tCmag_Mai 2012_Lela Reynolds

may 2012

Our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year

Lela Reynolds R.T. Fitch 20 Answers Bo Derek Back on the Hill Madeleine Pickens Strikes Accord

magazine

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Photo courtesy of Bristol MacDonald

www.bristolmacdonaldequinephotography.com

FEATURES 8 Herd roun’ the waterin’ trough…

Calamity Cate Crismani 10 Viva Los Monero Mustangs...Sherry Kysely 22 20ANSWERS (20A) Who is RT Fitch?

28 Bo Derek, Back On the Hill 32 “Poker Alice”...Buckaroo John Brand 34 Our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year...Lela Reynolds 54 Madeleine Pickens Strikes Accord...Cate Crismani 58 Pearl the Wonder Horse...Victoria Nodiff-Netanel 62 When I Am An Old Horsewoman...Patty Barnhart 64 Good Reads...Carol Upton 65 New Age Disappointment...Jeff Hildebrandt 68 “Saving Americas Horses” Private Screening \\

Publisher Equine Angle Marketing & Publicity California, USA

Editor in Chief ~ Director “Calamity” Cate Crismani

Contributing “Wriders” Jeff Hildebrandt * Sherry Kysely * Patty Barnhart Cate Crismani * Buckaroo John Brand Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

Buckle Bunny Cover/Pictorial Photographer April Visel www.aprilvisel.com Contributing Photographers Christopher Ameruoso * Terry Fitch Mario James * Sherry Kysely Katia Louise * Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

Advertising Posse Rich Richardson 760.696.6304 “Calamity” Cate Crismani 818.642.4764

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All rights reserved. No portion of tCmag may be reproduced without written consent. tCmag has the right to final edit of total magazine content inclusive of articles, ads and photographs. We reserve the right to refuse or accept any advertisement and content. Gracias & besos, tCm.

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herd roun’ the waterin’ trough From the desk of Calamity Cate Howdy Amigos, have you noticed there are more and more articles in print and online from major sources reporting about the plight of our wild horses and horse slaughter for human consumption issue? Well, there are. And it only goes to prove that rounding up the wild ones and slaughtering both wilds and domestic horses for meat is unacceptable here in the United States and some foreign countries. Know why?

Because it is deplorable!

This issue of tCmag is chock full of great horses and the people they love doing the things they love to do to promote horses, the welfare and protection of horses and the love of the mighty animal.

RT Fitch, Bo Derek and Madeleine Pickens continue to fight the good fight against the powers that would just as soon as see all the horses off the ranges and on the dinner plates. So many folks are in the saddle now. Even folks who have never owned a horse know this is just not right.

And this issue features your 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds!

So when will the rest of you get in the saddle? Now is as good a time as any. Stay in touch. Like us on Facebook and LinkedIn at Cate Crismani and trueCOWBOYmagazine. Tweet me at #calamitycate.

Thank you to all the good folks fighting the good fight everyday, not just for our horses, who are the target, but for all animals and against the ones they thought they could trust...their breeders, trainers and owners!

Besos Calamity Cate

www.buckarooleather.com

VIVA LOS MONERO MUSTANGS ...SHERRY KYSELY If you ask Sherry Kysely, she’ll tell you that horses connect us to the land, to survival and ultimately to our own human roots. She’ll explain that the history of mankind has developed in tandem with equine evolution. She’ll also confess that horses have taken up space in her heart as far back as she can remember. Consistently exposed to horses through books, art, Western movies and her imagination. Kysely was smitten at a very early age. Reminiscing about her childhood spent in Billings Montana has Sherry recalling the neighbor’s horses. She would stand at the fence and find herself staring at the horses and in the nighttime dreaming about them. Passionate about horses, Sherry has had many unforgettable and idiosyncratic equine soul mates grace her life whether it be her first horse, an Appaloosa with one spot who pretended he was her shadow or her daughter ,Caitlin’s, POA pony that could untie even the toughest knots on the hitching post., to her husband, Tom’s, stout grey Kentucky Mountain horse that really doesn’t understand why he cannot hop in the truck to go everywhere they do and to her sturdy bay Paso Fino that really has such an expressive face and loves sweet potatoes, are in her present day life. Sherry has been central in a drove of gentle giants for decades. She credits personal inspiration and aspiration on many levels to the connections between artist, human and equine confident.

Currently, Sherry marries her artistic propensities and love of the sight of mustangs through her cameras and lenses, with her devotion to the breed as well as the land where they are the most indigenous, the Southwest. She and her husband, Tom, are avid explorers of the region and are thrilled to have, in a very serendipitous manner, discovered the Monero Mustangs at Yellow Hills Ranch in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico. The Mustangs had long been on Kysely’s “bucket list” in terms of places to photograph as well as horses whose images she’d one day capture. As she and her husband took in the magnificence of the living legends of the Spanish Mustangs, Kysely knew she was experiencing something words would never aptly describe.

