Lewis and Clark in their younger days, playing on the South Steens desert - photo from BLM archives

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Older Horses affected by the new Conrad Burns Sale Law.

I went to Las Vegas Cowboy Christmas in 2003, where I purchased a beautiful photograph of two wildly colored stallions. I've had it hanging in my living room ever since I bought it. (Photo removed at request of photographer) It shows the same horses as in this photo (from the BLM archives - non-copyrighted).

In January of 2005, this horse, along with 5 other older flashy pinto stud horses, appeared on the BLM's quarterly Internet Adoption:

 

I said, "Wait a minute! I know that horse!"

Mark for mark, tiny white fleck for tiny white fleck, "smudged lipstick" above the lips, it is the exact same horse as the one in my photo. 

Just as the Internet Adoption was getting started, the new sale law went into affect, and the BLM had to pull the 6 older Oregon horses off the Internet Adoption (since they are no longer eligible for adoption under the new law - they can only be sold). I was one of the people who called to see what was up, so they put me on a list of "Interested Parties" for when they figured out what to do. 

   
In the meantime, someone pointed out to me that the other horse in the photo was also in the group of 6.

 And then people started sending me all these photos (such as the ones below, which Andi Harmon took 10 years ago) with these same two horses together, so it became clear that these two had been together most of their lives. 

Andi Harmon, who lives near Burns and South Steens HMA, writes:
They were part of the “Hollywood” herd, so named just for that reason – they were often photographed, as they were part of the first herd you see when you come into the South Steens HMA.  We saw them all the time, as did many people.

It seemed to me that these horses, who had brought so much pleasure and beauty to so many people over the years, deserved better treatment than a feedlot and a trip to the slaughter house. AND, I thought it only fair that they should get to  finish out their lives together. 

    

What the BLM decided was that they would hold a special auction for just the 6 horses that had been pulled off the Internet Adoption, limited to the people who had already called in, which included me. So I faxed in my bid and waited to hear. One morning in mid-March Don Glenn of National BLM called and said I am the "winner" of both! 
 

We named them "Lewis and Clark." Which one is which? We'll have to see when we meet them. (Postscript: We decided on the mostly white one as Lewis and the mostly brown one, Clark.) 

April 19, 2005 - Lewis and Clark come home!

We left Napa, California on April 18, bound for Burns, Oregon, to pick up Lewis and Clark. After nearly 4 months of thinking about these guys, we were finally going to meet them  in person. We were excited, but also scared to death. Older wild stud horses? The unadoptables. What were we thinking of? What would we do?
California was sunny springtime, but just over Donner Summit into Nevada, a late winter storm covered most of the Great Basin - cold, windy, with rain-sleet-hail-snow squalls.

Into Eastern Oregon, we caught a glorious glimpse of the Steens Mountain Range, home of Lewis and Clark - looks like a beautiful but rugged and very cold place to be!

We got to Burns after dark, checked into the Best Inn, ate at the Castle Restaurant, and woke up very early on the morning of the 19th. 

We drove out to the BLM corrals, and there they were - the last four of the "Internet Six." Each one was even more beautiful than in the photos!
Watching the horses, and seeing how bonded Lewis and Clark were to one another, I felt good that I had made the decision to get both of them, to keep the two together.

We went inside and met the wranglers, Gary and Wendy - super nice people, very "real" and helpful. Andi Harmon arrived and we finally got to meet in person, after exchanging email for so many years! Andi took many of the photos of Lewis and Clark in their younger days on the Steens Range.

The wranglers told us that years ago they had gathered Clark, the little one, and had released him, as they deemed him such an excellent individual who could improve the herd. (I totally agree! He is exceptional - not just his color, but his build) He was branded way back then, which is how they know how old he is.

Here they come! Into the loading chutes. These guys run faster than Seabiscuit!

"Crashy" to the max. Totally freaked out. 
"What are we in for?" I wondered...

The first hour in the trailer they were so jumpy it was sometimes hard to control the vehicle. When a semi would pass us they went absolutely crazy, and the trailer rocked dangerously.  
Abducted by Aliens? The look in their eyes says they think so! These are horses who have never before seen cars, trucks, neon lights, tall buildings, etc. 

Eventually they got used to trucks, and by the time we got to Winnemucca (stopped for gas) they had calmed down enough that we could stand on the trailer's bumper and talk with them without freaking them out - they would actually look at us and lick and chew. 

 

Finally got home at about 9 PM (11 hours after we left Burns, OR), and the boyz would not come out of the trailer at all. 

Our fear had always been that they would come crashing out and make a run for it, killing themselves when they hit the opposite side of the pen. But no, when they finally did step out, and they just walked out and started eating - very calmly. 

By the time we got to Reno they thankfully no longer reacted to trucks at all, as there were LOTS of them (got there for rush hour in a hail storm). By the time we gassed up again at Boomtown, they were more concerned about the casino than they were about people looking at them.

