Travels with Charlie
Western art comes to life on the Charles M. Russell Trail in northern Montana.
Hobble How-To’s
Train your horse to master the essential skill of wearing hobbles.
March 2011 “Western Horseman”
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Classic Cowboy: Leslie Best
Seven decades in the saddle have honed this Montana cowboy’s eye for what makes a good horse.
If Montana cowboy Leslie Best’s life were a movie, the Johnny Cash song “I’ve Been Everywhere” would be the soundtrack. 84 years old and going strong, Best has traveled through half the United States (including Alaska), and much of Canada, working as a cowboy, horse trainer, and AQHA competition judge. Along the way, he’s developed a keen sense for what constitutes a quality western stock horse.
Joel Nelson: The Horses and the Words
Story by Ryan T. Bell/ Photography by Ross Hecox
West Texas horseman Joel Nelson reflects on the poetic life and how it feels to be a man who has willingly submitted to his muse.
On an unseasonably cool July morning in the Davis Mountains of southwest Texas, Joel Nelson drives through a pasture of Corriente cattle. He recently drilled a well in the pasture, so he’s checking to make sure that water is flowing properly before the heat of the day arrives to parch the cattle.
Maybe it’s the repetitive nature of the chore, but Nelson is in a pensive frame of mind. He recites a favorite quote by the poet Stanley Kunitz:
“If we want to know what it felt like to be alive at any given moment in the long odyssey of the race, it is to poetry we must turn.”
“Boy,” he says, “that nails what poetry means in about as few words as you could hope to get it said in.”
Travels in Mongolia
I just returned from a 6 week hitch guiding in northern Mongolia. It was great and I look forward to returning next summer. Click on this photo to see a gallery of slideshows documenting the trip.
2010 AHP Awards
June 19, 2010 – Lexington, KY. American Horse Publications announced the winners of the Excellence in Writing Awards. The industry-wide competition is for magazine articles published in 2009. Three of my articles were chosen as finalists.
“Up Snake River” (Western Horseman, February 2009) – 3rd, Service to the Reader
Judge Review: “This story reminds me of the mom who cuts her kid’s veggies into dinosaur shapes – you enjoy it so much, you don’t realize how much mental nutrition you’re receiving. Part travelogue, part history lesson, this isn’t as much a “how to” (although there is good info) as an article that shows how careful planning can make a ride like this possible. Flowed from beginning to end, with a satisfying kicker.”
“La Pialada“ (Western Horseman, July 200) – Honorable Mention, Feature Article
Judge Review: “Really like the emphasis on culture and a glimpse of how it’s done through how equipment is made. Great angle.”
“Catch the Train to Elko” (Western Horseman, January 2009) - Honorable Mention, Feature Article
Judge Review: “What a unique piece. Never knew such an event existed.”
Ryan Bell last won an AHP Award in 2008 for “In Search of the Last Cowboy” (Western Horseman, March 2007) - 1st Place, Feature Article
Judge Review: “This is writing, not reporting; sharing intimacies, not a meaningless peck on the cheek. More than learning what Jahiel does - interesting in itself – we learn why he does it through the world the author paints for the reader. You get done reading this, you want to see Jahiel’s photos. More than that, you want to go visit the ranches and cowboys and see them as Jahiel does. The brush strokes of prose are elegant, measured, carefully chosen. The use of information and quotes is masterful. This is the clear winner.”
Backcountry Blaze
When wildfire strikes, follow these 5 tips to escape the backcountry unscathed.
Fact: Wildfire can outrun a horse.
Fact: The temperature of a grassfire can reach upwards of one thousand degrees.
Fact: Smoke inhalation is the greatest threat wildfire poses to equine health.
If these fire facts don’t grab your attention, here’s one that will. 2010 is forcasted to be one of the worst fire season in recent history. Bizarre weather patterns, drought, and forests ravaged by pine beetle infestation will make Smokey a nervous bear this summer.
I spoke with five experts to learn what steps a horseman should take if a wildfire breaks out while he is in the backcountry.
A New Twist to Leave No Trace
It’s time for backcountry horsemen to embrace catch-and-release fishing.
Trail riding and lake fishing go together like, well, fresh-caught trout cooked over a campfire with lemon and butter. So the first time I returned a living trout to a mountain lake, my inner-hunter asked, “What’s the point?” while my stomach grumbled, “There goes dinner.” Fishing regulations allowed me to keep the trout, but I’d noticed over the years that my favorite lake had fewer and fewer fish. So, I released my catch to swim another day.
It turns out, diminishing fish populations are an issue facing mountain lakes across the American West. In the past year, major backcountry areas in California and Washington have cut back their fish stocking programs. Why are they picking a fight with fish?
BI: Know When to Hold ‘Em
Horseback poker – a charitable event coming to a trail near you.
Horses and the card game poker were a recipe for mayhem in the Wild West. But not today. Horseback poker rides are now charitable events during which trail riders enjoy a day in the backcountry while raising money for a worthy cause. And, as I discovered on a ride last spring in Virginia City, Montana, the events are a good way to bomb-proof a saddle horse under crowded trail conditions.
