magazine may 2012

Our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year

Lela Reynolds

R.T. Fitch 20 Answers

Bo Derek Back on the Hill

Madeleine Pickens Strikes Accord

www.rosenthalestatewines.com

Photo courtesy of Bristol MacDonald www.bristolmacdonaldequinephotography.com

FEATURES

8 Herd roun’ the waterin’ trough…

Calamity Cate Crismani

10 Viva Los Monero Mustangs...Sherry Kysely

22 20ANSWERS (20A) Who is RT Fitch?

28 Bo Derek, Back On the Hill

32 “Poker Alice”...Buckaroo John Brand

34 Our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year...Lela Reynolds

54 Madeleine Pickens Strikes Accord...Cate Crismani

58 Pearl the Wonder Horse...Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

62 When I Am An Old Horsewoman...Patty Barnhart

64 Good Reads...Carol Upton

65 New Age Disappointment...Jeff Hildebrandt

68 “Saving Americas Horses” Private Screening

\\

Publisher Equine Angle Marketing & Publicity California, USA

Editor in Chief ~ Director “Calamity” Cate Crismani

Contributing “Wriders” Jeff Hildebrandt * Sherry Kysely * Patty Barnhart

Cate Crismani * Buckaroo John Brand Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

Buckle Bunny Cover/Pictorial Photographer

April Visel www.aprilvisel.com

Contributing Photographers Christopher Ameruoso * Terry Fitch

Mario James * Sherry Kysely Katia Louise * Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

Advertising Posse Rich Richardson 760.696.6304

“Calamity” Cate Crismani 818.642.4764

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herd roun’ the waterin’ trough herd roun’ the waterin’ trough herd roun’ the waterin’ trough herd roun’ the waterin’ trough From the desk of Calamity Cate From the desk of Calamity Cate From the desk of Calamity Cate From the desk of Calamity Cate

Howdy Amigos, have you noticed there are more and more articles in print and online from major sources reporting about the plight of our wild horses and horse slaughter for human consumption issue? Well, there are. And it only goes to prove that rounding up the wild ones and slaughtering both wilds and domestic horses for meat is unacceptable here in the United States and some foreign countries. Know why? Because it is deplorable!

This issue of tCmag is chock full of great horses and the people they love doing the things they love to do to promote horses, the welfare and protection of horses and the love of the mighty animal. RT Fitch, Bo Derek and Madeleine Pickens continue to fight the good fight against the powers that would just as soon as see all the horses off the ranges and on the dinner plates. So many folks are in the saddle now. Even folks who have never owned a horse know this is just not right.

And this issue features your 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds!

So when will the rest of you get in the saddle? Now is as good a time as any. Stay in touch. Like us on Facebook and LinkedIn at Cate Crismani and trueCOWBOYmagazine. Tweet me at #calamitycate.

Thank you to all the good folks fighting the good fight everyday, not just for our horses, who are the target, but for all animals and against the ones they thought they could trust...their breeders, trainers and owners! Besos Calamity Cate

www.buckarooleather.com

VIVA LOS MONERO MUSTANGS

...SHERRY KYSELY

If you ask Sherry Kysely, she’ll tell you that horses connect us to the land, to survival and ultimately to our own human roots. She’ll explain that the history of mankind has developed in tandem with equine evolu-tion. She’ll also confess that horses have taken up space in her heart as far back as she can remember. Consistently exposed to horses through books, art, Western movies and her imagination. Kysely was smitten at a very early age. Reminiscing about her childhood spent in Billings Montana has Sherry recalling the neighbor’s horses. She would stand at the fence and find herself staring at the horses and in the nighttime dreaming about them. Passionate about horses, Sherry has had many unforgettable and idiosyncratic equine soul mates grace her life whether it be her first horse, an Appaloosa with one spot who pretended he was her shadow or her daughter ,Caitlin’s, POA pony that could untie even the toughest knots on the hitching post., to her husband, Tom’s, stout grey Kentucky Mountain horse that really doesn’t understand why he cannot hop in the truck to go everywhere they do and to her sturdy bay Paso Fino that really has such an expressive face and loves sweet potatoes, are in her present day life. Sherry has been central in a drove of gentle giants for decades. She credits personal inspiration and aspiration on many lev-els to the connections between artist, human and equine confident. Currently, Sherry marries her artistic propensities and love of the sight of mustangs through her cameras and lenses, with her devotion to the breed as well as the land where they are the most indigenous, the South-west. She and her husband, Tom, are avid explorers of the region and are thrilled to have, in a very serendipitous manner, discovered the Monero Mustangs at Yellow Hills Ranch in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico. The Mustangs had long been on Kysely’s “bucket list” in terms of places to photograph as well as horses whose images she’d one day capture. As she and her husband took in the magnificence of the living legends of the Spanish Mustangs, Kysely knew she was experiencing something words would never aptly describe.

On five thousand acres of protected land overseen by

Mustang devotee, Sandi Claypool, Sherry Kysely’s

beloved “bucket list” subjects have been selflessly and meticulously managed.

Sherry is certain that Claypool’s noble efforts of provided the inspiration for her photography project as well as her continued desire

to give back to this important non-profit organization

through her art.

When Kysely describes her friendship with Claypool it is clear her respect for

Claypool’s commitment to the Mustangs is unwavering.

