Western Horseman Feb 2018

Buffalo Soldiers Honor Black Western History

Tyler Magnus: Better Horsemanship, Better Roping

SPECIAL TRAVEL ISSUE

GO

West!

50

Authentic Adventures in Cowboy Country FEBRUARY 2018

Plan a Pack Trip Explore Costa Rica Ride the Rockies

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FEATURES

VOLUME 83 / NUMBER 2

FEBRUARY 2018

50 The Buffalo Soldiers Ride Again In Washington State, a group of living historians called the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle honors the role African-Americans played in settling the West.

By RYAN T. BELL

58 Cross-Cultural Cowboy Lilander Alvarez has built his own business on his family’s Costa Rican ranch, guiding trail rides into the jungle on Appaloosas crossed with Criollo horses that he has raised and trained.

By JENNIFER DENISON

40 Go West!

MOLLY MORROW

Want to experience the real West? Explore our 50 top picks of what to see, eat and do to experience today’s true cowboy West.

Compiled by CHRISTINE HAMILTON

Rodeo queens ride out at the Pendleton Round-Up in Pendleton, Oregon.

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CONTENTS 22

14

16

RIDE WEST 16 Adventures

12 Family Ranch

18 Equine Insider

Cowboys and family carry on traditions at the PK Ranch near Paducah, Texas.

A fourth-generation family ranch has historic ties to both Wyoming polo and British aristocracy.

14 Women of the West

Although Janet Westfall has found success in the cutting pen, her daily responsibilities range from ranch renovation to raising cattle and riding long hours.

Members of Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies celebrate the beauty of the wilderness.

Horse “bailing”—online bidding to stop horses from heading to slaughter in Canada or Mexico—is becoming controversial in the equine rescue community.

22 How-To

Top roper Tyler Magnus says poor horsemanship often is at the root of many so-called horse problems.

26 Backcountry

Steer clear of trouble on your pack trip with proper planning.

29 What’s It Worth?

A pair of engraved bits has an unknown history but may have been made by John Estrada.

30 Young Horsemen

These two California sisters are learning and carrying on vaquero traditions.

32 Rodeo

34 Western Stops

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the past and present of these legendary lawmakers.

36 Cowboy Tastes

A Southern-inspired dish features “mudbugs” as the main ingredient.

38 Products

Boot socks keep your feet comfortable, cushioned and cool.

Steer roper Scott Snedecor starts and ends the competition year strong.

IN EVERY ISSUE 7 Feedback / 8 Leading Off / 78 Backward Glance / 80 Baxter Black ON THE COVER: At a Jess Lee photography workshop in Wyoming, Colt Chlarson rides a bronc. Photo by Jess Lee.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: KATE BRADLEY BYARS, ROSS HECOX, CHRISTINE HAMILTON

10 Opening Shot

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Submission of freelance articles and photographs is welcomed. Please write for editorial guidelines if submitting for the first time, and enclose SASE. No faxed materials accepted. Articles that appear in Western Horseman do not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of Western Horseman or MCC Magazines, LLC. Western Horseman does not endorse and is not responsible for the contents of any advertisement in this publication. No material from Western Horseman can be copied, faxed, electronically transmitted, or otherwise used without express written permission.

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feedback

More Horsehair History

Pics from Readers

Thank you for your informative article [“Hitching Hands”] about hitched horsehair in the December 2017 issue.

In 2009 my husband, Ron (a Navy veteran), developed the theory that Kaitlyn Woods, 3, of Tripp, South Dakota, puts her horse, Joker, back sailors taught Spanish soldiers the knots to pasture after their nightly ride. used in hitching while on ships going to The photo was sent by her parents, the New World. This was documented on Brent and Fallon Woods. our website [hitchedhorsehair.com]. Up to this time, the Moorish connection was most often circulated with the history of hitching.

Ron’s theory was validated in 2012 when we restored a customer’s old Mexican bridle. We called the circular horsehair knotting “cringles,” named after similar knotting on sails.

Our how-to books, both reviewed by your magazine, have sold in 25 countries; most recently Hungary and the Czech Republic. Thanks for bringing hitched horsehair onto a worldwide stage!

— SHONI MAULDING, Montana

Derrick Begay Fan

Really enjoyed your story [on

Derrick Begay, “Native Ground,” November]. I have followed his career since he roped with his dad in the Bob Feist [Invitational] roping as a young teenager. I was watching Mike Cervi roping and still kicking myself that I didn’t go up and have a chat with him. Keep up the good work.

—DOUG JONES, Saskatchewan, Canada.

“Mr. Wrangler”

In RefeRence to your wonderful article on Blue Bell and Wrangler Jeans [“Wrangler’s Roots,” November], the person that really helped Wrangler become the favorite was Bill Hervey, who worked with Blue Bell. He traveled with the cowboys going down the road, and he was the one who talked Blue Bell into the sponsorship of rodeos, beauty pageants, etc., all in the Wrangler name.

The cowboys thought enough of him to include him in the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

—EDWARD H. “BEAU” LANE III, Kentucky

From our Facebook fans: “just pIcked the [December] issue up this afternoon at our local Western store. The picture on the front [The Christmas Star, by Jack Sorenson] had me sold even more than any other issues.”

—LAUREN LANCASTER “a cRIsp wInteR nIght, and a

star-filled sky, viewed from the back of my trustworthy friend. The wonder of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a child.”

—SANDY SUHAK “[I enjoyed] “Dancin’ in Anson” —great story about a great tradition.”

—ARLENE HEPBURN

Western Horseman welcomes feedback from readers. For information on submitting letters, see page 6.

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LEADING OFF

Explorers of the West

W

It’s funny how the urge to explore resides within so many of us. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a backyard horse owner from the Midwest, a tourist from Asia, or Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes; the allure of the great American West is irresistible.

Western points of interest are more accessible than ever, and the choices of where to go and what to do are endless. However, we as a staff wondered what places, events and excursions resonate most with Western stock horse enthusiasts. So we came up with 50 favorite destinations, all experienced by at

E WERE VENTURING

into an untamed frontier, with deep canyons, thick forests and the threat of outlaws behind every hill and tree in the vast, cruel landscape.

I’m sure Dad got a kick out of watching his three young boys let their imaginations run wild on the 20-acre property he had leased for his broodmares. We would drive out with him, and while he fed the mares and checked water, we scoured the countryside, stick guns in hand, like any good sheriff ’s posse should.

least one of us. We’re certain that our list could be expanded, but we believe it embodies the authenticity and cowboy spirit that you, our readers, expect. “Go West!” begins on page 40.

And in the spirit of travel and adventure, we included on page 12 a story about a historic, family-run guest ranch in Wyoming. Another article on page 16 displays the beauty of riding through the Canadian Rockies. On page 26, we include tips for planning your own horsepacking trip. Finally, on page 56, you can read about how rancher Lilander Alvarez uses his AppaloosaCriollo breeding operation to

introduce guests to winding, scenic trails in Costa Rica.

Of course, exploring the authentic cowboy West usually involves some element of danger. Thinking back to the lease property, I still clearly remember getting bucked off my horse (an imaginary one) and landing in a patch of prickly pear cactus (not imaginary).

Boldly venturing into new frontiers certainly takes you out of your comfort zone, but it results in vivid memories, an appreciation for the rugged beauty of the West, and good stories to tell.

—ROSS HECOX, editor in chief

KATIE FRANK

The American West remains one of the world’s most popular destinations.

nline FEBRUARY Learn the significance behind the Canyon Ranch brand and royal family crest of the Wallop family.

Team roper Tyler Magnus explains what to look for when fitting a saddle.

Cowboy cook Kent Rollins warms up with Mexican hot chocolate.

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Photos View exclusive Western Horseman images.

Newsletter Sign up to get a first look at the latest posts on the Western Horseman website.

Road Stories Read the latest stories from Western Horseman staff as they travel the country on assignment.

F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

JENNIFER DENISON

westernhorseman.com

RIDE WEST

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OPENING SHOT

Saddled at Sunrise ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO, Don and Gayle Brothers purchased 3,000 acres of land not knowing how they’d make ends meet. Through time, the Brothers built their ranch up to 17,000 acres, and eventually acquired the PK Ranch in Paducah, Texas, but not without nudging from Gayle.

“Don would stop in front of the PK Ranch and he’d say, ‘I really, really want this ranch,’ ” says Gayle. “I said the only way you will accomplish that is to go inside and talk to the owner.”

He did, and Don and Gayle became good friends with the ranch’s previous owners.

Though Don passed away a couple of years ago,the cowboys who come to work have fond memories of him. Don’s wife of 54 years still runs the ranch with their two daughters and two grandchildren.

“I was told by the cowboys that Mr. Brothers worked very hard for years to make the ranch a success,” says Texas photographer Carol Hutchison, who snapped a photograph of the cowboys at the ranch last March at sunrise.

