2020 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition by Wyoming Livestock Roundup

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Rocky Mountain

HORSE EDITION

A publication of Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

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Western art

W y o m in g a r t is t d r a w s in s p ir a t io n f r o m t h e W e s t “At a young age, Wyoming just stuck with me and I’ve always loved the mountains. The mountains and the sky are so big, clear and crisp and they touched my soul.” – Julie Nighswonger

Watch’n and Wait’n, pencil on paper by Julie Nighswonger

Unlike artists who found their calling during childhood, Torrington Artist Julie Nighswonger didn’t begin painting until her forties when she took a community watercolor painting class with a friend. “Taking that class hooked me forever,” Julie says. “I began with watercolor and entered a small show in Torrington. The judge told me if I wanted to continue painting I should learn to draw and get into oil painting.” “Prior to art, I worked at a flower shop for a few years and then opened my own embroidery shop and did silk screening,” she says.

I Have Eyes for You, oil on panel by Julie Nighswonger 4

“I created my own embroidery designs and sold them out of a catalogue. I guess I have always been creative.” Julie notes she even sewed her own wedding dress and has made a number of bridesmaid dresses. Julie displays her art at a fine art gallery in Cheyenne and her paintings can also be purchased on her website. She also travels to a number of shows across the country. Inspiration Julie notes she grew up on a farm in Minnesota surrounded by animals. “We had a cousin who lived in Wyoming and we would always visit when I was young,” she explains. “At a young age, Wyoming just stuck with me and I’ve always loved the mountains. The mountains and the sky are so big, clear and crisp and they touched my soul.” “The summer of 1981 found me back in Wyoming working on a ranch in Jackson Hole,” she says. “I still reside in Wyoming with my husband Steve. We live in the small town of Torrington in the southeastern part of the state. Our three children have grown into wonderful adults and have started lives of their own.” “I grew up in a rural setting surrounded by my pets, our livestock, wildlife and the people that surround me. This connection continues to be alive with the scenery, livestock and cowboy lifestyle inspiring me daily,” she says. “I think that is what really inspires me. I love the West, I love the cowboy lifestyle and I love everything about living in Wyoming.” She continues, “I have lots of friends in my paintings and I travel a lot. I really love doing horses, I will be having a solo show in December that will be all horse paintings.” “I love animals and I feel like I understand them and see personality in each one,” she says. “When I go out to a field to take pictures, I usually know which ones I am going to paint by the emotions they emit.” In the case of the cover photo, titled Endearment, Julie notes

Early Morning Jingle, oil on panel by Julie Nighswonger Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

the scene caught her eye as she was out in the field taking photos to paint. “Painting is a language,” she notes in her biography. “My creative energies bring this language alive. My hope is to share the emotional response I have to my surroundings on canvas.”

She continues, “I speak the language of painting every day.” For more information or to purchase paintings, visit julienighswonger.com. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Painted Paint, oil on panel by Julie Nighswonger

Looking for You, oil on panel by Julie Nighswonger

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Wyoming Livestock Roundup (USPS # 005-774) is published weekly by Maverick Press, Inc. • P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Periodicals postage paid in Casper, WY Fax: 307-472-1781 • E-mail: roundup@wylr.net Phone: 307-234-2700 • 800-967-1647 • www.wylr.net DENNIS SUN, Publisher • Cell: 307-262-6132 • email: dennis@wylr.net CALLIE HANSON, Managing Editor • callie@wylr.net HANNAH BUGAS, Assistant Editor • hannah@wylr.net BEAU PITT, Production Coordinator • beau@wylr.net JODY MICHELENA, Advertising Director • jodym@wylr.net CURT COX, Director of Livestock Field Services • 307-630-4604 • curt@wylr.net CODY NEGRI, Livestock Field Services Representative • 208-697-1093 • cody@wylr.net ANDREA ZINK, Circulation/Accounting Manager • andrea@wylr.net DENISE OLSON, Classified Sales Manager • 307-685-8213 • denise@wylr.net

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Pain management

A c u p u n c t u r e c a n b e u s e f u l in t r e a t in g h o r s e s Some veterinarians use non-traditional techniques in treating animals, often combining these with traditional medicine. One of the most useful complementary modalities is acupuncture. Dr. Bruce Connally, an equine sports medicine veterinarian in Colorado, grew up in Wyoming and practiced for many years in Buffalo. He has been using acupuncture since 1999. Understanding acupuncture “I took a veterinary acupuncture course at Colorado State University. I use acupuncture for treating pain in many situations, but also as a diagnostic aid,” he explains. “There are acupuncture trigger points all over the horse’s body.” He continues, “The ones along the back and hips are fairly easy to figure out. There’s also a trigger point in the side of the neck that affects the stifle. It’s not quite so easy to understand, but I’ve seen it work.” “There is a trigger point in the shoulder and another in the girth area that have to do with front foot pain,” he says. “I am a trigger-point acupuncturist. I’m not a traditional acupuncturist.” “The Chinese focus doesn’t work that well for me, this is not my thing. So, I look for trigger points, especially the ones associated with pain. My main purpose in using acupuncture is to treat pain,” he says. “I don’t use acupuncture for treating liver dysfunction, constipation or the other things some veterinarians use it for,” Bruce says. “A book written by a medical doctor named Mark Seem talked about osteopathic acupuncture, or trigger point acupunc-

