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Equine Enthusiast is produced locally and distributed quarterly to feed/tack stores,event facilities, hotels, fairgrounds and other equine related businesses. It is also packaged with The Business Farmer, a weekly specialty publication that covers agricultural issues in eastern Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle, and available at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, Cheyenne Frontier Days and numerous county fairs. (12,000 copies total, each issue)

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Equine Enthusiast is also available online at www.EquineEnthusiast.com and on Facebook: Facebook.com/equineenthusiastmagazine EQUINE Q ENTHUSIAST | FEATURE

EQUINE ENTHUSIAST | FEATURE

KINDNESS RANCH: A SAN SANCTUARY FOR RESEARCH ANIMALS

BRED TO RUN, RACE ACE AND BARREL 7 LAZY K RANCH QUARTER HORSES BOASTS SOME OF THE NATION’S FINEST

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ar out, on the edge of Sublette County, even out past the edge of the small town of Boulder, is a ranch that, come early next spring, will welcome four registered racing quarter or paint horses into the world. The small breeding outfit of 7 Lazy K Quarter Horses is, despite its size, home to children of some of the nation’s top moneymakers in the field of racing and barrel racing. The stud in residence is Dashing Move Fame, whose sire, Dash Ta Fame, was a barrel champion that produced millions of dollars in race earnings. Two of this spring’s foals will be Dashing’s, and owner, operator, breeder, trainer and all-around head honcho Heather Wells said she is already looking forward to meeting the young ones and gauging their potential. This has been Wells’ first year breeding Dashing, although she and her partner Bill Kelly have been breeding racing and barrel horses for eight years. Dashing’s previous offspring were too young to race the 2011 season, so no one will know how his progeny will perform until the 2012 season starts May 1. But Dashing’s bloodline is solid. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather, as well as his grandmother and great-grandmother, all have speed indexes over 100. A speed index of more than 80 earns a horse recognition for merit. Wells and Kelly are among the more than 100 performance breeders in Sublette and Sweetwater counties, and Wells said they are much smaller than many of the other breeders. “We do it for the fun of it,” she said. “We may make some supplemental income, and the horses we sell typically cover our expenses.” But it’s clear by the smile in her eyes it’s the love of it that keeps her going. It’s a lot of work monitoring mares to determine when they’re in heat, conducting the breeding and then monitoring mares to see if they’re in foal, not to mention raising foals from birth to when they are released into pasture. Kelly

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efore coming to the Kindness Ranch, RayAnne, a tall thoroughbred, was not adoptable. The mare had been used in research and had behavior problems and no manners. Today, she is able to run free through a pasture with other horses in rural southeast Wyoming. The once ill-mannered RayAnne now has good manners, thanks to the new culture that surrounds her. RayAnne’s story is just one of the Kindness Ranch’s success stories. Located near Hartville, the Kindness Ranch American Sanctuary For Research Animals is a 1,000-acre ranch that takes in all kinds of animals formerly used in research. Dr. David Groobman founded the sanctuary, which opened in the summer of 2007. Groobman dedicated 10 years of planning to the sanctuary. Ranch manager David Sleeper said Kindness Ranch staff members are not animal activists. “Our job is to provide the research laboratories a wonderful alternative to euthanasia,” he said. In order to do that, the Kindness Ranch fosters a working relationship with the researchers. While at the Kindness Ranch, animals

Courtesy photo

Dashing Move Fame is the stud for Heather Wells’ 7 Lazy K Quarter Horses outside of Boulder. works out of town much of the time, and many of these tasks are left to Wells. Mares are monitored with an ultrasound machine Wells has at the ranch. Images can tell her when mares are beginning their fertility cycle, to give Wells as much time as possible to administer the artiﬁ cial insemination to impregnate them. The ultrasound can also tell when fertilization has occurred, even before there’s a heartbeat. The day-in, day-out work comes once the foals are born. “It’s a lot for one person to halterbreak, trim the hooves and pick up the feet of all the foals every day,” she said, explaining part of the routine to get the newborns accustomed to being around people. But when the foals aren’t being handled, they’re running around the paddocks, bucking and carrying on like the ability to walk was their own personal discovery, which, in a way, it was.

