2023 Rocky Mountain Horse Edition

HORSE EDITION Rocky Mountain

Preserving a Culture

Wyoming watercolorist finds passion in preserving and representing today’s Western way of life

Liberty Proffit Day, a part-time ranch hand, part-time watercolor artist, part-time school district faculty member and full-time mother, truly embodies what it means to be a woman in agriculture.

As if leading this busy lifestyle wasn’t enough, Liberty also dedicates every brush stroke she makes to preserving the Western culture she is so fond of and providing representation to a group of people who are not always accurately depicted.

A lifelong passion

Liberty’s love for creating art started at a very young age. She fondly remembers drawing on anything that could serve as a canvas for a little girl’s masterpiece.

“I have always loved to draw, and my parents were incredible in the way they supported me,” she says. “My mom would actually bring home scrap paper from work because I ran out of paper a lot. I drew on everything, and at one point, she even had to tell me to stop drawing on the toilet paper.”

She continues, “My dad would bring home magazines like Western Horseman, point out the artists and tell me it was something I could do.”

As she grew older, Liberty continued to pursue her passion, enrolling in art class throughout junior high and high school, where, she notes, she was often criticized for lacking skills in certain areas.

“It always mad me so mad, but it pushed me to be better,” she states.

Liberty graduated from high school believing she would never do anything with art because she didn’t think there were opportunities to pursue it. She attended college at the University of Wyoming, where she originally set out to obtain a degree in agriculture.

Following the suggestion of her advisors to keep an open mind

and take classes outside of her major, Liberty started sneaking art classes into her course schedule, only to find they were her favorite.

“By the time I graduated, I had changed my major to a Bachelor of Fine Art with so many minors it would probably make my advisors cry,” she laughs.

Preservation and representation

Following graduation, Liberty was still unsure of what possibilities and opportunities lay ahead of a young artist.

“I didn’t really know what to do with art or where to go with it until I came home,” she explains. “I noticed a lot of big, historic ranches that had been around for generations were selling out and disappearing overnight, and it broke my heart.”

“All of the sudden, I found my passion – preserving this way of life,” she states. “I do not want this culture to disappear.”

Liberty continues, “For the most part, this culture – real agriculture, not just what people think of based on paintings from 100 years ago – is very quiet. We are not making headlines or sticking out. We would rather be left alone to do our thing.”

In fact, she notes most of the people she knows who ranch and farm want to live their lives in peace while simply taking care of

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Ranch raised – Liberty Proffit Day is a part-time ranch hand, part-time watercolor artist, part-time school district faculty member and full-time mother. She still resides on the family ranch where she grew up, just outside of Evanston. Courtesy photo. Cover art titled Reflections by Liberty Proffit Day

their animals and trying to make a living for their families.

“They usually don’t want to speak out and advocate, which is causing problems because it puts people who are speaking the loudest in the forefront and pushing everyday people who ranch and farm to the rear,” she adds. “Therefore, a lot of times, people get the wrong idea about ranchers and farmers and what they are truly doing. They get painted in a bad light.”

In an effort to provide a voice to agriculture and preserve today’s Western culture, Liberty began to paint – literally – ranchers and farmers in the positive light they deserve.

Additionally, she places a focus on depicting actual women in agriculture, a group of people she feels has been seriously underrepresented.

“When I was looking through Western art magazines as a little girl, I noticed a lot of pictures of cowboys working but never very many women,” she states. “In fact, the only time I saw a cowgirl, she was lying in a bath tub in the middle of day.”

“I thought to myself, ‘I don’t know who this lady is but I guarantee she has never worked in those boots – they are way too big. Why is her hat on backwards? It’s the middle of the day and she’s not getting her work done,’” Liberty laughs. “The whole thing just didn’t make sense.”

Liberty notes she pointed this out to her dad and he responded, “If there are no paintings of the women you know – working women – you’re going to have to grow up and paint them then.”

Which is exactly what Liberty has done. In fact, many of her paintings are referenced from candid photographs of women hard at work in her own family and neighboring ranches.

“The women I knew were covered in blood, sweat and dirt and were always hard at work. I didn’t see them represented, so I started painting as many as I could,” she states. “Although there are more artists representing women in agriculture today, I am still trying to paint as many as I can because they don’t seem to be represented in the Western art world as much as they should be.”

The

way of watercolor

Liberty is just as passionate about the medium she uses to make her art as she is about the subject matter of her paintings.

“What I love about watercolor is there is no way to duplicate

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Preserving the West – The inspiration behind Liberty’s work is to preserve the Western culture and provide a voice to a population who, for the most part, exists quietly. She notes those involved in agriculture today would rather be left alone to take care of their animals and make a living for their families. This piece is titled Found. Courtesy photo Continued

a painting – you can never make two paintings exactly the same way,” she explains. “With watercolor, there is always something serendipitous that happens.”

She notes many people don’t like watercolor because it is one of the most difficult mediums to use – it cannot be erased or painted over.

“It isn’t very forgiving, and it can be a really tough medium to use,” she says. “But, something unexpected and exciting always happens, and I like that.”

For the most part, Liberty is actually self-taught in watercolor painting.

“I don’t have a lot of education in watercolor at all,” she states. “I took one beginning watercolor class in college just for fun, and I found out it’s what I loved the most.”

She recalls the teacher of the class was a graduate student who was busy with his own work and didn’t give the class a lot of instruction.

“He gave us our paper, gave us our brushes and wished us luck,” she laughs. “He said, ‘Find something you think is interesting and paint it, because if it isn’t interesting to you, you won’t want to do the work.’”

Looking back, Liberty says this is possibly the best advice she has ever received, and to this day she continues painting the things that interest her the most.

Accomplishments and current work

Today, Liberty is an accomplished and award-winning artist, who has been featured in many of the magazines she found inspiration in as a little girl – Cowboy Magazine, Range Magazine, The Record Stockman, The Cornerstone, Small Farmers Journal and even in previous editions of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, just

AFFORDABLE ART

One of the greatest criticisms Liberty Proffit Day has faced in the art industry is the way she prices her work.

After pulling paintings from galleries across the state, Liberty now sells her work on her personal website libertyproffitday.com and at several cowboy cultural gatherings including the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nev.

“I have come under fire for the way I price my art quite a bit, but I don’t think I could live with myself if I start pricing it out of range of the culture I am celebrating,” she says. “I enjoy selling my art to people who can appreciate it because they have actually been there, so they need to be able to afford it.”

to name a few.

