Memories of Ray

[reata]

I have been reading the Web sites and reading peoples experiences at Ray Hunt clinics and what they saw Ray do and my experiences come flooding back. So much of who I am today I owe to Ray and what he tried to teach me.. I think I could fill a small book with my Ray memories. Here are just a few...
First time I ever saw Ray was in March, 1998 just out of Sydney, Australia. I had put my 3 year old green broke filly in the horse trailer and hauled her the 10-12 hours up the highway. I was gunna ride with Ray Hunt and I was gunna see some Magic.. I was a little bit disappointed, I didn't see any magic..Ray was just an ordinary guy, all he did with horses was mostly common sense but he sure did get some nice results..I went home content and happy but a tiny bit disappointed I hadn't seen any magic..Then the magic started, as I rode my horse for the next few months, I could hear Rays words in my head. Ahhh that's what Ray meant..his words kept flooding back to me as I rode and began to sort through all I had seen and heard..Ray is with me to this day every time I'm riding or being with the horses..
At another clinic in 2000, at Nimmitabell in Australia's high country, I remember Ray putting a horse in the trailer. The trailer load was great to watch but what happened after that was the part I remember most..Ray was taking a break and the owner was asking her horse to go in the trailer..its mind was not in the trailer, he was looking for Ray. Of course Ray was watching what was taking place but over 100 yards away and in a crowd of people ..He got the horses attention with a shift in his body and guided the horse back into the trailer..All from 100 yards away .. Magic??? LOL
Then there was the time in Fort Worth when he got his mare "Right" after the Tom Dorrance Benefit clinic had finished and every one was leaving and the mare got upset.
And the times he would get a colt "ready" for the riders to climb on for the first ride.."get on, hes ready"... and his timing!!... and the way he rode!!!.. how he could change an ordinary looking horse into something beautiful by just sitting on it ..Gosh I could go on and on but I want to hear your stories.. I think sharing our Ray memories will help us all with our grief...

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m225/Reata2007/scan0007.jpg
Colts all hooked on to Ray.. Sydney 1998 (Thankyou Julie Dromgool for the photo)

[palehorse]

reata; great stories. made me think of the time he said someone had asked him if he ever loaded a horse over the telephone........with him it may very well have been possible!

we allways heard all those sayings again and again....much of the times we would nod in agreement, but the meaning was pretty elusive. i had an opportunity in the mid 80's to lead one of his horses to his trailer for him. i was all befuddled because i wasnt sure what to do. as i carefully headed to the trailer i had to keep checking to see if the horse was still there. i couldnt feel anything. finally i turned around and decided to experiment....i moved my hand this way and that....forward and back....no matter where i placed my hand the horses feet would follow. i was amazed....i have never felt that kind of response before that or quite frankly since. i still feel the lightness of that horses feet in my mind. that was my one and only experience of understanding what ray meant when he said "there is no drag".

[kindredspirit]

Reata,

Thank you for sharing. THAT IS SUCH A COOL PICTURE!
Kathy
Colts all hooked on to Ray.. Sydney 1998 (Thankyou Julie Dromgool for the photo)[/QUOTE]

[rigaletto]

I have pondered for several days wanting to share my heart.
Every time I start, I get a huge lump in my throat.
I found myself riding horses across the spot that Ray coached from all day long.
Every pass, I could see the green ranger with Ray sitting inside coaching, teaching, admonishing... giggle.
I longed to hear his words again his inflections in his voice.
I wonder will I ever hear a horseman willing to stand up to the human, for the horse, at that level again!?
Several horses later I realized he hasn’t left. He is still in my head, I can hear him almost every moment of my ride.
The horses every footfall has a "Ray izum" attached in my mind. I have had Ray in my head for over 20 years.
He sure could get down deep into my soul.
I remember when I first became willing to strip my ego and pride.
Rays example left me with a deep desire to become a willing student of the horse.
I have been in conflict with the inner question; (am I worthy?) ever since my first Ray Hunt clinic over 20 years ago.

The sacrifice for the horse is beyond words.
I will never stop listening for your voice
I will never forget you my extraordinary friend!
You left a mighty legacy!

We (all) know who we are....

[FrancaV]

That photo kind of says it all, doesn't it? Love it - thanks so much for posting it!

[fantasia]

Here's a link to some photos of Ray, riding at a clinic in Florida in 2003. I am one of the fortunate few who learned about Ray before I had my first horse. Thanks to my mentors, Tom Curtin and Buck Brannaman for encouraging me to learn from Ray and ride with him when the opportunity presented itself.

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=de81dbf7fce54704c7e45aad1e0cdff4&sid=0Absm7hq1bsmLC_g

[fantasia]

Try this link to see all 9 photos


http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=bc7ddaf95515a100c9f3edf1ebadc1fb&sid=0Absm7hq1bsmLDAA

[RockinCircleC]

I have been compiling all of my photos and memories of Ray on my blog over the past few weeks. I wasn't able to attend the memorial in Idaho and was pretty disappointed about that.

Ray Hunt posts on Cowgirl Up (http://latigoliz.blogspot.com/search/label/Ray%20Hunt)

He will be so missed by so many.

[3car]

In 1994, I wrote to Ray and Carolyn saying how I'd like to come out to New Mexico and help out with their big horse sale any way I could,i.e. I'd clean stalls if that's what they needed. Carolyn called back and said come on, they had 10 yearlings to get gentle. I was thrilled and went immediately. The day I got there Ray and Carolyn , the other two fellows that were helping them and I went for a ride. I got to ride a little mare Ray had been riding.
(She was n the snaffle) Anyhow, we were all loping along single file with Ray in the lead about 150 feet ahead. I saw Ray come to a walk ahead and just thought "Slow down " and before I could blink, we were walking. The only thing I had done was at most withdraw some energy from my seat. I didn't physically change a thing. It was the most pure, perfect moment of communication I've ever had with a horse. There was nothing abrupt, we were simply walking. A few years later watching Ray at a clinic, he was just loping down to the end of the arena and made that same transition. Effortless was the only way you could describe it. Pure willing Communication.

The most wonderfull part of Ray was his willingness to work with people who were so far beneath his abilities and his genuine desire to help them succeed. All you had to do was honestly try and be willing to work at it. He could have spent his life in the show ring seeking glory. But instead, he worked for all our horses and along the way, made a people better than they were before. Now that's changing the world.