In the sixth episode of The Horse Illustrated Episode of Horses in the Morning, sponsored by Title Sponsor Straight Arrow Products, hosts Glenn the Geek and Sarah Evers Conrad talk to Emily and Sarah Harris of Sisters Horsing Around; Steven Latham, producer and co-director of The Mustangs: America’s Wild Horses film; and Colton Woods about the sustainability of the horse industry and his training philosophies.

Hosts: Sarah Conrad, Digital Content Editor of Horse Illustrated & Young Rider and Glenn the Geek, host of Horses in the Morning

Title Sponsor: Straight Arrow Family of Brands

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Emily and Sarah Harris of Sisters Horsing Around

Emily and Sarah Harris are the sister duo of “Sisters Horsing Around,” which includes their YouTube channel, website, and social media accounts (see below). Sisters Horsing Around is a fun, engaging, informative and educational resource for horse information. As multi-discipline riders, Emily and Sarah have had a variety of experiences, and they are passionate about sharing the joys of horses. They call themselves the “Equestrian Guides” and want to help non-equestrians explore the amazing world of horses. For those that are equestrians, they want to help broaden their interests in different disciplines. They do this by creating content that can be enjoyed and understood by anyone. They also endeavor to bridge the gap between those outside the horse world and those in the horse world and bring equestrian sports into the limelight in an interesting and understandable way.

Additional Links for Sisters Horsing Around:

◆ www.instagram.com/SistersHorsingAround
◆ www.facebook.com/SistersHorsingAround
◆ www.twitter.com/SistersHorsing
◆ www.pinterest.com/SistersHorsingAround

For the article about our Equitana coverage, click here. Facebook Lives from Equitana feature:

◆ Susan Friedland of Saddle Seeks Horse
◆ Heather Wallace of The Timid Rider
◆ Certified Horsemanship Association CEO Christy Landwehr
◆ The Social Responsibility of Equestrian Influencers Panel Part 1 and Part 2 (featuring Sisters Horsing Around, interviewed in the podcast)
◆ Positive reinforcement trainer Shawna Karrasch
◆ The demo from Shawna Karrasch (mentioned in the podcast)
◆ Carriage Association of America’s Publication Manager Kathleen Haak
◆ A demo from Colton Woods (interviewed in the podcast).

Steven Latham with The Mustangs Film

Steven Latham is the producer and co-director of The Mustangs: America’s Wild Horses, which takes audiences on an odyssey throughout America to places few people have seen or even know about. There are more than 80,000 wild horses on our public lands and more than 50,000 in government corrals. This feature documentary is executive produced by Robert Redford, Patti Scialfa Springsteen and Jessica Springsteen. The film features songs by Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson and an original song written by Diane Warren and performed by Blanco Brown.

Steven also created and produces the award-winning series, Shelter Me, which tells stories that celebrate the human-animal bond. The episodes have been hosted by John Legend, Jane Goodall, Kristen Bell, Jon Hamm, Hilary Swank, Allison Janney, Edie Falco, Jane Lynch, Wendie Malick, Daymond John and Katherine Heigl.

Steven began his production company with a film series he created with Barbra Streisand called, The Living Century, which focused on people who were at least 100 years old. He also produced and directed for the science series, NOVA, and made the only film about the TED Conference. Prior to launching his company, he worked at Ketchum, Grey, Paramount Pictures, PolyGram Television, and Universal Worldwide Television.

Additional Links about The Mustangs Film

◆ The Official Trailer
◆ The Mustangs Film website
◆ www.facebook.com/TheMustangsFilm

Colton Woods of Colton Woods Horsemanship

Colton Woods is a husband, horseman and entrepreneur dedicated to helping others develop themselves, their horses and businesses to be the best they can be. Horsemanship to him is not just a way to train a horse—it is everything we do with our horses and in our own lives. He grew up in a family of international business, and even lived in China for two years, and brings a whole new perspective and way of building horse training businesses to the horse world. Through his Professional Horseman’s School, his Business Mentorship for Horse Trainers, podcast The Heart of Horsemanship, teaching clinics and at expos as well as training select horses for clients, Colton is truly changing lives in the horse industry. He knows it is time we have the tough conversations, we challenge industry traditions and he lives it out. One of his favorite quotes is, “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing” by Elbert Hubbard.

