Sunday, January 14, 2018
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Merry Christmas
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Merry Christmas
From
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Making Custom Cowboy Boots: An Interview with Lisa Sorrell, Bespoke Cowboy Bootmaker
Making Custom Cowboy
Boots:
An Interview with Lisa Sorrell,
Bespoke Cowboy Bootmaker
By Gina McKnight
As seen in the November 2017 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete
No duplication without permission.
As
Marilyn Monroe eloquently stated, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can
conquer the world.” And that goes for boots, too! Every cowgirl and cowboy – whether
they ride a horse, or not – knows the aesthetic value of the right boot,
especially when your boots can be made-to-order from one of the top artists in
boot design, Lisa Sorrell.
Raised
in Missouri, now residing in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Lisa Sorrell knows design. She
was taught to sew at an early age, and eventually found her calling crafting custom
cowboy boots. Lisa creates “dialog through interplay of color, texture and
technique, preserving tradition and keeping consistent with pioneers of the
craft by interpreting vintage designs in contemporary and modern ways.”
Lisa
has won many awards for her work in the United States, as well as in the
Netherlands, Germany, and throughout the world.
She was a featured artist on the PBS series “Craft in America” (2011), and she has been
featured in many magazines, including “American Craft” and “Cowboys and
Indians.” Lisa is the author of “The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay” her first
book detailing the process of creating art for traditional cowboy boot tops.
Welcome Lisa!
GM: Congratulations on
your great success as an artist! I recently read about your accomplishments in
a fashion designer magazine and was impressed with your creativity! You have been
creating bespoke boots for a long time. Do you remember the first pair of
custom boots you made?
LS: I got my first job in a
boot shop in 1990, and I’ve owned my own business since 1996. The first two
pairs of boots I made were for myself and my husband. Because I was just
learning to be a bootmaker, they were both very plain, and neither of them fit
well. Cowboy boot making is incredibly complex, and it takes years to master,
making a beautiful pair of boots that fits.
GM: You have crafted
custom boots for celebrities, such as Wynonna Judd, LeRoy Parnell, and Trisha
Yearwood (to name a few), and have customers all over the world. I know you
treat every pair of boots as if they were your own. Through the years, can you
pick one design that has been your favorite to craft?
LS: I name all of my boots
after Bluegrass and Classic Country songs. One of my favorite designs is based
on a vintage cowboy boot design. I changed the shape of the leaves and flowers,
but kept the idea of bluebirds and butterflies. I also made my version into a
triad—the foot part of the boot ends before the side seam, and the boot top
extends all the way down to the sole. I call this design “I Heard the Bluebird
Sing.”
 |
| I Heard the Bluebird Sing |
GM: Your innovative style,
artistic skill, and quality craftmanship have launched your notoriety as a
bootmaker. What are the steps for creating a custom boot? How long does it take
from start to finish?
LS: It takes me a month to
build a pair of cowboy boots. There’s a lot of wet/dry time and it’s not
efficient to only make one pair of boots, so I usually make 2-3 pairs at a
time.
The process begins with
measuring the clients foot and customizing a last to build their boot around.
The first step is to create the cowboy boot tops with all of the decorative
work. The foot part is sewn onto the two front panels and the heel part is sewn
onto the back panels. The side seams are sewn and then the boot is ready to be
formed around the last. After lasting, I hand sew the welt, then lay the soles,
and finally add the heels.
GM: I know you use only
quality leathers and threads to create your one-of-a-kind boots! What
leather(s) do you use? Who is your leather and thread supplier(s)?
LS: Because I typically make
very intricately designed boots, I use kangaroo leather for the boot tops. It’s
thin and light-weight, but also very strong. It’s ideal for creating layered
inlaid and overlaid designs.
I mostly use alligator or
ostrich for the foot of my boots. I prefer American alligator because unlike
most reptile skins, it’s soft and durable. Ostrich is also quite strong but
soft and comfortable.