ture, and this book really hit home with me.” Bruce uses this technique in conjunction with some of the other things he is doing for the horse. Working with needles “Sometimes I use dry needles, and sometimes needles with electrical stimulation, using an electro-stimulator attached to the needles.” “The theory is we can create a micro-current at that spot to stimulate nerves,” Bruce explains. “When using the dry needle, I stick it through the skin and work it down into different areas.” Many of these points are tiny collections of nerves and blood vessels in one little spot. “If we put a dry acupuncture needle into one of these spots and move it up and down and wiggle it around, pecking at the tight spot, it’s amazing the horse doesn’t think it hurts,” Bruce explains. “I can work it around and the tightness will go away.” “These are very thin needles, much smaller than for giving injections, so they don’t stimulate much response,” Bruce explains. “Occasionally, however, a horse tries to kick. I had one patient that really hated acupuncture, but his owner liked me to work on that horse because afterward the horse would feel good.” “The dry needles, picking and pecking at the tight spot, provide some kind of release, probably by sending a signal up the nerve to the brain,” he says. “Endorphins are then released in the brain and that’s where the pain relief comes from.” “Then the horse feels good, some will actually stand there

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and go to sleep while I’m doing the acupuncture. I have actually gone to sleep when someone does acupuncture on me,” he explains. “For electrical stimulation I put the regular needles into the horse and stick little alligator clips on the needles and hook them to a small battery-operated hand-held box that creates a pulsing type of electricity, rather than steady current,” Bruce explains. “It sends pulses and then rests, more pulses and rest, which stimulates the nerve. “There is a slightly different version used in human medicine where they just stick patches on the skin hooked up to electrical stimulation rather than needles through the skin, to stimulate nerves on the back, for physical therapy. I use this method on horses’ backs because it seems to work very well,” says Bruce. He uses acupuncture methods mostly for sore backs and

sometimes for hamstring muscles. “Sore backs are often secondary to something else like sore hocks or front foot soreness. It is usually just treating a secondary symptom, some other problem that’s made the back sore. The pain relief helps the back, while we deal with the primary problem,” he explains. “I was not very good at recognizing and pinpointing back pain in horses until I started doing acupuncture,” Bruce admits. “It has changed my physical exam and helps me recognize and identify back pain and made me so much better at diagnosing it. “I probably missed a lot of things before I started using this tool,” he says. Heather Smith-Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Due to the economic impacts of Covid-19, especially within our agriculture community, this sale is taking a year oﬀ.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Cowboy silversmith

M o n t a n a n a t iv e c r e a t e s in t r ic a t e t a c k w it h f u n c t io n a lit y a t t h e f o r e f r o n t Artist – a word not often used to describe a man who tends to cattle from sunup to sundown. No, we don’t see many cowboys picking up a paint brush or spending hours each day in a recording studio. They simply don’t have time, with livestock to tend to and hay to cut. In this case, however, artist, seems to be the only word which can be used to describe someone like Lane Cremer. Make no mistake, the 27-year-old spends his days working on his family’s ranch in southcentral Montana, but after hours, he can be found in his shop, engraving a bit or hammering away on a set of spurs. Lane says he built his first set of spurs in 2012 in college while going through the horseshoeing program at Northwest College in Powell. He had to take a blacksmithing class and for the final project, students were told to build something, he chose to make spurs out of an old rasp. “They were pretty crude,” Lane says with a laugh. “I got them done and showed them to a few friends, that’s when a buddy of mine asked me to build him a set, so I did.” He continues, “Then another friend asked me to build him a set as well, then another, then another. Pretty soon, I had 10 or 15 people wanting a set of spurs.” Lane says he didn’t think anything of it at the time, he just thought it would be an easy way to make a little money in college. However, he says each pair of spurs kept getting better than the last. “I was enjoying seeing the progress I made. Somewhere during that time, I decided I would pursue bit and spur making,” Lane says. Expanding the craft After a few dozen sets of spurs, Lane decided to up his game. “I’ve always been fascinated with metal working in general. When I decided to actually pursue it, I wanted to make more than just spurs. I made my first 50 sets of spurs out of rasps, but frankly, I just

Knife making – This knife is a drop point Hunter with 300 layer random-pattern Damascus blade. Lane Cremer photo 10

got bored with making rasp spurs,” Lane continues. “I wanted to get into embellishing the spurs with silver and engraving. The spur making soon turned into bit making, which then turned into learning how to engrave and inlay silver.” Fast forward to present day, Lane is well versed in creating modern yet rugged pieces for cattlemen and women alike and is the owner of LC Bit and Spur. “I primarily build bits and spurs in the California style. Which usually involves more embellishment and more intricate work,” Lane explains. Lane notes he mainly works with wire inlays and high relief engraving. Whereas the old Garcia’s, or similar bits one might see, are made with inlay panels of silver on the cheeks and are primarily created by basic, bright-cut engraving. The style of inlaying and engraving Lane does is not traditional – he more-so follows the firearms engraving style. Although he’s got a handful of award-winning pieces to be proud of, Lane humbly admits he is still learning and always will be. “The more someone works at something, the better they’re going to get at it,” he says. “I’m semi-self-taught. I don’t know that there’s really such a thing as self-taught anymore, seeing all the resources on the internet, and I did take a couple of classes here and there on engraving and design – but pretty much everything I’ve learned is through trial and error.” “I would say there were a lot of errors in the beginning, but I still have errors every day,” Lane states. Knife making A great example of continuous learning is one of Lane’s newer ventures: knife making. “I just really enjoy working with metal, and I’m always wanting to try new things. Knife making was one of those things that I hadn’t tried yet,” Lane says. Lane adds he made a few knives about four years ago but strayed away from it. Within the past year, however, he’s gotten back to sharpening his blades and takes it more seriously than before. “Knife making is kind of an art form in-and-of-itself,” Lane says. “It’s different, but in the same wheelhouse of working with metal.” For his style, Lane focuses on building practical knives. “I just like to make good, solid using knives,” Lane says. “I make a lot of hunting knives; I’ve also become really intrigued by Damascus steel and making more and more Damascus blades. I’d really like to try to make a Damascus bit or set of spurs sometime as well.” Functionality is key Practicality and every day usage pieces seem to be a theme for Lane, as he said functionality is his number one priority in bit and spur making as well. “I’ve spent a fair amount of time talking about engraving and embellishments, and making things look ‘fancy.’ But if that set of spurs or that bit does not function properly then it’s not worth much to me or the customer for that matter,” he says. To offer some advice to fresh, just-starting-out silversmiths, Lane says to focus on the details. “If I could go back to the beginning, I’d tell my younger self to pay more attention to detail,” he says. “For one, an artist can never pay too much attention. If we don’t spend very much time on a piece, the finished piece is going to reflect that – it’s going to look like there wasn’t much time spent on it.” Another bit of advice he offers was to draw as often as possible. “Paper is cheap – draw, draw, draw. Silver, on the other hand, is Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