Additional Links about Colton Woods

◆ Colton Woods Horsemanship website
◆ FREE BOOK: “Be A Leader Worth Following by Colton Woods” with a SPECIAL OFFER for Horses in the Morning Listeners
◆ The Professional Horseman’s School
◆ www.facebook.com/coltonwoodshorsemanship
◆ www.instagram.com/coltonwoodshorsemanship
◆ www.youtube.com/coltonwoodshorsemanship
◆ TikTok.com/@coltonwoodshorsemanship

Title Sponsor

We want to thank our Title Sponsor, the Straight Arrow Family of Brands, makers of Mane ‘n Tail, Cowboy Magic & Exhibitor’s, with over 100 years of grooming excellence. For more information about your favorite products, please visit www.straightarrowinc.com and find Straight Arrow Products at a tack shop near you!

The “Magic” in Cowboy Magic comes from the bond between you and your horse. Cowboy Magic celebrates every moment with you, from quiet chats in the pasture to the adrenaline rush of competition. We want to invite you to embrace your “Magic Moment” with your horse by sharing your favorite photos with Cowboy Magic on social media using #CowboyMagicMoment.

The post Podcast Episode #6: Sisters Horsing Around, Colton Woods, and The Mustangs film for October 26, 2021 from Title Sponsor Straight Arrow Products appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF)’s virtual 2021 Kentucky Extreme Mustang Makeover concluded on Sunday, June 27, after five days of exciting performances and a successful auction. Originally slated to be held in Lexington, Ky., the event’s virtual format brought the action-packed excitement to Mustang fans and horse lovers from around the world.

Adult and youth competitors showed the trust they had built with previously untouched wild horses in approximately 100 days of training by submitting videos of their performances. Complete class videos, which are available to view online free of charge, were scored by a panel of judges to determine who would take home top honors and more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.

Katie Ketterhagen of May, Texas, earned the 2021 KY Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion title for her work with Like a Champ, a 4-year-old gelding gathered from Little Owyhee. Ketterhagen and Champ also received the horsemanship award for highest combined score in the preliminary classes and the overall champion title.

Isidro Espinoza of Concho, Ariz., claimed the reserve champion title with Pelos, a 4-year-old gelding gathered from Devil’s Garden Plateau, and Cat Zimmerman of Archer, Florida, earned the horsemanship reserve placing with Stitch, a 4-year-old gelding gathered from Paisley Desert.

In the Youth portion of the event, Dixie Marrese of Munfordville, Ky., took top honors as the Youth Champion with her 2-year-old gelding Smudge, who was gathered from Frisco. Receiving the youth reserve champion title was Maleah Redmann of Athens, Wisc., who trained Tally Mark, a 2-year-old mare gathered from Antelope Valley.

Find complete results and watch class videos online at www.mustangheritagefoundation.org/watch-ky.

In addition to the competition in the 2021 Kentucky Extreme Mustang Makeover, competing adult horses were available to approved bidders in an online auction hosted by Champion Horse Sales. The high seller, a 4-year-old bay gelding named Pelos, sold for more than $22,000, and the sale average was more than $9,000 per lot. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each horse goes back to the horse’s trainer, while the rest helps the Mustang Heritage Foundation achieve its mission of helping Mustangs find loving, permanent homes through events like this Extreme Mustang Makeover.

Extreme Mustang Makeover events are produced by the Mustang Heritage Foundation, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse & Burro Program, to showcase the versatility and trainability of the American Mustang. The Mustang Heritage Foundation is dedicated to facilitating successful placements for America’s excess wild Mustangs and burros through innovative programs, events and education. For more information, visit www.mustangheritagefoundation.org.

The BLM removes wild horses and burros from public lands to ensure a healthy balance of land and animals. Since 1971, the BLM has placed more than 250,000 wild horses and burros into good homes nationwide. Partnerships, like the Mustang Heritage Foundation, provide the BLM with additional opportunities to place animals into good homes. Interested applicants can attend BLM offsite adoption/sales event, visit a BLM Off-Range Corral, or participate in an online adoption/sales event to apply to take a wild horse or burro home! To learn more about the Wild Horse and Burro Program, please call 866-468-7826 or visit www.BLM.GOV/whb.

The post Virtual Kentucky Extreme Mustang Makeover Names Adult and Youth Champions appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Growing up in Germany, Sandra Williamson (previously Clark) has always had a love for horses. She began riding when she was a little girl and was finally able to own her first horse at 13. Williamson excelled in English, dressage, hunting, and western riding. Eventually, life led her to Lyons, Ga., where she met her husband and they started their life on his family ranch. Little did Sandra Williamson know that she would one day be housing wild Mustangs.

Williamson missed horses and knew she wanted to start working with them again. One day she got a call from someone asking if she wanted a Mustang that was bucking off riders. Williamson had never worked with a Mustang before, but she enjoys a challenge, and he was right down the road. When she arrived, she walked into the pen with the Mustang and the other horses. She instantly knew—due to his demeanor—that she wanted to help him.

