A Horse is a Horse.....of Course of Course......Even in Montana!!!

Joe and I were headed on Highway 287 towards Three Forks, Montana as he was enrolled in a 5 day Log Cabin Building School (another blog possibility) and I was excited to go with him. The drive was 9 hours from Moose Jaw with a stop to look at cattle and the usual 'breaks' for gas etc.  We drive much of the time without the radio on and much of the time just with the occasional conversation.  So when I glanced out the window to my right and saw these dark specks on the hillside I kinda went what Joe calls "NUTS".  After my usual questions like "what is it?" as if Joe is going to know for sure what something is (I mean don't ALL husbands wish their wives asked them questions.......because THEY DO know the answers to all things?).........I said "I am going to have to come back here and find out what this is.  Joe's course was an all day adventure. I could have the truck to drive around and explore the area if I wanted to. I'm NOT much on driving around new places by myself especially if there is a possibility I could get lost.  I was tempted to head towards Yellowstone which was only 2 hours away BUT it was still cold in Montana and even the Lewis and Clark Cavern that I am SURE I could have found was still closed SOOOOOOOO I could tell I was going to just explore the small town of Three Forks, Montana.or just explore the 100 Year old Hotel we stayed in never leaving the Lobby except to head to the local cafe (another blog).

I had my NEW Nikon 3200 camera with me and I was determined to just "start shooting" as they say in the photography world.  (Have you ever pondered how many ways the word "shoot" can be used?).   When I told Joe I was excited about going back to shoot the horses, his first comment was "well you can't get lost, it's just straight up the highway like we came into town here."  I usually worry when Joe says "you can't get lost" it is almost like sending me into the "lost camp' for sure. BUT the wide open space of Montana, the four lane highway where we saw them just couldn't be missed...........even my Moi!  And as you see, I did find them the next day.

It was fabulous!  I had to park off the highway.  I still wasn't able to really see the horses from where I stood as they were a fair distance away.  I parked the truck, locked it and was SO excited to be heading up this hillside w/out a path to these creatures on the hillside. I was on a mission to get to these horses. And that I did!  These horses were SO more fabulous up close and personal than they were from the highway!! 

Here's the Scoop on the Horses.  A Jim Dolan, an artist whose main medium is Steel created these horses for the State Of Montana as a gift.  He didn't draw them he just started creating them so they would be as natural as possible.  There are 39 of these horses on this hillside.  The tails and manes are made from de-braided nylon rope and blow in the wind as well as some of their heads are on ball joints and move if it is windy. Fortunately, it wasn't too windy as I was up high on a hillside w/out my rugged Canadian winter gear on since we had 'gone south' you know....it wasn't supposed to be COLD! 

I reached the first horse that was actually laying on the ground. I was so close to it that I thought "this doesn't look so real" .  As I was staring at this steel very rustic looking horse on the ground I suddenly FELT the other horses as if they were all around me..........WEll, they were.............38 of them were placed on this hillside in various poses............It was a bit erie.....when the wind picked up the mane would move a bit.  I know they were not real, but standing in the presence of this work of art that was so freely done I realized the words that came to me were FREEDOM and UNTAMED............

Cars were just zooming by below on Highway 287.............A part of me wanted to go back to the truck, move closer to the highway and turn on my flashing lights. These people were missing out on this wonderful experience.

I'm glad I didn't!

Enjoy! 

MY favorite!!! 

     On  Hwy. 287 you  see a herd of 39 horses milling about on a hillside west of the road, about halfway up Kamp Hill. "It's my gift to the people of Montana."
   That was how Belgrade sculptor Jim Dolan characterized a herd of steel equines.  AND WHAT A GIFT IT IS JIM!!!!