KBR Information Sheet

(Historical Account)
LIFE / LRTC Wild Horse Mentors'
WILD HORSE WORKSHOP '98
Official Information Site

WORKSHOP DATES:

September 28 - October 3

1998

WORKSHOP LOCATION:

Contra Costa County Fair
18th & L Streets
Antioch, CA 94509


For those of you who haven't heard about the workshop, this was the first ever attempt to combine a week long national wild horse mentor training program which used actual wild horses with two BLM satellite adoptions, all in a venue where the public could safely watch and ask questions.
Nearly 30 mentors came to California from all across the country. We had four great professional horse trainers plus a number of other interesting instructors. We had pens full of ungentled yearlings awaiting adoption.

They came, they gentled, they learned.

The senior trainer of the group was John Sharp of Prineville, Oregon. The Pacific Wild Horse Club sponsored John's participation; a deed for which we are truly grateful and which definitely shaped the workshop. At age 84, John can still gentle any horse which is sent down to his pen.

Next we had 1SG Mark Atwood who directs the Commanding General's Mounted Color Guard at Ft. Riley, Kansas. He demonstrated a patient and consistent approach with horses, important as the animals he uses in the Color Guard and historic battle reinactments must be able to calmly withstand rifles and cannons blasting away from close quarters.

Our third clinician was Frank Bell of Larkspur Colorado whose unique style allows him to get "up close and personal" with the horses right away. He is heavy in to generating "left brain" activity, getting the horse to lower its head, think and consider that it really is in a fairly safe environment from the first horse-human contact on through the gentling and training process.

Rounding out the primary clinician list was Dennis Bright, a traditional and soft spoken western trainer from San Martin, California who has command of the round corral on foot as well as while working ungentled horses from atop his big appy. Dennis' approaches are ideally suited to developing stock horses as his style emphasizes the interplay between the horse being trained and other animals (including the human). His work is broadly founded and he made good progress with all the horses which he worked.

The BLM set up the adoption pens inside the fairgrounds roping arena. This allowed activities to be view from the grandstands and all training to be within a secondary 6-foot enclosure. Pens lined a center aisle which ran east-west across the arena. The east end of the aisle ended at a loading chute and the west end terminated in a 50 ft. round corral.

On Sunday afternoon the BLM brought in 20 yearlings. We let them settle in for the afternoon and evening although prospective adopters were eyeing their potential prizes. The mentors set up camp (or RV) in the horse barn area while Joyce and Ben North got the Wild Horse Cafe underway.

A young girl gets to touch a "wild mustang"
just gentled by Frank Bell
WHB Chief Tom Pogacnik
catching a ride on Aerial
Getting the First Day Organized
"The transport truck is here!"
New Arrivals
John Sharp and
Dawn's adoptee Corrie
Frank Bell working with
Joyce and Sarge
Sgt. Atwood with a
fresh filly
Yearling Pens

Continue to Page 2

Meet the Clinicians

This is not a BLM operated or BLM sponsored site. It is run by private wild horse and burro enthusiasts.

Wild Horse Workshop Objectives

What is a mentor?

Check out the Workshop Sponsors

Album of Wild Horse Workshops

Return to LRTC Wild Horse Mentors

Return to KBR World of Wild Horses & Burros

Go To KBR Horse Net