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Jim Urquhart / Reuters
Kail Mantle rounds up horses during the Montana Horses Annual Horse Drive outside Three Forks, Montana, May 4, 2012.
Jim Urquhart / Reuters
Wrangler Shad Boardman rides his horse across a river during the Montana Horses Annual Horse Drive.
The Mantle family, who own Montana Horses and who have invited the public to witness horse drives for the last 11 years, are holding their last horse drive. Approximately 300 horses are rounded up and driven 35 miles from their winter range to the Mantle ranch over the course of three days. The horses are later picked up by leasers to be used as pack and trail horses at dude ranches and national parks.
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Jim Urquhart / Reuters
Horses run to the corrals during the Montana Horses Annual Horse Drive outside.
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I wonder what drives people to do this .... ??
Horses .... ??
Allot of horse power there ....
Mr. BBA;
Your sardonic proficiency of the English language is a little warped today, Thanx for the smile.
Never in my life have I seen so many stupid comments about Obama...congrats, Rethugs!!
It's ashame it's the last one. What drives them --the cowboy? the horses? They are both nature and spirit driven.
Yes we are both nature and spirit driven. I am one of the Wranglers from the drive. One of the most incredable experience of my life. The Mantles are some of the finest people in the world we wish them only the very best in their new endeavor.
I'm sorry its the last one,too. It's another part of our heritage being forgotten about.
PETA would rather see these majestic animals starve to death that to be "enslaved" carrying tourist to view the wonders of the Rockies. To bad this is the last one.
Horse drives still exist in Bishop CA. Each year at the start of the "back country" season the pack strings are brought up from the valley to the pack stations and than in the fall the trip is reversed. These horses and mules spend 4 moths carrying vacationers throughout the Sierras--and the rest of the year grazing peacefuly in pastures.
Wish I had to only work 4 months then could kick it the rest of the year!!!
By the way the horse as we know it today is NOT "native" the this continenant!!!
GED - what's PETA got to do with this drive?
I'd like to know why it's the last drive. Are they wild or do the horses "belong" to the Mantle family. Are the horses there to be rounded up because that is a Mantle family range with lots of their horses on it and it's time to move them? move others back there? Have future horses evaporated so no horses to pick up after this drive? or they're just not going to do it anymore because ......?? I'd like to understand better. I'm from Arizona but I'm not a cowgirl.
Beautiful animals.
This is the last drive because the Mantle family is changing business directions from leasing the horses. Here is a link to an article in the local paper that tells you a bit more.
We are headed out to see it pass through town in a few hours - it should be a great memory!
Seckley - thank you so much. I don't see a link to the article, but I will google it and see if I can find out more there. Enjoy the experience. Must be amazing.
Being a Montanian... It was the last best place.
I believe the article says the MONTANA HORSE COMPANY -this is how they support their ranch. Nowhere does it say that they do not own these horses-just that they invite the public. Would it be ok if they rounded up their own cattle??
This is my daughter in the background.....she had such a great time! The horses belong to the Mantle family, and they have been wintering up in the high ground. They bring them down in the spring. They are saddle horses, not wild horse.