not cheap – don’t screw it up,” Lane says. In conclusion, Lane once again stresses the importance of functionality as his selling point. “I just want to continue building the most functional piece that will last. I want to see my bits in horses’ mouths and spurs on cowboys’ feet for 25 or 30 years after I’ve made that piece. I want that person to be just as satisfied then as the first day they got it,” he says. Although he humbly admitted he’s a regular man, toying around in his shop, Lane Cremer is, without a doubt, an artist. An artist who not only wants to wow his customers with the beauty of his pieces but give them something that could be used every day and passed down for generations. LC Bit and Spurs can be contacted via Facebook or on Instagram @lane_cremer to order LC bits, spurs, pieces of jewelry or knives. Mayzie Purviance is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Spur making – This is a set of Lane’s drop-shank spurs with fine silver inlay in a nitre blue finish. Lane Cremer photo

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Cowboy arts

P a u l V a n D y k e d is c u s s e s h o r s e t r a in in g a n d s a d d le m a k in g Sheridan horse trainer Paul Van Dyke is no stranger to the horse world. As a youth, he participated in 4-H horse events ranging from westernstyle riding to jumping. “I wanted to do absolutely everything one could possibly do on a horse,” he says. “I got started breaking colts because no one else wanted to do it.” Cowboy traditions “Here in northern Wyoming there is a long-standing tradition of high respect for guys that start colts,” Paul explains. “In the old days, the guy in charge of the rough string was always highly regarded by other cowboys on the ranch.”

Teaching students – Saddle maker Paul Van Dyke takes in a limited number of students to teach them the art of saddle making. Courtesy photo

He continues, “I spent a lot of time with old cowboys and they always told me the person starting colts was the top hand and I aspired to be just that. I started fooling around with colts as a teenager and people continued to send them to me.” “The longer I started colts, the more refined my process became,” he says. “I started studying and talking to people who had been doing it for a long time. I hung around people who were better than me.” Paul notes there is a high-demand for polo horses in the Sheridan area. In addition to western horses, he also has many clients send him polo horses. “Most polo horses have more of a Thoroughbred style,” he says. “People in the area started sending me those horses and that’s when things really took off for me.” “In my late 20s I started traveling,” he notes. “I have had the good fortune to travel across the country and start horses. It was so beneficial for me to leave my local area and see how people in different parts of the country and different disciplines ride and train their horses,” he says. “I have had the opportunity to do some clinics on general horsemanship and colt starting, but my mainstay has and always will be local people and horses.” Training versatile horses Paul notes his personal hobby is reined cow horse. “My ideal horse would be something that is fantastic outside and just a true ranch horse that can work all day long,” he explains. “They should be able to tie off, load trucks and drag cattle, all the while still being refined and classically soft.” He continues, “They should be able to be gritty and able to work but also go in the show pen with ease in the cutting, fence work and reining maneuvers.” “That is my ideal animal,” he says. “They are hard to find and hard to make and that’s part of the beauty of it.” “Years ago, people understood training horses was an art and we were creating something to be valued and not just a tool,” he says. “There was a real aesthetic value to the whole thing.” Paul notes when he has a new customer, he always starts by asking them what their end game is and what they want to do in the long run with their horse. “I like to get my customers’ perspective before anything else,” he says. “That allows me to get the horse prepped for whatever event the customer wants to do, whether it be something really intense like threeday eventing or a sweet older lady who wants a pretty horse to look at and occasionally trail ride.”

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Saddle making In addition to his long history of horse training, Paul has been involved with saddle making since he had his first apprenticeship at 16 years old. “I apprenticed for a couple years and then I took my second apprenticeship with Don Butler and worked with him over the course of about seven years,” Paul says. He notes during this time, he was still training horses and working miscellaneous ranch jobs. “During my second apprenticeship, I got a good dose of the business, even though I wasn’t really doing it full time,” he says. “In 2004, I started my own deal. The idea at first was to make saddles full time, but times have changed.” “Things are different these days, and not always in a bad way but the kinds of people who buy custom saddles aren’t wearing them out and needing new ones over time,” he says. “The market has shifted and

the introduction of social media has shifted the business dramatically from when I first got started.” “Before the internet, a saddle maker’s universe was very local and, in that respect, things have shifted for the better. But as a whole, doing the saddle thing full time isn’t plausible these days,” he explains. Paul notes his 10-year average for saddles is 17 per year, but he is now closer to about 13 saddles per year. “I do a lot of different types of saddles, sometimes it seems like we get a run of roughout and it feels like it never ends and other times I may do corner flowers for what seems like forever,” he says. “I used to make all kinds of tack back in the day, but I have really gotten away from doing that. It was a great training ground but I hardly build anything but a saddle these days.” Visit vandykesaddlery.com for more information. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Teaching trades