We made it over the pass into California with no problems. The lady at the Truckee inspection station had to come out and look - shook Mike's hand, said it was a wonderful thing, etc. 

 

This morning it's the same - very relaxed, very calm, just eating and sniffing and occasionally looking at us and even walking over not too far from us. 

Lewis, the older one (21), is HUGE (15.3 hands) - a big spotted draft horse (with long, thick feathery legs and long thick forelock and mane) with very big, kind old eyes. Very calm and self-confident. 

Lewis is also overed with a lifetime of scars

Clark (16, but he looks like a 3 year old) is little (14.2 hh) and much more high strung. He is very dependent on Lewis for comfort and guidance - at first he stuck to him like glue - now is loosening up enough to go to the other side of the pen by himself. His overly-developed jowls testify that he has been a stud horse up until recently, however, and he has all the stud behaviors - he's on VERY "High Alert."

Clark

By afternoon they are very relaxed, and seem to enjoy watching us, as well as eating and basking in the sun.  Lewis has made a few steps toward us, especially in reponse to handfuls of grass offfered him. He WANTS to take them, just isn't quite ready yet.

4 - 23 - 2005 Clark Meets Lesley Neuman

For the rest of the week after we got the boyz home, we just left them in their pen to settle, and visited them on our side of the fence. Then on Saturday, Lesley Neuman came to work with Clark. We had asked the wranglers at the Burns corrals to put a halter and lead rope on Clark, so Lesley could work him - we thought he was the greater "handful" of the two horses, so figured he should be Lesley's candidate <g>. Lesley wanted to include a segment on older horses in her new video, which she and Mike are working on. (Stay tuned!)

This photo is somewhat out of sequence, as it shows the halter rope functioning properly. But I put it here to show that a mainstay of gentling in the round pen is to establish good movement - not jumpy, not freaked out, not running laps a mile a minute, just nice relaxed trotting and walking, with the body softening and flexing toward the human rather than away.
Over night Clark had apparently rolled and gotten his lead rope wrapped over his ear, so one of Lesley's first goals was to get it unwrapped. To do that she used a special lasso with a quick release loop, to de-condition Clark to the feel of ropes, and when he was pretty calm, she was able to use a fiberglass fence rod to pull the lead rope over his head and back into position.

She also, at some point, introduced him to the "flag"
One thing positive about the mature mustang mind is that once they get over it, they're over it. We were all surprised at how quickly Clark accepted ropes and flags.

Getting up close and touching was something else. This photo looks good, but if you look more closely, you'll see the arched neck, the tight jaw, the overly alert expression - Clark is not sure he's ready for this, yet. But note the slack in the rope - he also isn't extremely afraid.
After a few hours, Lesley invited me to come into the pen to learn how to work with Clark.

 

I guess I don't look REAL self-confident here, but on the other hand, it was suprisingly not scary.  Here I'm stopping his motion with a hindquarter yield.

Taking a break for licking and chewing.
The neat thing about wild horses is how light they are and how good at reading tiny changes in body language. I found that this was actually a lot of fun. Here I'm teaching him to back up.

Lesley's parting evaluation was that it may be some while before Clark wants to be cuddled. So instead of focusing on touching, we should "develop a business relationship" with him - give him jobs to do, keep him on the other end of the lead rope and teach him his ground work exercises. In this way he will learn to trust us more, while staying at a safe distance. Sounds good to me.

Lewis is now in his own square pen, so we are going to the sporting goods store today to get a bamboo pole to start to work with Lewis.We cannot thank our teachers, Lesley Neuman, Jerry Tindell, and Kitty Lauman enough for the skills and tools they have given us in order to help these old boyz ease into domesticity, which is really their only choice in life at this point.

April 25, 2005: Lewis Meets the Bamboo Pole

We decided to take the pressure off Clark for awhile. He is still breathing fire, and very stressed, just being here. And EVERYONE is warning us not to let him come in too close to us physically until he calms down. So I am going over to his pen for multiple brief visits, usually just leaving him a gift of fresh-cut grass, occasionally asking him to practice his shoulder yield turns, which I can get him to do without going into his pen. I stand on the first rung of the panels and direct him like an orchestra conductor. They guy definitely reads body language!As soon as he does it, I step off the fence and praise him warmly, and he watches in astonishment as I walk away and go get him another handful of grass clippings.

Other than that, we are just letting him settle.

However, we really feel that Lewis is reachable - he is a mellower guy, and more self-confident, and he does not seem entirely opposed to making contact and getting along with us. So we went to the garden store and bought a couple of long bamboo poles, and watched Kitty Lauman's "From Wild To Willing" DVD again, and then headed out to the barn to see Lewis.
This was actually scarier than it looks in the picture. This fellow is HUGE and capable of being explosive - not as bad as Clark, but intimidating, to say the least. He stood still while Mike introduced him to the pole, but he was poised to take off or strike.

