I sat on a horse before I could walk, which is appropriate since Mom is part Nez Perce. For you who don't know; the Nez Perce Indians were the greatest horsemen in the world before the white man appeared on the scene. I love my Mom , but she's a stickler when it comes to Silas and me respecting the ancient customs of her people (She says our people, but I consider myself just plain old American). Dad is a great guy except when he gets drunk and beats up on Mom. I really didn't want to say anything about that, but Crystal insisted that I mention it.

Silas is my older brother and unfortunately a traitor to the family. He's gone against the teachings of our dad when it comes to horses, and it's all because of those damn horse clinicians that are all the rage right now. Even my best friend, Rachel, believes in them, and now neither of them want to ride with me anymore. But I don't let it bother me. I can still have fun with my Quarter Horse, Blazer, on my own.

So, delve away into this mind of mine. You won't find a better source of information on how to ride and train horses anywhere. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. One word of advice about horses; Stay away from Appaloosas. They are the stupidest, most bullheaded, and just plain untrustworthy breed of horse in the world.

If your father hits your mother, why do you think she stays with him? Would you or Silas help her if she wanted to leave him?

How do you feel about your father hitting your mother? Is that different than how you felt when you were, say, twelve?

How could a difference of opinion about how to train horses make Silas a traitor to the family? Family members have differences of opinion all the time. Or is that just a cover for some deeper disagreement, like about your father's behavior?

What is your greatest fear? Don't tell me you're not afraid of anything. Everybody is afraid of something. What are you afraid of?

Why do you have such strong feelings about Appalloosas? Did you have a bad experience with one? Maybe one you couldn't control?

Do you ever have nightmares? What are they about?

[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited February 09, 2009).]

What inspires you to do what you do?

Naw, Dad never did hit Silas or me but used what he did to Mom to keep us in line when we were kids. I do remember once when he slammed Silas into the wall. I think Silas was ten or eleven then. I know it scared me enough not to interfere with him when he came home drunk. I'm just glad it didn't happen very often. I think that's why Mom never tried to have him put in jail. Once Dad sobered up, he was the greatest expert in apology in the world, a real charmer. Thank goodness that's the only time he was like that. He was always there for Silas and me, and we had some great times together.

Horses are another story, and I can tell you don't know much about them. Horses are big powerful animals, and the first thing you have to teach them is who's boss. If you can't teach them that from the start, they're going to hurt you bad. I've watched Dad break horses like this for years, and it works. Knock them around some when they refused to cooperate, and they will soon learn to respect you and do what you want.

If your father hits your mother, why do you think she stays with him? Would you or Silas help her if she wanted to leave him?

She stays with him because he treats her like a queen when he's sober, and that's most of the time. We've tried to keep him away from the booze, but it's impossible to watch him 24/7. But if we have advanced warning, we avoid him the best we can. We've tried for years to talk Mom into leaving him, but she won't. She's afraid if she doesn't stay with him that he'll either beat up on Silas and me or whoever else might get in his way. And like I said, it doesn't happen all that often. Just once in a long long while.

How do you feel about your father hitting your mother? Is that different than how you felt when you were, say, twelve?

Do you have to keep harping on this one subject? For Pete's sake, it isn't like it happens everyday. I love my dad. He's one of the greatest dads a kid can have. I'm just thankful he doesn't get drunk very often.

How could a difference of opinion about how to train horses make Silas a traitor to the family? Family members have differences of opinion all the time. Or is that just a cover for some deeper disagreement, like about your father's behavior?

Horses have been trained the same way in my family for decades. It's passed down from father to son. I just don't understand why some people call it abuse. The horse survives, he does what you want him to do, and no harm's done. It works and without all the pussyfooting around those stupid horse clinicians preach. Who needs that? And now Silas think they're gods or something and that everyone who has anything to do with horses ought to fall right in line. "Spare the rod, spoil the child" is how I look at it. I'll stick to the old ways. They've worked for generations, and there's no reason to change something that works.

