1 00:00:01,070 --> 00:00:03,244 Viewers like you make this program possible. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 3 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,350 Support your local PBS station. 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 5 00:00:12,702 --> 00:00:15,636 Here, in America, 6 00:00:15,670 --> 00:00:18,052 horses helped forge a new world. 7 00:00:20,606 --> 00:00:25,749 In return, this new world, created unique horses. 8 00:00:30,478 --> 00:00:34,758 Each breed has its own story and legacy. 9 00:00:37,037 --> 00:00:38,452 The quarter horse and the cowboy 10 00:00:38,486 --> 00:00:42,180 have come a long way through the years. 11 00:00:42,214 --> 00:00:44,734 And it took both of them to get there. 12 00:00:48,876 --> 00:00:52,880 In my family, we've always had horses as far back 13 00:00:52,914 --> 00:00:54,640 as I can remember with my mother, 14 00:00:54,675 --> 00:00:57,540 grandmother, great-grandmother. 15 00:00:57,574 --> 00:01:00,646 And that love of Appaloosa is shared by people 16 00:01:00,681 --> 00:01:03,166 all over the world. 17 00:01:03,201 --> 00:01:06,273 Shaped by land... 18 00:01:06,307 --> 00:01:09,586 and work... 19 00:01:09,621 --> 00:01:13,038 but sustained by their connection to us. 20 00:01:13,073 --> 00:01:16,421 These are American horses. 21 00:01:39,789 --> 00:01:44,069 America is the birthplace of legends. 22 00:01:44,104 --> 00:01:46,589 Some live right among us. 23 00:01:51,145 --> 00:01:57,945 They come in a profusion of color, proportion, personality. 24 00:01:59,291 --> 00:02:04,262 Spirited, gentle. 25 00:02:04,296 --> 00:02:08,473 willing, wild. 26 00:02:10,682 --> 00:02:15,721 With names like mustang, Morgan, 27 00:02:15,756 --> 00:02:20,933 Appaloosa, quarter. 28 00:02:20,968 --> 00:02:23,384 And that's only the beginning. 29 00:02:25,766 --> 00:02:27,423 In the five centuries 30 00:02:27,457 --> 00:02:29,942 since horses returned to North America, 31 00:02:29,977 --> 00:02:32,290 they've taken this continent by storm. 32 00:02:35,016 --> 00:02:37,950 With over a hundred registered breeds, 33 00:02:37,985 --> 00:02:42,990 the United States has the most variety of equidae on Earth. 34 00:02:50,515 --> 00:02:55,313 It began with the mustang that swept across the continent. 35 00:02:58,799 --> 00:03:01,077 Soon, the Morgan horse 36 00:03:01,111 --> 00:03:04,045 had tamed the American frontier... 37 00:03:09,258 --> 00:03:11,501 ...while first people also created 38 00:03:11,536 --> 00:03:15,367 one of the original American breeds... 39 00:03:15,402 --> 00:03:18,922 the Appaloosa. 40 00:03:18,957 --> 00:03:23,237 A next chapter gave rise to the American quarter horse, 41 00:03:23,272 --> 00:03:26,240 molded by cowboys on the open range. 42 00:03:28,725 --> 00:03:31,659 These signature American horses 43 00:03:31,694 --> 00:03:37,424 forged in the old alchemy of horse-human connection. 44 00:03:37,458 --> 00:03:40,530 Enough horsepower to fuel a new nation. 45 00:03:42,981 --> 00:03:45,639 And it all started from zero. 46 00:03:47,986 --> 00:03:52,232 Their stories begin here, in the middle of nowhere, 47 00:03:52,266 --> 00:03:57,029 with a horse unlike any other... the mustang. 48 00:04:01,517 --> 00:04:04,761 In the desert foothills of the Pryor Mountains, 49 00:04:04,796 --> 00:04:08,282 spring is often the harshest season. 50 00:04:08,317 --> 00:04:13,425 All winter, these horses rely on snow as their only water source. 51 00:04:15,669 --> 00:04:20,398 Despite being one of the most adaptable mammals on Earth, 52 00:04:20,432 --> 00:04:23,228 these conditions push them to the brink. 53 00:04:26,335 --> 00:04:28,233 But change is in the air. 54 00:04:31,063 --> 00:04:34,998 As a wave of green travels up the mountainside, 55 00:04:35,033 --> 00:04:36,931 the migration has begun. 56 00:04:51,601 --> 00:04:55,122 For hundreds of years, horses have gathered here, 57 00:04:55,156 --> 00:04:58,332 near the summit of East Pryor Mountain. 58 00:04:58,367 --> 00:05:01,197 And not just any horses. 59 00:05:01,231 --> 00:05:03,579 Pryor mustangs are noted 60 00:05:03,613 --> 00:05:06,547 for their distinct conformation... 61 00:05:06,582 --> 00:05:11,241 V-shaped face, thick neck, 62 00:05:11,276 --> 00:05:14,831 sloped croup, deep body. 63 00:05:18,421 --> 00:05:22,943 And, each spring, when the reunion is in full swing, 64 00:05:22,977 --> 00:05:25,463 a familiar guest arrives. 65 00:05:28,431 --> 00:05:32,608 Naturalist Phyllis Wray studies individual horses 66 00:05:32,642 --> 00:05:36,336 to gain a deeper understanding of mustang behavior. 67 00:05:39,787 --> 00:05:45,724 Today, she's meeting several for the first time. 68 00:05:45,759 --> 00:05:49,659 This band just made it to the top of the mountain today. 69 00:05:49,694 --> 00:05:51,351 We've got a couple of new fillies. 70 00:05:51,385 --> 00:05:54,388 The one on the top is little Victoria. 71 00:05:54,423 --> 00:05:57,736 And her sister, who's a little bit lower, is Venus. 72 00:05:57,771 --> 00:05:59,393 She's the life of the party 73 00:05:59,428 --> 00:06:02,845 and starts the little fights and tussles with her sister. 74 00:06:04,847 --> 00:06:08,264 All of the horses, together, are a herd 75 00:06:08,298 --> 00:06:11,060 and then they divide up into individual bands, 76 00:06:11,094 --> 00:06:17,653 and it's comprised primarily of a band stallion, like Naolin, 77 00:06:17,687 --> 00:06:21,588 the lead mare, who is not always the oldest mare. 78 00:06:21,622 --> 00:06:26,213 But she's very intuitive and has experience. 79 00:06:26,247 --> 00:06:29,734 And then, there's also kind of a hierarchy within the mares. 80 00:06:29,768 --> 00:06:32,081 They're like families. 81 00:06:32,115 --> 00:06:35,429 Mustangs have been coming here for centuries, 82 00:06:35,464 --> 00:06:38,259 but to understand how they got here, 83 00:06:38,294 --> 00:06:44,058 you have travel back in time... deep... into the fossil record. 84 00:06:49,063 --> 00:06:51,307 On this very ground, 85 00:06:51,341 --> 00:06:56,105 the 'dawn horse' emerged 56 million years ago. 86 00:06:58,797 --> 00:07:00,420 These ancient horses 87 00:07:00,454 --> 00:07:05,459 continued to evolve here in North America 88 00:07:05,494 --> 00:07:10,050 until, finally, the contemporary horse, equus caballus, 89 00:07:10,084 --> 00:07:13,536 became so successful that it spread... 90 00:07:13,571 --> 00:07:15,089 across the globe. 91 00:07:17,264 --> 00:07:19,128 But in the blink of an eye, 92 00:07:19,162 --> 00:07:23,132 horses disappeared from the American landscape. 93 00:07:23,166 --> 00:07:26,031 The root cause of this widespread extinction 94 00:07:26,066 --> 00:07:28,378 is still unknown. 95 00:07:28,413 --> 00:07:30,726 But one thing is clear... 96 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,074 for 10,000 years, the horse was gone. 97 00:07:36,456 --> 00:07:41,599 Until, one day, with a little help, they returned. 98 00:07:41,633 --> 00:07:44,947 Spanish conquistadors brought European horses 99 00:07:44,981 --> 00:07:46,638 to North America, 100 00:07:46,673 --> 00:07:50,711 back to the cradle from where they had evolved long ago. 101 00:07:53,162 --> 00:07:55,233 As these Spanish horses flourished 102 00:07:55,267 --> 00:07:58,408 in the wilds of the American West, 103 00:07:58,443 --> 00:08:01,481 they became known, simply, as mustangs. 104 00:08:04,138 --> 00:08:09,178 Pryor mustangs still display zebra stripes on their legs, 105 00:08:09,212 --> 00:08:12,561 dorsal lines running down the spine, 106 00:08:12,595 --> 00:08:15,115 and barring across the shoulders, 107 00:08:15,149 --> 00:08:19,809 all genetic markers of Spanish blood. 