) ( ONTANA HORSES V All Horses. All Montana. | ARTISAN ISSUE | June 2021 | Volume 2 | Issue 5
“Red” by Sammy Jo Bird
magazine
THE ART OF DEER WOMAN
By Mark La Rowe
sammy jo bird
cover artist
When you first gaze upon a piece of artwork by Sammy Jo Bird you are literally frozen in your tracks as the impact of the piece pierces you. The colors, vibrancy and raw emotion leap off the canvas and call you, grab you. You stare, and you stare some more, taking in the texture and detail, searching for the meaning. The unique attributes of her artwork make her stand apart from other artists. Her vision utilizes abstraction, mixedmedia, texture, and vibrant colors, mixing the old with the new. “I put a lot of personality and imagination into my work. My art is very personal. I strive to achieve results that have not been seen before,” explains Sammy. Raised on the Blackfeet Nation Reservation in northwest Montana, Sammy Jo is a proud Amskapi Pikuni, or southern Piegan Blackfoot. Horses have played a large role in the history of the Blackfeet Nation, and still do today. Sammy Jo’s life experience has been no different and she’s enjoyed a lifelong connection with Blackfeet horses, or “ponoka’o'mita". They have played a huge role not only in her art, but in her life as well. An avid and accomplished competitor on the regional circuit, rodeo has allowed her to spend the majority of each day with these amazing creatures. A former AllAround Cowgirl, she competes in several rodeo events, including barrel racing, breakaway roping and horse racing. Sammy Jo reflects that horses have been part of her greatest highs and achievements, and they have also taught her humility and kept her grounded. Named Awakasiaki (Deer Woman) by Chief Earl Old Person of the Blackfeet Tribe, Sammy Jo appreciates and respects not only the horse, but all of Mother Nature's creatures. “Life is often unjust, tragic, and difficult, not only for the animals but for our people as well. These are the experiences and emotions that fuel my passion for painting,” she openly states. “I truly believe that just one painting can make a difference. It can make a difference in a community, a home, and in the world if it influences just one person. The difference can be small or great as long as it influences someone's world. Whether it is selling a painting for someone's benefit at a fundraising auction or something as simple as a person glancing at a painting and resulting in their day becoming a little better.” Photo by YGH Photography
The drive and passion behind Sammy Jo’s art not only comes from her love of animals, but also of people. She wants her paintings to help people, make them smile and create a positive statement. “I want my paintings to be someone's escape,” she says with hope. One person who she has always revered and been inspired by is her father, Sam Bird. “He is one of the hardest workers I know and has one of the kindest hearts of anyone I’ve ever met. He’s always willing to help out a stranger or give to someone who can’t return the favor. He’s shown me that the size of a person’s character is more important than the size of their wallet. He’s taught me to lead by example and to always be grateful for another day.” She tries to pass along many of these life lessons through her paintings and hopes they will inspire someone else just as they have her. Sammy Jo’s devotion to art really started to take on a larger role in her life during high school. That was when she discovered the pride in completing a piece - pride of accomplishment, pride of her relationship with animals, and pride for her Native American culture. Not one to chase after material riches, Sammy Jo creates her art for the impact, not the monetary reward. “Horses are the primary subject of my art, and through them I like to tell stories and leave positive impressions. The number one goal behind each one of my paintings is to inspire, motivate, and hopefully leave the people who experience it feeling a little bit better than before. If one of my paintings helps someone get through a hard season in their life, if it motivates even just one person to go for their dream, if it makes someone feel better and gives them hope, even for just a few seconds, then my goal has been accomplished.” Clearly a person who lives on a plane above the world’s frenetic pace, constant chaos and pervasive negativity, she emulates inspiration and optimism and feels that you can accomplish any of your dreams and goals through good old-fashioned hard work. “My ultimate goal is to have my art displayed on a larger platform, so that the messages behind each piece can reach more people. I would love to have my art displayed in schools across the reservations in Montana, and I would love to someday have them displayed in children’s hospitals, group homes, or nursing homes, somewhere that needs a positive light. Until then, I am trusting in God’s plan and His timing for my artistic journey. I’m excited for art shows and rodeos to start back up this year and I have a fully booked schedule. I couldn’t be more amped for all the great things coming in 2021!” Truly an inspirational human, we can all learn something from Sammy Jo’s outlook on life and the positive impact that her amazing artwork makes on people.
See more at www.PalominoPaintings.com.
ON THE COVER - ”Red” by Sammy Jo Bird My inspiration behind this painting is the statement we all bleed red. Your skin color, how much fun you have, your gender, or your political party, does not determine your value! God says we are loved, He says we are worthy, He says we are uniquely and wonderfully made! We are all one in Jesus, so let’s treat each other like it! Have a love, respect, humility, forgiveness, and the grace for others, as you wish to have done to you! “This is my commandment: love each other in the same way I have loved you.”- John 15:12
FEATURES
>>>artisans
6 THE CHALLENGE
2 cover artist >>> sammy jo bird
BLM Wild Horse Commentary
12 photographer >>> mary peters
24 SUMMER THUNDER
16 artist >>> ebbie hansen
25th annual Big Sky Draft Horse Expo
34 COWBOYS OF BABB
18 jewelry artist >>> jessica hanson
Narrative by Leanne Zainer
20 hat maker >>> ericka kirkpatrick
38 PROFITABLE HORSEMAN
22 saddle maker >>> nancy peterson
43 CURBING CRIBBING
30 event >>> art of the cowgirl
45 MONTANA CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION - LICENSE PLATE V ) (ONTANA HORSES magazine
All Horses. All Montana.
EDITOR Renee Daniels-Mantle | renee@montanahorses.com ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION Mark LaRowe | mark@marklarowephotography.com REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Writers: Renee Daniels-Mantle, Mark LaRowe, Doug Emerson, Dr. Stacie Boswell Photography: Mark LaRowe Photography PUBLISHER Montana Horses, Inc. PO Box 405 Manhattan, MT 59741
Montana Horses is published every 6-8 weeks and available free at locations throughout Montana. Please let us know if you’d like to have it in your place of business. Subscriptions are also available at www.montanahorses.com. We welcome story, photography and event submissions. For advertising information, see www.montanahorses.com/advertising or contact us.
(406) 579-4060 | info@montanahorses.com | www.MontanaHorses.com No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Copyright © 2021 Montana Horses, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA
FIND THE MAGAZINE AT ALL THE PLACES HORSE PEOPLE HANG OUT - 5-
THE
CHALLENGE Commentary by Renee Daniels-Mantle
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blm >>> wild horses
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“FREE RANGE SHADOWS” - Ross Mosher
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Steve Mantle gentling a wild horse during a demonstration. Photo by Kim Eckstrom Photography
Photos from the Oregon BLM holding facility where Stacia picked up her Mustang Makeover horses by Cory Malloy
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above—Champagne looks on as Tanaya works Dragon right, from top- Tanaya and Dragon taking a break in the sun
Stacia and Champagne developing trust Tanaya and Dragon For more information, visit www.MontanaHorseTraining.com.
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Steve Mantle at Mantle’s Wild Horses. Though raised training horses, Steve began learning “resistance free” training with Brian Neubert and has developed his exceptional skills by studying and engaging with legendary horsemen from all walks of life. He and his sons offer clinics, workshops, and demonstrations at their ranch, as well as events throughout the world. Photo by Kim Eckstrom Photography
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I
f you’ve ever been to a PRCA rodeo and noticed a woman lying on the ground inside the arena near the fence, it was probably professional commercial-photographer, Mary Peters. No, she’s not injured. That’s just the unique angle from which she likes to create her dramatic rodeo images.
photographer
A lifelong lover of the art form, Mary specializes in photographing rodeos, cowboys and cowgirls, western lifestyle and creating fine art images. Raised in Lewistown, she spent youth embracing an outdoor lifestyle of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and camping. Initially, she loved to photograph wildlife and landscape scenes. That all changed in 2015, when she photographed her first rodeo. Mary recalls, “Until then I had never been around rodeo all that much, except to watch a few as a spectator. The minute I stepped into the arena, it felt like I was always supposed to be there.”
