Dean Treangen takes care of the horses

By Chris Welsch, Star Tribune

Last update: January 12, 2008 - 4:35 PM

Dean Treangen, who grew up on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota, runs the Minnesota Zoo's 8-acre working farm (which isn't open to visitors in the winter). Among the attractions are three rare American Cream draft horses.

"When they opened it, I thought it was a little strange that they needed a farm at the zoo in a rural state like Minnesota, but as people come out and you get questions, you soon realize that we are more urbanized now. ... People need exposure to a farm. So that's what we do.

"The two geldings here, Prince and Duke, are probably my favorites, because we work with them a lot, we drive them. They're the ambassadors of the farm. Most of the visitors who've been out here before recognize them, and a lot of them come out just to ride the wagon that they're pulling.

"These are a rare breed of draft horse, the only breed that originated in the U.S. They came on in the early '30s. Then tractors came into play, and people wanted tractors; they got away from horses. The breed itself never really took off. At one point there were 26 of them left. Now there's around 350 -- I don't know the exact number -- in the world."

Pictured: At left, feet and hooves: Dawn Walker grooms Prince, one of the American cream draft horses