IONE – It’s true that “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” However, leading or handling a horse isn’t possible if it has never been touched or haltered. And the time-tested Western method of lassoing and snubbing is a terrifying experience for a horse.

Enter the “Horse Hugger,” a safe horse chute designed by entrepreneur Jim West of the Jim West Working Horses Ranches near Ione. His padded chute, now in production, offers a safer, less traumatic way to restrain a horse. It allows a handler to safely approach a horse to begin the gentling process or for doctoring, freeze branding, clipping, or vaccinations. Both the horse and the handler are safe during insemination and reproductive examinations.

Inventiveness and making do seem to be a commonality among ranchers striving to stay viable during tough economic times. It can cost $100 travel expense just to get a veterinarian to a ranch. The Horse Hugger allows ranchers to be more somewhat self-sufficient. The chute also shortens the gentling period and minimizes injuries, West said.

“I can run a horse into the Horse Hugger, release the far padded wall against his side and stand back while he becomes acclimated to the chute,” West explained.

Forward and backward movement is restricted. Side escape is not possible because constant soft pressure on the far side moves with the restrained horse.

One person can operate the chute alone, West said, which will fit any size horse. Most important, it helps avoid injury to the horse or the handler.

Cross ties can be used to position the head for handling. Wide, comfortable belly straps operated by two ratcheting hoists can be used to suspend either the front or rear legs.

The West horse herd inventory averages around 200 head. About 80 brood mares are now foaling in a large pasture where it’s not possible to imprint or handle each foal at birth to accustom it to human contact.

This horse-breeding program began in 1975 to provide their ranch with good working horses to manage a large cattle operation. The three-generation ranching family includes Jim West and his wife, Carleen; their son Clay and his wife, Mary, plus their young children, daughters Katy and Betsy; and son, J.P. Another son, Wade and his wife, Molly, with their daughter, Jamie, continue to manage the Wests’ large sheep operation in Nevada.

The annual production sale Saturday at their ranch on Rhea Creek will feature 79 head of all ages, from weanlings to brood mares, stallions and schooled horses. Jim West said his focus is on working horses with good size, muscling, strong bones and good feet. Selective breeding over the past 25 years has focused on easy-to-handle horses with good dispositions, quick speed and cow sense – qualities necessary for a good ranch or rodeo mount.

“No one wants a ‘ground pounder’,” says West. A good horse should be able to “walk a hole in the wind” with a good springy step and also be comfortable to ride at a ground-covering trot to cover long distances. West says that barring an accident, poor conformation or overuse before maturity, there is no excuse for a horse becoming unsound at ages 10, 15 or even older.

The Wests management strategy is to allow horses, while growing up, to range freely through badger holes and rocky ground to develop muscles, good feet and legs and sure-footed qualities. Foals at the ranch are first handled when weaned. They are then gentled and trained to lead. Further handling occurs for sale yearlings and other ages consigned to the sale. Horses that are kept until 2 years of age are then brought in and ridden lightly. At 3 and 4 years of age, they again undergo a limited riding session. Once they turn 5, West says, “we drop the hammer on them” and ride them for a full day at a time. He believes longevity is enhanced by not rushing a horse’s education until they are adequately matured to withstand intensive training.

The sale starts at 1 p.m., April 5. Lunch is available on the grounds. For more information on the Horse Hugger or The Jim West Working Horse Sale catalogs call Jim West at 541-676-5829 or e-mail; outwest@.centurytel.net, The Web site is www. flennjken.com/west.