By Mark La Rowe
mary peters
Unlike many other rodeo photographers, Mary focuses on the stock, not the contestant. “I don’t know why that is. It is just the way I shoot.” With digital cameras and the ability to instantly see images on the back of the camera, many photographers will spend time in between contestant runs reviewing their images. Mary doesn’t. She continually scans the arena and crowd for opportunities to create unique images. Her friendly and chatty nature makes her a favorite in the rodeo world and she enjoys shooting with other photographers. “I like to work alongside other photographers. It is fun and we can all learn something from each other,” says Mary. Constantly striving to capture images from a unique angle that gives them that little “something special,” Mary is well-known for her dynamic and dramatic images. She likes to capture the heart of the action and accentuate the athleticism of both the stock and the contestants. “I usually don’t post a typical cover shot. I like it when they are all bound up, or when the horse does a quick head turn to smile for the camera. Most of all, I love shooting in bad weather. I swear those bucking horses are like kids in a mud puddle,” Mary chuckles. In 2012, Mary was involved in an accident that resulted in a severe concussion. This had a significant impact on her life. “The problem with a concussion is, you as a person feel fine,” she said, “but you don’t remember a year and a half of your life.” She still has no memories from that period and has struggled with her photography for many years. As a result, Mary has relearned the entire photographic process, from a technical standpoint. “I needed to streamline and simplify the mechanics,” she recalls.
Still, Mary’s creative spirit, love of photography, and work ethic keeps pushing her forward. She covers rodeos for the PRCA across Montana, as well as other states including California and Oregon. She’s also photographed the National Finals Rodeo and world famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale for many years. Mary doesn’t get caught up in who is competing, whether it be a world champion or a first time competitor. She focuses on the action. “Most of the time I like to hide in the corner so they forget that I am there. That’s when I can capture the candid, genuine moments.” A frequent contributor to Pro Rodeo Sports News, Western Horseman, and Bronc Riding Nation, among many other publications, Mary’s images are very much in demand. Unlike many other rodeo photographers, she likes to take her time reviewing and editing. “There are so many rodeo photographers shooting and selling their photos right after the event. I just have never been that way. I like to have my eyes on every image of mine before it goes into the public domain.” A self-described “old school” photographer, Mary loves to print her images in a soft black and white form with just a hint of warmth. Although also in demand for her wedding and portrait skills, she’s spending more energy focusing on her current workshops and gallery shows. With a schedule full of rodeos, commercial shoots, writing, portraits, and raising a family, this bubbly personality is always buzzing off to somewhere. In addition, Mary is currently working on a new series of fine art pieces. They will measure four-feet wide by up to eight-feet tall and be printed as fine art, mixed-media pieces. The series, based on rodeo, will be showcased at the Hells A Roarin’ event in Gardiner, MT at the end of this summer. So, if you are attending a rodeo this summer and see a long-haired brunette lying face-down in the rodeo arena, don’t be alarmed. It is probably just Mary doing her thing. Check out Mary’s imagery at www.photographybymarypeters.com
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) ( ONTANA HORSES V
Pick up man, Joe Blankenship, trips the jerk flank at the 2021 World Famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale
magazine
“The Pick Up” NEXT ISSUE July 2021 Featuring photography by Kristen Schurr
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B artist
londe tresses and a sorrel mane streaming in the wind, a five-year-old Ebbanie Anne rides off on Bridget into the wilds of Montana, both free. As free can be. Deeply rooted within her at that very young age, freedom is still a theme that continues to run strongly within “Ebbie” freedom of life, freedom of mind, freedom of soul and spirit and freedom of creativity. And is there a better symbol of, and for, freedom than a horse?
By Mark La Rowe
ebbie hansen
Raised on ranches in a remote expanse of mountains and prairies in Beaverhead County, moving cows and riding horses all day was a common experience for the adolescent cowgirl. Ebbie reflects, “Horses were not only my teammates but my best friends, as well. They shaped who I was then and who I have become.”
An accomplished rider who can train horses, barrel race, rope, and take care of herself in the mountains, Ebbie is even a three-time national champion rider in the cult-like sport of skijoring. A former art teacher who gained an appreciation for art at an early age, Ebbie has evolved into a multi-talented artist in several mediums including photography and various forms of painting. “Most of my current work is contemporary mixed-media. I use old books, newsprint, bee’s wax, acrylics, pastels and cattle markers to tell my stories. I often weave my printed photographs into a painting as the focal point. I believe textures, vivid colors and layers add a unique dimension and tell a story of their own.” Ebbie's art is an obvious extension of her love for horses and the western way of life. Her newest series is called “The Sacredness Of Horses” which shines a light on our equine partners and casts them in a realm that adds grace and beauty to the walls upon which they hang. Horses have long been revered as sacred animals. Symbology and metaphor abound in the world of the equine, across a broad range of cultures over the expanse of time. Her large format paintings depict horses in a reverential way. “They appear to be coming through the cathedrals and belief systems of the cultures designed by humans. Illuminated by light and color they are infused and raised to a high level of adoration,” muses Ebbie. Horses were once used mainly for work and transportation, but today they have eclipsed those roles and have now become partners, soul mates and therapy gurus, helping people achieve newfound goals, gain spiritual and emotional healing as well as assisting people find new confidence and self esteem - to grow and reach for their full potential. Heavily impacted by her own life experiences immersed in a horse culture, Ebbie has also been influenced by several other artists and creators. “I admire the storytellers. The ones that convey a message or make us look a bit closer and a stay a bit longer.” One of her absolute favorite artists is Donna Howell-Sickles. She showcases the American Cowgirl and uses symbology and metaphor throughout her work. Ebbie’s goal as an artist is to do the same and to add meaning and metaphor to each piece. Another painter that has influenced Ebbie is Jessica Zoob, a U.K.-based artist who creates in oil. “She sometimes takes three-to-four years to finish a single painting. Jessica creates layers upon layers upon layers, each revealing a story of its own.” When she needs a real jump start or kick in the pants, the War Of Art written by Steven Pressfield is her goto source for inspiration. Ebbie is also a big admirer of C.M. Russell and Thomas Moran who are esteemed for their genius, breadth of grandeur and technical ability. If you are attending the Art of The Cowgirl festival in Bozeman later this June, you’ll find Ebbie and a display of her large format artwork in the Masters Gallery. And if you miss her there, look for her enjoying a day ride or barrel race on her trusty steeds throughout her favorite haunts in western Montana.
