On a cool Sunday afternoon in late September I arrived at Covered Wagon Ranch in the Gallatin Valley. Big Sky country was beginning to experience the fall color change in western Montana. Nelly, the teacup pig, worked the grounds of the ranch like a Hoover vacuum cleaner, eating the grass around her. Cowgirls walked by, [...]
Buying gifts for the horse crazy person in your life is easy, but when you want to go the extra mile and really make that special someone smile, you'll want to check out these equestrian gift ideas. From horse-themed gift cards to waterproof boots, horsey t-shirts and yoga on horseback, my list of 7 equestrian [...]
Stacy Westfall during a horse body language seminar in Montana. Photo © Nancy D. Brown Have you ever watched a horse and rider performance that brought you to tears? I confess that my eyes have welled up from watching some of the Budweiser Clydesdale commercials that air during the Super Bowl game, so [...]
Hall of Fame honorees from the National Cowgirl Museum. Photo © Nancy D. Brown "Cowgirls have a can do attitude," says Barbara Van Cleve. The Montana photographer and National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honoree was the first cowgirl that I encountered when I walked into the huge dining room at [...]
Some of the riders at the Cowgirl Spring Roundup There's girlfriend getaways and then there's cowgirl girlfriend getaways. What's the difference you ask? A girlfriend getaway typically involves cocktails, good food, time with friends, climbing a mountain or walking on the beach, followed by a soak in a hot tub, late night talks [...]
Wrangler Cindy moving cattle at The Resort at Paws Up. Photo © Nancy D. Brown Layered up like an onion, we were dressed for the unpredictable spring weather that presents itself in Montana. The itinerary said we would ride out rain or shine and fortunately, today, Mother Nature cooperated and the sun [...]
Montana Cattle Drive photo © Nancy D. Brown If you are of a certain age, like me, you'll remember the movie City Slickers starring Billy Crystal & Jack Palance. This comedy is about an unhappy Manhattan yuppie who is about to turn forty years old. His friends rope him into joining them [...]
What do you get when you bring together several Texas chefs with Montana cowboys and cowgirls? Happy horsemen and women! You, too, can be a happy horseman if you pack your cowboy boots and blue jeans and mosey on over to The Resort at Paws Up, a luxury Montana resort near Missoula. The luxurious equestrian [...]
For those of you who read Writing Horseback regularly, you know that Montana has a special place in my heart. I love the warmth and can-do attitude of the people, especially the cowboys and cowgirls. Being a third-generation California girl, I have no interest in riding out a Montana winter, but I do love the [...]