On five thousand acr protected land oversee Mustang devotee, Sa Claypool, Sherry Kyse beloved “bucket lis subjects have been self and meticulously mana Sherry is certain tha Claypool’s noble effor provided the inspiratio her photography proje well as her continued d to give back to this imp non-profit organizati through her art.

When Kysely describ friendship with Clayp it is clear her respect Claypool’s commitme the Mustangs is unwave But ask Sherry what t experience in the South was really like and she’ you it was a haunting extraordinary journey made a racket in her c and filled her heart to brim. Side by side with husband Tom, Sherry w absolute awe by the w horses, mainly for the they travel in tight kn powerful herds who m with the kind of power freedom provides.

res of en by andi ely’s st” flessly aged. at rts of on for ect as desire portant ion

bes her pool for ent to ering. that hwest ’ll tell and y that chest o the h her was in wild way nit, move r only .

At the same time, as their sense of purpose almost seems to mimic a human family’s quest for survival and achievement.

At times, she was high on the mustangs’ seemingly untouched existence outside of domestic environments and the beauty of their untethered identity, while in other moments she was saddened by today’s’ mustangs obvious dependence on man for survival. All things connected and intertwined Kysely has and almost spiritual respect for the relationship between man and horse where the Monero Mustangs are concerned. She explains return visits to the ranch as intimate gifts to the heart and soul. Like refresher courses in recognizing the largeness of our world and the incredible pull to give back, Sherry and Tom are consistently grateful for Sandi Claypool’s work Mustangs outside of Claypool’s preserve, particularly in existence on government lands that ranchers are not keen to share, live a cruel life of slaughter and outright disrespect.

Non-profits struggle to stay afloat and Kysely finds herself driven to bring awareness to the plight of the Mustang.

Sherry’s photography talent has long been nurtured by mares and geldings, foals and stallions, and their unique personalities throughout her personal and professional life. Clearly, she recognizes her gift and the importance of using it toward the greater good of her beloved horse subjects. History is beauty, Sherry will say, and the Mustang is an icon. With each picture taken, Kysely feels an intense connection between the horse heart and her own and is resolute in her desire to document and, thus, leave behind a little of both beating hearts, the intimate and noble equine thrum and her own.

Sherry Kysely is giving back through her photography at the Wild Horse Festival at the Santa Fe Equestrian Center.

The Mustangs are being celebrated at the festival on May 19th and 20th of 2012 www.sherrykysely.zenfolio.com and www.sherrykysely.com Like her on Facebook: Sherry Kysely.

Copyright 2012 Sherry Kysely. All rights reserved.

tCmagazine asks:

(and why is he saying those To be an animal advocate, you have to have some tough skin. To be an outspoken animal advocate you have to have that and some pretty big cajones. Well, it seems our May 20A subject, RT Fitch, possesses both..

Fitch has risen to the top of the heap endearingly, for the most part, and aggressively for the balance. Not one to hold his tongue, Fitch has been known to confront the wild horse issues, BLM reps, government officials and D.C. politicians, anti-horse advocates and slaughter proponents head on, bare fisted, sharp-tongued and armed with ‘propaganda-busting’ facts. Fitch’s bombarding blogs have become so popular that they’ve gained 1 million readers: www.rtfitchauthor.com Even when called on the carpet for things he allegedly may or may not have said, he holds his ground. Fitch can certainly dish it out, but, most certainly, he can take it too! One thing we do know, RT Fitch is making waves, and changes, for our wild mustangs and our constitutional rights.

1A trueCOWBOYmagazine: Who is RT Fitch?

RT Fitch: Well, let me get a handle on that question. RT Fitch is a normal, red-blooded slightly middle aged male. I am a Veteran of two armed conflicts and a regular guy with a job. I am no different than any other tax paying individual except for the fact that I’ve had enough and have become an angry person. I am frustrated and perplexed by our elected politicians who are mismanaging our country and stomping on our First Amendment rights particularly when it comes to the mismanagement of our public lands and our wild horses and burros who inhabit those lands.

: Who is RT Fitch?

e terrible things about me?)

They are clearly destroying it and our national icon, the wild mustangs.

We, as Americans, need to stand up and force the Government to do what they have been elected to do which is govern for the people and the wishes of the American people.

2A tCm: When did you become a wild horse advocate and why?

RT: Terry, my wife, and I have been involved in the betterment of equine welfare way back in the mid to late ‘90’s. We got involved in horse rescue in Brazil and brought that involvement, and a rescued horse, back to the USA. Our epiphany, came in September of 2009, Labor Day weekend when we intended to have a family reunion. At the same time we had established a relationship with Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation.