By Mark La Rowe
jessica hanson
jewelry artist
Finding Your Purpose Through Art We’ve all been there - confused about which path to follow, trying to decide what avocation to pursue, searching for our purpose and who we want to become as a person. Jessica Hanson was there too, back at a time in life when those questions arise for many of us - during her high school years in Billings. Jessica reflects, “We moved around a lot in Montana when I was a kid, following one parent or another. I felt a bit lost and was looking for something at which I could be successful. I didn’t like school very much, even though I was fairly good at most of it. My participation in sports hadn't gone as planned, either.” Fortunately for Jessica, she had a friend in Ms. Thayer, who possessed a gift to understand young adults and help them find themselves. “She had the patience of a saint and a no BS attitude. When I was graduating in 2010 and trying to decide what to do with my life she told me something I will never forget. She said, ‘Jessica you can either go to school to get a good paying job and be content and stable, or you can pursue something that you love, that makes you happy, and take a chance on where that might take you’.” That day, Jessica decided that to be truly happy in her life she had to follow her heart. It called her to create art in the form of jewelry. She pursued further education in the field and in 2012 earned her Associate Degree of Applied Science in Gold Smithing and Jewelry Arts, as well as a Certificate of Applied Science in Three Dimensional Jewelry Design and Production from Flathead Valley Community College. In 2019, after completing an apprenticeship in gold smithing at Riddle’s Jewelry, Jessica started JRock Jewelry. Now based in Townsend, MT, Jessica is becoming very well known and her pieces are sought after. Jessica has the ability to take a pile of small stones and some metal and turn it into something someone can wear and cherish. As she lays out the raw materials she can clearly visualize the final creation. Her favorite part of the process is getting to see someone’s face light up when they receive the finished piece. “I ride this thin line between needing to create for myself and needing to create for others. I never truly feel whole without one or the other.” Her artistic goal or vision is to keep creating pieces that spark joy in others. She puts an emphasis on remembering the smallest details from people when creating a custom piece for a client or even when receiving feedback from purchases. “I want people to feel heard and seen. My goal is to make art that people have a connection to, personally.” A lover of everything Montana has to offer from the majestic mountain ranges to the expansive prairies, she enjoys experiencing all the Treasure State has to offer. This has opened Jessica’s eyes to all the opportunities available to anyone who is willing to put in the hard work and follow what they are passionate about. Recently, Jessica has started teaching some basic classes in the community and is excited to see where that opportunity will take her. “I hope that I can inspire others like Ms. Thayer did for me. I can only hope they will have the same love and support I received from my village of family and friends. All I want now is for my children to find passion and joy in what they pursue in life just as I have been able to find my joy and purpose in my art.”
www.jrockjewelry.com
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By Mark La Rowe
ericka kirkpatrick
hat maker
ucked away deep in southwest Montana, in the small town of Twin Bridges, Ericka Kirkpatrick carries on a long running family tradition as a hatter. Ericka runs Montana Mad Hatters in the same building that her mother, Cowgirl Hall of Fame member Sheila Kirkpatrick, created hats for 40 years. Ericka re-opened the business in 2017, after years of tutelage, and operates much the same way as her mother, Sheila, before her. With a continued focus on using the highest quality felts, she utilizes time-tested methods and tools to create a final product that reflects and flatters the person for whom it was created. Ericka states, “I am very passionate about keeping the original ways of hat making alive. Most of the equipment I use to make my hats is antique and I use a lot of methods that hat makers used long ago. I want to keep the history of the craftsmanship alive while keeping up with our ever-changing world. My goal and vision is to make sure these skills are passed down to future generations. It's a balancing act to keep up and grow with this fast-paced world without losing the quality, personal touch, craftsmanship and history.” Ericka’s upbringing most certainly had a huge impact on her hat-making style and commitment to the “old way”. Raised on a cattle ranch near Wisdom in Montana’s Big Hole Valley her family was very traditional with the methods they used to perform their daily ranch chores. For example, they fed cattle with a team of draft horses pulling a wagon or sleigh loaded with hay and pitched it to the animals by hand. They preferred the use of horses much more often than motorized equipment. Hard work, perseverance and dedication were necessary ingredients in her daily life. As the youngest in the family Ericka would often make the trip into the hat shop with her mom where she watched Sheila create countless hats for celebrities and working cowboys alike. One thing that made a big impression on the young Ericka was the time and effort her mother took with each hat, personalizing it to the client. “My mother treated everyone the same. It didn’t matter if they were a working cowboy spending their last-hard earned dollar on a hat or a celebrity desiring a custom-made piece of Montana”, Ericka recalls. Ericka’s work ethic and personal touch remains evident in her attitude and work product. This has made her one of Montana’s most sought after hatters. Humbly, Ericka hesitates to call her hats “art”. She prefers to view them as a functional piece of equipment that is a necessary component of a cowboy or cowgirls gear list. While she does make hats for people of all occupations, Ericka tries to keep each hat as unique as the person who will wear it, while also making sure it is still a piece of attire that will protect them from the sun, rain or snow. “We are all unique individuals so it is important to me to make sure the hat reflects that. I want it to complement and show off their best attributes. When a customer puts on a hat and his or her face lights up because they look and feel their best, that is very rewarding for me”, says a beaming Ericka. She loves receiving hats in the shop that need to be cleaned, especially if they are dirty and beaten up, because she knows the owner loves the hat and wears it almost everyday. With regard to future plans, Ericka doesn’t have too many specific goals in mind other than to continue making quality hats. She does push herself to try new designs and is always looking to improve her craftsmanship and final product. Ericka concludes by saying, “If we don't try to continually improve, and mistakenly believe that we have learned all there is to know, we then risk missing out on our true and full potential. I hope to keep sharing my love for the old ways of making hats and keep a legacy of integrity and quality alive.” On your next trip through southwest Montana as you are passing through Twin Bridges, make a stop at Montana Mad Hatters. You might just walk out the door with your own little piece of Montana on your head.
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By Mark La Rowe
nancy peterson
saddle maker
orking in the medium of leather most of her life, Nancy Petersen has earned a reputation as one of Montana’s most creative and talented saddle makers. Born and raised on a ranch in the Musselshell country of central Montana, she was introduced to leather work in shop class during high school. She immediately began creating custom belts and chaps and started to dabble in saddle repair work. An avid rodeo contestant, she earned a scholarship to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in California where she was an intercollegiate champion as a barrel racer, breakaway roper, and goat tier, and also earned All-around Cowgirl honors. She met her future husband, Carl, at Cal Poly, as well. Upon earning her college degree in physical education, Nancy and Carl returned to Malta, Montana where she then embarked on her teaching career. In 1972 she was instrumental in founding the high school girls basketball program there and also acted as the coach for a period of six years. But in 1973, Nancy’s heart was pulling her back to leather work. After saving up enough money from teaching and ranch work, she and Carl purchased the saddle shop in Three Forks and immediately went to work. Their focus was on providing high quality saddles, tack and gear for working cowboys. The store’s tagline became “The Working Cowboy’s Store”. The couple also knew that working cowboys weren’t getting rich at their jobs. As such, they worked diligently to keep their wares affordable for their customer base, always with a focus on exceptional craftsmanship. Nancy’s skill with leather and saddles increased and she quickly became well-known for the quality of her work. Nancy states, “I love the medium of leather and it’s versatility. Its Photo by Janie Carlson unique characteristics allow it to be shrunk, stretched, tooled, and dyed.” Nancy does not consider herself an artist, nor feels that she was ever particularly artistic. “However, I’ve always enjoyed doing something different and unique. Putting unusual accents on my saddles is maybe my mark, and my gender may have something to do with that!” Nancy once led an all-women team of saddle makers in the Three Forks facility. She worked alongside Ruth Craig and Chris McQueary. Nancy was once quoted as saying, “I never heard of another all-girl saddle shop. But then again, I’ve never given it much thought.” In addition to providing saddles to working cowboys, ropers and other rodeo contestants, she once created a custom saddle for legendary National Finals Rodeo announcer, Bob Tallman. Nancy recalls that it was a half-breed saddle, half tooled and half roughed out. The rigging was a bit unique in that it was a flat plate with a sewn-on skirt. The design eliminated layers and kept the saddle close to the horse. Some consider her a pioneer and inventor of several unique designs. She was the first to create a “bicycle” style inset for the seat and Nancy also invented the “seat shrinker” which attaches to the cantle and allows a person to buy a larger size saddle that their youngster can then grow into. That’s a money saver, for sure.
