She's a Lead Mare

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 1
Conscious and aware, the foundational value,
Empowered, responsible and committed to,
Creating something greater through nature conservation,
Personal development’s the key, creating a nature connection.

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 2
Calm, stable and reliable, nothing will faze her,
Capable, independent and self-reliant, growing wiser,
She holds herself accountable to always give her best,
Contribution by mentoring, sharing, guiding the rest.

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 3
Not afraid to get out of her comfort zone,
She knows in her team she is never alone,
Practices compassion to meet others where they’re at,
Supporting their growth, she wears many hats.

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 4
Spiritual growth keeps her moving forward,
Accepting the situation keeps her moving toward,
The answers with a solution-orientated mindset,
And a positive attitude, she’s all set.

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 5
When things don’t go to plan, she’s flexible and adaptable,
Through taking initiative, she’s always capable,
Of getting the job done, come what may,
Sharing appreciation for what comes her way.

Chorus
Twenty qualities that make a Lead Mare,
On her personal journey, strong, firm and fair,
An empowered woman, the leader of her own life,
Leading and guiding without causing strife.

Verse 1
Oh, Yalakom, the toughest horse that ever lived,
When others gave up, she’s got more to give,
When the going gets tough, Yalakom gets going,
Resilience, strength and power showing.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 2
Fortress, the wisest lead mare in the Chilcotin,
Calm, stable, reliable, the energy of the mountain,
If a job needs doing, Fortress just gets it done,
Protecting her herd, saving the day on the run.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 3
Lead mare Pearson’s got no time for excuses,
Steady and strong, leading the horses,
Her standards high, no challenge too great,
Taking care of it all, the next mountain awaits.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 4
Babe, logging fir from dawn till dusk,
Leading with her actions, never making a fuss,
With Babe’s hard work, production is always up,
Running fast through the trees, never giving up.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 5
Meg spent nine months out in the bush,
Winter in the mountains, on she pushed,
Her long journey home, steady and strong,
Whatever may come, she powers on.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 6
For every test in the wild, Tatla’s ready,
Saving the day, she’s strong and steady,
Chasing runaway horses, finding the herd,
She does it all, unstoppable’s the word.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 7
On the mountains, Steel stands strong,
Guiding the herd, leading on and on,
Picking up the pace, at home on the trails,
Wherever she leads, her power never fails.

Chorus
She’s a lead mare, commitment and positivity,
Conscious and aware, contributing, responsibility,
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Outro
Their names are Tatla, Meg and Pearson,
Lead mares, Steel, Babe, Fortress and Yalakom.

Verse 1
She’s the toughest of the logging crew,
She’ll never quit if there’s a job to do,
From dawn to dusk, pulling logs all day,
Babe the logging horse leads the way.

Chorus
Babe, the best logging horse in the west,
Put to the test, she’ll outrun the rest,
Harness her up and turn her loose,
Skidding fir logs through pine and spruce.

Verse 2
Harnessed up, she’s ready to run,
Dragging logs under springtime sun,
If the log gets caught, Babe won’t stop,
The harness breaks or she frees the log.

Chorus
Babe, the best logging horse in the west,
Put to the test, she’ll outrun the rest,
Harness her up and turn her loose,
Skidding fir logs through pine and spruce.

Verse 3
Select logging Douglas fir uneven stand,
Babe does her part to conserve the land,
Where big machines fear to tread,
Babe’s quick hoofs keep her ahead.

Chorus
Babe, the best logging horse in the west,
Put to the test, she’ll outrun the rest,
Harness her up and turn her loose,
Skidding fir logs through pine and spruce.

Verse 4
Babe starts to run, nothing can stop her,
Hooves strike the ground like thunder,
Log behind her, hot on her tail,
She drops the log at the end of the trail.

Chorus
Babe, the best logging horse in the west,
Put to the test, she’ll outrun the rest,
Harness her up and turn her loose,
Skidding fir logs through pine and spruce.

