No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us
as dogs and horses. – Herman Melville
Alongside homosapien's footprints through time you will find the pawprints and hoofprints of dogs and horses. The dog was the first domesticant and had a profound effect on human evolution. While the domestication of horses occurred much later, some scientists argue that they had an even greater impact. Dogs have long been helpers, guardians, herd managers—but horses, prior to the invention of mechanized transport, gave humans a level of mobility, speed, and strength that they had never had before.
Life at Dunrovin Ranch has always centered on
humans, horses, and dogs.
HORSES AS HELPERS AND HEALERS
FREE Live Broadcasts and Chat Every Monday
MONDAY SCHEDULE with DETAILS BELOW
- 10:00AM - A Herd for Hugs with Lorraine Turner
- 11:00AM - Ranch Horses with Brandon Carpenter
- 1:00PM - Clicker Training with Mackenzie Cole
- 3:00PM - Anthrozoology with Anne Perkins
- 7:00PM - Equus International Film Festival selected films
All times are Mountain Standard Time (convert to your time zone here).
A Herd for Hugs
Join internationally acclaimed fabric artist and author, Lorraine Turner, as she walks us step by step through the process of making a simple stuffed horse for A Herd of Hugs that we will then send off to people in need of a hug during the social isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Friends of Dunrovin will connect each horse maker with a senior, a person with disabilities, a foster child, a hospitalized child or someone else in need of knowing that the world cares for them. Dunrovin will also create a map showing a photo of every horse made and where it was sent. Let's cover the world with huggable horses!
A Monday Social Feature at 10AM for each Monday starting January 11, 2021 and ending on February 8, 2021.
WESTERN RANCH HORSES
Horses have for centuries been the primary source of labor and transportation for all of agriculture and livestock production throughout the world. Within the agricultural world, Western Ranch Horses may be the most versatile helpers of them all as they may be called up to do the widest possible range of agricultural duties. Historically these all weather, all terrain animals have been used to herd cattle or sheep, pull a plow or combine, carried kids to school to stand all day, trod the road to an from town pulling a buggy, or packed game down steep mountain trails.
Master Horseman and cattle rancher Brandon Carpenter will demonstrate much of what goes into training a ranch horse by working with Dunrovin Ranch during unscripted livestream broadcasts to train a young colt to drive to drive a stone cart that Dunrovin will use to deliver hay to it herd.
A Monday Social Feature at 11AM for each Monday starting January 11, 2021 and ending on February 8, 2021.
CLICKER TRAINING
Master Clicker Trainer Mackenzie Cole has for several years been coming to Dunrovin Ranch to use his animals training talents with horses, donkeys, and dogs. His affiliation with Dunrovin began when Dunrovin Ranch owner SuzAnne Miller read an article in the local Missoulian newspaper about how he was using clicker training to help a frightened horse that he had rescued from a difficult situation. She had had little experience with clicker training, but the more she read, the more intrigued she became. This lead her to reach out to Mackenzie to offer him and his horse Canner the opportunity to move their training to Dunrovin so she and the people watching on her web cameras could learn more and support their journey to recovery. Again, the local newspaper to follow up with a second article about Canner getting a second chance at Dunrovin. The best way to understand the relationship of love and trust that has developed between Canner and Mackenzie Cole is to watch this short video.
Every Sunday afternoon at 4PM at Dunrovin will broadcast and record live sessions with Mackenzie Cole presenting the elements of clicker training and working directly Canner.
A Pre-recorded Monday Social Feature at 1 PM for each Monday starting January 11, 2021 and ending on February 15, 2021.
ANTHROZOOLOGY
Anthrozoology is the study of the relationship between human and nonhuman animals. It is about understanding the incredibly complex and often contradictory relationships that humans share with other species. These relationships an be mutually beneficial or very detrimental to animals subject to extreme levels of human exploitation. Dr. Anne Perkins was responsible for starting one of the first university level programs in the United States in anthrozoology at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. Listen to her 2016 TedTalk as she explains her program and its genesis.
As part of this program, Anne will address the question "We love our horse (and\or dogs), but do they love us back?"