Cloud’s herd was to be rounded up for the first time and it looked like it was going to be called off but, then, it wasn’t. Instead of the family reunion, we met with Ginger in Montana and she brought home how high the abuse and lack of humane caring on the part of the BLM is of the wild ones. On that roundup, which we attended, I asked one BLM representative ‘Why are you doing this?’ His flippant response, coupled with a grin, was “Because we can.” I’ll never forget his smug demeanor and grin. That was the flame that ignited our fire and set us on the path we are on now. We’re not going to give up on our wild horses or the issues with our Government’s mismanagement. We’re here for the long haul. My blog has become a daily outreach to the public to teach them about the wild horses and now the inhumane slaughter issue.

3A tCm: Isn’t there a law in place to protect these wild horses?

RT: There most certainly is. One that was passed into law in 1971, The Wild Free-Roaming Horse &Burro Act. Over the course of the years, the very agency tasked with protecting the wild ones, the BLM, has actually become the most contentious to them with a bent to eliminate the wild horses.

They bow to their major cattle interests, extraction interests and private interests. Two amendments and continued misinterpretation of the law by the BLM has made them the most formidable enemy of the wild horses.

4A tCm: So, you have been to a “gather”?

RT: We’ve been to several. They are cold, heartless stampedes. I must take a stand on the word, “gather”. It is a public relations spin by the BLM because its pretty like “gathering” daisies, harmless. Not the case here with what I call stampedes. At the stampedes it is the helicopter contractor who runs the show, the Cattoors or Sun J. They are pretty aggressive folks and they set up the traps and determine who can be in attendance, if anyone at all. These animals are chased by whirling helicopters, they are terrified, running at unsustainable speeds including babies and pregnant mares that can’t possible keep up with the herd. They are covered in sweat, gasping for air and some horses have even been clipped with helicopter blades. They are run into traps and cramped pens. These stampedes are aggressive and inhumane. I was drained after watching this first hand. The BLM reps there are very nonchalant about all of it.

5A tCm: Have you ever felt physically threatened at these stampedes by BLM staff there?

RT: The one time I did feel threatened was during the Twin Peaks round up that I attended in August 2010. One of the BLM law enforcement people gave us the rap that we should bend to the rules with his hand on his pistol. I returned the next day with a video camera and asked him to repeat his previous statement and he would not. At this particular roundup, there were twenty police cars there to protect the BLM from three advocates; myself, my wife and the VP of WHFF, Laura Leigh. I feel they are more threatened by us then we are by them. I’ve actually met some decent BLM ex-military staff that are very disillusioned by all of this but are also at the lower end of the food chain and ineffective to make change from within.

6A tCm: All this seems like a violation of our First Amendment rights, our freedom to be on our public land and the rights in place for the horses.

Whats up with that?

RT: Without a doubt, it has become a fight for our First Amendment rights and that is the biggest battle we pursue in court at the cost of thousands of dollars. Laura Leigh is the plaintiff on what we call our “First Amendment Case” due to the fact that she was denied access to view the roundup in 2010. The judge said it’s a mote point as the roundup was over. But we believed although the round up was over, the issue was not.

And we pursued it all the way to the 9th Circuit Court proving a violation of our First Amendment rights and that Judge concurred with us and in our favor. The BLM is actively fighting our case against transparency as they have a lot to hide as horses are being killed and abused during these stampedes. It has been proven that wild horses are slipping out the back door to Mexico for slaughter. That’s why we are moved to the far ends of the roundups where we can’t document anything. The BLM has a lot to hide.

7A tCm: What is the Wild Horse Freedom Federation?

RT: The WHFF is in existence primarily for one reason: fighting the corruption in the BLM. We have a legal team that is researching kinks and dents in the BLM in an effort to put them in a legal tailspin because we, and thousands of others, believe the BLM is violating laws and mismanaging our public lands including the wild horses on it. WHFF supplies our legal team with the funds and with grants to legally battle this agency for the betterment of these herds, our public lands, and to establish transparency. We are in existence exclusively to challenge the Federal and State Governments are these pressing issue and violations of our First Amendment rights and freedoms. We have a strong legal team spearheaded by Bruce Wagmen, a prominent and premiere wild animal advocate attorney.

go to page 50

www.wildhorsefreedomfederation.org

www.returntofreedom.org

Bo Derek, Bac

Senator Mary Landrieu gets some help from her f

Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., brought some celebrity power to the Capitol mid-April to build support for her legislation that would prohibit inhumane killing of American horses Actress Bo Derek speaks about the importance of passing Sen. Mary for food. Actress Landrieu's American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would prohibit the inhumane killing of American horses for human consump- Bo Derek, tion. Photo by Matthew D. R. Lehner, Office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (speaking for the Animal Welfare Institute) and Actor John Corbett, (Star of “United Nations of Tara” & “Sex in the City”) pushed for passage of the bill. So did Amy Nelson, singer and Willie Nelson’s daughter, and Raelyn Nelson, his granddaughter, saying they were speaking on Nelson’s behalf and his love for horses.