GM: Your designs are
intricate with great detail. To date, how many pairs of cowboy boots have you
made? What has been the most challenging design requested?
LS: I had an old bootmaker
tell me that I wouldn’t know what I was doing until I’d made at least 500 pairs
of boots. I found that he was quite correct! I stopped counting after I’d made
over 1,000 pairs, and I have no idea how many pairs of boots I’ve made now.
The most challenging pair
of boots I ever made featured the eagle from the Austrian coat of arms on the
boot tops. The detail in the design and
the delicacy of the eagle’s feathers weren’t easy to recreate.
 |
| Austria |
GM: I am thinking custom
belts with custom boots. I saw a pair of boots on your website with a matching
belt. Do you create custom belts, too? What other products do you create
besides cowboy boots?
LS: I only make cowboy boots.
I have a belt maker I work with when a customer commissions a belt to match
their boots.
GM: You are a busy bee!
Your creativity and motivation is inspiring! What do you like to do in your
spare time?
LS: My hobby and my passion is
music - listening, not performing. I enjoy attending Bluegrass festivals!
GM: With your vast talent
and experience, what is your advice for novice bootmakers?
LS: My best advice for
beginning bootmakers is to practice, and practice, and practice. You’ll never
completely master boot making, but the journey is immensely satisfying.
GM: As an expert
craftsman, winning many accolades and honors, what are your plans for the
future?
LS: My goal for the future is
to make more of the boots I enjoy making. Bespoke cowboy boots are commissioned
work, and I’m moving into a time in my career where I’m more choosy about the
commissions I accept. I’ve realized that I find joy in working with designs and
clients that interest me, and that joy shows in my work. I want to pursue the
commissions that bring out the best in me.
Gina McKnight is a
freelance writer from Ohio USA. gmcknight.com
 |
| Lisa Sorrell at her shop in Oklahoma |
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Farrier Friendly Horse Hoof Care by Bryan Farcus, MA, CJF
Certified Journeyman Farrier
Hoof Care Guides from an experienced farrier.
Read the "Farrier
Friendly" series...
Connect with Bryan...
"Farrier Friendly" is a Trademark of Bryan Farcus
(c) 2017 All Rights Reserved
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Painted Lady Horsemanship: An Interview with Trainer Devin Young by Gina McKnight
 |
| Devin at work. Photo by Bill Slader Photography |
Painted
Lady Horsemanship:
An
Interview with Trainer Devin Young
Archived article from the October 2017
Issue of Florida Equine Athlete.
No duplication without permission.
“I am absolutely
blessed to have such an amazing team behind me and an amazing family who wants
to see me succeed.”
Several years ago, I was at an Amish barn in
southeastern Ohio where I meet a lovely eleven-year-old Paint Quarter Horse
mare who was broke to drive and had a great disposition. I was in the market
for another horse and the mare immediately connected with me. She was for sale,
caught in the middle of divorced owners; registered, but with no papers. She
was a little battered from being in a field with several other horse breeds,
clearly low in herd order, but well taken care of and in good health. When I
told my Dad about her that night, he said he would buy her for me for my
birthday. I was thrilled, and the mare with no name came to my barn the next
day. She immediately settled in, and I named her “Zubedia” or Zubie for short.
Since Zubie was broke to drive, she liked to
go-go-go all the time – she out-paced my Quarter gelding, Mac. I decided she
needed a refresher course with a trainer. One of my colleagues introduced me to
Devin Young, a devoted horse-lover and trainer. After Devin spent a session
with Zubie at my barn, we made arrangements for Zubie to spend 30 days at Rocky Point
Stables, Athens, Ohio, in Devin’s expert hands.
Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Devin moved to Ohio
while still in school. Devin says, “I have ridden my entire life, but
outside of that I played volleyball for years, took kickboxing for a while, and
pursued a career in modeling. Though I was offered a modeling contract, I decided
to stick with horses and later on did small to large fashion shows in Columbus,
Ohio.” A member of the Ohio High
School Rodeo team her entire high school career, Devin began rodeo on a
horse that was “meaner than snot” that she trained herself. She bought her
first horse at 13 years of age, and her second horse, whom she still owns, at
15 years of age. She currently owns four Quarter Horses, and a TWH purchased
from Bella Run Equine. Devin lives
in Albany, Ohio, with her husband Damon and her beautiful daughter Coraline,
who also loves horses. Now an expert (and highly recommended) trainer, Devin is
the proprietor of Painted Lady
Horsemanship. Here she shares her insight to horses, riding, training, and
more…
GM: When was your first encounter with a horse?
DY: My first encounter with a horse was actually the ponies that
work the pony rides at the zoo. From then on, my mom said I was obsessed, so at
the age of four, I started riding lessons on a horse I will never forget, named
Sonny. I was raised by mom, so I wasn’t always able to take lessons as money
was tight, but I always found a way to be around horses. I went to summer
camps, volunteered at farms, started teaching lessons and so on.
GM: You are a seasoned equestrian! When did you realize that you
wanted to become a horse trainer?
DY: Oddly enough becoming a horse trainer was not my first choice
of careers. From the age of four I wanted to be a veterinarian. As I got closer
and closer to entering college and the pre-vet program, I realized I wasn’t
going to be a good fit. I decided to find something else that was still hands-on,
helpful and around horses, which is when I decided I wanted to go into equine
massage. Turns out I didn’t really enjoy that either. After I graduated from Hocking College, I didn’t really have a
plan other than to be a good mom to my daughter. I started training a couple of
horses for people I knew and was really enjoying it and for once it felt like
my calling. Luckily, I have this awesome farrier (also my mentor) who believed
in me and knew someone who needed some lessons, so he recommended me to them. A
couple days later I got in contact with my first Painted
Lady Horsemanship client, and from then on it just spread like
wildfire.
GM: I heard that Hocking College has/had a great equine program.
How has the program prepared you for your current vocation? Were there specific
mentors/professors at the College who inspired your career?
DY: Hocking College had a very unique equine program, classes
you can’t normally find anywhere else. I originally decided to go there for the
Equine Health and Complementary Therapies program and ended up graduating in
that program and one class shy of finishing the Farrier Science program. All in
all, I learned a tremendous amount about advanced health care, anatomy, complementary
therapies that can be used, and so much more about hoof health and care I even
thought was possible. Though none of this is specific to literally training the
horse, all of what I learned systemically of the horse makes an incredible
difference when training. Now when I work with a horse, I can look them over as
a whole - from foot to conformation to muscle to balance. So many times horses
come in with some kind of physical problem that has been pointed to as a
behavioral problem. It’s my job to advocate for the horse whether that means I
am actually training or I’m helping educate owners on other possibilities for
the behavior, lameness, etc.
I was incredibly blessed to be taught by some of the most
amazing and knowledgeable horsemen and horsewomen there are. The instructors at
Hocking College have years upon years of experience in the industry and their
specific fields, not only that but many of them have their own very successful
businesses outside of the classroom. Every single instructor I had the pleasure
of learning from has a hand in my success and my expanded knowledge. There is a
particular instructor who has not only been my farrier for a few years now, but
he is also my mentor and my friend - Bryan Farcus. Bryan has been nothing short
of supportive of me, my dream and my business. Bryan is to thank for Painted Lady Horsemanship, and since the
beginning, he’s been in the back rooting me on, giving me advice, and to this
day he still teaches me something new every time I see him.
GM: Would you recommend Hocking College's Equine Program to
those looking for a career in horses?
DY: I was very fortunate to enter and exit the program when I
did as I was able to take full advantage of the classes and the knowledge of
the instructors. Classes then were still taught well and passionately to the
students with safety, education and success in mind. Under the current
administration I am sad to say I would not recommend the program as it has
seemingly become more about what will make the school more money and not
continuing the legacy of unique and enriching classes Hocking College is so
well known for. Most unfortunate is that the majority of the quality
instructors have either voluntarily resigned or been terminated.