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RIDE WEST

LEFT: Canyon Ranch’s beautiful stone barn is a favorite structure for horse people to admire and artists to paint. Sandra Wallop is an avid rider, so the ranch also has a horse barn and stalls, an arena, and plenty of hills and meadows in which to ride.

BELOW: Paul Wallop and his wife, Sandra, are the fourth generation to live at and operate Canyon Ranch. The ranch was started

by Paul’s great-grandfather, Oliver Henry Wallop, in 1889.

THE FAMILY RANCH

Royal Treatment

A fourth-generation family ranch in the Big Horn Mountains offers guests a recreational sanctuary, along with historic ties to British aristocracy and northern Wyoming’s polo heritage.

I

Story and photography by JENNIFER DENISON

N THE SPRING, the hills and meadows of Canyon Ranch in Big Horn, Wyoming, burst into color.

The snow blanketing the ground melts, giving rise to emerald pastures dotted with a rainbow of wildflowers. The streams thaw and fill with cool mountain runoff, while a new crop of calves and wildlife hit the ground.

It’s a humble, hidden outdoor recreation paradise that has been passed

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down through four generations of the Wallop family, which has ties to British royalty and was influential in the start of Wyoming’s rich polo heritage.

Nestled at the base of the Big Horn Mountains, the 3,000-acre ranch is owned and operated by Paul and Sandra Wallop. The couple offers three vacation homes on the property: the Lodge at Canyon Ranch, a rustic two-story log home that can accommodate large

W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

groups; the Hay Meadow House, a newly built two-story home overlooking the lush hay meadow; and the quaint Foreman’s House, which was home to decades of ranch foremen and their families on the ranch.

Guests have freedom to roam the ranch and escape the pressures of technology, work and town, and partake in bird watching, photographing wildflowers and wildlife, hiking and fishing. Paul is an excellent fly fisherman and knows the best spots. There are limited opportunities for guests to haul in horses and explore the canyons that attracted the ranch’s founder, Oliver Henry “O.H.” Wallop, in the late 1880s.

O.H. was the youngest son of Isaac Newton Wallop, the fifth Earl of Portsmouth in Great Britain. He was one of many “remittance men,” the youngest sons in English aristocratic families who wouldn’t inherit a title or land, so they left home and were given remittance from their families.

“In the English royal families, the oldest son becomes the heir, the second son is sent to the military and the third son enters the clergy,”

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explains Sandra. “The youngest sons become ‘remittance sons.’ ” O.H. bought a ranch in southern Montana in the early 1880s and brought some of the first Thoroughbred horses into the area. In 1889 he expanded his horizons and moved south to a secluded ranch tucked in the mountains of Big Horn, Wyoming, where he married and raised two sons.

By the turn of the 20th century, O.H. was making a good living in the Army remount horse business with his partner, a Scottish emigrant named Malcolm Moncrieff, who was married to O.H.’s sister-in-law and owned the nearby Polo Ranch.

“O.H. and Malcolm would ride to Miles City, find cowboys to ride west with them, [and] they would buy horses and trail them back to the ranch and have the cowboys ride them and play polo on them,” explains Paul. “The horses were then sold to the British Army as remount horses for the Boer War and World War I. More than 20,000 horses were shipped from Big Horn to South Africa for the Boer War.” O.H. went on to be elected to serve two terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives. He then renounced his American citizenship in 1925 to take his seat in the House of Lords as the eighth Earl of Portsmouth after his older bothers, the sixth and seventh Earls, and their male children had died.

O.H. died in 1943 and was buried in Sheridan. He passed the ranch to his son, Oliver, while his other son, Gerard, became the ninth Earl of Portsmouth.

Oliver, who is Paul’s grandfather, became a successful rancher and sustained the ranch raising Hereford cattle. That continued into the early 1980s after Paul’s father, Malcolm, had taken over the ranch when Oliver died in 1980. Malcolm—a Yale graduate, accomplished collegiate polo player and entrepreneur—served three terms as a Wyoming senator from 1977 to 1995. His political career required him to spend much of his time in Washington, D.C., so he sold the cattle and leased Canyon Ranch, as well as Polo Ranch and Badger Creek Ranch, to other ranchers.

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Paul grew up riding with his grandfather and father on the ranch. Until the 1980s, the family ran three ranches encompassing more than 10,000 acres, including the Polo Ranch that Malcolm inherited from the Moncrieff family. The family later sold the other ranches and kept Canyon Ranch.

After graduating from the University of Wyoming with a degree in microbiology, Paul opted to not pursue his dream of going to veterinary school and returned to the ranch in the mid-1980s.

He developed year-round hunting and Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing operations to supplement the ranch’s income.

Paul and Sandra, his wife of 20 years, managed the ranch’s hunting and fishing programs, ran an Orvis store in Big Horn, had a herd of registered Black Angus cattle, coordinated special events on the ranch and guided horseback trail rides.

Feeling the pressures of keeping so many operations going, and having less time to spend with each other and their families, the Wallops decided in 2011 to focus on renting vacation homes on the ranch, as well as leasing pasture to local ranchers and hunters.

“We’re no longer considered traditional ranchers in some respects,” says Paul. “But we are fourth-generation ranch owners and this ranch won’t support itself on raising cattle in this time. We had to find other ways to make it sustainable.

“It made me realize that no matter what you do in the ranching business, your inventory is grass and water. You can sell it to graze cattle, make hay or create a habitat for wildlife and recreationalists to explore. To me that still makes us traditional ranchers.”

Through the years, the ranch has evolved to meet the era, from horses to cattle to outdoor recreation and tourism.

Paul and Sandra have no intentions of leaving, even though they have traveled to Great Britain to visit family and to see Highclere Castle, owned by Paul’s cousins, Lord and Lady Carnarvon. The castle is where the PBS series Downton Abbey was filmed.

“Canyon Ranch is the jewel of the Big Horns,” says Sandra, who is an avid horsewoman and aspiring reiner. “We do

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this because we’re passionate about this ground and see it as a responsibility and privilege to have God give us the opportunity to be the caregivers of Canyon Ranch.”

For more information, visit canyonranchbighorn.com.

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN

QUEEN ELIZABETH II of Great Britain visited Canyon Ranch in October of 1984 while on vacation in the United States.

Her entourage included several agents from the Secret Service and Royal Air Force, as well as her friend Lady Porchester, Jean Margaret Wallop, a native of Big Horn, Wyoming, and sister to former Wyoming Senator Malcolm Wallop. Lady Porchester had told the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, about the charm of the ranch and Big Horn, Wyoming, and its Thoroughbred and polo heritage.

“It was a big occasion in this part of Wyoming,” recalls Paul Wallop, who was guiding a hunting trip into the Teton Wilderness during the Queen’s visit to his family’s ranch. “The British Secret Service was concerned because everyone had guns in their trucks. It created quite a controversy because her visit coincided with the opening of the deer- and elk-hunting season, and that’s like a holiday here—schools are even closed for it and people take off from work. The Secret Service asked if opening day could be postponed, but the sheriff said, ‘No.’ ” The Queen stayed in the two-story ranch house built by Canyon Ranch founder Oliver Henry Wallop in the late 1880s and that was owned by his granddaughter, the Countess of Carnarvon.

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RIDE WEST

Westfall. Does your wife have a sister?”

WOMEN OF THE WEST

Janet Westfall

More than just a cutter or a trainer’s wife, this California horsewoman has made a name for herself through dedication to her horses, cattle and family.

Interview and photography by ROSS HECOX ON ANY DAY, JANET WESTFALL could be loading the dishwasher, loping horses, paying bills or fixing up the ranch. Her variety of responsibilities comes with being married to cutting horse trainer Russ Westfall, and raising their 17-year-old son, Brandon.

The family lives in Los Olivos, California, and raises F1 tigerstripe cattle in addition to operating a successful training business. Though she’s been passionate about horses her entire life, she says the “brindle baldies” have taken over her heart.

Janet’s work ethic has led her to a successful record in the show pen. She is a member of the National Cutting Horse Association NonPro Hall of Fame with earnings in excess of $1.3 million.

In 2000, she won the NCHA Futurity non-pro reserve championship on CD Royal, a stallion still standing on the Westfalls’ ranch.

“I love projects,” says Janet, who enjoys renovating the ranch, which used to be a dairy farm.

She has restored a cabin on their property with Old West furnishings and antiques, and it now hosts

14

folks from the city wanting to experience cowboy life.

Though her plate is full managing cutting clients, horses and the vacation property, Janet makes her family top priority, and says she cherishes quiet time that allows her to appreciate their lifestyle.

I’m hardly ever without a hat. And you don’t ever see me without chinks on, either, if I’m riding a horse.

If I’m showing, I’ll wear regular chaps, but if I’m riding I’m always in chinks.

I can’t hardly ride without something on my legs. It’s become a habit.

I was born from a family that wasn’t horse people.