Landrieu’s American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would also stop the transport of horses across the border to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Landrieu has repeatedly pushed for a ban on slaughtering the animals for meat that is exported mostly to Europe and Asia. She is upping her efforts now that applications are in the works to open the nation’s first horse slaughterhouses since 2007.

“We must continue to open people’s eyes about this appalling practice that is so often hidden from the public,” Derek said at a news conference, surrounded by Landrieu, other lawmakers and citizen lobbyists.

ck On the Hill

friends and tackles the Hill against horse slaughter.

“It is truly obscene”, continued Derek, “that we are still fighting after 10 years for a ban on the slaughter of animals that provide so much companionship.” In November 2011, Congress opted not to renew a ban on funding federal inspectors at horse slaughter plants in the United States and Landrieu and other lawmakers opposed to the practice worry it will spur a return to what they say is brutal treatment of horses.

“There are viable, affordable alternatives to slaughter,” Landrieu said, “When a Declan Gregg with Senator Landrieu, Senator Brown, Congressman Moran horse is old, sick, or can no (behind him), Lorenzo Borghese, John Corbett, and Manda & Pamela of Seraphim 12 ~ photo by Stacie Gregg longer be productive, its owner should provide humane euthanasia. Ninety percent of all horses that die each year are humanely euthanized and/or safely disposed of , the additional 10 percent is not a burden,” Landrieu said, “Horse owners will buy some of these horses and horse rescue organizations will take others.

Brutal slaughter is not an appropriate alternative.”

continued from previous page

Amy Nelson and Raelyn Nelson issued a statement on behalf of Willie Nelson “We ride horses in America, we don’t eat them. Slaughter is not humane euthanasia. It is not a responsible end of life option for any horse.”

“There may be no more special relationship than the one we have with horses,” said Lorenzo Borghese, Star of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’. “The love and loyalty horses have shown people shows no bounds – they have won wars for us, carried us west and built this great country, and have served as companions for our children and our disabled.”

Source: PR Wire, Webnews copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

www.bristolmacdonaldequinephotography.com

Bristol MacDonald

“POKER ALICE”...A w

By Buckaroo "Praise the Lord and place your bets. I'll take your money with no regrets.”

No this quote is not from the famous poker player Johnny Chan but from Alice Ivers Tubbs, better known as “Poker Alice”.

Alice was born in Devonshire, England in 1851. When Alice was a young girl, her father, a schoolmaster, moved the family to Virginia.

While living in Virginia Alice had a formal education at a boarding school. Then, as a teenager, her family moved to Leadville, Colorado.

While she lived in Leadville, Alice met Frank Duffield. Frank worked as a mining engineer with steady employment and, when Alice was 20, they married. Her life would soon change along with her name.

Like most men, Frank enjoyed the popular past time of the old west mining towns; gambling. Alice, not wanting to stay at home alone, went with him to the gambling halls. At first Alice just watched and studied her husband and the card game. In no time Alice was sitting at the poker table skillfully playing poker opposite her husband. Women were an uncommon sight at poker tables back then and she quickly became known as “Poker Alice”.

Then tragedy struck when Frank was killed in a mining explosion. With no means of support, “Poker Alice” realized she would have to use her new gambling skills to support herself so she took to the poker tables to earn a living. Her beauty, sophistication and style made her a welcomed and popular player at all the gambling halls. The miners loved her charm and wit, and she loved their money! Poker Alice went from mining town to mining town puffing on a large black cigar and winning thousands. At one point, she claimed to have one $250,000.

woman ahead of her times

o John Brand Poker Alice did not shy away from trouble either and always carried a .38 revolver. On one occasion when a drunken miner threatened her with a knife, Alice pulled out her .38 and put a bullet in the miner's arm.

Her poker playing skills were becoming widely known throughout the west and she began to travel playing poker wherever she was.

Eventually, Alice went to New Mexico where she won $6,000 at the Gold Dust Gambling House. She went on to New York for a while and finally ended up in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Poker Alice would eventually remarry in Deadwood to Warren G. Tubbs, a painter. They met in a gambling hall, of course. After the couple married, they moved to a ranch in Sturgis. Alice became a wife, mother and rancher far away from the gambling halls and the poker tables. She focused on caring for her family and her husband who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Alice stayed by Warren’s side caring for her ailing husband until he finally succumbed to pneumonia in the winter of 1910.

Once again, Alice went back to the poker tables to support herself and her family. She was in and out of gambling halls and even owned a saloon.

