Cozy Point Ranch has been a successful working ranch in Aspen for 120 years. Servicing boarding horses, hosting school equestrian teams and offering riding lessons daily, this ranch holds over 80 horses big and small, ranging from minis to some that are over 17 hands (1 hand = 4 inches) tall. They sponsor open space for the city and a small organic farm with produce and small animals, including chickens and goats.
In this project, I immersed myself with three of the hard workers at Cozy Point Ranch, Jose Gutierez, Jose Antonio "˜Tony" Chapparo, and Juan Treviso. These men wake early, leave late, and are always on call. With Jose Antonio and Juan living at the ranch, sick or late-arriving horses can always be cared for. I witnessed the care it takes to manage these large yet fragile animals, from remembering 80 unique feeding regiments to skipping your own meals to ensure the horses are cared for in inclement weather.
This project was completed in July, 2015 during a Digital Storytelling workshop with Ed Kashi and James Estrin at Anderson Ranch Arts Center.