Your idea of a perfect horse.

[Faster horses]

A real good Wyoming horseman, name of Bill, told me this story and I never forgot it.

He rode a lot of country and rode on a lot of cattle and he always rode a horse and led a horse. He was a real believer in not riding a horse too hard. He had a couple that were his favorites. Called the mare "Muggins" and the gelding, "Kiddo." Those horses had been led so much that he could rope and doctor a yearling and the horse he was leading wouldn't take the slack out of the lead rope, regardless of what went on.

This was the time when a good horse cost about $300. There was a fella that wanted to buy Muggins pretty bad. This particular day, Bill had just gotten in from riding and he was turning his horses loose. He was just about to take the halter off Muggins when the guy asked what he would take for her that day. For some reason, he said, "$800." As he related the story he said he could have cut his tongue out and was afraid the guy would take him up on the offer because then he would have to keep his word and sell the horse for $800. But the fella said, "would you take $700?" As Bill went ahead and took the halter off the mare to turn her loose, he said, "No, and I wouldn't take $800 now."

His advice was to never price a horse unless you are serious. Somebody might pay it.

[Saddletramp]

Great posts and a great poem Northern Rancher. Iv'e been around my share of horses over the years. Driving and riding. Ive had the pleasure to handle some real good ones, but I don't know if there is a perfect horse. One always has that special horse in his mind and alot of us have come close. I guess that's what keeps us looking and continuing the quest.


You can drag your saddle off of a thousand horses and you will always have that one or two that will forever be your best. Three things you never forget..... Your first saddle, your first girl friend, and your first horse.


Over the years Iv'e come to the conclusion,Good horses are usually made and not boughten.

[Jinglebob]

GREAT POEM! And ditto on what Saddletramp wrote.

[Jinglebob]

This poem came to mind and just couldn't resist!

Brunzwick

the little critter was black and white
he musta' come from the paint breed
though I broke and trained him all by myself
he was a peculiar kind of steed

he was an orphan who's mother didn't have any milk
so I taught him to get his milk from a pail
course' the little devil took a likin' to me
he'd come at my call without fail

he sure was a cute little rascal from the start
though his conformation wasn't the best
he was pigon toed in front, cowhocked in back
with ugly fairly spread through the rest

his head was to big for his poor little body
he was thin as a razor backed hog
his tail had most of the hair at the end
like it'd been drug through the knothole of a log

breakin' him to ride wasn't much of a task
he was gentle, never offered to buck
I sure didn't get much of a rein on him though
'bout as handy as a sore footed duck

it was always real simple to get him caught
in the corral or out on the flat
I'm not too sure that he didn't have worms
cause' he never had a spare ounce of fat

He could run about as fast as I could walk
but he was "hell for stout" as they say
then dad said that he had to go to the sale
though I argued, he wouldn't let him stay

it was sure a sad day when we hauled him to town
he'd just turned four that spring
though I was a big boy, at the age of fourteen
I had tears as he went through that ring

I wish that he could still be around
and I've never yet seen his peer
of all of the mounts, I've had in this life
there's not many like that ol' holstien steer

[ropesanddogs]

LMAO....great poem! I was wonderin why someone was gettin rid of a good four year old horse...

[Faster horses]

I was wondering why someone would ride something that was "about as handy as a sore-footed duck"~

Absolutely great, Jinglebob. Absolutely great!!

I'll try to put the clapping emoticon on, but I don't have great luck with that, yet.

[Brad S]

Jinglebob, how was your horse you wrote about bred? He sounds like a Hancock gelding I had. You didn't scratch his neck or he pawed you; you unbuckled his bridal and held it out for him to pick up, he'd paw you if you drug it over his ears. But when you were in the middle of his back, you were as mounted as it gets. I swapped him when my oldest turned 1 cause he was kicky on all 4 corners. Paigy likes horses, and I don't function well when my kids bleed.


Faster Horses, you did right passing that sale barn swapper by. that tired old BS of costing $500 extra to unload him, he must not be very easy to load/unload. THe cold hair and barked up hide sounds like he had the 1 week horse swappers training. If he was very proud of the horse, he'd have wormed him and fitted him up. Now a broke cowboy is different, but a swapper that won't keep a horse 45 days to bloom doesn't like that horse. Its real easy to start with a snuffy horse that almost wants to buck and channel his energy into spinning (using hooks), but he'll have no stop. I hate those salebarn training jobs, they make swapping horses not cow horses.