108 00:08:19,844 --> 00:08:22,053 These primitive physical markings 109 00:08:22,087 --> 00:08:25,539 unlock the story of the mustangs' arrival, 110 00:08:25,574 --> 00:08:27,852 but it's their behavior that reveals 111 00:08:27,886 --> 00:08:33,443 how these complex animals have survived for so long. 112 00:08:35,515 --> 00:08:37,586 At the height of breeding season, 113 00:08:37,620 --> 00:08:41,037 a band stallion fends off bachelor stallions 114 00:08:41,072 --> 00:08:42,832 eager to claim mares of their own. 115 00:08:45,317 --> 00:08:47,561 For Phyllis, it's an opportunity 116 00:08:47,596 --> 00:08:52,290 to see how strong these bands truly are. 117 00:08:52,324 --> 00:08:53,878 The grullo is Jupiter. 118 00:08:53,912 --> 00:08:55,500 The gray. 119 00:08:55,535 --> 00:08:59,090 And he is tormenting the band stallion, Knight, who's a roan. 120 00:08:59,124 --> 00:09:01,886 And he's keeping the bachelor away from his mares. 121 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,198 He's positioning himself in between them. 122 00:09:09,065 --> 00:09:11,136 This is getting a little more serious. 123 00:09:13,380 --> 00:09:16,935 I can tell you Knight will not back down. 124 00:09:16,970 --> 00:09:19,731 He will fight to the end for that palomino. 125 00:09:23,563 --> 00:09:25,944 When the stallions confront each other, 126 00:09:25,979 --> 00:09:27,532 you almost know what's going to happen 127 00:09:27,567 --> 00:09:32,986 just by watching their eyes, watching their ears. 128 00:09:33,020 --> 00:09:34,366 And here we go. 129 00:09:42,892 --> 00:09:45,481 Oh. Ouch. 130 00:09:48,139 --> 00:09:50,935 Got another band stallion getting in the mix. 131 00:09:54,939 --> 00:09:57,597 Other bands are getting drawn into it. 132 00:10:06,813 --> 00:10:08,400 The band stallions don't know where to go 133 00:10:08,435 --> 00:10:10,299 because they are being challenged 134 00:10:10,333 --> 00:10:12,404 from all different directions. 135 00:10:12,439 --> 00:10:13,647 Wow! 136 00:10:13,682 --> 00:10:15,373 My goodness! 137 00:10:19,377 --> 00:10:21,241 It's very, very intense. 138 00:10:24,554 --> 00:10:26,591 Wild horses, 139 00:10:26,626 --> 00:10:28,869 doing what they've done here for ages. 140 00:10:31,596 --> 00:10:37,429 Their return set the stage for an epic comeback... 141 00:10:37,464 --> 00:10:41,779 the first equids on American soil in 10,000 years. 142 00:10:47,198 --> 00:10:50,477 As mustangs ran wild out West, 143 00:10:50,511 --> 00:10:52,582 on the other side of the continent, 144 00:10:52,617 --> 00:10:55,068 a new icon was born, 145 00:10:55,102 --> 00:10:58,243 a breed whose power would shape the settlement 146 00:10:58,278 --> 00:11:00,936 of the New England frontier. 147 00:11:00,970 --> 00:11:02,592 The Morgan horse... 148 00:11:02,627 --> 00:11:07,839 pound-for-pound, one of the strongest horses in the world. 149 00:11:07,874 --> 00:11:11,498 Bright eyes, small, foxy ears, 150 00:11:11,532 --> 00:11:15,053 compact, muscular frame, 151 00:11:15,088 --> 00:11:20,265 high head, arched neck... regal posture. 152 00:11:22,751 --> 00:11:25,857 On the University of Vermont's Morgan horse farm, 153 00:11:25,892 --> 00:11:28,688 the legacy of this dynamo continues. 154 00:11:31,242 --> 00:11:35,453 Kim Demars sees today's Morgans as living proof. 155 00:11:35,487 --> 00:11:38,559 So, the mother is UVM Whisper. 156 00:11:38,594 --> 00:11:40,251 We like this mare a lot. 157 00:11:40,285 --> 00:11:42,115 And she's turned out to be a great mom. 158 00:11:42,149 --> 00:11:45,739 This is her first baby, so she's really taken to it, 159 00:11:45,774 --> 00:11:47,085 which is great. 160 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:48,673 But to Kim, 161 00:11:48,708 --> 00:11:53,229 Whisper is much more than just a successful broodmare. 162 00:11:53,264 --> 00:11:54,437 You know, she's got a lot of presence, 163 00:11:54,472 --> 00:11:58,027 and she's very curious. 164 00:11:58,062 --> 00:12:01,548 This mare is about as pretty as you can get. 165 00:12:01,582 --> 00:12:04,068 She's kind of that quintessential Morgan size, 166 00:12:04,102 --> 00:12:07,174 and she's just really graceful and strong and athletic 167 00:12:07,209 --> 00:12:09,418 and feminine all at the same time. 168 00:12:09,452 --> 00:12:12,283 Whisper has "presence." 169 00:12:12,317 --> 00:12:14,768 A posture born out of conformation 170 00:12:14,803 --> 00:12:19,186 with the ideal traits of the Morgan breed... 171 00:12:19,221 --> 00:12:24,157 balance, athleticism, and typiness... 172 00:12:24,191 --> 00:12:26,780 all rolled into one. 173 00:12:26,815 --> 00:12:31,785 Then, there are the intangible factors, like spirit. 174 00:12:31,820 --> 00:12:33,925 I want a horse that's into itself, 175 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:35,789 that's proud, that's ready to go to work, 176 00:12:35,824 --> 00:12:37,239 that wants to show off. 177 00:12:37,273 --> 00:12:39,828 So having that attitude sort of ingrained in them, 178 00:12:39,862 --> 00:12:43,659 we take a lot of pride with that as well as with the breed. 179 00:12:43,693 --> 00:12:46,904 And her bloodlines go back to the government era 180 00:12:46,938 --> 00:12:50,804 and then eventually Justin Morgan. 181 00:12:50,839 --> 00:12:55,188 It's a pedigree that traces back over two centuries, 182 00:12:55,222 --> 00:13:00,883 16 generations, to the year 1789, 183 00:13:00,918 --> 00:13:05,785 when a small, unassuming colt named Figure was born. 184 00:13:08,477 --> 00:13:12,584 But, as he grew, so did the legend of the Morgan horse. 185 00:13:15,380 --> 00:13:20,316 Figure was owned by a schoolmaster, Justin Morgan. 186 00:13:20,351 --> 00:13:21,939 A little horse, 187 00:13:21,973 --> 00:13:23,803 received as payment for a debt. 188 00:13:26,081 --> 00:13:31,327 But despite his diminutive size, Figure was a bundle of energy. 189 00:13:38,921 --> 00:13:43,098 He could ride forever and never falter. 190 00:13:43,132 --> 00:13:46,584 Work day and night and never tire. 191 00:13:50,001 --> 00:13:55,835 No matter the conditions, Figure was unstoppable. 192 00:13:55,869 --> 00:14:00,632 The living embodiment of the frontier spirit... 193 00:14:00,667 --> 00:14:02,600 no excuses. 194 00:14:02,634 --> 00:14:05,741 Pure grit. 195 00:14:05,775 --> 00:14:08,882 But he wanted to show the world who he was. 196 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,647 Figure was more than just brawn and stamina. 197 00:14:15,682 --> 00:14:18,823 He was versatile, charismatic, 198 00:14:18,858 --> 00:14:22,206 and his reputation continued to grow. 199 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,037 In time, he became "The Justin Morgan Horse," 200 00:14:26,072 --> 00:14:27,556 named after his owner. 201 00:14:30,145 --> 00:14:32,630 And when he was bred, it was discovered 202 00:14:32,664 --> 00:14:35,288 that he possessed another special quality. 203 00:14:38,049 --> 00:14:41,950 The Morgan horse had genetic pre-potency... 204 00:14:41,984 --> 00:14:46,920 all of his offspring looked exactly like him. 205 00:14:46,955 --> 00:14:49,302 Each mare was different, 206 00:14:49,336 --> 00:14:55,549 but they would reproduce this phenotype over and over again. 207 00:14:55,584 --> 00:15:00,140 A "perfect" workhorse meant survival on the frontier. 208 00:15:00,175 --> 00:15:05,111 And word of this horse spread like wildfire. 209 00:15:05,145 --> 00:15:10,012 From these humble beginnings, the Morgan breed took off, 210 00:15:10,047 --> 00:15:15,017 and today, a new generation is on the way. 211 00:15:15,052 --> 00:15:16,363 It's always fun to say, 212 00:15:16,398 --> 00:15:18,779 "If the weather drops or changes, 213 00:15:18,814 --> 00:15:20,264 she's going to foal tonight." 