After 11 months and two weeks growing slowly in a mare, foals are born and able to walk within hours. It’s not the most graceful walk, as their legs unfold from nearly a year curled beneath them. But they figure out what it means to be a horse. Soon enough though, they’re walking and running – then racing. If Wells can’t fi nd buyers for her foals, she’ll keep them and race them when they’re a year old, with the hopes of selling them as finished racehorses. Unlike thoroughbreds, who race between 3/4 and 1 1/2 miles, quarter horses typically run between 300 and 400 yards, around one quarter of a mile – hence the name. Wells takes her horses to Idaho to ce, where there are fi five race, ve tracks. The ock Springs track recently opened, and Rock shee said she’s looking forward to doing me racing closer to home. But Idaho some n’t that bad, she said, when compared isn’t

to traveling to Oklahoma to race her paint horses. Quarter and paint horses belong to different associations, so their races are separate, although the races themselves are similar. When their racing career is over, Wells’ horses transition into running barrels, and this is where Dashing’s bloodline emerges to take center stage. Wells said in the barrelracing world, Dash Ta Fame is a household name, and often all the promotion needed to get Dashing’s name recognized. And with that should come demand for breeding opportunities. That’s all the more so, since Wells is keeping the stud fee at $650, when most performance stud fees exceed $1,000. That mayy change, g , though, g , when Dashing’s potential, as realized through his offspring, is recognized. If his foals do well next season, Wells and Kelly may not be doing this all just for fun anymore.

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– which include horses, dogs, cats, sheep and pigs – are rehabilitated in a homelike environment. Though Sleeper says he doesn’t consider himself a horse whisperer, he has a philosophy that has allowed him to form relationships with once untrusting animals. The more afraid an animal is, the more powerful and “permanent” is the response to his techniques. Although the philosophy is given in much better detail when Sleeper relays it to visitors at the Kindness Ranch, the bottom line is that animals mimic our behavior. If a human shows respect by using certain listening and intuiting techniques, coupled with an unwillingness to enter in to the animal’s “zone of intimacy” unless invited, the fearful animal becomes attracted like a magnet to this energetic safety exhibited by the human. The human basically focuses on evolving themselves to their higher form with no agenda and the animal amazingly is attracted and mimics that behavior. The fearful animal ends up being the instigator and choreographer of the deep bonding on an energetic level that emerges. Techniques then follow which encourage non-impulsive thinking behavior with the resulting boost in self esteem. Sleeper said that he can’t tell who is the

Members of the Kindness Ranch are welcome to stay in “yurts” while visiting. For more information on visiting the ranch, visit www.kindnessranch.org.

| FEATURE

Photos by Amber Ningen

Horses at the Kindness Ranch roam a pasture on a sunny October morning. The Kindness Ranch is made up of 1,000 acres. lead mare at the Kindness Ranch. “They all have manners, squabbles are rare and the pecking order seems to be non-existant,” he said. The former lead mare now has the most manners and perhaps the others are following her lead. In RayAnne’s case, the thoroughbred had been getting treats and sweet feed before coming to the Kindness Ranch and she was ill mannered towards people and equines. Sleeper’s idea is that having a relationship with an animal’s stomach leads to impulsive and addictive behavior with poor manners. Whereas relating the heart and mind encourages thinking and evolving and good manners. Sleeper said the 15 horses at the Kind-

ness Ranch now have their own culture that is based on manners and thinking. When a new horse arrives like RayAnne, instead of pecking order battle, the whole herd helps her to leave her impulsiveness behind and become a thinker with manners. “This sounds so strange and impossible until one sees it in action. It is a very rewarding for us folks to see animals that were subject to the trials of research end up living harmoniously with high selfesteem in a Wyoming paradise,” he said. The Kindness Ranch welcomes visitors. It offers well-appointed cabins for its members to stay in while visiting. For more information on the Kindness Ranch, visit kindnessranch.org.

Ranch Manager David Sleeper demonstrates his First Lite technique on Stormy.

