One question we often hear during our summer season is, “How do the horses survive winter at the ranch?” Every fall we move our horses to a large pasture outside Bozeman, MT. This pasture is thousands of feet lower in elevation than the ranch and receives much less snow than nearby areas. It’s an ideal location for horses to graze freely, and it’s where our herd enjoys a break from the busy summer season. We are very lucky to have a pasture so close to the ranch where the horses can safely and happily graze ’til they see you again!
Check out this video of our horses happily grazing at the winter pasture:
Our horses were just moved to the last pasture they’ll graze before coming home for the summer. We check up on them every week to say hello, pass out some cookies and ensure they are doing well.
Now, you may wonder how they get back to the ranch each summer? Well, the horses have grazed on Kelsey Valley, KV for short, since Howard Kelsey owned the ranch. It was decades ago when Howard began our yearly tradition called, “Roundup.” Early each June we roundup our herd and push them through open land to the start of the Gallatin Canyon. From there, we transport the herd back to the ranch. This event is a Kelsey family tradition celebrated every year with close friends before the season’s beginning.
With summer just around the corner, we are starting to plan this year’s roundup. With horses being as smart as they are, we know the herd is anticipating the event, too!
