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Wednesday, January 3, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Cowboy finds a more peaceable way witp porses
By Eileen M. Chambers
Columnist
It was hard to watch. Even
to a novice, it was clear that
the mare was in deep distress.
Clouds of dust rising, she
paced at the back of the cor-
ral, head flying high. In her
eyes, humans were the mon-
sters at the gate.
But that was yesterday —
before Charley Snell, a wiry
cowboy trained by renowned
horseman Ray Hunt, began
working with her. As a writer/
filmmaker, I had gotten to
know Charley while research-
ing the American cowboy
culture. Did that “your word
is your bond,” wild open
range way of living exist any-
more? The moment I shook
Charley’s hand, I knew. Here
was the real deal. Hat, spurs
and cowboy humor included.
“This little gal,” Charley
said as we walked into the
corral, “if we had come in
here two days ago, she would
have fled.”
Not now. That mare
walked right up to Charley
like two old hands getting
ready to go work some cattle.
Charley smiled. I laughed.
The moment felt that good.
“Because I grew up with
all sorts of trouble,” Charley
said more seriously, “I know
what trouble feels like to the
horse.”
He wasn’t kidding. Raised
in Montana, Charley’s ranch-
ing childhood was real tough.
“Mom and Dad didn’t get
along. A lot of verbal abuse.
Never any affirmation for
anything. Some of that was
eastern Montana mentality.
The country was harsh, espe-
cially back then. You grew up
keeping your mouth shut and
taking care of business.”
Charley’s mentors “back
then” were honest-to-good-
ness cowboys, “old-timers,”
who taught him the ropes.
“They were not men of
many words. If you wanted
to learn something, you had
better have the grit to hang
in there. So, at a very young
age, I developed the skill of
observation. How they coiled
their ropes. Saddled their
horses. Worked a cow. So,
having that skill, I see things
in horses that other people
don’t.”
In the 1970s, Charley took
his first clinic with Ray Hunt,
followed by many more with
the legend. Ray had a life-
changing influence, not only
regarding horses, but with
Charley finding peace him-
self, a journey that culmi-
nated on a deserted highway
in the middle of a blizzard
(another story).
“Ray had an understand-
ing of the horse — of how
the horse saw life and related
to the human. Instead of just
mechanically making the
horse do something, Ray
would fix things up so that
the horse was relaxed, at
peace and willing to whatever
Ray wanted him to do.”
As Charley told stories
about what Bill and Tom
Dorrance passed down to Ray
and then what Ray passed
down to young hotshots like
Charley and his friend Buck
Brannaman, it made you wish
you were there.
“Most riders are unaware
that their horse is not with
them, mentally. So, when the
horse doesn’t do what they
want or, even worse, bucks
them off, the human gets
mad, frustrated or injured,
sometimes seriously.
“If a horse is troubled, he
can’t sense, feel or apprehend
what you are asking because
he is so concerned for him-
self. If would be like you and
me trying to have a conversa-
tion while someone was about
to pour hot coffee down your
back. How relaxed would you
be? But take away that source
of anxiety and we would be
PHOTO BY EILEEN CHAMBERS
Charley Snell knows what trouble feels like to a horse — and how to find
a way around it.
free to talk.
to do what you ask, even the
“So, when I approach a first time you ask him.”
horse, I am not particularly
As we stood silently, I
interested in what I can get was again amazed at those
done with the horse. I am who call our Sisters “home.”
interested in how the horse Like others in Sisters, here is
is feeling about the situation. a man who, without fanfare,
How is it looking at things? hoopla or self-importance, is
Where is the trouble at? a master artisan in his field, at
And what do I have to offer the top of his game, yet who
this animal to alleviate that lives out that life with sim-
trouble, so that he can be at plicity, bringing peace to one
peace? I am interested in that troubled horse after another.
first and foremost because
For more information,
when a horse is at peace, then v i s i t w w w. c h a r l e y s n e l l
you can have that amiable horsemanship.com or call
conversation with him.”
541-705-7240.
In our oft-times too impa-
tient world, here was a dif-
ferent trail, a good way,
altogether.
“What I do is bring
humans and horses together
for something lasting,”
Charley said. “I show riders
how to help their horses let
go of one thought and take up
another. When you do that,
you alleviate the horse’s trou-
ble and you are able, then, to
have that amiable conversa-
tion. Training becomes moot
because your horse will seek
Smile,
Sisters!
We’re
committed
to your dental
health!
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Prevention & Aesthetics
Ben Crockett, D.D.S.
p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110
410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters, Oregon 97759
Hours: Mon., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tues.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.;
Thurs., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Body found
near Bend
railroad
tracks
BEND (AP) — Authorities
investigating a car accident in
Central Oregon discovered
the body of a 24-year-old man
near the scene.
Bend police say a driver
suffered a medical problem
before leaving the highway
and crashing onto railroad
tracks Wednesday night.
No one was hurt in the
crash, but the body of Robert
McKinney was found in a
spot hidden from the highway.
Oregon court records
show McKinney was arrested
in November for stealing car
keys and entering a motor
vehicle. He failed to appear
at his arraignment and a war-
rant was issued for his arrest
in mid-December.
Police do not believe his
death stemmed from the car
accident or foul play.
It’s unknown if McKinney
had shelter in Oregon. He
listed a Joplin, Missouri,
address in court papers fol-
lowing his arrest.
JANUARY 13-14
FEBRUARY 17-18
We look
forward to
serving you
in 2018
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