But ask Sherry what that experience in the Southwest was really like and she’ll tell

you it was a haunting and extraordinary journey that made a racket in her chest and filled her heart to the

brim. Side by side with her husband Tom, Sherry was in

absolute awe by the wild horses, mainly for the way

they travel in tight knit, powerful herds who move

with the kind of power only freedom provides.

On five thousand acres of protected land overseen by

Mustang devotee, Sandi Claypool, Sherry Kysely’s

beloved “bucket list” subjects have been selflessly and meticulously managed.

Sherry is certain that Claypool’s noble efforts of provided the inspiration for her photography project as well as her continued desire

to give back to this important profit organization

When Kysely describes her friendship with Claypool it is clear her respect for

Claypool’s commitment to the Mustangs is unwavering.

But ask Sherry what that experience in the Southwest was really like and she’ll tell

you it was a haunting and extraordinary journey that made a racket in her chest and filled her heart to the

brim. Side by side with her husband Tom, Sherry was in

absolute awe by the wild horses, mainly for the way

they travel in tight knit, powerful herds who move

with the kind of power only freedom provides.

At the same time, as their sense of purpose almost seems to

mimic a human family’s quest for survival and achievement.

At times, she was high on the mustangs’ seemingly untouched

existence outside of domestic environments and the beauty of

their untethered identity, while in other moments she was sad-

dened by today’s’ mustangs obvious dependence on man for

survival. All things connected and intertwined Kysely has and

almost spiritual respect for the relationship between man and

horse where the Monero Mustangs are concerned. She ex-

plains return visits to the ranch as intimate gifts to the heart

and soul. Like refresher courses in recognizing the largeness

of our world and the incredible pull to give back, Sherry and

Tom are consistently grateful for Sandi Claypool’s work

Mustangs outside of Claypool’s preserve, particularly in ex-

istence on government lands that ranchers are not keen to

share, live a cruel life of slaughter and outright disrespect.

Non-profits struggle to stay afloat and Kysely finds herself

driven to bring awareness to the plight of the Mustang.

Sherry’s photography talent has long been nurtured by mares

and geldings, foals and stallions, and their unique personali-

ties throughout her personal and professional life. Clearly, she

recognizes her gift and the importance of using it toward the

greater good of her beloved horse subjects. History is beauty,

Sherry will say, and the Mustang is an icon. With each picture

taken, Kysely feels an intense connection between the horse

heart and her own and is resolute in her desire to document

and, thus, leave behind a little of both beating hearts, the inti-

mate and noble equine thrum and her own.

Sherry Kysely is giving back through her photography at

the Wild Horse Festival at the Santa Fe Equestrian Center.

The Mustangs are being celebrated at the festival on May 19th

and 20th of 2012 www.sherrykysely.zenfolio.com and

www.sherrykysely.com Like her on Facebook: Sherry Kysely.

Copyright 2012 Sherry Kysely. All rights reserved.

tCmagazine asks:(and why is he saying those

To be an animal advocate, you have to have some tough skin. To be an

outspoken animal advocate you have to have that and some pretty big

cajones. Well, it seems our May 20A subject, RT Fitch, possesses both..

Fitch has risen to the top of the heap endearingly, for the most part, and

aggressively for the balance. Not one to hold his tongue, Fitch has been

known to confront the wild horse issues, BLM reps, government officials

and D.C. politicians, anti-horse advocates and slaughter proponents

head on, bare fisted, sharp-tongued and armed with ‘propaganda-busting’

facts. Fitch’s bombarding blogs have become so popular that

they’ve gained 1 million readers: www.rtfitchauthor.com Even when

called on the carpet for things he allegedly may or may not have said,

he holds his ground. Fitch can certainly dish it out, but, most certainly,

he can take it too! One thing we do know, RT Fitch is making waves,

and changes, for our wild mustangs and our constitutional rights.

1A

trueCOWBOYmagazine: Who is RT Fitch? RT Fitch: Well, let me get a handle on that question. RT Fitch is a normal,

red-blooded slightly middle aged male. I am a Veteran of two armed conflicts and a regular guy with a job. I am no different than any other tax paying individual except for the fact that I’ve had enough and have become an

angry person. I am frustrated and perplexed by our elected politicians who are mismanaging our country and stomping on our First Amendment rights particularly when it comes to the mismanagement of our public lands and

our wild horses and burros who inhabit those lands.

asks: Who is RT Fitch? (and why is he saying those terrible things about me?)

They are clearly destroying it and our national icon, the wild mustangs. We, as Americans, need to stand up and force the Government to do what they have been elected to do which is govern for the people and the wishes of the American people.