As soon as the pole actually touched him, it was off to the races. Like probably 30 or 40 laps - we were beginning to wonder if he would ever stop - incredible endurance!
While continuiong to run around the pen, Lewis did begin to relax, going less feverishly, less frantically, but still going... He finally paused a second, and Mike removed the pole and praised him.

Then time for the other side - his initial reaction was more explosive than the first time, but he stopped after just a couple of laps around the pen - much quicker to learn on this side.
When he stopped, he allowed Michael to rub him with the pole. He seemed not to mind at all after awhile. He would turn often and look at Mike right in the eye. Then we figured that was enough for tonight.

Michael put away the pole, left the pen, and we sat for awhile in the feed alley, and Lewis just gave us this long, long stare - and I think I detected a change in his expression - like he was trying to figure it all out, and that he was starting to realize that we aren't intending to eat him. He started to lick and chew, while still staring. Then we got busy and allowed him to go back to his hay.

So we are feeling pretty good that Lewis is going to be okay. 

April 28 - Beginning our Second Week with Lewis and Clark

Lewis is doing better every day with the bamboo pole sessions. He stands still almost immediately, licks and chews a little, and seems almost to enjoy it. Today Michael was able to move the pole from Lewis' head to the tail with no issues. 

He tried to touch Lewis' chest, which Lewis did not like, but he didn't actually freak about it - just took a few steps and twitched his tail.

Clark can handle having his pen cleaned, even erratic movements, such as here Mike is waving his arms to see if Clark can handle it. He noticed, but continued to eat.

This may not seem like much, but for Clark, this is HUGE progress!

Mike is cleaning Clark's pen, and, although he is not unconcerned, he isn't freaked either.

Saturday, April 30 was Lewis and Clark's day off, while we took Ruby, Sparky and Benny to the Napa Valley Horsemen's Open House, where we gave a Mustangs demo.
May 1 - It started out back to the races.

Look Lewis - I can pole the donkeys and drink coffee at the same time and they don't care!
The races ended very quickly, and Mike started poling at the top where Lewis is comfortable, then started moving to new territory

Ended up having a great session - touched Lewis all the way down his hips on both sides, and over his tail. Progress - slow, but still progress

Clark seems much more interested, less apprehensive, less snorty.5-4-05 - No pictures - I worked with Clark in the round pen, moving him right and left, asking him to face up, etc. 

Mainly we're continuing to work on moving him slowly, at a relaxed pace. He did really well, seemed to be sort of hooking on, wanting to follow me and even taking a few steps in toward me - but I kept him back - I don't trust him yet to come too close - not sure his intentions are all that honorable just yet.

05-05-05 - Working with Clark

Poor Clark is still so afraid - every day he starts out racing and snorting, like he's completely forgotten that he's ever seen a human. But each time we get into the pen and spend some "quality time" with him, he ends up in a better place than the time before. So it's two steps forward, one step back, one step forward, one step back, three steps forward, two steps back, etc, but there actually is a slight upward trend.
Here's an example of small progress: How'd I get this close-up portrait? Because he came over right next to me, that's how! I was on the other side of the fence and Mike was inside the fence. So he was getting away from Michael. But today was the first day he could be close to a person regardless of which side of the fence they're on.

Working with a very wild horse is, of course, serious business, with potentially serious consequences. Still, sometimes you just have to have fun with them. Clark is so serious, that today we tried to interest him in play, with the help of the donkeys, who he allows to nibble at his tail, steal his hay, whatever they want - he doesn't mind them at all.

Above, Bert wants to try the Bamboo Pole method on Clark. Instead, he finds Michael to be a more accessible candidate:

An offering of fresh grass attached to a pole - Clark took it the first time but got scared when the grass fell off and wouldn't try it again.

The donkeys, however, were quite willing to steal it from Clark.

Working on easy, non-panicked, movement, smooth transitions, gentle turns that don't involve jumping and jerking.
Big progress for Clark today was WALKING most of the time - not dashing and crashing frantically.

Head nodding is one of Clark's tension-releasing behaviors - also used as a warning, although there is a bit of a difference in the way he does it when he means "Warning"

And somewhere in that head of his, I know Clark has a sense of humor! 
Just look at that face - almost a smile, a twinkle in the eye!

By the end of the session Clark's whole demeanor had changed - he actually looked happy for a few minutes. Then he began to drop his head little by little and seemed to really let down and relax for a few minutes.

Of course these changes seem always to be temporary. Ten minutes later when I went to feed, he was back to stamping and snorting again, head up in the air, on Full Alert. 

But even though he always starts out this way, it is taking much less time to get him to calm down and sort of connect with us than it used to. 

JUNE 3 & 4, 2005: Lesley Neuman comes back for a second session.