Ropesandogs, llisten to that old man about training your filly. Many oldtimers won't give you their opinion unless you ask, so ask and listen. You have the opportunity to get knolwledge from a previous generation, do it and you're smarter than all the rest of us.

Oh yeah and about branding dogs from some other thread, if you have to brand a dog or a woman, they ain't yours. Swap them off and keep lookin for better.

[Jinglebob]

Brad S
If your askin' about my bestone that is a bay, he's Mr. Bartender for a sire and thats all I remember. Bought him as a colt at a sale and just left a bid on him. I didn't know he had any papers. Turned out he was paint breeding stock. Feller who grew up in this area was trading horses and he picked up these colts down in Nebraska. I sent the papers in for a transfer and never got them back or lost them or whatever.
A few years later, when I realized what I had for a horse, whenever I would see this feller, usually setting around with the other horse traders, I'd always walk up and say, "Hey John. You remember that colt I bought off from you a couple of years back? The Bay with the white stripe and acted kind'a goosey? Man, I just love that horses!" And all of them traders would laugh and mutter amongst themselves that they wished someone would say that to them! It sure was good for a laugh and totally true.
I tried to find more bred like him, but it must have been a dispersion or one time deal or maybe even kind'a crooked on somebody's part, cuz I never found another like him. I do remember that he showed no Hancock in the papers I got with him, but I think there was only the sire and dam. He'll be 13 or 14 this spring.
I've got a neighbor who had a one eyed stud, that when they did the research on him, showed to have the highest percentage of Hancock blood of any horse in the US. I know of one of his colts and John may still have the old stud.
I've never rode any, but have heard good things about them.

[sw]

That was a great poem JB, you had me going till the end. I thought it was about a horse for sure, some of the best are the sorriest lookers but they got the heart and the try, that's what is the most important. Most people don't particularly like the horses I ride, too much horse for most, have a grade palomino that don't know the words quit, give up, or loose. there isn't a cow that can get away, you just better be in the saddle to stay when you point him at something cause he's going after it. Got a double bred Hancock with some paint in him waiting to be two, can't wait for that one. He's different from most Hancocks though, he calls to you when you walk out the door in the morning and loves attention, maybe the paint in him. Have a good day.

[Jinglebob]

SW
This posting reminds me of the story about the ranches daughter who was dating the next door ranchers son. She came home one night from a date and she was just beaming. Her mother asked why she seemed to be so happy. The replied,"Oh, he gave me the nicest compliment tonight. He said I was as nice as a Hancock mare!"
The mother grumpily replied, "Yup. So he thinks you have a big butt, a rough headed and a terrible dispositon! Real nice compliment!"

Got some friend up by Newell who are big on Hancocks. And old Ed Carlson wouldn't hardly ride anything else. Must be some good in 'em if so many like 'em!

Your yeller horse sounds just like my bay. Spooky and fast is the only way to go!

Tho' ol' Woody's starting to act like a broke horse now that he's 13 or 14. I like to get 'em pretty broke actin' by the time they are 19 or 20.

[Jeannie]

The best horse I have ever ridden was a Morgan/Quarter horse cross mare named Scamper. She was a line backed dun with more cow sense than I have ever seen. She was born on our ranch, I worked with her from the time she was born, and she was mine in every sense of the word. She was trailer broke, saddle broke, and most other things broke way before she was ever old enough to break to ride. When that time finally came, I broke her to ride - it wasn't difficult. She couldn't be turned out in any pasture that had cows in it, she would stand off to the side and pick out a cow/steer/heifer/calf and cut them out of the bunch and keep them away from the bunch until she was caught and moved to a different pasture. She never performed as well for anyone as she did me, in fact she would usually dump anyone else who rode her, with the exception of my Dad. She and I had a lot of really good times moving and working cows. After I left for college, she was moved down to the south place and somehow got caught in barbed wire. Tore up the tendons in her left front leg. After that, she couldn't turn to that side without stumbling and almost going down. I will always miss her. She was my special buddy.