She has received numerous awards and been deemed a professional Western watercolorist, a title she says that really snuck up on her.

When it comes to the most rewarding aspect of making art, Liberty notes it comes down to preserving the Western culture and special memories for families who commission her to do custom

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paintings of their late family members or favorite animals.

“The thing I am most proud of though, in general, is how blessed I am to have the family I do and to have been raised where I was and how I was,” she says. “I love being able to raise my kids this way – with a focus on faith, hard work and love, and reminding them these three things are everlasting.”

Liberty’s work can be viewed and purchased on her website at libertyproffitday.com or her Facebook page @LibertyProffitDayArt.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Working women – One of Liberty’s overarching goals when creating art is to provide representation of actual working women in Western art. Today, many of her paintings are referenced from candid photographs of women hard at work in her own family and neighboring ranches. This piece is titled Desert Rose. Courtesy photo

Preferred medium – Watercolor is Liberty’s medium of choice. She loves how unexpected and serendipitous mixing water with paint is, and appreciates how a watercolor painting can never be duplicated. This piece is titled Winter Feeding. Courtesy photo

Proffit Day / Artist

Functional Craftsmanship

Bill Ferreira is a renowned rawhide braider creating unique and functional gear

Growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii, Bill Ferreira was immersed in the Hawaiian paniolo culture. These island cowboys were heavily influenced by Californian vaqueros, adopting many of their styles and tools, including braided rawhide gear.

Hailing from a long line of paniolos and rawhide braiders, Bill has become a revered industry expert in the art.

Bill moved to Montana to attend college, but after a few short weeks, he found himself a job working on a ranch for Curt Pate instead of attending class. Pate helped to cultivate Bill’s love for vaquero-style rawhide gear.

“You can take the kid off the ranch, but you can’t take the cowboy out of the kid,” Bill says with a laugh.

Getting a foot in the door

In spite of growing up in a culture full of rawhide braiders, Bill says he has encountered a lot of closed doors on his journey to learning the craft.

“The hardest part for me was at the time, when I was really wanting to learn, there was still a very closed-minded network of makers, and it was hard to find anyone who would show me anything,” explains Bill. “Fortunately, this has long since passed. Today, myself and many others are so willing to share the craft.”

Over the years, Bill did pry some of these closed doors open to learn from a few very talented braiders. He says it took years of

Big Island cowboy calls Montana home – Bill Ferreira moved to Montana after high school and still calls the Big Sky Country home. Courtesy photo Continued on next page

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practice to prove he was serious about the art before these braiders finally started to share their knowledge.

From saddle makers on the Big Island to workshops hosted by the Traditional Cowboy Artists of America (TCAA), Bill says fellow artists have made a big impact on his craft.

“I guess at this point they saw enough of a heart there. They saw the love of the craft, and the doors started opening. They were finally willing to share. Once I started attending workshops, I just improved 100 percent. The guys at TCAA have done a really good job of promoting the art and perpetuating it. They’ve also done a really good job of teaching and sharing it,” says Bill.

Perseverance

Bill has been braiding rawhide for over 25 years and doing it as a full-time job for the last five years. When asked what advice he would give to those interested in learning the art of braiding rawhide, he has one word – perseverance.

“It’s the idea of nothing ventured, nothing gained. What you put into it is what you get out of it. It’s a very time consuming craft, and rawhide is a material that can’t be rushed. It tells us when it’s ready to go, and every single hide tempers differently,” explains Bill.

“It’s important to understand when the moisture content needs to be worked in all of the stages, from cutting string to actually braiding. We can’t force it,” he continues. “It has to be ready to go. It

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Rawhide rein buttons – A closeup photo of Bill Ferreira tying his rawhide rein buttons by hand. Bill Ferreira photo Continued on next page

“ You can take the kid off the ranch, but you can’t take the cowboy out of the kid.

Bill Ferreira / Rawhide Braider

needs to be worked when it needs to be worked. If we push it too far, our results won’t come out as well.”

Rawhide braiding dates back thousands of years, and is constantly evolving. Bill says he enjoys the continual challenge the art provides, noting even his best pieces will always have room for improvement.

“It’s what keeps me going and it’s what makes it fun, because I’m always challenging myself to do better,” he says.

Bill enjoys sharing his knowledge of the art with others. In fact, he can be found giving braiding workshops at different events throughout the year, with the help of TCAA. And, he can even be persuaded to give oneon-one lessons.

Bill’s shop is located in Helena, Mont., but he travels across the country sharing the tradition of rawhide with others.

For more information on Bill Ferreira’s rawhide business or to contact him, visit billferreirarawhide.com or call 808-769-2512.

Tressa Lawrence is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

Braided rawhide headstall – This hand-braided rawhide headstall with a knotted browband is an example of Bill’s handiwork. Similar pieces can be purchased by contacting Bill. Bill Ferreira photo

Functional art – This burgundy dyed and natural three-quarter inch 20 plait bosal is an example of the fine craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every piece Bill makes. Bill Ferreira photo

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Strength and Balance

Solid in the Saddle helps equestrian athletes reach their best form

People often think horses are the only athlete in the equation when looking at equine sports disciplines, but this is not the case.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Aleisha Shirley and founder of Solid in the Saddle has dedicated her career to making sure riders are in their very best shape in order to be at the top of their game, whether it be for barrel racing and roping or cutting and reining.

Aleisha’s mission is to give horseback riders more confidence through strength, balance training and knowledge.

While the idea for Solid in the Saddle came about in physical therapy (PT) school, Aleisha notes her own rehab process following an injury played a huge role in her professional journey.

“While I was living in Houston and taking dressage lessons, I was exploring the idea as to how PT could be specialized to equestrians,” she says.

Aleisha began hosting clinics in Montana in 2019, with a focus on mobility, strength and balance in the saddle. However, in 2020, she suffered an injury of her own, which would end up being a blessing in disguise.

Solid in the Saddle – Dr. Aleisha Shirley is the founder of Solid in the Saddle, a physical therapy practice for equine enthusiasts. Courtesy photo

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“In 2020, I broke my back, and I was heartbroken,” she says. “I was leasing a pro horse and felt really confident about going down the road. However, this injury became the catalyst for Solid in the Saddle becoming what it is today.”

