Montana Equine Marketing

04/06/2024

RIP Big Rugged Howdy 1994-2024 (aka LeRoy, Bubbas).Today the horse world lost one of "the good ones". Handsome, kind and generous, he was loved by many especially me and Avery Shriver and family. Until we meet again big guy.

15/01/2024

This Thursday, January 18, Debbie Driggers and I will be guests of Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen (BR B*H) where we will give a presentation on photographing horses (even with your cell phone) and tips on creating marketing videos. Hope to see you there.

31/12/2023

It's hard to say goodbye to an old friend. During January and February 2024 we are offering legacy photo sessions as a final remembrance to honor your partnership. $50 each. Call Debbie 406-360-2668 or Bonnie 801-550-4030

26/12/2023

Photo season is coming soon. We even provide photo and video services in the winter. Portrait and marketing photography and videography. Message us for an estimate.

06/12/2023

Who doesn’t love cookies? 🥰 Join us this Saturday for our Cookie Walk and Bake Sale! There will be something for everyone. 🍪

02/07/2023

We love to see a great all around gelding and Hank, a 9 year old, working bred Quarter Horse with a pedigree someone will love, is one of those geldings. He is being marketed by Cassia Bouley, Top Shelf Equine Services.

16/04/2023

Want to get started in the ranch & rope horse business? Here are 3 of the best bred, roan mares that are proven producers. 3-in-1 packages. Due to foal end of April, 1st part of May 2023 and bred back to FP WYO Blue Hawkeye. Priced to sell

3 proven bay and blue roan AQHA broodmares 3-in-1 packages. Will be bred back to FP WYO Blue Hawkeye, dun roan, homozygous black with creme gene. Son of WYO Dun Curry.

05/03/2023

When the right horse meets the right person it's easy to say yes. Congratulations Oro (Mr Blackburn 131) and Sheilah.

01/01/2023

Pretty palomino Dolly, went home to her new home in Salmon, ID with her new owner, Tona.

06/11/2022

She found her person. For all of you Black Weasel fans out there, here is grand daughter of Black Weasel with some great performance blood to boot. Coming 3 year old mare ready to be started to make a great ranch and rope horse. Video link in comments

05/11/2022

Lucas found a wonderful home right here in the valley and will be loved by mother and daughter alike. Congratulations.

05/11/2022

04/11/2022

A beautiful essay on the art of building a bridle horse and the horse that inspired this loving honor to his passing.

One thing I do—and have always done—whenever one of my horses leaves me, is to then take his, or her, bridle and lovingly clean it. This is not usually a time for tears but rather, to sit in meditation, to feel this one lasting link between me and a beloved horse and to give thanks.

A lot of people do not realize, looking at all those pictures of Cody happily at work, that he was a spade bit horse. It was a secret that I shared with few people and then, only those whom I trusted.

In almost every picture on Keystone, with occasional exceptions, Cody was packing one of several old spades in my collection. Oh, what a misunderstood thing the spade bit is, along with the horses and people who use them! As such, I’ve not been forthcoming about what this fine horse wore in his day-to-day work. Always afraid of causing unnecessary drama or controversy, I’ve kept very quiet about the old iron that Cody carried in his mouth.

“If I had to use a boat anchor to stop my horse, I wouldn’t ride him!” is just one comment that has forever burned itself upon my brain, after I’d unbridled my good horse at a local parade.

I vowed to never again set myself, or Cody, up for such committed misunderstanding. From then on, I tacked and untacked my horse in secrecy. With time comes healing, however, and I no longer fear other peoples’ censure. In many ways, I am proud to do my part in honouring this traditional ‘bit of knowledge’ in western horsemanship, one that is always in danger of going the way of the dodo bird.

People who decry these bits have no idea of the hours—rather, the years—that go into navigating the largely uncharted territory from starting in the bosal, to wearing the two-rein, to the bridle you see here. There is no known shortcut because to do so always comes out in the poor performance of the horse.

Why have the long-term goal of using such a bit, then? Why not stay for life in the snaffle? It’s a personal challenge, a way of striving always to do better, similar to aiming for advanced agility training in your dog… when ‘come’, ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ might be all a nice dog really needs to get by. As the horse advances in the bridle, he will need less and less input from the rider to do his job with all the acquired poise of a trained dancer.

Training such a horse has a very different mindset than our more modern one, of making the baby superstar. Rather than be a good young 'prospect', most spade bit horses are still peaking in their late teens and twenties.

A spade bit horse needs neither holding in, nor any pushing on. He carries his own balance at all times. This, alone, should tell us that to ride such a horse will be a beautiful experience. While Cody—like all horses brought to the point of correctly carrying a spade—actually cared little about what he was ridden in, he did have his favourites.