It was the first time Lesley Neuman worked with him since April 23, right after we got Lewis and Clark. We hosted a BLM Volunteers BBQ in preparation for the Vallejo adoption, so we had a crowd watching - I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but Clark is SO MUCH more relaxed, less aggressive, more comfortable than he's been up until now. Lesley said that at this point (since he's no longer so intent upon killing us - LOL) he is actually in some ways easier to work with than the immature horses, because his older, wiser brain just processes better than the little guys, who get so flustered. I'm starting to feel encouraged about Lewis and Clark - they are both so much mellower - Lewis looks at me like he's saying, "Why don't you just gentle me and get it over with?" He seems very receptive, and even Clark is starting to act that way.

  

  

Saturday night Lesley came back for a short session and actually got Clark's halter off. It was too dark to take pictures, though.

MID-JUNE, 2005

Clark is really starting to improve! We were gone all last week, so he just soaked. Then last night Mike went in to clean his pen and Clark just seemed ripe, so he worked with him for about an hour, and Clark ran a few 
laps, but never crazed, then got really soft, head down, licking and chewing, facing up real nice and even took a few steps toward him - in a nice way, not threatening. Mike had a pole which he extended out to Clark, and Clark very willingly of his own accord, sniffed it. When Mike offered his own hand, Clark couldn't do that yet, but he seemed definitely to want to be with Mike. Many times he stepped forward as though to follow Mike around the pen. We're still not totaly comfortable with Clark's advances, but this time he seemed soft and sincere.

Also, I stood just outside the pen at the panels - at first this was a barrier for him to fly past. Then he slowed down, and the he would slow to a walk or almost stop, looking directly at me - he was maybe just 12 -18 
inches away from me, though on the other side of the fence.

Then for a long time Mike was in the center of the pen and Clark would alternate between facing up to Mike and turning to me - looking pleased, licking and chewing, not snorting or threatening, head lowered. Then I went in to Lewis' pen and Clark watched the whole time, looking almost as though he was sorry I wasn't still with him.

June 22, 2005

Clark has been doing so well that I decided to take some more pictures last night. So, of course, Clark was worse than he's been in weeks. Two steps forward, one step back...

 
Around and around and around he goes - when will he stop? Nobody knows.

But he did finally stop, and Mike was able to work both sides (Clark prefers to deal with the world out of his eerie-looking white-lashed blue eye - his softer, more normal brown eye is less confident, more resistant, harder to work with)

It's slow going, but we're taking our time, and every time I start to despair, they make a new breakthrough.Lewis's pen is more shaded, and we tend to work with them after work in the evenings, so I don't have any updated Lewis pics. I have been working with Lewis regularly, though. I have been thinking I'm making no progress, so last night I asked Mike to try, and he said he could see big changes from the last time he worked Lewis. 

June 29, 2005
Clark makes a major breakthrough

First, notice the nice, soft look in his eye
Mike offers Clark a handful of hay

Clark sniffs of his own desire to sniff
And he takes a big bite - considering where Clark was just a few months ago, this is HUGE

 

CLICK FOR PART 2, starting in July, 2005Lewis & Clark, part 2

The Lewis and Clark of our Dreams... (and a little help from Photoshop)

 

- Nancy

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July 1 - 3, LEWIS MEETS JERRY TINDELL, Gets his feet trimmed, halter removed, fly-sprayed, and hair brushed

Jerry Tindell was in town for some clinics he was doing in the area. Wednesday night, he came by our house and while here, he checked out Lewis and Clark. 

He watched Mike work with Clark and gave him some good pointers on how to be more effective with him. 

He was very concerned about Lewis' terrible, over-grown feet - which we have been, also - and he generously offered to help us with him. 

So we made a plan to trim Lewis' feet with Lewis caught in a squeeze between two sets of pipe panels.

Lewis' front feet were about 3 - 4 inches too long, seriously restricting his movements, and just HAD to hurt!

STEP ONE: General Pressure and Release Work
(Thanks to Maureen Wendle for some of these photos)

But before Lewis could tolerate being in a squeeze chute and having his feet trimmed, he had to be taught how to accept being so confined, even temporarily, and to become more able to handle people being close to him and touching him.
So Friday Jerry worked with Lewis, moving him around, de-sensitizing him to being touched by ropes and poles, softening his hindquarters, and "hooking on" to pay attention to Jerry.

Saturday Jerry came back and did some more prep work with Lewis. 

STEP TWO: BEGIN THE SQUEEZE CHUTE
When Jerry felt Lewis was ready, a group of friends helped us bring the panels in and Jerry began moving Lewis into a more and more restricted space, all the while working with him, helping him tolerate the banging of objects on the panels, having ropes and poles and sticks touch him, etc. 

Phase One of Squeeze Chute - a small pen, but not too confining, continuing to do the de-sensitizing work with Lewis, touching him with ropes and poles

Phase Three: When the Squeeze chute was done it looked like this

Jerry looped a soft cotton rope around one front ankle, and, through, pressure and release, taught Lewis to hold his foot up and to tolerate having the bottom of his hoof touched and tapped with farrier tools. 

