Posted: August 17, 2009

Highlights from High & Wild...August 17, 2009

Here is some of what the students had to say about their highlights.

...Realizing and seeing what I had actually learned and acheived over the past 3 months and putting it to practice....

Moving horses from the pasture and up to Jackass Ridge.  Having to stop and listen to find out where they were heading and then getting into position quickly to keep them together and going the right direction.  I am looking forward to doing this again.  Thanks so much for all the new experiences....

Strolling up a mountain and crossing fast running water, the Elk...By far how much confidence I gained, getting through situations that were uncomfortable or scary (for me) and being fine in the end, seeing changes in certain horses was another highlight...Trailing horses from Lower Prairie because I could put  skills to use and some principles to purpose, realized how much easier things are if a horse has a good foundation and how important that foundation really is...

Spotting wildlife, lots of Elk and the Mountain Sheep...handling a 45' line on an unbroke horse...seeing the change in a horse from when it chased Glenn up a fence to being able to get enough trust and respect from it to have it lower its head and curl its neck around me with its eyes half closed, and feeling that same softness come through during its first ride...dropping food and supplies out of the airplane...Got the opportunity to use some techniques that we'ed been taught but never used for real, because domestic horses are very rarely this scepical or reactive e.g. stroking the air....One of the things I really enjoyed was going up the mountain in the fog, that was great...chasing the horses out of the back pasture was tons of fun!!...Seeing the horses as they came in was like seeing friends you hadn't seen for a year, searching the crowd for familiar faces, any new babies, who had grown, and who gained or lost a few pounds, just like a family reunion!...

Thank you to everyone who participated!

"May the rain wash away your worries

May the Breese blow new strength into your being

May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life."

- Apache Blessing