W y o m in g S c h o o l o f H o r s e s h o e in g p r e p a r e s s t u d e n t s f o r f a r r ie r c a r e e r Located on the Wyoming/Colorado border, the Wyoming School of Horseshoeing (WSOH) is located on the historic Terry Bison Ranch and aims to prepare students for careers as a farrier. “Our overall goal is to provide well educated professionals who have the knowledge and skills to work on horses and enter the market competitively,” says Marketing and Special Promotions Director Amy Hoskins. Amy also oversees the administration of WSOH. “This school is special,” she says. “People could go to a community college and do classwork and labs, but WSOH allows students to complete their program on a working ranch with a rich history.” The Terry Bison Ranch was originally home to the first governor of Wyoming and students stay in a bunkhouse built in 1937 and used by the cowboys employed by the ranch. “CEO Dan Thiel really has a vision for the entirety of Terry Bison Ranch and the horseshoeing school is one way he can give back to the community,” says Amy. “The school was started in 2016 to provide an avenue for interested students to learn the correct way of shoeing a horse and honing their skills as a farrier.” The school welcomes students from all over the world, with some coming from as far as Canada and the East Coast, with an average of 50 students per year. “We have all ages, but students have to be 18 to attend,” says Amy. “Some students are kids who grew up on ranches and want to start a career and others are older and looking to shoe as more of a hobby. We really have a large variety.”

Courses Amy notes students can choose between a two-, four- or eight-week course, with the eight-week course being the most comprehensive. “The main goal of the school is to teach students how to properly shoe and trim horses,” says Amy. “While they will learn the basics of forging, we really focus on the shoeing and trimming aspects of being a farrier.” According to WSOH, the two-week course is an entry-level class. “The classroom portion of this introductory course focuses on the basic anatomy of bones, tendons and ligaments of the leg,” says WSOH. “Students will also explore some common diseases and lameness of the leg and proper methods of treatment.” WSOH continues, “The horse work and forging portion of this course will focus on the basics of safely trimming hooves and nailing a shoe on the foot. Students learn proper body positioning under the horse, functional use of tools while under the horse and basic horsemanship skills related to body language and approach.” “The forging portion includes a background in differences and applications of shoes, sizes and nails,” says WSOH. “Students also learn basic shoe shaping techniques while using the forge to better match a shoe to the hoof.” Amy notes most of the students who choose the two-week course do so to tune up their skills to work on their own horses, though they don’t recommend graduates of this course work on others’ horses. WSOH describes the four-week course as intermediate and ideal for students looking for a deeper understanding of horseshoeing and

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working as a farrier. The classroom aspect of this course continues with bone anatomy and function, tendon and ligament purpose, and a more in depth look at pathology of injuries and diseases of the horse. “The horse and forging portion of this course includes the basics of making a standard shoe from scratch, practice of simple shoe modifications using the forge and proper applications of these modifications to hooves,” says WSOH. “Students also gain valuable time building confidence and ability while under the horse.” WSOH continues, “Graduates from our intermediate course will leave with a well-rounded knowledge of the functioning leg of the horse, awareness of common lameness and diseases and the ability to modify shoes at a worksite therefore becoming more marketable to clients.” According to Amy, the most comprehensive of the three courses is the eight-week course. “This is our ‘pro-class’ course and is the highest level offered at the school,” WSOH boasts. “In the classroom, students will examine the detailed hoof structure, aspects of blood circulation and a thorough analysis of conformation and gaits of horses.” They continue, “There will also be further exploration of disease of the horse, and tendencies that cause lameness with relation to conformation and gaits.” “Horse and forging aspects of this course involves the most time under the horse while continuing to build confidence and ability - the place a farrier spends the most time,” says WSOH. “This is a complete blend of basic fundamentals of trimming, to the professional adaptation of properly shoeing each individual horse. In front of the forge, students continue to learn more shoe modifications and begin to refine their abilities of making shoes by hand.” Amy notes students who are using the GI bill through the U.S. military may apply the bill to cover the costs of the eight-week course. Students can also utilize funds associated with the Workforce Inno-

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

vation and Opportunity Act through the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Amy notes they recommend students pursue an apprenticeship following completion of their program to fine-tune their skills. “Even if the student is from farther away, we put out feelers to assist them in finding an apprenticeship if they so desire,” she says. “We don’t like to fail people.” For more information, visit wyomingschoolofhorseshoeing.com. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Hands on – Students at the Wyoming School of Horseshoeing get plenty of time under the horse to hone their farrier skills. Courtesy photo