Aleisha took a year off to do rehab so she could come back stronger than ever before, and during this time, she had the opportunity to purchase a great horse.

habbed and gotten stronger.”

Medical Background

Aleisha has a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance with a speciality in exercise science from Montana State University and a Doctorate of PT from the University of Montana, Missoula.

While in PT school, she had the opportunity to take a class on the biomechanics of runners.

“A lot of PT is intense information about the human body, how it works, what happens when things go wrong, identifying movement patterns leading to injury and how to correct those movement patterns,” she explains. “A huge part of PT is movement analysis, like watching people walk and why one hip may rotate more than the other and picking up on complex movement.”

According to Aleisha, students in the class would record runners on a treadmill, slow down the videos to one-eighth speed and evaluate factors such as the angle the runners’ feet hit the treadmills and whether or not their pelvis dropped off to one side as they were running.

They would then compare their analysis to the complaints runners had about specific pains and create exercises to remedy their pain.

The skills and experiences in this class would have a heavy influence on the creation of Solid in the Saddle.

A stable base – According to Dr. Aleisha Shirley, the goal of balanced riding is to keep the rider’s center of gravity over the horse’s center of gravity. This means riders must have a strong and stable core base. Solid in the Saddle focuses on strength and balance training to help riders achieve this.

“I realized we could do this with riders too. When I do evaluations of riders, I will video them walking, trotting and loping each direction,” she says. “For discipline-specific issues, I may video them both catching and missing while roping or performing a sliding stop and evaluate what their issues may be.”

Balance is key

Aleisha notes the key to being balanced and in line with a horse

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The Edge

To C O N D I T I O N I N G , I N J U R I E S & R E H A B I L I T A T I O N I M P R O V E M U S C L E T O N E * I N C R E A S E C I R C U L A T I O N * B E T T E R C A R D I O V A S C U L A R H E A L T H * D E V E L O P C O R E S T R E N G T H * R E D U C E R E C O V E R Y T I M E !

Win! Edge S E R V I C E S A Q U A T R E D S O L A R I U M L I G H T S E Q U I V I B E P E G A S U S L A S E R T H E R A P Y S P O R T Z V I B E E Q U I R E L E A S E M A S S A G E T H E R A P Y F L E X I N E B T R E A T M E N T P R I E F E R T H O R S E W A L K E R T E M P O R A R Y B O A R D I N G

To

Win! Wy

Meeteetse,

is rooted in aligning both the rider’s and horse’s center of balance.

“A rider will exert the least amount of influence on their horse if they are lined up with the horse’s center of gravity,” she says. “For example, if a person is cutting to the right but they don’t open their hips up, they will get left behind, and their horse will have to work that much harder to drag this momentum with them.”

She explains a human’s center of gravity is directly behind the belly button, while a horse’s center of gravity is approximately two to four inches below the withers, which is essentially right where a saddle sits.

“The goal of balanced riding is keeping our center of gravity over our horse’s. The more we can do this at higher speeds and in competitive situations, the more our horse will only have to worry about his own body, without having to compensate for ours,” she says.

Aleisha notes there is fundamentally not a lot of differences between equine athletes and human athletes, such as runners and basketball players.

“The simplified explanation is athletes are moving their limbs from a stable base,” she says. “So a basketball player is running and then stopping, the core is stable but the limbs are moving independently. If they have stability of core, they can control their arms to shoot the ball at exactly the point they need.”

For riders, this looks like being able to move the limbs independently from a stable core base. The biggest issue with novice riders is they are holding on with everything they have and they cannot move their limbs independently, which can cause issues with riding.

Reaching patients

Solid in the Saddle does not operate as a typical PT clinic. Instead, Aleisha offers clinics and various packages for patients via Zoom.

“When someone is injured, I recommend they go to a local PT first to rule out any issues and get manual therapy if necessary,” she says. “However, a typical therapist can only get so far to getting back to riding goals, and this is where I come in with more specialized programs. It is hard for regular PTs to understand the effect a horse can have on the rider, which makes it hard to get back to riding shape.”

Aleisha begins by conducting four different muscle tests to

evaluate the major muscles associated with riding. She will walk patients through movements via telehealth. From there, she will determine exercises the rider can perform to meet their specific goals.

“I offer packages of four and eight sessions and will walk patients through exercises and videos of their riding,” she explains. “I will look at the riding videos and evaluate and assign exercises and then expand throughout the process.”

In addition, Aleisha conducts two-day clinics for anywhere from four to six riders at a time. She also has two online courses with video workouts and PDFs geared toward getting back in the saddle post-partum and a general six weeks to being solid in the saddle.

In the age of social media, Aleisha also posts informational videos and other media on various platforms including Instagram and Facebook, and she is dabbling in YouTube and Tik Tok as well.

For more information on Solid in the Saddle, visit solidinthesaddle.com.

Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

Helping equestrian athletes – In addition to conducting physical therapy sessions with patients via telehealth, Dr. Aleisha Shirley also offers two-day in-person clinics, online courses and informational videos on various social media platforms. Courtesy photo

Chasing a Childhood Dream

Smallwood family overcomes challenges to make childhood dreams a reality

Smallwood Horses, a breeding operation located in Powell, was established in 2005 by Ashley and Lance Smallwood, a couple who started riding horses at a young age and eventually shared in this passion to chase their childhood dreams.

The road to success certainly hasn’t been easy for the two of them, but with grit and perseverance, Smallwood Horses has become a leading force in breeding versatile equine athletes. Passion at an early age

Ashley notes she has had a passion for horses since the early age of three, when her parents purchased her a pony after she quit sucking her thumb. Lance’s family has always used horses for hunting, and he began riding at the age of four.

Ashley continued to pursue this passion by riding and training horses at Northwest College in Powell. During this time, her and Lance started their horse business.

“Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease during my sophomore year and had to quit school to try to figure out how to manage it,” Ashley shares, further noting she went back later to finish her degree.

“At this time, I was still training horses, but my health didn’t allow me to train full time for other people,” she continues. “Then, an old stallion was given to me. He’d been starved and was really thin, but they told me I could have him.”

Ashley was able to get the stallion healthy, with the hopes of using him in the Smallwood breeding program. However, she soon realized he was no longer sound and she wouldn’t be able to get any foals out of him.

“But, I got to thinking maybe I would raise a stallion,” she says.