I was a little girl that just loved horses. When it’s in your blood, it’s just there.

That was the same for Russ, and we almost had identical upbringings with the horses. We both had ponies that we trained, and when we got a little older we traded them. It’s funny how we had super similar backgrounds.

I kept begging for a pony, but my parents didn’t want me to have one. They said,

“How about we buy you one of those fake horses at the grocery store that you put a quarter in?” So, they bought me one of those first and I rode it all the time.

I got my own pony when I was about 7 for Christmas.

Back then you could go to pony shows that were either

Russ and I knew each other for about eight years. He was really good friends with my husband. Then one day my husband had a heart attack on the tractor and passed away. Russ was the third call I made, because they were really close.

It was a year later, and we both were helping each other with horses and cattle.

We both didn’t have anybody, but we were so close I didn’t want to mess up a great friendship. But it was meant to be. We’ve been married almost 21 years.

I’m diabetic. I’m proud of myself for being able to do what I do and manage it. Like

“The older I get, the more drawn I am to raising cattle. You don’t make as much money...but it’s certainly an enjoyable lifestyle” 75 cents a class for the entry fee or $10 for the day.

Going to college, for me, was a waste of time. I would be listening to these lectures and doodling pictures of horses and saddles, anything to do with horses.

Russ rode over to me [at a cutting in the late 1980s] and said, “Hi! My name’s Russ Westfall. Are you married?” And I said, “Yeah, to that big guy right there on the buckskin horse.” Russ was smart and rode over to him and goes, “Hi, I’m Russ

WESTER N HO R SEM A N

[steer wrestler] Luke Branquinho, we both wear an insulin pump. A lot of times we’ll talk about what it’s like wearing a pump and doing what we do [for a living].

In the last three years I’ve gotten into Pilates. It makes me feel more athletic when I’m riding. It makes me strong.

Every day goes by so fast, and I hope that I appreciate these moments because someday I’m going to be too old to be doing what I’m doing.

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RIDE WEST

A group of Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, led by Josh Watson of Alpine Stables, heads across the above-timberline Carthew ridge on the Carthew-Alderson trail in Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta.

ADVENTURES

High-Country Riding A 95-year-old riding club celebrates the beauty and frontier history of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Story and photography by CHRISTINE HAMILTON

F

IND YOUR TEPEE, put out your bedroll, beware the 5,000-volt bear fence around the kitchen tent. The group will be back to camp by 6 p.m. barring unforeseen circumstances.

Those instructions might be on a note you’d find if you show up mid-day at a Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies backcountry camp. Every summer since 1924, the non-profit club has held weeklong rides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. But these are not typical trail rides. The TRCR is

16

dedicated to bringing people into a Canadian wilderness experience, horseback. They welcome all comers— all ages and all riding levels.

Guided by wilderness outfitters and based in a tepee camp, the group rides out every day on rugged high-country trails through Canada’s most scenic and unpopulated wilderness areas, in or near a national park. Some trails go above timberline and require dismounting to lead horses over scree or slick rock. At night, after supper, the riders gather to sing frontier songs, hear

W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

cowboy poetry and stories, square dance or perform skits.

“We ride horses and see the backcountry by day, and have fun at night,” says TRCR President Stuart Watkins.

“And by the end of the week people have an understanding of [Alberta and TRCR] history and culture. There’s a lot of camaraderie.”

It’s been that way for 95 years. The club actually had its beginnings in an August backcountry trip through British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park in 1923 organized by John Murray Gibbon, chief publicist for the Canadian Pacific Railway. An influential advocate for preserving Canadian culture and history, Gibbon invited a group of men and women that included notables such as Reginald Townsend, the editor of Country Life in America magazine; Harry Beach Clow, the president of mapmaker Rand McNally & Co.; and Illinois artist Reinhold Heinrich Palenske.

The horseback travelers saw glacier scenery, camped out, fished and

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hunkered down through a snowstorm.

They enjoyed it so much they set out to create opportunities for the recreational riding public to have similar experiences in Canada’s national parks. Gibbon, Townsend, Clow and Palenske founded The Order of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, and organized the group’s first ride and meeting in 1924. The first president was Charles Walcott, then secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and the Canadian Pacific Railway provided sponsorship funding.

“Seeing the beauty of the mountains and enjoying each other’s company was part of this from the word ‘go,’ ” Watkins says.

The TRCR both fostered and rode a wave of growing public interest in national park lands in Canada and the United States. Early on, it established traditions that are still kept, such as holding nightly gatherings in the “doughnut” tent (a round canvas tent with a large hole in the roof to vent smoke from the campfire at its center),

and awarding pins to ride participants.

Tepees have always been the lodging of choice and the club has always held an annual Townsend Trophy photography competition for the photographers in the group.

Rides have attracted international visitors of all kinds, including a young King Prajadhipok of Siam and his queen in 1931; they rode far enough to earn an official pin. National media representatives have tagged along, from National Geographic and Time magazines to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Western Horseman joined a 1968 ride and went along again in 2017.

Among Canadian outfitters, the TRCR was legendary in terms of the

RIGHT: Stuart Watkins of Lethbridge, Alberta, is a six-time president of the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies. He grew up attending the rides with his family, and his father, Howard, also served as the club’s president.

BELOW: Riders set out across the Waterton River below Vimy Peak in Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park.

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logistics and numbers packed into the wilderness. For several years, Gibbon arranged for a portable organ to be packed in for nightly entertainment until the third and last met its end over a precipice at the hands of a disgruntled packer.

Through the mid-1940s, the club held just one progressive ride each summer with more than 60 riders, camping in different spots. By the ’70s and ’80s, the group held as many as eight rides with upward of 30 riders in each, and they rode out of one camping spot, which is the format followed today.

In 1961, the railroad ended its sponsorship and the TRCR reorganized as an incorporated non-profit.

Officially a club, it is now run by a volunteer board of directors, and the ride fee includes a club membership for participants.

The fact that members go to a variety of locations “makes us different,” Watkins says, as does the fact that “people seem to get hooked” on the experience. In addition to newcomers, the decades have seen many repeat riders and multiple generations of extended families year after year. In 2017, three sisters who are granddaughters of founder John Murray Gibbon joined the ride.

Challenges through the years have included burned-out board members and raising funds to replace equipment, along with increasingly restricted access to the parks. But the TRCR has continued to thrive. There were 85 participants on five trips at Waterton Lakes National Park in 2017. In 2018, it will offer five trips into the Castle Wildland in Alberta, a spot the group hasn’t been in 10 years. The outfitter will be Dee Barrus of Blue Ridge Outfitting & Packing Ltd. “It’s the best of two worlds,” says June Jansen of St. Cloud, Florida.

Horse owners, she and her husband, Scott, have been on two TRCR rides.

“You enjoy the horses and you have the hiking and the incredible scenery,” she says. “As a horse person, I’ve totally enjoyed this. You spend a week with these people and you become family.”

For more information on future rides, go to trailridevacations.com.

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RIDE WEST

EQUINE INSIDER

Posting Bail Allen Warren of Horse Harbor Foundation stands next to a “bail” rescue that his organization, part of The Homes for Horses Coalition, saved from slaughter.

A practice known as horse “bailing”—online bidding to stop horses from going to slaughter—is controversial in the equine rescue community. Some say it’s the last line of defense, while others call the practice a “scam” with a corrosive effect on the equine rescue industry.

Story and photography by RYAN T. BELL

O

N A THURSDAY AFTERNOON in November, a Quarter Horse mare identified simply as “Hip 433”—the number of an auction sticker glued to her hip—was being ridden for her life. In a video posted on Facebook, a horseman wearing a baseball cap, canvas jacket and baggy jeans rode her across the gravel parking lot in front of a red sale barn in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The

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rider exaggerated the loose rein with which he rode the mare. She didn’t exactly snap around with each cue, but it was clear she’d been trained at some point by someone with soft hands.

The video was posted to a Facebook page called Moore’s Equines for Rescue, along with a notice that the mare’s “bail” was set at $942.55. The page is run by Brian Moore, a horse buyer in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, known to ship weekly

W E STER N H O R SEM A N

truckloads of horses to a slaughter plant in Canada. The Facebook post warned that if Hip 433’s bail was not paid by the following Tuesday, she would be loaded onto one of those trucks.

Some 250 miles away in Schoharie, New York, a horsewoman named Dotty O’Neill saw the posting for Hip 433.

“I have a bad habit of checking Moore’s Facebook page every day,” O’Neill says. “It tugs on your emotions because these horses have no voice. If you don’t act fast, they can end up standing nose-to-tail on the meat-man’s truck.”

When U.S. horse slaughter plants ceased operating in 2007, an unintended consequence was a spike in the number of horses shipped for slaughter in Canada and Mexico. A report published in 2012 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office states: “From 2006 through 2010, Canadian and Mexican imports increased by 148 percent and 660 percent, respectively, with the total number of horses imported from the United States for slaughter increasing from about 33,000 in 2006 to about 138,000 in 2010.”

