Rudy: The Horse Program is a very strong program of the Nez Perce Tribe. We do a lot of trail riding, and trail work. We do contact work with the United States Forest Service. We travel throughout the Northwest of the United States and provide saddled horses for Nez Perce Tribal members who want to parade or have ceremonial horses. We are very proud of our Nez Perce students that we’ve got this year. We have several new faces and they fit right in with the second year students that we have. And of course we are doing a lot of good riding. The horses are enjoying their summer. They are doing a lot of traveling over the mountain trails. Of course in our time, in modern day we are again being recognized with our new horse breeding efforts.

A girl in the program shares her story: The first time I ever rode a horse was last year when I was here and I almost got bucked off. I didn’t want to get back on.

Rudy: I know they have made life long friends. They are Nez Perce children working with the Salish children, I am pretty sure they’ve made friends that they will know for the rest of their lives. They will see each other again in another area, Pow Wow celebrations, war dances. And of course we’ll hear about it because they will pretty much tell each other and tell me about it. They’re meeting this weekend and it is for the rest of their lives actually.