Nancy gives credit to many mentors for her saddle making skills. She remembers, “I apprenticed under Mark Brogger at the store here in Three Forks. I was also inspired by an outstanding person and craftsman, Bob Kelley, who had worked at Ray Holes Saddlery. I’ve always admired Don King, who was most gracious to me with knowledge and tools. Jim Jackson who is with Kings Saddlery is an unbelievable tooler, craftsman, and artist. He is in a class by himself” Nancy is also an accomplished roper and was heavily involved in convincing the Northern Rodeo Association to add breakaway roping as a sanctioned women’s event back in 1976, in which she competed for many years. Back then, the women breakaway contestants roped steers, calves and whatever the stock contractors pushed out of the chute. Nancy also served as the Director At-Large for the Northern Rodeo Association’s Women’s Board, and was Chairwoman of the Headwaters Fair Board, which puts on the annual Three Forks Rodeo each July. Wellknown as a talented team roper who can both head and heel, she’s a regular on the team roping jackpot circuit. She and Carl spend time in Arizona every winter where they can compete while keeping sharp and in shape. While she loves her work, she also loves being a grandmother. A proud moment came recently when she won checks in a local roping with each of her 11 year old grandsons. It seems that the apple is does not fall far from the tree as the boys are developing into fine ropers in their own right. Nancy’s future goals at this stage in her life and career are to make saddles for her family members and maybe design a lightweight roping saddle for females and seniors. There is little doubt that Nancy will most certainly accomplish that list of items, and do it well.
www.BigSkyHounds.com
Visit us at Art of the Cowgirl on June 27th in Bozeman.
Summer Thunder Experience heavy horses and Western heritage at the 25th annual Big Sky Draft Horse Expo Words by Jessianne Castle Photography by Michelle Martin Randolph
As daylight begins its gentle descent across the open sky over Deer Lodge Valley, the barns at the local fairgrounds are already alit and abuzz. Inside, nimble fingers weave wiry horse hair into braids, strong backs swing 150 pounds of harness leather, and meticulous eyes examine the workings and appearance of the wagons. The horses have already been fed, clipped and bathed. It’s 6 a.m. in late June and heavy horse crews are busy preparing for the day to come. On this day, in this rural town, draft animals and their drivers will compete for best in show during the Big Sky Draft Horse Expo. On June 25-27, 2021, Deer Lodge will celebrate its 25th year hosting the event—the only annual draft horse show in the state—where national and international competitors travel to participate in the North American SixHorse Hitch Classic Series and open-class events. Spectators are invited to attend and cheer on the horses, as well as peruse a daily tradeshow and enjoy two nights of bluegrass music after the day’s driving events. After the Expo was postponed last year due to COVID-19, show organizers and competitors are eager this year to let the games begin. The Deer Lodge community—a still-rural pocket of the state with a grand total of 3,111 residents in 2010—is proud to support the show as a part of its larger vision to preserve Montana’s heritage and open spaces. “That’s what we’re all about.
“I want things like this so my greatgreat-grandchildren can see this same landscape, can experience Montana. A lot of people haven’t been exposed to these big beautiful horses. They’re just awesome. I love to feel their thunder.” - Deer Lodge Mayor Diana Solle. -cont. page 26
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The Double S Belgians high-step into the arena with driver Kyle Forsyth holding the lines
clockwise from above - Wade Thornley of Eagle Rock Belgians competes with their six-up hitch in Deer Lodge in 2019 , Amy Thornley drives Belgian gelding Eddie in the Ladies Cart class, Ben Thornley, now 16, competes in a youth driving event in 2019
WORKING TOGETHER In one corner of the barn, the Thornley family has just turned up the tunes. Rock music wafts through the air while one-ton giants bask in the preparation attention. “They like rock the best,” says family patriarch Wade Thornley. He and his family own the Eagle Rock Belgians of Lewisville, Idaho, and have sojourned to Deer Lodge nearly every year of the event’s history. They stand on step stools and straddle the horses’ bare backs—whatever they can do to reach the mane as they weave lime green ribbons into their hair.00 “When the music plays, the horses know it’s getting close to game time. They know they get to come out and play,” Thornley says. Thornley and his wife, Amy, together with their three boys, own and manage 11 Belgian draft horses that they train, exercise, put to work, and show. Their horses, rich sorrels with classic cream-colored manes, weigh between 1,900 and 2,400 pounds on a frame that measures higher than a 6-foot-tall man. “They’re just like a fine-tuned athlete, other than the fact that they can’t talk to you,” he says, describing how important it is for the handler to know the horses well. They look them over and watch behavior and movement constantly, trying to catch injuries early, help with sore muscles after a workout, and ensure they’re performing at their best on the day of the show. Both Wade and Amy hail from families that used draft horses, so it wasn’t a foreign idea to raise their kids around the so-called gentle giants. The couple started Eagle Rock Belgians in 1998 and the boys, 16, 19 and 21 years old, have learned well the ins and outs of the program. “The kids know the horses and the horses know the kids,” Thornley says. Some of the Belgians came to the Thornleys young, their training started on Amish farms. The Thornley family then works with the individual horses to complete training and find which of their herd works well together to form a two-horse team. Pairs made, they can form four-, six- or eight-horse hitches by arranging the teams based on their strengths. The stouter drafts are often best placed closest to the wagon as the “wheel” team; the bolder, more agile tend to work well at the front as the “lead” team; while the middle pairs are known as the “swing” and “body” teams. “They all have different personalities and attitudes so they need to know each other and they need to understand what working together means,” Thornley says. “You can have six individual horses out there, or you can have three teams.”
HIGH STEPPING Horses prepped and drivers ready, it’s time to connect the teams to their wagons. Hooves the size of dinner plates stir the earth as they step one foot at a time over and around the wagon tongue. Drive and check lines are secured and the driver swings aboard. Pairs of heavy leather lines connect from the driver’s hands to the bits in each horse’s mouth and firm vocal cues—often “gee” for right and “haw” for left—support the drive-line commands.