There was one, in particular, that made the old horse a little more contented, a little more dialed in, a little more lightly confident in front of me. It was this bit, made by the master Raphael (Filo) Gutierrez in California, in the 1920s. Cody did not hear the dismay in peoples’ voices when they questioned the mouthpiece. No, this was his outfit, a secret between his rider and her horse.

That said, Cody has been the only one of my horses to have carried this particular bit with such aplomb. Even amongst spades, this is an unforgiving one. With the old Gutierrez, there is zero room for error. It takes a certain horse with the sheer working knowledge, mental yielding, physical mouth shape and a disciplined rider to wear it comfortably. A horse who shines while working in this bit simply has no fear or questions left about his job.

I am aware that in my lifetime, I may never again have a horse who will wear this bridle.

In churchlike silence, I condition the leather of the old silver headstall. Its classic one-ear styling was a good one for Cody, a horse who over the course of his long life, absolutely loathed anyone touching his left ear. He would permit me to slip his off-side ear into the headstall and quickly pull the left side back, letting his ear pop out the front without any unbearable messing about. This one thing was the only spot of discord in our long relationship and it was a hill that my great horse was prepared to die upon. I let Cody have his little victory, for in every other aspect, he was fully on board with letting me believe that I was the boss. I smile wryly, only now realizing this and finally, putting it into words.

The silverwork gets a quick buffing, leaving all the dark patina in the old engraving. I pick a small fleck of green from the roller in the mouthpiece, knowing that I’ll never again do this small ordinary thing for Cody. When all is at it should be and my heart feels newly at peace, I push the lid onto the tin of leather cream and fold up my rags.

I will carry this old bridle and hang it in a place of honour in my tack room, where the spirit of Cody’s memory can swirl about with all the other ghosts that live there.

Each bridle, set of rawhide reins, or old saddle, brings to mind the wonderful horses who carried them. What beautiful—if sometimes flawed—characters these horses were, with their wise eyes and the souls of warriors. Many of the headstalls and bits have been worn by untold numbers of horses, going far back beyond the span of my lifetime. Realizing this, that my new heartbreak is but a blip in the circle of life, consoles me. I know that these treasures will wait on their hooks, until they will be used on somebody’s top horse, if not mine, once more.

Comforted, resolved to remember my time with Cody with nothing but gratitude, I turn out the tack room light and pull closed the door.

01/11/2022

This super cute, buckskin 2015 Missouri Fox Trotter gelding is looking a person that wants to cover the trails smoothly and in style. Lucas has seen lots of mountain trail miles, the arena and has helped out on the ranch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6fzGlZPuAY

31/10/2022

This little cutie went to her new home today and will be headed to Texas this spring to be introduced to the world of cattle work. Congratulations Steve. Super athletic, sweetheart disposition, double bred Playgun bay roan yearling filly. Motivated

31/10/2022

This big, athletic 2020 palomino mare just became more affordable. Check out her web page with video. https://www.montanaequinebrokers.com/chexyyellowbean

31/10/2022

Wishing you all a great holiday season.

23/09/2022

We are so excited to list this gorgeous, talented, Blackburn line bred, buckskin gelding. Video will be up soon.

21/09/2022

22 Years of professional experience and service in equine marketing and sales.

17/09/2022

We just got this sweet little double bred Playgun yearling filly up on our site.

Sweet, athletic and bred to be a great youth or amateur performer by LW Playguns Diamond. Shady has a kind, want to please disposition and double bred Playgun.

16/09/2022

We are really excited to show you some fancy new ones we have coming up soon. Broke geldings, royally bred roan yearling filly and a big 2 year old palomino mare ready to start your way.

12/09/2022

This handsome buckskin gelding went to Redmond, WA last week to be the main mount for a gentleman who is a serious student of horsemanship. He couldn't have picked a better partner than Banjo. We're looking forward to hearing how their partnership progresses.

23/08/2022

This photo was taken 20 years ago when we formed Bitterroot Equine Marketing Services, the first internet based, licensed & bonded equine sales company in Montana. Left, Bonnie Cazier on LeRoy and right, Debbie Driggers on Cash. We've always believed in riding good horses and think you should too.

11/08/2022

A smart horseman knew a good one when he saw him. We are happy that "Five" will be staying right here in Montana and has a great future as a ranch and team roping horse.

10/08/2022

Done!! Nichole knew a good one when she saw it and wasted no time getting to the Bitterroot to take home this sweet gelding. Congratulations Nichole and Charlie.

05/08/2022

Just up! This sweet 9 year old AQHA gelding that's done everything on the ranch and smooth in the arena. He boasts Hollywood Dun It and Rugged Lark in his breeding and is owned and ridden by one of the best horseman we know.
Website link in comments.

What a beautiful, well-mannered gelding. He is wonderful out on the trails as well as easy to ride around cattle and in the arena. Great family horse! For...