2A tCm: When did you become a wild horse advocate and why? RT: Terry, my wife, and I have been involved in the betterment of equine welfare way back in the mid to late ‘90’s. We got involved in horse rescue in Brazil and brought that involvement, and a rescued horse, back to the USA. Our epiphany, came in September of 2009, Labor Day weekend when we intended to have a family reunion. At the same time we had established a relationship with Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation. Cloud’s herd was to be rounded up for the first time and it looked like it was going to be called off but, then, it wasn’t. Instead of the family reunion, we met with Ginger in Montana and she brought home how high the abuse and lack of humane caring on the part of the BLM is of the wild ones. On that roundup, which we attended, I asked one BLM representative ‘Why are you doing this?’ His flippant response, coupled with a grin, was “Because we can.” I’ll never forget his smug demeanor and grin. That was the flame that ignited our fire and set us on the path we are on now. We’re not going to give up on our wild horses or the issues with our Government’s mismanage-ment. We’re here for the long haul. My blog has become a daily outreach to the public to teach them about the wild horses and now the inhumane slaughter issue.

horse advocates and slaughter proponents

busting’

facts. Fitch’s bombarding blogs have become so popular that

called on the carpet for things he allegedly may or may not have said,

he holds his ground. Fitch can certainly dish it out, but, most certainly,

he can take it too! One thing we do know, RT Fitch is making waves,

are mismanaging our country and stomping on our First Amendment rights

3A tCm: Isn’t there a law in place to protect these wild horses? RT: There most certainly is. One that was passed into law in 1971, The Wild Free-Roaming Horse &Burro Act. Over the course of the years, the very agency tasked with protecting the wild ones, the BLM, has actually be-come the most contentious to them with a bent to eliminate the wild horses. They bow to their major cattle interests, extraction interests and private in-terests. Two amendments and continued misinterpretation of the law by the BLM has made them the most formidable enemy of the wild horses.

4A tCm: So, you have been to a “gather”? RT: We’ve been to several. They are cold, heartless stampedes. I must take a stand on the word, “gather”. It is a public relations spin by the BLM be-cause its pretty like “gathering” daisies, harmless. Not the case here with what I call stampedes. At the stampedes it is the helicopter contractor who runs the show, the Cattoors or Sun J. They are pretty aggressive folks and they set up the traps and determine who can be in attendance, if anyone at all. These animals are chased by whirling helicopters, they are terrified, running at unsustainable speeds including babies and pregnant mares that can’t possible keep up with the herd. They are covered in sweat, gasping for air and some horses have even been clipped with helicopter blades. They are run into traps and cramped pens. These stampedes are aggressive and inhu-mane. I was drained after watching this first hand. The BLM reps there are very nonchalant about all of it.

5A tCm: Have you ever felt physically threatened at these stampedes by BLM staff there? RT: The one time I did feel threatened was during the Twin Peaks round up that I attended in August 2010. One of the BLM law enforcement people gave us the rap that we should bend to the rules with his hand on his pistol. I returned the next day with a video camera and asked him to repeat his previ-ous statement and he would not. At this particular roundup, there were twenty police cars there to protect the BLM from three advocates; myself, my wife and the VP of WHFF, Laura Leigh. I feel they are more threatened by us then we are by them. I’ve actually met some decent BLM ex-military staff that are very disillusioned by all of this but are also at the lower end of the food chain and ineffective to make change from within.

6A

tCm: All this seems like a violation of our First Amendment rights, our freedom to be on our public land and the rights in place for the horses. Whats up with that? RT: Without a doubt, it has become a fight for our First Amendment rights and that is the biggest battle we pursue in court at the cost of thou-sands of dollars. Laura Leigh is the plaintiff on what we call our “First Amendment Case” due to the fact that she was denied access to view the roundup in 2010. The judge said it’s a mote point as the roundup was over. But we believed although the round up was over, the issue was not. And we pursued it all the way to the 9th Circuit Court proving a violation of our First Amendment rights and that Judge concurred with us and in our favor. The BLM is actively fighting our case against transparency as they have a lot to hide as horses are being killed and abused during these stampedes. It has been proven that wild horses are slipping out the back door to Mexico for slaughter. That’s why we are moved to the far ends of the roundups where we can’t document anything. The BLM has a lot to hide.

7A

tCm: What is the Wild Horse Freedom Federation? RT: The WHFF is in existence primarily for one reason: fighting the corruption in the BLM. We have a legal team that is researching kinks and dents in the BLM in an effort to put them in a legal tailspin because we, and thousands of others, believe the BLM is violating laws and mis-managing our public lands including the wild horses on it. WHFF sup-plies our legal team with the funds and with grants to legally battle this agency for the betterment of these herds, our public lands, and to estab-lish transparency. We are in existence exclusively to challenge the Fed-eral and State Governments are these pressing issue and violations of our First Amendment rights and freedoms. We have a strong legal team spearheaded by Bruce Wagmen, a prominent and premiere wild animal advocate attorney.

go to page 50

www.wildhorsefreedomfederation.org

www.returntofreedom.org

Bo Derek, BacSenator Mary Landrieu gets some help from her fr

Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., brought some celebrity power to the Capitol mid-April to build support for her legislation that would prohibit inhu-mane killing of American horses for food. Actress Bo Derek, (speaking for the Animal Welfare

Institute) and Actor John Corbett, (Star of “United Nations of Tara” & “Sex in the City”) pushed for passage of the bill. So did Amy Nelson, singer and Willie Nelson’s daughter, and Raelyn Nelson, his grand-daughter, saying they were speaking on Nelson’s behalf and his love for horses. Landrieu’s American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act would also stop the transport of horses across the border to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Landrieu has repeatedly pushed for a ban on slaughtering the animals for meat that is exported mostly to Europe and Asia. She is upping her efforts now that applications are in the works to open the nation’s first horse slaughterhouses since 2007.

“We must continue to open people’s eyes about this appalling practice that is so often hidden from the public,” Derek said at a news confer-

ence, surrounded by Landrieu, other lawmakers and citizen lobbyists.

