For A Good Cause

This is a picture of the Carson Valley from Kingsbury Grade, Hwy 207. Can you see my house? It's there on the left.

I love living in Nevada. I love the seasons, you know, winter and road work. Just kidding. I love the sun shining 337 days a year, the snow falling, the incredible sunsets,


the mountains, the wide open spaces, cattle being herded across a highway from one pasture to another, kids in rodeo, Lake Tahoe, and lets not forget, the wild horses that roam our valley.

Here in Gardnerville if you want to eat the produce from your garden, you had better put a fence around it. Horses run free in the BLM lands all around the Carson Valley. They are magnificent creatures, strong and proud. With our unpredictable weather and many drought years they sometimes need our help. That is where many of the organizations to promote and save our wild horses come in. I am doing a craft show sponsored by the Wild Horse And Burro Organization. I am a member of the Made In Nevada Program and we were offered spaces at the show. Made In Nevada is a nonprofit marketing cooperative consisting of small and large businesses throughout the state. They call Nevada home and through their efforts, contribute to the economic well-being of Nevadans in communities across the state.

The show is called the National Wild Horse Center WESTERN STATES WILD HORSE AND BURRO EXPO. It is held at the
Reno Livestock Events Center.
August 20-22, 2010
1350 N. Wells Ave 1721 Reno, NV 89512


From their web site
The Western States Wild Horse and Burro Expo has these objectives:

1. To promote the successful adoption of wild horses (mustangs) and burros who have been gathered from public lands:
A. To educate the public about wild horses and burros through entertainment, showcasing their many fine qualities
B. To improve the success rate of adoptions, by providing educational opportunities with top trainers
C. To provide an opportunity for Federal, State, and Local governmental organizations, as well as for private rescue groups, to offer their wild horses and burros for adoption to the public

2. To raise public appreciation for wild horses and burros - both in the wild and in captivity and/or domestication

3. To promote public acceptance and appreciation for Mustangs and Burros as breeds with strong merits

4. To provide a Showcase for successful owners, trainers, and adopters of formerly wild Mustangs and Burros

5. To provide a venue for people who love wild horses and burros to come together for fun, education, entertainment, sharing, and friendly competition

6. To raise funds to help support wild horse and burro rescue, advocacy, and preservation projects

7. To provide an educational and informational forum for non-profits and other groups who work in horse welfare, nature conservation, and other areas relating to wild horses and burros and the Adoption program.

I set up my table




and then stopped to watch a couple of gals in the arena. I walked down and asked if I could take a few pictures and got to talking. What else is new? The girls work at the Nevada B Ranch, owned by Steven Bourne. With the help of Sheri Avis, executive director, they have turned the ranch into a haven for horses that need a place to recuperate from starvation, illness, injuries or abandonment. The Nevada B Mustang Sanctuary has taken in 47 horses. I meet Kelly Lyon and Courtney Kemp.


Lets see if I can get this right. Kelly Lyon, a teacher with a degree in biology, trains horses and is chairman of the board of the Nevada Mustang Sanctuary. She is here with Kobe. He has only been ridden 35 or so times. He seemed very well mannered to me. Kelly was showing him the signs along the rail and letting him get used to the noises and size of the arena.


This is Courtney Kemp. She is a certified horse trainer with an extensive background in the handling of Mustang horses. She holds the secretary of the board position at the sanctuary. She is riding Sassy. Sassy only has 30 rides under her belt and she seemed very well behaved to me, too. They are from the Dann Shoshone Family that had their home taken away. The horses had gone to several places and ended up at the Nevada B Ranch.


I also stopped to talk to a few other people that were setting up at the show.

Horses for the Spirit from Reno, NV, is a charity dedicated to offering Equine Assisted Learning programs to youth in Washoe County. They teach positive life and social skills to primarily kids at risk of failing in traditional settings, but it is their dream and goal to serve all children in the community. Graduates of their programs have increased their skills in leadership, teamwork, problem solving, managing behavior and more.

The Center for Adaptive Riding specializes in lesson planning for individuals with physical, emotional, developmental or learning challenges. Adults or children diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Learning Disability or Multiple Sclerosis can enjoy the out of doors while working with the horses, volunteers, staff and other riders. Brain neuropathways are activated and stimulated while the students brush, feed, lead or ride the horses, helping with balance and body awareness. They are located in Washoe Valley, Nevada.

I also saw a very cool vendor booth, Nancy's Horse Blanket Laundry and Repair. Stop by and see everyone if you are going to the show!

I will be taking more pictures tomorrow, so come on back!

This is the way I set up my soaps this time. Do you like it? I always wrap the soap before a show and then you can't see how cool they look, so.... I thought I would leave one unwrapped.