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A helping hand – Lance Smallwood operates his family’s roofing company, but helps Ashley with the horse operation whenever he can. Ashley notes his largest contribution is buying hay and assessing pedigrees. Courtesy photo

Raising standout stallions

So, raising a stallion is exactly what Ashley did.

“We raised a colt out of one of our mares – Talking Te King –out of King Rocky Jet and Talking Whizz, the foundation mare of our program. Her colt is a 2010 red dun, sired by a son of Sun Frost. His name is CEtalkNdirtyNspanish, but we call him Romeo,” she says. “He is the best stallion anyone could ask for – kind, forgiving and never loses his manners.”

The Smallwoods quickly saw success with Romeo, as he has produced money winners in barrel racing, heeling, calf roping and steer roping. Awhile later, they decided they needed a fancier stallion, so they went to Oklahoma to buy Friendly Fury from Lea and Craig Stodart of C Hangin C Performance Horses in November 2015.

According to Ashley, Friendly Fury, fondly known as Compadre, is a 2012 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) sorrel by Furyofthewind by Joanies Alibi.

Compadre was trained by Glenn for a year following the purchase and then remained in Oklahoma to complete his run in the Barrel Futurities of America Juvenile Championships, finishing in the top 40.

After some coaching from Lea, Ashley brought the stallion home and took over as his jockey. They formed a special bond and hit the futurity trail.

Although, Compadre could have won a lot of money with a professional jockey, Ashley and Lance decided they wanted to campaign him themselves, and he has been Ashley’s main horse ever since – running barrels, showing, jumping and standing as stud.

A strong bond helps overcome challenges

The two have also created a strong bond through some very

close calls.

In October 2017, when he was four, Compadre began to act colicky every three days, then developed diarrhea.

Ashley knew something was wrong, so she continued hauling him to the vet, just to be told he was okay. However, her gut instinct drove them to Montana Equine, a new facility in Billings, Mont., where Compadre underwent exploratory surgery.

In surgery, doctors discovered something had punctured the stallion’s intestine, but instead of dying, his body walled off the infection. This walled-off area was blocking food coming from his stomach, and he would colic after eating. Then, the food would slowly pass through, and he’d feel okay until he ate again.

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Stallion

LP/lp Stud Fee: $650 NILE Incentive

A shared passion – Both Lance and Ashley Smallwood started riding horses at an early age, and the couple shared in this passion to create their successful breeding operation, Smallwood Horses. Courtesy photo

Ashley says the veterinarians only gave Compadre a 25 percent chance of surviving the surgery.

“Not only did he survive, he thrived afterward,” she states. “But then about eight months later, I got really sick and ended up in the hospital with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia.”

She received 14 units of blood and remained in critical condition for many of the 17 days of hospitalization. Lance hauled Compadre to the hospital to visit her, and he seemed to sense she needed comfort. The horse placed his head on her shoulder as she sat in a wheelchair in the crowded hospital parking lot.

Ashley returned home and was able to begin riding after a few months. She and Compadre returned to competition at a fundraiser to help defray some of the medical costs of her long hospital stay.

Then, in June 2019, while both of them were recovering, a truck in front of their rig lost a tire on their way to a barrel race

“The tire went under our trailer, locked up our brakes and ripped us off the road,” shares Ashley. “Our truck rolled five times, and the trailer smashed into an embankment. I broke my neck, back, collarbone and almost severed the artery in my neck. The wound missed it by a fraction of an inch.”

“All of us should have died,” she adds. “My mom was with us and broke both of her ankles and shoulder blades, had a brain bleed and was in the hospital for a month. The gal who rides with us, Abbey Eaton, broke her neck – a hangman’s fracture – most people don’t live through that.”

“All three horses in the trailer – Compadre, my mom’s horse and Abbey’s horse – were just standing there. The floor of the trailer was completely gone, and the horses were standing on the ground. None of them were injured,” she continues.

The horses received only minor cuts and injuries and were cared

for by the Heiken family and Dr. Jessica Quiggs. This probably should have been the end, but Ashley and Compadre refused to quit.

In December of the same year, they were back in the arena running and winning 2D money and a 4D buckle in Las Vegas.

“Compadre and I have had some serious close calls, but he just keeps coming back stronger than ever, and his babies are showing good potential,” she says.

Do-it-yourself breeding program

When it came to breeding, Ashley notes she originally planned to send Compadre to a stallion station, but realized it would be expensive and a long drive from Wyoming.

“So, we decided to do it ourselves but we weren’t sure how,” she says.

A close call – In June 2019, Ashley, her mom and their traveling partner were in a horrific wreck on the way to a barrel race. Although the three of them received life-threatening injuries, they all lived to tell the tale, and their horses made it out fairly unscathed. Courtesy photo

Continued

In order to learn, Ashley attended an equine reproduction school in Danville, Ky. She also took courses in equine reproduction through breeders’ assistant classes in Tomball, Texas, taught by Dave and Tina Riddle and became a licensed artificial insemination (AI) technician.

The couple also became licensed in embryo transfer (ET) and ultrasound.

“We started our program to collect our own stallions. Then, people began asking if we could collect theirs so they wouldn’t have to haul them over the mountains to have it done,” she shares. “This is how our business started.”

“We don’t use ET or ultrasound technology on outside mares because it’s not legal in Wyoming unless you are a veterinarian,” she adds “We just do embryo transfers on our own mares.”

Current operations

Today, Smallwood Horses is home to 20 broodmares and five stallions. The stallion barn and breeding lab are run by Ashley, her brother Karl Johnston and her mother Karen Johnston.

“We’ve had good success with the horses we’ve raised, trained

and sold to people they fit with,” Ashley states. “Some of these horses are roping and a couple are with barrel racing trainers.”

She notes Compadre’s oldest babies are five this year, and Romeo’s oldest is seven.

“We look forward to them becoming more popular as they get older,” Ashley says. “We sell weanlings and yearlings, but our goal is sending solid trained horses into the world to excel.”

Other Smallwood stallions include Chewing Gum in Church, also known as Chewy, a 2001 AQHA by Reverend Jonah Black out of Hempens Chicklet; Dash N Identity, also known as Swat, a 2018 AQHA stallion by Identity Theft out of Fly Mama Fly and Ima Exec Doc, also known as Debo, a 2014 Appaloosa Horse Club stallion by The Covenant out of Ima Sweet Report.

