Horse Power

Horse

Power

By Shelley Van Atta Those who are lucky enough to own a horse will tell you they share a special bond that cannot be explained. A horse owns a piece of your heart that through the years becomes the lifeblood of your soul. There are no words to describe it and you cannot touch it, but you feel the empty space it leaves when it is gone.

For three Billings horse owners, who hail from different parts of the country, a love of horses has been with them since early childhood, and the magic endures.

“Little girls and horses have always been close to a fairy tale that is true life,” said Barb Skelton, owner of Intermountain Equestrian Center, north of Billings. “I have come to realize over the years that the bond between humans and horses isn’t so much about the horse; it’s about two resilient spirits, intensified by the company of one another. Horses open our souls to creativity, honesty and love we may not otherwise see in ourselves.”

Skelton was a Montana ranch girl. Her grandfather raised “magnificent Percherons,” and her grandmother had horses “just for the love of them.” Their horses worked cattle during the week and were in rodeos or horse shows on the weekends. Horses were part of her lifestyle from her earliest memory.

That wasn’t the case for Nona Stockton and Deanna Hovland, both of whom were raised by “non-horsey parents” who introduced

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASEY PAGE Iver Hovland, 14, rides Rosie across Wendell’s Bridge at Norm’s Island.

I have come to realize over the years that the bond the horse; it’s about two resilient spirits, intensified by 106 I MAY 2013 I MAGIC CITY MAGAZINE

between humans and horses isn’t so much about the company of one another. — Barb Skelton ­­

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Horse Sense Horses are a visual elixir, a natural tranquilizer by their very presence. Who is not awed by the power and independence of a galloping herd of horses? They are stunning to view and have been the inspiration for countless artists, writers and poets, transfixed by their innate equine grace and beauty.

However—and it is a big HOWEVER—it’s one thing to love them from afar, and quite another to have the daily commitment that comes with ownership. Many people love the idea of owning a horse, but find that actual ownership is not as idyllic as they had imagined.

Nona Stockton offers advice for those who may be considering ownership: ‘‘The mistake I see folks make is that they get into horse ownership without proper expertise and then are dissatisfied with the experience. Horses are not like our usual pets, such as dogs and cats, in that dogs and cats are predators and horses are prey animals with a completely different set of instinctual behaviors, maintenance requirements and training strategies. Many times I see new horse owners who think their horses are “bad,” when the real problem is lack of knowledge on the part of the horse owner. A person cannot buy a trained horse and think they are set. Every single interaction we have with a horse is a learning experience and teaches the horse “desired” or “undesired” behavior. The best advice I can give is to find an expert horseperson to advise teach, and remain involved with you and your horse.

What to look for in that person? A certified riding instructor is a good place to start. Also look for verifiable expertise in the particular type of riding you are interested in. When looking for a riding instructor, look around at the general atmosphere of the riding facility. Are the horses and students happy and healthy? Is there demonstrated knowledge of and compliance with the industry standard for safety with and around equines, which would include riding helmets, proper attire, well-maintained fences, corrals and pastures, no smoking/drinking policies.’’

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them—Nona in Alabama and Deanna in Vermont—to the world of horses as novices, themselves. Both Stockton and Hovland ended up in Montana and both remain, as does Skelton, lifelong riders. Their common bond: horses.

“I still have the same love of horses as that little 7-year-old girl, and that love is what I enjoy instilling in my riding students,” said Nona Stockton, whose education after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in animal sciences encompasses a formal riding education and a varied riding experience that includes eventing, jumping, trail riding, showing, fox hunting, ranch work and even riding a Somali pony in Kenya.

Stockton once managed the sprawling N-Bar Ranch, where the fact that she was a certified riding instructor was one of the reasons she was sought to give riding lessons to Chelsea Clinton during her father’s presidency. After having taught in the Rocky Mountain College equestrian program for many years, where she developed the therapeutic riding instructor program, Stockton, who once had as many as 30 horses, now is a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) practitioner, and is the equine therapist at a local residential youth treatment program.