What is your greatest fear? Don't tell me you're not afraid of anything. Everybody is afraid of something. What are you afraid of?

I'd say losing my friends and my brother to something as stupid as those horse clinicians. I had good times with Silas and Rachel when we were kids, and we rode all the time together. I don't like having the ride by myself and have people look down on me just because they don't understand horses like I do. I'm a master horseman and know everything I need to know to get the best out of any horse I come in contact with. It's just that simple. I can't help it if everyone is jeolous of me in that respect.

Why do you have such strong feelings about Appaloosas? Did you have a bad experience with one? Maybe one you couldn't control?

Heck, they're all stupid. Every single one that's come through the auction house has never acted like a well-behaved horse should. I've never worked with any breed of horse that's more bullheaded than an Appaloosa. Sometimes I think their ancestors were all mules! Not one has come through the sale barn that hasn't balked on me or refused to obey in one form or another and I've worked the horse auction since I was a kid. Give me a well broke Paint or Quarter Horse any day of the week.

I've talked to Mom about them too, since the Nez Perce started the breed in the first place, and she laid all this garbage on me that you have to gain their respect. That's crazy. I've shown them I'm the boss, and they still refuse to cooperate. There's not a worse breed of horse in the world as far as I'm concerned.

Do you ever have nightmares? What are they about?

Funny you should ask. I don't know if you'd call it a nightmare, but I began having dreams about my Indian spirit guide right after Mom talked Silas and me into taking part in a vision quest. We did the sweat lodge, the special incense, and the whole nine yards. Silas and I were bored with nothing to do that summer. So we did it just for fun, though I thought Mom was taking it way too seriously at the time. I had a vision alright. I met my great grandfather, a Nez Perce shaman by the name of Red Hawk. He tried to impress upon me the importance of finding my spirit guide and how I should respect her once I found her. I'd never talked with a ghost before, but he seemed harmless. Anyway I did find her, and she turned out to be a black leopard Appaloosa mare. Go figure!

Don't get me wrong. I loved Mom's teachings about the history of the Nez Perce, and she knew my great grandfather, Red Hawk, before he died. He's the one who taught her about the old ways and the traditions of her people. But she's just half of me. My father comes from a strong Irish background, though he's several generations removed from the first McGoverns to immigrate to America. I respect both sides of my family heritage, but I live in the United States. Mom has her people and Dad has his, but my life is my own.

What inspires you to do what you do?

It's like a huge adrenalin rush when riding a horse that will do what you wish. Stop by sometime, and I'll take you on a ride in Yellow Paint State Forest. Once you've slid a horse down one of those ravines and forced him up the other side, you'll understand. It's one major thrill like no other. That is if you have the stomach for it. It's not for wimps.

And once you've achieved master horsemanship status, everyone looks up to you. I get envious looks thrown my way all the time at the horseman's camp in Yellow Paint. They all wish they could ride and break horses like me. You can see it in their faces. It's a great feeling.

What is your greatest ambition?

I've already achieved part of it, and that's to become a master horseman. I'd like to break horses for a living but don't have the time. Dad depends on me to help out at the auction barn whenever I can, and I work full time through the week. That doesn't leave much time to go chasing after dreams.

Hey Wyatt. For some reason I thougt you were older than mid-twenties. Maybe 35 or something.

Was Silas always more passive with horses than you?

How do you get the title Master Horseman? Is there some guild or association or something that you have to join?

Did Silas and Rachel just up and refuse to talk to you, or is this a thing that's been building for a long time? It seems awfully drastic that they'd suddenly refuse to be seen with you. They must have sat there together and planned it out, like some kind of intervention.

... Are they dating?

I mean, your brother stealing your girl, that's kind of a jackass thing to do.

Also, I gotta ask. Did Silas get religion or land in therapy recently? Or do you think Rachel put him up to this?