Auction barns in states located near the United States’ northern and southern borders, such as Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas and Washington, became hubs for “kill buyers” filling delivery contracts to slaughter plants in Canada and Mexico. Their job was made all the more easy by the economic downturn of 2008, which saw horse owners dumping their animals at sale barns in droves. A report by the Animal Welfare Institute shows a spike in the total number of horses sent to slaughter between 2008 (98,963 horses) and 2012 (166,572 horses), demonstrating how the

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recession created a glut in the number of unwanted horses.

These conditions, combined with the advent of social media, created something of a perfect storm that gave rise to bail operators located almost anywhere kill buyers frequent horse auctions. The practice works like this: A kill buyer shopping for horses to ship to Canada or Mexico will also bid on low-priced horses with qualities that make them bailable. That can mean the horse has flashy color, rides well, is an exotic breed, or is in a physical condition to elicit an “aww” factor.

Hip 433 was said to be pregnant (unconfirmed by a veterinarian, although her belly did look full in the video), while others of the 42 horses posted for bail by Moore that week were brightly colored pintos and palominos, several Standardbred cart horses allegedly owned by the Amish, several shaggy-maned miniature horses, and one particularly bomb-proof saddle horse with what appeared to be a dislocated hip.

Moore did not answer requests to comment on this story. But a source who asked to remain anonymous says that horses sell for about $200 each at a weekly livestock auction held in New Holland, Pennsylvania, where Moore buys his horses. If all 42 horses made bail the week Hip 433 was posted, Moore stood to make a significant profit. Those that didn’t, Moore could still break even by selling by the pound in Canada.

“Everyone has a way of making money,” says O’Neill. “It may not be the way I would choose to make money, but it is someone’s business and I don’t throw stones. I’m glad they’re operating with a page on Facebook, because if they didn’t all these horses would directly ship to slaughter. I would never have gone to that New Holland sale and you can’t argue that Moore doesn’t have a good eye for horses.”

O’Neill asked her teenage daughter, Victoria, if she wanted a new horse.

Hers, a 32-year-old Belgian, was no longer rideable. There was plenty of room on their 15-acre horse farm in Upstate New York, so they agreed to post bail for Hip 433.

O’Neill hadn’t been saving to buy a new horse, so she didn’t have enough

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money on hand to cover all the costs associated with bailing Hip 433.

Through Moore’s page, she’d become acquainted with Hidden Pond Farm Equine Rescue in Brentwood, New Hampshire. The non-profit organization provides logistical and financial support to people wanting to rescue a bail horse.

With the backing of Hidden Pond Rescue, O’Neill set up a Go Fund Me page that enabled her to accept tax-deductible donations to defray the costs of rescuing Hip 433.

“Our mission is to get them out of slaughter danger and to rehab them as best we can,” says Phyllis Elliott, cofounder of Hidden Pond. “It’s not just about getting the horse out of the kill pen, but seeing them through to adoption.”

In the view of some experts, the bail industry smacks of a scam that preys on people’s emotions to funnel money through non-profit organiztions to for-profit horse buyers.

“The bail horse scammers have people hoodwinked.

They’re horse-trading businesses pretending to be horse rescues.”

—ALLEN WARREN, HORSE HARBOR FOUNDATION “What gets the ‘keyboard rescuers’ going is to make them think, ‘This horse is going to slaughter if I don’t save it right now,’” says Cindy Gendron, manager of The Homes for Horses Coalition. “People mean well, but they are naive to the reality of the situation. Often a horse is not as described in the photo or video, it’s lame or sick, or it can’t be ridden. Kill buyers dupe the public and are messing up the whole rescue industry. It’s all about money for them.”

Gendron says that bail rescues often go wrong either because a horse proves too difficult for the buyer to manage (presumably, the reason it was dumped at the auction to begin with) or because its upkeep is too expensive. Established horse rescues must step in to take the horse, or else it will end up back at the sale barn. That puts stress on an equine

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rescue industry that’s already cashstrapped. According to The Homes for Horses Coalition, one-third of horse rescues are forced to close within their first three years.

“We’re watching rescues go under left and right,” says Allen Warren, manager of Horse Harbor Foundation in Silverdale, Washington. His organization is a member of The Homes for Horses Coalition. “Most rescues live on adoption fees, grants and public charity. The bail horse scammers have people hoodwinked. They’re horse-trading businesses pretending to be horse rescues.

They destabilize the legitimate rescue community by syphoning off good donors and oversaturating the adoption market with failed horse rescues.”

O’Neill believes there is a case to be made for private individuals rescuing horses through the bail market.

Looking at the videos posted on Moore’s Facebook page, it’s evident that he’s making a sincere effort at demonstrating the quality of horses he comes across at horse auctions while bidding on horses to fill his contract in Canada.

In addition to the slack rein on Hip 433, he draped a tarp over the back of another horse and rode it around to show how bomb-proof it was. Still, O’Neill warns, people need to know what they’re getting into.

“Bail horses are a ‘box of chocolates’ because you never know what you’re gonna get,” admits O’Neill. “With Hip 433, I was able to do my own research because Moore’s had her [American Quarter Horse Association] registration papers.”

Registered as Dashing Memory, the mare was foaled in Oklahoma in April of 2001. Her sire, Dashing Is Easy, won $775,123 from 1997 to 1999 on Quarter Horse racetracks. He has 446 registered get, whose combined winnings on the track have surpassed $4 million. Dashing Memory, however, was an under-performer. During the 2003-2004 season, she raced 20 starts at Picov Downs in Ontario, Canada, and won only $4,625.

Dashing Memory’s records show that she foaled two registered Quarter Horses, in 2010 and 2015. Two years later, in September of 2017, the mare was

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westernhorseman.com

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W E STER N H O R SEM A N

listed for sale on dreamhorse.com with an asking price of $4,000. Two months after that, she was dumped at the New Holland auction barn, where she sold at a price low enough that there was room for profit, so she became a bail horse.

There are several factors looming on the horizon that could impact the bail horse market. The European Union recently passed regulations requiring that imports of horsemeat from Canada be from livestock that resided in that country for six months prior to slaughter and export. A food safety regulation, the law is aimed at ensuring the horsemeat is free of the chemicals contained in everyday veterinary products that make it unsafe for human consumption. Now, Canadian slaughter plants must hold any horse sent to them by a U.S. kill buyer for six months, which could be cost prohibitive.

There are indications that the U.S. government is reconsidering its ban on horse slaughter. In July of 2017, the House Appropriations Committee in Congress voted in favor of canceling an amendment from 2007 that prohibited the U.S. Department of Agriculture from inspecting facilities that slaughtered horses, and the measure has effectively banned horse slaughter ever since. A few days later, the same committee in the Senate upheld the 2007 measure, creating a standoff. At press time, a budget for fiscal year 2018 has yet to be finalized. If plants are allowed to re-open, slaughterbound horses will no longer need to be sent on so arduous a journey across the U.S. border, which could have a limiting effect on the bail industry.

Dashing Memory’s history makes her a case study for the many forces driving so many horses to slaughter. She’s also proof that quality horses end up in the bail pipeline through no real fault of their own. O’Neill posted her bail in time, and one week later Victoria met her new horse. She dropped the name Hip 433 and gave the mare the barn name Isabella; “bella” is the Italian word for “beautiful.”

The next week, Moore’s Equines for Rescue uploaded videos for 40 more horses needing their bail posted.

RYAN T. BELL is editor at large for Western Horseman. See more of his work at ryantbell.com and on Instagram @ryantbell.

F E B RUA RY 2 01 8

RIDE WEST

Riding outside the arena, as Tyler Magnus does here, will often benefit both horse and rider more than making a few runs in the roping arena.

HOW-TO

Root of the Problem

Champion roper Tyler Magnus says that poor horsemanship is behind many so-called horse problems.

Story and photography by KATE BRADLEY BYARS

T

HE SCENARIO PLAYS OUT IN EVERY RODEO ARENA ACROSS THE COUNTRY: A header comes out of the box at full speed gunning for a steer, and just as the rider throws the loop, the horse breaks left. The loop falls short of the steer’s horns, and the team roping pair receives a no-time. Back at the stall, the roper complains about the horse’s mistake that cost the run.

Tyler Magnus, however, would point to the rider’s body position as the real

22

culprit. In fact, the Texas rope horse trainer and horsemanship instructor says the majority of so-called horse problems are actually a result of the rider’s poor horsemanship.

“I [ frequently] see both head and heel horses drop their [left] shoulder,” Magnus says. “This is often caused by where the rider is sitting in the saddle and how his weight is distributed. If the rider is leaning forward and into a turn, the horse will do the same. The horse ‘ducks,’ or goes left too soon.”