She eventually would wind up in jail (a few different times) for breaking up a fight with her .38 revolver.

Alice underwent a gall bladder operation in Rapid City and died of complications on February 27, 1930. At age 79, Alice Ivers Tubbs, “Poker Alice”, had anted up for the last time.

For more stories of the Old West and to buy some really fine leather horse tack visit: www.buckarooleather.com

Our 2011Buckle Bunny of the Year

Lela Reynolds Like fine wine that gets better with age, our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds is a rare vintage. Lela first graced our pages in 2009, again, by popular demand in 2010 and then you voted her the 2011 BBOY “I am so thrilled to be part of trueCOWBOY magazine’s mission to save our wild and domestic horses”, smiles Lela, “and being voted Buckle Bunny of the Year by its readers is such an honor for me.”

After a short spin in Arizona, Lela decided California was the place to be; swimming pools, movie stars! Lela continues to pursue her acting career and has also taken on modeling assignments that flood her email and phones. Understandably.

Lela not only possess’ American beauty but is gentile, compassionate and down to earth.

“You have to be earthy to be around horses. You’ve got to like dirt, flies, hard work and manure”, laughs Lela, “You definitely have to love your horse.

My beautiful Arabian, Tag, has become such a companion in my life that any decisions about my life include his welfare as well.”

“So much is going on in the horse advocate global world”, she says, “Its great to see so many people involved in this mission. There is so much work to do to save our horses. We are their voice and we must speak loudly.”

Attracting attention to this cause is easy when you have a cover girl as special and beautiful as Lela. Voted 2011 BBOY may be an honor for her but having her grace our pages yet again is an honor for us!

For your viewing pleasure, 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds.

Copyright 2012 April Visel. All rights reserved. www.aprilvisel.com

Shot on location at Evergreen Arabians, Los Olivos, California Photographer: April Visel www.aprilvisel.com MakeUp & Hair: Kelsey Massarella, Michael Kelly’s Salon & Spa, kelseypaige@me.com Styling: Lela Reynolds Jewelry courtesy of: Anne Desario, Bijou de Bijoux, laperlenoire26@sbcglobal.net Creative Direction: April Visel & Lela Reynolds Like us on Facebook at trueCOWBOYmagazine

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from page 25 ~ 20A ~ RT Fitch

8A tCm: Who’s paying the cost of all the lawsuits?

My wife and I have sold off a lot of our stock and equities to hire lawyers to help us stop the BLM. We are not rich by far but we feel its something we must do as regular working people and American citizens. It’s a sad statement that we have to spend our money to fight our government. We do accept donations as we are a 501(c) 3 and there are some individuals who also help fund our efforts.

9A tCm: Wouldn’t the horses migrate naturally if one area was corrupted, the land pillaged and water poisoned from fraking and drilling?

RT: I am not a scientist, but in observing how horses behave in the wild, I would say yes. They move constantly and do not overgraze. If the water if no good, they move on. Like I said, I am not a scientist, but an observer. Horses are going to go where there is the least resistance. These roundups are completely unnecessary. In removing the wild horses, the BLM is removing a motive for the public to be on the public land to see and photograph the wild ones horses for recreation allowing the Government to lease the land out to corporations and with way less transparency.

10A tCm:: What is “welfare ranching”?

RT: Welfare ranching is a joke. We have ten western states where the wild horses reside and the BLM grants private individuals, ranchers, to graze private cattle on it for $1.35 cow/calf pair per month. We as taxpayers subsidize this grazing at the expense of our wild horses. Recently, the BLM has commissioned a scientific team to investigate the land use but are not including grazing as that may harm their ranching interests because cattle grazing destroys the land as they eat everything down to the roots of the forage leaving nothing behind to re-grow there. That $1.35 is a substantial income of millions a year paid to the BLM when you consider the millions of cows grazing on public lands.

11A tCm: These horses, in both short and long term holding pens, are fed and housed with taxpayer dollars as well. Doesn’t that seem like a slippery slope to you.? The constant reiteration by the advocates that the horses are being sustained at ‘huge tax payers expense’ could come back to haunt them, no?

RT: Well, yes, and that’s what did happen in 2008. The Government declared that they couldn’t afford to care for and feed the horses anymore and the only solution was to slaughter and euthanize them. That created a huge public outcry. The BLM has gelded the stallions, separated them from their mares and families to live their lives in a male herd or a female herd, very unnatural…the wild horses have lost both their freedom and families. Those horses go to, what I call, death camps… they exist there until they die.

12A tCm: Although you are a wild horse advocate out to protect and save them, what happens to the other wild animals in the same areas like wolves, elk, deer and all the others? Are they removed as well?