Anne's four part series will discuss what modern science is telling us about thoughts & emotions in animals and how it contributes to our relationships. "I will start with anthropomorphism and build on relevance of data gathering science. How history has changed with improving understanding of animals cognition. What it means for applied work with non-human animals, especially horse and dogs, but other species as well."
Anne's presentations are sure to spark lively discussions as we all have our own anecdotal stories of how we view and interpret the emotional lives of the animals that are a part of our individual worlds. It will be fascinating for us to compare our own ideas with the results of scientific experiments and inquiries. Anne will help us address how science as a methodology helps us to reduce bias in our interpretations of animal behaviors and expressions.
A Monday Social Feature at 3 PM for each Monday starting January 11, 2021 and ending on February 8, 2021.
EQUUS INTERNATIONAL FILMS
Join Janet Rose of EQUUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL and Horse Haven Montana as she selects and curates a selection of films that demonstrate the powerful impact equines can have on people's sense of well being. Janet will also connect us all personally with the people behind the stories and provide us with the opportunity to discuss with them the challenges and rewards of their work.
This event is co-sponsored by the Montana Center for Horsemanship, a national equine education center focused exclusively on Natural Horsemanship, headquartered in Dillon, Montana. Janet is overseeing development and expansion of the Center to host international conferences, symposiums, and other equine education events to advance horse-human well-being.
EQUUS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is the premier global venue for award-winning equine films, including documentaries, features, narrative, non-fiction, and all new media focused on issues and stories of the horses, mules and donkeys. Established in 2011, EQUUS INTERNATIONAL was the first international equine film festival launched by the equine rescue, adoption, and education organization, Horse Haven Montana, which is a 501c3 not for profit organization founded by Janet Rose.
Horse Haven Montana recently established New Beginnings, a program to partner rescued/retiring horses with children, young people, and adults, or even other animals who have suffered trauma through neglect or abuse, to help one another achieve "new beginnings."
A Monday Social Feature at 7 PM for each Monday starting January 11, 2021 and ending on February 8, 2021.
An interview with Janet will be presented on January 25, 2021 at 7PM.
Featured Films Include the Following
High-Sensitive Youth
In The Horse-Heart Space
This beautiful and gentle film by Jolanda Ellenberger explores what happens when adopted and foster children and rescued horses are brought together. It documents the life parallels between unclaimed youth and discarded horses helping one another to build their sense of belonging. High-Sensitive Youth in the Horse-Heart-Space explores the friendship between two beings so different and yet so alike, and celebrates the friendships formed when both sides long to connect their heart-space.
Film to be presented on January 11, 2021 at 7PM(MST).
Mustang Saviors
Enjoy Mustang Saviors, a profoundly moving, first-run documentary film by David Glossberg about how wild mustangs traumatically taken into captivity from their home ranges join up with veterans coping with post traumatic syndrome brought about the horror of war to heal each other.
Film to be presented on January 18, 2021 at 7PM(MST).
UnReined
UnReined is the incredible film by Marcia Rock and Naomi Guttman-Bass that tells the story of Nancy Zeitin, an Israeli equestrian champion from San Diego, who crossed taboo boundaries between Jews, Christians and Muslims, to build the first Palestinian Equestrian Team. As a result of the Oslo Agreement, Nancy Zeitlin had one of the most significant experiences of her professional life training young Palestinians to ride and compete internationally. Her story parallels with the growth of the State of Israel, its wars, its rapid economic growth, changing borders and external and internal conflicts. As a single mother, Nancy's experiences bring insights into Israel's fractured secular and religious society.
Film to be presented on February 1, 2021 at 7PM(MST).
Riding with ThisAbilities
Riding with thisABILITIES is a beautiful film by Matthew Handal that show how disabled children are empowered through a therapeutic horse program that took place at the historic Claremont Riding Academy in NYC. In it we learn what therapeutic riding is and how it benefits the children, especially Josue, an eleven year-old with cerebral palsy, and Zack, a six year-old autistic child. We even meet them as young adults and see how well they’ve done. Unfortunately in spite of the program's obvious success, the stable is sold and the program ends. In a postscript, there’s a plea for society to spend more money on therapeutic horse riding so that everyone has a chance to “Ride with theirABILITY.
Film to be presented on February 8, 2021 at 7PM(MST).