GM: That is sad to hear and devastating news for our community.
As a horse owner, and the many horse owners in our area (and beyond), we rely
on experts to help us with our equines. You have made such a huge difference in
my mare, Zubie! What training methods do you use to school a horse?
DY: As I have tried to educate myself more and more over the
years about the best methods of horse training, I find myself picking pieces up
here and there from specific trainers I admire and sometimes from the training
trends. Sometimes I will focus on something Buck Brannaman uses, other times I
will use something similar to what Clinton Anderson does, but I incorporate my
own methods, too, that I’ve come up with by trial and error; and, yes,
sometimes I even use a clicker. The most important thing to remember when
working with the horse is that they are individuals; a training method I use on
one might not work with another. I have to start slow, learn the horse, ask for
simple things and build some resemblance of trust, then from there we are kind
of just figuring one another out. My goal is always to leave the horse better
off at the end of a session than when I started. It’s not about submission,
it’s about communication and trying to build a relationship with the horse and
give them confidence. For some horses that’s overcoming a fear, for others
that’s doing something really easy and getting a big reward, others are
adventurous and want to do something completely new. As long as the horse
leaves me with a better head on its shoulders and the communication between
horse and rider is there, I am happy.
GM: My mare Zubie has been pampered for too long and has picked
up a few vices - nipping, trotting when I want her to walk, and moving when I
mount. Are these vices easily fixed?
DY: It all really depends on the horse and why they are
performing that behavior and how long it has been going on. I’d say the hardest
to fix is the nipping, but still able to be accomplished. Moving around while
mounting takes a few days of consistent training usually and they will quit
doing it. The walking off while mounting is a common one I deal with, so I’ve
gotten decent in solving it pretty quickly. I feel most of the time walking off
is stemmed from being allowed to be disrespectful and/or has been learned and
is now a habit. I like to squash that behavior right away. When a horse is
trotting while you want them to walk can be a number of issues, most of the
time it is rider error. Tensing up while on the horse and they feel that
nervous energy and try to do something with it so they trot. Also, many times
riders will think they are telling the horse to slow down when in reality they
are gripping on the reins pulling themselves forward which is essentially
telling the horse to go faster. Like with anything else, when it comes to
horses, there are so many variables to take into consideration that need to be
looked into carefully to help resolve any vice with the horse. Most importantly
owners of horses are best to educate themselves to get the most out of their
relationship with their horse. Though I am happy to report Zubie is no longer
having issues with these vices, thanks to her mom seeking out some help.
GM: Zubie is much better, thanks to you, Devin. Working
full-time with horses keeps you busy and I know you are in demand in Ohio! Describe
a day in your life and how it revolves around horses...
DY: A day in my life revolves around all the animals including
the horses, my almost three-year-old daughter and my husband trying to keep up
with me. At home we have 4 horses, 10 chickens, 5 cats and 4 dogs, so for about
four hours a day I am just feeding animals. A few days a week I travel to my
off-site clients to help them train at home, usually appointments start at 9-10
a.m. and I can schedule up to three clients in a day. My off-site clients range
from actual training, refreshers, lessons, and barrel training. After I have
finished with all my off-site clients I will make my way to Rocky Point
Stables, that is the barn that I work out of. I board my barrel horse at Rocky
Point and lease a couple of stalls for training horses. By the time I get to
the barn, it is usually afternoon and I will then work whichever horses I
currently have in and my barrel horse. If I’m lucky, a few days a month I get
to run my horse at some local NBHA or IBRA races. Though I love colt starting
and training horses, my heart will always live for fast horses and adrenaline
rushes. By the end of a “normal” day I get home about 7:30 p.m. and feed my
horses at home their dinner before feeding the husband and the kid. It’s busy
day to day, it literally revolves around horses and I wouldn’t have it any
other way.
