The Cowboy Way

The Navy sure does have a way of moving people around. Luckily for me, it brought Brent to our area a few years ago. Brent is a former Missouri Bareback Bronc riding champion. He may be the best over-all athlete that I have ever seen. He knows how to stay on the few truly rough horses that we run into now and then. Best of all, he is a great teacher and really loves the kids.
Here he is six days ago giving Spotted Elk his first independent ride. I had lead him in the round pen with two other riders but this was the first time he was given a chance to really learn to be ridden. Spotted Elk is 1/4 Chincoteague and 3/4BLM mustang. He belongs to Loretta, one of my adult riders, and he will make her a great horse.

On Her Own

Danielle has been riding and training with me for a long time. She is only 13 but I have turned one three year old over to her to start on her own. Bird Women will be her first horse to take on with little assistance from me. She will do fine. Last Friday while I was working with one colt she went off to the next pen with a colt that would not allow human contact. Without saying a word she did a great job of advance and retreat until she touched the scared young horse.
She spends more time in the horse lot than any of my riders. Here she is with her current favorite ride, Comet. For those of you who have read my book--yes that Comet. The one that was so hard to start. The one that was just crazy. Now he is sane.

On Naming Horses

Don't the mainstream registries do enough damage to the horse world without encouraging the perpetuation of ridiculous, undignified names for horses? Poor high dollar, "quality" horses with names like , "Boy My Name is Stupid", out of "Please Give me a Humiliating Name, " sired by, "Yeah and My Daddy's Name Was Even Worse."
Visitors are perplexed by my horse's names. I give them dignified, appropriate names that are designed to lead kids to ask questions that would cause them to actually learn something. Questions like, "What does "Quien Es?" signify?" (She was named for the last words of Billy the Kid.) Who was "Spotted Elk"? (The formal name of Big Foot) What was "Wounded Knee"? (Where Big Foot and his people were slaughtered by the Army). What was a "Ghost Dance"? (Part of the ritual of the apocalyptic religion practiced by Big Foot and so many others who hoped for a newer world by bringing back the old ways) Who was "They are Afraid of Her"?(Crazy Horse's beloved daughter who died at about age five)

I warn my little riders that when they grow up they should always avoid marrying someone who would name a brown horse "Brownie", a white horse, "Snow Flake," or a black horse "Beauty." To do so would guarantee a life of bland, predictable, conformist, unimaginative boredom. And after spending a few years riding my horses, that kind of life will never suit them.

Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Horse Feed

Oh how I hate to do it, but sometimes I have to feed the herd horse feed. It is usually done to stretch out hay and is done for economic reasons. Sweet, loving horses need only about three days of eating sweet feed to begin to act as visciously as bargain hunters shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
If there is any way to raise your horse just on grass and hay, do it. That is what they were made to eat. I know that the slick advertising in the horse magazines would have one believe that horses simply must have expensive feed and one finds no flashy ads for grass or hay, but that is only because God does not advertise in those magazines.
Feeding my herds sweet feed is more dangerous than starting colts or gentling wld horses. In fact, odds are that my eventual cause of death will be to get trampled by a herd on a cold, pitch dark winter morning while feeding horse feed to them. Probably on a Tuesday.
If at all possible, please put no more sugar in your horse than you would put in the gas tank of your car.

Conformation Critique

I have been criticized for placing too much emphasis on temperament and not enough on conformation in our program. It has even been suggested that I am unable to recognize correct conformation.

Au contraire, take for example the photo above. Not a bad specimen, a bit light in bone, particularly on the lower extremities, some what showing a lack of balance, and definitely in need of much more flesh and over all bulk.

The horse, on the other hand, is spectacular looking. And quite an athlete too.