214 00:15:20,298 --> 00:15:23,439 But these mares really serve you up a piece of humble pie. 215 00:15:23,474 --> 00:15:26,442 I think the more scientific you seem to get about things, 216 00:15:26,477 --> 00:15:28,755 Mother Nature just kind of slaps you around a little bit more 217 00:15:28,789 --> 00:15:29,929 and is like, "Oh, no. 218 00:15:29,963 --> 00:15:32,379 You don't have this figured out." 219 00:15:32,414 --> 00:15:35,935 Well, we're at milk almost! 220 00:15:35,969 --> 00:15:38,523 Already darker than this morning. 221 00:15:38,558 --> 00:15:40,077 "Foal watch" 222 00:15:40,111 --> 00:15:44,322 is a season of tremendous risk and reward. 223 00:15:44,357 --> 00:15:47,325 For Kim, it's also a labor of love. 224 00:15:49,949 --> 00:15:51,571 I had my first Morgan horse 225 00:15:51,605 --> 00:15:54,229 when I was 7 years old. 226 00:15:54,263 --> 00:15:55,402 Her name was Tanner. 227 00:15:55,437 --> 00:15:57,991 She was 4, unbroke. 228 00:15:58,026 --> 00:16:00,097 Her commitment to Morgans 229 00:16:00,131 --> 00:16:02,927 has only grown stronger with age. 230 00:16:02,962 --> 00:16:06,103 But even after a lifetime of experience, 231 00:16:06,137 --> 00:16:08,898 there's always more to learn, 232 00:16:08,933 --> 00:16:11,315 especially during foaling season. 233 00:16:11,349 --> 00:16:14,939 If we can have six healthy alive mares and foals 234 00:16:14,974 --> 00:16:17,217 at the end of a season, that's all I really want. 235 00:16:21,325 --> 00:16:23,741 Most foals are born at night, 236 00:16:23,775 --> 00:16:27,848 an instinct that can be traced back to wild horses. 237 00:16:27,883 --> 00:16:32,232 Stealth keeps them safe from predators. 238 00:16:32,267 --> 00:16:36,961 But first-time moms like Xena are notoriously unpredictable. 239 00:16:39,343 --> 00:16:43,243 The team checks each mare in 30-minute intervals 240 00:16:43,278 --> 00:16:45,245 around the clock. 241 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,007 But even under tight surveillance, 242 00:16:48,041 --> 00:16:50,837 it's impossible to know when labor will begin. 243 00:16:53,288 --> 00:16:55,221 Only time will tell. 244 00:17:47,618 --> 00:17:50,034 Mom's pretty tired. 245 00:17:50,069 --> 00:17:51,898 In that moment, it's so natural. 246 00:17:51,932 --> 00:17:56,178 Like, she just laid down, she pushed, she did her job. 247 00:17:56,213 --> 00:17:58,905 The whole act of pushing that baby out 248 00:17:58,939 --> 00:18:01,114 only took 16 minutes. 249 00:18:01,149 --> 00:18:04,911 This is about as perfect as it can go. 250 00:18:04,945 --> 00:18:07,396 It's not something you get tired of. 251 00:18:07,431 --> 00:18:08,949 The first thing I'm worried about 252 00:18:08,984 --> 00:18:12,643 is obviously if it's healthy, and then what the gender is. 253 00:18:12,677 --> 00:18:14,023 If this is a female, she could be 254 00:18:14,058 --> 00:18:15,473 the next replacement for her mother, 255 00:18:15,508 --> 00:18:17,993 and, like, your brain just goes crazy. 256 00:18:18,027 --> 00:18:19,753 It's really cool. 257 00:18:19,788 --> 00:18:21,410 And it just kind of brings it all back of, like, 258 00:18:21,445 --> 00:18:24,310 "This is why we're here, this is why we're doing this." 259 00:18:24,344 --> 00:18:27,209 I'm not your mom. 260 00:18:27,244 --> 00:18:28,210 You know that, right? 261 00:18:28,245 --> 00:18:32,939 I'm not your mom. 262 00:18:32,973 --> 00:18:34,837 I want you to go see your mama. 263 00:18:38,117 --> 00:18:40,602 Once we know that this filly can nurse by herself 264 00:18:40,636 --> 00:18:45,193 and stand by herself, we'll let them just bond and be alone. 265 00:18:45,227 --> 00:18:47,367 Best case scenario is the foal just gets up, 266 00:18:47,402 --> 00:18:49,438 is hungry, wants to nurse. 267 00:18:49,473 --> 00:18:51,095 The mare will stand quietly, 268 00:18:51,130 --> 00:18:53,235 and then the baby just kind of latches on. 269 00:18:55,375 --> 00:18:56,756 You are a big baby. 270 00:18:56,790 --> 00:18:58,861 No wonder your mom was tired. 271 00:19:01,243 --> 00:19:04,143 Hopefully, the stars align and she'll kind of latch on. 272 00:19:04,177 --> 00:19:05,627 Good girl. 273 00:19:07,836 --> 00:19:09,044 This is huge. 274 00:19:09,078 --> 00:19:11,874 This is a great success story. 275 00:19:11,909 --> 00:19:15,154 This is awesome. 276 00:19:15,188 --> 00:19:19,123 The more you get to be around them, you learn more about them. 277 00:19:19,158 --> 00:19:20,883 They all have their own personalities, 278 00:19:20,918 --> 00:19:23,231 which will develop, and we'll learn more about. 279 00:19:23,265 --> 00:19:28,097 Even in a few days or a week, she'll be full of it. 280 00:19:28,132 --> 00:19:31,446 You're curious. Hi. 281 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:35,139 As horses repopulated the new world, 282 00:19:35,174 --> 00:19:36,830 they were increasingly sought after 283 00:19:36,865 --> 00:19:40,869 in every corner of the continent... 284 00:19:40,903 --> 00:19:43,561 including by people who had lived here 285 00:19:43,596 --> 00:19:45,839 for thousands of years. 286 00:20:05,859 --> 00:20:07,723 Poppy, don't scare my horse. 287 00:20:11,313 --> 00:20:12,797 Here, horses. 288 00:20:16,284 --> 00:20:18,976 I'll go tie Poppy up. 289 00:20:23,739 --> 00:20:25,672 On the M-Y Sweetwater 290 00:20:25,707 --> 00:20:30,125 Appaloosa Ranch, horses are like family... 291 00:20:30,159 --> 00:20:32,783 the legacy of a close kinship with these animals 292 00:20:32,817 --> 00:20:35,751 since long before the time of Lewis and Clark. 293 00:20:44,898 --> 00:20:47,763 So my Nez Perce name is Wi'Cesa, 294 00:20:47,798 --> 00:20:52,043 and Wi'Cesa means born and reborn. 295 00:20:52,078 --> 00:20:53,666 We're always told, "Who are you? 296 00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:55,115 Where do you come from?" 297 00:20:55,150 --> 00:20:58,464 And that is so important. 298 00:20:58,498 --> 00:21:00,535 This is our home base right here, 299 00:21:00,569 --> 00:21:02,502 these 50 acres. 300 00:21:02,537 --> 00:21:04,815 We are located down here in the valley, 301 00:21:04,849 --> 00:21:10,407 pretty much, and on top is what they call the Palouse. 302 00:21:10,441 --> 00:21:13,617 At one time, a particular Nez Perce man 303 00:21:13,651 --> 00:21:16,102 was the owner of these horses. 304 00:21:16,136 --> 00:21:20,209 And they started calling them "A Palouse Horse." 305 00:21:20,244 --> 00:21:23,558 And then that gradually became "Appaloosa." 306 00:21:28,183 --> 00:21:31,359 He's a gelding, and we named him "See-uk-its," 307 00:21:31,393 --> 00:21:33,671 which is "beautiful." 308 00:21:33,706 --> 00:21:35,328 He's just put together really nice. 309 00:21:35,363 --> 00:21:39,608 Yeah, you're pretty... you're a pretty handsome guy. 310 00:21:39,643 --> 00:21:41,334 The hallmark of the Appaloosa 311 00:21:41,369 --> 00:21:47,789 is unmistakable... spots. lots of them. 312 00:21:47,823 --> 00:21:49,894 Controlled by a single gene 313 00:21:49,929 --> 00:21:53,484 known as the "leopard complex," or "LP," 314 00:21:53,519 --> 00:21:57,385 spotted horses may have been selected for camouflage, 315 00:21:57,419 --> 00:22:00,871 useful during hunts or in battle. 316 00:22:00,905 --> 00:22:04,840 Or perhaps, simply for their beauty. 317 00:22:04,875 --> 00:22:06,566 They call it a raindrop. 318 00:22:06,601 --> 00:22:10,121 It kind of filters out and turns gray. 319 00:22:10,156 --> 00:22:11,813 But these "raindrop horses" 320 00:22:11,847 --> 00:22:13,746 are characterized by several 321 00:22:13,780 --> 00:22:15,368 distinctive features... 