Each competitor comes to Deer Lodge with their carriage and cart in tow, safely secured in one of several lengthy semitrailers that also haul all of the harness, horse feed and horses. The competitors travel across the nation and into Canada this way. Some 200 hitches compete each year at North American SixHorse Hitch events in order to accumulate points for qualification for the final championship where hitches in each of the three draft horse breed classifications compete for $100,000 in premiums. This year, after a respite during the pandemic, the 2020-2021 Six-Horse Hitch Classic Series World Finals will be held in Shipshewana, Indiana, on Sept. 16-18. The Double S Belgians, another set of clean-cut Belgian drafts from Idaho, is planning their appearance once again in the Deer Lodge ring this year. The winners of the 2018 and 2019 World Champion Six-Horse Hitch, these heavy horses are owned by Glenwood Snacks and managed by Kyle Forsyth. He and his wife, Marcia, work with and manage their 10 draft geldings and both compete at the shows. Belgian drafts originated in Belgium as large, well-muscled draft stock used for farm work. Like other draft horse breeds, their use as a work animal necessitated strength, willingness and a good temperament. Only a century ago, with many breeds already well established and used in Europe, the young
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V
) ( Kyle Forsyth of Double S Belgians tips his hat to the judge Marcia Forsyth steers one of the Double S Belgians down the arena in front of the grandstands Bob Tomaskie’s mules work four-abreast Dick Renfro’s Fjords lean into their harnesses during a four-abreast class One of Bob Tomaskie’s mules settles at the end of a class opposite page -Dick Renfro and one of his Fjords perform in a pleasure cart class
United States relied heavily on imported drafts, mules and oxen as dependable, renewable power for public works, agriculture and resource industries. It goes without saying, a lot has changed in 100 years. With a transition from fields and forests to sandy arenas, the type of draft horses we see today are sometimes a bit different from those of yesteryear. “In today’s competition world, all of them have to be extremely athletic to be competitive,” Forsyth says. It’s becoming less about sheer power and more about expression and action—or how a horse carries himself and moves. “You want all six horses working together as one unit with a good headset, expression, carriage, hindquarter engagement, and athletic motion in front and hind. They should also look like they enjoy their job. If you have their talent and athleticism working simultaneously with the other horses, you’ll have lots of success.” For the Double S, Deer Lodge is akin to a home show—it’s one of the closest to their home in Menan, Idaho, and it comes early in the show season when the horses are still getting into the travelling routine. Having grown up showing drafts with his family in Manitoba, Canada, Forsyth is seasoned in the work that goes on between each show. He says to be competitive, you work with your horses at home in the same way you would at the show that way you can make your four minutes in the ring count. “To have any success, at any job, there has to be a level of enjoyment,” he adds. “The horses have that pride.” During the show classes, which include categories like six-horse, four-horse, team, family and unicorn—where a single spike horse is hitched in front of a two-horse team—a judge watches as the competitors drive their horses at a long trot around the arena. In a single 6-up class, there may be as many as five competitors—or 30 drafts and 120 heavy hooves—high stepping around the ring. As dust flies, harness bells ring and thundering hooves pound rhythmically down the rail.
AN AWAKENING Months before the show, open class competitors—like their show hitch counterparts—were already getting ready. Both Bob Tomaskie and Dick Renfro were using their stock to harrow fields as early as April. Tomaskie, of Helena, keeps 13 mules that he drives, packs and rides. After seeing a driving event at a Mule Days competition some 20 years ago, he gave up team roping and picked up a set of harness reins. “You can drive all months of the year,” he says, a twinkle emanating in his voice. “You can go out and do pleasure or go to work. I get a lot of enjoyment out of driving.”
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He and Renfro participate in a section of open-class show events like six-up and four abreast—where four horses are arranged side-by-side instead of as two teams—as well as several practical classes such log skidding and cultivating.
Photo Courtesy of National Park Service
Throughout the three-day event, show organizers create an educational atmosphere for spectators, with fun facts announced over the grand stand speakers and historic horse-drawn vehicles on display from the nearby GrantKohrs Ranch National Historic Site. An announcer engages the audience by describing what’s happening during each show class as well as how it relates to the historic use of heavy horses. In addition to the show and practical classes, there is also an open-class obstacle course and Canadian maze judged both for accuracy and speed. “We like the obstacles. I like to go fast,” Renfro laughs, describing the athleticism of his 1300-pound Fjords moving out into a gallop. “We all try to beat each other, but we’re excited for each other too. We have fun for three days.” Renfro lives in Stevensville, where he uses his horses to mow and rake hay on his 5-acre pasture. Renfro is deeply bonded to his horses and experiences a kind of awakening when he’s with them—that kind of hard-to-describe feeling only another horseman understands. “When I get ahold of a horse, it’s just there. It’s automatic,” he says. “Just going out to feed them is a half hour of heaven.” Over the years many draft horse shows have come and gone in Montana. “We’re losing all the competitive driving events,” Renfro reminisces. There were once Fjord driving competitions in Arlee, but now the closest events are in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Seattle. Fewer shows are perhaps an omen of the changing times. Expo show committee member Betty McCoy says it’s getting more costly to travel with horses and there aren’t as many drivers these days; Montana doesn’t have a single draft horse show hitch. As rural communities are urbanized, there are fewer practical needs for stock animals. “The lion’s share of people now a days, I’d say, don’t have any experience with draft horses,” McCoy says. “Driving is part of what settled our country. It’s our history. I hope there can still be some appreciation for what horses and draft horses contributed to our communities.” She wonders if, as a segment of the Montana population returns to small-scale farming, we’ll see a resurgence in the use of draft animals to replace some mechanized equipment. Only the future will tell, but she’s encouraged by the amount of interest in recent years in the youth driving events at the Expo. “Youth are really important,” she says, “and 25 years is a big milestone for the show.” Jessianne Castle is a freelance writer and editor who grew up exploring life through the eyes of her horse. Born, raised and still living in Montana, she passionately writes about the experiences of living in the West. Michelle Martin Randolph is a Texas-based photographer who enjoys making memories with her lens.
REMEMBERING HISTORY Just across the street from Deer Lodge’s Tri-County Fairgrounds where the Big Sky Draft Horse Expo is held, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site commemorates the role of cattlemen and their horses in American history. The former headquarters of a 10-million-acre cattle operation, Grant-Kohrs includes historic buildings, living history events and an operating cattle ranch that makes use of two working draft horse teams for haying in early July, hauling heavy loads and feeding the cattle in the winter. On June 25 at 10 a.m., Grant-Kohrs will host a haying demonstration to kick off the Big Sky Draft Horse Expo where horses will be used to operate a buck rake and hay stacker in traditional haying fashion. “We tell the ranching story,” says Jason Smith, who oversees ranching operations as the site’s chief of resource management, “and those draft horses play an important role.”
By Doreen Shumpert
Photography - Natalie McFarland
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RULES OF THE ROAD when passing horseback parties and livestock By Rod Freemen, Montana Ranch Property
HOW ARE WE DOING? Everyone has an opinion. We’d love to hear yours. Drop us a note at info@montanahorses.com. Give us a call at (406) 579-4060. Stop by our Facebook page. See us at the Art of the Cowgirl. LET US KNOW!
An issue that is important for all drivers of any vehicle on Montana roads, particularly on more private county roads that connect ranches and pastures in this great state, is how to safely and with courtesy, approach horseback riders and livestock sharing these same roads. I ride our roads periodically and am often astonished with the lack of either courtesy or knowledge of the potential for a major incident involving either riders or livestock by drivers in general. As I planned this article, I searched for a specific Montana highway law addressing this subject and have not found one to date. I did find this quotation of Rule 214 published in the UK: “When passing animals, drive slowly. Give them plenty of room and prepare to stop. Do not scare animals by sounding your horn, revving your engine, or accelerating rapidly once you have passed them. Look out for animals being led, driven, or ridden on the road and take extra care. Keep your speed down at bends and on narrow country roads. If a road is blocked by a herd of animals, stop, and switch off your engine until they have left the road. Watch out for animals on unfenced roads.” When approaching a horseback rider in a vehicle, it is important to understand that the horse is a flight animal by nature and that a driver can never assume that the rider of the horse is competent or that the horse has been properly schooled to react without fear to an approaching vehicle, particularly one approaching at a high speed. A frightened horse can respond in numerous ways that could and often does result in the rider being thrown and injured, or worst case, jumping into the path of the approaching vehicle, which can and does result in death or serious injury to the rider, the horse or the occupants of the vehicle. When approaching a horseback rider, slow your vehicle down to no more than 15 miles per hour and never honk your horn or create any unusual noises. When approaching livestock, particularly livestock being moved on a rural Montana road, stop your vehicle and turn off your engine until the livestock has passed if the herd is approaching you and do not attempt to pass livestock moving away from you until signaled to do so by the individuals in charge of the herd. The herders will signal where in the road it is safe to pass, if at all. Herders on horseback and livestock are all subject to injuring themselves, or you and your car, or both. It is common for ranchers and farmers to move their livestock between pastures on our Montana rural roads, so treat them with courtesy and respect for the safety of all.
www.BitterrootHorseProperty.com
COWBOYS OF BABB by Leanne Zainer
Bringing in a Few Pair, South Fork Kennedy Creek
Gary Johnson and Sam Whitford at Poia Lake
I wake in the dark, on a mattress in the trailer of a deceased woman who I’ve never known. I light the 1990s-era Coleman stove and make one cup of the good coffee that lures friends to visit me up in the horse camp: instant Starbucks sent from my urban sister out east, cut with rich evaporated milk. All I will drink or eat until I swing off my horse at the end of the day. I can’t expect these cowboys to wait for me on the trail. They’ll be perfectly polite, but if I’m a nuisance, I’ll lose the chance to chase cows with them the coming fall. This is their livelihood—they can’t risk losing a pair of wily bovines to take care of an amateur who wants to play cowgirl.
