# Montana Horse Adventures



## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

For me it has been a busy couple of years with no time for horses, back in 2013 I had spent a bunch of time taking pictures of wild horses and had a lot of fun with it, but haven't been able to ride in years. 

For those of you who don't know I am a long haul heavy haul trucker. I own my own truck, and I stay pretty busy with it. My company leases to a larger company and we all run out of the Great Falls area in Montana. Great group of guys over here and one in particular I am quickly becoming good friends with has a horse ranch. 

Yesterday we both happened to be in town at the same time and I wound up spending the day with him, we started off halter breaking a colt which was really cool, I learned so much from it. Then we hauled all of his 2 year olds up to his place at the base of the mountains to join the rest of his herd there. 

While we were up there I got some awesome pictures. 



















One horse in particular I really fell in love with was this girl, she is so pretty. 










So many great horses up there, he has about 30 in total, this spring I am going to be spending some time up there taking photos and getting back into riding again, I am pretty excited about it. 

If everything works out he is also going to teach me how to break a colt, I am pretty stoked about this because the guy knows his stuff, its going to be quite the adventure. 

I have a feeling that this summer is going to be the one I finally wind up with a horse of my own.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Subbing.

BigNick, I love your photos, your dog, and you remind me a bit of my nephew.


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## Rebelwithacause (Aug 7, 2013)

Subbing... I absolutely *love* Montana and lived on a ranch not far from Great Falls for a short period of time back in 2009. I will be living vicariously through you!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Lovely photos! I can't wait to see more.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Thanks everybody!


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

So it sounds like I am getting a horse! 

I really took a shining to the colt we started breaking out there, really liked him. He is a spirited ******, but I can also tell he is super smart. 

The caveat is there is a guy who also wants him, but he has been super wishy washy, so if he doesn't step up I am getting him. 

He is a AQHA registered Quarter horse, both his mama and daddy are great looking horses and super healthy and sound. Next time I am up there definitely have to be getting some pictures of him. 

The great part is assuming I get him going to wind up having the guy I got him from teach me to break him. And since he has about 30 good n broke horses running around out there, I will get to ride those in the mean time while the colt is growing up and getting broke which will be a little over 2 years, I won't ride him till he is 3. 

I am really really excited about it though.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Sounds exciting.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Subbing
living in a small town in Montana and loving it


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

amberly said:


> Subbing
> living in a small town in Montana and loving it


What part of MT are you in?


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

So these are not the best pics, the lighting was garbage in the barn, so lots of noise, but I am sharing anyways. 





























He is super smart, going to make a great horse, still unsure if I am going to get him or not yet because I am 2nd in line. Want him really bad though.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Good luck, nice looking youngster.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Well I am a little bummed out, got back into town this morning, was hoping to go out and see the lil booger, but nobody is going to be home the next couple of days so I will have to wait till the next time. 

It does sound like I will be getting him though. 

Now I just need to come up with a name for him.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Rowdy.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

whisperbaby22 said:


> Rowdy.


Yeah, I like Rowdy, it fits him.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Well today I got to go out and work with Rowdy some more finally, went great. 

I was amazed though how white he turned. 










Steve tells me that it is because he is getting ready to shed his winter coat, and that when he gets his summer coat in he will be a beautiful red roan, I believe him. Can't wait to see it. 

Here are some more pictures. 























































He is a handsome little devil, tons of personality too, I can tell he is very smart. Today was only the second time he had been handled by a human, we were able to get a halter on him, tied him for a bit which he fought pretty hard but eventually gave into. 

I did get to touch him finally, he is still at that stage of not trusting and wanting to spook but he did let me rub between his eyes and on his neck, then with I started with his mane he started licking his lips and his eyes rolled back and got really soft, I could tell he really liked it. Even fed him out of my hand and I got to be the first person to do that with him. 

I got to watch him run in the paddock too, Rowdy is sure footed and fast and he can turn on a dime. His moves come effortlessly like a leaf on the breeze but he has such power behind them. 