What started as one little girl’s dream is now her family’s passion – to breed versatile horses that can compete at the highest level or stroll around the backyard with the grandkids, all in the same week.

For more information on Smallwood Horses, check out @SmallwoodHorsesandStallionStation on Facebook.

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

High-Quality Variety

Powderhorn Ranch offers a high-quality variety of Quarter Horses through their breeding program

The Powderhorn Ranch, owned and operated by Hailey True and her family, 25 miles southwest of Douglas, is a multi-faceted agricultural operation that has learned to change with the times.

On top of a traditional cow/calf operation, the ranch – Diamond Land and Livestock – has added a hospitality business and opened the ranch up to guests, providing facilities, lodging and meals, primarily for events put on by other people.

In fact, the ranch recently was the venue for the the newest season of the TV series “The Ultimate Cowboy,” hosted by Trace Atkins. They also put on numerous horsemanship clinics and retreat groups.

Additionally, the True family operates a strict equine breeding program known as the Diamond Land and Livestock Breeding Program, dedicated to producing versatile, high-quality Quarter Horses for customers around the country.

Getting started

“My family has been involved in ranching for several genera-

tions. When my immediate family decided to go back to ranching full time, we wanted to raise our own ranch horses but didn’t know how to go about it,” says Hailey. “We had been around horses all our lives and enjoyed them, but we didn’t have any training experience.”

Because of this, Hailey notes her dad hosted a horsemanship clinic with Ken McNabb in 2006 for her grandfather’s birthday.

“All of us kids were pretty young at the time, and Ken was very patient. He came to our place, teaching us the foundations of horsemanship and playing a lot of games so the little kids would stay entertained,” she says. “This created a foundation we could build on.”

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Strict selection – The True family has a strict selection process when it comes to the horses they raise to keep and sell. Hailey True notes they care more about quality and less about what is popular, and they only sell horses they would keep themselves. Courtesy photo

Because the two families had a lot of the same goals and values, they ended up going into businesses together, and in 2007, Ken agreed to help the True family build a horse breeding program.

In 2009, the partnership decided to put on their own sale, and the inaugural Diamond-McNabb Horse Sale was held. The sale is still held annually the first weekend in June at the Diamond Land and Livestock Ranch.

“The goal is to turn out horses we like riding ourselves. We don’t care so much about what is popular, we want quality. We know there are other people who want quality, so if we can breed the best we can for ourselves and then offer it to others, this is what we want to do. This is how it all got started,” shares Hailey.

“We love to ride, we love to ranch and we love to help our customers find the right horses. Our goal is provide quality horses for everyone from the experienced ranch hand to the recreational trail rider. Our next offering will be at the 15th annual sale on June 3,” she adds.

Pursuing sound bloodlines

Hailey explains the goal of their operation is to raise 15 to 20 versatile, good-minded and well-rounded Quarter Horse foals to either use for themselves or to feature in their sale. The True family likes horses of medium build that aren’t too small, with durable conformation and innate cow sense.

“They need athletic ability but also have to be able to stand up to ranch work in Wyoming. We want innate cow sense so they can do their job decently, but most important is disposition,” Hailey shares.

“We want to enjoy starting these horses. They need to be pleasant and willing and not confront us with challenges. When we started, my sister and I were only 15 and 17, and we didn’t want to

become bronc riders,” she adds

To accomplish this, Hailey explains they draw from a pool of genetic variety in order to avoid disorders caused by horses bred too closely. In the beginning, they spent a lot of time researching bloodlines, genetics and genetic disorders, along with the basic principles of breeding and reproduction.

“Ken had a lifetime of experience in the horse industry, so he had some good tips and suggestions for the direction he thought we should go,” she adds “He knew which bloodlines would and wouldn’t take us down the road we wanted to go.”

Additionally, Hailey shares during her and her sister Hannah’s

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More of an art than a science – The Diamond Land and Livestock Breeding Program started with four family groups of mares sired by a single stallion in an effort to create consistencies in disposition and quality. However, they soon found there was less consistency than they anticipated and had to reshape their program. “We came to realize this is more of an art than a science,” Hailey True says. Courtesy photo

homeschool studies, her dad gave them time to do breeding horse research since it was something they wanted to pursue as a family.

“We wrote review papers and interviewed breeders who had been doing this for a long time. We wanted to glean whatever we could from their knowledge and try to avoid some of the mistakes they made along the way, especially with things like genetic disorders,” she notes.

At the end of the semester, Hailey and Hannah presented their findings to the ranch crew, the family, Ken and anyone else who was going to be part of the program.

“It was really good for us and provided a lot of information,” Hailey states. “Every breeder we called on the phone was very gracious to help these two little girls.”

Breeding program

Hailey notes the family’s breeding program got its start with four family groups of mares sired by a single stallion.

“With groups of half-sisters, the goal was to have some con-

sistencies to give ourselves a leg up in getting the disposition and qualities we wanted without a hodge-podge of mares,” she says.

“Once we had our family groups, we chose a stallion we liked. Then we started learning,” she continues. “We learned there was a lot less consistency, even with those mare groups’ daughters, than we’d anticipated. We came to realize this is more of an art than a science.”

She continues, “A person can’t tell what a mare will produce. Even though we thought the mare groups were a good idea, it didn’t give us the boost in consistency we’d expected. We started reshaping our program, keeping the mares that produced what we wanted and letting others go that didn’t quite meet the mark.”

As the program got rolling, the True family would keep back some of their fillies to breed. Although their original stallion produced good looking foals, Hailey says they didn’t have the minds they wanted, so they started searching for other stallions with a good mix of composition, disposition and temperament.

“We are very selective, not just for what we want but for what we want to sell to someone else,” she shares. “We don’t raise all of the horses we sell. We also select and purchase horses for our program. They stay with us until we feel they are proven, trained and experienced to our standard, and we can represent them and know them fully as our own.”

Because the Diamond Land and Livestock Breeding Program is dedicated to producing only the highest-quality Quarter Horses, they have sold to buyers from 46 different states for anything from kids horses, to trail riding horses, to ranch horses.

For more information on the Powderhorn Ranch, visit powderhornranchwy.com

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Versatile variety – From trail riding horses to working ranch horses, the Diamond Land and Livestock Breeding Program offers a versatile variety of four-legged athletes to customers across the country. Courtesy photo

Strong Foundations

Army Veteran builds horse training business on principles of horsemanship, respect and trust

From a young age, Megan McKnight inherently loved horses. Over the years, this love has brought her to where she is now, owning her own business – Iron Horse Foundation Training located in Laramie – training and shoeing horses.

