Page 1

BITS AND SPURS Oct/Nov/Dec 2014, SPWBCH Newsletter

Mission Statement: Our purpose is to perpetuate the common sense use of horses in America’s back country, wilderness and roadless areas; to assist various government and private agencies in their maintenance of said resources; to work to ensure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use; and to educate, encourage and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of the back country resources by horsemen and pack stock.

2015 SPWBCH Officers - Contact Information President: Kathy Hundley Ph. 363-8230

Vice President: Bruce Scott Ph. 239-1007

Secretary: Trish Foster Ph. 777-4383

Treasurer: Terry Reed Ph. 360-8932

Local Board: Senior-Paula Plettenberg & Nancy Bender Junior- Taylor Orr & Duane Krowen

Ph. 381-6572 Ph. 360-1666 PH. 930-5838 Ph. 642-3932

BCHM State Directors: Julie Schram & Kathy Hundley Alternate: Linda Habeck

Ph. 961-2457, Ph. 363-8230 Ph. 961-1435

Contents

President’s Note pg. 1

Health/Training/ DO Recipe pg. 2

4-H Denver Competition pg. 3

Interest Story pg. 4

Convention Spotlight pg. 5

Wanted-Trail Heroes pg. 6

Projects & DO Fun pg. 7

Membership Renewal pg. 8

Next Meeting

Thursday, February 12th Board Meeting 5:30pm

General Meeting 6:30pm Hamilton Forest Service SO

President’s Note –My apologies…This newsletter is actually our December issue coming to you late due to holiday plans and meeting the deadline for putting together our convention invitation packets. I just plain ran out of time! So, in this issue will be a little of the old (2014) and a little of the new (2015)!

Plans are coming together for our State Convention March 27, 28 and 29 at the Bitterroot River Inn. By now you have received your email packets. I hope all of you can come and enjoy in the fun, whether you choose to be a delegate, register to receive all the perks, or just join us for the chuck wagon BBQ at the banquet Saturday night. Mark your calendars-we will need lots of help the weekend of convention and even more erecting the wall tents for Boomtown! I will be discussing things more at the next two general meetings. I will have a sign- up sheet for convention duties in February & March. Please consider helping any way you can.

I also want to ask members to begin thinking about summer projects and which trails you would like to work on. We are always looking for that special trail that needs “rescued”! I would also encourage any member to bring forth any new ideas, events or thoughts for discussion to help the SPWBCH grow and prosper. Happy New Year to all and I’m sure we are all excited about getting “back in the saddle”!

Happy Trails To You…Kathy & Gus

Page 2

Health & Training

If you’re having a problem with your horse, there’s no shame in getting off

the horse and working through the issue on the ground, especially if it puts you in a safer position. You can move the horse’s feet forward, backwards, left

and right on the ground just as well as you can from his back.

A lot of people are under the impression that you should never get off a horse when you run into trouble because the horse will get away with

his bad behavior and think that he won. The horse only “wins” if you get off

and put him away, not if you get off and hustle his feet. Personally, I would

much rather solve a problem on the

ground than be in the saddle wishing I was on the ground. Once you have the horse’s

feet moving, he’s using the thinking side of his brain and

is no longer frightened, you can get back in the saddle. You only have one body, and you need to take care of it.

~Clinton Anderson~

A horse never gets any lighter than the first amount of pressure you put on the

reins. If you want a soft horse that responds immediately to light pressure, you have to be that way from the start. Let’s say I want the horse to flex to the

side. If I always ask him with five ounces of pressure on the rein, he’ll

never get any lighter than five ounces. I want to ask with just one ounce of pressure on the rein. If he doesn’t

respond by flexing and bending, then I might increase the pressure to five

ounces. As soon as he responds and softens his face, I release the rein. The

next time I go to pick up, I’m going to ask with one ounce again, even though I know in the beginning that one ounce is probably not

going to be enough pressure to ask him to bend and flex. But, I always need to give the

horse the benefit of the doubt. If I always start with one ounce of pressure and finish with one

ounce, eventually, one ounce will be all it takes to get the horse to flex. Think of it like this: If you always pick up kind of heavy, you’re always going to have to pick up heavy. If you pick up lightly, eventually, all you

have to do is pick up lightly. ~Clinton Anderson~

Some Winter Health Tips

1. More Calories: Good quality hay/extra nutrition for older horses 2. Water/Not Ice: Abundant fresh water-check daily 3. Fresh Air: Preferably outside with a shelter /barn doors open 4. Check Under Blankets: Groom and check for problems 5. Blanket Consistently: Continue due to lack of winter coat 6. Continue Free Choice Salt & Minerals

DUTCH OVEN RECIPE

Cowboy Stew

2-3 pounds Ground Beef 1 Tablespoon margarine 2-15 ounce cans chili beans Brown beef in margarine in open oven. Add beans and cook slowly 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees in covered oven. (16 top/12 bottom) Serves 8 **Variation: Brown one medium onion, finely chopped, with the beef.