322 00:22:15,403 --> 00:22:17,819 striped hooves, 323 00:22:17,853 --> 00:22:20,649 mottled skin, 324 00:22:20,684 --> 00:22:24,204 light and sturdy frame, 325 00:22:24,239 --> 00:22:27,415 and white sclera around the eye. 326 00:22:29,589 --> 00:22:31,557 Hundreds of years ago, 327 00:22:31,591 --> 00:22:37,770 Rosa's ancestors innovated their own form of selective breeding. 328 00:22:37,804 --> 00:22:44,639 These were trail horses, prized and bred for endurance. 329 00:22:44,673 --> 00:22:47,400 In time, their fitness brought wealth and power 330 00:22:47,435 --> 00:22:49,678 to the Nez Perce, 331 00:22:49,713 --> 00:22:52,957 allowing them to trade and travel far and wide. 332 00:22:55,822 --> 00:22:59,205 It also nurtured a reverence for horses 333 00:22:59,239 --> 00:23:01,690 that passed through the generations. 334 00:23:01,725 --> 00:23:04,141 These saddles are kind of heavy. 335 00:23:04,175 --> 00:23:05,867 In my family, we've always 336 00:23:05,901 --> 00:23:07,282 had horses as far back 337 00:23:07,316 --> 00:23:08,801 as I can remember with my mother, 338 00:23:08,835 --> 00:23:11,459 grandmother, great-grandmother. 339 00:23:11,493 --> 00:23:15,152 Our story of the native people is so complicated. 340 00:23:15,186 --> 00:23:17,982 People have talked about the generations ahead 341 00:23:18,017 --> 00:23:20,985 what legacy do we as a people want to see. 342 00:23:21,020 --> 00:23:24,368 And so every family seems to have certain things 343 00:23:24,403 --> 00:23:26,888 that they specialize in, 344 00:23:26,922 --> 00:23:28,786 and so our heart is with the horses, 345 00:23:28,821 --> 00:23:31,306 carrying on the tradition of the horses. 346 00:23:35,862 --> 00:23:39,728 That family, that's the center of our lives, 347 00:23:39,763 --> 00:23:42,662 and it always comes back to family. 348 00:23:47,943 --> 00:23:50,843 That does bring a warm feeling to my heart. 349 00:23:56,435 --> 00:24:01,888 But this traditional horse culture was nearly lost. 350 00:24:01,923 --> 00:24:06,203 In 1877, after being forced from their homeland 351 00:24:06,237 --> 00:24:10,000 and refusing to settle on the reservation, 352 00:24:10,034 --> 00:24:13,210 a group of Nez Perce fled over a thousand miles 353 00:24:13,244 --> 00:24:17,421 across the northern Rockies. 354 00:24:17,456 --> 00:24:22,322 They took their greatest possession... their horses. 355 00:24:22,357 --> 00:24:27,466 Months later, only miles from Canada, they were surrounded. 356 00:24:30,054 --> 00:24:32,091 Following the conflict, 357 00:24:32,125 --> 00:24:33,817 the great herds of spotted horses 358 00:24:33,851 --> 00:24:36,198 were rounded up and destroyed. 359 00:24:38,718 --> 00:24:42,860 But, in secret, a few bands survived. 360 00:24:42,895 --> 00:24:48,521 The Nez Perce tribe received a call from ranchers. 361 00:24:48,556 --> 00:24:50,178 They had these horses 362 00:24:50,212 --> 00:24:53,215 that had been in their family for generations. 363 00:24:53,250 --> 00:24:56,909 And they said that these horses were descended from the herds 364 00:24:56,943 --> 00:25:00,740 that Chief Ollokot had. 365 00:25:00,775 --> 00:25:02,949 Ollokot was a warrior... 366 00:25:02,984 --> 00:25:07,747 the younger brother of legendary Chief Joseph. 367 00:25:07,782 --> 00:25:10,750 Following the Nez Perce war, Joseph's leadership 368 00:25:10,785 --> 00:25:13,650 helped his exiled people return to the northwest. 369 00:25:18,620 --> 00:25:20,449 His Indian name 370 00:25:20,484 --> 00:25:22,900 is "Thunder Rolling Over the Mountains," 371 00:25:22,935 --> 00:25:26,939 and people conjure up that image of Joseph's spirit 372 00:25:26,973 --> 00:25:28,561 being with us. 373 00:25:28,596 --> 00:25:30,356 But Chief Joseph's brother, 374 00:25:30,390 --> 00:25:33,014 Ollokot, never returned. 375 00:25:33,048 --> 00:25:35,568 But long after his death 376 00:25:35,603 --> 00:25:38,157 during the final battle of the Nez Perce war, 377 00:25:38,191 --> 00:25:43,611 Ollokot's lost band of horses was about to return home. 378 00:25:43,645 --> 00:25:46,683 And so Ollokot asked a rancher 379 00:25:46,717 --> 00:25:49,478 to keep his horses, expecting to come back. 380 00:25:49,513 --> 00:25:52,930 So then the family decided they'd like to find out, 381 00:25:52,965 --> 00:25:54,863 "Is there a descendant of Ollokot?" 382 00:25:54,898 --> 00:25:57,348 and some of our family is connected. 383 00:26:00,075 --> 00:26:03,285 We ended up with a lot of those horses in our herd. 384 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,633 They gave us a lot of good horses. 385 00:26:05,667 --> 00:26:08,083 They really were strong. 386 00:26:08,118 --> 00:26:11,431 And some of our horses from that particular line 387 00:26:11,466 --> 00:26:14,676 have ended up all over, all over the United States. 388 00:26:17,852 --> 00:26:20,164 Today, a new generation 389 00:26:20,199 --> 00:26:23,616 is becoming caretakers of this tradition... 390 00:26:23,651 --> 00:26:25,480 and doing it in their own style. 391 00:26:29,415 --> 00:26:33,074 To have the horse as our common thing in our family, 392 00:26:33,108 --> 00:26:37,457 that's been amazing to watch over the years. 393 00:26:37,492 --> 00:26:41,013 But it's these younger girls who have really taken an interest 394 00:26:41,047 --> 00:26:43,843 in learning about training horses. 395 00:26:43,878 --> 00:26:45,914 And it's fun to see them have fun. 396 00:26:45,949 --> 00:26:47,882 They want to learn how to stand on their horse 397 00:26:47,916 --> 00:26:50,850 and sit on it backwards and do all of these things. 398 00:26:50,885 --> 00:26:52,196 Fun things like that. 399 00:26:52,231 --> 00:26:55,061 You really take time to become close to the horse 400 00:26:55,096 --> 00:26:56,442 and connected with it, 401 00:26:56,476 --> 00:26:59,307 you know, and you can control the horse with your body. 402 00:26:59,341 --> 00:27:01,896 My great-grandmother was doing things like that 403 00:27:01,930 --> 00:27:04,968 you know, a long time ago. 404 00:27:05,002 --> 00:27:06,935 Yeah, I guess after a while, you do call it wisdom. 405 00:27:09,351 --> 00:27:10,387 Oh, my gosh. 406 00:27:10,421 --> 00:27:11,871 Okay. Whoo! 407 00:27:15,288 --> 00:27:18,671 As American settlers drifted into the wild West, 408 00:27:18,706 --> 00:27:25,126 new cultures and new livelihoods arrived on the open range. 409 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:29,061 Destiny brought another breed to these oceans of grass, 410 00:27:29,095 --> 00:27:33,790 mountains, and sage: the American quarter horse. 411 00:27:33,824 --> 00:27:36,516 Should we score one, rope one? 412 00:27:36,551 --> 00:27:38,380 He looks like a runner. 413 00:27:47,873 --> 00:27:50,047 Wooahhh. 414 00:27:50,082 --> 00:27:53,188 We roped him pretty quick, but I got out really quick. 415 00:27:53,223 --> 00:27:57,779 She's got a little speed. 416 00:27:57,814 --> 00:27:59,194 Yeah, buddy! 417 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:13,553 The quarter horse and the cowboy 418 00:28:13,588 --> 00:28:16,418 have come a long way through the years. 419 00:28:16,453 --> 00:28:19,628 And it took both of them to get there. 420 00:28:25,980 --> 00:28:28,361 Horses are our life. 421 00:28:28,396 --> 00:28:32,020 We just love them and always have. 422 00:28:32,055 --> 00:28:34,989 Always looking for how we can make a better one, 423 00:28:35,023 --> 00:28:39,096 by either breeding or training. 424 00:28:39,131 --> 00:28:42,168 Seems horses are on our mind most of the time. 425 00:28:45,033 --> 00:28:47,070 For Mike and Tara Miller, 426 00:28:47,104 --> 00:28:50,659 ranch life has been a calling. 