W ESTERN H O R SEM A N

Magnus says that ducking in can easily be corrected with more time in the saddle, but not time spent chasing steers. Instead, he says riders should go back to the basics by refocusing on being comfortable in the saddle, maintaining proper body position, and setting a clear goal for each practice session.

GET OUT OF THE BOX Many ropers see the solution to a mistake made during a roping run as something to fix by making additional runs, but Magnus advises riders to instead head to the pasture. If a pasture isn’t available, he says to make use of the warm-up arena, but don’t focus on the roping box.

“The biggest way you can benefit your horse is by changing what you do outside the run,” Magnus says. “Warm up better and ride in the pasture.”

Changing from a horse’s usual roping bit to a snaffle bit or one that allows the rider to ask for more flexion in the horse also is a good idea, he says. When

F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

warming up, or riding with no plan to rope, Magnus usually selects a snaffle bit.

“I can use this bit to soften my horse’s mouth, ask him to bend to each side, and give at the poll,” he says. “I will ride without a tie-down while I work on strengthening my horse’s weakness, like dropping a shoulder or not stopping straight.”

It is naturally comfortable for riders to lope a circle to the left, which is often a roping horse’s dominant lead. Loping to the right feels uncomfortable to the horse. Magnus suggests riding at a long-trot to the right to regain balance with the horse. When the horse is comfortable trotting in right circles, lope on the right lead to build balance.

“Simple things make a big improvement in your horse, and in your riding.

As you long-trot, focus on where your body is in the saddle and how you are sitting,” he says. “While you ride, hold a rope. Learn to be part of your horse by understanding its stride and balance.”

Walk, trot and lope with a rope in hand, says Magnus. The rider will learn to better understand the horse’s stride and cadence, and that can lead to a well-timed swing during a roping run.

Magnus says that a right-handed roper should swing the rope forward to sync the foremost tip of the swing to the forward step of the horse’s left front leg.

PRACTICE PROPER POSITION A confident rider is one who is in control of his horse and his swing, Magnus says.

He teaches students that every movement on the horse’s back has meaning, and to pay attention to seemingly small details, like whether the rider’s legs are slightly forward or back. Magnus says the key to a strong position is the same whether you’re heading or heeling.

He points to three key body parts when discussing proper position: riding hand, feet position and seat.

“Most of the problems people have with roping don’t have anything to do with the rope, but rather how they ride their horses.”

—TYLER MAGNUS

1. Hand: A rider with reins too long risks losing control of the horse, but reins that are too short may present mixed signals. Magnus says that riders should hold their reins slightly in front of the saddle horn, with pressure on the reins, but not so much that it pulls on the horse’s mouth.

“When I need to pull up on my horse, I don’t want to pull behind the horn, because that will cause me to have to lean my body back in the saddle,” he says. “Each motion has a reaction. Keep your rein hand light but firmly in control so you can make

ABOVE: Many ropers’ riding problems can be fixed by building a better understanding of their horses’ cadence by riding outside the arena. Here, Magnus practices swinging in time with the horse’s stride while the horse walks.

RIGHT: Magnus opts to warm up his mount in a jointed bit without a tie-down, allowing him to flex the horse and correct improper position, like a dropped shoulder.

F E B RUARY 2018

W ESTER N HO R S E M A N

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quick adjustments, whether warming up or during a run.”

length to have a solid riding base.”

3. Seat: The rider 2. Feet: Riders need a should sit in the middle solid base to work of the saddle seat, not from, and that is where pushed back to the the feet come in, says cantle. The shoulders Magnus. A rider’s feet should be in line with should hang directly the hips. Riders who under his hips. During lean forward and over a run, the left foot may the horn are not move slightly forward, balanced. Magnus says but never in front of unbalanced riders the girth. mistakenly rely on the Magnus says most reins to balance, riders with stirrups that creating mixed signals are too long either have Whether roping a live steer or dummy on a sled, the rider’s position in the saddle for the horse. should not change. their feet too far “Every time your forward, in line with the horse makes a move, horse’s shoulders, or too far back, in line “Stirrup length is something I check you should be part of it,” Magnus says. with the back cinch. If the rider’s on every horse I ride,” Magnus says.

“Don’t be in front of the swells or stirrups are too short, often the person “Some horses are lean and tall, some behind on the cantle. Riding with is pushed back into the saddle with his pretty wide. The horse’s body style your horse comes from having core feet slightly forward at all times. might change how I adjust my stirrup strength.”

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W ESTERN H O R SEM A N

F E B RUA RY 2 01 8

More time spent riding away from the roping pen at a walk, trot and lope will create a comfortable seat, and allow a rider to find his balance, Magnus says.

WATCH THE CLOCK Practice time can be precious, especially when there are factors like pressing family activities or fading evening light in the winter. Magnus advises riders to create an ideal scenario to work on a weakness and not always try to make runs on live steers.

The portable roping dummy can be a valuable tool to aid riders in practicing proper riding position and also to help correct a horse’s form.

“Thirty minutes with a dummy can be better than a four-hour practice with steers if you aren’t making positive changes,” Magnus says.

“Depending on your time frame, pick one thing to work on each session.

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With a dummy, I like to focus on building confidence with my horse. I get into the proper position each run and make the adjustments as needed.”

Magnus says that multiple short sessions can impact long-term learning for a rope horse.

“If you only have one hour to ride, do not spend that hour roping steers.

Give you and your horse an opportunity to progress with a good practice session that works on timing and control,” he says.

Before hauling the horse off to a trainer or misplacing blame, take time to analyze every facet that goes into a competitive run. Good horsemanship is the key to making a successful competitor, no matter the event.

“Most of the problems people have with roping don’t have anything to do with the rope, but rather how they ride their horse,” Magnus says. “People want to send a horse to a trainer to be fixed, but they forget that the trainer

W ESTER N HO R S E M A N

WH Online

Tyler Magnus explains saddle fit for both horse and rider.

westernhorseman.com doesn’t make the run for you. You have to sit in the saddle, swing the rope and have your horse perform. You have to put in the time to reap the results.”

OUR EXPERT TYLER MAGNUS grew up ranching in the Kansas-Oklahoma Flint Hills before distinguishing himself as a rope horse trainer and top competitor. The Llano, Texas-based trainer is a nine-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier and has won events like the George Strait Team Roping Classic.

He is also an inductee in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Knel, are active in taking their three children—Ruby, Truman and Scout—to youth rodeos and managing Magnus’ RFD-TV show, Roping and Riding with Tyler Magnus. For more information, visit tylermagnus.com.

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RIDE WEST

Packhorse Monty and ride horse Hondo take a break at the summit of a pass. Plenty of dangers can be avoided by making sure your horses are fresh mentally and physically.

BACKCOUNTRY

Steer Clear of Perfect Storms

Questionable terrain, routes and weather conditions pose dangerous risks in backcountry travel.

Proper planning and sound decision-making can lessen the chance of mishaps.

Story and photography by MELISSA HEMKEN

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A

T THE FORK, we halted our horses to finish our discussion and make a decision: Stick to our planned route or drop to a lower trail?

We reviewed the facts. It was our sixth day of consecutive travel over boulder-clogged trails with thousands of feet of elevation gain and loss. We had planned a rest day at the previous night’s camp, but low forage compelled us to skip the second night in that camp and continue on. Now it was high noon, and we had ridden six miles up and over one pass already.

If we took the trail fork left, as planned, we’d ride over another 11,000-foot pass currently crowned by clouds that possibly harbored lightning. Riding over the pass would also place us only five miles from camp. But if we took the trail to the right we would cruise eight miles to camp on a trail with dirt footing along lakes and streams.

To avoid possible lightning strikes, we turned right onto the lower trail. Also, our horses were physically and mentally tired. The lower trail did not let us look down upon the raptors, but it reduced the chances of injury to horses and humans. Here are three key ways to help you avoid potential problems on your next pack trip.

1

EVALUATE RISK To make this decision, we considered time of day, number of miles traveled thus far, distance left to travel, the weather and our horses’ condition. While each individual element didn’t bear great significance on its own, combined they threatened to produce a bad day in the mountains.

Suppose we rode over that pass. Our tired horses would have climbed the trail more slowly than usual. The wind might have whipped up a thunderstorm.

Above tree line, riders on horseback are lightning rods. To avoid that danger, we would need to hurry off the pass, pushing our tired horses to step quickly over

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On questionable terrain, a way to manage risk of injury is to dismount and lead horses.

boulders and across slick rock on the steep descent.

Tired horses don’t think clearly or move surely. Pushing an exhausted string could cause a packhorse to stumble and tumble down the scree field, pulling another pack horse with him. Or a ride horse could slip on slick rock, falling and pinning the rider between horse and rock. That kind of fall has fractured more than one rider’s leg.