RT: There not removed but most certainly terrorized. We have seen them scattered and terrorized by the helicopters. Nor are the private cattle standing and grazing right there. As the horses are moved off, ranchers with private cattle are moved on. We’ve seen it first hand. Less than three percent of those domestic range cattle ever go to the American plates but are sold overseas; all that prime beef goes overseas. We never see it here in the states.

13A tCm: Another volatile issue has raised its ugly head recently and that is the one of slaughtering horses for human consumption and opening up slaughter houses for that purpose here in the USA. Who’s idea is this one and what drives that evil?

RT: This is such a misguided concept. Three stateside slaughter houses were shut down in 2007 when the USDA inspection funding budget was defunded. All three were own by foreign interests. They did make money for the communities or the local people. They were only making money for mercenaries in our political and private sectors. Horses are not recognized by the USDA as “food” animals. The wormers, and pain killers we use on our domestics are not for human consumption and could be carcinogenic.

Not to mention the fact that horses are, and have always been, companion animals. This slaughter campaign is spearheaded by Wyoming Representative, Sue Wallis. Needless to say I’ve had a few run ins with her. Imagine that!

14A tCm: Do you ever wonder what is wrong with people?

RT: Definitely, without a doubt. A lot of what goes on with the treatment of animals, and people, does not compute in my mind. An animal as a piece of property doesn’t compute. Whenever Terry and I adopt horses they become members of our family. I do wonder where are people coming from that many times I am embarrassed to be a human being. I really want to stress that…I am embarrassed. I apologize to all the animals for the cruelty we humans have inflicted on them. If this planet were a living cell, it would be diagnosed with a volatile, contagious virus called “humans”.

15A tCm: Why do you think we have to fight our own government for our personal and constitutional freedoms and those of the living creatures in the USA? RT: Because, I believe, the level of corruption is so high, the government, as a whole, has a lot to hide from the public and keep us in the dark intentionally. Without transparency into their actions, there can be no resolve to the problems perpetuated by them. go to page 70

www.wildhorserescue.org

MADELEINE PICKEN

The Bureau of Land Management agre Mrs. Pickens Wild Mustang

By Cate Finally, the BLM has agreed to study and evaluate the viability of Madeleine Pickens’ Mustang Monument Eco-Sanctuary in Nevada.

I say ‘finally’ because its taken nearly four years for Ms. Pickens to get to this point with the powers that be; the BLM, the Department of Interior and President Obama.

She’s a scrapper, that Madeleine Pickens. She stood up in 2008 in front of some BLM Officials, a room full of advocates and brimming with media at the Wild Horse Summit in Las Vegas and announced to the world that she would buy all 38,000+ wild mustangs and burros in the short term holding pens. That announcement went over like gang busters with the advocates and fell like a lead shoe to the agencies in charge of our public lands.

Why? Because Pickens later came back with a proposal that would involve continued fiduciary responsibility by our government and that was just not going to fly. The battles have been on ever since.

So you can see how this step forward by the BLM to at least “study” Ms. Pickens’ eco-sanctuary proposal is a big one. Or is it?

Now, I don’t mean to be the harbinger of bad news, but let me remind you that we have heard rhetoric like this before from the BLM, the DOI and up the ladder. Are we hearing it again?

When you consider that the first ranch to be granted a BLM publicprivate partnership, a little 4,000 acre spread that can hold about 250 horses and not even denting the 38,000+ in holding pens, took the BLM less than six months to approve. Doesn’t this seem peculiar to you?

NS STRIKES ACCORD

ees to study and evaluate the viability of g Eco-sanctuary in Nevada.

Crismani It’s been a journey of blood, sweat and tears for Ms. Pickens to get this feat achieved. But why then will the BLM’s evaluation will take approximately two years? Me thinks there is still something fishy in Denmark. The BLM was quick to add that all was contingent on their findings after this study. It would seem to me that the BLM went into this deal kickin’ and screamin’, heels dug down deep.

Senator Harry Reid has taken numerous meetings with Ms. Pickens and her associate, Jerry Reynoldson, a former aide to Reid, and thinks the plan has some merit and decided to move things along weighing in in Pickens corner. After accompanying Secretary of the Interior Department, Ken Salazar, to a Las Vegas media event to promote tourism, Senator Reid moved into action. A week later the BLM issued its release to move forward with the program to study and evaluate the Mustang Monument Eco-sanctuary’s sustainability.

The land that was purchased by Ms. Pickens has never been profitable and has remained unused by anyone for years. Much of the range has been ravaged by overgrazing cattle, not mustangs. Ms. Pickens has already invested millions on the ranch with the intention of growing alfalfa to feed the wild mustangs she will receive from the BLM. This is a substantial investment on her part and one we can unequivocally say she is not going to give up on. Ms. Pickens has the wherewithal, the connections and the compassion to get this done. I say we let her do it and be supportive.

