Scene and herd: Disney is shooting part of a remake of The Lone Ranger — starring Johnny Depp as Tonto — in Colorado this month and is holding casting calls for odd-looking extras. But the casting agency hasn't requested an animal to play the part of the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver. Which is lucky — because the Colorado Horse Council is also in need of a white steed.
The role that the Colorado Horse Council has in mind is a little less glamorous, however, than working with the masked man: body painting. The organization, which is hosting the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo at the National Western Complex March 8-11, needs to borrow the horse for a presentation by guest clinician Susan Harris, who will paint the horse's anatomy on its hide. "This neat experience is a once in a life time opportunity," the council promised in an e-mail Monday. "The horse loves the attention and 'face painting.'"
Probably as much as Cici the dog. Remember Cici? The toy poodle's owner, Joy Davis, got in trouble back in 2008 after she dyed her pet bright pink for a breast-cancer-awareness promotion. Boulder has a law prohibiting the dying of animals, but Denver does not. "It's not hurtful or harmful," insists a Colorado Horse Council employee. And Harris, an equestrian who lives in New York, has painted horses before: Her DVD series, called "Anatomy in Motion," features several dyed horses.
In Denver, she plans to talk about "centered riding," the goal of which is to help both the horses and the rider to be more comfortable.
Hi-yo, Silver! Away!