427 00:28:50,694 --> 00:28:52,731 You told me since you was this high, 428 00:28:52,765 --> 00:28:54,594 you knew you always wanted to be a cowboy. 429 00:28:54,629 --> 00:28:56,804 Well, I did and still do. 430 00:28:59,807 --> 00:29:02,361 Started out, you know, I rodeo'd. 431 00:29:02,395 --> 00:29:04,535 You know, I'd been on the ranch all my life, 432 00:29:04,570 --> 00:29:10,438 and I was dumbfounded by what a person could do with a horse. 433 00:29:10,472 --> 00:29:14,062 Made the right choice. It's been a good life. 434 00:29:14,097 --> 00:29:19,309 We enjoy it together, and we're partners in this ranch. 435 00:29:19,343 --> 00:29:22,070 I had a crush on him for a long time. 436 00:29:22,105 --> 00:29:23,796 You thought I was kind of ornery, though. 437 00:29:23,831 --> 00:29:26,040 I'd flirt with him, he couldn't even tell it was flirting. 438 00:29:26,074 --> 00:29:28,870 Yeah, it didn't seem like flirting. 439 00:29:30,527 --> 00:29:33,737 For the Millers, partnership is the bedrock 440 00:29:33,772 --> 00:29:37,396 that supports a working cattle ranch. 441 00:29:37,430 --> 00:29:40,571 Together, they know how to breed for success, 442 00:29:40,606 --> 00:29:43,022 one quarter horse at a time. 443 00:29:55,483 --> 00:29:58,382 The American quarter horse was first celebrated 444 00:29:58,417 --> 00:30:00,212 for quick bursts of speed... 445 00:30:02,835 --> 00:30:06,045 up to 55 miles per hour... 446 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,048 consistently the fastest horse in the world 447 00:30:09,083 --> 00:30:11,085 in the quarter mile. 448 00:30:11,119 --> 00:30:12,811 All that speed comes 449 00:30:12,845 --> 00:30:15,641 from the quarter horses' unique conformation. 450 00:30:18,817 --> 00:30:21,198 This is Chicken Hawk, he's 5. 451 00:30:21,233 --> 00:30:23,338 I'll just point out some of the reasons 452 00:30:23,373 --> 00:30:26,548 that I would like him even if I didn't know him. 453 00:30:26,583 --> 00:30:29,034 He's well-balanced, overall. 454 00:30:29,068 --> 00:30:30,587 That's nice. 455 00:30:30,621 --> 00:30:35,143 He's got a nice thick girth for his respiratory system. 456 00:30:35,178 --> 00:30:36,351 He has a... 457 00:30:36,386 --> 00:30:39,354 His neck comes out of his body real nice. 458 00:30:39,389 --> 00:30:41,391 A quarter horse's neck 459 00:30:41,425 --> 00:30:43,117 joins its sloping shoulders 460 00:30:43,151 --> 00:30:45,188 at a 45-degree angle 461 00:30:45,222 --> 00:30:48,674 to allow it to work head-down. 462 00:30:48,708 --> 00:30:50,952 Resting stance is balanced. 463 00:30:50,987 --> 00:30:52,333 Supported by straight, 464 00:30:52,367 --> 00:30:55,646 powerful legs. 465 00:30:55,681 --> 00:30:58,270 Body is well-muscled, 466 00:30:58,304 --> 00:31:01,756 especially in the hindquarters. 467 00:31:01,790 --> 00:31:05,001 He has what you want to call saddle bags. 468 00:31:05,035 --> 00:31:08,936 That's more muscling in the hip to hold those stops and turns 469 00:31:08,970 --> 00:31:11,835 and helps him use his hind end. 470 00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:14,458 A quarter horse generates incredible power 471 00:31:14,493 --> 00:31:16,012 from these haunches... 472 00:31:16,046 --> 00:31:22,501 not only speed but the ability to stop and spin on a dime. 473 00:31:22,535 --> 00:31:25,021 But for all it's physical power, 474 00:31:25,055 --> 00:31:27,575 it's the trainability of the quarter horse 475 00:31:27,609 --> 00:31:30,095 that sets it apart. 476 00:31:30,129 --> 00:31:32,269 One of the wonderful things about quarter horses, 477 00:31:32,304 --> 00:31:34,444 they're so trainable. 478 00:31:34,478 --> 00:31:36,446 And they want to please you. 479 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:37,723 You know, that's one of the things 480 00:31:37,757 --> 00:31:39,104 that made quarter horses great. 481 00:31:39,138 --> 00:31:42,452 They have great heart and try. 482 00:31:42,486 --> 00:31:43,763 Yeah. 483 00:31:43,798 --> 00:31:45,765 I've had perfect horses. 484 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,319 They might not even look perfect, 485 00:31:47,353 --> 00:31:50,943 but who cares when they're great? 486 00:31:50,978 --> 00:31:55,120 The great ones fuse strength, trainability, 487 00:31:55,154 --> 00:31:58,986 and heart into a horse built to perform, 488 00:31:59,020 --> 00:32:00,988 out on the range 489 00:32:01,022 --> 00:32:03,714 or under the lights. 490 00:32:03,749 --> 00:32:05,371 Now entering the arena, 491 00:32:05,406 --> 00:32:09,789 number 146, Mike Miller and Playboy's Buck Fever. 492 00:32:14,518 --> 00:32:16,072 For Mike and Tara, 493 00:32:16,106 --> 00:32:19,661 no horse did it better than Playboy's Buck Fever. 494 00:32:23,217 --> 00:32:24,873 He was just, from day one, 495 00:32:24,908 --> 00:32:27,738 so trainable and easy to be around 496 00:32:27,773 --> 00:32:31,570 and athletic and plenty of speed. 497 00:32:31,604 --> 00:32:34,090 Made the finals at the World's Greatest Horseman 498 00:32:34,124 --> 00:32:35,539 on him. 499 00:32:35,574 --> 00:32:37,024 But to become a champion 500 00:32:37,058 --> 00:32:42,926 requires something deeper... a conversation with no words. 501 00:32:48,932 --> 00:32:50,175 When I'm reining, 502 00:32:50,209 --> 00:32:54,006 it's total communication with the horse. 503 00:32:54,041 --> 00:32:56,595 You're controlling every movement. 504 00:32:56,629 --> 00:32:58,424 Your legs, your hands. 505 00:32:58,459 --> 00:32:59,943 That's how you talk. 506 00:33:03,050 --> 00:33:06,743 It's a total communication without using your mouth, 507 00:33:06,777 --> 00:33:10,298 but they understand, and you understand. 508 00:33:10,333 --> 00:33:11,955 You know to do it right, 509 00:33:11,990 --> 00:33:13,543 to get along with your horse, 510 00:33:13,577 --> 00:33:16,856 you need to kind of think like one. 511 00:33:16,891 --> 00:33:19,376 It's basic, basic stuff. 512 00:33:19,411 --> 00:33:22,172 But it is amazing. 513 00:33:22,207 --> 00:33:24,278 Once the communication develops, 514 00:33:24,312 --> 00:33:27,591 it's easy to pursue any target. 515 00:33:27,626 --> 00:33:30,836 But nothing focuses a quarter horse 516 00:33:30,870 --> 00:33:31,975 quite like a cow. 517 00:33:36,324 --> 00:33:38,947 My great-grandfather came to this country 518 00:33:38,982 --> 00:33:43,090 to Wyoming in 1875. 519 00:33:43,124 --> 00:33:46,748 They ran cattle from Western Wyoming to Eastern Wyoming. 520 00:33:46,783 --> 00:33:49,199 They'd start out on the desert in the Spring, 521 00:33:49,234 --> 00:33:51,029 work their way up through the summer, 522 00:33:51,063 --> 00:33:53,031 and in the fall, they'd come down this 523 00:33:53,065 --> 00:33:56,068 Wyoming range. 524 00:33:56,103 --> 00:33:59,416 This landscape brought cowboy, quarter horse, 525 00:33:59,451 --> 00:34:02,005 and cattle together. 526 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:03,627 And as all three evolved, 527 00:34:03,662 --> 00:34:08,184 they became more and more specialized for the job. 528 00:34:08,218 --> 00:34:09,495 We spend more time on a horse 529 00:34:09,530 --> 00:34:10,703 working than anything else 530 00:34:10,738 --> 00:34:12,740 and what horse you're on determines 531 00:34:12,774 --> 00:34:14,466 how much you enjoy your work. 532 00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:16,123 Definitely some horses have a lot more 533 00:34:16,157 --> 00:34:18,470 cow sense than others. 534 00:34:18,504 --> 00:34:20,575 A horse with "cow sense" 535 00:34:20,610 --> 00:34:24,269 has a natural instinct to anticipate, track, 536 00:34:24,303 --> 00:34:27,444 and direct a cow's movement. 