Wild Horse and Burro Expo

I just got the chance to settle in after a full month of shows, event, driving, and preparing. First off, I want to thank Cindy and Bart Lawrence of the Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno. They are the producers of the show at the Reno Livestock Arena. They put on an incredible show to highlight the wonderful wild horse. There was lots to do and see. Tommie was a featured speaker along with Charles Wilhelm. There were busloads of kids and lots of interested adults. Of course, Tommie introduced everybody to Blade, his roan mustang from the BLM and all the rest of the crew including Maverick, Tommie's 3 year old red heeler. The kids loved it! Even with the 101 degree temps, it didn't keep people away. Tommie was just featured on Clinton Anderson's RFD-TV show, so we had a lot of people come to see the show because they saw Tommie on the show. For the night time show, we featured our own show "Night of Amazing Horses" with 14 amazing acts. It was a lot of fun. John Wearley and I dueled it out during the chariot race and I won again. Our trip to Reno is quite the haul. We have been documenting our trips to show how prepared you need to be and what to do to keep safe. Most books we have read on the subject only tell you what you need to do like check the tires, make sure the fuel is full, and the horses have plenty of ventilation. They never talk about the temperature, hills, bumps, how to feed, what to look for when stopped, how the horses are behaving and what to do if an emergency arises. They say to check the tire pressure, but what do you do if you get a flat? We have come up with many answers to these questions which most people need to know. The other important information is driving in different parts of the country. Driving over the Rockies is a lot different than over the plains of Nebraska. Knowing the weather forecast and how and where to stop for an overnight rest is important too. So, we're looking to put together an educational series on traveling down the road with horses. You may not ever travel the 100,000 miles a year with your horses, but you may learn a few things that may make a difference on your next trip. Our way may not be the only way, but it is the way we found is the best way for us and our horses. On the way to Reno, we spent the night on top of the hayrack on our trailer while our horses rested for the night under the beautiful Western Nebraska sky. We watched a meteor shower and falling stars and the temperature was about 50 degrees! ( In August!)


Tommie is headed to Kentucky to drop off a Rocky Mountain Horse he has been training. You can win the horse by entering a charity raffle. "Platinum Dreams" is a beautiful horse. Check her out at http://www.vanbertfarms.com/ Then, Tommie is headed to Midland Texas for a show featuring him and his best friend, Josh Lyons. If you are in Texas, you've got to so see them. They are awesome together. You'll never see a better pair of trainers who work together and are so entertaining. We are putting together the 2009 schedule as well, so get ready for a full year of us touring the US and Canada. Well, it is supposed to be a holiday tomorrow, but I'll try to up load some photos of the past month to this blog.


Gotta run. Ride Fast... Take Chances! karen

Here is Tommie with Blade at the Reno Wild Horse and Burro Expo in Reno, Nevada. They did 3 one our demos and showed what amazing things can be done with these horses. Blade and Tommie has an incredible relationship of trust and communication. The mustang is making quite a comeback today and has been a staple of Tommie's training since he was a young boy.
Here is Tommie with the Rocky Mountain Horse Platinum Dreams at our Equestrian Center in Sterling, IL.

Here is a great shot of Tommie and Rocky Mountain Horse, Platinum Dreams. Thanks to Van Bert Farms for such wonderful horses and great photos. Larry and Vera are wonderful people and Tommie is a big supporter of Rockies and Van Bert Farms. If you are looking for a solid horse, look no further than Van Bert Farms. Great poeple and Great horses!