Deanna Hovland, past president of the Montana Hunter Jumper Association, was part of an active horse-riding family in Vermont. During her adolescence and college years, she and one of her horses teamed up to compete in the regional show circuit. After that wonderful experience, Hovland thought she had “retired” from the horse world. She became a nurse, married Dr. Mike Hovland and moved to Montana.

The couple purchased a large parcel of land west of Billings, with no intention of owning horses, and settled in to raise their two sons.

Clockwise from top left: Deanna Hovland leads Rosie to the trailer for a ride at Norm’s Island.

Iver Hovland laughs as Rosie paws water on to his brother Erik, while riding Rocky in the Yellowstone River. Kesley Shurson (left) gets instructions from Nona Stockton, equine therapist.

Deanna Hovland carries a saddle to the trailer as she prepares for a horseback ride with her sons Iver and Erik. Ribbons adorn the Hovland’s horse shed wall.

Knowing she had experience with horses, a friend talked her into helping with the Eagle Mount equestrian program, where she met Nona Stockton, whose passion for horses rekindled hers.

“I thought I had said goodbye to all of that, but it’s hard to be around horses, and around Nona, and not fall in love with horses all over again,” Hovland said. Stockton helped find Deanna’s “equine dream,” Rosie, and “it was like I never had quit. Riding Rosie made me feel like I had come home.”

And what better home to enjoy horses in than the expansive space and big sky of Montana, where the love of horses is more than a part of our heritage; it’s in our cultural DNA. “Montana has a wonderful horse community,” said Hovland.

“There are opportunities for everyone and they gravitate to where they are most comfortable. People are attracted to those with similar attitudes about horsemanship. I have a community of friends whose relationships I value because of how they treat and bond with their horses.

They don’t see horses as a piece of equipment that is going to help

them win trophies; they see them as part of their family. Their horses aren’t status symbols; they’re partners and friends. There is something spiritual about horses that combines with the women I know who have the same attitude. This is the glue that holds us together and forges lifelong friendships.”

It’s been nearly a decade since Hovland resumed riding, and it’s obvious her youthful skills have translated into adulthood.

She and Rosier have travelled to shows throughout Montana and beyond, earning a stable full of ribbons, trophies and national championships. “Rosie is a tremendous athlete, and I would not participate in shows if she didn’t enjoy it,” said Hovland, who pointed out a beautiful horse in her pasture. “Maggie is a magnificent mover, and I paid way more than I ever thought I would for a horse. We went on the show circuit and were winning, but I knew something was wrong. The vet discovered an ulcer. I realized Maggie wasn’t enjoying herself so I immediately stopped, and keep her with me just for enjoyment. She’s a very expensive pet, but she’s happy, and that’s all that matters.”

As for describing that special bond? “Horses got me through childhood,” she responded. “They’re wonderful therapists. Even now, when I’m having a bad day, Rosie will put her head on my shoulder, look at me with those deep brown eyes, breathe on my neck, and the world is right again.”

Stockton partners with horses for therapy every day.

“I use the actual movement of the horse to elicit an emotional response,” she explained. “The rhythmical motion of a therapy horse can provide something called ‘safe carriage,’ which can mimic the warmth, rhythm and modulated input provided by a mother in healthy mother-infant bonding.”

Skelton said that she, too, has seen horses help heal and enhance the life of people with emotional and physical disabilities.

“Being able to work and bond with this big four-legged animal, who, without ever saying a word, lets you know that he never judges you on how you look, walk or talk; whose soft muzzle lets you know he loves you just the way you are conveys to the person a sense of accomplishment and self-respect.” she said. “And a carrot or two always helps; kind of like roses for a woman,” she laughs.

Skelton and her daughter have bred and shown world champion horses, one of whom was ridden by President Bill Clinton during his visit to Montana. Skelton still keeps a rope horse around, “mostly just for the memories of yesterday.”

Even though horses were an everyday part of her life growing up, they still were her dream.

“When I bought my barn in Billings, my mother reminded me that as a little girl, I said that someday, if I had ‘great horses behind white fences,’ I would have achieved my dream. It made me realize I’m living my dream every day. The horses were, and continue to be, my dream.”

She said the love of horses is a common bond we all share. “It all comes down to the joining of two spirits: the human and the horse. It’s as simple as that.”

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