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Published by News Media Corporation | FALL 2011

FALL 2011 | Published by News Media Corporation

FRONTIER DAYS FINALIST FOR ARENA VET NAMED PRCA AWARD DR. NORM SWAN SON KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOU T BIG-TIME RODE

STAFF REPORT

serving of this award, which makes he Profession the job of the al Rodeo Cowselection committee boys Associatio very difficult,” n is proud to said Doug Corey, announce the DVM, Pro Rodeo Hall of Famer sen out of a stellar five finalists choand chairman of the fi PRCA Animal for the 2011 “PRCA eld of nominees Welfare Committee Veterinarian of “It is an honor the Year Award,” to be associated with presented by Purina. such The field includes group of veterinarya distinguish ed profession son of Cheyenne, Dr. Norm Swanals that advocate for the welfare nated by Cheyennewho was nomirodeo livestock.” of Frontier Days Rodeo officials. The original field of 16 nominees The 2011 recipient was narrowed to will these be five announced in late distinguished veterinaria October and will ns: honored at the be ■ Dr. Joseph PRCA Contract Coli, Reno, Nev.; Personnel Banquet nominated by Wednesday, Nov. the Reno Rodeo in Las Vegas, 30, and Bob Feist and Wrangler National during the 53rd ■ Dr. Garth Lamb, Finals Rodeo SatLas Vegas, urday, Dec. 3, Nev.; nominated by 2011, at the Thomas Shawn Davis Mack Center in & ■ Dr. Norm Swanson, Las Vegas. Cheyenne; The award was nominated by created in 2010 Cheyenne Frontier recognize dedication to Days Rodeo to the health and welfare of ■ Dr. Jake Wells, rodeo livestock San Antonio, veterinaria ns across by Tex.; nominated the country. The by the San Antonio award is made Stock Show & possible by a partnerRodeo ship with Purina ■ Dr. Wes Mills to sponsor Wittman, Sonora, the award. Calif.; nominated by the Mother “Every nominee Lode Roundup is absolutely deRodeo and Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Posse

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Swanson has served as the arena son veterinaria n for has been an active the Cheyenne member Frontier Days of the contestants for 42 committee in years. In this capacity,consecutive Cheyenne for more than 40 years, he has coordinated with the general com- volunteering his time to ensure the mittee, the contestants contestants and hired personnel chairman, at PRCA judges and stock contrac- Cheyenne are taken care of during tors to oversee their stay. His the health and care the committee involvemen t with of all livestock has been on-site during the event. Cheyenne on providing immediate focused had nearly attention medical 1,700 competitor to animals if needed. s this year and the rodeo lasted “I have personally twelve days with witnessed Dr. nine sections of slack and nine Norm Swanson’s dedication to the performances. The sport of rodeo. He is extremely total number of livestock exceeded qualified for this award,” said 4,000. SwanPRCA stock contractor Harry Vold.

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| FALL 2011

WILD

EQUINE ENTHUSIAST | FEATURE

continued from page 46

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WILD HORSES: A SYMBOL OF THE AMERICAN WEST THE LARGEST NUMBER OF WYOMING’S WILD HORSES ARE IN THE SOUTHWEST By Virginia Giorgis STAFF WRITER

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yoming boasts the second largest wild horse herd in the nation, second only to Nevada. Wild horses are symbols of the West – they are untamed spirits and have free range on a wide-open landscape. Today’s wild horses are descendants of horses brought to the United States by the Spanish, as well as horses subsequently turned out by ranchers or led away by the wild horse herds. As of February, there were 5,333 wild horses in Wyoming, according to June Wendlandt, Wyoming’s BLM wild horse and burro program lead. Currently, the number of wild horses is around 2,000 head over the projected management level, which is set at between 2,490 and 3,725 horses.

The wild horses are regulated under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The act sets guidelines for maintaining the wild horses and their forage. “We have healthy horses in Wyoming, and we want to keep it that way,” Wendlandt said. Wild horses differ from domestic horses, as they have naturally bred for survival in the wild countryside. They are more compact and have thicker, sturdier legs to carry them over the open ranges. Wendlandt said a large part of management requirements for wild horses is determined by the vegetation and forage on BLM land. She explained the BLM is a multiple-use agency, so the land they manage is divided into multiple purposes, such as wildlife, wild horses, livestock and recreation. BLM analyzes the “amount and type of forage and divides it into pieces of the pie.”

Courtesy of BLM

BLM Wyoming Herd Management Areas (HMAs) for 2011.

Wild horses are found in Wyoming on the western half of the state from as far north as the Cody area to the state’s southern border. Wendlandt said wild horses in Wyoming are managed in 16 management areas, with the largest number of wild horses in the southwest. Wild horses can be seen from I-80 as motorists drive across the western portion of the state. There are Courtesy photos of BLM also a number of wild horses in the Some of the scenes of the horses living in the wild make for worthRed Desert area. while touring.