When you get bucked off, the easiest way to explain it is you dropped your hat

and got in a hurry to pick it up!

Page 3

4-H Horse Team

“The Trip to Denver” by Elisa Plocher

The trip our team took in Denver, CO to the Western National Round-up was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Some of the highlights in our six day trip were; flying for the first time for a few of us, going to a NBA game, visiting the Western National Stock Show, watching a PRCA rodeo, meeting youth from around the nation, and of course, representing Montana at a national competition. Nine other Hippology teams traveled to Denver to compete in this event, and all of them (including us) where ready to try their hardest to make their states proud. We competed all day on Friday and again on Saturday morning. When the scores were announced Sunday morning Montana took ninth in stations and written exam, seventh in judging, fourth in team problem, and eighth overall. Even though we would have liked our scores to be higher in some areas, we are very proud of all the effort and commitment that got us this far. We want to thank everyone who helped make it possible for us to experience this incredible trip!

Wild Horses by Susan Kosicki

The beauty and grace of horses so free,

to watch and to wonder how great it would be.

A gallant, proud stallion leading his band,

through the great mountains, across the white sand.

In the wind they will run from dangers that come,

wild horses they are until death of the sun.

Elisa & Shanae Plocher, SPWBCH members, in Denver (2nd & 3rd from rt)

Hippology (from Greek: ἵππος, hippos, "horse"; and λόγος, logos, "study") is the study of the horse.

Today, Hippology is the title of an Equine Knowledge Contest that is used in 4-H, FFA and many horse breed contests. Hippology consists of four phases: Horse Judging, Written Examination and Slide Identification, ID Stations and Team Problem Solving.

Many youth across the United States, and in other countries, compete in Hippology annually, showing their knowledge of all things "horse".

Items covered in the contest may cover any equine subject, i.e., Reproduction, Training, Parasites, Dressage, History and Origins, Anatomy and Physiology, Driving and Harnessing, Horse Industry, Horse Management, Breeds, Genetics, Western Games, Colors, Famous Horses in History, Parts of the Saddle, Types of Bits, Gaits, Competitions, Poisonous Plants and Nutrition.

Cowgirl Naptime… poolside!

Page 4

WHERE A TREE WILL GROW, A HORSE WILL GO

By Shannon Plocher

The call came from out of the blue. An outfitter asked me if I wanted to guide hunters back in the Bob Marshall Wilderness during the month of October. I had no idea who this outfitter was, but I knew that the Bob Marshall is an incredible piece of country. So I said, “Yes.”

That’s how I met “Stretch”. Stretch is a cowboy-wrangler-guide from Cody, Wyoming.

By the end of this trip, I would suspect he might be half horse, half mule, and definitely a full blown mountain man.

I met him in the corrals at the trailhead. He was laying out tack and stitching pieces that needed repair. It was easy to see that he knew what he was doing. I noticed his gun belt, holster and saddlebags were hand made. His stock trailer was crammed full of necessities for life on the trail. In fact, he told me that he spends 8 months out of the year in the mountains working for outfitters, spraying weeds for the Forest Service and collecting shed antlers in the spring. At 4 o’clock the next morning, I was introduced to Wyoming style sawbuck packing. I had learned the standard Decker packing system with packs slung from a Decker packsaddle. This outfitter was using Decker packsaddles and lash ropes and diamond hitches to suck everything down tight. There were 3 of us packing up the loads. I could see that Stretch knew his way around stock. We headed out horseback with 18 pack animals, both horses and mules. The horses were mostly a Percheron/Morgan or quarter horse cross out of Canada. The mules were Belgian crosses. We also were leading 6 out of state hunters. It was 32 miles in the first day through a pristine Montana fall. Main camp was at Hahn Creek. It was already set up from previous hunts that season. But we still had plenty of work left unpacking and caring for the stock. “Trapper” was the cook; and James, a young man from Australia, was another guide. The next day, I had 2 hunters from Minnesota assigned to me. Stretch was guiding an older man from Washington. We left camp together on horseback and forded Hahn Creek before starting up a steep trail toward Gordon Peak. It’s roughly a 3,000 foot ascent from camp to the head of Gordon Peak.