And, last but not least, we should give credit where it is due, time will tell, but that would be to the BLM and the DOI for taking a step forward towards a harmonious and inspiring solution for our wild horses, who, like all of us, are waiting to exhale.

Pearl the Wonder Horse

By Victoria Nodiff-Netanel The word “cowgirl� can mean a lot of things. In my case it means equine artist, dressage rider, trail rider and old western movie lover. It also means volunteering with my miniature horse, Pearl the Wonder Horse, at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

I am a professional fine artist. My subjects have focused on horses and other animals my entire life. My canvases are as large as nine feet and as small as six by twelve inches. I work in all mediums on canvas and paper.

My work juxtaposes realism and abstraction but always the animals are the focus.

My father, Arnold, was an artist who at times painted racehorses and drove racing ponies for fun. He was a Marine Lieutenant in the Air Corps and flew in WWII at the Battle of Pelelui in the Pacific. Dad was also an Advertising Executive at Young and Rubicam in New York. My mother, Nan, was an actress and poet and my stepmother, Lynn, was a dressage rider from Britain and a super horsewoman. Life was filled with art, animals and a bit of craziness. You could say the artist/horse gene had been imbedded in me before birth.

As a child, I only had stuffed animals, no dolls. My live critters were a mouse named Mr. Beemish, a rabbit named Gorescki and a spider monkey named Horatio. One time my father came home with 22 finches because my mother said she liked birds. Another time he brought home an ocelot.

I grew up drawing animals all the time. At the age of ten I was already taking art lessons at the Milwaukee Art Institute. In high school, I attended painting and drawing classes at UCLA, and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts.

For many years, I was devoted to the sport of dressage and trained with the reknown dressage champion, Jan Ebeling. I had wonderful imported European horses and we danced our way to win several championships and innumerable blue ribbons.

My daughter Sophie and I use to visit the miniature horses at Quicksilver Ranch every time I had to take a horse to Alamo Pintado Horse Hospital in Santa Ynez. This was always the highlight of our trip and we would play with the foals and dream about one day bringing one home. When Sophie went off to Brown University I purchased Pearl from Quicksilver. This meant I could focus on my new foal and not our empty nest. At three weeks, Pearl was a confident, outgoing, sweet, perfectly proportioned fuzz ball. I had to have her so I purchased her at six months old and drove her home in my car.

Pearl is now four years old, 29 inches high and 140 pounds. She is a big, reckoning force in a small horse body. All of my past horse and animal experience is channeled into loving and training this tiny equine. She has a huge repertoire of tricks that includes playing a battery operated keyboard, standing up to “High Ho Silver�, smiling, circling, bowing, high stepping, pushing an exercise ball, giving a high five, and squeaking her rubber chicken.

Pearls outstanding personality and willingness to learn inspired me to look into Pet Therapy. This began a new journey and passion. The idea of being able to travel with my tiny horse in my car and go to facilities to help people was fantastic. For the past three years Pearl and I have been a registered Pet Partners Therapy Team making weekly visits to the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital. Pearl makes bedside visits with the patients where they have a chance to pet her and spend time chatting about horses or anything they feel like sharing. Of course, she performs her tricks as well. This improves their overall well being by helping them feel less depressed and less lonely. The visits also help to lower the patients’ blood pressure. We also visit the lockdown psychiatric wards, oncology clinics and the pathology department for the doctors and staff. Pearl is a magic horse. She lifts the spirits of everyone she comes in contact with including the doctors, nurses, staff and visitors.

Happily, I paint in my studio surrounded by my animal family, my seven dogs and mini horse Pearl. My Quarter Horse, Rita, remains in her corral because she can’t fit through the studio door or else she’d be in the studio with us!

Horses are the main fiber and inspiration of my life.

This cowgirl is all about creativity, compassion and critters.

Happy Trails! www.pearlthewonderhorse.com

www.thecloudfoundation.org

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

“WHEN I AM AN OLD HORSEWOMAN"

By Patty Barnhart When I am an old horsewoman I shall wear turquoise and diamonds, And a straw hat that doesn’t suit me And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots, And sit in my alleyway of my barn And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night And ride the old bay gelding, Across the moonstruck meadow If my old bones will allow And when people come to call, I will smile and nod As I walk past the gardens to the barn and show instead the flowers growing inside stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel And I will be an embarrassment to all Who will not yet have found the peace in being free to have a horse as a best friend A friend who waits at midnight hour With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For the kind of woman I will be When I am old Copyright 1992 Patty Barnhart

The “Freedom Collection” from

featuring the Wild Horse photography of Kimerlee Curyl Designed by Pamela Robbins

www.horseworship.com 888.60.HORSE

GOOD READS Reviewed by Carol Upton www.dreamsaloud.ca “Horse campers enjoy the role their horses play. The horse is not only a means of getting campers into the wilderness, but also a partner in an adventure. Part of the excitement is our awareness that the partnership of man and horse goes back to the earliest times” ~ George B. Hatley This practical guide is a “must read” if you are headed into the backcountry on horseback.

