Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 68 ly, and they can be seen working at the Grant Kohrs Ranch outside Deer Lodge, but they are for the most part disappearing. Both of them say they want to offer the opportunity to utilize their draft horses in as many of the historical ways as possible and to keep that alive here in Montana. Kenn tells me that he has been in contact with BLM, Forest Service, and Fish, Wildlife and Parks to try and get them to use draft horses for logging be- cause it is less damaging to the environment than heavy machin- ery. But because it takes longer to use draft horses, they are met with some resistance. It seems that, for logging as for the rest of the modern world, time is money. So in the meantime, they take people on wagon rides and help out by logging on pri- vate land for fire mitigation. As they continue to try and bring back the slower way of life in the Mission Valley area, they are hoping that the neighboring ranches and farms will want to embrace the draft horse into their way of life while mindfully caring for the land sur- rounding them. They enjoy the slower means of life and travel and are hoping that in this ev- er-changing fast-paced environ- ment, more people will want to also take that slower way of trav- el as well. I admit that it sounds lovely when they describe taking the horses out on covered wag- on camping trips that sometimes will take up to a week or more. As for myself, I learned that not all horses are ill-tempered and that by taking the slower path, your mind is able to wander. You see your landscape with a clearer mind and notice more than you would if you were tearing down the interstate at eighty MPH, and for that I'll always be grateful. Kenn and Susan treat their draft horses like their own fam- ily, and it was a pleasure to be around them and learn from them for a couple of days. But above all, I want to thank them for teaching me to let my guard down around these enor- mous but tender creatures. THEY WANT TO OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THEIR DRAFT HORSES IN AS MANY OF THE HISTORICAL WAYS AS POSSIBLE AND TO KEEP THAT ALIVE HERE IN MONTANA.

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