Verse 1
At Pearson’s Pond where the good grass grows,
The secret spots only lead mares know,
Pearson leads, she knows the way,
Keeping them safe every single day.

Chorus
High standards, great expectations,
Respect of the herd without question,
Pearson guiding strong and true,
A lead mare, through and through.

Verse 2
We call her lead mare Pearson,
Every step forward another lesson,
Pearson knows a lead mare’s role,
Is greater than any legends told.

Chorus
High standards, great expectations,
Respect of the herd without question,
Pearson guiding strong and true,
A lead mare, through and through.

Verse 3
Time wasters, free riders make poor herd mates,
Everyone must pull their own weight,
No time for excuses, only positivity,
Pearson knows it’s all her responsibility.

Chorus
High standards, great expectations,
Respect of the herd without question,
Pearson guiding strong and true,
A lead mare, through and through.

Verse 4
Pearson, wherever she may roam,
She’s always leading home,
She knows the way, every mountain trail,
Keeping us safe, she never fails.

Chorus
High standards, great expectations,
Respect of the herd without question,
Pearson guiding strong and true,
A lead mare, through and through.

Outro
High standards, great expectations,
Pearson shares another lesson,
Highest standards, greatest expectations,
Her lead mare role, never in question.

Verse 1
Four days from home, in the dead of night,
Meg slips off her stake and out of sight,
Lead mare always, followed by Jade,
In the dark of October, their plan is made.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Verse 2
In Big Creek, in the cold of November,
The wild horses tried to take her,
But lead mare Meg said no,
She knew that on she must go.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Verse 3
Belly deep snow, the danger’s at her back,
Meg and Jade, surrounded by the wolf pack,
But Meg knew how to stand her ground,
Strong hoof kicks, not backing down.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Verse 4
Trapped by snow on the pass,
No food in March, no blade of grass,
Although Meg gave it her best try,
There was no way out until July.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Verse 5
At last, spring bloomed in the alpine,
Meg led the way through firs and pines,
Through meadows, valleys and creeks,
Nothing stopped Meg crossing the peaks.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Verse 6
Nine months out in the bush,
Lead mare Meg gives it one last push,
Back to her herd, home at last,
Meg knows the danger has passed.

Chorus
Meg’s journey home, through mountains and snow,
Calm, stable, reliable, on and on she goes,
Nine months in the wild, Meg carries on,
Lead mare guiding, assertive and strong.

Chorus
Through blizzards and storms, cougars and bears,
They call her Fortress, queen of the mountains,
She protects her herd through the wind and the rain,
They call her Fortress, lead mare of the Chilcotins.

Verse 1
If you think it’s a stallion that leads a herd,
Just look at Fortress, Pearson, Meg and Steel,
They keep their herd safe, whatever the odds,
Calm, stable, reliable, their courage is real.

Chorus
Through blizzards and storms, cougars and bears,
They call her Fortress, queen of the mountains,
She protects her herd through the wind and the rain,
They call her Fortress, lead mare of the Chilcotins.

Verse 2
From her very first days, she learned what it takes,
To take responsibility, to own every test,
Nothing can scare her when she trusts in herself,
Fortress, strong and true, always giving her best.

Chorus
Through blizzards and storms, cougars and bears,
They call her Fortress, queen of the mountains,
She protects her herd through the wind and the rain,
They call her Fortress, lead mare of the Chilcotins.

Verse 3
She roams the mountains on guard for her herd,
She was named for a ridge of immovable stone,
Safety in numbers, but numbers need a lead mare,
Who can weather the storm, no horse ever alone.

Chorus
Through blizzards and storms, cougars and bears,
They call her Fortress, queen of the mountains,
She protects her herd through the wind and the rain,
They call her Fortress, lead mare of the Chilcotins.

Chorus
Tough as metal, strong as mountains,
Lead mare of the Chilcotins,
Fast as lightning, wild as thunder,
Steel knows nothing can stop her.

Verse 1
The spirit of the wild runs through her veins,
Her mother’s wisdom still remains,
A lead mare’s knowledge never replaced,
Steel is at home in the mountain places.