Stretch pointed out a faint trail leading up the side of the mountain. “That’s your trail,” he said. “Be safe.” As my hunters and I veered to take the slender trail, Stretch stopped his horse and turned in his saddle. “Hey, Shannon,” he said, “just remember, where a tree will grow, a horse will go.”

My hunters and I weren’t that adventurous. We covered some rough country and led our horse some places that could take your breath away. We would meet back at camp every night after dark with headlamps. We saw elk, but somehow never quite got up on them. By the campfire, we would hear Stretch’s hunter tell where they had been that day.

Stretch had brought along his own saddle horses. They were just grade horses, but he’d been down many trails with them. They were sure footed and went where he asked. The hunter’s horse had no choice but to follow or be left alone on the mountain. It followed.

“I thought I was going to die,” the hunter would tell us. Every day we hunted hard, covering some beautiful and rugged country. Every night we met in camp

well after dark, tired and empty handed. We were determined. But after another long day of hunting, my hunters and I returned to camp disappointed.

Page 5

When Stretch came in with his hunter, they were not disappointed. Around the campfire that night, the hunter told this story. They had ridden in places where no tree would grow. They had left their horses and climbed the side of a mountain. The hunter had begged to turn back, but Stretch had grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him the rest of the way, facing him toward the mountainside so he could not look down. Finally, Stretch let him go, and the hunter nearly fell backwards.

“Don’t fall now,” Stretch commanded. Then Stretch grabbed him again and turned

him around. The mountain dropped away like a cliff. Down below was a herd of elk and a 5 x 5 bull. Stretch handed the hunter his rifle and held him leaning over the edge so he could squeeze off a shot. “I thought I was going to die,” the hunter said.

So here’s where we part company. My tale is through. Be safe. And remember, “Where a tree will grow, a horse will go.”

Where a Tree Will Grow, A Horse Will Go

“CONVENTION SPOTLIGHT”

Horses & Mules Saddles & Saws 2015 MT Back Country Horsemen

State Convention

Chuck wagon BBQ Buffet

Carved Roast Pork

Jamaican Jerk Beer Can Chicken

Flat Iron Steak

Saturday Night Banquet

Selway Outpost

“The Horsemen’s Hangout” Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Relax and enjoy yourself…spurs

And boots allowed!

Games, cards and lots of

“Trail talk”

Page 6

Attention! SPWBCH Members who have not yet renewed your

membership for 2015 This will be your final

newsletter. Thank you for your

continued support in our volunteer efforts to

“RESCUE TRAILS” and promote the use of pack stock in our back country!

WE THANK YOU!

Christy Spoon & young horseman!

Wall tent camp…Step into the past

for shopping, games, raffles,

scavenger hunt & back country fun!

2015 BCH MT State Convention March 27-28-29 Hamilton, MT

Be a TRAIL HERO

Join the Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen

Page 7

South Fork Lost Horse August 1 3 miles logged

Thanksgiving Dutch Oven Cookout Three Sisters Pavillion-Lake Como

SPWBCH members and friends braved temperatures in the teens for a feast of turkey,

dressing and all the assorted side dishes!

Page 8

To view in color go to: www.bchmt.org/spwbch/ Newsletters.html

Selway- Pintler Wilderness BCH P.O. Box 88 Hamilton MT 59840

SPWBCH Bits and Spurs will now be printed quarterly. Please help make our newsletter interesting, fun and informative by sending in articles, stories and photos! We love to read about your horses, mules, dogs, pack trips, campouts, hunting trips and good ‘ole horse & mule sense! Trail history and updates are great too! Please send articles, news, pictures or horse/mule/back-country-related classifieds in to me for the quarterly newsletter at any time! Send to Kathy Hundley: 3448 Wright Way, Darby, MT 59829; prefer by e-mail: montanakath@yahoo.com **Content of this newsletter shall not be reproduced in any form or manner without prior written agreement. This includes reproduction of articles, photos, and the SPWBCH logo.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM Please send to SPWBCH PO Box 88 Hamilton, MT 59840

___________________________________Individual/Single Membership $30.00

___________________________________Family Membership $40.00 (husband, wife and children under 18)

Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Family Members: ________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________

Phone #: __________________________________________Cell #: _______________________________________

Email Address: __________________________________________________________________________________

I wish to become/remain a member of the Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen and have received, read and will abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of the SPWBCH.

Signature: __________________________________________________________Date: ________________________

Page 9

SPWBCH Pack Trip

Rock Creek MCC crew Pack Support &

Elk Lake to Bell Lake Logging August 17-18-19

Page 10

TRAIL PARTNERS

El Capitan