Bucking horses

B H B A s im u lta n e o u s ly p ro m o te s in d u s t r y a n d p r o v id e s r e fu g e fo r v ic t im s o f tra ffi c k in g “In 2016, we saw a need to add value to an already valuable industry by having the ability to prove pedigrees of bucking horses,” says Steve Stone, co-owner with Kenny Andrews of the Bucking Horse Breeders Association (BHBA). “Our mission is to record and preserve the pedigrees of the world’s premier bucking horse, while maintaining the integrity and enhancing the value of the breed as well as generating and promoting interest and growth in the bucking horse industry and partnering with organizations, events and associations to help develop programs and incentives to educate members and the general public,” Steve explains. “We try to generate and promote interest through registered horse ownership, membership, education, sponsorship and involvement,” he adds. Promoting interest in the industry One of the ways Steve and Kenny are trying to promote the bucking horse industry is through an event they recently started called the Super Stakes Futurity. “A horse that has bucked in the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas in December, is considered ‘accredited’ and a gold seal is placed on their papers,” Steve explains. “If a horse has produced offspring that bucked in the NFR, they are also considered ‘accredited’ and a silver seal is placed on their papers.” He continues, “All of this is proven. Everything we do is 100 percent DNA certified.” Steve explains for the Super Stakes Futurity, they hold an online sale featuring two-year-old colts with an “accredited” parent. “When a buyer buys a colt, they are immediately entered into a dummy futurity, which is limited only to the colts sold in the sale, and the person who sold the colt pays the entry fee,” Steve says. “The buyers have those colts for a year, and then they come buck them at the

Strong bonds – Steve and Kenny create strong bonds with the children while visiting schools in Belize. “We thought we were there to bless them, little did we know these little angels were the ones blessing us,” Jamie says. Courtesy photo 18

New hope – Steve and Kenny stand on the property they purchased in Belize where they are currently constructing a safe house for girls rescued out of human trafficking. Courtesy photo

futurity.” Steve notes the BHBA held their first annual Super Stakes Futurity at the New Year’s Eve Buck and Ball in Gillette this year, where they bucked the colts sold in the sale for six seconds. Over $20,000 was given away to winners. “We do it to give people who don’t normally have the opportunity a way to buy top-of-the-line genetics like that through a sale,” Steve states. He also points out they will be holding the Super Stakes Futurity again this year. “We already had our online sale in February and we will be bucking the colts in December at the New Year’s Eve Buck & Ball in Gillette,” Steve says. BHBA membership One of the preeminent goals of the BHBA is to provide papers to breeders for their bucking horses, after performing a DNA test. “Our members send in DNA of their horses, usually mane or tail hair, and the BHBA sends it to a lab at UC Davis for the DNA work,” Steve explains. “The test tells us the sire and dam of each horse,” he adds. “A lot of bucking horses are bred in the pasture so it’s hard to know for sure who the parents are, and it’s easy to get this kind of information mixed up. But the lab is able to determine the sire and dam and we issue papers on those horses.”

Graduating class – Steve and Jamie provide sewing machines to each graduate, providing them with the independence they need to be able to earn a living following graduation. Courtesy photo Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Steve also notes members have a username and password for the BHBA website, which gives them access to every registered bucking horse in the BHBA database. “Our membership isn’t made up of just stock contractors, although there are a lot of contractors in the BHBA,” Steve explains. “However, anyone who raises bucking horses, even if they aren’t a contractor, can become a member of the association.” Freedom Foundation In addition to their work with registered bucking horses, the BHBA has also started a 501©3 nonprofit known as the Freedom Foundation. “This is something my wife, Jamie, and I have been involved in for many years, but we wanted to introduce it to the rodeo world,” says Steve. “The Freedom Foundation is dedicated to rescuing girls and women who have been involved in sex trafficking.” “We do a lot of work in Belize, which is a hotbed for human trafficking. We bought some land in Belize and are in the process of building safe houses,” he adds. Steve notes this safe house also has a pregnancy center where they help young girls through a pregnancy and take care of their babies. “When we started this work, we didn’t have a place for the girls to stay, but now we will have the safe houses,” Steve points out. “We already have girls waiting for it to be finished. It’s going to be full as soon as it opens.” Although rescuing girls out of sex trafficking is Steve and Jamie’s main mission, they don’t just limit themselves to that. They also provide assistance to other people who need refuge. “We had the opportunity to speak at the Legacy of the West Gala during the NFR the past two years, which is where a lot of our funding comes from,” Steve notes. “A lot of our money comes from cowboys and cowgirls in the rodeo world. They are helping us rescue these girls.”

For more information, visit buckinghorsebreeders.com. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Super Stakes winner – Steve and Kenny award Russ Kling a cash prize and custom firearms after winning the 2019 BHBA Super Stakes Futurity with his colt Lucky 7. Courtesy photo

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Cowgirl traditions

A r t o f t h e C o w g ir l h ig h lig h t s t a le n t s o f w o m e n a c r o s s t h e W e s t Following time spent on the road at horse clinics and formal training as a bootmaker, Art of the Cowgirl Founder Tammy Pate was ready to give back to the community that have given so much to her. “I wanted to give back to the community and really support makers of western art, specifically female makers,” Tammy explains. “We came up with the idea of a horse expo and art show featuring women makers.” “In addition, I knew I wanted to look into fellowships for western arts,” she says. “I know college isn’t for everyone and trades are so important. If we don’t pass down these trades, they’re going to be lost.” She continues, “I wanted to give people an avenue to find fellowship and pay the expenses for someone to learn a trade and work with a seasoned professional. This could be anything from saddle making to painting or silver work.” Tammy was tasked with finding a way to fund this fellowship and showcase other women in the industry such as clinicians and artists. In 2019, Art of the Cowgirl was born. World’s Greatest Horsewoman Tammy notes 2020 was the first year for the World’s Greatest

Horsewoman event held at the Corona Ranch in Phoenix. “This was an opportunity to show off women makers, artists and horsewomen who may not get much exposure otherwise,” she notes. “There are so many great horsewomen on ranches across the country and there aren’t very many female clinicians. We wanted to inspire and provide the opportunity for these women to teach and become clinicians themselves.” Tammy’s daughter, Mesa, produces the World’s Greatest Horsewomen, presented by Western Horseman, as well as the Clark Butte All Women’s Ranch Rodeo and Elite Women’s Ranch Horse Sale which averaged over $17,000 in 2020. “All the horses in the sale are trained and owned by women and it was huge this year,” she exclaims. “We wanted to share these women’s stories so we made some videos on them doing day work and showing outside. These horses can go from the pasture to cow horse shows.” The World’s Greatest Horsewoman event, presented by Western Horseman, also partners with the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) and the winner of the event will be awarded a spot to compete at the NRCHA World’s Greatest Horsemen.