537 00:34:27,479 --> 00:34:32,380 Horses claim space and control movement to assert dominance, 538 00:34:32,415 --> 00:34:35,107 normally with other horses. 539 00:34:35,142 --> 00:34:39,456 A quarter horse is wired with one key difference... 540 00:34:39,491 --> 00:34:42,873 it will show a cow who's boss. 541 00:34:42,908 --> 00:34:45,083 Quarter horses seem to excel in it. 542 00:34:45,117 --> 00:34:46,843 That's their forte. 543 00:34:46,877 --> 00:34:49,880 We go into the herd, see the cow we want. 544 00:34:49,915 --> 00:34:52,504 Cow goes this way, steer them over there, 545 00:34:52,538 --> 00:34:54,126 then the cow goes that way. 546 00:34:54,161 --> 00:34:56,197 Just loose reins. 547 00:34:56,232 --> 00:34:59,131 It's no accident that "cow sense" 548 00:34:59,166 --> 00:35:00,546 has become one of the single 549 00:35:00,581 --> 00:35:04,861 most desirable traits of the breed. 550 00:35:04,895 --> 00:35:08,727 They started the quarter horse for that kind of work. 551 00:35:08,761 --> 00:35:11,488 It's been a part of us for a long time. 552 00:35:15,941 --> 00:35:17,563 Horses are our life. 553 00:35:17,598 --> 00:35:20,635 We've spent a lot of our life around them 554 00:35:20,670 --> 00:35:22,948 and have enjoyed it all. 555 00:35:22,982 --> 00:35:26,227 Just glad we could do it. 556 00:35:26,262 --> 00:35:27,470 As the quarter horse 557 00:35:27,504 --> 00:35:30,714 became the most popular horse in America, 558 00:35:30,749 --> 00:35:34,649 an old star was quietly fading out of view... 559 00:35:34,684 --> 00:35:36,444 the mustang. 560 00:35:38,722 --> 00:35:42,623 But sooner or later, everything old is new again. 561 00:35:44,901 --> 00:35:49,008 And for Kaelynn Clark, adopting and training mustangs 562 00:35:49,043 --> 00:35:51,010 has been her lifelong passion. 563 00:35:53,944 --> 00:35:57,224 She remembers every milestone, every breakthrough, 564 00:35:57,258 --> 00:36:03,057 every inch of forward progress along the way. 565 00:36:03,091 --> 00:36:06,233 But the journey has also led her back... 566 00:36:06,267 --> 00:36:10,582 to discover the mustang's special place in history. 567 00:36:10,616 --> 00:36:14,172 Today, she'll experience that heritage firsthand 568 00:36:14,206 --> 00:36:16,553 with her mustang, Spartan, 569 00:36:16,588 --> 00:36:22,041 on one of the oldest proving grounds in the American West... 570 00:36:22,076 --> 00:36:25,044 the Pony Express Trail. 571 00:36:25,079 --> 00:36:29,463 Gopher holes, washouts, gullies, badger holes... 572 00:36:29,497 --> 00:36:31,672 these are just some sketchy spots 573 00:36:31,706 --> 00:36:34,847 that you can get caught up in. 574 00:36:34,882 --> 00:36:36,884 We're out here in the middle of nowhere, 575 00:36:36,918 --> 00:36:39,852 and it does take a minute to get out here, 576 00:36:39,887 --> 00:36:41,992 and if anything did happen it would take a minute 577 00:36:42,027 --> 00:36:44,132 to get out of here, too. 578 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:45,962 Yeah. 579 00:36:45,996 --> 00:36:48,654 He could just decide he's wild again and be gone. 580 00:36:52,244 --> 00:36:54,281 But the road that led them here 581 00:36:54,315 --> 00:36:56,214 began many years ago. 582 00:36:59,665 --> 00:37:01,564 It was just surreal. 583 00:37:01,598 --> 00:37:02,979 You're like, "Oh, I'm really going to do this. 584 00:37:03,013 --> 00:37:04,739 I'm really getting a wild horse 585 00:37:04,774 --> 00:37:08,260 that's going to come and live at my place." 586 00:37:08,295 --> 00:37:12,057 When I first met Spartan, I was 14 years old. 587 00:37:12,091 --> 00:37:13,610 he was the very first mustang I did 588 00:37:13,645 --> 00:37:17,407 through the 4-H BLM gentling project. 589 00:37:17,442 --> 00:37:19,340 For hundreds of years, 590 00:37:19,375 --> 00:37:22,895 American mustangs have been adopted from the wild, 591 00:37:22,930 --> 00:37:27,866 their genes infusing countless other breeds along the way. 592 00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:32,767 But doing so requires a leap of faith. 593 00:37:32,802 --> 00:37:35,080 You get the butterflies, and you look at him, 594 00:37:35,114 --> 00:37:36,840 and you're like, "What's the next step?" 595 00:37:43,019 --> 00:37:44,262 Throughout the ages, 596 00:37:44,296 --> 00:37:46,850 people have built relationships with animals. 597 00:37:46,885 --> 00:37:50,302 That's kind of our human heritage, in a way. 598 00:37:50,337 --> 00:37:53,236 You are carrying on a tradition that many, 599 00:37:53,271 --> 00:37:55,100 many people have done before you. 600 00:38:01,865 --> 00:38:05,006 A lone mustang is a prey animal, 601 00:38:05,041 --> 00:38:09,735 ruled by instinct, adrenaline, fight or flight. 602 00:38:09,770 --> 00:38:12,807 But inside the herd, they develop close 603 00:38:12,842 --> 00:38:17,640 and long-lasting social bonds... relationships. 604 00:38:17,674 --> 00:38:22,645 A special quality that horses share - with humans. 605 00:38:22,679 --> 00:38:24,854 After they come home, one of the first things 606 00:38:24,888 --> 00:38:28,133 is building trust. 607 00:38:28,167 --> 00:38:30,204 They're looking at you, they're respecting you. 608 00:38:30,238 --> 00:38:32,827 They're looking to you for leadership. 609 00:38:32,862 --> 00:38:35,243 In the wild, most of the time, you have your lead mare 610 00:38:35,278 --> 00:38:37,107 that's taking care of the herd. 611 00:38:37,142 --> 00:38:39,282 And so I need to make myself a leader, 612 00:38:39,317 --> 00:38:41,215 and by doing that, I gain their respect, 613 00:38:41,249 --> 00:38:43,873 I gain their trust. 614 00:38:43,907 --> 00:38:48,015 Once a leader emerges, trust begins. 615 00:38:48,049 --> 00:38:50,845 And with it comes opportunity: 616 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,642 a horse known only as number 1512 617 00:38:54,677 --> 00:38:57,680 now becomes Spartan. 618 00:38:57,714 --> 00:39:03,133 That's that point where they're no longer wild. 619 00:39:03,168 --> 00:39:05,204 Now we can dive into the deep stuff... 620 00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:10,244 the leading, the pressure and release, the rope work. 621 00:39:10,278 --> 00:39:13,385 Spartan will always be the first, 622 00:39:13,420 --> 00:39:14,800 but for Kaelynn, 623 00:39:14,835 --> 00:39:19,598 the list of names is growing longer every year. 624 00:39:19,633 --> 00:39:23,844 Each mustang has its own personality. 625 00:39:23,878 --> 00:39:26,018 And each training program is designed 626 00:39:26,053 --> 00:39:30,506 to test individual strengths and weaknesses. 627 00:39:30,540 --> 00:39:32,680 Lots of people use the term breaking the horse. 628 00:39:32,715 --> 00:39:34,510 I like to think of it as the horse 629 00:39:34,544 --> 00:39:36,512 is always learning something new. 630 00:39:36,546 --> 00:39:37,720 You're going to work on things 631 00:39:37,754 --> 00:39:39,515 that might scare them a little bit, 632 00:39:39,549 --> 00:39:41,344 and you're going to build that trust. 633 00:39:41,379 --> 00:39:44,278 That's why our tack shed is full of such weird things. 634 00:39:44,312 --> 00:39:46,970 Pool noodles with tissue paper on the top of them. 635 00:39:47,005 --> 00:39:49,110 Kiddie pool for water to lead them through. 636 00:39:49,145 --> 00:39:50,733 We've got hula hoops. 637 00:39:50,767 --> 00:39:52,942 Just anything to keep them engaged 638 00:39:52,976 --> 00:39:55,289 and to keep their mind thinking. 