Packing into the backcountry with horses is grounding, beautiful, exciting…and an entirely different way of life. As a morning person, I wake up between 4 and 5am. At that time it’s dark and chilly in the high country, outside of my cocoon of sleeping bag liner, sleeping bag and sometimes lined duster for additional warmth. …
Category: Stefanie’s Notebook
Jul 19 2022
Gentling mare & foal pairs
When we first started discussing the idea to bring pairs to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy to gentle and adopt out, we got a lot of feedback along the lines of “I don’t recommend it, those wild mares can be aggressive when they have a foal at their side”. Figuring that we wouldn’t have a …
Jul 19 2022
Riding under a storm cloudy sky
A quick ride to check cows on the forest after a day of gentling wild horses turned into a spectacular light show. It was 4yo Devil’s Garden Mustang gelding DG Littlefoot’s first “big boy” ride, saddled and being ridden the entire 8 1/2 miles rather than sharing the workload with 7yo Divide Basin Mustang mare …
Jul 01 2022
Tesla – a lesson in patience and an opportunity to combine approaches
Tesla, 5yo Warm Springs, OR Mustang gelding has been an interesting one to work with. Not because he’s a “bad” horse but because of the baggage he carries. He has been bounced around several times, including a trip to auction, before his current owner got him. Various unsuccessful attempts to gentle the gorgeous bay gelding …