Tuesday, April 12, 2011

PICTURES FROM AN EXHIBITION AT THE REDFEATHER LAKES LIBRARY

For all of us who realize that if the youth does not pick up the plight of the wild horses, they will not have a chance....here is a little bit of my work in the northern Rockies. Since years I have not only ridden and trained mustangs and made them a symbol on the hill when my neighbors return from church shopping or work, but I also have written and spoken about these horses. A one hour video about a very special place of mustangs was shown in the library and then discussed, and my friends Guenter and Sonja, who are riding on Mustangs on the Continental Divide did their presentation of exhilerating pictures and adventure stories. (www.abenteuerreiter.de) We had a photo exhibit and soon a painting exhibit by Melody Perez and I have done drawing workshops with schoolkids, always taking advantage of the opportunity to tell them the story and hear what they have to say.
We have told of our witnessing of a roundup and now we gather again to put together a video of the Mustang Make Over.
Please become an advocate and educator in your community and take a stand. Once we learn more and understand the predicament and the circumstances involved we will be able to become part of the solution and make the plight of the WILD HORSES heard and understood.
There are beautiful pieces of writing about compassion by authors like Mark Bekoff of the University of Colorado and also valuable writing by Temple Grandin. Here is a snip of one of my favorite pieces:
"In the saddle with Freud"....the horse, a running animal, illogical and irrational, represents in the collective fantasy the image itself of vital energy and instinctive logic in its most genuine totality. Deprived of the ability to be predator the horse reveals in a most visible way the saving power, and at the same time the destructive power of PURE INSTINCT....our relationship to the horse is characterized by the construction of two things,  which simultaneously tie us to the same destiny. TO RIDE is an act of fusion, an attempt to integrate instinct with reason.....
In these times of ecological awareness, it seems, that at least as for as the mental life of man is concerned and the dualistic concept of mind/body we are less and less fully operative. The quest for the horse is a sign of our need to contact our ANIMAL LIKE NESS.... and so on...text by Marcia Galli


MELODY IS GIVING IT A WHIRL>>>>

I encourage to draw...

Since the beginning of the month I have a little mustang exhibit at the Redfeather Lakes Library... Today I went to add some items and school-kids were sitting on the floor looking and reading and listening. It was the kind of atmosphere, where learning and understanding can occur... MY work will be there until the end of the month, so if your weekend travels include Redfeather Lakes stop by and give it a whorl or a whilr it a whirl. The mustangs tell the story.

Time to take them out under saddle into the woods and ditches...





Today I brought Aragon back and Coppersmith was pleased to see his friend and mentor. I worked both of them in the roundpen with saddle on and also let them travel through the pasture and the trees on their own all tacked up. There was a little trot and canter and it was all within reason...Then Justin came and even though we had decided to start out ponying we actually never attached the leadline. We have identified several issues that I will be working on in the next couple of weeks. Some of them on the ground some of them under saddle. The weather was questionable (Maybe rain or snow) but Coppersmith tucked right in behind Aragon and we rode for approx 1 1/2 . Very similar terrain to what I have been walking him on his own.

Monday, April 11, 2011

NORTHERN COLORADO MUSTANG RIDERS FOR HIRE....

Please come and join or form your own group of mustangers and train and ride together. After the first shocking knee-squeezes the horses and riders have come to love this kind of formation riding and then the individual presentations are even more outstanding...Thank you to Michael Golembeski for filming and editing, Cindy and Mark Loader to making their facility available for us to meet, Gary Gayler for being our drill sergeant, Patricia Burge for orchestrating the endeavor and a BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRETTY MUSTANGS>>>>

Coppersmith#900 from FERAL TO FEDERAL TO FALDERAL... wild and willing






More walking and in the afternoon a session with the ball and under saddle....some pics...mostly fun.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

New Article in True Cowboy Magazine and Aragon on the Pedestal....

Coppersmith got an early morning walk and some of the tender greens that are sprouting around the pasque flowers in the Meadow...I had considered taking him to Cindy Loaders Spirit Dancer Ranch for our Formation riding practice and had loaded him but then decided against it since Robyn wanted to ride the Little Rue, my Icelandic horse...So we practiced a couple of times loading and unloading and then he was back in the pen to take the rest of the day off, while we went to join our friends for a sunny day of arena work.




Back at home I received a note that the April Issue of True Cowboy Magazine is out and I find myself in the company of James Kleinert, Willy Nelson and Laura Leigh, also great coverage of the BLM summit in Arizona...

Friday, April 8, 2011

The first green grasses are coming out and the smell of baby dandelion







Round pen work and ball rolling stopped today and we freed the mind and walked. I will do the same tomorrow, maybe a bit more into the underbrush...

Thursday, April 7, 2011

You are not a number....3 days ago

After 45 minutes of longlining, Justin Ripley got on the back and we walked. Stepped off and on again and then we removed the mounting block and the leadrope. Same yesterday, with bit in mouth and reins, after more longlining in the trot and a lot of emphasis on stopping and bending.




















Wednesday, April 6, 2011

INVOKING THE PAUSE....

Earth wind and Fire are taking their toll...the daily recordkeeping has suffered. There is time for everything, the coppersmith#900 is under saddle after having been longlined and driven and ponied through the mountains, he did not offer any bucks or resistance and is quietly walking and bending...He is wearing the old Abetta saddle and a copper-roller snaffle - His head carriage is beautiful, even though right now he is really busy with the mouth and the bit....He is also starting to understand ALTITUDE and it's challenges, with 8000 feet we are at lung capacity quick...he is by himself (and as I had anticipated more attached to me )now he has to pay attention to the nightly wildlife...His diet is grass, hay, some grain apply and carrot...He is sensitive over his ears and around his muzzle...the wind has stopped tonight and we will all get a goodnight's rest...

Saturday, April 2, 2011