Sliding stop – Riders in the World’s Greatest Horsewoman event competed in reining, which includes demonstrating a sliding stop. Impulse photography

Silver work – The trade show included a number of artisans including silversmiths. Impulse photography

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“Preliminaries were held prior to the main event at Corona Ranch,” Tammy explains. “The competition featured all four cow horse events including reining, cow work, herd work and steer stopping.” Tammy notes the 2020 event was held in a Mexican-style lienzo arena, which is round and about 120 feet across, in 2021 the event will be held in a larger, more traditional-style arena. “We modified the event so the top 10 come back and compete in a single event where they do a reining pattern, work a cow and rope,” she says She continued, “This event was awesome, the stands were packed and the energy was outstanding.” In addition to the main event, there was also an all-girl ranch rodeo, many of the contestants in the ranch rodeo were cross entered into other competitions. “The top four ranch rodeo teams got to come back to the finals,” she says. “Proceeds from the calcutta fund the fellowships and help get the audience involved as ranchers could buy teams.” “Overall the event allows women to really show off their horsemanship skills and it gives gals who can’t go out and show all the time a chance to shine,” Tammy says. The event also features a trade show of invited western artists. Artists will do demonstrations to show the functionality of their work and discuss what inspires them. “These are the artists that teach the fellowships,” Tammy explains. “They also donate pieces for an auction that further funds our fellowship program.” Moving forward Tammy notes the event will be a little different in 2021, with all preliminary and final events being held Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre in Scottsdale, Ariz. Jan. 13-17, 2021. “Art of the Cowgirl is all about quality and we plan to keep our trade show small and intimate,” she says. “Everyone has to apply to be

a part of the program and we want a variety of arts, not just a bunch of vendors showcasing the same things.” “We also want to keep the horse sale small, it has never been big but there has always been really high-quality horses to purchase,” she says. Tammy notes attendance doubled in 2020 and they hope to continue the trend in 2021. “Our goal is to continue growing but remain true to our mission,” she says. “We want to keep the integrity of Art of the Cowgirl, bigger isn’t always better.” “This event is a very unique and positive event that gets people together to really celebrate and lift one another up,” she says. “Art of the Cowgirl aims to honor women in western culture above all else.” For more information or to purchase tickets for 2021, visit artofthecowgirl.com. Callie Hanson is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Diverse art – In addition to purchasing art, trade show attendees could also watch demonstrations by professionals. McFarland Productions photo

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Reproductive technology

E m b r y o t r a n s f e r t e c h n o lo g y o ff e r s b e n e fi t s t o e q u in e in d u s t r y “Embryo transfer is quite common in the equine industry and has been for the last 20 plus years. It is really a routine procedure now,” states Dr. Patrick McCue, Professor of Equine Reproduction at Colorado State University. In fact, Patrick notes the first successful embryo transfer (ET) in horses was reported in the early 1970s, following the first successful ET in rabbits in 1890, rats and mice in 1930 and cattle, sheep and pigs in the 1950s. “Since the first foal produced by ET was born in 1974, there has been a tremendous amount of basic and applied research performed which has allowed ET to become a relatively routine procedure in equine reproduction,” he says. Equine ET “ET involves the removal of an embryo from the uterus of one mare, and the transfer of that embryo into the uterus of another mare,” Patrick explains. “The best embryo donors are mature, reproductively healthy mares.” He continues, “Optimal breeding management of the donor mare and attention to detail prior to and after breeding is essential for embryo collection success.” Patrick notes mares are monitored via palpation and ultrasonography to determine the exact day of ovulation and optimal day of breeding. “They are then bred with fresh, cooled or frozen semen and ovulation is confirmed,” Patrick says. “Seven or eight days after ovulation, the uterus is flushed and hopefully an embryo is recovered.”

“A sterile catheter is inserted through the cervix and the uterus is filled with embryo flush media. The media is then allowed to flow back out through the catheter and it is passed through an embryo filter,” he explains “Contents of the filter are poured into a search dish and examined for the presence of an embryo.” He further explains embryos are recovered around 50 to 70 percent of the time and embryos collected on day seven or day eight are generally less than one millimeter in diameter. “In horses, unlike cattle, we do not have the ability to induce multiple ovulations so superovulation is not currently possible with ET in the horse,” Patrick explains. “Therefore, we are looking for only one or two embryos on each estrus cycle in mares.” “Recovered embryos are washed and maintained in a holding media until transferred into a recipient mare,” he says. He continues, “The embryo is then transferred non-surgically into a synchronized recipient mare, typically a mare who has ovulated one or two days after the donor mare.” Patrick notes 70 to 90 percent of recipient mares become pregnant. Differences and downfalls “The technique is generally similar between horses and cattle,” Patrick notes. “In both species, embryos are flushed from the uterus, and the embryo is then transferred to a recipient, which needs to ovulate close to the same time as the donor mare or cow.” However, Patrick explains there are some differences when performing ET in horses. “The largest issue with ET technology in horses is the fact that

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horses don’t have the ability to superovulate,” he notes. “It is a standard practice in cattle, which allows an opportunity to flush multiple embryos, but we can’t do that with horses.” “ET is a common, clinical practice in the equine industry today, so most of the challenges with ET have been worked out over the past two or three decades,” Patrick states. Despite this, Patrick says the technology still possesses the same potential pitfalls as breeding a mare to carry a foal. “As mares age, their fertility declines,” he explains. “There might also be some issues with ovulation failure in the mare or other reproductive issues that occur in horses.” “Challenges with stallions might also be the same, such as getting quality semen at the correct time,” he adds. “Whether it is artificial insemination, ET or other reproductive technologies, a lot of the reproductive challenges are the same in mares as they are if a mare was bred to carry her own foal,” Patrick

continues.