FINDING WILD HORSES

Courtesy of BLM

Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Tour.

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The two easiest places to view wild horses are in the Pryor Mountains outside Lovell and in southwest Wyoming, near Rock Springs. A loop tour has even been developed near Rock Springs, known as

the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour. The area is easily accessible and is on the top of Pilot Butte, which lies on the east side of Rock Springs. The 24-mile self-guided tour can begin

WILD continued on page 47 FALL 2011 | Published by News Media Corporation

in either Green River or Rock Springs. Travelers should plan on about 1 1/2 hours to complete the tour, most of which is on gravel roads. “It is a good tour to take,” Wendlandt said, “and most likely the wild horses will be there.” Another sizable herd is in the Adobe Town area, south of I-80 near Rock Springs. The Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center features a museum. Visitors can learn about the horses there, as well as the current location of the herd before driving out to locate it. Another beneﬁt is often the sighting of other wildlife in the area. Wild horse management tools include a count of the herds, maintaining the forage, roundups and adoptions, and managing the reproduction of the herds, Wendlandt said. Other management tools for the wild horses include “gathering and removing excess horses, treating the mares with PZP – a form of birth control which prevents the mares from breeding for two years – and adjusting the ratio of the released horses so more males are released than females. That helps maintain a slower growth rate of the herd so the time between round ups can be lengthened, Wendlandt said. Another option that has been considered has been spaying mares and neutering studs. This option has been sidelined until it can be determined what its impact would be on geldings being released back into the herds.

ADOPTING WILD HORSES

Roundups are conducted periodically if the wild horse numbers are deemed too large. The gathered horses are then put up for adoption. To adopt, applications must be submitted by interested parties that contain many speciﬁc, including what type of trailer will be used to pick up a horse, and what type of pen will be employed. Requirements include maintaining a fence six feet or higher, a 20by-20 foot enclosure constructed of substantial pipe or wood and connected to a shelter of at least 12by-12 feet. Such speciﬁcations are required because most of the ad-

Published by News Media Corporation | FALL 2011

opted horses are “untouched,” or have had little training, though some of the adopted horses may be halter or saddle broken. In Wyoming, the process runs through the spring and summer, though in other states the adoption process is handled year-round. The corrals in southwest Wyoming were closed Sept. 30. There were 128 horses adopted in Wyoming this year, Wendlandt said. The aim is to have 2,000 to 3,000 wild horses adopted nationwide; these numbers were not met this year. Wendlandt blamed the lower adoption rate on the weak economy. “It is hard for people to think about feeding a horse,” Wendlandt suggested, “when they are thinking about feeding their family.” Wild horses have been adopted by a wide variety of individuals. Some are retirees who want to trail ride, others are younger p e o p l e who need a good working horse for their ranch. Others just wa n t to pleasure ride. W i l d horses, Wendlandt said, are “very versatile and

can do almost anything.” She added a wild horse was “the best horse I ever had. She would wait for me to get home from school. I could catch her with no halter, no lead line, and ride her to the house” after Wendlantdt got off the bus from school.

MUSTANG DAYS

A prime wild horse-related event in Wyoming is Mustang Days. The event is held in conjunction with the Mustang Heritage Foundation, a non-proﬁt group. The event was most recently held at the Wyoming State Fair Aug. 16-20, and included competitors as young as 5 years old showing their wild horses. Competitions consisted of mustang owners competing in things like halter, trail courses, western pleasure and freestyle, which can include a theatrical bent. Cheyenne resident Kathi Wilson’s performance with her wild horse was “so cool,” Wendlandt said. Wilson “laid her horse down on the ground. It was done to music, and then she got on and road bareback.” Another important part of Mustang Days is the competition between wild horse trainers. Members of the Honor Farm at Riverton work with some of the wild horses before they are adopted. Also, three members of the Mantle Wild Horse Training Facility competed against one another. The horses have been trained anywhere from 20 days to a year. Jeff Martin of the Honor Farm earned the belt buckle for being the best trainer. The adoption rate was 20 out of 20 – 18 horses and two burros – at the Mustang Days. Wendlandt credited this to the fun and excitement of the event, which made others want to participate next year.

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