Gearing up by candlelight, I bend down to strap on a pair of borrowed spurs and catch a scent that means I’ll need to empty another mouse out of the mini trapline we’ve run through the aging trailer my friends Lee Ann and Snicky let me bunk in. I buckle on well worn chinks and zip up a brown North Face jacket to cut the biting wind that seems to always blow along the northern Rocky Mountain front.
I’m nervous, excited. My friend Melody had been apprehensive about my riding with these men. Her husband Bill is always, rightly, a little worried about me. I’d borrowed his nervy cowhorse last fall to move stock down the road from Kennedy Creek. Bill warned: “Oscar’s going to fire if he sees downed fence. But don’t you EVER try to get off into that tangle; if you get caught up, you’ll get dragged and killed.” He’s probably right to be concerned. What am I doing, proposing to chase cows off Chief and Yellow Mountains with the best cowboys I’ve ever met? This won’t be like sweeping up my friends Patty and Kevin Connelley’s herd on the open plains around Browning. Still, even at the risk (likelihood) of embarrassing myself, I can’t miss out on this opportunity. In an unusual moment of weakness, Sam Whitford allowed I could ride along today, and it’s a chance I may never get again: to ride in the northern Rockies with tough natives who ride hard. When I’m with them, I am alive. An academic with generous time off, I used to travel to Europe and South America whenever I had the chance; now, I’m hooked on Babb.
I got a taste of cow work last year, when I first moved to the Blackfeet Reservation to teach at the tribal college. But that was in milder country a bit south, with my buddy Snicky, who tolerates and compensates for my shortcomings and general ignorance, usually more amused than irritated. He and his wife have shown me stunning country, riding to Lake Otokomi, Red Eagle Mountain, Morning Star, and though Ptarmigan Tunnel along the Belly River to Canada, but those scenic rides mostly required a strong back and a good attitude rather than toughness or skill. I’ve ridden since I was ten years old, when my dad brought home and handed me a portly Buckskin, along with a long rope and railroad spike since we had no stable or fences. I learned on my own, braiding gear from baling twine and reading University of Wisconsin Extension bulletins on equine husbandry. But a casual Midwestern trail rider is not a Montana—much less Native—cowgirl. The one thing that has stood me well through my riding life is lack: as a girl, having to save a year until I could buy a serviceable, used saddle. Bareback of necessity, I learned to stay centered and stay on a horse. And I intend to. No dismounting to stretch my legs today. No holding up the men while I find a shrub to relieve myself behind. I step out into the dawn and watch red light begin to crawl up Divide Mountain. My paint gelding, Batman, corralled near me overnight, is saddled, bridled, and packed before the sun comes up. I slide a stout knife onto my belt and tuck a flask into the saddle bag in case liquid courage is needed. I make sure it’s secured; I’ve scattered enough receptacles through this country to receive the name “Loses Whisky Woman.” Sam calls and tells me to meet at the parking lot of the Park Café, close by the eastern entrance to Glacier Park. Riding down the hill where I camp, I watch the morning sun animating St. Mary’s Lake. I pass a few early rising Sam Whitford on Double T, by Camp 5 tourists gazing at the mountains and recognize how lucky I am to have friends who have opened deeper parts of their world to me. They put me up, feed me, share their children, who are a joy to ride with. Before I met this adventuresome crew, I hadn’t swum with horses since I was a teenager.
The men pull up, and Batman steps right into the trailer as I’ve been practicing with him. I squeeze in the back between Billy Whitford and Gary Johnson. Gary is my old friend, and he sports an Indian cowboy look: braided hair, a well-worn black hat with an eagle feather dangling, flashy red tough rag around his neck. “You ready to ride, girl?,” he asks. I don’t know the driver, so I keep my mouth shut and just nod. My goal for the day: be inconspicuous, but Gary tells the driver that I’m Dr. Zainer, from the college. I’m not sure if he is bragging on me or warning in advance that I can’t be expected to be much of a hand. We travel along the Many Glacier road and unload the horses and dogs by Swift
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Current dam. Everyone snugs up their cinches. I mount my handily short Quarter Horse, and we climb north, up an embankment, Batman covering ground with a nice jogtrot. Sam stops and swings around to take in the dazzling view of Glacier Park’s jagged peaks and ribbon of river behind us, asks “How do you like my office?” Locals have let Sam know what livestock they’ve spotted and where. Any casual drive includes bovine reconnaissance. Moreover, a lifetime of experience has taught Sam where the malingering, unruly remnants of the tail end of round up are likely to hole up. You can waste a lot of miles, play out your mount, if you can’t predict not only where cows are hiding out but which of the tangled trails best routes out of the mountains to minimize the cows’ options to escape. These experienced bovine mothers know they will be separated from their calves when the trail ends, so calculate making a break for the brush. Impressed by his efficiency and intuition, I wonder if Sam is among the last of his kind. The Blackfeet of this reservation are famous horsemen—just watch them rodeo and relay race. But this northwestern corner, under the monolithic shadow of Chief Mountain, has also been home to a small community of Chippewa Cree for generations, a few of whom still earn a living cowboying.
