Thunder at First Light
Best in Snow
Exercise in frigidity
Dave Henry organized a morning session at the Bar W Guest Ranch near Whitefish as part of our Montana workshop. Standing in the snow is cold - trust me.
Horses need exercise too.
These are the “beasts of burden” that will be transporting the ranch guests into the back country after the snowmelt.
The lead cowhand was the "Marlboro Man" sans cigarette - with several women in our group designating him the alpha-male for the morning....
A sedentary season of “corral potato” horses would not be good....
The horses may have free-run playtime without an audience but the cowhands provided an organized procession for the guest photographers....
Despite the impending trajectory of the pack, we knew that we were not around carnivorous creatures that considered us prey....
....and the horses had their established course.
There was the occasional stray that needed direction....
"Working cowhand" was an understatement....
After the "Ferraris" were returned to the corral, they brought out the equestrian “monster trucks” - the Clydesdales....
Draught horses - their purpose is year-round, heavy-duty work....
Their excursion was a bit different - it was not an exercise in speed but an equestrian avalanche of power....
Hooves producing a fishtail of muffled thunder and powdered echo....
Moving sight and sound of monumental concentrated power....
....not of fear but awe....
The sun breaks over the ridge basking the cowhand in a morning spotlight while the Clydesdales drive through their final lap in the shadows....
The horses are tucked away and our cowhands gather for their "bow"....
....as an eagle screech breaks the silence of the valley....
As we leave the Bar W, airborne condensation emanating from the athletic steeds clouds the breaking sunrise.....
As the steeds cool down, we find a place for our feet to warm up.
Sweet dreams, Ladies!....
….THANKS FOR THE LOOK1