Benefits of equine ET As for the benefits of utilizing ET technology in horses, McCue says there are several. “ET allows a donor mare to continue to be a performance horse, meaning she can stay in training, go to shows and still be able to have a foal, which is carried by a recipient mare,” he says. “With ET, there is also the possibility to have more than one foal per mare in a given year.” “Another benefit of ET in horses, which is possible only through this technology, is that some mares with challenging medical conditions who should not be allowed to carry their own foal, can have a younger, healthier mare carry the baby for her to protect the health of the donor mare,” McCue explains. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Custom leather

J im B r a in a r d s p e n d s lif e p e r f e c t in g t h e a r t o f le a t h e r c r a f t Jim Brainard has spent the large majority of his life bent over a work bench, mallet and stamp in hand, tooling and crafting leather into fine goods and beautiful pairs of boots. In fact, Jim says he became interested in the art of leather craft at just 10 years old. Today, Jim owns and operates JB Custom Leather in Parker, Colo., and throughout the last decade he has turned his leather craft skills into an esteemed custom boot making business. The beginning “I became interested in leather work at the age of 10, which is a pretty natural hobby to pick up for those in the horse and rodeo industry,” Jim says. “I learned to tool leather goods, rodeo chaps and belts.” After turning 14, Jim notes he became an apprentice for a third generation boot and saddle repairman. “I spent five years there, 1974 to 1979, learning the tricks of the trade in repairing saddles and tack,” he says. “Then in 1979, I bought the place from him and operated it myself until 2000.” “In 2000, I brought in a partner and we grew into a few big stores,” Jim recalls. “We outgrew ourselves, so I sold out my storefront business and started a new one at home – JB Custom Leather.” A new adventure Jim notes in JB Custom Leather’s early years he was crafting leather goods and repairing saddles and tack, and while he was enjoying putting his life-long skills to use, he decided to take on a new adventure. “About 11 years ago, I went back to my mentor to learn how to make western boots,” Jim says. “And for the last 10 years, I have been focused on and passionate about developing and growing into a custom-made boots business.” “Boot making is my passion. I have made so many leather goods, belts, wallets, chaps, etc. But I have always found it more interesting to make custom boots,” he states. However, Jim notes this doesn’t mean he has stopped creating leather goods and repairing horse tack. “I live in a big horse community, so I still have people from all over the world bringing me saddles and tack they need repaired,” he states. Yet, Jim says he has found his passion in custom boot making and doesn’t see himself moving on to any other new adventures in the future. “I have been at this long enough in life, I don’t want to go after anything new,” Jim states. “Custom boot making has been the most challenging venture I have taken on in my life because it requires both artistic awareness and physical labor. It is what I am passionate about and what I want to continue doing.” Custom leather boots When it comes to creating custom leather boots, Jim notes there are three styles – traditional western-style cowboy boots, roper-style cowboy boots and lace-up-style cowboy boots. “I use variety of domestic leather like cow and steer hides, goat skins, pig skins and exotic leather of all kinds, including ostrich, alligator and kangaroo, basically anything that can be made into a leather boot and be durable,” he explains. Among all the different kinds of leather, Jim notes alligator is his favorite, and the one he uses most. 30

As far as creating a custom-made pair of boots, Jim says it is all up to his clients. “I make my boots for my clients so I try to give them whatever they are looking for,” he explains. “Some of them are hunters and trappers who have tanned hides and skins, and some are just looking for something different and unique.” With a variety of options, different and unique is not hard to come by in Jim’s shop. In fact, he notes he can create boots with any variety of skin, color combination, toe shape, heel height, overlays, inlays, letters, logos and patterns. “When a client and I have our initial contact, we talk about what they want and what the cost is going to be, because custom-made boots are pretty costly,” he says. “We then have a consultation and I do some measuring.” Jim points out his measuring process is very extensive because the measurements he takes at the time are ultimately translated into the overall fit of the boot. “The measurements translate into the shape and form of the boot, the toe shape and the heel height,” he says. After this, Jim explains he will spend time with his client looking at different boots, and then they will sit down and draft out every detail from the shape of the pattern, the cut of top, the color of leather and the color of thread. “On average, the initial process averages an hour and a half,” he notes. “Because it takes time to make a custom pair of boots, it usually takes me a few months before I can get to the particular person’s order. Then once I’ve finished, they come back in to see me and actually try the boots on their feet.” Always learning Despite the fact Jim has been making custom leather boots for a decade now, and working with leather even longer than that, he believes he still has a lot to learn about the trade. “I still have so much to learn about it,” he states. “It’s just part of the trade. I would never be able to live long enough to learn everything there is to know about leather crafting.” This is why networking is such an important concept for Jim. “One of the most important things to me at this point in my career are the trade shows I attend,” Jim says. “I go to two shows annually, both of which showcase leather craft and boot making.” Jim notes these two trade shows are The Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show in Sheridan and the Boot and Saddlemaker’s Trade Show in Wichita Falls, Texas. “Of course, there is some competition that comes with these shows. I have the opportunity to enter contests at these shows that are judged and critiqued by my peers,” he explains. “I like the competition because it really helps me learn and grow as a leather maker.” “But the other part of these shows that I think is even more important is the networking,” Jim continues. “These shows get a bunch of leather makers together in one place to share concepts, skills and techniques. I am always learning.” For more information on JB Custom Leather or to get in touch with Jim Brainard, visit jbcustomleather.com or call 303-946-4930. Hannah Bugas is the assistant editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net. Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup â&#x20AC;˘ 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Rocky Mountain Horse Edition D ir e c t o r y