Actress Bo Derek speaks about the importance of passing Sen. Mary Landrieu's American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, which would prohibit the inhumane killing of American horses for human consump-tion. Photo by Matthew D. R. Lehner, Office of Sen. Mary Landrieu

Bo Derek, Back On the Hill Senator Mary Landrieu gets some help from her friends and tackles the Hill against horse slaughter.

“It is truly obscene”, continued Derek, “that we are still fighting after 10 years for a ban on the slaughter of animals that provide so much companionship.” In November 2011, Congress opted not to renew a ban on funding federal inspectors at horse slaughter plants in the United States and Landrieu and other lawmakers opposed to the practice worry it will spur a return to what they say is brutal treatment of horses. “There are viable, affordable alternatives to slaugh-ter,” Lan-drieu said, “When a horse is old, sick, or can no longer be productive, its owner should provide humane euthanasia. Ninety percent of all horses that die each year are humanely euthanized and/or safely disposed of , the additional 10 percent is not a burden,” Landrieu said, “Horse owners will buy some of these horses and horse rescue organizations will take others. Brutal slaughter is not an appropriate alternative.”

Declan Gregg with Senator Landrieu, Senator Brown, Congressman Moran (behind him), Lorenzo Borghese, John Corbett, and Manda & Pamela of

Seraphim 12 ~ photo by Stacie Gregg

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continued from previous page

Amy Nelson and Raelyn Nelson issued a statement on behalf of Willie Nelson “We ride horses in America, we don’t eat them. Slaughter is not

humane euthanasia. It is not a responsible end of life option for any horse.”

“There may be no more special relationship than the one we have with

horses,” said Lorenzo Borghese, Star of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’. “The love and loyalty horses have shown people shows no bounds – they have won wars for us, carried us west and built this great country, and have served

as companions for our children and our disabled.”

Source: PR Wire, Webnews copyright 2012. All rights reserved.

“POKER ALICE”...AAAA wwww

By Buckaroo John Brand

"Praise the Lord and place your bets. I'll take your money with no regrets.”

No this quote is not from the famous poker player Johnny Chan but from Alice Ivers Tubbs, better known as “Poker Alice”.

Alice was born in Devonshire, England in 1851. When Alice was a young girl, her father, a schoolmaster, moved the family to Virginia. While living in Virginia Alice had a formal education at a boarding school. Then, as a teen-ager, her family moved to Leadville, Colorado. While she lived in Leadville, Alice met Frank Duffield. Frank worked as a mining engineer with steady employment and, when Alice was 20, they married. Her life would soon change along with her name.

Like most men, Frank enjoyed the popular past time of the old west mining towns; gambling. Alice, not wanting to stay at home alone, went with him to the gambling halls. At first Alice just watched and studied her husband and the card game. In no time Alice was sitting at the poker table skillfully playing poker opposite her husband. Women were an uncommon sight at poker tables back then and she quickly became known as “Poker Alice”.

Then tragedy struck when Frank was killed in a mining explosion. With no means of support, “Poker Alice” realized she would have to use her new gambling skills to support herself so she took to the poker tables to earn a living. Her beauty, sophistication and style made her a welcomed and popular player at all the gambling halls. The miners loved her charm and wit, and she loved their money! Poker Alice went from mining town to mining town puffing on a large black cigar and winning thousands. At one point, she claimed to have one $250,000.

A woman ahead of her timesA woman ahead of her timesA woman ahead of her timesA woman ahead of her times

By Buckaroo John Brand

sight at poker tables back then and she quickly became known as

Poker Alice did not shy away from trouble either and always carried a .38 revolver. On one occasion when a drunken miner threatened her with a knife, Alice pulled out her .38 and put a bullet in the miner's arm. Her poker playing skills were becoming widely known throughout the west and she began to travel playing poker wherever she was. Eventually, Alice went to New Mexico where she won $6,000 at the Gold Dust Gambling House. She went on to New York for a while and finally ended up in Deadwood, South Dakota. Poker Alice would eventually remarry in Deadwood to Warren G. Tubbs, a painter. They met in a gambling hall, of course. After the couple married, they moved to a ranch in Sturgis. Alice became a wife, mother and rancher far away from the gambling halls and the poker tables. She focused on caring for her family and her husband who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Alice stayed by Warren’s side caring for her ailing husband until he finally succumbed to pneumonia in the winter of

1910. Once again, Alice went back to the poker tables to support herself and her family. She was in and out of gambling halls and even owned a saloon. She eventually would wind up in jail (a few differ-ent times) for breaking up a fight with her .38 revolver. Alice underwent a gall bladder operation in Rapid City and died of complications on

February 27, 1930. At age 79, Alice Ivers Tubbs, “Poker Alice”, had anted up for the last time.

For more stories of the Old West and to buy some really fine leather horse tack

visit: www.buckarooleather.com

Like fine wine that gets better with age, our 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds

is a rare vintage. Lela first graced our pages in 2009, again, by popular demand in 2010 and then you voted her the 2011 BBOY

“I am so thrilled to be part of trueCOWBOY magazine’s mission to save our wild and domestic

horses”, smiles Lela, “and being voted Buckle Bunny of the Year by its readers is such

an honor for me.”

After a short spin in Arizona, Lela decided California was the place to be; swimming pools, movie stars! Lela continues to pursue her acting

career and has also taken on modeling assignments that flood her email and phones. Understandably.

Lela not only possess’ American beauty but is gentile, compassionate and down to earth.

“You have to be earthy to be around horses. You’ve got to like dirt, flies, hard work and manure”, laughs

Lela, “You definitely have to love your horse. My beautiful Arabian, Tag, has become such a companion in my life that any decisions about

my life include his welfare as well.”

“So much is going on in the horse advocate global world”, she says, “Its great to see so many people involved in this mission. There is so much

work to do to save our horses. We are their voice and we must speak loudly.”

Attracting attention to this cause is easy when you have a cover girl as special and beautiful as Lela. Voted 2011 BBOY may be an honor for

her but having her grace our pages yet again is an honor for us!

For your viewing pleasure, 2011 Buckle Bunny of the Year, Lela Reynolds.

Our 2011Buckle Bunny of the Year Lela Reynolds

Copyright 2012 April Visel. All rights reserved. www.aprilvisel.com

Shot on location at Evergreen Arabians, Los Olivos, California Photographer: April Visel www.aprilvisel.com MakeUp & Hair: Kelsey Massarella, Michael Kelly’s Salon & Spa, kelseypaige@me.com Styling: Lela Reynolds Jewelry courtesy of: Anne Desario, Bijou de Bijoux, laperlenoire26@sbcglobal.net

Creative Direction: April Visel & Lela Reynolds Like us on Facebook at trueCOWBOYmagazine

Saddle up, SubscribeSaddle up, SubscribeSaddle up, SubscribeSaddle up, Subscribe!!!! Help Support Our Mission to Save Help Support Our Mission to Save Help Support Our Mission to Save Help Support Our Mission to Save

Our Wild Mustangs & BurroOur Wild Mustangs & BurroOur Wild Mustangs & BurroOur Wild Mustangs & Burro

wwwwwwwwwwww....ttttrrrruuuueeeeccccoooowwwwbbbbooooyyyymmmmaaaaggggaaaazzzziiiinnnneeee....ccccoooommmm////ssssaaaaddddddddlllleeee____uuuupppp____ssssuuuubbbbssssccccrrrriiiibbbbeeee

from page 25 ~ 20A ~ RT Fitch

9A

tCm: Wouldn’t the horses migrate naturally if one area was corrupted, the land pillaged and water poisoned from fraking and drilling? RT: I am not a scientist, but in observing how horses behave in the wild, I would say yes. They move constantly and do not overgraze. If the water if no good, they move on. Like I said, I am not a scientist, but an observer. Horses are going to go where there is the least resistance. These roundups are completely unnecessary. In removing the wild horses, the BLM is removing a motive for the public to be on the public land to see and photograph the wild ones horses for recreation allowing the Govern-ment to lease the land out to corporations and with way less transparency.

8A tCm: Who’s paying the cost of all the lawsuits? My wife and I have sold off a lot of our stock and equities to hire lawyers to help us stop the BLM. We are not rich by far but we feel its something we must do as regular working people and American citizens. It’s a sad statement that we have to spend our money to fight our government. We do accept donations as we are a 501(c) 3 and there are some individuals who also help fund our efforts.

10A

tCm:: What is “welfare ranching”? RT: Welfare ranching is a joke. We have ten western states where the

wild horses reside and the BLM grants private individuals, ranchers, to graze private cattle on it for $1.35 cow/calf pair per month. We as tax-payers subsidize this grazing at the expense of our wild horses. Recently,

the BLM has commissioned a scientific team to investigate the land use but are not including grazing as that may harm their ranching interests because cattle grazing destroys the land as they eat everything down to the roots of

the forage leaving nothing behind to re-grow there. That $1.35 is a substan-tial income of millions a year paid to the BLM when you consider the

millions of cows grazing on public lands.

11A

tCm: These horses, in both short and long term holding pens, are fed and housed with taxpayer dollars as well. Doesn’t that seem like a slippery

slope to you.? The constant reiteration by the advocates that the horses are being sustained at ‘huge tax payers expense’ could come back to haunt

them, no? RT: Well, yes, and that’s what did happen in 2008. The Government

declared that they couldn’t afford to care for and feed the horses anymore and the only solution was to slaughter and euthanize them. That created a

huge public outcry. The BLM has gelded the stallions, separated them from their mares and families to live their lives in a male herd or a female

herd, very unnatural…the wild horses have lost both their freedom and families. Those horses go to, what I call, death camps…

they exist there until they die.

.

12A tCm: Although you are a wild horse advocate out to protect and save

them, what happens to the other wild animals in the same areas like wolves, elk, deer and all the others? Are they removed as well?

RT: There not removed but most certainly terrorized. We have seen them scattered and terrorized by the helicopters. Nor are the private cattle

standing and grazing right there. As the horses are moved off, ranchers with private cattle are moved on. We’ve seen it first hand. Less than three

percent of those domestic range cattle ever go to the American plates but are sold overseas; all that prime beef goes overseas. We never see it here

in the states.

13A tCm: Another volatile issue has raised its ugly head recently and that is the one of slaughtering horses for human consumption and opening up slaughter

houses for that purpose here in the USA. Who’s idea is this one and what drives that evil?

RT: This is such a misguided concept. Three stateside slaughter houses were shut down in 2007 when the USDA inspection funding budget was de-funded. All three were own by foreign interests. They did make money for

the communities or the local people. They were only making money for mer-cenaries in our political and private sectors. Horses are not recognized by the

USDA as “food” animals. The wormers, and pain killers we use on our domestics are not for human consumption and could be carcinogenic.

Not to mention the fact that horses are, and have always been, companion animals. This slaughter campaign is spearheaded by Wyoming Representa-tive, Sue Wallis. Needless to say I’ve had a few run ins with her. Imagine

that!

14A

tCm: Do you ever wonder what is wrong with people? RT: Definitely, without a doubt. A lot of what goes on with the treatment

of animals, and people, does not compute in my mind. An animal as a piece of property doesn’t compute. Whenever Terry and I adopt horses

they become members of our family. I do wonder where are people coming from that many times I am embarrassed to be a human being. I really want

to stress that…I am embarrassed. I apologize to all the animals for the cruelty we humans have inflicted on them. If this planet were a living cell,

it would be diagnosed with a volatile, contagious virus called “humans”.

15A tCm: Why do you think we have to fight our own government for our personal and constitutional freedoms and those of the living creatures

in the USA? RT: Because, I believe, the level of corruption is so high, the

government, as a whole, has a lot to hide from the public and keep us in the dark intentionally. Without transparency into their actions, there can

be no resolve to the problems perpetuated by them.

go to page 70

www.wildhorserescue.org

it would be diagnosed with a volatile, contagious virus called “humans”.

MADELEINE PICKENThe Bureau of Land Management agre

Mrs. Pickens Wild Mustang Eco

By Cate Crismani

Finally, the BLM has agreed to study and evaluate the viability of Madeleine Pickens’ Mustang Monument Eco-Sanctuary in Nevada. I say ‘finally’ because its taken nearly four years for Ms. Pickens to get to this point with the powers that be; the BLM, the Department of Interior and President Obama. She’s a scrapper, that Madeleine Pickens. She stood up in 2008 in front of some BLM Officials, a room full of advocates and brimming with media at the Wild Horse Summit in Las Vegas and announced to the world that she would buy all 38,000+ wild mustangs and burros in the short term holding pens. That announcement went over like gang busters with the advocates and fell like a lead shoe to the agencies in charge of our public lands. Why? Because Pickens later came back with a proposal that would involve continued fiduciary responsibility by our government and that was just not going to fly. The battles have been on ever since. So you can see how this step forward by the BLM to at least “study” Ms. Pickens’ eco-sanctuary proposal is a big one. Or is it? Now, I don’t mean to be the harbinger of bad news, but let me remind you that we have heard rhetoric like this before from the BLM, the DOI and up the ladder. Are we hearing it again? When you consider that the first ranch to be granted a BLM public-private partnership, a little 4,000 acre spread that can hold about 250 horses and not even denting the 38,000+ in holding pens, took the BLM less than six months to approve. Doesn’t this seem peculiar to you?

MADELEINE PICKENS STRIKES ACCORD The Bureau of Land Management agrees to study and evaluate the viability of

Mrs. Pickens Wild Mustang Eco-sanctuary in Nevada.

By Cate Crismani

It’s been a journey of blood, sweat and tears for Ms. Pickens to get this feat achieved. But why then will the BLM’s evaluation will take approximately two years? Me thinks there is still something fishy in Denmark. The BLM was quick to add that all was contingent on their findings after this study. It would seem to me that the BLM went into this deal kickin’ and screamin’, heels dug down deep. Senator Harry Reid has taken numerous meetings with Ms. Pickens and her associate, Jerry Reynoldson, a former aide to Reid, and thinks the plan has some merit and decided to move things along weighing in in Pickens corner. After accompanying Secretary of the Interior Depart-ment, Ken Salazar, to a Las Vegas media event to promote tourism, Senator Reid moved into action. A week later the BLM issued its release to move forward with the program to study and evaluate the Mustang Monument Eco-sanctuary’s sustainability. The land that was purchased by Ms. Pickens has never been profitable and has remained unused by anyone for years. Much of the range has been ravaged by overgrazing cattle, not mustangs. Ms. Pickens has already invested millions on the ranch with the intention of growing alfalfa to feed the wild mustangs she will receive from the BLM. This is a substantial investment on her part and one we can unequivocally say she is not going to give up on. Ms. Pickens has the wherewithal, the connections and the compassion to get this done. I say we let her do it and be supportive. And, last but not least, we should give credit where it is due, time will tell, but that would be to the BLM and the DOI for taking a step forward towards a harmonious and inspiring solution for our wild horses, who, like all of us, are waiting to exhale.

The word “cowgirl” can mean a lot of things. In my case it means equine artist, dressage rider, trail rider and old western movie lover. It also means volunteering with my miniature horse, Pearl the Wonder Horse, at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

I am a professional fine artist. My subjects have focused on horses and other animals my entire life. My canvases are as large as nine feet and as small as six by twelve inches. I work in all mediums on canvas and paper. My work juxtaposes realism and abstraction but always the animals are the focus. My father, Arnold, was an artist who at times painted racehorses and drove racing ponies for fun. He was a Marine Lieutenant in the Air Corps and flew in WWII at the Battle of Pelelui in the Pacific. Dad was also an Advertising Executive at Young and Rubicam in New York. My mother, Nan, was an actress and poet and my stepmother, Lynn, was a dressage rider from Britain and a super horsewoman. Life was filled with art, animals and a bit of craziness. You could say the artist/horse gene had been imbedded in me before birth. As a child, I only had stuffed animals, no dolls. My live critters were a mouse named Mr. Beemish, a rabbit named Gorescki and a spider monkey named Horatio. One time my father came home with 22 finches because my mother said she liked birds. Another time he brought home an ocelot.

Pearl the Wonder Horse By Victoria Nodiff-Netanel

I grew up drawing animals all the time. At the age of ten I was already taking art lessons at the Milwaukee Art Institute. In high school, I attended painting and drawing classes at UCLA, and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts. For many years, I was devoted to the sport of dressage and trained with the reknown dressage champion, Jan Ebeling. I had wonderful imported European horses and we danced our way to win several championships and innumerable blue ribbons. My daughter Sophie and I use to visit the minia-ture horses at Quicksilver Ranch every time I had to take a horse to Alamo Pintado Horse Hospital in Santa Ynez. This was always the high-light of our trip and we would play with the foals and dream about one day bringing one home. When Sophie went off to Brown University I purchased Pearl from Quicksilver. This meant I could focus on my new foal and not our empty nest. At three weeks, Pearl was a confident, outgoing, sweet, perfectly proportioned fuzz ball. I had to have her so I purchased her at six months old and drove her home in my car. Pearl is now four years old, 29 inches high and 140 pounds. She is a big, reckoning force in a small horse body. All of my past horse and animal ex-perience is channeled into loving and training this tiny equine. She has a huge repertoire of tricks that includes playing a battery operated keyboard, standing up to “High Ho Silver”, smiling, circling, bowing, high stepping, pushing an exercise ball, giving a high five, and squeaking her rubber chicken.

Pearls outstanding personal-ity and willingness to learn inspired me to look into Pet Therapy. This began a new journey and passion. The idea of being able to travel with my tiny horse in my car and go to facilities to help people was fantastic. For the past three years Pearl and I have been a registered Pet Partners Therapy Team making weekly visits to

the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital. Pearl makes bedside visits with the patients where they have a chance to pet her and spend time chatting about horses or anything they feel like sharing. Of course, she performs her tricks as well. This improves their overall well being by helping them feel less depressed and less lonely. The visits also help to lower the patients’ blood pressure. We also visit the lockdown psychiatric wards, oncology clinics and the pathology department for the doctors and staff. Pearl is a magic horse. She lifts the spirits of everyone she comes in contact with including the doctors, nurses, staff and visi-tors. Happily, I paint in my studio surrounded by my animal family, my seven dogs and mini horse Pearl. My Quarter Horse, Rita, remains in her corral because she can’t fit through the studio door or else she’d be in the studio with us! Horses are the main fiber and inspiration of my life. This cowgirl is all about creativity, compassion and critters.

Happy Trails!

www.pearlthewonderhorse.com

www.thecloudfoundation.org

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

“WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN

OLD HORSEWOMAN" OLD HORSEWOMAN" OLD HORSEWOMAN" OLD HORSEWOMAN" By Patty Barnhart

When I am an old horsewoman

I shall wear turquoise and diamonds, And a straw hat that doesn’t suit me

And I shall spend my social security on white wine and carrots,

And sit in my alleyway of my barn And listen to my horses breathe.

I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night

And ride the old bay gelding, Across the moonstruck meadow

If my old bones will allow And when people come to call, I will smile and nod

As I walk past the gardens to the barn and show instead the flowers growing

inside stalls fresh-lined with straw.

I will shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel

And I will be an embarrassment to all Who will not yet have found the peace in being free

to have a horse as a best friend A friend who waits at midnight hour

With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For the kind of woman I will be

When I am old

Copyright 1992 Patty Barnhart

www.horseworship.com888.60.HORSE

featuring the Wild Horse photography

of Kimerlee Curyl Designed by

Pamela Robbins

The “Freedom Collection” from

“WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN “WHEN I AM AN

GOOD READS Reviewed by Carol Upton

www.dreamsaloud.ca

“Horse campers enjoy the role their horses play. The horse is not only a means of getting campers into the wilderness, but also a partner in an adventure. Part of the excitement is our awareness that the partnership of man and horse goes back to the earliest times” ~ George B. Hatley

This practical guide is a “must read” if you are headed into the backcountry on horseback. Hatley draws on his years of experience as a rancher/outfitter to cover everything you need to know, from trip planning to horse gear, safe camp set-up, and striking the next day. Getting

into the wilderness on horseback promises an unparalleled adventure, one that folks in our hurry-up world often crave, but guidance and organization are needed to do it safely.

Hatley says that horses are capable of doing much more work than people realize. He believes that, properly conditioned and outfitted, both saddle and packhorses are capable of being used in either capacity. One chapter includes sections on horse disposition, size, trail training, common horse sense and rider conditioning.

Excellent and often dramatic photos by Lewis Portnoy draw the reader into planning their own wilderness adventure. This book is definitely the place to start.

