Posted: July 26, 2009

July 26, 2009  On a Wilderness Horsemanship Learning Adventure that is!   For the 7th year in a row we're back in the mountains of Northern BC for three weeks of glorious horsemanship, great students, beautiful weather and its SO GOOD TO BE BACK!  I can't believe how much things stay the same here!  Every year I prepare myself  for the inevitable change...

 I tell myself "now don't get your hopes up that it is going to be as good or like every other year"...and then I get here, and its exactly like I never left!  Its magical!  Well, its been action packed since we arrived, and now that we have this newly formatted website I can update it myself from whereever we are so I thought I'd share a little of our High & Wild reality with you. 

We flew in from Mile 222 airstrip, and it was one of the 3-month Horsemanship Course student's  first airplane rides. He was asked if he was concerned, and I heard him say he was more worried about these colts up here!  Hee Hee! The High & Wild Adventures are part of the 3  Month Horsemanship Course curriculum - the dates are set for 2010!  More information under Horsemanship in the menu above.

After we arrived it was time to get our gear in order, pick out our saddles and get everything adjusted and colt starting worthy for the days ahead.

Then we needed to move some of the horses around (well over 100 head are here right now) and it got fairly action packed!  It was a great learning experience in horse herd drive lines, keeping the herd bunched and moving, and how much work it is if things go wrong ie if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, can't get your horse moving etc.

We separated the older geldings from the herd first, then the younger geldings that we started last summer and then turned out for a year.  Then we separated the rest by families (some up to five generations!) which was apparent by appearence and behaviour, they stayed tightly bunched, sometimes grooming each other.

We started with a horse family per corral, showing or reminding them to follow a feel on a rope so they could be lead, have their feet picked up and general handling in preparation for riding, building their trust in people.

While we are in the corrals you can hear the tinkling of horsebells and the creek, smell the supper you didn't cook wafting down from the kitchen, knowing that when the days work is done you can admire the obtained pearls of wisdom over a cool glass of wine in the freshwater hot tub.  Does it get any better?  I just don't think so...but it might...I'll let you know in a day or so - if you don't hear from me you'll know I got lost in the world of horses.  Thanks for reading! 

If you would like to learn more about the High & Wild Adventures, check it out under Horsemanship, also go to the Gallery for a few pictures from years past.