How come you don't just go find new friends?

We both rode and broke horses the way Dad taught us, but things started to change after we found our spirit guides. I have no idea what happened to Silas on his visiion quest. Mom said we shouldn't tell anyone about what happened (and that includes the identity of our spirit guide) or we would anger the "Great Spirit". I'm assuming she meant God.

I will say that Silas has always been more of a follower than a leader. If something grabs his interest, he's more likely to follow it than not. I was pretty shocked when he went against Dad's teachings after he started watching the horse clinicians on TV. And after he started buying their DVD's and reading their books, he was hooked.

How do you get the title Master Horseman? Is there some guild or association or something that you have to join?

That's one of the best laughs I've had in awhile. A guild? Heck no. I don't think any such thing exists. I've been around horses from the day I was born. I've worked with thousands of them over the years in the Saturday horse auction. You can't have a more thorough background and education in horses than me. There's nothing more to learn, and once you get to that stage, you can call yourself a master.

There's not a horse anywhere that I can't handle or get the best out of. And if I can't, I'll teach them one way or another. They always give in and do what I want once I'm through with them. Stop by sometime, and I'll show you how well broke Blazer is.

Hey, you in the market for a horse? I'll give you a good deal on Blazer. He'd make a good beginner's mount, and he's not the challenge he used to be. Time to get me another one to break in anyway.

Did Silas and Rachel just up and refuse to talk to you, or is this a thing that's been building for a long time? It seems awfully drastic that they'd suddenly refuse to be seen with you. They must have sat there together and planned it out, like some kind of intervention.

I'm not sure just what happened. I know both of them tried to get me to sit down and watch that natural horsemanship garbage the clinicians preach on TV. Can you believe those clinicians actually give in to the horse? It's sickening to watch them pussyfoot around with a horse. It's an accident waiting to happen.

Then Silas and Rachel tried to talk me into slowing down and enjoying the view when we'd go trail riding. Enjoy the view? I can do that any time, but when I'm riding, I'm there for the adventure and not some dumb nature hike. I knew I had been riding alone more, but when Rachel decided to bawl me out in public, I couldn't believe it. Mom used to babysit Rachel when we were just toddlers. She's the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister, but when Silas took her side, that was the last straw.

... Are they dating?

ROFLMAO!!!! You have got to be kidding? Like I said; all three of us grew up together. And besides, I think she's been seeing Jake off and on for several months now.

I mean, your brother stealing your girl, that's kind of a jackass thing to do.

Yeah, I guess he did in a way, but not in that way. And Rachel has as much right to choose her friends as I do, though Silas and I are more like family when it comes to her. There's no romantic intent between them. We're all just very close friends, that's all.

Also, I gotta ask. Did Silas get religion or land in therapy recently? Or do you think Rachel put him up to this?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that. Silas is fine, and we still go out and have a beer or two together. It also let's us make sure Dad isn't out carousing. We also work in close association at the Saturday horse auction. So it isn't like he's cut me off entirely. He just refuses to ride with me anymore.

How come you don't just go find new friends?

The reason I brought up therapy and religion is because I thought there had to be some reason for Silas and Rachel to have had their change of heart. Those are the first two things I could think of that would make a person suddenly decide to be more gentle with animals - and to demand that their friends do the same. But a TV preacher, or whatever these "horse clinicians" are, makes sense too. And the spirit guide kind of does too, though I thought that was a long time ago.

Oh, and this is supposed to get personal - what else did you think was going to happen when Crystal comes on here saying she wants to "delve deeper into the inner you"? Sure, I could just ask her these questions directly, but then you wouldn't get to give your side of the story.

I'm not in the market for a horse - wish I could be - but I move too often to make it practical.

Have you seen many bad accidents with horses that weren't broken properly?