“When I was really young, probably like six or seven, I remember praying to God asking for a horse after touching the neighbor’s horses,” explains Megan. “A few years later, my mom started dating a guy who traded horses. He’d get them, mess around with them and try to resell them, and this is how I really got started in it.”

Iron Horse Foundation Training officially opened their doors as a full-time business in 2022. Megan has spent her life around horses, but the stars finally aligned for her to make this her full-time career.

She spent seven years in the army, and after she got out, she went to school, got married and started her family. After her husband’s death in 2016, it took her a few years before she could finally pursue her passion full time.

Core values

From getting her start on what she calls “sorry broke” horses, Megan established what she identifies as her four core values of breaking horses – her safety, the horse’s safety, for the horse to learn something quickly and to remember it.

One-stop shop – Megan McKnight is a farrier, horse trainer and offers riding lessons. Courtesy photo Continued on next page

By establishing these values with every horse she works with, Megan hopes to provide a strong foundation for a partnership when the horse returns to their owner.

“I want this person to be able to feel confident about their horse, knowing little things they can do to maintain this foundation,” says Megan.

Megan takes on a limited number of horses at a time, emphasizing quality over quantity in regards to training.

Each horse comes to her for six weeks, and she consistently works with them every day for the first 15 days, then allows them to rest. She believes working with them consistently over those six weeks is the key to success, regardless if the horse is young or old.

At the end of the six weeks, Megan offers the owner a unique opportunity to spend the day with her and their horse. She takes the owner through the ins and outs of what has been accomplished, and helps to set them up for success by showing them how to continue foundational practices once they are home.

“I find a lot of people are never afforded this opportunity when they send a horse to a trainer. Many people want to understand what we’re doing and are passionate and interested in it, which is why they’re sending the horse to a trainer in the first place,” says Megan. “For me, it’s not just about training the horse, it’s about helping to cultivate this relationship.”

Solid advice

When asked what advice she would give to others who are interested in pursuing training horses or becoming a farrier, her advice is straight forward – knowledge is power.

“People should surround themselves with other people who are doing it. Nothing beats hands-on experience. Find someone who is willing to take the time to actually show you things. People need to

Serving our country – Megan McKnight served in the army for seven years before becoming a full-time farrier and trainer. Courtesy photo

learn how to be a horseman first, and the rest follows,” says Megan. “Horsemanship is a dying art, and this is something that needs to change.”

Megan emphasizes the importance of building trust and respect between herself and the horse and helping the owner to build this same level of trust and respect with the horse once it is home.

She says working on basic horsemanship with the horse is crucial and should always be top priority as a horse owner. Then, if they also want to compete or show, this can come second.

“It takes wanting to learn to be a better horseman. If a person wants to change their horse, they have to change themselves first,” explains Megan.

In addition to working as a farrier and horse trainer, Megan also offers riding lessons to people.

For more information on Iron Horse Foundation Training or to get in contact with Megan, visit her website at ironhorsefoundationtraining.com

Tressa Lawrence is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

WyomingRANCH RODEO FINALS

Selling the region’s finest Arabians

Spirit Winds Arabians

Wetzel 11265 West Goose Egg Road Casper, WY 82604

W: 307-262-7786

H: 307-234-1622

swllcjw@hotmail.com

www.spiritwindshorses.com

At Spirit Winds Arabians, performance became the key word and with it the commitment to establish a strong performance Arabian to compete in racing, endurance, cutting and reining events (activities). At the same time, we did not want to lose the beauty and “people-loving” personalities accorded to the Polish and mostly Polish Arabians. To achieve this, we have assembled quality Polish Arabians with known athletic pedigrees that stress conformation and heart. We are also including Crabbet and other breeding lines to produce an enhanced degree of athleticism, while maintaining excellent conformation, stride, freedom of movement, intelligence and personality.

Rocking Horse Therapy

Northern Wyoming facility gives horses a competitive edge

Ensuring horses are in top shape for work or competition is important for success in the arena, as well as avoiding injury. With over 40 years of horse experience, Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation strives to provide individualized plans to each equine athlete who comes to their facility.

Owner Jennifer Lewis shares the facility features top-of-the-line technologies for conditioning horses for seasonal competition or rehabilitation following an injury.

Built on dreams

For years, Jennifer worked in the medical field, but knew it wasn’t exactly what her heart wanted to do. In fact, she had been dreaming of building a horse therapy facility. When the opportunity arose, Jennifer started building Rocking Horse

Rehabilitation and Therapy from the ground up.

Today, the business has been hard at work tending to horses for almost four years.

“When we first began building, I started to think we were a little crazy and wondered who would bring their horses to Meeteetse,” she says. “But, it all came together, and as we were building, I was watching my dreams come true.”

While Jennifer will tell visitors it may not be the fanciest facility –featuring several runs, a barn and a large outside walker – Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation is home to some of the highest quality and superior horse therapy services.

“It was built with care, purpose and functionality,” she says.

Light therapy – Infrared heat therapy increases the metabolic activity of cells, which in turn increases blood flow. Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation helps horses recover more quickly from an injury or relieve sore muscles.

Courtesy photo

Horse therapy

Whether horses come to Jennifer for conditioning before a rodeo or roping season or for rehabilitation following an injury, they are all assessed for the best mode of treatment.

Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation offers Solarium Light Therapy, Pegasus Laser Therapy, an Equivibe vibrating platform as well as Ice-Vibe tendon boots and Sportz-Vibe blankets, an Equiband, a large outdoor Priefert Walker and an above-ground treadmill.

Jennifer notes increasing lung capacity and building muscle are key to conditioning horses.

“The water resistance of the Aquatred helps horses build strength in their legs, increases muscle tone, strengthens their top line and increases their range of motion without impaction on the lower limbs,” she explains.

In addition, conditioning helps to improve speed, endurance, agility and balance.

During conditioning or rehabilitation, Jennifer may utilize Solarium Light Therapy or the Sportz-Vibe in combination to relieve sore muscles and decrease recovery time. Both of these technologies can also help to strengthen the horses’ immune systems and increase blood and oxygen circulation.

