The Dutchman; Horses and Hollywood

You may have heard me mention the name "Dutch" over the course of conversations or perhaps noticed his name on our website (bearcreekguestranch.com) as a partner and special guest during the coming season.  If you have heard or seen that name you're going to get a kick out of the reality if you're so inclined to visit us up here at the ranch after the snow melts!  Dutch is going to be helping us put our spring cattle drives together and then add his lifetime of experience with horses and direct our week of "Pure Horsemanship" in early July.  I haven't yet explained to the reader yet who Dutch is but I can tell you right off the bat we're talking about a real heavyweight in the world of horses.  And above all, a real good man.

Dutch, and his wife Anne, own Ghostridge Outfitters, and have been providing horses to Hollywood for more than twenty years while also acting as a stunt double and wrangler.  Dutch has been on more than forty films and TV movies, including many of the big ones that you've seen, ie; Dances with Wolves, Geronimo, Hidalgo, etc. During that period he's been able to not only display the unparalleled level of horsemanship that was learned from being horseback at an early age but also the equine qualities that are unique to the Blackfeet people.  I've been around alot of the really handy Blackfeet cowboys and it wouldn't be a stretch to claim they are they best there are.  Pretty strong statement but pretty damned true.  You'll see for yourself.

So this blog isn't so much about Hollywood as it is about horsemanship, and Dutch.  If you go back a couple blogs you might want to go over the comments I made regarding horsemanship issues and opinions.  I did that piece not too long ago and so my visit with Dutch yesterday was timely as it evolved into a discussion of horsemanship and specifically as that subject applies to starting colts and bringing them up through the ranks.
I've known Dutch for quite a few years and although his reputation as a hand is huge I hadn't ever listened to him articulate that lifetime of experience with horses on the Blackfeet Reservation and beyond.  There's horse folks out there that can do alot of talking about horses but you quickly realize their knowledge is an inch deep and not very wide.  When I listen to a fellow like Dutch I know that wealth of knowledge is deep and wide.

I think the general theme of our discussion was the increased dependence and use of the round pen and arena as part of a colts' early education in this day and age.  Times have changed.  People have changed.  Even cowboys have changed, evolved if you will.  The Dorance brothers, Ray Hunt, Pat Parelli, and Buck Brannaman, to name just a few, have helped engineer a new dawn as that applies to more humane and cerebral treatment of horses in the earliest stages of training.  Gone, for the most part, is the physically abusive, punishing style of breaking that was in too many cases standard practice years ago.  But that was then and this is now.   I hear, as I listen to Dutch, a hard earned acknowledgement that those hard days gone by are exactly that.  But, what I also hear is a man telling me that quite possibly there has become too much dependence and use of the round pen and arena and that quite frankly there aren't enough cowboys and horses who are willing to spend the time getting themselves and their horses "out," where a real education is to be found.  Ahh yes, a kindred spirit.  I couldn't agree more.

To make a long story a bit shorter I urge you to follow my stories and comments as we move further on into the latter part of spring and on to the warmer months.  We'll be putting more activity and action into our (my) words and stories and will get away from the printed word.  With any luck if you''re able to make it up this way the coming summer you'll be able to meet Dutch and his great family.  He is what epitomizes real horsemanship.  Stay tuned.