Phase Two: As Jerry decided Lewis was ready, volunteers moved the panels closer until they touched Lewis on both sides. Lewis was held almost stationary - he could move forward or backward slightly, and of course, he COULD try to jump up and out - but the idea was that Jerry had prepared Lewis well enough that he wouldn't do that, and indeed he did not.

Lewis is QUICK with those hind feet - he could take someone out in a nano-second.

Here, Jerry has maneuvered Lewis front foot through the panel bars - this allows easier access and also provides leverage to hold the foot stationary for the trimming process. Mike is holding the rope taut, to increase the stability of the foot.

Teaching Lewis to lift his front foot

One foot done, one to go

After all that was working well, Jerry held the foot and trimmed it - very rapidly. Then side two. It was amazing! 

 

Positioning the other foot

 

tapping the bottom of the foot to get Lewis accustomed to the feel of tools around his foot

 

 

After the feet were trimmed, Jerry removed Lewis' halter, and showed us how to flyspray and pet Lewis. 

 JERRY REMOVES LEWIS' HALTER 

This looks so easy, but trust me, it isn't!  

PETTING LEWIS

Jerry explains how to start stroking Lewis with the stick he already knows, and then work my hand up the stick, blending it in with the motion of the stick.  To just go up and touch Lewis would have been too much for him and he would have panicked.

FLY SPRAY

Fly spray procedure: First spray near him, then spray his shoulder, then gradually work down to the front legs, and last, the hindquarters. 

Normally one would avoid the face altogether for the first few experiences. Lewis hasn't been around people long enough to know he is SUPPOSED to be afraid of flyspray, so he didn't mind

Then we carefully and gradually released Lewis and dismantled the squeeze. Then Jerry worked him a little more, making sure he was moving well on his "new" feet, and still able to yield his hindquarters and face up. Lewis was licking and chewing and looking softer than he has since we got him. 

Today he looks 10 years younger, with his nice, upright feet.

 

JULY 5 - Mike and I continue to work with Lewis and Clark

Clark is learning to move freely and softly, and to accept touching with the rope

Inside turn, crossing under with the hind foot
 
Note the right hind foot crossing under the left - this is when the hindquarters dis-engage and the horse is able to soften

Look at Lewis moving on his "new" feet!

Mike took these two pics standing about 3 feet away from Lewis. Lewis remains the Sphinx - strong, self-contained, self-assured, and silent. But getting a LITTLE more tolerant of people.

7-15-05 CLARK MAKES CONTACT

 
Using the stick as an extension of the arm, and as a route for the hand to move up toward Clark. Note Clark leaning toward Mike, instead of backward. Clark is still so scared, but also trying so hard. 
getting closer

We Have Contact!
Another sniff

Touching/carressing all over with the lungewhip
Another sniff

Wow - stop and breathe, lick and chew - it blew them both out!
Come with me, buddy

Sniffing again

Mike says, "Just being with these guys is such an incredible experience. I really feel for them and what they have been through. 

We have a long way to go until they can let down and be out with the other horses but they really haven't been here that long. What I really appreciate is that we have time to do this at a pace that they can accept. We really don't work with them that much.

But life goes on around them - they get fed, they communicate with the other animals and us (Clark actually calls to us at feeding time - same as the donkeys and mule) we clean out their pens - and
then we go in sometimes and move them around, have them release their back feet, and lately I have Clark turn and face me and ask him to move towards me. If he moves away I make it look like that was my idea and I move him. He's starting to learn that it's easier to come to me and eventually with me. It's actually a safe comfortable place. Of course it's not been easy convincing him.

And then last night.
As I was moving him I put the lunge whip string on his back and it was just there dangling as he moved. At first it just made him move faster. I'd stop him and with the string still draped over his back try to rub him with the handle. He wasn't too interested in this
and I stayed with it and he gradually let down and I could stratch him on his back, and for the first time on his chest and front legs. 

Gradually I moved my hand up the whip handle (basically this was an extension of my arm) and he leaned over and sniffed and touched my hand. He did it - I didn't force it. His nose was soft and I just thanked him, backed up, and we looked at each other and we were both kind of mindblown.

This is one of the most powerful experiences of my life."

Sniff with touching
That's enough for one night! Snack time!

NEXT: PART 3

THE FURTHER STORY OF LEWIS AND CLARK: Fall and Winter 2005-2006

September 9, 2005: Lewis and Clark Update

So many people have been asking for updates of Lewis and Clark's progress. Truth is, it's very slow - although real. But not nearly as fast as we normally see with younger wild horses. Also, we really haven't worked real hard or consistently with them through the summer - too busy with other things going on, and we've been away a lot. That turned out to be just fine, though, as it gave Lewis and Clark much-needed "soak time" and we've noticed that they are definitely more comfortable here now. They call to us when they hear the front porch door open at feeding time. They only step a few feet away when someone passes near them, instead of racing to the far corner as they once did. We let them stay together most of the time, and they are getting to be pretty well trained with allowing us to separate them when we need to.