“The Mustang pinned his ears back, turned around, and walked the other way,” Williamson says. “I looked at the lady and I said, ‘Yep, I’ll take him.’ I could tell immediately that horse was mistreated, and he didn’t want anything to do with humans. I felt like he was so misunderstood, and I knew what he was saying to me right away.”

She loaded him up, and so began her journey with Mustangs.

Also Read: English Riding and Events Poll

More Mustangs for Sandra Williamson

She worked with him from the ground up, establishing trust while learning about Mustangs at the same time. She named him Maximus and credits him for teaching her so much and starting her journey with Mustangs.

Williamson says she found out pretty quick that her training techniques, which had worked so well with domestic horses, were not going to work for this Mustang. So she adapted. Maximus has become one of her best horses and still lives out on the ranch.

“Mustangs teach you; you don’t really teach them,” she says. “There were a few times when I felt that I was in over my head, but I never gave up. I kept learning and trying to bond with them, and finally I would gain their trust. Now they run up to me in the pasture without thinking twice.”

Williamson started looking into Mustangs more and learned about the Bureau of Land Management and how many Mustangs are in holding facilities looking for homes. She knew she wanted to help them get out of holding, which led her to the Mustang Heritage Foundation’s Trainer Incentive Program (TIP).

Through the TIP program, trainers are paid $1,000 once a Mustang or burro has been gentled and adopted into a good home. Gentled, according to TIP requirements, means picking up all four feet upon request, loading in and out of a trailer and letting someone lead them around.

Once Williamson was approved to be a TIP trainer and became a storefront, which allows her to take in more Mustangs at a time, some people from Germany got in contact with her that were looking for a Mustang for the Mustang Makeover Germany. Williamson felt honored and excited to be able to help them; however, she needed to do some research on how it was going to work. The Mustangs for the event still needed to be wild, but gentle enough to travel to Germany.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it is possible,” she says. “You can’t touch any of the horses I send over. I have a chute, and we halter them and vet them. We are cautious not to tame them, so all we do is focus on getting them to trust us just enough to follow us wherever we go without touching them.”

Mustangs Overseas

In 2017, Williamson got ready to send her first load of Mustangs to Germany, but before the Mustangs can go anywhere or do anything, they must go into isolation for 31 days. The isolation area has to be inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and a veterinarian inspects the horses.

During the 31 days, blood is drawn for Coggins tests and to check for vesicular stomatitis. On the last day of isolation, the USDA comes back to inspect the horses again and make sure they’re healthy for the trip. That same day, they load up the Mustangs and take them to the Atlanta International Airport to start their journey to Germany.

The horses are loaded into jet boxes on a cargo airplane with their own hay and water for a nine-hour flight.

“We also have someone who has been around the Mustangs fly with them, so there is a familiar face,” says Williamson. “Once they arrive in Germany, a veterinarian inspects them again, gives them a microchip, and they rest. The next day, they meet their new owners.”

Williamson’s first load of Mustangs went to Germany without any problems, but it wouldn’t be her last. Soon after that, other people from Germany started reaching out to her asking for a Mustang of their own.

Williamson would pick out the one they wanted and gentle them more than the regular TIP program required. Mustangs she has worked with now have homes in Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

Ann Vander Horn of Vidalia, Ga., is a good friend of Williamson and helps her with the Mustangs almost every day at her ranch, Rackettown Mustangs. Vander Horn has also made seven trips to Germany with the Mustangs and says it is an amazing experience.

“Every two hours I check on the Mustangs on the flight, and they’re usually very calm,” says Vander Horn. “Some are a little withdrawn, but once they see me and recognize me from the ranch, they become more relaxed.

“Once we get to Germany, the unloading runs smoothly, even though they are very unfamiliar with where they are,” she adds. “They get unloaded onto concrete and are inside a building, but they trust us and follow us into their stalls. It really is incredible.”

New Homes Provide Hope

Sandra Williamson keeps up with most of the Mustangs that travel to Europe. Some of them are used for trail rides, while others compete at events, but one Mustang stands out to her. She recalls this Mustang being particularly headstrong; he ended up going to a trainer who offers lessons for handicapped children.

Not long after the Mustang was at the trainer’s facility, he walked up to a little girl in a wheelchair who was born without feeling in her legs and sniffed her. The trainer said it was almost like he could sense that something was different about the little girl. After months of training for Germany Mustang Makeover, the horse and the little girl bonded. She would lead him from her wheelchair and even get on his back to ride.

“This is why we do what we do,” Williamson says. “I just feel blessed with the results of the Mustangs I’ve worked with. The outcome makes it worth it to work harder to get Mustangs out of holding and into homes.”

This article Mustangs going global thanks to Sandra Williamson appeared in the March 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Mustangs Go Global with Sandra Williamson appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.