“I love seeing the change in horses over their time with us,” Jennifer notes. “It amazes me how quickly they can heal or get into shape.”

Care is priority

While at the northern Wyoming facility, care is top priority for Jennifer and her team.

“We want horses’ days to remain as similar to their life at home when they come to us,” Jennifer shares. “Our first priority is caring

for horses and making sure they get the best treatment and conditioning plan. We monitor horses very carefully, especially during the first days at our facility, to ensure they settle in comfortably.”

Jennifer treats each horse as her own and is proud of the progress they make in Meeteetsee, as well as in the arena.

For more information, contact Jennifer at rockinghorse.404@ gmail.com or 307-272-7630.

Averi Reynolds is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

RACE DAY EVENTS 2023

JUNE 4 CHUGWATER CHILI DAY

Wyoming State Champion Chili

JUNE

JUNE 11

DAY AT THE RACES

Featuring the Governor’s Cup Race, also hosting for the 1st Lady’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative food drive

JUNE 17-18 INTERCOLLEGIATE RACING EXPERIENCE

Intern course for college students, go to

JUNE 18 UW DAY AT THE RACES

Special guests to host Father’s Day Stick Horse Race

JUNE 24 WYOMING DOWNS SPIRITS & BREW FEST

Separate fee to attend. 1 PM-5 PM

JUNE 25 CELEBRATION OF UINTA COUNTY

Local area businesses and elected officials

JULY 1 JOCKEY STAKES

Supporting {PDJF} Premanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund

JULY 2 FREEDOM RALLY

Honoring current or former military and first responders. Featuring Evanston area VFW Post 4280 and American Legion Post 41

Strengthening aged horses – Jennifer Lewis utilizes an Equiband to increase core strength. In aged horses, this strategy can help prevent back issues by increasing and maintaining mobility and strength. Courtesy photo

Hamblen Hats

Northern Colorado hat company takes pride in Western heritage values

When talking to a cowboy about his hat, one might learn more about his personality than expected. Hats are often what a cowboy is identified by and what makes him who he is, shares Hatmaker Travis Hamblen.

Travis grew up with an affinity for hats, even recently finding out instead of carrying a blanket or a stuffed animal as a child, his prized black cowboy hat was his comfort.

Growing up, he worked several jobs, ranging from building fence to working for stock contractors and feedlots, and he even worked for another hatmaker for several years. Nearly four years ago, the opportunity for Travis to open his own hat store was presented – bringing forth Hamblen Hats.

“We started out in a mobile trailer, grew from there into a TuffShed, then a shop on family property, and we moved into this storefront about two years ago,” he explains.

Flying H logo

When Travis first opened his shop and started developing a logo for the brand, he was looking for something simple but representative of his values. Thus, the Flying H brand was born.

Reindl Quarter Horses: KQH Frosted Poco Reference Sire

An excellent selection of foundation bred quarter horses, weanlings, broke horses, brood mares and stallions. Includes bloodlines of Blackburn, Poco Tivio, Jackie Bee, Driftwood, Peppy San Badger, Blue Valentine, Poco Pine and

Comp Quarter Horses: Crowned Tivio Reed Reference Sire

Special headwear – At Hamblen Hats, there is something for everyone. The opportunity to make someone’s first or last hat is an honor for Travis. Courtesy photo Continued on next page

Continued

“I wanted a brand that no matter what we do, is iconic,” Travis says.

The Flying H brand is reminiscent of what his grandpa, who passed shortly after Travis opened the storefront in Ault, Colo. meant to him.

“The ‘H’ stands for heritage – there’s always someone who’s gone before you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a cowboy or a banker, someone laid the groundwork to help you get to where you are,” he explains.

Travis shares the “H” also stands for hope and history.

“When we first opened, we got our first full shipment of hats on Friday the 13th at the beginning of COVID-19 and had 90 days to pay for it. We all know COVID-19 impacted business, but God continued to open doors and take care of us,” he says. “Our history is what makes us all who we are today.”

The smile of the Flying H brand represents hard work, and the circle within the brand represents life.

“No matter where our heritage, hope or history lies, if we don’t get up every morning and work hard, we won’t get anywhere,” Travis says. “Life consists of all of these things.”

Community-based business

Travis’ maternal grandpa was a milkman at the Poudre Valley Creamery in Fort Collins, Colo. and had the reputation of knowing his customers well.

Growing up watching his family build relationships with customers in his parents’ family-owned gun shop, Travis understood from a young age businesses were more about the people than the product.

“We’ve made hats for professional athletes, we’ve had hats on entertainers at music festivals, and we have one on a movie set right now,” Travis says. “But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if a person is going to the Super Bowl or if they’re an FFA kid from the local high school – to me, it’s all about the person under the hat.”

He continues, “We all share a bond of hope, heritage, history and hard work. It doesn’t matter if we’re on a big screen, a big

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Custom hat experience – From fashion hats to every day lids, Hamblen Hats provides a custom experience affordable for every customer. Katie Barnett Photography

stage or a big ranch.”

Western individualism

The hat company builds custom hats, sells stock hats that can be custom fit or custom designed and offers cleaning and rebuilding of old, trusted hats.

Travis shares individual style and personality are put into each hat. In fact, his two sons are an example of how personality and individualism can be expressed by hats.

“My youngest boy is going to work for a reined cow horse trainer this year, and the other is a musician. They both have their own hat shape – one’s a little punchier, and the other likes a little more rock and roll,” Travis says, noting both boys have been involved in the business from its inception.

“We want to make sure everyone can afford the custom experience,” he says. “It is a privilege for me to clean one up, shape one or build one so when my customers look in the mirror, they smile.”

However, Travis notes there are two favorite hats he enjoys the most – the first and the last.

“The other day, a young cowboy was in the shop going to his first lead line show, and we fitted him with his first cowboy hat,” Travis shares. “And, we’ve got an old-timer who swings by to hang out and chat, and he mentioned while getting a hat, this would probably be his last. What happens between the first and the last is important, but it’s a privilege to build someone’s first and an honor to build someone’s last.”

For more information, visit hamblenhats.com.