Perhaps nothing would have happened on the pass. Let’s say the storm clouds dissolved into thin stratus, and we made it to camp safely. But the exertion of two passes in a day, on top of previous days’ miles, drained our horses’ energy and we slogged into camp as sunlight left the valley. Maybe I had to set up my tent by headlamp light, which caused me to step in a hole and sprain my ankle. With seven days left on our route, hobbling around camp would drastically decrease the fun factor for me.

Backcountry emergencies most often happen to people who don’t assess risks effectively. The danger is rarely in just one element. It’s the proverbial “perfect storm” of many risk factors combined that, if ignored, put horses and riders in danger.

2

Plan for risks While we need to evaluate these risks in the mountains, potential danger shouldn’t prevent us from going on a

pack trip. But gauging how risks might injure humans and horses alike is crucial, especially in the backcountry.

On a pack trip, we’re often 30 miles from the nearest road, and hours—even by helicopter evacuation—from medical care in a clinic.

Managing risk begins by riding pack trip routes appropriate for people and horse skills. I like to plan routes with both investigated trails and camps, and opportunities to explore unknown areas.

By including a few solid camps and trails featured in guidebooks or described to me by other packers, I know at least every few days we will have a suitable camp. This prevents a pack trip from dissolving into a scramble across valleys to find viable camps and trails.

While this looseness adds adventure, I try to stick to the planned route in case of an emergency. That way the emergency contact, with whom I leave our trip dates, route and description plan, knows where to send search-and-rescue teams if my pack partners and I don’t arrive home at the appointed time.

I say “try” to stick to the plan, because flexibility is inherent in wilderness travel.

When all risk factors point toward an alternate route, pick it to reduce the risks at hand, and select it according to where search-and-rescue personal would logically look. For instance, at that fork in the trail we picked an alternative that still placed us between planned

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camp No. 6 and planned camp No. 7.

And when forage didn’t allow us to stay for two nights in camp No. 6, we went to camp No. 7 one night early instead of selecting an entirely new camp location.

Had horse or rider been hurt, at least search and rescue would have found us sooner than if we had gone off to a camp unmentioned in our itinerary.

3

PrePare for risks Pack-trip logistics may seem to detract from the simple life found in wilderness. But planning ahead and preparing for backcountry risks creates a relaxed pack trip. This not only applies to planning and decision-making, but also to pack-trip gear. All the gear—from packsaddle britching to tent fly—needs to be inspected for workability before heading into the mountains.

Beyond medical kits for both humans and animals, I also pack just-in-case supplies for emergencies. This includes lightweight, dehydrated food that creates

Kara Kraemer received a scholarship from the Cowboy Artists of America Joe Beeler Foundation, presented by Cowboy Artist Jason Scull.

a meal when mixed with hot water. I also pack extra dog food for the canine trip members. Dog food is a precious commodity in the mountains. When it’s gone, dogs must eat human food, which may place us humans on the spice-kit diet: boil water, add a spice, drink dinner.

For dire emergencies, I carry a firearm capable of quickly euthanizing a horse if it has life-threatening injuries—and know how to use it. As grim as it may seem, a horse with a fractured leg is not walking out of the mountains. Be prepared for the possibility.

Most injured humans who need advanced medical care can be evacuated on horseback to the nearest trailhead.

For a life-threatening injury to a human, I always carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) or satellite phone to call the search-and-rescue helicopter.

All preparation and planning does me no good, though, if I’m not thinking clearly enough to make good decisions in the mountains. Strenuous physical

activity at high altitudes requires more hydration and nutrition than normal.

When my brain is starved, I tend toward “hangriness” (the state of being hungry and angry). If an emergency occurs, a well-fed brain launches solutions more quickly. It is recommended that each person drink half a liter of water for every hour of moderately strenuous activity in moderately hot weather.

So at each fork in the trail, I take a swig from my water bottle and eat a pork stick. And while I pause my horses, I take the time to deliberately think beyond the plan and about why I should choose one direction over the other. Why not take a break and make sure I’ve considered all my options?

Besides, the best part about packing in the mountains is moving at the sweet, serene pace of Mother Nature.

MELISSA HEMKEN is a freelance writer and photographer based in Wyoming. She has logged countless miles packing into wilderness areas.

Get ready for the 2018 Western Horseman/ Cowboy Artists of America

Youth Art Contest!

Send in your best drawing or painting with Western horses as the subject, and get a chance to win a grand prize trip to the Cowboy Crossings art show and sale this October at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

Champions and reserve champions will be selected in three age divisions—8 and under; 9 to 13; and 14 to 18—with an overall Grand Champion selected as the grand prize winner.

Contest entry deadline is Wednesday, April 4, 2018. Original artwork must be unframed and no larger than 16 inches by 20 inches. Find complete contest guidelines, download the official entry form and get additional prize information at westernhorseman.com. Original artwork and completed entry form must be received at the Western Horseman office no later than close of business April 4, 2018.

Kara Kraemer, the 2017 grand champion, stands with her colored pencil drawing, Partner, at the 2017 Cowboy Crossings show and sale.

28 youth art contest early ad.indd 1

Send your entry to: Attn: Tonya Ward Western Horseman Youth Art Contest 2112 Montgomery St., Fort Worth, TX 76107

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COLLECTIBLES

What’s It Worth?

A pair of engraved bits has an unknown history.

> I started training and showing horses to pay my way through college. After college I worked for various trainers and then went on my own. In 1988 I took a job as the main instructor for the equine program at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, and ultimately became director of the program. In 2001 I moved to Castle Rock, Colorado, and continued showing and teaching national competitors. Sally Meredith was a student who achieved many goals. In May of 2017, she was riding her young filly when she fell off. She was found completely paralyzed, and died soon after the accident. Her filly was given to the non-profit Let Actions Speak, which supports people who want to be involved with horses yet might not have the financial means necessary to support or own one. Sally’s equipment, including these two bits that were inherited from her father, was also given to help support the group and the welfare of her horses. Can you tell me anything about these bits?

—BILL BORMES, Colorado

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WHEN YOU SHOWED these bits to me I recognized that they were very special. What I didn’t understand was that it would be so hard to identify their maker or makers. You let me inspect these in person and I could not find a maker’s mark on either bit, so I started to try to identify who had made them.

This was another problem that I may have created: I believed both bits had been made by the same maker. To add confusion, many of the makers at this high level of craftsmanship worked together at times in many different shops. Often the engraver was not the same person who forged the iron body of the bit.

When I first tried to identify the maker, I contacted Bruce Haener, who is a great California bitmaker and historian about California and Nevada bits. Bruce thought that they were made by John Estrada, who lived from 1865 to 1942.

According to the book Bit and Spur Makers in the Vaquero Tradition by Ned and Jody Martin, Estrada’s given name was Juan Jose Estrada. In 1896 G.S. Garcia took Estrada with him to Elko, Nevada, to make bits and spurs for his saddlery business. In Elko, Estrada changed his name to John. He worked for G.S. Garcia from 1896 until about 1906. From about 1906 to 1910 he lived in Winnemucca, Nevada, and worked for Dave Staunton, and then for Goldberg and Staunton Saddlery. Between 1910 and 1920 he was the master engraver at Goldberg Saddlery. Estrada worked with many other very skilled craftsmen at all of these places. I think he would have influenced their work and that could make it harder to identify the maker. I still feel that both bits were made either by the same person or in the same shop.

The bits are in excellent condition and the engraving is still very crisp. If they were maker-marked I think they would be easier to sell and probably would be worth more money. As it is, they are quite ESTIMATED VALUE: collectible and still hold good value for their $800 each condition and quality.

ABOUT OUR EXPERT

MIKE GRAHAM and his wife, Gretchen, own Ruxton’s Trading Post in Manitou Springs, Colorado. They specialize in collectible pieces of Western Americana. The couple wrote the book Old Cowboy Saddles and Spurs—Identifying the Craftsmen Who Made Them. For more information, visit oldwestantiques.com.

Do you have a Western antique you’d like to know more about?

To find out how to submit your own item to our experts, look on page 6.

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RIDE WEST

YOUNG HORSEMEN

California Dreams

NAMES: Grace and Gabriella Vincze AGE: 15, 13 HOMETOWN: Thousand Oaks,

California

ASSOCIATIONS: Californio Bridlehorse Association

EVENTS: Youth ranch horse classes HOBBIES: In addition to riding

Learning vaquero traditions gives the Vincze sisters a reason to ride.

horses, Grace plays volleyball and Gabriella is in a water polo club.

Story and photography by JENNIFER DENISON

R

IDING HORSES IS A FUN PASTIME, but it’s even more enjoyable when you can do it with family members. California sisters Grace and Gabriella Vincze have grown up riding, thanks to the encouragement of their grandmother Judy Avera, who lives in Arizona.

“I started riding when I was about 2 years old, as did my sisters [Grace and Isa],” says Gabriella. “I remember visiting my grandparents and coming home and saying, ‘Mom, I have to ride horses. That was so fun!”