639 00:40:00,639 --> 00:40:03,435 After countless hours of overcoming fear 640 00:40:03,470 --> 00:40:06,058 and doubt together, 641 00:40:06,093 --> 00:40:08,371 it's time to take the biggest step of all. 642 00:40:10,787 --> 00:40:12,030 It's a good feeling to know 643 00:40:12,064 --> 00:40:14,791 that I have prepared this horse for this step, 644 00:40:14,826 --> 00:40:16,966 I've done all the work, and I can get on, 645 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,142 and he'll still be connected to me when I'm under saddle. 646 00:40:21,177 --> 00:40:22,972 Yeah, you can break them, 647 00:40:23,006 --> 00:40:25,388 but it implies that you're breaking their spirit, 648 00:40:25,423 --> 00:40:29,944 and Spartan still has very much of that spirit. 649 00:40:29,979 --> 00:40:35,018 Trust opens the door to a world of possibility. 650 00:40:35,053 --> 00:40:37,849 But, eventually, you have to ride through it. 651 00:40:40,299 --> 00:40:42,474 On the Pony Express Trail, 652 00:40:42,509 --> 00:40:44,476 the mission for Kaelynn and Spartan 653 00:40:44,511 --> 00:40:48,135 is the same as it was in 1860. 654 00:40:48,169 --> 00:40:50,965 Expert riders wanted. 655 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:54,900 Willing to risk death daily. 656 00:40:54,935 --> 00:40:59,042 Mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to California 657 00:40:59,077 --> 00:41:03,150 in 10 days or less. 658 00:41:03,184 --> 00:41:06,533 Kaelynn is one of over 700 riders 659 00:41:06,567 --> 00:41:11,365 who will re-create this 2,000-mile journey, 660 00:41:11,399 --> 00:41:13,988 to experience a vision of America 661 00:41:14,023 --> 00:41:20,339 connected only by horseback... vast, untamed, 662 00:41:20,374 --> 00:41:24,516 the way it was before the telegraph or the railroad. 663 00:41:24,551 --> 00:41:28,313 For 10 days straight, 24 hours a day, 664 00:41:28,347 --> 00:41:31,661 a single replica mail-bag, called the mochila, 665 00:41:31,696 --> 00:41:33,870 is relayed across the continent... 666 00:41:33,905 --> 00:41:37,771 and "The Pony" rides again. 667 00:41:37,805 --> 00:41:39,151 When I saw the rider coming, 668 00:41:39,186 --> 00:41:40,739 my heart started to race a little bit, 669 00:41:40,774 --> 00:41:41,947 and I was like, "Oh, here we go. 670 00:41:41,982 --> 00:41:43,224 We're about to do this." 671 00:41:43,259 --> 00:41:44,881 Got it. Get on the other side, 672 00:41:44,916 --> 00:41:45,917 and then I'll flip it over. 673 00:41:45,951 --> 00:41:47,470 Realizing that he was ready to go, 674 00:41:47,505 --> 00:41:48,471 he knew what his job was, 675 00:41:48,506 --> 00:41:51,785 that helps relax me down a lot. 676 00:41:51,819 --> 00:41:55,892 The time is now... get the mail to the next post, 677 00:41:55,927 --> 00:41:57,480 and ride like the wind. 678 00:41:57,515 --> 00:41:58,861 Thank you. 679 00:42:23,437 --> 00:42:24,714 That moment when you just get on, 680 00:42:24,749 --> 00:42:26,544 you just feel so alive. 681 00:42:26,578 --> 00:42:29,167 Running at full speed, you get to feel the power 682 00:42:29,201 --> 00:42:31,618 that animal has. 683 00:42:31,652 --> 00:42:33,274 Knowing that I'm on a mustang 684 00:42:33,309 --> 00:42:34,862 and I'm in their natural habitat, 685 00:42:34,897 --> 00:42:37,796 on a horse that I trust... I know he's sure-footed. 686 00:42:39,936 --> 00:42:41,593 This is where he's from. 687 00:42:41,628 --> 00:42:44,803 This is his heritage. 688 00:42:44,838 --> 00:42:46,494 Then and now, 689 00:42:46,529 --> 00:42:50,395 mustangs are uniquely adapted for this harsh terrain... 690 00:42:50,429 --> 00:42:52,535 they were born for this. 691 00:42:52,570 --> 00:42:59,887 Hard hooves, keen senses, heat tolerance, 692 00:42:59,922 --> 00:43:05,306 endurance for days. 693 00:43:05,341 --> 00:43:06,687 You're re-enacting something 694 00:43:06,722 --> 00:43:09,207 that's such an important part of human history 695 00:43:09,241 --> 00:43:10,760 along with the horse. 696 00:43:10,795 --> 00:43:12,555 That partnership of being together, 697 00:43:12,590 --> 00:43:14,212 it's just an amazing feeling. 698 00:43:18,734 --> 00:43:21,426 A partnership that reveals horses 699 00:43:21,460 --> 00:43:23,911 still connect America, 700 00:43:23,946 --> 00:43:28,847 one horse, one rider, one ritual at a time. 701 00:43:28,882 --> 00:43:30,711 At the end, I kept telling him 702 00:43:30,746 --> 00:43:32,264 that I knew he could give me a little bit more 703 00:43:32,299 --> 00:43:34,404 because I know he has that extra gear. 704 00:43:34,439 --> 00:43:36,372 And he did give it to me there a couple of times, 705 00:43:36,406 --> 00:43:38,685 so I'm really proud of him. 706 00:43:41,619 --> 00:43:43,517 While mustangs were preferred stock 707 00:43:43,551 --> 00:43:46,347 for pony riders out West, 708 00:43:46,382 --> 00:43:51,214 another breed was favored by riders in the east... 709 00:43:51,249 --> 00:43:53,147 the Morgan. 710 00:43:53,182 --> 00:43:56,772 It's easy to understand why, during the biggest showcase 711 00:43:56,806 --> 00:43:59,567 of the year at the Morgan horse farm, 712 00:43:59,602 --> 00:44:03,192 when all the sleepless nights, early mornings, 713 00:44:03,226 --> 00:44:08,300 and endless training, could finally pay off. 714 00:44:08,335 --> 00:44:10,613 Since the beginning of the Morgan breed, 715 00:44:10,648 --> 00:44:14,582 they've been known for their incredible work ethic, 716 00:44:14,617 --> 00:44:16,723 their tractability, their demeanor, 717 00:44:16,757 --> 00:44:18,690 and their prettiness, and I think Vermont Day 718 00:44:18,725 --> 00:44:20,727 is a great example of that. 719 00:44:20,761 --> 00:44:23,039 It's an exhibition of versatility 720 00:44:23,074 --> 00:44:27,043 that shows off the true range of the Morgan... 721 00:44:27,078 --> 00:44:29,908 and the attitude to match. 722 00:44:29,943 --> 00:44:32,048 They like a crowd. They like to be out there. 723 00:44:32,083 --> 00:44:33,601 They like to flip their tails up, 724 00:44:33,636 --> 00:44:35,569 and they like to be expressive. 725 00:44:38,606 --> 00:44:39,918 This mare is very special to us. 726 00:44:39,953 --> 00:44:41,368 She's an exceptional mare. 727 00:44:41,402 --> 00:44:44,440 Very tractable, extremely athletic and beautiful. 728 00:44:44,474 --> 00:44:48,409 Just sort of the essence of a Morgan mare for us. 729 00:44:48,444 --> 00:44:51,343 Her foal was born in April. 730 00:44:51,378 --> 00:44:53,518 It was a cold, wet, rainy day. 731 00:44:53,552 --> 00:44:55,451 All of a sudden, the mare's laying down. 732 00:44:55,485 --> 00:44:58,765 It was an amazing feeling and just an amazing thing 733 00:44:58,799 --> 00:45:00,076 to be a part of. 734 00:45:00,111 --> 00:45:01,353 We just could not be more excited 735 00:45:01,388 --> 00:45:03,390 for the future of this little foal. 736 00:45:03,424 --> 00:45:06,358 So I wanted to take a moment today to present to you 737 00:45:06,393 --> 00:45:08,360 UVM Denali. 738 00:45:12,537 --> 00:45:13,676 She is sassy. 739 00:45:13,711 --> 00:45:15,471 She is just happy to be there. 740 00:45:15,505 --> 00:45:17,680 You know, she just sort of embodies exactly 741 00:45:17,715 --> 00:45:19,751 what we hope to have here... 742 00:45:19,786 --> 00:45:23,203 pretty little Morgan with a fiery attitude 743 00:45:23,237 --> 00:45:25,584 and really just wants to be in front of people. 744 00:45:39,322 --> 00:45:40,945 She's doing well. She's wearing a halter. 745 00:45:40,979 --> 00:45:42,809 She's learning how to lead, 746 00:45:42,843 --> 00:45:45,846 and she's learning some patience, which is good. 747 00:45:45,881 --> 00:45:47,434 No matter what breed you have, 748 00:45:47,468 --> 00:45:49,263 if you're a horse person, you're a horse person, right? 