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Woman riding horse at last year’s Teton Horse Experience. The video above shows a presenter from last year’s event working with a wild mustang. | Photo courtesy Katie Barnes
IDAHO FALLS – Owning a mustang is a dream come true for Lydia Smith.
The 27-year-old Idaho Falls woman got her first horse, Kilchii, after working with him for 90 days as a contestant on Idaho’s Extreme Mustang Makeover in 2015. Today, Kilchii is her companion on hunting and backpacking trips, and locals will have a chance to meet him at the second annual Teton Horse Experience. Smith is one of eight headliner presenters who will provide demonstrations on various aspects of horsemanship.
The three-day event kicks off on March 21. Most of it will take place at Wind River Arena in Ririe, but the first day will end with a cowboy gala dinner at the Snake River Event Center in Idaho Falls. The dinner is a fundraiser for Mustang Recovery Challenge, and the keynote speaker is Amberley Snyder, a professional barrel racer from Utah who is paralyzed from the waist down. Her story was the subject of a film on Netflix in 2019, “Walk. Ride. Rodeo.”
After a successful event last year, Katie Barnes — who is helping to organize the event with founders Bob and Darci Parry — is thrilled to provide a place where horse owners and enthusiasts can connect with others and improve their skills.
“It’s a positive way to connect with horses and other people and promote the horse industry,” Barnes tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Smith is scheduled to give an hour-long presentation on Friday and Sunday focused on tips for first-time backcountry pack trips.
“We’ll talk about packing methods, including overnight methods for horse containment, preplanning and how to manage stressful situations,” Smith says. “Hopefully, it gives people a good foundation to start.”
Smith has spent many hours in the Idaho outdoors. Whether it’s a hunting or backpacking trip, or a peaceful ride in the mountains looking at wildlife, Kilchii and Rendezvous — her other mustang, which she bought about three years ago in an online auction — are her trusty companions.
Lydia Smith on horseback during a recent hunting trip | Courtesy Lydia Smith
Hunting on horseback isn’t particularly common, but Smith says they’re helpful in difficult terrain that’s inaccessible to vehicles.
Though there are definite disadvantages to using horses in this situation, Smith is always up for a challenge and enjoys the experience.
“I don’t get a whole lot of sleep at night (on hunting trips with horses) because I’m worried about the horse being safe. We’ve been out enough that they’re very comfortable with the system we have … but it’s really important to train your horses for things that could happen,” she says.
Smith has been enamored with horses since she was a little girl. The animated film, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,” was highly influential, and that got her interested in mustangs.
She remembers doing a report about mustangs in a high school agriculture class.
“I love the history behind the mustangs,” says Smith. “A lot of these horses get DNA tested and come back with Spanish and European bloodlines. Much of the United States was built on the back of a horse.”
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Mustangs are not practical for cattlemen and ranchers because of the time it takes to saddle-break them, but Smith says they do have strengths in other areas.
Everything is instinctual with a mustang, she says, and the time it takes to earn their trust results in a much deeper connection.
“Once you gain that trust, they’re very loyal to you. I’ve seen that tenfold,” Smith says.
Lydia Smith with one of her mustangs | Courtesy Katie Barnes Smith says mustangs are also versatile in strength and speed. They give domestic horses on a cattle drive or in the racing industry a run for their money.
Smith is exited for people to meet Kilchii and to share what she knows.
Horses are a $75 billion industry in the U.S., according to Barnes, which means there’s a lot of interest. This event was founded to help other horsemen and she’s encouraging people to attend.
“The thing I like most about this is the feeling in the arena,” Barnes says. “When our presenters aren’t doing their clinic, they’re talking to the crowd. You’re getting so much information … and it’s super fun.”
More than 40 vendors will be on-hand at the Teton Horse Experience. A schedule of events is available online. To buy tickets or learn more, click here.
Lydia Smith with two mustangs | Courtesy Lydia Smith
English (United States) ·