George B. Hatley has a passion for both the Pacific Northwest’s Palouse country and the horses named for it. He is nicknamed “Mr. Appaloosa” and is a legend revered among Appaloosa enthusiasts. Now in his nineties, George has slowed down at last, but his sage advice endures.

NEW AGE

DISAPPOINTMENT

by Jeff Hildebrandt

Long blond hair, black Western hat, tight leather pants. No ounce of fat.

High heeled boots, concho belt, imagine how he must have felt

when she just stopped and looked around then asked if she could please sit down.

He tipped his hat and said, “you bet”. She smiled and said “We haven’t met.

Hello, my name is Bambi, I’m a new-age kind of gal

who’s looking for a partner, a buddy and a pal.”

Then she commenced to bare her soul. He was picturing something else!

http://cowboyupamerica.blogspot.com/

Our deepest thanks to a successful night tAdy Gil, Linda Redman: Heroes for Horses, B

Mara Brown: Heroes for Horses BoardCate Crismani: Editor, trueCOWBOYmagazin

Bob Ferber: Los Angeles District AttornRobinson: Actress, Chuck Peavey: Green Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Cody Jone

Dr Carole Lieberman: Radio Show Host Championship Supporter to Saving Americ

““““SSSSAAAAVVVVIIIINNNNGGGG AAAAMMMMEEEERRRRScreened privately to a select industry audience to rave reviews

on April 21 at the American High Definition Studios in Van Nuys.“Saving Americas Horses”. This provocative and compelling docume

Wines were sponsored by Rosenthal Estate Wines

Our deepest thanks to a successful night to all our sponsors, guests and supporters; , Linda Redman: Heroes for Horses, Board Member for Saving America's Horses,

Mara Brown: Heroes for Horses Board Member for Saving America's Horses, Cate Crismani: Editor, trueCOWBOYmagazine and “Saving Americas Horses” Ambassador,

Bob Ferber: Los Angeles District Attorney/ Animal Cruelty Cases, Sandra Dee Robinson: Actress, Chuck Peavey: Green Certified, Sheri Pedigo: Singer, Jill Starr: Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, Cody Jones: Actor, Stuntman, Machi Abe: Actress,

Dr Carole Lieberman: Radio Show Host - Voice America, Stephanie Zill: Championship Supporter to Saving America's Horses, Inge Halliday: Malibu Horses

“SAVING AMERICAS HORSES”“SAVING AMERICAS HORSES”“SAVING AMERICAS HORSES”“SAVING AMERICAS HORSES” Screened privately to a select industry audience to rave reviews and accolades. The guests attended the pre-screening reception

on April 21 at the American High Definition Studios in Van Nuys. Hosted by Ady Gil, owner of AHD and Katia Louise, Director of “Saving Americas Horses”. This provocative and compelling documentary was followed by a Q&A with Katia, networking and more wine!

Wines were sponsored by Rosenthal Estate Wines and the hor d’ouvres were sponsored by M Café.

MERCANTILE MADNESS trueCOWBOYmarket for your every day shopping!

The materials that go into the making of Buckaroo Leather Tack and the craftsmanship

employed in its making are elements of the highest importance. It represents an organization proud of

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Beautifully handcrafted, keep sake jewelry made from your horses hair by owner/designer, Yvette Eddy. What better way to memorialize your dear friend than by wearing a custom piece of jewelry

made from their tail. Along with creating long last-ing memories, our jewelry also makes a great gift for the holidays and any occasion. Whatever the reason, a horse lovers soul is forever intertwined

with the love of your equine counterpart. Embellished with sterling silver charms and end

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www.savingamericashorses.org

16A

tCm: Where is the compassion for life, be it animals or humans? RT: I often wonder myself. I think people are in such fear and stress about day to day life, keeping their homes, their jobs and their health, that they bury there heads in the sand to the bigger issues that are the very reason they are in fear and stress which are the very issues that

our government has created and continues to create without regard for the American public.

17A

tCm: Do you think we are approaching the “end of days” as evidence by the elimination of the last symbol of our freedom,

the wild mustangs? RT: I am of the opinion that the horses have an inherent, true spiritual nature. They are well aware of what’s happening to them and are using

themselves as the sacrificial lamb in the hope that we will become more in tune with our heritage and spiritual light. Native Americans

do dances prior to hunts and then another afterwards to thank the animals for feeding us their own flesh. If we head down the path we are heading right now, the horses are just one example of the end of

life as we know it. If they die out, we are soon to follow.

18A

tCm: How is it you’ve risen to the top as the prominent ‘voice for the horse’?

RT: Don’t really know. It was a position I willingly took on as this issue is one that is dear to my heart, my understanding of freedom and our constitutional rights. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good

people out there who are strong voices and leaders in this battle. But I think that maybe I resonate the emotions, the anger, that most people

are reluctant, or maybe afraid, to voice themselves.

from page 52 20A ~ RT Fitch

www.speakingofhorses.com

by the elimination of the last symbol of our freedom,

19A

tCm: Do you ever exhale? RT: Not on purpose. Terry and I attempt to grab a moment here and

there. They are few and far between. But that’s okay.

20A

tCm: When the time comes, how do you want your tombstone read? RT: I’ve got to think about that and try not to cuss…

‘Beneath this stone lies a grizzled old Blogger who liked to brew his very own lager

But sooner than later his last post was sent there ain't no ISP where he now has went’

WWW.KIPPYS.COM