Averi Reynolds is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

ABOVE: Family business – Travis and his two sons Braxton and Kasen Hamblen work together at the storefront. When they aren’t building or shaping hats, they enjoy roping and team penning as a family. Casey St. Blanc photo

LEFT: Destined to make hats –Rather than a blanket or stuffed animal, Travis Hamblen didn’t go anywhere without his favorite black hat. Cliff Hamblen, Travis’ dad, played an integral role in Travis’ business foundation. Courtesy photo

The Rise of Futurities

Talented young horses are a driver for the growing horse market

Anyone even casually involved in the horse industry is aware of the massive growth in the market. Horses once priced in the low-tomid four figures are easily clearing five figures at every avenue for sales.

Auction barns, consignment sales, invitational sales and private treaties have all seen a rise in prices across the board for every class of horse.

While there are multiple reasons this may be the case, there is no denying the rise of futurity and other aged events across the Western industry have been a major driver in the price of horses in recent years.

With a spotlight on the Western industry as a whole, aged events have been given the spotlight in areas where they have not been as popular in the past.

Finding a niche

Jay and Lindsay Wadhams started the American Rope Horse Futurity Association (ARHFA) nearly 18 years ago with the goal of promoting growth in the roping horse industry.

According to their website, “ARHFA was formed to bring attention to futurity-aged horses in the same way the cow horse, cutting and

laramiejubilee days

Power couple – Jay and Lindsay Wadhams started the American Rope Horse Futurity Association in the early 2000s with a goal of promoting the rope horse industry. Courtesy photo Continued on next page

barrel industries had already capitalized on.”

The Wadhams were also the first to track earnings of competitors in their events through Q-data.

“When we started, we were doing a few shows here and there, and we put on the Battle in the Saddle Roping for the American Quarter Horse Association in Oklahoma City,” Jay notes. “When they moved the snaffle bit futurity to Fort Worth, Texas, Dean Tufton with DT Quarter was able to talk them into having a roping event as well, and we were able to run the event.”

“This is how our events have evolved,” he adds. “Now, everyone has got their spin on different futurities and incentives. But, it has without a doubt, changed the horse business.”

Jay notes many of the incentives associated with aged events have made horses worth a lot more money than ever before. The full-circle nature of the horse industry means this has applied to other cow-bred horses as well and created an influx of former cutters and cow horses in the roping horse world.

“I don’t like calling horses rejects because they don’t fit into a certain event,” he says. “It takes such a special horse to perform at a high level in those types of events, and just like people, not everyone is going to be an NBA star but they find something they are good at. Fortunately, a lot of these horses excel in roping.”

The Wadhams now reside in the heart of the team roping business in Arizona, where Jay says the horse market is as high as ever.

“Everyone is always looking for a good horse, and trainers can make money on young horses by getting them seasoned and ready for people to win jackpots,” he explains.

Jay believes the mix of both judged and timed events in roping futurities are further showing how good horses can be.

“When we take horses with winnings in my events, buyers know they are getting a well-rounded, good horse,” he says. “If they are acting poorly in the box or in the pen, the judges are docking their score accordingly.”

“There is money to be won on these young horses, and I believe they are driving the market in the direction it’s going,” he adds. “It can be hard for young horses to go out and compete with older, more seasoned horses, and it costs a lot of money to enter.”

He continues, “It’s hard to want to take colts to big ropings and know a kid could enter on a seasoned horse and outrope you. Aged events level the playing field and give young horses a place to shine.”

Necessity breeds innovation

Emily Parry, executive director of the Colorado Reined Cow Horse Association (CRCA), believes the popularity of aged horse events has to do with the rising cost of older horses.

“During COVID-19, we saw a lot of professionals outside of the horse industry finally have the time to pursue their passions, including

those centered on horses,” she says. “So, a gelding that would have cost $5,000 in 2019, was all the sudden worth quadruple this amount due to the demand for finished horses.”

“Older horses just got crazy, and I think there was a lot of trickle down to younger horses,” she says. “Not everyone could afford to buy finished horses, so there was a lot more need to develop

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Lifelong experience – Brooke Howell was a competitive rodeo athlete prior to training professionally and competing in futurities. Courtesy photo

younger horses.”

CRCA has always had classes catered to younger horses, but the popularity of these classes has only grown. Beginning with their Firecracker Show in Douglas, they will be featuring a developing futurity class for young horses who may be behind.

“This is a concept we came up with at our winter meeting, and we are really excited to roll this out in Douglas in July,” she says. “This allows horses who might be behind in their three-year-old year to work on specific classes in more of a jackpot format.”

Rider’s perspective

Brooke Howell of South Dakota is no stranger to the rodeo world but has dove head first into the world of futurities in recent years following an internship with Bill Myers Performance Horses.

“I was not familiar with the futurity world before, and I’ve never rode horses bred like that,” she says. “While working for Myers, I was able to learn a lot about futurities and all of the incentives attached to

them. Paying into these incentives is really driving the market up for young horses.”

“For these offspring to be able to run for that much money at such a young age is a huge deal. Even scrolling through Facebook sale pages, a person will notice some people won’t even entertain buying colts that aren’t paid into the big futurities,” she adds.

Although a lot of big futurities require horses be of a certain lineage, Brooke notes open futurities, such as Royal Crown, are great opportunities for everyday-bred horses to compete for big money at a young age.

“One of the best things to come out of these events is the improved quality of horses,” she says. “There is incentive to breed to proven bloodlines, and people aren’t just breeding to breed. They are doing the research because they want higher-quality horses. The rodeo world has evolved a lot and it is so competitive, so having the edge with horses is incredibly important.”

While there is a lot of good coming from the incentives of futurities, Brooke sees how there could be issues associated with the cost and sheer amount of futurity events popping up in the industry.

“There are only so many mares to breed, and people can only afford to pay into so many of these programs as they can get really expensive. In Ruby Buckle, for example, owners have to pay into the incentive the minute the horse is born until they are old enough to compete, which can get expensive for people who breed a lot of mares,” she says.

She continues, “When we get to a point where there are too many incentives, it won’t hold much meaning and won’t be special anymore. A good stud will always sell breedings. I think events with good, added money are decently affordable and will continue to be affordable, while helping to campaign good horses and raise their value.”

Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

NOLAND FEED

268 Industrial Ave. • Casper, WY 307-237-8926 • 800-337-8926

nolandfeedwy@gmail.com

Open 8-5 Weekdays • 8-12 Saturdays

Closed Sundays and Holidays

If horses are in your plans this summer. look to us for your winning combination.

Young horses –Brooke Howell is no stranger to riding young horses, which served her well in multiple event futurities. Courtesy photo