Burstrom wrote the song inspired by horses in general, but one horse occupies a “tender spot” in her heart. She calls him her “puppy horse” and describes him as a “left-brain extrovert and very great on the ground.”
“He really just wanted to bond with me,” she said, “He followed me around and pushed all the other horses away.”
She carefully observed how he moved about and interacted with other horses. “I was able to really interpret the psychology of horsemanship – Parelli natural horsemanship – into a song.”
Parelli horsemanship is a specific approach to understanding horses based on the way horses relate to and communicate in the real world. Burstrom learned the Parelli method through her friend and licensed Parelli professional, Devanee Cardinal of the Cardinal Ranch, located between McBride and Valemount.
The Cardinal Ranch is also the shooting location for the song’s music video, which can be viewed on Burstrom’s web site.
Burstrom hails from deep musical roots. “I come from that really old time musical background.”
She moved from Toronto to Jasper in her teens, where she joined a local dance band and performed at many events, including festivals, weddings and conventions.
In the 1980s, she moved back to Toronto and worked as a professional singer. In the early 90s, Burstrom released five singles that ranked on the charts and one single hit number one in Italy.
Re-entering the music industry, Burstrom noticed it has changed. “It’s like jumping into a whole new game with a lot of new rules.
“I believe the way the Internet has changed the music industry gives independent artists greater freedom and opportunity to reach larger audiences. However, you have to be on your toes to be able to take advantage of all the benefits.”
After six years in Jasper with her husband Ed, a police officer who was born and raised in Jasper and is the son and grandson of wardens, the couple moved to Valemount in 2006.
“We bought crown land beside his [Ed’s] parents’ farm and we bought a dozer.” They built their farm from scratch, which requires an enormous amount of hard work. The couple currently resides there with their two children.
Farm life requires adaptation, especially for the unexpected. Burstrom recalls bringing a new born calf in the house after its mother wasn’t taking to it.
“We got the hair dryer out and covered it in hot water bottles,” she worried it wouldn’t survive the night.
“And then about five in the morning I heard: Bang! Smash! Boom! And I got up and the chairs were flying and it was trying to stand and it was walking on the hardwood and there was poop everywhere.
“The kids loved it; I had to throw out the rug,” she laughs
Burstrom continues to explore her musical talents and welcomes inspiration in its many forms.
Her song, video and other information is available at . A percentage of the downloads will benefit the Parelli Horsemanship Fund.
