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Wednesday, January 28, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Challenge pairs trainers and rescue horses
By Kathryn godsiff
Correspondent
Take a group of skilled
horse trainers, add some
horses languishing at a local
rescue, organize an event to
showcase the efforts of the
trainers and you have the
Rescue Revolution Trainers
Challenge.
This unique collabora-
tion is a first between Equine
Outreach horse rescue, Central
Oregon Wild Horse Coalition
and the trainers, who are scat-
tered across the state. The
Challenge culminates in a
competition and live auction
of the trained horses on May
30-31, at the Rim Rock Riders
Event Center at Brasada
Ranch in Powell Butte.
Modeled on the highly suc-
cessful Mustang Makeover
competitions, this one has
several features that make it
much more accessible and
interesting to the average
horse owner.
First of all, none of the
horses are mustangs fresh
from the range. Several
of the horses are from the
Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs herd, which does run
free on the reservation but the
horses have been handled.
Several more are well-bred
thoroughbreds from a neglect
case that occurred in Powell
Butte several years ago. These
fine and athletic examples of
the breed have also been han-
dled and around humans for
Agenda
Sisters City Council
City Hall, 520 E. Cascade
Ave.
January 29, 8 a.m.
Goal-setting session
• Expectations.
• Review councilors’ goals.
• Review current financial
projections.
• Review current and pro-
jected cash positions.
• Review current pub-
lic works projects, timing,
sources and uses of funds.
• Review potential public
works projects, sources and
uses of funds.
• Review public outreach /
involvement; survey concept;
CCI; other ideas.
• Review EDCO funding.
• Review forgivable loan
program.
• Review urban renewal
grants.
• Review community
grants.
• Review SDCs.
• Review long term infra-
structure — plan for growth.
• Review Chamber
funding/purpose.
• Prioritize goals.
several years.
The focus of this event is
on building a solid training
foundation over the course
of several months, enabling
the horses to transition to the
riding style of their new own-
ers. This highlights the com-
mitment the trainers have to
finding good homes for these
deserving rescue horses.
the odds of an
untrained horse finding a
home are just about nil.
— alison Weston
Alison Weston of Sisters
is one of the trainers taking
on the challenge. She chose
two horses, a thoroughbred
gelding, Buddy, and a Warm
Springs mare, Carmelita. Both
are making good progress,
with Buddy making particu-
larly large strides. He’s gone
from an intractable, frightened
rebel to a friendly and teach-
able horse willing to make an
effort.
“The odds of an untrained
horse finding a home are just
about nil,” Weston said.
She’s worked with other
rescue horses, and liked the
months-long timeline in this
event. It gives the trainers
time to really know the horses,
which in turn helps if the
adopters have issues down the
line. Weston will make herself
available for the new owners
of Carmelita and Buddy and
hopes the other trainers do
the same for the purchasers of
their horses.
Trainers are asked to com-
mit to posting updates on
their training progress so
potential adopters can chart
progress and see the changes
in the horses. These updates
are on the Rescue Revolution
Facebook page. So far 10
trainers are putting the foun-
dations onto 18 horses. But
there is room for more.
Gayle Hunt of the Central
Oregon Wild Horse Coalition
is one of the organizers of the
event. She said there are still
some horses available if there
are other trainers looking for
a worthwhile challenge. They
will be accepting applications
from trainers until February
14. She’d especially like to
see more of the thoroughbreds
going to work.
“There are so many skilled
hunter/jumper trainers here.
This is a great opportunity,”
she said.
photo couRtesy baRby snell
Carmelita is undergoing training as part of rescue revolution.
Hunt and Weston both
noted that there are individu-
als and businesses that believe
in the concept of horse rescue
but don’t have the facilities or
desire to actually own a horse.
Participation is possible in the
form of sponsorships of horses
or trainers during the Rescue
Revolution. All this adds up
to a winning situation for each
participant – trainers, horses,
and new owners.
Information and applica-
tions can be found online at
www.rescuerevolution.info.
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