GM: I have been totally impressed with your skill level as a
trainer. You seem to be a natural in and out of the saddle with horses. What
are your plans for the future?
DY: I am so honored to be recognized for my horsemanship at all
at this point in my business, it’s such a surreal feeling. I have to laugh for
a second when trying to answer this because my husband would roll his eyes and ask,
“What aren’t my plans for the future?” I am definitely a dreamer, big idea,
knows no limits type of person, so I probably have goals for the next ten
years. Short term I’d like to continue to grow my business, keep my training
stalls filled, buy land before winter that eventually will become Painted Lady
Ranch, finish my business plan, attend some clinics, start my prospect and so
on. Long term my plan is to have the barn and arena built for Painted Lady
Ranch, teach clinics, take on more performance based clients for barrel racing,
eventually I’d like to focus mainly on colt starting and putting prospects on
the pattern. I’d love to mentor someone else and give back some knowledge,
maybe somewhere in there I can take some time to run my own horses. I am absolutely blessed to have such an amazing team
behind me and an amazing family who wants to see me succeed.
GM: Do you have advice for novice riders and those looking to
purchase their first horse?
DY: My advice for novice riders is to ride, ride, ride! By
riding frequently you will learn feel, softness, lightness, balance, you will
learn how the horse communicates and how to communicate back. There is nothing
that can replace plain old time in the saddle! When you get stuck, ask for
help, there is no shame in seeking education and further your knowledge.
There’s always someone out there more experienced than the next guy. If you
don’t have access to a horse, find someone who has one that will let you ride
in trade for cleaning stalls or unloading hay. The only way to get better is to
immerse yourself and be consistent.
For those looking to purchase their first horse, know what is
most important to you in a horse, be realistic - there is no such thing as a
unicorn, what you get is what you pay for, in that the cheaper the horse, the
more work you will have to put in. I highly suggest finding a reputable
veterinarian to do a pre-purchase exam. There is so much more to the horse that
a first-time owner may not catch and then may get in a sticky situation if the
horse isn’t what they thought it was. Also, know that it will take the horse
time to adjust and get to know you. They may be very different once you get
them home, remember the horse had no say in being purchased so you will have to
work harder at the relationship at first. Last tip, take an experienced horse
person with you to look at horses, they have an eye for what will make a good
fit or not; trust in your friend, trainer, mom, dad or whomever.
GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?
DY: Horsemanship to me feels sacred, it’s this never-ending way
of life where I strive day in and day out to be better for the horse and with
the horse. For whatever reason, I have been drawn to the horse my whole life
and there’s this higher level of understanding that I want to reach. Within
Horsemanship it is well known that you will never know it all, you’re
constantly learning and understanding the horse in new ways, I believe that’s
what is so addicting about it that I can keep learning, I can reach new levels
of communication with the horse. Horsemanship is enlightening, challenging and
incredibly rewarding. When one even learns the basics of horsemanship, a whole
new world opens and you notice your horse is so much different, better, now
that you are being let on to this language that was once dismissed in place of
barbaric training methods. To have a mutual, working relationship with an
animal as large as the horse - who we shouldn’t really in the first place - is
in every sense of the word magical.
To practice horsemanship to me is a religious experience and I encourage
everyone to learn and practice horsemanship in everything they do with their
horse.
For more information on Painted
Lady Horsemanship, see more pics of Zubie and Devin, or to follow along on
the journey, find Devin at…
To contact:
 |
| Devin working with Zubie at Rocky Point Stable, Athens, Ohio |
 |
| Devin and Dewie, a new student owned by Taylor Adlesberger |
 |
| Devin schooling Mingo, owned by Susan Eddy |
 |
| Devin's kill pen save Poe with daughter Coraline |
 |
| Summertime barrel racing. Photo by Bill Slader Photography |
 |
| Devin and crew. Photo by Angela's Photography |
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