A few years ago, Grace started studying with California bridle horseman Bruce Sandifer after meeting him with her grandmother.

“I’ve always followed my grandmother’s lead and what she’s doing with horses,” says Grace. “It’s because of Bruce I’ve come so far in my horsemanship. I look up to him and have so much respect for him. I’ve experienced different riding styles, but nothing ever felt right like the Californio style does.”

For the past two years Grace and Judy both have competed at the Early Californios Skills of the Rancho in Santa Maria, California. Last year Grace won the Junior Ranch Horse Two-Rein class, and Judy won the Novice Ranch Horse Hackamore class.

Gabriella, who rides as often as she can and volunteers at All in Stride, a therapeutic riding program, wants to show at the “Skills” this year. Both girls would like to own their own Iberian horses someday, but now they are enjoying the experience they gain from working with different horses, owned by their grandmother, Sandifer or friends.

“I’m not in a big hurry to have my own horse,” says Grace.

“Riding so many different horses in my life is really helping me learn and grow as a rider. When I have the opportunity to introduce horses to the Californio style, it amazes me how naturally they respond.”

While competing is a good way to test a rider’s skills, Grace says it is not her main focus, and she has goals well beyond competition.

“I want to continue to learn this style of riding and teach it to others who want to learn,” she says. “It’s my intent to do my part to keep this tradition alive.”

Grace won the two-rein ranch horse competition at the Early Californios Skills of the Rancho last summer riding her grandmother’s Andalusian named Bolt.

Sisters Grace and Gabriella Vincze have found their horsemanship niche in the Californio style.

Do you know a young Western horseman or horsewoman worthy of a spotlight? Send your suggestion to edit@westernhorseman.com with “Young Horsemen” in the subject line.

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FAVORITE PIECE OF GEAR: Spade bit

TOP OF THE PLAYLIST:

Grace’s favorite song is “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd, and Gabriella’s top songs are “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper,” by Blue Oyster Cult and “Angel in Blue Jeans” by Train.

OFTEN-USED EMOJI:

Grace uses the laughing face, and Gabriella likes the diamond.

FAVORITE SUBJECTS:

Both girls excel in math and history.

DOWNTIME PASTTIMES: They enjoy hanging out at the beach. “Going to the mall never made sense to me,” says Grace.

DREAM CAREER:

Gabriella wants to be a large-animal veterinarian, while Grace says she’s still deciding.

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RODEO

Strong Start, Strong Finish

Steer roper Scott Snedecor’s year started and ended with major victories.

S

By KYLE PARTAIN

COTT SNEDECOR RIDES AND ROPES every day as a horse trainer. He teaches horses to back into the box, score and track a steer down the arena as well as anyone in the business.

But it wasn’t enough to keep the world champion steer roper on top of his game.

“I thought I could stay sharp that way,” he admits. “But I wasn’t really

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putting in the effort into rodeo that got me to the top. It took my wife, Kelli, telling me not to do things halfway for me to make some changes.”

Scott didn’t set out to neglect his craft, but as his children aged—Colton is in college now and Kallyn is an eighth-grader—their pursuits required more of his time. FFA events and youth rodeos took the place of extended practice sessions. Along the way, Scott

W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

still qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping 16 of the past 17 years, but he wasn’t exactly making a run at another gold buckle.

A year ago this month, that all changed. In the weeks leading up to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo—the most lucrative regular-season rodeo in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association—Scott went back to old-school practice sessions. Fellow steer ropers joined him in the practice pen and he made run after run.

“I was tying them down on every run, not just roping,” Scott recalls. “I got back to practicing the way I used to practice, and it paid off.”

Scott placed in every round in San Antonio in 2017 and won the average by nearly a full second over Jason Evans.

He pocketed $27,417 for the win and pushed his season earnings to nearly $40,000. It was the end of February and he was a virtual lock to make his fifth consecutive NFSR appearance in November (he was three slots out of the top 15 in 2012, the only year since 2001 that he hasn’t qualified).

“At that point, I had two choices. I could just sort of coast along and make the finals and have a decent season, or I could keep practicing and really make a run at a third world title.

Winning San Antonio was just such a difference-maker in my season. When you make that much money at one rodeo, especially in steer roping, it seems a shame to waste it.”

After spending the season among the top five in the world, Scott struggled with consistency in the month leading into the finals. It wasn’t that he was roping poorly to close out the regular season, but he always seemed just one break away from getting that big win that would serve as a matching bookend for his great start to the year.

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WESTFALL PHOTOGRAPHY

Scott Snedecor started off strong in 2017 with a win at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and finished the year with his third steer roping world title.

From Rider to Horseman

“I just couldn’t quite get to first in the average at those last few rodeos,” he recalls. “Before the finals, I went back to the practice pen. We went to an indoor pen in Llano [Texas] and set it up just like the national finals arena [in Mulvane, Kansas]. I think that really prepared me to have a great finals.”

At the NFSR, Scott placed in four of the five rounds on the first night of action. He recorded times on his first four runs the second night, and locked down the average and world titles before even backing into the box for his final run. It was the type of finals Scott had during his previous championship runs in 2005 and 2008.

“There’s so many talented ropers there that I couldn’t just sit back and bank on that average check,” Scott says. “I had to keep making good runs, and that’s what I did.”

As with any roping event, it helps to ride a good horse. Scott called upon “Possum,” a horse that belongs to longtime friend Stephen Stransky. The 2007 American Quarter Horse gelding is registered as Freckles Possum Baby.

“He scores really well, has a lot of run and is strong,” Scott says of the horse that he trained for steer roping.

“I was lucky to be able to ride him for much of the year, including at the national finals and in San Antonio.”

The Fredericksburg, Texas, cowboy earned $68,336 in finals cash to finish with $136,419 in the world standings, nearly $10,000 in front of six-time World Champion Steer Roper Trevor Brazile. It wasn’t the first time Scott found himself ahead of one of the sport’s all-time greats. His first title in 2005 came by just $1.67 over Guy Allen, who had won 13 titles in 14 years before Scott edged him out for his first gold buckle. Scott outlasted Brazile for his second title in 2008.

But the steer roping scene has changed drastically since Scott’s first two titles. San Antonio added the event to its rodeo in 2011 and that rodeo soon became the largest possible regular-season payday for cowboys in the event. “[Executive Director] Keith Martin and his crew do such a good job

F E B RUARY 2018

putting on the rodeo in San Antonio,” Scott says. “The money was great to begin with, and has gotten better every year. For me, it’s close to home, so I always have a lot of friends and family in the stands to watch.”

Before 2017, it was the one major steer roping that Scott had failed to win, which certainly played into his title drought. As he told ProRodeo Sports News after the win, “It’s a big monkey off my back to finally get this one done.”

While winning a third world title was nice, Scott says it won’t impact his rodeo plans for 2018. He’ll approach the season in much the same way he did a year ago: playing it by ear and seeing how things develop.

“When I won my first world title, I told everyone I was fine with that. If it didn’t happen again, I could live with it and be happy,” he says. “Now that I’ve got three, I feel the same way. My family still comes first, so there are going to be weekends where I’m at a junior rodeo instead of the steer roping. If that means I’m not in contention for a world title, then I’m okay with that.”

In a trend that could easily repeat itself in 2018, the last two San Antonio steer roping champions went on to win the world title that year: Scott in 2017 and Rocky Patterson in 2016. The first year steer roping was offered in San Antonio, Brazile won the rodeo and went on to win the world, as well.

That’s three San Antonio champions who became world champions in just seven years. No San Antonio steer roping champion has finished worse than 10th in the world standings in the year he won the rodeo.

Looking to handicap the steer roping world title race in 2018? Head to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, February 8−25. Chances are the cowboys who finish at or near the top there will be the ones to watch when the gold buckle is on the line later this year.

KYLE PARTAIN is a Colorado-based freelance writer who has covered rodeo for 19 years. Send comments on this story to edit@westernhorseman.com.

W ESTER N HO R SEM A N

Expert Tips for a Lifetime Journey

By Richard Winters

4.95 rice $2

04, P ct # 1 Produ es ag 160 P

What’s the difference between a horseback rider and a horseman? Simply put, it’s the little things, according to accomplished horseman Richard Winters.

Most riders know enough basic skills to stay in their saddles, but are also future horsemen and -women in training, constantly striving to improve their skills. With only four pages per chapter, From Rider to Horseman essays are designed for a quick read before you go to the barn.

Make the most of your riding time and enjoy your journey from rider to horseman.

Order online at: westernhorseman.com (MasterCard, VISA & Discover orders only)

or Call Toll Free:

800-874-6774 33

RIDE WEST

WESTERN

STOPS

Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum Story by SUSAN MORRISON • Photography by KATIE FRANK

RIGHT: Visitors can sit down in the theater and watch a short historical film about the Texas Rangers.

ABOVE RIGHT: Visitors get a glimpse of the attire and tack Texas Rangers have used through the years.

