Lori and Tapixaba doing cattle work

Traditionsl Brazilian Saddle

Peter and Lori Silcher are native Californians and settled on the Bitterroot Valley in Montana in 1994 to raise their two sons. They were attracted by the scenic beauty, rural lifestyle and expansive riding terrain. Lori has been a serious equestrian since her childhood. She has started colts, trained horses and taught horsemanship since high school. She has competed in equitation, pleasure, trail, barrel racing and gymkhanas. Peter and Lori competed in NCHA and local cutting horse competitions for many years. Lori has been riding for a cattle broker for the last 17 years. Their real love is riding outside the arena and always longed for the perfect mountain/ranch horse combination; one that would have outstanding stamina and surefootedness in the rugged mountains surrounding their home and also possessing smooth gaits and inherent cowsense. Lori's search led her to the Mangalarga Marchador and she has never looked back. In 2002 Lori and Peter finished construction of their home and equestrian facilities on their working ranch in Little Sleeping Child Canyon in the Bitterroot Valley and imported their first Marchadores after visiting breeders and ranchers in Brazil. Their beautiful ranch is now home to the Marchadors they have imported and bred. There are new arrivals continually, both from their breeding program and from Brazil.

Lori now serves on the Breed Standards Committee on the USMMA (United States Mangalarga Marchador Association) as well as promotional director. The 4 Seasons Ranch has the distinction of being only international Marchador breeder in the USA, and the only importers of the breed since the new, more stringent importation regulations were imposed in 2005.

In order to maintain the specialized training and breeding standards of the breed, we bring in knowledgeable horsemen from Brazil to work on the ranch. This is an effort keep the age old Brazilian traditions alive in our program.

"Here at 4 Seasons ranch in Western Montana we use our Marchadores in the rugged mountain terrain as working ranch and trail horses where their cowsense, rugged endurance and easy-riding, ground-covering gaits make it a pleasure to do the demanding jobs required of western cattle ranches".