Chorus
Tough as metal, strong as mountains,
Lead mare of the Chilcotins,
Fast as lightning, wild as thunder,
Steel knows nothing can stop her.

Verse 2
From the widest valleys to the highest mountains,
Wildflower meadows and natural fountains,
Steel guides her herd, strong and true,
Always ready for adventures anew.

Chorus
Tough as metal, strong as mountains,
Lead mare of the Chilcotins,
Fast as lightning, wild as thunder,
Steel knows nothing can stop her.

Verse 4
Steel’s lead mare journey began as a filly,
She learned what it takes when the trail gets hilly,
When the time came, Steel answered the call,
Strong, wild and free, a lead mare to all.

Chorus
Tough as metal, strong as mountains,
Lead mare of the Chilcotins,
Fast as lightning, wild as thunder,
Steel knows nothing can stop her.

Outro
Tough as metal, strong as mountains,
Steel, guiding light of the Chilcotins,
Fast as lightning, wild as thunder,
Guiding the herd through the wildest weather.

Chorus
Lead mare, Yalakom, the toughest of the tough,
Never giving up when the ride gets rough,
Over peaks and valleys, through meadows and creeks,
Giving her all, the next challenge she seeks.

Verse 1
Working all summer, just getting started,
Six weeks in fall, not feint-hearted,
Thirty five miles a day, she takes it all in stride,
Twenty thousand vertical feet, one hell of a ride.

Chorus
Lead mare, Yalakom, the toughest of the tough,
Never giving up when the ride gets rough,
Over peaks and valleys, through meadows and creeks,
Giving her all, the next challenge she seeks.

Verse 2
Taking the horses out to the range,
The neighbours see a sight so strange,
A horse without a halter, standing tall,
She leads the way, lead mare to us all.

Chorus
Lead mare, Yalakom, the toughest of the tough,
Never giving up when the ride gets rough,
Over peaks and valleys, through meadows and creeks,
Giving her all, the next challenge she seeks.

Verse 3
Thirty-eight years old, riding for a day,
Trotting up hills, she does it her way,
Windy in front, he’s too slow,
She pushes him along, on she goes.

Chorus
Lead mare, Yalakom, the toughest of the tough,
Never giving up when the ride gets rough,
Over peaks and valleys, through meadows and creeks,
Giving her all, the next challenge she seeks.

Verse 4
In thirty-five years, never a horse as tough as her,
Yalakom pushes on, she’ll never surrender,
She saves the day, she leads the way,
Yalakom the lead mare, forever and a day

Bridge
Yalakom, the ewe in the native tongue,
Like a mountain sheep, forever young,
Climbing the mountains, steady and strong,
Committed till the end, she carries on.

Chorus
Lead mare, Yalakom, the toughest of the tough,
Never giving up when the ride gets rough,
Over peaks and valleys, through meadows and creeks,
Giving her all, the next challenge she seeks.

Verse 1
Where the wild herds roam,
She calls these mountains home,
Named for Tatla Lake,
She’s got what it takes.

Chorus
Tatla, strong and steady,
For every test, she’s ready.
She gives it all she’s got,
She’s got the biggest heart.

Verse 2
Three hours, no horses,
Then Tatla appears, of course,
Leads us to her herd mates,
Gets us home, not too late.

Chorus
Tatla, strong and steady,
For every test, she’s ready.
She gives it all she’s got,
She’s got the biggest heart.

Verse 3
Apache’s on the run,
Tatla’s calm as they come,
Chasing him down, she never falters,
At last I slip on his halter.

Chorus
Tatla, strong and steady,
For every test, she’s ready.
She gives it all she’s got,
She’s got the biggest heart.

Verse 4
Tatla is a true lead mare,
Guiding us firm and fair,
Lead from behind, her hoof beat sound,
Says she will never back down.

Tatla, strong and steady,
Whatever comes, she’s ready,
She gives it all she’s got,
She’s got the biggest heart.