About AR …

Akal Ranch is not a physical place, so much as me and my Spanish Mustang horses. Akal means “undying” in Gurmukhi. I liked that it was short and the idea that these horses should never disappear, but be preserved. At some point in the future, I will purchase land to give Akal Ranch a physical home. For now, I board my few horses and live in town. In 2006 I had one foal from Lily and Paisano, AR Cirro. Then in 2008 a foal by Paisano and out of Cobriza, Lily’s full sister, was born in Arizona. AR Theory is currently owned by Susan Catt and Cobriza has gone on to her permanent home with Anne-Marie Pinter in California. I bred Lily one last time in 2008, before I gelded Paisano. That foal was AR Margarita de los Prados, owned by Tired Dog Ranch. I am not sure how much breeding I may do in the future. Time will tell. For now, I am just enjoying the horses and getting out to events, when the opportunity arises.

Things I like to do with them are many, from trail riding to experimenting with trick training, tackless riding and sometimes just sitting around watching them. I learn a lot that way; about them, as well as myself.

Now a bit about me…

I grew up in Woodstock, New York. Woodstock was home to the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in the early part of the century long before it became famous for the Woodstock Festival. It still supports a thriving arts community with a resurgence of activity in Byrdcliffe in the last few years. My mother’s family had lived on Guardian Mountain in the heart of Byrdcliffe since 1915 or so.

My mother put me astride a pony before I could walk. I don’t know if this is what did it, but I have always had a passion for horses. Both my parents passed away by the time I was eight. The horses were sold and I was raised by my great aunt. While she didn’t allow me to have my own horse, I did take lessons and showed in local dressage, English pleasure and jumping. I left that behind for a time, when I went to college.

I also grew up being involved in many different arts activities from set design for summer stock to ceramics, jewelry making, graphic design and drawing. I left high school after tenth grade and attended Simon’s Rock Early College for two years receiving an Associates Degree. I studied mostly ceramics and photography. Soon after graduating, I moved to Seattle and went to the Art Institute of Seattle for a year before deciding that commercial art was not where I wanted to focus my energy. This is where I left art behind…

I spent the next fifteen years becoming a Sikh, getting married, having two children and working in various jobs. I was a travel agent for a couple of years, worked in a florist’s shop and managed the computer system at a large manufacturing plant. Though each job had it’s good points, I really did not care terribly for any of them, so…

In 1998, I returned to the University of Oregon and completed my Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. It only took me twenty years. I spent the next few years rediscovering art. I focused on oil painting, book arts, ceramics, equine sculpture and some printmaking. My work was in several shows and galleries. To see my current work, please visit, http://www.simratkhalsa.com/

I have lived in Eugene, Oregon since 1986. My husband and I moved here for his job. Previous to that, I had lived in both Seattle and Española, New Mexico. I loved living in northern New Mexico and was sorry to leave. The skies really are fantastic. You can see a storm coming from miles away. I have fond memories of riding bareback in the hills for hours on end and then racing the storms to get home before they hit.

I currently work for a natural foods manufacturer, as a data analyst and enjoy working with the horses in my spare time. I also do my best to get into the studio to work on painting, as time allows.

For those that are curious about why I wear a turban… I became a Sikh when I was 20, despite growing up in a mostly agnostic, non-religious family. If someone would have told me that I would be part of a rather orthodox religion, I would have thought that they were nuts! Never the less, I was introduced to Kundalini Yoga and the teachings of Yogi Bhajan and it all fell into place. It was like coming home. It didn’t hurt that there was a history of warriors living on horseback in the jungles. For more on Sikhism visit http://sikhnet.com/. For more info on Kundalini Yoga, see http://3ho.org/.