#7 A Gift of a Human... Introducing Charley Snell
Jul 28, 2021
Have you ever met someone who had reached excellence with their craft but you only knew it because you saw them in action?
They didn't need to tell everyone about how good they were, that they'd spent 27 years at it, that they were the best...
A humility grew alongside the scars, stories and knowledge. A humility that turned the knowledge and experience into wisdom. Charley Snell is one of those wise people.
It's funny, on several occasions I've shared with horse lovers I know, that if you were in a room filled with horse people, seek out the one sitting quietly in the corner, not offering advice through a loud speaker... Charley Snell would be sitting in the corner.
Charley grew up on a ranch in eastern Montana in the 40's and 50's. He didn't have other kids to play with, but he did have a best friend- his name was Handy, a big bay gelding that Charley spent as much time riding as he could. He wanted to be a cowboy and that's just what he did. He spent the next couple of decades working at different ranches in Montana.
In the 1980's a cowboy entered his life and changed it forever. He showed him there was a different way of looking at and working with horses. That cowboy's name was Ray Hunt. Charley studied with Ray whenever he got the chance. A few years later another special horseman came into his life- Harry Whitney.
Charley now spends his days on a small ranch in Redmond, Oregon. Folks travel from all around to spend time with him there. He also travels from time to time to teach clinics. He credits Ray and Harry often.
Integrity, kindness and presence are three words that come to mind when I think of Charley. He's a gift of a human.
In the next several posts, I'm excited to share a few of the lessons I've learned so far with Charley. He's inspiring me to dig deep and find things in myself that my horses appreciate... A new level of awareness and leadership. As one of Charley's mentors, Ray Hunt said, "you've got to give something you never gave to get something you never had." I'm coming to understand horses in a way I never have and it's equal parts unsettling (because learning can be) and thrilling.
The video below put together by Samuel Pike of Hill Shadow Pictures captures Charley beautifully.
Enjoy!
P.S. You can learn with Charley this year in his second time doing a virtual clinic with me. He wasn't so sure about doing it the first time but was blown away by what people were able to learn and apply through the virtual format. Pretty darn good for an old cowboy! Learn more about the virtual clinic here
Charley Snell Horsemanship from Samuel Pyke on Vimeo.