Hatley draws on his years of experience as a rancher/outfitter to cover everything you need to know, from trip planning to horse gear, safe camp set-up, and striking the next day. Getting into the wilderness on horseback promises an unparalleled adventure, one that folks in our hurry-up world often crave, but guidance and organization are needed to do it safely.

Hatley says that horses are capable of doing much more work than people realize. He believes that, properly conditioned and outfitted, both saddle and packhorses are capable of being used in either capacity. One chapter includes sections on horse disposition, size, trail training, common horse sense and rider conditioning.

Excellent and often dramatic photos by Lewis Portnoy draw the reader into planning their own wilderness adventure. This book is definitely the place to start.

George B. Hatley has a passion for both the Pacific Northwest’s Palouse country and the horses named for it. He is nicknamed “Mr. Appaloosa” and is a legend revered among Appaloosa enthusiasts. Now in his nineties, George has slowed down at last, but his sage advice endures.

NEW AGE DISAPPOINTMENT

by Jeff Hildebrandt

Long blond hair, black Western hat, tight leather pants. No ounce of fat.

High heeled boots, concho belt, imagine how he must have felt when she just stopped and looked around then asked if she could please sit down.

He tipped his hat and said, “you bet”.

She smiled and said “We haven’t met.

Hello, my name is Bambi, I’m a new-age kind of gal who’s looking for a partner, a buddy and a pal.”

Then she commenced to bare her soul.

He was picturing something else! http://cowboyupamerica.blogspot.com/

“SAVING AMER

Screened privately to a select industry audience to rave reviews on April 21 at the American High Definition Studios in Van Nuys.

“Saving Americas Horses”. This provocative and compelling docume Wines were sponsored by Rosenthal Estate Wines

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s and accolades. The guests attended the pre-screening reception . Hosted by Ady Gil, owner of AHD and Katia Louise, Director of entary was followed by a Q&A with Katia, networking and more wine! s and the hor d’ouvres were sponsored by M Café.

to all our sponsors, guests and supporters; Board Member for Saving America's Horses, d Member for Saving America's Horses, ne and “Saving Americas Horses” Ambassador, rney/ Animal Cruelty Cases, Sandra Dee n Certified, Sheri Pedigo: Singer, Jill Starr: nes: Actor, Stuntman, Machi Abe: Actress, Host - Voice America, Stephanie Zill: ica's Horses, Inge Halliday: Malibu Horses

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Embellished with sterling silver charms and end pieces, you will enjoy this special jewelry for years to come. Let us create a custom piece of jewelry for you or a gift for your friends. Order early for the holidays at

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Beautiful Hand crafted Old West styling scalloped Spur straps. Hand tooled Hermann Oak Bridle leather. Medium oiled for a rich Golden Honey color. Available in floral carving or basket stamping. Style SS709.

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from page 52 20A ~ RT Fitch

16A tCm: Where is the compassion for life, be it animals or humans?

RT: I often wonder myself. I think people are in such fear and stress about day to day life, keeping their homes, their jobs and their health, that they bury there heads in the sand to the bigger issues that are the very reason they are in fear and stress which are the very issues that our government has created and continues to create without regard for the American public.

17A tCm: Do you think we are approaching the “end of days” as evidence by the elimination of the last symbol of our freedom, the wild mustangs?

RT: I am of the opinion that the horses have an inherent, true spiritual nature. They are well aware of what’s happening to them and are using themselves as the sacrificial lamb in the hope that we will become more in tune with our heritage and spiritual light. Native Americans do dances prior to hunts and then another afterwards to thank the animals for feeding us their own flesh. If we head down the path we are heading right now, the horses are just one example of the end of life as we know it. If they die out, we are soon to follow.

18A tCm: How is it you’ve risen to the top as the prominent ‘voice for the horse’?

RT: Don’t really know. It was a position I willingly took on as this issue is one that is dear to my heart, my understanding of freedom and our constitutional rights. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good people out there who are strong voices and leaders in this battle. But I think that maybe I resonate the emotions, the anger, that most people are reluctant, or maybe afraid, to voice themselves.

19A RT:

tCm: Do you ever exhale?

Not on purpose. Terry and I attempt to grab a moment here and there. They are few and far between. But that’s okay.

20A tCm: When the time comes, how do you want your tombstone read?

RT: I’ve got to think about that and try not to cuss…

‘Beneath this stone lies a grizzled old Blogger who liked to brew his very own lager But sooner than later his last post was sent there ain't no ISP where he now has went’

www.speakingofhorses.com

WWW.KIPPYS.COM