 

VACCINATION TIME:

Something that has been very much on my mind has been the need to update their vaccinations. Their last West Nile Virus shot was given in November at Burns BLM Corrals. West Nile has been working its way closer and closer to our area, and is now in our county. We tried to give them a booster last month, but at that time our vet advised us to wait - the trauma to the boyz would be worse than the risk (at that time) of contracting the disease. That has changed, however., with WNV being now very near us. 

At the time of our first attempt in August, our vet helped us devise a plan: We started to feed them treats, which could then be laced with tranquilizer on the morning of our next attempt. So we got them two feed pans and a bag of sweet feed. Of course, the feed pans really set them off - ALIEN OBJECTS in their pen - COULD BE DANGER!

Lewis and Clark snorted and jumped back away from the pans, and approached them as though they expected the pans to explode at any moment. While they were getting used to the pans, we sprinkled the sweet feed over their hay, to get them used to the taste. It really didn't take long, and they started to look forward to their treat each day.

Today was the day - so the vet called when she was 1/2 hour away, and we administered the ACE-laced treats. Then when she arrived, we moved first Lewis and then Clark into the makeshift squeeze chute that we had used for Lewis' hoof trimming.

Everything worked perfectly. Lewis and Clark got all their shots, as did all the other horses and donkeys and the mule. I feel very relieved.

November 2005:

We enlarged Lewis and Clark's pen so that they now have more room to exercise and play. They are getting much less skittish, although with setbacks. With the coming of winter rains, we found that cramming all the other horses on the other side of the barn was too crowded, plus we thought it was "about time" - so we started introducing our other horses into their pen = they have known each other over the fence but have not been together. We started with 30-year-old Silver and 3-year-old Eleanor the Mule. Everyone gets along well, although Eleanor currently rules with "iron hooves." Lewis and Clark have never had any trouble sharing their feed pile. Eleanor, on the other hand, is very possessive and won't let them near her at feeding time. So I take Lewis and Clark's feed into the middle of the pen for them. This is working out well in terms of their looking forward to having me in their pen.

FEBRUARY 28, 2006: Lewis and Clark get all 4 feet trimmed and vaccinations.

Hoof care is the number one problem of all newly adopted wild horses, and for 17 and 22 year olds who were living free in the wild until a year ago, it is really problematic. 'It takes a Village." Well, it at least takes a whole lot of friends! 

First Lewis

Just like in July, Jerry starts by moving Lewis and getting him mentally ready to accept the squeeze chute.

The hind feet are the scariest - especially with Lewis - he is powerful and lightning quick with them!
Mission Accomplished! - on Lewis

Clark can't watch. But now it's his turn:

While Lewis was still drugged, I was able to pet him and brush him - which he needs badly.
NEXT: CLARK'S TURN

Little by little, the panel is moved in toward Clark - but only as fast as he can handle it - we don't want him jumping over the top or hurting himself or one of us.
Aww... ain't it sweet?
Poling Clark
Dr. Claudia Sonder administers a muscle relaxant to Clark while Jerry Tindell distracts him by stroking him with the pole.
Front left gets trimmed

While Dr. Sonder was here, she also administered West Nile and 4-Way vaccines to them. So now they are trimmed, vetted, and back together. What an ordeal, though! Thanks so much to Jerry Tindell, Dr. Sonder, her assistant, Miguel, Michael Kerson, and our daughter Saanen, who all helped get the job done!

 

 

 

Next day: March 1: Clark, on all four newly trimmed feet, is actually stepping forward toward me when I go in his pen. He only takes a few steps, but seems to want to do that.

 

 

Ruby with Lewis & Clark at home after a heavy rain in March, 2006

Ruby has the strangest ritual. When the trailer is hitched to the truck and the motor starts, and she guesses (correctly) that Mike will be coming to get her to go riding, she starts chasing Lewis and Clark around. She knows full well what Michael wants, and she actually intends to go over to him to be haltered at some point. But first she has to run Lewis and Clark around the yard four or five times. Finally she corrals them in the far corner, away from us, and then she calmly walks over to Michael to be haltered. I really wonder what's going on in her head!

THE FURTHER STORY OF LEWIS AND CLARK: Fall and Winter 2005-2006

September 9, 2005: Lewis and Clark Update

So many people have been asking for updates of Lewis and Clark's progress. Truth is, it's very slow - although real. But not nearly as fast as we normally see with younger wild horses. Also, we really haven't worked real hard or consistently with them through the summer - too busy with other things going on, and we've been away a lot. That turned out to be just fine, though, as it gave Lewis and Clark much-needed "soak time" and we've noticed that they are definitely more comfortable here now. They call to us when they hear the front porch door open at feeding time. They only step a few feet away when someone passes near them, instead of racing to the far corner as they once did. We let them stay together most of the time, and they are getting to be pretty well trained with allowing us to separate them when we need to.

