Horses are a very important part of life up here.
Not only are they used for pleasure riding, but are still used
as working stock for cutting or rounding up cattle and
other stock animals, packing for outfitters, hunters,
and ranchers, pulling carts and wagons, plowing,
skidding logs, or just getting us around as they did since
their introduction to this country. In the area we live in horses are a way of life, and as I have found they are
one of the greatest companion animals around!

"Durango"
Durango is one of our many rescue animals.
Sylvia found him at a local stockyard awaiting his destiny
in the kill pen. He was approximately ten weeks old
and would have gone to the slaughter house if she had
not intervened. Durango is joined by his
adopted buddy Hatfield, a white Tom turkey that
Sylvia and I raised from a hatchling.
 

Durango at 15 weeks old and starting
to fill out just fine. We feed him a diet of Grow-Colt
mixed with corn oil and alfalfa pellets twice daily,
along with about twenty pounds of hay and lots of love.
 

FEED ME NOW!

More hugs from that two legger!

Jumping for joy at the morning feeding.
Now at four months old, this little guy has become
quite a character, and is definitely going to make it.
 

Sylvia and I are members of the Greater Yellowstone
Backcountry Horseman's Association, which has
chapters nationwide. The main function of the
organization is to work hand in hand with other
organizations like U.S. Forestry, and the
Bureau of Land Management in maintaining and
building trails for pleasure riders to enjoy.
Their newsletters offer information that make
horseback riding a safe and pleasurable experience.
I was amused by the latest bit of advice they gave
to riders that venture into Grizzly country.

When riding in Grizzly Bear country, it is a common
practice to wear little bells on you and your horse so
that you will not surprise any Grizzlies in your vicinity.
It is also a very good idea to carry Pepper spray
as a deterrent to any bears you come upon.
You also have to know what kind of bear country
you are in, and this is very easy. You do this by
checking any bear droppings you find.
Black Bear droppings will look like tar and
have remnants of berries, grass, and squirrel fur,
while Grizzly Bear droppings
will be full of little bells and smell like pepper!

Song Playing is
"Red River"

Background by Silverhawks Creations.