Appaloosa News Monthly – April 2022

Lesli’s customers soon realized that the Appaloosa folks were super friendly, and they started to buy and show Appaloosas.  She was on the ApHC board of directors for 6 years and has started breeding her own Appaloosas.  Lesli retired from training professionally about 6 years ago and now only trains her own horses. She and her husband run a commercial landscaping business.

So how did Lesli get hooked up with the wranglers on 1883?  Long story short is that apparently if you say the word Appaloosa in Montana, everyone tells you to talk to Lesli.  But we’ll give you the long story anyway.

Lesli said she was at a rodeo one day and got a text from Codi Burris.  Codi said that she knows someone involved with the shooting of 1883 and they were looking for Appaloosas in Montana.  Within a minute, the person called her and asked for pictures of her horses.  Lesli sent pictures and the production team liked her bay mare.  She didn’t hear from anyone for a few weeks and then she got a Facebook message from a rodeo friend who was also part of the show.  Again, he was asked if he knew anyone with Appaloosas in Montana and Lesli’s name came up.

Lesli was contacted by the head wrangler, Kenneth, and they spoke.  When Lesli found out what they wanted to do, she knew the bay mare wasn’t a good fit but had other ideas.  The producers were looking for horses to be in the native American encampment. 

The Appaloosas that are in the riding scenes were provided by a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. The Appaloosas that you see in the camp scenes are Lesli’s or belong to friends of hers.  Her horses were quiet enough to be in the camp scenes as the horses would have to be around tons of equipment and people.  Lesli called some friends and enlisted their loud colored horses for the camp scenes. 

Lesli was contacted by the head wrangler, Kenneth, and they spoke.  When Lesli found out what they wanted to do, she knew the bay mare wasn’t a good fit but had other ideas.  The producers were looking for horses to be in the native American encampment. 

The Appaloosas that are in the riding scenes were provided by a member of the Nez Perce Tribe. The Appaloosas that you see in the camp scenes are Lesli’s or belong to friends of hers.  Her horses were quiet enough to be in the camp scenes as the horses would have to be around tons of equipment and people.  Lesli called some friends and enlisted their loud colored horses for the camp scenes.