 

VACCINATION TIME:

Something that has been very much on my mind has been the need to update their vaccinations. Their last West Nile Virus shot was given in November at Burns BLM Corrals. West Nile has been working its way closer and closer to our area, and is now in our county. We tried to give them a booster last month, but at that time our vet advised us to wait - the trauma to the boyz would be worse than the risk (at that time) of contracting the disease. That has changed, however., with WNV being now very near us. 

At the time of our first attempt in August, our vet helped us devise a plan: We started to feed them treats, which could then be laced with tranquilizer on the morning of our next attempt. So we got them two feed pans and a bag of sweet feed. Of course, the feed pans really set them off - ALIEN OBJECTS in their pen - COULD BE DANGER!

Lewis and Clark snorted and jumped back away from the pans, and approached them as though they expected the pans to explode at any moment. While they were getting used to the pans, we sprinkled the sweet feed over their hay, to get them used to the taste. It really didn't take long, and they started to look forward to their treat each day.

Today was the day - so the vet called when she was 1/2 hour away, and we administered the ACE-laced treats. Then when she arrived, we moved first Lewis and then Clark into the makeshift squeeze chute that we had used for Lewis' hoof trimming.

Everything worked perfectly. Lewis and Clark got all their shots, as did all the other horses and donkeys and the mule. I feel very relieved.

November 2005:

We enlarged Lewis and Clark's pen so that they now have more room to exercise and play. They are getting much less skittish, although with setbacks. With the coming of winter rains, we found that cramming all the other horses on the other side of the barn was too crowded, plus we thought it was "about time" - so we started introducing our other horses into their pen = they have known each other over the fence but have not been together. We started with 30-year-old Silver and 3-year-old Eleanor the Mule. Everyone gets along well, although Eleanor currently rules with "iron hooves." Lewis and Clark have never had any trouble sharing their feed pile. Eleanor, on the other hand, is very possessive and won't let them near her at feeding time. So I take Lewis and Clark's feed into the middle of the pen for them. This is working out well in terms of their looking forward to having me in their pen.

FEBRUARY 28, 2006: Lewis and Clark get all 4 feet trimmed and vaccinations.

Hoof care is the number one problem of all newly adopted wild horses, and for 17 and 22 year olds who were living free in the wild until a year ago, it is really problematic. 'It takes a Village." Well, it at least takes a whole lot of friends! 

First Lewis

Just like in July, Jerry starts by moving Lewis and getting him mentally ready to accept the squeeze chute.

The hind feet are the scariest - especially with Lewis - he is powerful and lightning quick with them!

Mission Accomplished! - on Lewis

Clark can't watch. But now it's his turn:

While Lewis was still drugged, I was able to pet him and brush him - which he needs badly.
 

NEXT: CLARK'S TURN

Little by little, the panel is moved in toward Clark - but only as fast as he can handle it - we don't want him jumping over the top or hurting himself or one of us.

Aww... ain't it sweet?
Poling Clark

Dr. Claudia Sonder administers a muscle relaxant to Clark while Jerry Tindell distracts him by stroking him with the pole.
Front left gets trimmed

While Dr. Sonder was here, she also administered West Nile and 4-Way vaccines to them. So now they are trimmed, vetted, and back together. What an ordeal, though! Thanks so much to Jerry Tindell, Dr. Sonder, her assistant, Miguel, Michael Kerson, and our daughter Saanen, who all helped get the job done!

 

 

 

Next day: March 1: Clark, on all four newly trimmed feet, is actually stepping forward toward me when I go in his pen. He only takes a few steps, but seems to want to do that.

 

 

Ruby with Lewis & Clark at home after a heavy rain in March, 2006

Ruby has the strangest ritual. When the trailer is hitched to the truck and the motor starts, and she guesses (correctly) that Mike will be coming to get her to go riding, she starts chasing Lewis and Clark around. She knows full well what Michael wants, and she actually intends to go over to him to be haltered at some point. But first she has to run Lewis and Clark around the yard four or five times. Finally she corrals them in the far corner, away from us, and then she calmly walks over to Michael to be haltered. I really wonder what's going on in her head!

Click here for Part 4: Lewis and Clark, Born to Be Wild, after all

Click here for Part 4: Lewis and Clark, Born to Be Wild, after all

LEWIS AND CLARK: Born to be Wild, after all

Lewis and Clark were captured off the range in the Steens Mountain in October, 2004. Clark was 15 years old, Lewis was 20. Michael and I purchased them under the Burns Rider Sale Authority on April 18, 2005. So they have been with us almost a full year (today is March 17, 2006). Clark is now 17 and Lewis is 22.

Clark still wild on the South Steens HMAClark at age 16 and after a year and a half in captivity 

Progress has been very slow but very real. We measure it in things like how close they will remain to us when we walk up to their pen, before they back off, and whether they run in a panicked fashion or simply step back quietly. They are doing more allowing us close, and more quiet stepping back, and less panicked running away. 