AQHA Region 2............................................................................................Page 7 AmericInn by Wyndham............................................................................Page 29 Angel Quarter Horses................................................................................Page 19 Barnyards & Backyards..............................................................................Page 34 Blevins Manufacturing Company Inc. ��Page 15 Carl’s Trailer Sales........................................................................................Page 3 Chase Brothers............................................................................................Page 8 Clark & Associates Land Brokers ��Page 7 Covolo Auto-Farm Service.........................................................................Page 31 Cowboy Cordage.......................................................................................Page 28 Don King Days.............................................................................................Page 6 Donley Rawhide..........................................................................................Page 9 Farm Credit Services of America ��Page 27 Frannie Tack Shop.......................................................................................Page 6 Ft. Fetterman Remount Invitational Horse Sale ��Page 9 Grazing Bit Performance Horses ��Page 27 Hayburner Tack and Leather......................................................................Page 12 Heartland Kubota, LLC...............................................................................Page 27 Hells Canyon Mule Days............................................................................Page 20 KJ’s Boots & Western Wear........................................................................Page 30 KR Rauch Company...................................................................................Page 14 Laramie Jubilee Days...................................................................................Page 6 Martin-Trudeau Insurance.........................................................................Page 11 Martindale’s Western Store.......................................................................Page 21 Montana Seeds.........................................................................................Page 22 Morton Buildings......................................................................................Page 29 Noland Feed..............................................................................................Page 21 Oteco Manufacturing................................................................................Page 16 Pawnee Buttes Seed Inc............................................................................Page 30 Plain Jan’s.................................................................................................Page 12 Premier Bone & Joint Centers....................................................................Page 21 Proffit Ranch Quarter Horses.................................................................Back Cover

Ranchers Livestock Equipment ��Page 33 Red Bluff Buckles.......................................................................Inside Front Cover Reindl Quarter Horses...............................................................................Page 20 Rodeo West...............................................................................................Page 16 Scenic View Harness & Tack.......................................................................Page 13 Sheridan College.........................................................................................Page 5 Shippen, Grant..........................................................................................Page 27 Silver State International Rodeo ��Page 26 Spirit Wind Arabians (Wetzel)...................................................................Page 13 Swan Land Company.................................................................. Inside Back Cover The Wrangler Horse and Rodeo News ��Page 25 Total Feeds................................................................................................Page 14 Turner Performance Horses.......................................................................Page 28 University of Wyoming College of Ag ��Page 17 University of Wyoming Extension ��Page 9 University of Wyoming Extension ��Page 11 University of Wyoming Extension ��Page 13 Van Norman and Friends Production Sale ��Page 20 Vap Construction Inc.................................................................................Page 19 Working Ranch Cowboys Association ��Page 32 Wedge-Loc................................................................................................Page 11 Western Land Sales...................................................................................Page 28 Western Skies Gypsy Horses......................................................................Page 24 Wyoming Livestock Roundup......................................................................Page 5 Wyoming Sauce Company.........................................................................Page 26 Wyoming State Fair...................................................................................Page 23 Wyoming State Fair Stock Horse Show ��Page 7 YZ Quarter Horses.....................................................................................Page 15

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Ranchers Feed & Supply in Lusk 307-334-3807 Ranchers Feed & Supply in New Castle 307-746-3111

All Ranchers products are “Built Stronger to Last Longer!” Horse Basket Feeder This is the ultimate horse feeder. It saves hay and handles the big round bales being dropped in. We have had customers say the hay savings pays for feeder within a year or two. You can also use it for horned bulls and catttle Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Cattle Rubs with Mineral Barrel Holders

rancherslivestockequipment.com 33

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup â&#x20AC;˘ 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

Genuine. Devoted. Proven.

TOMAHAWK RANCH | DOUGLAS, WY Investment-Grade Cattle Production & Recreational Ranch Tomahawk Ranch is a reputation cattle ranch located along La Prele Creek just 11 miles southwest of Douglas, Wyoming. Carrying capacity is owner rated at 800 cows, plus replacement heifers, bulls and saddle horses running on nearly 17,460± total acres, of which 14,125± acres are deeded. The balance of native pastures and irrigated land facilitates a consistent year-round agricultural operation producing 1,700± tons of hay annually. Excellent wildlife habitat consisting of rolling hills, deep draws, rock outcroppings, native grasslands and excellent cover along La Prele Creek consistently produces trophy elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope, upland birds and fishing opportunities. Access via paved Wyoming Highway 91 provides year-around convenience to Douglas, Wyoming, and Casper is less than an hour drive via Interstate 25. This is a generational opportunity to acquire an investment-grade working and recreational ranch. Offered at $14,250,000

BOZEMAN, MONTANA | SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH | BUFFALO & SARATOGA, WYOMING SWANLANDCO.COM | INFO@SWANLANDCO.COM | 866.999.7342

Rocky Mountain Horse Edition 2020 - WY Livestock Roundup Pub..indd 1

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup â&#x20AC;¢ 2020-2021 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition