East Meets The Wild, Wild West
FOXHUNTING
East Meets The Wild, Wild West A bit of tradition and a bit of cowboy combine for a whole lot of fun with the newly registered Big Sky Hounds of Montana. BY JENNIFER B. CALDER
52 The Chronicle of the Horse
T
he pack of American Walker hounds joyously bays as we gallop across the strawcolored ridge near the headwaters of the Missouri River behind Joint Master and Huntsman Renee Daniels-Mantle of Big Sky Hounds. Despite it being a short sleeve, stunning mid-September morning in the Horseshoe Hills just outside of Three Forks, Mont., the Beartooth Mountains in the distance are already snow peaked. I am wearing my English gear and riding in western tack. Next to me, a former Navy Seal (and field master) is decked out in full-fringed chaps and a cowboy hat. On the other side, a woman is turned out in traditional foxhunting attire and sitting in an English saddle. That’s how it’s done out here on Mantle Ranch, in this spanking new registered Master of Foxhounds Association hunt that counts cowboys, Native Americans and traditional English riders among its members. Introducing foxhunting to a community of western ranchers has been akin to “bringing rodeo to Middleburg [Va.],” jokes Daniels-Mantle. And a hell of a lot of fun.
Starting From Scotch
Big Sky Hounds started in the spring of 2013 with two hounds drafted by Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds in Reno, Nev. The relationship between Big Sky Hounds and Red Rock goes back more than a dozen years to when Lloyd started visiting the area annually on hunting expeditions. Mantle Ranch provided the horses, and Daniels-Mantle assisted as a field master. “Lynn is famous for at least once a month going somewhere fun and new to hunt. We are lucky to be one of her stops. Red Rock would come here every April,” Daniels-Mantle explains. “They were the first introduction to foxhunting that most of us had. We got involved originally because we had livery. We were in the horse leasing Big Sky Hounds, a newly registered Master of Foxhounds Association hunt, counts cowboys, Native Americans and traditional English riders among its members. LAUNI STOCKS/NO STUDIO REQUIRED PHOTO
November 23 & 30, 2015 • chronofhorse.com 5 3
FOXHUNTING business and had some 400 head of horses. Lynn would bring in people from Ireland, England, and we provided the horses. She really developed and introduced foxhunting to Montana,” she says. Fortified by a glass of scotch at the closing hunt dinner, Daniels-Mantle accepted Lloyd’s off-the-cuff proposal to leave her a couple of hounds. Literally, one couple. “I woke up in the morning and went to my tack shed. Sitting inside were Zeus and ZB, two hounds left for me by Lynn,” says Daniels-Mantle still sounding a bit incredulous. The pack, less than three short years later, now numbers 23, all drafted by Red Rock. While foxhunting—well, more accurately, coyote hunting—may have been a new venture for Daniels-Mantle and her husband Kail Mantle, helping people experience the joys of riding under the “Big Sky” territory on horseback is not.
54 The Chronicle of the Horse
Montana Horses
Daniels-Mantle, a lifelong horse person with a contagious and frequent laugh, was born in eastern South Dakota. She made her way to Montana after “falling in love with a cowboy” from Wyoming. A former bronc and bull rider, Mantle hails from a centuries-old family of horsemen who have been leasing out horses in the western states for more than three decades. Started in 1995 by Daniels-Mantle and Mantle, Montana Horses was an offshoot of this family business. “Most of the ranches in the West don’t own their own string of horses,” explains Daniels-Mantle. “They rent them. This business model was invented by Kail’s family. Between all of us, we probably have over 4,000 horses we lease to ranches, kids’ camps and trail riding outfitters.” For 11 years, until 2012, the Mantles would move their herd of 400 horses
each spring from the winter to summer pasture. The annual round-up would take three days and wind through 35 miles of Montana. One year a foxhunter from North Carolina joined them on the round-up, and they became dear friends. “We basically would take turns scaring the crap out of each other,” says Daniels-Mantle, laughing. “She would ride with us on the round-up, and we would foxhunt with her in North Carolina.” This dovetailed with Lloyd’s hunting visits, and Daniels-Mantle got the bug. The sport, like a missing puzzle piece, fit the Mantles’ philosophy: to encourage the enjoyment of Montana from horseback. “The truth is, Montana horsemanship is a little different than anywhere else, I think, because everyone has a horse here,” says Daniels-Mantle. “Drive anywhere. I challenge you to find
a stretch of property where someone doesn’t have a horse in their backyard. It’s just a great place to ride. I think that’s how you enjoy Montana. “So we have tried to figure out a way to enjoy our horses year round, and foxhunting is the best way to do it, in my opinion. You don’t have to put the horses up in the winter, and you don’t need an indoor. You just have to have good country and quarry. And this area is really good,” she concludes. And, as it turns out, the horses they train for other endeavors are equally well suited to foxhunting, especially a new hunt with new members. Furnishing horses for those wishing to try the sport is unusual—and a welcome addition for people (like me) who don’t own their own horse but love to hunt. Or others who visit the area (30 percent of the population in Gallatin County are second home owners, drawn to the area for big game hunting, fly-fishing and
other outdoor activities) but leave their horses at home. “They need to be gentle; they need to be able to take care of you,” says Daniels-Mantle. “We are a totally different type of foxhunting from East Coast hunts. We’re not hunting fox; we’re hunting coyotes. And we’re cowboys. We’re hunting on ranches on western horses that are suited for this environment. I love that we can uphold
the traditions of the eastern hunts and have the support of the MFHA. Our hunt may never be completely ‘East Coast’ in feel, but I am so happy they exist for us to emulate.” What may have been born from a love of backcountry riding and curiosity of the sport has now evolved into a hound obsession for Daniels-Mantle. “I am now the hound girl! I am the huntsman, and I love it. I
“We’re hunting on ranches on western horses suited for this environment, chasing hard-driving hounds bred for the terrain,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle. LAUNI STOCKS/ NO STUDIO REQUIRED PHOTO
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FOXHUNTING love to see the hounds work. It’s like a great big chess game to me. They don’t speak our language, but you start to learn theirs,” she shares. As for her husband, Daniels-Mantle tells me, “He is a classic cowboy and horseman. He will help me in any way— he was the shoo-in to be the huntsman and the master and the field master and the whip. He can do it all.” However, with Daniels-Mantle’s love of the hounds and Mantle’s interest in helping new riders, he usually assumes the position of field master or whip. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There was a bit of a journey (and cursing) involved for the Mantles to get to this point.
Four Hounds, One Hunt
Remembering the two sweet faces peering up at her from the tack room, Daniels-Mantle reminiscences with a chuckle, “I was thinking to myself, ‘Did I really just agree to take two hounds?!’ ” “I knew nothing about hunting hounds at all. I knew a little bit about foxhunting but not much about the care and training of hounds, so for that entire summer I made best friends with these two hounds,” she says with a laugh. In many ways, it was liberating. Ignorance is bliss, and all that. “I spent the entire summer doing nothing but what occurred to me. I read voraciously. I called Lynn—like every other day!” she says. “I cried a million tears and screamed myself hoarse, cursed and beat my fists.” But she didn’t give up, and bit by bit, she began to understand hound mentality. “ZB, Zeus and I developed this language that only the three of us could understand, because it certainly didn’t involve blowing the horn,” she said with a chuckle. “I was tooting on this horn— which I bought but couldn’t blow—so we learned a way of communicating.” Which was fortunate, because by autumn, word was out about a new local hunt. “Here I am, two hounds and about 30 people following me around!” she exclaims. The field was comprised mostly of people she and Mantle had trained to ride. 56 The Chronicle of the Horse
“I used that as an excuse,” she confesses. “Because people want an excuse to ride, so we just started developing it around what a hunt schedule would look like. We allowed people to experience something on horseback and accomplish something on horseback they didn’t think they could do. They get a real sense of accomplishment from foxhunting. And the hounds were wonderful.” This small pack of two chased their hearts out for Daniels-Mantle that
A former bronc and bull rider, Kail Mantle hails from a centuries-old family of western horsemen. WESTOVER IMAGES PHOTO
September and October; then suddenly their pack doubled. Their neighbor and now joint-master (and whip) of Big Sky Hounds, Marie Steele Griffis, had been a member of Red Rock for six years when word of a new hunt starting in her back yard caught her attention. “I had been down in Reno hunting with Red Rock and saw something on
The Multi-Faceted Mantle Ranch
Heroes And Horses
In addition to foxhunting, Mantle Ranch is also home to Heroes And Horses Inc., founded by former Navy Seal Micah Fink in February 2014. The three-phase program utilizes the human-horse connection, but this is not your garden-variety warm and fuzzy type of equine therapy. It’s a challenging program that mimics the training veterans received in the military. In phase 1, veterans, in groups of eight, live on the ranch for 10 days. They’re taught how to pack and learn how to ride on Mantle Ranch horses. They then ride out into the surrounding wilderness where they’re taught survival skills. The final phase sees them taking leadership positions for a horse pack expedition, the idea being that these vets—many of whom grapple with post-traumatic stress disorder—need to learn how to overcome challenges once again, to be placed in stressful situations and triumph, not be treated as victims. This past summer, for the first time, an all-female group of veterans participated in the program. To learn more about Heroes And Horses, check out our spotlight in the January/February 2015 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse Untacked.
Challenge Courses
The ranch is also home to several different courses: The Ultimate Horse Course Trail Challenge and Extreme Backcountry Trail Course offers 24 trail obstacles, and The Big Sky Hounds Cross-Country Jump Course provides miles of cross-country jumps. Rounding out this experience is the unique Lame Burro Facebook, of all things, about a new hunt starting with Montana Horses/ Mantle Ranch. I was so excited!” says Griffis, who grew up in the area and has been riding her entire life. A trained chef (who treated this writer to the most spectacular dinner of elk, felled by her husband), Griffis only bought her first saddle a few years ago, preferring to ride bareback. Next August she will be participating in the Mongol Derby in Mongolia, the world’s longest horse race. Griffis didn’t return home from Reno empty-handed. In the backseat of her car, two more hounds drafted from Red Rock.
Country Club, aka Cowboy Golf Course (yes, a discarded toilet serves as one of the holes). The 11-hole regulation course is spread over 320 acres. Designed by Kail Mantle, it utilizes horses and ATV in place of golf carts for a unique approach to yet another traditional sport.
Wenchdays
The membership of Big Sky Hounds is decidedly dominated by women during the week. Hence, Wenchdays (Wednesday) hunt days were born. “The funny part is, these gals, most have kids. They’ll hook their horse trailers up, load them and throw the kids in the truck, drop them at school, go foxhunt and return in time for school pick-up, still hauling their trailer and horses,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle.
Mantle Ranch Photography Workshop And Expedition
Val Westover and Stephanie Adriana of Westover Photography lead three-day photo expeditions for aspiring photographers. Life at the ranch serves as the gorgeous backdrop, from capturing the working horses on the ranch to following the hunt by car.
The Empty Trailer Network
This idea occurred to Daniels-Mantle after delivering a haul of horses and returning home with an empty trailer. Certainly there was someone in the area who could utilize the empty space, either for livestock or hay. Thus the online transportation network was born to help others in the community.
“I had met Renee and Kail before, but that was really the beginning of it all,” says Griffis. They started hunting the two couple immediately. “The hounds were all from the same pack, so that was really fortunate for us. The runs were awesome! We got to learn from having four what a winding
hound was and what positions they might take, a strike hound or a lead hound, honoring or an anchor. And I didn’t even know what some of these words meant! A lot came from the books of Rita Mae Brown,” DanielsMantle says, and we all laugh. “I am not joking!” she insists. “So we hunted that entire first season with four hounds. I’ll never forget our closing hunt photograph. Forty-eight people dressed formally and four hounds. We had a blast!” “I think that first year was my favorite year,” confesses Daniels-Mantle. “It was new and fresh, and we didn’t know
We allowed people to experience something on horseback and accomplish something on horseback they didn’t think they could do.” —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE
November 23 & 30, 2015 • chronofhorse.com 57
FOXHUNTING
We didn’t know we could potentially fail. And that was intoxicating!” —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE
we could potentially fail. And that was intoxicating! The first year I didn’t charge any membership or capping fees. We all just went out and enjoyed it. People would bring a bag of dog food or help with the kennel construction. I look back at the four hounds and the 40 people following us, even on a cubbing day. It was magical!” “It was magical,” Griffis chimes in. “Although I learned that when you start with only four hounds, it’s like taking marbles in your hands and throwing them, and they go in four different directions. “Fast!” she adds, laughing.
Slow And Steady
While the hounds may have scattered fast in those early days, the overall philosophy of this new hunt is the opposite. “We take old hounds,” explains Daniels-Mantle. “I have a very, very inexperienced membership. We have riders that are used to doing things with their horses, moving cows around and using horses for work, but this is all new to our members. So for the first few years, I preferred older, slower hounds. They are in really good shape, but they are older and slower, and I know we can keep up with them.” This slower hunt offers greater enjoyment and education for the new foxhunters. “What is fun about the sport is watching your hounds on a good run. I think it is more rewarding for us all to go out together and see how it all 58 The Chronicle of the Horse
happens. If they were too young and fast, a lot of the new members would miss out on the beauty of the sport,” Daniels-Mantle says. And it’s true. What started out as an excuse to ride has now evolved to a true appreciation for the hound work. “When I first started hunting, I was there for the riding,” reveals Griffis. “I don’t even know if I noticed there were hounds, which if I did, I am sure I called dogs,” she jokes. “Now I have come around to where I really appreciate the hound work.” Every April, the pack has doubled with hounds drafted by Red Rock. Last fall they hunted eight to 10, and this
“It’s just a great place to ride,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle. “I think that’s how you enjoy Montana.” STEPHANNIE CAMOSSE PHOTO
year the pack is at 23. All in less than three short years. Their tenacity and commitment impressed the Master of Foxhounds Association, which approved their registration this October. Lt. Colonel Dennis Foster, executive director of the MFHA, says, “They are a great group of people who love animals and the outdoors. Lynn Lloyd titillated their interest in hunting with hounds, and they haven’t stopped to get their hunt going despite some difficulties.” Some of these difficulties involved
Whipper-in Catherine Mee (left), Renee Daniels-Mantle (center) and jt.-MFH and whipper-in Marie Steele Griffis head out for a day’s hunting with their American Walker hounds from Red Rock (Nev.). “I love to see the hounds work,” says Renee DanielsMantle. “It’s like a great big chess game to me.” STEPHANNIE CAMOSSE PHOTO
the aforementioned learning curve presented by the hounds; others were due to the conditions and the newness of the sport in this part of the country. “We’re kind of diehards. We really don’t care about what the weather is. I have, literally, had the horn stick to my lips. I love it! It’s a total obsession,” says Daniels-Mantle. Being a diehard comes in handy during the winter months in Montana, although the hunt recently decided to take a hiatus during January this year. “We’ve hunted through January every year so far, but this past year was terrible. It gets so frozen and starts breaking up the pads on the hounds’ paws. Then, because we are running on cattle country, when it gets a little warm, the top layer melts and refreezes,” Daniels-Mantle says. “And the cattle will have made
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FOXHUNTING very deep divots, and you basically end up running over mud boulders. We’re planning on using that time as an opportunity to visit other hunts and learn a bit more.” As for being newly registered, Daniels-Mantle and Griffis are thrilled. “Everybody has been so supportive. I think they know where we get our hounds and our horses and know our mentors. There are so many benefits to being a member hunt,” says DanielsMantle. “The biggest benefit to us, in my opinion, is the Professional Development Program [a mentoring program implemented by the MFHA and run by former Green Spring Valley (Md.) huntsman Andrew Barclay]. The other is being a part of such an esteemed and reputable organization.”
Looking Out For One Another
From the 40 or so members (some of whom travel over two hours to hunt with Big Sky) to the surrounding landowners, the support of the community has been, “Phenomenal. Hands down phenomenal,” says Mantle. In addition to the 500 acres of Mantle Ranch, they have more than 60,000 additional acres available to them, some of those from private ranches, others from public land. “Foxhunting is such an old, traditional sport, but it is new concept here in Montana,” says Daniels-Mantle. “I mean, foxhunting is as old as the United States. Older. But this is not a culture recognized in the West.” “At all,” Daniels-Mantle adds with a laugh. “We are having to introduce the sport to our country, but we’re also introducing what I think keeps the sport
going—this really great culture, social tradition and community.” The community part is evident on the day I hunt with Big Sky. Fixture plans are adjusted when it becomes known that a nearby major landowner is in need of assistance. She is out of town, and her 33-year-old retired event horse is ill. She has an assistant on the property with limited knowledge of horses. The decision is made that we will hunt that direction, checking on the horse and taking the supplies to the assistant (who hiked in the two miles with a backpack, the area inaccessible by anything but an ATV or horses). “That’s what I love about this group,” shares Griffis. “We are stopping in the middle of a hunt to doctor a horse and bring supplies.” Respect for their landowners is another reason cited for honoring Lynn Lloyd (center) introduced Renee Daniels-Mantle (right) to foxhunting and helped her create the Big Sky Hounds, along with Marie Steele Griffis (left). WESTOVER IMAGES PHOTO
60 The Chronicle of the Horse
Foxhunting is as old as the United States. Older. But this is not a culture recognized in the West.”
the still-new traditions of the sport, mostly in the form of dress. “I tend to prefer to dress more traditionally,” Griffis says. “I love the idea of dressing formal because it honors your landowners. The very first time I went on a hunt with this group, it was formal dress. I saw the whip up on the ridge —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE in a red coat and thought, ‘I am at a real foxhunt.’ It validated it for me and made such an to and always want to ride western and impression. I want people who come never put breeches on, don’t. I don’t here to hunt to have that same feeling. want anyone to miss out.” That this is a real foxhunt.” “There is a bit of difference between For now, Big Sky Hounds strikes the old guard in the East and the new a balance between honoring these guard in the West because we have a traditions while still allowing for a totally different type of foxhunting,” she bit of wiggle room in the hopes of adds. “We’re hunting coyote, and we’re making all feel welcome. cowboys. We’re hunting on ranches on Daniels-Mantle adds, “I want western horses suited for this environeveryone to be inspired to be properly ment, chasing hard-driving hounds turned out, but that is not my No. 1 focus bred for the terrain. I am so thrilled to COTH Ad 11-15_Layout 1 11/5/15 10:40 AM Page 1 at the moment. I think if you never want see that the foxhunting community, the RECOGNIZED
BY
MFHA, has embraced us.” For the MFHA and Big Sky, the goals they share are evident. “The joy is sitting on your horse watching them join as a pack and knowing they are uniquely your hunt’s creation,” says Foster. “The first time they open on a quarry and you have a good chase makes it all worthwhile.” Thanks to the efforts of the Mantles and Griffis, this is something the new members of Big Sky Hounds have already learned. “I think the best part of our hunt is that we have great, gentle horses that will take care of you and introduce you to the sport and hounds they can keep up with. We are very open to guests. I think that’s where we excel, because we introduce newbies. I think that is part of our charm,” concludes Mantle. Maybe next, the Mantles will bring rodeo to Middleburg.
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East Meets The Wild, Wild West A bit of tradition and a bit of cowboy combine for a whole lot of fun with the newly registered Big Sky Hounds of Montana. BY JENNIFER B. CALDER
52 The Chronicle of the Horse
T
he pack of American Walker hounds joyously bays as we gallop across the strawcolored ridge near the headwaters of the Missouri River behind Joint Master and Huntsman Renee Daniels-Mantle of Big Sky Hounds. Despite it being a short sleeve, stunning mid-September morning in the Horseshoe Hills just outside of Three Forks, Mont., the Beartooth Mountains in the distance are already snow peaked. I am wearing my English gear and riding in western tack. Next to me, a former Navy Seal (and field master) is decked out in full-fringed chaps and a cowboy hat. On the other side, a woman is turned out in traditional foxhunting attire and sitting in an English saddle. That’s how it’s done out here on Mantle Ranch, in this spanking new registered Master of Foxhounds Association hunt that counts cowboys, Native Americans and traditional English riders among its members. Introducing foxhunting to a community of western ranchers has been akin to “bringing rodeo to Middleburg [Va.],” jokes Daniels-Mantle. And a hell of a lot of fun.
Starting From Scotch
Big Sky Hounds started in the spring of 2013 with two hounds drafted by Lynn Lloyd of Red Rock Hounds in Reno, Nev. The relationship between Big Sky Hounds and Red Rock goes back more than a dozen years to when Lloyd started visiting the area annually on hunting expeditions. Mantle Ranch provided the horses, and Daniels-Mantle assisted as a field master. “Lynn is famous for at least once a month going somewhere fun and new to hunt. We are lucky to be one of her stops. Red Rock would come here every April,” Daniels-Mantle explains. “They were the first introduction to foxhunting that most of us had. We got involved originally because we had livery. We were in the horse leasing Big Sky Hounds, a newly registered Master of Foxhounds Association hunt, counts cowboys, Native Americans and traditional English riders among its members. LAUNI STOCKS/NO STUDIO REQUIRED PHOTO
November 23 & 30, 2015 • chronofhorse.com 5 3
FOXHUNTING business and had some 400 head of horses. Lynn would bring in people from Ireland, England, and we provided the horses. She really developed and introduced foxhunting to Montana,” she says. Fortified by a glass of scotch at the closing hunt dinner, Daniels-Mantle accepted Lloyd’s off-the-cuff proposal to leave her a couple of hounds. Literally, one couple. “I woke up in the morning and went to my tack shed. Sitting inside were Zeus and ZB, two hounds left for me by Lynn,” says Daniels-Mantle still sounding a bit incredulous. The pack, less than three short years later, now numbers 23, all drafted by Red Rock. While foxhunting—well, more accurately, coyote hunting—may have been a new venture for Daniels-Mantle and her husband Kail Mantle, helping people experience the joys of riding under the “Big Sky” territory on horseback is not.
54 The Chronicle of the Horse
Montana Horses
Daniels-Mantle, a lifelong horse person with a contagious and frequent laugh, was born in eastern South Dakota. She made her way to Montana after “falling in love with a cowboy” from Wyoming. A former bronc and bull rider, Mantle hails from a centuries-old family of horsemen who have been leasing out horses in the western states for more than three decades. Started in 1995 by Daniels-Mantle and Mantle, Montana Horses was an offshoot of this family business. “Most of the ranches in the West don’t own their own string of horses,” explains Daniels-Mantle. “They rent them. This business model was invented by Kail’s family. Between all of us, we probably have over 4,000 horses we lease to ranches, kids’ camps and trail riding outfitters.” For 11 years, until 2012, the Mantles would move their herd of 400 horses
each spring from the winter to summer pasture. The annual round-up would take three days and wind through 35 miles of Montana. One year a foxhunter from North Carolina joined them on the round-up, and they became dear friends. “We basically would take turns scaring the crap out of each other,” says Daniels-Mantle, laughing. “She would ride with us on the round-up, and we would foxhunt with her in North Carolina.” This dovetailed with Lloyd’s hunting visits, and Daniels-Mantle got the bug. The sport, like a missing puzzle piece, fit the Mantles’ philosophy: to encourage the enjoyment of Montana from horseback. “The truth is, Montana horsemanship is a little different than anywhere else, I think, because everyone has a horse here,” says Daniels-Mantle. “Drive anywhere. I challenge you to find
a stretch of property where someone doesn’t have a horse in their backyard. It’s just a great place to ride. I think that’s how you enjoy Montana. “So we have tried to figure out a way to enjoy our horses year round, and foxhunting is the best way to do it, in my opinion. You don’t have to put the horses up in the winter, and you don’t need an indoor. You just have to have good country and quarry. And this area is really good,” she concludes. And, as it turns out, the horses they train for other endeavors are equally well suited to foxhunting, especially a new hunt with new members. Furnishing horses for those wishing to try the sport is unusual—and a welcome addition for people (like me) who don’t own their own horse but love to hunt. Or others who visit the area (30 percent of the population in Gallatin County are second home owners, drawn to the area for big game hunting, fly-fishing and
other outdoor activities) but leave their horses at home. “They need to be gentle; they need to be able to take care of you,” says Daniels-Mantle. “We are a totally different type of foxhunting from East Coast hunts. We’re not hunting fox; we’re hunting coyotes. And we’re cowboys. We’re hunting on ranches on western horses that are suited for this environment. I love that we can uphold
the traditions of the eastern hunts and have the support of the MFHA. Our hunt may never be completely ‘East Coast’ in feel, but I am so happy they exist for us to emulate.” What may have been born from a love of backcountry riding and curiosity of the sport has now evolved into a hound obsession for Daniels-Mantle. “I am now the hound girl! I am the huntsman, and I love it. I
“We’re hunting on ranches on western horses suited for this environment, chasing hard-driving hounds bred for the terrain,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle. LAUNI STOCKS/ NO STUDIO REQUIRED PHOTO
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FOXHUNTING love to see the hounds work. It’s like a great big chess game to me. They don’t speak our language, but you start to learn theirs,” she shares. As for her husband, Daniels-Mantle tells me, “He is a classic cowboy and horseman. He will help me in any way— he was the shoo-in to be the huntsman and the master and the field master and the whip. He can do it all.” However, with Daniels-Mantle’s love of the hounds and Mantle’s interest in helping new riders, he usually assumes the position of field master or whip. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There was a bit of a journey (and cursing) involved for the Mantles to get to this point.
Four Hounds, One Hunt
Remembering the two sweet faces peering up at her from the tack room, Daniels-Mantle reminiscences with a chuckle, “I was thinking to myself, ‘Did I really just agree to take two hounds?!’ ” “I knew nothing about hunting hounds at all. I knew a little bit about foxhunting but not much about the care and training of hounds, so for that entire summer I made best friends with these two hounds,” she says with a laugh. In many ways, it was liberating. Ignorance is bliss, and all that. “I spent the entire summer doing nothing but what occurred to me. I read voraciously. I called Lynn—like every other day!” she says. “I cried a million tears and screamed myself hoarse, cursed and beat my fists.” But she didn’t give up, and bit by bit, she began to understand hound mentality. “ZB, Zeus and I developed this language that only the three of us could understand, because it certainly didn’t involve blowing the horn,” she said with a chuckle. “I was tooting on this horn— which I bought but couldn’t blow—so we learned a way of communicating.” Which was fortunate, because by autumn, word was out about a new local hunt. “Here I am, two hounds and about 30 people following me around!” she exclaims. The field was comprised mostly of people she and Mantle had trained to ride. 56 The Chronicle of the Horse
“I used that as an excuse,” she confesses. “Because people want an excuse to ride, so we just started developing it around what a hunt schedule would look like. We allowed people to experience something on horseback and accomplish something on horseback they didn’t think they could do. They get a real sense of accomplishment from foxhunting. And the hounds were wonderful.” This small pack of two chased their hearts out for Daniels-Mantle that
A former bronc and bull rider, Kail Mantle hails from a centuries-old family of western horsemen. WESTOVER IMAGES PHOTO
September and October; then suddenly their pack doubled. Their neighbor and now joint-master (and whip) of Big Sky Hounds, Marie Steele Griffis, had been a member of Red Rock for six years when word of a new hunt starting in her back yard caught her attention. “I had been down in Reno hunting with Red Rock and saw something on
The Multi-Faceted Mantle Ranch
Heroes And Horses
In addition to foxhunting, Mantle Ranch is also home to Heroes And Horses Inc., founded by former Navy Seal Micah Fink in February 2014. The three-phase program utilizes the human-horse connection, but this is not your garden-variety warm and fuzzy type of equine therapy. It’s a challenging program that mimics the training veterans received in the military. In phase 1, veterans, in groups of eight, live on the ranch for 10 days. They’re taught how to pack and learn how to ride on Mantle Ranch horses. They then ride out into the surrounding wilderness where they’re taught survival skills. The final phase sees them taking leadership positions for a horse pack expedition, the idea being that these vets—many of whom grapple with post-traumatic stress disorder—need to learn how to overcome challenges once again, to be placed in stressful situations and triumph, not be treated as victims. This past summer, for the first time, an all-female group of veterans participated in the program. To learn more about Heroes And Horses, check out our spotlight in the January/February 2015 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse Untacked.
Challenge Courses
The ranch is also home to several different courses: The Ultimate Horse Course Trail Challenge and Extreme Backcountry Trail Course offers 24 trail obstacles, and The Big Sky Hounds Cross-Country Jump Course provides miles of cross-country jumps. Rounding out this experience is the unique Lame Burro Facebook, of all things, about a new hunt starting with Montana Horses/ Mantle Ranch. I was so excited!” says Griffis, who grew up in the area and has been riding her entire life. A trained chef (who treated this writer to the most spectacular dinner of elk, felled by her husband), Griffis only bought her first saddle a few years ago, preferring to ride bareback. Next August she will be participating in the Mongol Derby in Mongolia, the world’s longest horse race. Griffis didn’t return home from Reno empty-handed. In the backseat of her car, two more hounds drafted from Red Rock.
Country Club, aka Cowboy Golf Course (yes, a discarded toilet serves as one of the holes). The 11-hole regulation course is spread over 320 acres. Designed by Kail Mantle, it utilizes horses and ATV in place of golf carts for a unique approach to yet another traditional sport.
Wenchdays
The membership of Big Sky Hounds is decidedly dominated by women during the week. Hence, Wenchdays (Wednesday) hunt days were born. “The funny part is, these gals, most have kids. They’ll hook their horse trailers up, load them and throw the kids in the truck, drop them at school, go foxhunt and return in time for school pick-up, still hauling their trailer and horses,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle.
Mantle Ranch Photography Workshop And Expedition
Val Westover and Stephanie Adriana of Westover Photography lead three-day photo expeditions for aspiring photographers. Life at the ranch serves as the gorgeous backdrop, from capturing the working horses on the ranch to following the hunt by car.
The Empty Trailer Network
This idea occurred to Daniels-Mantle after delivering a haul of horses and returning home with an empty trailer. Certainly there was someone in the area who could utilize the empty space, either for livestock or hay. Thus the online transportation network was born to help others in the community.
“I had met Renee and Kail before, but that was really the beginning of it all,” says Griffis. They started hunting the two couple immediately. “The hounds were all from the same pack, so that was really fortunate for us. The runs were awesome! We got to learn from having four what a winding
hound was and what positions they might take, a strike hound or a lead hound, honoring or an anchor. And I didn’t even know what some of these words meant! A lot came from the books of Rita Mae Brown,” DanielsMantle says, and we all laugh. “I am not joking!” she insists. “So we hunted that entire first season with four hounds. I’ll never forget our closing hunt photograph. Forty-eight people dressed formally and four hounds. We had a blast!” “I think that first year was my favorite year,” confesses Daniels-Mantle. “It was new and fresh, and we didn’t know
We allowed people to experience something on horseback and accomplish something on horseback they didn’t think they could do.” —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE
November 23 & 30, 2015 • chronofhorse.com 57
FOXHUNTING
We didn’t know we could potentially fail. And that was intoxicating!” —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE
we could potentially fail. And that was intoxicating! The first year I didn’t charge any membership or capping fees. We all just went out and enjoyed it. People would bring a bag of dog food or help with the kennel construction. I look back at the four hounds and the 40 people following us, even on a cubbing day. It was magical!” “It was magical,” Griffis chimes in. “Although I learned that when you start with only four hounds, it’s like taking marbles in your hands and throwing them, and they go in four different directions. “Fast!” she adds, laughing.
Slow And Steady
While the hounds may have scattered fast in those early days, the overall philosophy of this new hunt is the opposite. “We take old hounds,” explains Daniels-Mantle. “I have a very, very inexperienced membership. We have riders that are used to doing things with their horses, moving cows around and using horses for work, but this is all new to our members. So for the first few years, I preferred older, slower hounds. They are in really good shape, but they are older and slower, and I know we can keep up with them.” This slower hunt offers greater enjoyment and education for the new foxhunters. “What is fun about the sport is watching your hounds on a good run. I think it is more rewarding for us all to go out together and see how it all 58 The Chronicle of the Horse
happens. If they were too young and fast, a lot of the new members would miss out on the beauty of the sport,” Daniels-Mantle says. And it’s true. What started out as an excuse to ride has now evolved to a true appreciation for the hound work. “When I first started hunting, I was there for the riding,” reveals Griffis. “I don’t even know if I noticed there were hounds, which if I did, I am sure I called dogs,” she jokes. “Now I have come around to where I really appreciate the hound work.” Every April, the pack has doubled with hounds drafted by Red Rock. Last fall they hunted eight to 10, and this
“It’s just a great place to ride,” says Renee Daniels-Mantle. “I think that’s how you enjoy Montana.” STEPHANNIE CAMOSSE PHOTO
year the pack is at 23. All in less than three short years. Their tenacity and commitment impressed the Master of Foxhounds Association, which approved their registration this October. Lt. Colonel Dennis Foster, executive director of the MFHA, says, “They are a great group of people who love animals and the outdoors. Lynn Lloyd titillated their interest in hunting with hounds, and they haven’t stopped to get their hunt going despite some difficulties.” Some of these difficulties involved
Whipper-in Catherine Mee (left), Renee Daniels-Mantle (center) and jt.-MFH and whipper-in Marie Steele Griffis head out for a day’s hunting with their American Walker hounds from Red Rock (Nev.). “I love to see the hounds work,” says Renee DanielsMantle. “It’s like a great big chess game to me.” STEPHANNIE CAMOSSE PHOTO
the aforementioned learning curve presented by the hounds; others were due to the conditions and the newness of the sport in this part of the country. “We’re kind of diehards. We really don’t care about what the weather is. I have, literally, had the horn stick to my lips. I love it! It’s a total obsession,” says Daniels-Mantle. Being a diehard comes in handy during the winter months in Montana, although the hunt recently decided to take a hiatus during January this year. “We’ve hunted through January every year so far, but this past year was terrible. It gets so frozen and starts breaking up the pads on the hounds’ paws. Then, because we are running on cattle country, when it gets a little warm, the top layer melts and refreezes,” Daniels-Mantle says. “And the cattle will have made
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FOXHUNTING very deep divots, and you basically end up running over mud boulders. We’re planning on using that time as an opportunity to visit other hunts and learn a bit more.” As for being newly registered, Daniels-Mantle and Griffis are thrilled. “Everybody has been so supportive. I think they know where we get our hounds and our horses and know our mentors. There are so many benefits to being a member hunt,” says DanielsMantle. “The biggest benefit to us, in my opinion, is the Professional Development Program [a mentoring program implemented by the MFHA and run by former Green Spring Valley (Md.) huntsman Andrew Barclay]. The other is being a part of such an esteemed and reputable organization.”
Looking Out For One Another
From the 40 or so members (some of whom travel over two hours to hunt with Big Sky) to the surrounding landowners, the support of the community has been, “Phenomenal. Hands down phenomenal,” says Mantle. In addition to the 500 acres of Mantle Ranch, they have more than 60,000 additional acres available to them, some of those from private ranches, others from public land. “Foxhunting is such an old, traditional sport, but it is new concept here in Montana,” says Daniels-Mantle. “I mean, foxhunting is as old as the United States. Older. But this is not a culture recognized in the West.” “At all,” Daniels-Mantle adds with a laugh. “We are having to introduce the sport to our country, but we’re also introducing what I think keeps the sport
going—this really great culture, social tradition and community.” The community part is evident on the day I hunt with Big Sky. Fixture plans are adjusted when it becomes known that a nearby major landowner is in need of assistance. She is out of town, and her 33-year-old retired event horse is ill. She has an assistant on the property with limited knowledge of horses. The decision is made that we will hunt that direction, checking on the horse and taking the supplies to the assistant (who hiked in the two miles with a backpack, the area inaccessible by anything but an ATV or horses). “That’s what I love about this group,” shares Griffis. “We are stopping in the middle of a hunt to doctor a horse and bring supplies.” Respect for their landowners is another reason cited for honoring Lynn Lloyd (center) introduced Renee Daniels-Mantle (right) to foxhunting and helped her create the Big Sky Hounds, along with Marie Steele Griffis (left). WESTOVER IMAGES PHOTO
60 The Chronicle of the Horse
Foxhunting is as old as the United States. Older. But this is not a culture recognized in the West.”
the still-new traditions of the sport, mostly in the form of dress. “I tend to prefer to dress more traditionally,” Griffis says. “I love the idea of dressing formal because it honors your landowners. The very first time I went on a hunt with this group, it was formal dress. I saw the whip up on the ridge —RENEE DANIELS-MANTLE in a red coat and thought, ‘I am at a real foxhunt.’ It validated it for me and made such an to and always want to ride western and impression. I want people who come never put breeches on, don’t. I don’t here to hunt to have that same feeling. want anyone to miss out.” That this is a real foxhunt.” “There is a bit of difference between For now, Big Sky Hounds strikes the old guard in the East and the new a balance between honoring these guard in the West because we have a traditions while still allowing for a totally different type of foxhunting,” she bit of wiggle room in the hopes of adds. “We’re hunting coyote, and we’re making all feel welcome. cowboys. We’re hunting on ranches on Daniels-Mantle adds, “I want western horses suited for this environeveryone to be inspired to be properly ment, chasing hard-driving hounds turned out, but that is not my No. 1 focus bred for the terrain. I am so thrilled to COTH Ad 11-15_Layout 1 11/5/15 10:40 AM Page 1 at the moment. I think if you never want see that the foxhunting community, the RECOGNIZED
BY
MFHA, has embraced us.” For the MFHA and Big Sky, the goals they share are evident. “The joy is sitting on your horse watching them join as a pack and knowing they are uniquely your hunt’s creation,” says Foster. “The first time they open on a quarry and you have a good chase makes it all worthwhile.” Thanks to the efforts of the Mantles and Griffis, this is something the new members of Big Sky Hounds have already learned. “I think the best part of our hunt is that we have great, gentle horses that will take care of you and introduce you to the sport and hounds they can keep up with. We are very open to guests. I think that’s where we excel, because we introduce newbies. I think that is part of our charm,” concludes Mantle. Maybe next, the Mantles will bring rodeo to Middleburg.
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