Sam grew up wild chasing around these mountains and flats, came up riding with his father, Hank Whitford, who did cow work for the Paisley and Henkel Ranches. His grandfather, Pete Flammond, drove teams and put up hay at the Galbreath Ranch, where his wife hails from. We haven’t crossed paths with many children or grandchildren of the owners of the cattle. Or local kids out riding, for that matter. The generation now in their 50s and 60s might be the end of something grand: the know-how and willingness to get in the brushy, high headed survivors who have managed to spare their calves from all manner of predators and don’t submit willingly. Often, the task is more like hunting than herding. Maybe the work is too hard, too wet, too cold in these mountains. Or maybe the reason is simply financial. The job requires maintaining sound horses; shoeing, transporting, feeding and doctoring them; keeping up a truck and trailer and reliable tack—all for seventyfive dollars a day of long days in a short season. Then picking up any work to get by the rest of the year. We stop for a minute to plan before splitting up. Who will check the salt grounds? Which watering holes are likely? Who will ride hard to the old Sheepherders’ Camp? I hand each man a pack of Marlboros, a small offering I’ve brought for their indulgence. Sam Whitford, dressed for practicality rather than Gary’s cowboy movie chic, pulls down his Scotch cap in the strong breeze. “Leanne, you stick with Bill.” We take a trail northwest. Bill’s stories flow. He’s always entertaining but always watching too. We study the ground. Moose tracks. Mountain lion tracks. Cow tracks. Bear tracks. Bill shakes his head, “Big bear, big bear. Look at those feet; he must be wearing snow shoes. Do not get thrown if we run into him.” Coming up a draw, we see four pairs of cows in a small clearing. Oscar, Bill’s short-backed Appaloosa, sees them first. Batman perks up. Bill looks at me pointedly—“Keep up.” We start moving them down one of the myriad trails through the Lodgepole Pine and Douglas Fir. When they occasionally break for the thicket, I’m warned: “Do NOT lose those cows.” I’m not given much instruction, typical for locals. They’ve ridden this country for decades; they know and anticipate each other’s movements, know exactly what’s meant by “that gate,” “that coulee.” At first, I’m unsure precisely what a hand gesture demands, how far to go around, exactly when to accelerate. I’m lucky to dodge the cussings the dogs get when they mess up. Batman serves me well. He has a lot more cow sense than I do, knowing when to push and when to pull back. Sensing when a cow might make a break. I get battered around at first as he focuses on the runaways and weaves between trees that my knees don’t clear, but a few corrections
Sam Whitford on Tower Ridge
make him account for his rider, and by afternoon he’s more supple and subtle than on our frequent trail rides, mild jaunts compared to this adrenalin-soaked work. I quickly learn to copy Bill and throw my legs over my horse’s neck, careful with my spurs, when we need to slip through the closest spots. High on a slope, we join back up with Gary and sight Sam in the distance. A large creature looks to be facing off with him. A bull moose who figures he owns that clearing. Not as dramatic as the big cat that will advance on Gary a month later or the grizzly that huffs and charges Bill, but a dangerous animal still. All of which gives me respect for these semi-feral cattle, tough enough to keep their offspring safe from the time they’re spilled into the mountains mid-June until the gather in October—or whenever the guys can get in the last, most elusive of them. Mid-day, we all meet back up. Sam, bringing in large group single-handedly, is smiling. He’s not known to come up empty, so days can get awfully long if he doesn’t hit early on. Sam’s good wife Shug has packed sandwiches for us all, but I’ll wait. I do take sips off the pint of Peppermint Schnapps Bill offers and am warmed through. The riding will get a lot colder over the next months, but even today, the wind stings. Always the wind out here on the Rocky Mountain front. We’ve collected everyone’s groups into a fair herd of twenty-three pair. We’re not done for the today, though. Sam lays out the next plan: on his hardy one-man mount Slasher, he’ll cover ground fast toward Canada and see what else there is to pick up. Gary will check for a suspected herd near two small, willowy lakes. “Leanne, stay with Bill and push the herd until we come out on the Southfork Kennedy Creek trail.” I’m happy to. Bill’s been solicitous to me all day. And he has the Schnapps. But he challenges me quickly. The trail we’re on goes straight down a steep ravine, with brush on -cont. on page 39
Gary Johnson sighting cattle, Beaver Lake
Sam Whitford on Slasher and "Wild Bill” Whitford, on Oscar, Swiftcurrent Ridge
THE POT ROAST PRINCIPLE AND YOUR BUSINESS –
QUESTIONING THE WAY YOU’VE ALWAYS DONE IT By Doug Emerson Rules and procedures are the framework for all businesses. They streamline work flow and help avoid confusion and disruption. Over time, the way things should be done change because of technology advances, turnover of staff and refocus of business goals. Sometimes it makes good business sense to question the habits and day to day procedures in your business. Here is an old story you may have heard previously. It’s an excellent example of how people don’t question the “why” they do things. One day a young girl noticed that her mom was cutting off the ends of a pot roast before putting it in the oven to cook for dinner. She had seen her mother do this many times before. When asked why, her mom answered “I don’t know, it’s what my mother always did. Why don’t you ask your Grandma? ”
The young girl questioned her grandmother who replied, “I don’t know. That’s just the way my mom always cooked it. Why don’t you ask her?” Seeking the answer to the mystery, she called her great-grandmother, who was living in a nursing home. Great-Grandma explained, “When I was first married we had a very small roasting pan and the pot roast didn’t fit in it unless I cut the ends off.” Generations of this family had done the same thing without questioning the why. Complacency overcomes questioning because “that’s the way I have always done it.” The most efficient businesses use systems to make the day run productively. These systems are dynamic and challenge the why of all the steps taken at work. The steps become a choreographed work dance. You are wondering what a work dance has to do with running a profitable horse business? Everything of course. If you are operating as an instructor, trainer or horse salesperson, your efficient use of time is supported by a trained support team. As an instructor, your clients pay you for your time in the ring, instructing. Tacking up, warming up and cooling out are all parts of the lesson, but those parts may be best handled by a staff member of your trained support team. As a horse trainer, the same parts apply to the process. The work you do with the horse on the ground or mounted is the expert work; haltering the horse, grooming, saddling or harnessing, cooling, blanketing is all work that is best done by your team members. As a seller of horses, your best salesmanship skills are put in use as you get to know your customer, his or her likes, dislikes and goals. If a prospect is looking at several horses, your support team will groom, tack and even ride and demonstrate the horse for sale. The efficiency of your support team will create a pleasant and educational experience for the prospect who will appreciate your professionalism and your respect for others’ time.
If you are already using staff to keep your “work dance” flowing, congratulations. If you need to create a better system for work flow, start the process. Don’t ignore the input of your staff as you improve your systems; encourage their participation in the process. The more they feel they “own” the system, the better your results will be. Your systems may include these physical tasks: stall cleaning and manure management, watering, feeding, turnouts, cleaning tack, equipment and building maintenance. Your systems may include these non-physical tasks: customer relations, prospect relations, payment handling, lesson scheduling, monitoring health and safety of humans and horses. If you’re growing your solo business, consider getting part time help for your busy times. As an example, peak lesson periods during weekdays or weekends that run “on schedule” will generate the extra revenue to pay the help. If you are mired in the inefficiency of “doing everything” your revenue is as limited as a restaurant owner who serves as host, waiter, bartender, chef and dishwasher. If you discover systems where your roasting pan is too small, fix it! Make your own systems to improve your work dance; you’ll add to your business bottom line and have more fun doing it.
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About the author: Doug Emerson consults, writes and speaks about the business half of the horse business. Find out more at www.ProfitableHorseman.com
-cont. from page 37
both sides that I’ve learned cows will try for. Are we really going straight down that? Apparently. Bill’s instructions, as always: “Do NOT lose those cows.” My heart drums as Batman charges down, lowering his hind end and bracing his front legs in a slide I’ve never experienced on my flat-land mare at home. Once we’re down, I hear the story about a Canadian cowboy who broke his arm when his horse summersaulted nearby at Camp 5, another hand who was dragged along St. Mary’s River when a stick got caught between his back cinch and horse’s flank and he wrecked. I’m grateful to my cowpony. Though he isn’t as hardened as Oscar or Slasher, Batman is surefooted and willing. We all come together again late in the day near Beaver Lake. A long stretch of blissful ease, just the occasional dash through the aspens, whose song changes as their leaves turn gold and brittle. The guys are relaxed now, having some fun testing me. “Which of these trails will get these cows back to Babb?” Um. “Now, you should know what that track is.” “A bird?” “A chicken—Blue Grouse.” Our last obstacle is a fast running stream. Bill shakes a finger at me, figuring I’ll weaken since I haven’t spurred my horse as hard as I should through mud, but Batman learned to love swimming as we played with the local kids in the lake all summer, and he plunges in. The sun is declining as we descend and see the few buildings that make up Babb. Thronson’s General Store. The housing tract known as Bedrock, with its extensive collection of three-legged dogs. Babb Elementary School, fronted by a sculpture of a cowboy riding rough stock. The Cattle Baron and formerly notorious Babb Bar, where local men and women ; two churches; Sam and Shug’s tidy home. A productive day, we corral 31 pair, a lot of value with cows worth $1,500-1,800 and their calves big on this good grass at $1,000 each. The guys are pleased about those with a lazy A and X brand, “money cows,” whose owners reliably pay these backcountry cowboys for their skilled labor. Most of the hundreds of summer-pastured cows are already out of the mountains; in the next weeks the real hunt will be on. I swing down, hungry and tired and happy. I can feel the bruises blooming on my legs, but don’t mind because Bill reports that I did well. Sam says I can ride with them again if I want. I surely do, and head out with them every chance I get through the golden Montana fall. Author Leanne Zainer on Batman at Sandy Ridge
Yellow Mountain in background.