749 00:45:49,298 --> 00:45:51,024 The Morgan people, or the thoroughbred people, 750 00:45:51,058 --> 00:45:52,439 or the quarter horse people. 751 00:45:52,473 --> 00:45:55,856 Horse people are their own unique kind of group. 752 00:45:55,891 --> 00:45:57,927 And there's a lot of pride that goes in with that, 753 00:45:57,962 --> 00:46:01,482 and their horses are part of their families. 754 00:46:01,517 --> 00:46:04,071 Their horses are part of them. 755 00:46:04,106 --> 00:46:05,590 They're pretty cool. 756 00:46:08,075 --> 00:46:10,837 After so much time and tradition, 757 00:46:10,871 --> 00:46:16,704 the lines between a people and their horses begin to blur. 758 00:46:16,739 --> 00:46:19,466 For the McFarland-Yearout family, 759 00:46:19,500 --> 00:46:21,606 gathering with the Appaloosa herd 760 00:46:21,640 --> 00:46:25,644 is an opportunity to honor something timeless. 761 00:46:25,679 --> 00:46:29,027 We come together today for a short prayer on this land 762 00:46:29,062 --> 00:46:32,962 where we keep our horses, our sik'him, 763 00:46:32,997 --> 00:46:36,655 and just so grateful that we are able to use our horses, 764 00:46:36,690 --> 00:46:38,105 to dress up and parade, 765 00:46:38,140 --> 00:46:41,522 to bring out our things that some have been handed down 766 00:46:41,557 --> 00:46:43,490 and some are brand-new. 767 00:46:43,524 --> 00:46:44,974 This is my mom's hat. 768 00:46:50,842 --> 00:46:54,397 I think this dress is from my great-grandmother. 769 00:46:54,432 --> 00:46:55,847 It makes me feel cool. 770 00:46:55,882 --> 00:46:56,952 I don't know why, but it just does. 771 00:46:56,986 --> 00:46:58,988 Like, I feel cool in it. 772 00:46:59,023 --> 00:47:03,648 Everything that's put together, it has a story. 773 00:47:03,682 --> 00:47:05,857 When you're doing this, you're doing honor 774 00:47:05,892 --> 00:47:08,860 not only to the Sik'him, the Appaloosa, the Maa'min, 775 00:47:08,895 --> 00:47:13,037 and remembering our ancestors who raised horses 776 00:47:13,071 --> 00:47:16,523 and taught us of horse way but everybody who contributed 777 00:47:16,557 --> 00:47:18,697 to what you're wearing and to who you are. 778 00:47:20,838 --> 00:47:23,668 It brings to mind so many memories of my childhood, 779 00:47:23,702 --> 00:47:25,635 taking those journeys with my grandmother 780 00:47:25,670 --> 00:47:29,398 and my mother on horseback. 781 00:47:29,432 --> 00:47:33,229 These trails have been used for centuries by our ancestors. 782 00:47:35,611 --> 00:47:37,993 We're just a part of the big creation's puzzle. 783 00:47:38,027 --> 00:47:42,204 We have something to share, something important to continue. 784 00:47:42,238 --> 00:47:43,964 We have that language in common, 785 00:47:43,999 --> 00:47:46,070 and we have our homeland. 786 00:47:49,556 --> 00:47:52,766 But the horses are always a part of that effort 787 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:55,838 to really bring us together. 788 00:47:55,873 --> 00:47:57,150 And, of course, for us, 789 00:47:57,184 --> 00:48:01,257 it's been the Appaloosa that's been the binding. 790 00:48:01,292 --> 00:48:03,156 And that love of the Appaloosa 791 00:48:03,190 --> 00:48:05,572 is shared by people all over the world. 792 00:48:12,061 --> 00:48:14,650 Sagebrush, badger holes, 793 00:48:14,684 --> 00:48:16,652 it's really wild and western. 794 00:48:16,686 --> 00:48:17,756 It's not arena. 795 00:48:17,791 --> 00:48:20,725 Anything can happen. 796 00:48:20,759 --> 00:48:23,003 For a certain breed of cowboy, 797 00:48:23,038 --> 00:48:26,869 pasture roping is the ultimate test. 798 00:48:26,904 --> 00:48:29,630 For the Millers and their top quarter horses, 799 00:48:29,665 --> 00:48:33,945 it's the culmination of another year of hard work. 800 00:48:33,980 --> 00:48:35,671 I'm roping with my son, Wes, 801 00:48:35,705 --> 00:48:38,432 and I'm riding Texas Red. 802 00:48:38,467 --> 00:48:41,988 I think he'll rise to the occasion. 803 00:48:42,022 --> 00:48:46,854 It's super-ranchy team roping is what it is. 804 00:48:46,889 --> 00:48:51,480 Some guy horseback brings that cow at a run up that chute. 805 00:48:51,514 --> 00:48:54,172 And then when he blasts by you... 806 00:48:54,207 --> 00:48:55,656 ...off you go. 807 00:48:55,691 --> 00:48:57,969 You chase a cow down, rope it. 808 00:48:58,004 --> 00:49:01,904 You're seeing why the quarter horse was invented. 809 00:49:01,939 --> 00:49:04,182 Once the quarter horse was invented, 810 00:49:04,217 --> 00:49:07,323 competition added fuel to the fire. 811 00:49:07,358 --> 00:49:10,188 The winning horses were bred, and, over time, 812 00:49:10,223 --> 00:49:12,259 the breed itself was refined. 813 00:49:12,294 --> 00:49:13,985 This is going to be team 15, 814 00:49:14,020 --> 00:49:15,504 Mike Miller, Wes Miller. 815 00:49:15,538 --> 00:49:17,161 You guys are up. 816 00:49:42,013 --> 00:49:43,394 Well, shucks. 817 00:49:46,707 --> 00:49:48,951 We tried. 818 00:49:50,711 --> 00:49:54,750 Times are changing, for sure. 819 00:49:54,784 --> 00:49:56,752 I think there will always be horses. 820 00:49:56,786 --> 00:50:00,066 Whether there's going to be cowboying like I do, 821 00:50:00,100 --> 00:50:02,689 I don't know. 822 00:50:02,723 --> 00:50:05,312 You know, very proud that our kids want to do 823 00:50:05,347 --> 00:50:08,039 what we want to do, and our grandkids. 824 00:50:08,074 --> 00:50:10,835 Kinda makes you smile. 825 00:50:10,869 --> 00:50:13,424 The quarter horses, which we raise, 826 00:50:13,458 --> 00:50:16,772 they're friends, you know? 827 00:50:16,806 --> 00:50:21,639 I hope that my family continues to have an interest in horses 828 00:50:21,673 --> 00:50:23,606 and love them like we do, 829 00:50:23,641 --> 00:50:27,024 and, you know, just keep the deal going. 830 00:50:30,579 --> 00:50:32,098 For millions of years, 831 00:50:32,132 --> 00:50:37,068 American horses developed in tandem with this continent. 832 00:50:37,103 --> 00:50:39,933 An evolution that flows, in modern times, 833 00:50:39,967 --> 00:50:43,833 through human hands. 834 00:50:43,868 --> 00:50:48,252 But deep in the Pryor Mountains, horses continue to flourish, 835 00:50:48,286 --> 00:50:50,875 as they have for countless generations... 836 00:50:50,909 --> 00:50:54,258 in the wild. 837 00:50:54,292 --> 00:50:57,088 After a season of plenty on the mountaintop, 838 00:50:57,123 --> 00:51:02,231 another long winter is bearing down. 839 00:51:02,266 --> 00:51:06,649 For Phyllis, the transition is bittersweet. 840 00:51:06,684 --> 00:51:09,100 It's the very beginning of a really long, 841 00:51:09,135 --> 00:51:11,171 tough winter for them. 842 00:51:11,206 --> 00:51:14,657 Hundreds of years of living up here, they've adapted, 843 00:51:14,692 --> 00:51:16,659 and they're survivors. 844 00:51:21,388 --> 00:51:25,668 Their strength, their ability to survive against all odds 845 00:51:25,703 --> 00:51:29,120 in an environment that pushes them to the limits, 846 00:51:29,155 --> 00:51:31,743 and they're still here. 847 00:51:31,778 --> 00:51:34,505 These are truly a different type of horse, 848 00:51:34,539 --> 00:51:35,954 a very valuable horse. 849 00:51:35,989 --> 00:51:38,129 Their genetics need to be carried forward, 850 00:51:38,164 --> 00:51:42,133 because if we lose what we have here on this mountain, 851 00:51:42,168 --> 00:51:43,859 we won't ever get it back. 852 00:51:48,035 --> 00:51:51,315 Since the return of American horses, 853 00:51:51,349 --> 00:51:54,594 we've become a country moved by horsepower. 854 00:51:59,081 --> 00:52:02,705 Breeds will come and go. 855 00:52:02,740 --> 00:52:06,813 Times will always change. 856 00:52:06,847 --> 00:52:09,850 But the horse is here to stay.