A few times. You can tell the horse knows what he's doing when he tries to take advantage of his rider and succeeds. I've seen horses spook sideways and dump their rider, and the rider just pets the horse and gets back on. The horse goes unpunished for dumping the rider, and you just know it'll happen again because of the lack of discipline.

Then there was the time a guy stood too close to his horse and the horse stepped on his foot. The horse didn't even know it while the guy tried not to cry out in pain. So, what did he do once he got the horse to move off his foot? He petted the fool horse and told him it was okay! He should've smacked that horse right in the nose for something like that. Once you let horses get away with stuff like that, they'll try it again and again. You don't gain respect from a horse that way. It never works.

Horses aren't the smartest creatures on Earth, but they pick up on things like that in a heartbeat. They're always looking for ways to put themselves at the head of the pecking order. In a herd situation, there's only one horse that's boss, and all the rest look up to him. His word is law or the others suffer the consequences. Anyone dealing with horses has to fullfill that role, or the horse becomes the boss. I don't know about you, but I don't want a thousand pound animal telling me what to do. It just doesn't work that way. I have to be the boss if I want to stay in one piece.

And what is it that you care about. I've heard some stuff about you from Crystal, but not what you care about.

What drives you? What's your deepest reason for waking up in the morning?

And...if you found your spirit guide in Black Rain...why do you ignore her? Why didn't you see the light as Silas has seemed to? Inquiring minds qant to know.

Okay, so maybe it does. I'm not heartless when it comes to stuff like that, but I'm not about to let it show. After all, I do have an image to uphold and can't let anyone think I'm a wimp. So I hide my feelings to look strong in front of everyone else.

And what is it that you care about. I've heard some stuff about you from Crystal, but not what you care about.

I just want to be respected for my abilities and my beliefs. And I especially hate it when someone challenges the facts. I care about my family and wish I could stop Dad from beating up on Mom on the rare occasions it happens. I care about Silas, but he's doing fine on his own, but I still love him and would do anything for him. The same goes for Rachel even though she's not a blood relative. I know her well enough that she ought to be. We've knocked heads before. She can almost match me when it comes to sticking with ideals and what we believe is right or wrong. It's not the first time we've been on opposite sides of the fence, and it will all blow over in time. You'll see.

What drives you? What's your deepest reason for waking up in the morning?

Drives me? Heck, I don't know. I have things to do from the time I get up to the time I go to bed. I go to work, pay the bills, keep my place in good repair, and take care of Blazer. Life goes on. I look forward to riding the trails and the thrill of controlling animals bigger and stronger than me that will do anything I tell them.

Of course, I look forward to spending time with family, too. Mom might have some strange ideas due to her Indian heritage, but I enjoy her stories. I go fishing with Dad, and he's taught me so much about horses over the years. He's a gold mine in that respect. And Silas and I work the horse auction once a week and meet at the tavern two or three times a week and get caught up on things.

And...if you found your spirit guide in Black Rain...why do you ignore her? Why didn't you see the light as Silas has seemed to? Inquiring minds qant to know.

Actually, you don't find your spirit guide. She finds you. In a vision quest, you sit in a circle and meditate usually with your eyes closed. Then you will feel a presence and look up to find your spirit guide is right there looking at you. It's like visiting an alternate reality.

But back to your question. I never believed in the old ways of the Nez Perce and was amused when I actually acquired a spirit guide. I decided that it might be best to respect these things when they did happen.

I met my great grandfather on that vision quest, too. He was a shaman when he was alive. What some would call a holy man or medicine man. They believe strongly in living in harmony with nature and leaving the wilderness untouched. They respect all life and believe there is life in all things including rocks, dirt, water, things like that. Because I met him and talked to him on that vision quest, I respect his rights to what he believes in just like I do with Mom.

And because he knows Black Rain and her connection to me, I respect her, too. I don't always understand what she expects of me, though, and I hadn't seen her in years when she showed up so unexpectedly in that mare at the auction barn the other day. It was such a shock that it scared the heck right out of me.