S
table vices, also known as stereotypies, are physical movements made by a horse in response to pain, anxiety, or stress. One stable vice is cribbing. When a horse cribs, he grasps a post, bucket or other object with his upper incisors and then gulps air, so this behavior is also sometimes called “windsucking.” The action may release endorphins and provides release for a horse. Once a horse learns to crib, he continues to do it over and over.
Cribbing is more than a behavioral annoyance because it has negative effects on a horse’s health. Aside from wearing out his upper incisor teeth, the changes in abdominal pressure as a horse cribs can predispose him to a certain type of colic: epiploic foramen entrapment. In this type of colic, a portion of the small intestine is sucked into a small slit between the liver and the pancreas, where its blood supply is cut off. This is one of the most severe and devastating types of colic, and surgery is necessary to correct the problem. Habitual, long-term cribbing results in enlargement of neck muscles, making intravenous injections more difficult and therefore increasing the chances of a problem. For example, I have accidentally hit the carotid artery (rather than the jugular vein) on a cribber, and I know I'm not the veterinarian who has had this problem. When medication is injected into the carotid artery, it causes a seizure. It’s terrifying to see a horse having a seizure, though he usually recovers from the accidental misplacement of medication.
CURBING CRIBBING
As many as 5% of horses crib, and a cribber may be unwelcome at boarding stables because his habit is destructive. Caretakers also fear that he will teach other horses how to crib, though behavioral research shows that 90% of cribbers learn spontaneously without ever seeing another horse crib. It’s really sad, because cribbing can decrease a horse’s value and his likelihood to stay in a home, even if everything else about him is perfect. Controlling cribbing takes a multi-faceted behavioral approach. First, any underlying pain or unsoundness should be identified and treated. Next, a horse should be offered more exercise and food in a way that mimics how a wild horse lives. Finally, the cribbing behavior should be physically prevented or discouraged. There are trainers that purport training a horse to not crib, though the end result may be that he learns, “don’t crib while they are looking” rather than “don’t crib.”
By Dr. G Stacie Boswell
Maximizing turnout is the best way of controlling cribbing and keeping a horse mentally healthy. For many horses, this alone will eliminate the behavior. If I had a cribber, he would live outside 100% of the time. Exercise helps satisfy his physiological and psychological need for movement. For a severe case, an electric fence reduces the options of where a horse can crib. Turnout should mimic a horse’s natural environment as much as possible – lots of grazing, lots of moving, and several companion horses. Routine and herd stability are helpful to minimize daily stress and reduce the horse’s desire to crib. If a horse is boarded, managing his cribbing may be especially challenging. Horses come and go from stables, turnout is usually only partially available or not available at all, and you may not have control over how your horse is fed. When a cribber is stalled, he should have as much access to hay as possible to help reduce boredom-related stress. Forage when stalled should be in a slow-feeder or slow-feed hay net, and in toys or food-dispensers (“food puzzles”). A cribbing collar (there are several different designs) will help reduce frequency of the cribbing because it mechanically makes the action more difficult. Some horses may need to wear the collar only while in a stall, while others need to wear one all the time. Most people don’t initially adjust them snug enough, so they don’t always work well. Once they are tight enough to work and worn for long enough periods of time to reduce cribbing, they can cause pressure sores. A horse may end up with skin problems or white hair underneath, despite every effort to pad and adjust the cribbing collar. Calming supplements may help reduce cribbing behavior, though few are science-supported. It’s unlikely that a supplement alone will eliminate cribbing. Zylkene has research backing its efficacy for calming a horse. CBD may also be worth a try, though no research support exists. Antipsychotic medications like trazodone or Xanax have been tried on horses for other reasons. There are disadvantages to these drugs: they cannot be given to horses that are showing, are expensive, and have to be given to a horse daily for the rest of his life to continue to work. A last resort is a surgical procedure to cut a nerve in a horse’s neck so he will no longer be able to use his neck muscles to crib. Like other denervation procedures, you want to enlist a competent surgeon. Effectiveness of the surgery may last from six months to many years. One study showed the procedure eliminated cribbing for a one-year follow-up time on 72 of 90 horses.1 If your horse is a cribber, keep trying management tweaks, and be in it for the long haul. Leaving the problem alone is likely to result in it getting worse over time.
Dr. Stacie G. Boswell is a veterinarian board-certified in large animal surgery and has an interest in equine welfare. She practices in Belgrade, MT and is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Horses in Need. https://stacieboswell.com Reference: 1. Baia P, Burba DJ, Riggs LM, et al. Long-term outcome after laser assisted modified Forssell's in cribbing horses. Vet Surg 2015;44:156-161.
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MONTANA CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION Sponsorship Plate Release and Product Giveaway
Will you be obtaining a new license plate in the future for a vehicle or trailer? Maybe a renewal of an existing plate? Well, you have a new option available to display your support for Montana’s western lifestyle and horse culture, as well as the Montana Cutting Horse Association (MCHA). The new plate is designed by renowned Canadian designer and master artist, Shannon Lawlor. The MCHA is proud to be associated with Shannon and this updated plate. The MCHA is a nonprofit that depends on sales from this “sponsorship plate” for a significant portion of its operating income. The primary goal of the Montana Cutting Horse Association is to promote education in equine activities, interest in cutting horses and to promote the sport of cutting in and around Montana. The organization provides a venue for equine education, increases public interest, while encouraging contests, awarding yearend recognition and encouraging a high standard of sportsmanship and fair play. The plates are available for purchase by all members of the public who are licensing vehicles and trailers in Montana. The Montana Cutting Horse Association sponsored plate has been available since November 2010, when introduced by then MCHA President, Todd Wirthlin. By purchasing these plates, people show their support for the organization and promote the sport, as well as making a financial contribution to its mission. The MCHA makes $25.00 per plate registered with yearly registration. Permanent plate registration is $25.00 and is a one-time assessment.
If you purchase the plate you are eligible for a $5000.00 giveaway from TLC Ranch Products. You simply need to email proof of your registration purchase to tlcranch@centurytel.net Shannon Lawlor, the plate’s designer, is dedicated to preserving the West. Her passion for the equine is the substance that defines and sustains her work. Growing up on the edge of the Northern Great Plains Lawlor’s life was spent in the saddle, around the animals she would one day be renowned for depicting in her art. She considers them “one of the true stewards of the West.” If it was the pure enjoyment of drawing and painting horses that propelled her into pursuing the life of an artist fulltime, it is her continued deep sense of pride in knowing the West is her lifestyle and her people, that gives her a sense of obligation to authentically preserve it. Shannon Lawlor is a proud sponsor of the NRCHA for the very values expressed in her ethos. She welcomes commission enquiries and her work can be found at www.shannonlawlor.com, and slcheval.com.
This is a great opportunity to display your passion for sport of cutting and create exposure of our western way of life through your Montana Cutting Horse Association license plate, and to win the $5000.00 giveaway from TLC Ranch Products. To inquire about the plate, contact your County Treasurer Motor Vehicle Office. www.montanacha.com
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