
His hooves have thundered for trophies and gold,
But he also stitched hearts with stories untold.
In barns, and in fields, with a nudge or a sigh,
Pepto wove bonds no money could buy.
When his time came, as gentle as dawn,
He asked for one peppermint before moving on.
A final farewell, with love in the air,
His soul stays forever—still grazing, still there.
For legends are more than deeds we recall,
They live in the hearts they’ve touched most of all.
Peptoboonsmal 1992 – 2024
Peppy San Badger x Royal Blue Boon
Some legends are defined for their accomplishments, measured in trophies and dollars. But others, like Peptoboonsmal, transcend records. Those legends can only be defined by the heart, which is much more complex.
From the time the Aarons started their breeding program in 2010, their lines focused on two things – The Blue Valentine bloodline, and a horse that had the all-around capability to do it all. They loved the size, bone, cow sense, and color the Blue Valentine lines brought to their program. Their stock proved to perform well, but Lori and Phillip wanted to put a little more refinement and quick-footedness into their program.
After attending their first cow-horse event, Lori was hooked, and the rest of the family followed suit with their enthusiasm. Lori started researching bloodlines and magic crosses for the Blue Valentine mares in their program, and found Peptoboonsmal could add the refinement and quick-footedness they were looking for, while maintaining the bone, cow sense, and color.
They began crossing their mares to Peptoboonsmal and the results were phenomenal. In fact, they loved the crosses so much, they had to go see Peptoboonsmal in person.
It wasn’t until she stood face to face with Peptoboonsmal that her heart was forever tethered to his. The quirky stallion, with a twinkle in his eye, made his desires known. When they arrived, the comical red roan stallion insisted, rather persistently, that Lori scratch his tongue. She thought to herself, “I am not about to scratch this horse’s tongue.” What Lori didn’t realize was that what
what Pepto wants, Pepto gets. He had this swagger about him that was quirky and personable, always a twinkle in his eye. He knew what you were going to do before you did it, and he knew he could make you do what he wanted. A few seconds later, she found herself scratching Pepto’s tongue as he stood content, eyes sparkling with quiet triumph. That was Peptoboonsmal—a master of gentle persuasion, charming everyone who crossed his path, one laugh or peppermint at a time.
From that day forward, Lori couldn’t get Peptoboonsmal off her mind. It was “easy” to be around him. He made you feel comfortable from the moment you approached him, and he always had a fun little antic to get you to let your guard down and give him attention. In 2014, Lori called Phillip while he was cutting hay and said, “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I want to buy Peptoboonsmal.” Phillip laughed and asked if he was even for sale. He wasn’t. Alas, Lori and Phillip purchased Pepto from Jackson Land & Cattle and became the new owners of Peptoboonsmal. They brought him home to Aaron Ranch to give him the retirement of kings. Lori has been scratching his tongue and feeding him peppermints ever since.
Bred by Larry Hall, Peptoboonsmal was the 1995 National Cutting Horse Association Futurity Champion under the guidance of Gary Bellenfant and had won $180,487 in NCHA. By 2014 he had already become an Equi-Stat Elite $27 Million Sire. Pepto was 22 years old when the Aarons purchased him, but their purchase wasn’t decided by what the stallion had already done, or the money he could generate. That purchase was made because of the heart the stallion had already brought to their program. By the time the Aarons purchased him, Lori was already head-over-heels in love with him. No, it wasn’t about what he could do for them, or where he could take them; they had already been breeding to him long before they purchased him. It was about how they felt about him.
He was the heart.
In his Taj-Mahorse quarters in the main barn, Pepto had his own official office, complete with a couch, television, and climate control. He even had his nameplate proudly displayed on the door. Everyone knew who the boss was. Daily, he called regular meetings into his office where staff would sit on the couch, eat their lunch, and watch old westerns and cattle drives with him. Pepto was so addicted to westerns that the TV would be left on for him around the clock. He loved watching those old shows just as much as he loved attention.
Cresha Aaron recalls a time when the football team came to visit, and they were all sitting around in the office conversing with one another and not paying much attention to Pepto. But what
Pepto wants, Pepto gets. Pepto walked over to his water bucket, filled his bottom lip with water, and flicked it all over Trent Brown, demanding his attention. “He wouldn’t stop until you went over and petted on him, scratched his tongue, or unwrapped his favorite peppermint and gave it to him. He was an absolute ham for attention,” says Cresha.
Everyone on the ranch got a chance to develop a bond with Pepto. He had an uncanny way of drawing people in, offering solace with just a sigh or a nudge—provided you paid the price of a peppermint; a minuscule price to pay for peace of mind. Pepto had the ability to heal people from traumas, improve their confidence, and make dreams come true, and you never even had to get on his back to experience it. His offspring
carry that same spark, fulfilling dreams and forging bonds that can never be broken.
I had the privilege of meeting and photographing Pepto in person for the first time when he was 30. I had expected to meet a living legend with some obvious age to him, and maybe even a bit of “cranky old-man” syndrome. Instead, I was met with a twinkle in his eye, ears pricked forward, and his tongue hanging out, as if to say, “Hey lady, don’t just stand there, scratch the dang thing.” When he smelled the peppermint, all hell broke loose. Pepto checked every pocket of my jacket to find where I was hiding it, and once he found it, persisted that I had to have more hiding somewhere. He was rather pleased with his olfactory abilities. Sometimes I wonder if he was part Bloodhound… he could track a
Peppermint from across a field. My last memory of this absolute masterpiece of horse flesh came after we finished our photo shoot. I watched him politely prance all the way back to the barn next to his handler, never even taking the slack out of the lead. It was like he had his own song playing in his head. I giggled… he sure was something special. He was, without a doubt, a horse like no other—full of himself in the most delightful way. He was an exquisite comedian and an extraordinary friend.
Peptoboonsmal may be a horse to some, but to the Aarons, Pepto had the soul of a human, the wisdom of a professor, and the kind of connection to people that comes along once in a lifetime. He was a person trapped in a horse’s body, through and through. He was that “one Grandparent” that held the family unit together for many generations through wisdom, comfort, and guidance. He had a direct impact on everyone who met him in person; you just knew he was different. Pepto taught us that life isn’t measured in achievements, but in the connections we forge and the joy we bring to others.
On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, Pepto left this realm due to complications of age, with Cresha by his side. Despite the family’s silent prayers for him to pass peacefully in his sleep when it came time for him to go, Pepto, ever in control, made sure his loved ones were ready to let go first. True to form, he politely requested permission to go, and of course—one last peppermint for the road.
What Pepto wants, Pepto gets. While his physical being is no longer here, his whole heart remains with Aaron Ranch and beats strong within the industry. Peptoboonsmal was laid to rest near the statue on Aaron Ranch. Here, he will continue to watch over his mares and his family, driving them to continue his legacy and their dreams. Peptoboonsmal… he was more than a legend. He was, and still is, the Heart. May he remain forever in ours.