If I could have I would have stayed out there all day and just watched him. He is a very cool horse. I think he is going to make a great friend and I feel really honored to have him.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Yeah and had to update my Avatar too seeing as how the one I had was a picture I had taken, but was not of my horse. xD


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

A red roan. One of the prettiest colors. With that nice rear end he's got, he has the look of a real cowhorse. Here is my old man, Chief Crazy Horse, 16.2 hands of meat and muscle. He is in winter coat here, so doesn't show much, but he is a few spot Appaloosa.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

whisperbaby22 said:


> A red roan. One of the prettiest colors. With that nice rear end he's got, he has the look of a real cowhorse. Here is my old man, Chief Crazy Horse, 16.2 hands of meat and muscle. He is in winter coat here, so doesn't show much, but he is a few spot Appaloosa.


That is a big boy, looks like he has a solid foundation under him too.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

BigNickMontana said:


> What part of MT are you in?


Lincoln/flathead county area.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

amberly said:


> Lincoln/flathead county area.


Right on, my horse is up in Conrad right now. 

I have spent a lot of time up in White Fish, my grandparents moved up there with the BN rail road when they pulled out of Livingston so I used to spend my summers up there. Its a really pretty area.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Was hoping id get to go see Rowdy today but nope, so I am a Sad Panda.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Tried introducing my dog to my horse... 

https://youtu.be/eGDFEyBj9wQ


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

I currently have a dog with a very strong herding instinct, and of course, my situation is very different, my horse is in a small corral in my back yard, so I have to be careful. She only goes after my horse if I am riding or lunging him, but if I put her in her yard, she goes nuts barking and trying to get out, if I put her in the house she will tear it up, so she goes inside her crate, inside the house, that's the only way to keep the peace. 

If I had a situation like yours, I might try it, but my horse does not just warn, he goes after her, so that's that. Looks like these colts trained your dog pretty good, and Rowdy looks great.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

whisperbaby22 said:


> I currently have a dog with a very strong herding instinct, and of course, my situation is very different, my horse is in a small corral in my back yard, so I have to be careful. She only goes after my horse if I am riding or lunging him, but if I put her in her yard, she goes nuts barking and trying to get out, if I put her in the house she will tear it up, so she goes inside her crate, inside the house, that's the only way to keep the peace.
> 
> If I had a situation like yours, I might try it, but my horse does not just warn, he goes after her, so that's that. Looks like these colts trained your dog pretty good, and Rowdy looks great.


They certainly gave him a bunch of leeway, I watched that video last night and realized what he was trying to do was herd them which he did at one point, he had them all together around the one bucket of grain. 

Luckily for me Dexter is very well behaved, he just has not learned the rules when it comes to horses yet, also Rowdy is still pretty green, he has only been handled twice. 

I think once I have him good and halter broke and used to being around me, introducing Dexter will be a lot easier.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

I think the whole thing was handled very well, the horses were eating and therefore more interested in the food, and more willing to keep the dog away from them so that they could eat. The next test will come when you ask the horses to move. My dog ignores my horse until I ask him to move, then she goes nuts because her herding instinct is so strong.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

whisperbaby22 said:


> I think the whole thing was handled very well, the horses were eating and therefore more interested in the food, and more willing to keep the dog away from them so that they could eat. The next test will come when you ask the horses to move. My dog ignores my horse until I ask him to move, then she goes nuts because her herding instinct is so strong.


You are probably right, although the next test won't be for a good long while.


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## BigNickMontana (Aug 5, 2013)

Well a little update, we sent Rowdy with his family up to a high mountain pasture with his herd to spend the summer, I think it will be really good for him getting to do horsey things in the wild and by the time I get him back he should be sure footed and strong. 

This fall I will be bringing him to town I am really looking forward to it, heck I want him there now but this I think is the best thing for him as I think if he were up at the barn now he would get bored. 

I am going to have a lot more time this fall as it is.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

This journal has been closed due to prolonged lack of participation by the author. Journals that have no active participation by the author for a period of time greater than 18 months will be considered abandoned and will be closed until the author asks for them to be reopened


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