The incidents described in earlier pages about Clark coming up to sniff Michael's hand, allowing Lesley to touch his muzzle, etc. and Lewis facing up and stepping forward, actually did happen, but they did not become part of their normal behavior patterns. I really did pet Lewis in the squeeze chute, and, while he was still drugged, I even groomed him once. But again, next day he was wild as ever, and that fellow is just downright dangerous, there is no way around it.

Both Lewis and Clark are still very, very wild, and even though they are slowly making progress, their hooves continue to grow at a much faster rate than their progress toward being gentled, and getting them trimmed is very difficult and very dangerous. We have wonderful friends and a wonderful vet, but how long can we ask them to risk career-ending injury to help us with these things?

And the bottom line is, What is best for Lewis and Clark? It's not about our egos, it's not about proving that we can tame them, it's not about other people's expectations.  It's about first, saving their lives, second, keeping them together, and third, giving them a life worth living. We've done the first two things, but what about the third?

 

 

 

 They aren't totally miserable here. They get along with our other horses, although they clearly prefer each other. They bask in the sun on nice days, they go into the barn on rainy days, AND they spend a lot of time gazing out onto the green hillsides and pasture on the other side of their 6-foot high, un-jump-able pipe panel fence, which is sad.
 

They are okay, but they are a far cry from the noble beasts pictured here:

They have never played like this since they arrived here. The only real exercise they get is when Ruby chases them around. They are surprisingly docile around our other horses - they make absolutely no effort to defend themselves or to try to rise up in the "pecking order." This seems odd to me - like maybe they are depressed and simply resigned to their lot in life. 

Over the past year, there have been times when either Michael or I have seriously considered the possibility that the best thing would be to find a good sanctuary for them. But each time one of us had that thought, the other was not in a frame of mind to consider it.

But during the last hoof trimming episode a few weeks ago - which was really a very stressful and strenuous day for all of us, human and equine - Mike and I looked at each and simultaneously said to each other, "We really shouldn't put them through this, these guys need to go to a sanctuary!"

Jerry Tindell, who was directing the procedures and doing the hoof trimming, said he agreed that was the best plan, when you consider the long-term well-being of the horses. It so happens that he is on the Board of Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, and that Lifesavers is starting a new sanctuary for older, unadoptable horses, called the Born to Be Wild Sanctuary. Although Lifesavers is full, Jerry talked with Jill Starr, Lifesavers' director, and she agreed to make room for Lewis and Clark in the sanctuary, which consists of 160 acres of beautiful hills and meadows. 

They have it about half fenced, and when the fencing is completed, Lewis and Clark can go there, which will probably be May.

Click here to read about the Born to be Wild Sanctuary, and/or to make a tax-deductible donation toward finishing the fencing.

So Lewis and Clark only need to hang in a couple of more months, and then they can go back to being what they do best - being wild, free-roaming horses! Being semi-celebrities in the mustang world, we are hoping that Lewis and Clark can help Lifesavers in their fundraising efforts - they do so much wonderful work to save so many horses! 

I know that some will criticize our decision, since many were hoping we would succeed in gentling and training these guys. But before you criticize, as yourself - is that a dream for Lewis and Clark or for people? 

I also do not want Lewis and Clark's story to be taken as a Morality Story with the Moral being that older horses should not be adopted! Some can transition quite successfully, and should be given a chance. 

 Here's a Sale Authority horse that Shelby Bedard of Madison Florida, purchased. She reports that "Kheiron" is doing very well.

We did make progress with Lewis and Clark, and I have no doubt that this would have continued, if we had no other alternative. Eventually we probably would be able to halter and lead them around, and to release them into the grassy pasture with the other horses. And eventually - WAY eventually, but nevertheless eventually, if we had no choice but to keep trying to gentle them, the day might come when we could even trim their feet without a squeeze chute and tranquilizers - although that part seems to be very far off in the future! Would they live that long? 

No doubt, if we had kept them separate, they would have gentled more quickly, although they would have been more unhappy during that time.

But even if eventually they could come around, these are older horses. In human terms, they are like 45 and 60 year old men, uprooted from their entire world and confined to a very small one surrounded by scary foreigners who don't speak their language or observe their customs. 

Is it fair at their age to ask them to make such radical changes in their minds?  

As Jill Starr put it, why should they have to be domesticated just to survive? Well, it turns out that they don't! They have an alternative, thanks to Jill Starr's & Lifesavers' Born To Be Wild Sanctuary!

I sometimes feel sad when I think of them leaving, but it is sadness for myself, not for Lewis and Clark. Clearly they will be happier in the sanctuary. I also feel very good that Mike and I were able to save their lives, to keep them together, and then to move them on to a life that they can feel good about!
 

CONTINUE TO PART FIVE