LOCATION 100 Texas Ranger Trail Waco, Texas

LEFT: Texas artist Robert Summers sculpted Old Ranger for the museum.

FUN FIND The Lone Ranger Frontier Town, a toy set designed by Fran Striker, the author who created The Lone Ranger.

I

N RECENT YEARS, Waco, Texas, has become known as a travel destination since the tremendous success of the HGTV program Fixer Upper, but long before hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Market opened, another attraction drew tourists who traveled on Interstate 35 between Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum honors the legendary lawmen who began as members of a frontier battalion in 1823.

“The Texas Rangers are the oldest state law enforcement agency in the United States,” says Christine Rothenbush, marketing and development specialist with the museum. “They represent honor, integrity and justice, all of which are virtues that people worldwide can appreciate.”

DON’T MISS Take a close look at Texas Ranger, a bronze of a Ranger on horseback created by Don Hunt and given to the museum as a gift from Clifton and Betsy Robinson. It stands near the front entrance of the Hall of Fame.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE Walk through the historic First Street Cemetery adjacent to the museum, and then head downtown to see Branding the Brazos, a larger-than-life-size bronze sculpture exhibit of 25 Longhorns and the cowboys who drove them along the Chisholm Trail through Waco.

FOR MORE INFORMATION texasranger.org 254-750-8631 info@texasranger.org

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A variety of firearms, from utilitarian to elegantly engraved, are displayed.

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The museum collection includes more than 14,000 items related to Rangers history, and its Tobin and Anne Armstrong Texas Ranger Research Center includes documents ranging from photographs and correspondence to criminal case files.

More than 70,000 visitors flock to the museum each year to get a close-up look of authentic Ranger badges and guns, uniforms, historical information, art and other collections. Law enforcement officials and Western history enthusiasts particularly enjoy seeing the earliest known Texas Ranger badge on exhibit. Those who know the Rangers through books and movies will like seeing actor Clayton Moore’s mask from The Lone Ranger. More than 200 films have featured a Ranger as a lead character, including the miniseries Lonesome Dove with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, and the TV series Walker, Texas Ranger with Chuck Norris.

You have been asking for it, and it’s finally here! Legends Volume 9!

The 9th volume in the series is loaded with stories of some of the most famous stallions and mares that ever lived.

The list reads like a Who’s Who in Quarter Horse history.

ABOVE: The museum pays homage to The Lone Ranger, one of the most popular lawmen in film and on television.

BELOW: These 1920 spurs are among many in the museum’s collection.

Be Aech Enterprise Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner] First Down Dash Genuine Doc Goldseeker Bars Lynx Melody

Photon Playboys Ruby Playgun Red Sonny Dee Royal Blue Boon Smart Chic Olena Smart Little Lena

Streakin Six Tanquery Gin The Intimidator The Ole Man Topsail Whiz Triple Chick Zips Chocolate Chip

Written by some of the best authors in equine publishing, the stories of these great horses and the people whose lives were changed by them will captivate you.

Legends Volume 9—Product # 106 $24.95 Call toll free: (800) 874-6774 (M-F from 9AM-8PM EST) Order online at westernhorseman.com

F E B RUARY 2018

W ESTER N HO R SEM A N

Legends 9 ad 3_4 bleed.indd 74

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11/17/17 10:59:42 AM

RIDE WEST

COWBOY TASTES

WITH KENT & SHANNON ROLLINS

Cajun Mudbugs & Rice 10 minutes INGREDIENTS

25 minutes

4-6 servings

½ cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS Blend the chipotle peppers and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until rice is tender. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in the crawdads and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the pepper mixture, rice and green onions. Cover and let simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey. Let sit 2 minutes, then serve warm.

1 tablespoon honey

Kent’s Tip: You can substitute 2 cups of small shrimp for crawdads.

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from can) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup uncooked white rice 2 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons butter 1 12-ounce package cleaned crawdad tails

“Bring out the inner Cajun cowboy with this southerninspired dish.

Crawdads, or mudbugs, mixed with rice and some spice will take you down to the Bayou.”

—KENT ROLLINS

WH Online

Warm up this winter with Kent Rollins’ recipe for Mexican hot chocolate.

ROSS HECOX

westernhorseman.com

Cowboy cooks KENT AND SHANNON ROLLINS are based in Hollis, Oklahoma, but spend most of their time cooking on ranches and at events across the United States. For more information on their cookbook, A Taste of Cowboy, and their cooking schools, visit kentrollins.com.

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This 21” x 24” signed and numbered print is by Oklahoma artist Mikel Donahue. Titled Ranch Horse, it appeared on the cover of the October 2016 issue of Western Horseman. The painting was commissioned by the magazine to represent the ideal ranch horse, tying the cover to a feature story on ranch horse bloodlines.

The striking painting is not of a particular horse, but rather a representation of a ranch horse through Donahue’s eyes.

PRINT-MD17 $80

This graphite drawing The Best Gift is by Western Horseman’s art director Ron Bonge. It appeared on the cover of the December 2016 issue of the magazine. This drawing is the 4th by Bonge to appear on the cover of Western Horseman. Signed and numbered, The Best Gift measures 18” x 22” and depicts a young boy receiving the ultimate Christmas gift, his first horse.

PRINT-RB17 $40

Call toll free: (800) 874-6774, (M-F from 9AM-8PM EST) Order online at westernhorseman.com

WESTERN HORSEMAN GALLERY

RIDE RIDE WEST WEST

PRODUCTS

A Shoe-In

Pick a boot sock that will fit your needs and stand up to the test of long hours in the saddle or at the barn.

MADE IN THE USA: Cinch’s boot socks for men (suggested retail $17.99) are designed with arch support, targeted cushioning, cooling mesh and moisturewicking technology. cinchjeans.com

FOR KIDS: Horseware Ireland’s lightweight knee socks for children (suggested retail $16) come in several designs and are machine washable. horsewareireland.com

KILL STENCH: EEKOE’s new Ranch Rodeo Series (suggested retail $18.95) socks fit over the calf and are made with bamboo to eliminate odor, regulate temperature and wick moisture. Ribbing keeps the tops from slipping.

Available in three patterns. eekoe.com

SUPER SOFT: Wrangler’s angora socks for women (see retailers for pricing) are designed to keep feet warm with the convenience of being machine-washable.

Available in brown Aztec (shown) or denim Aztec. wrangler.com

JASON FRANK

HAPPY FEET: Noble Outfitters’ Over-the-Calf Peddies (suggested retail $9.95) are lightweight socks with thin uppers and a cushioned foot bed. The nylon-blend socks feature a breathable panel on the top of the foot. Available in several prints and solid colors. nobleoutfitters.com

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W E STER N H O R SEM A N

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ROSS HECOX

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W E STER N H O R SEM A N

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HAT’S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THE AMERICAN WEST? And the men and women who live

by Western stock horses know just where to find the best of it. Western Horseman staff members have spent decades pursuing their stories in the arena and out on the open range, across North America.

We’ve found that Western horsemen share similar experiences but in countless different ways. For this travel-themed issue, we’ve put together 50 of our iconic Western experiences, and we’d love to hear what you’d add. See you down the road.

Haythorn Ranch, Arthur, Nebraska F E B RUARY 2018

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Charles Goodnight’s grave near Clarendon, Texas

Saddle Sore Saloon, Norco, California

GATHER CATTLE where you can’t see a fence line.

Whether it’s sage pasture, pinewoods, canyon breaks or prairie, in good weather or bad, the best miles include saddle time in open country on a savvy cow pony.

STOP FOR WATER at the Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota, before you head south into the Badlands or west to the Black Hills. Established in 1931, the shop has an old-fashioned soda fountain,

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TIE A WILD RAG at Charles Goodnight’s grave just off Highway 287 near Clarendon, Texas. It’s tradition to tie a scarf to the fence around the grave to honor the legendary rancher and cattleman. Give a nod to the cowboys and horses who trailed thousands of cattle up the Goodnight-Loving Trail, named for Goodnight and his partner in the cattle business, Oliver Loving.

Deseret Ranch, Central Florida

restaurant and homemade doughnuts, and offers a free cup of water to visitors. nps.gov/badl, walldrug.com LISTEN TO A COWBOY POET and other entertainers during the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada, and visit its headquarters at the Western Folklife Center.

Make sure to stop at the historic Star Hotel for a Picon Punch, a traditional Basque adult beverage. The sign behind the bar says it “gives a

shot of confidence. One is enough.” westernfolklife.org GET YOUR STOP on a cow or a rundown. It could be on a cutter in the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in December or a superstar in the National Reined Cow Horse Association World’s Greatest Horseman in February. Or it might be on a little bay mare in the middle of 26 sections after riding in a Stock Horse of Texas clinic. Just don’t let your seat pockets leave the saddle.

W E STER N H O R SEM A N

RIDE INTO THE SUNSET in landscapes like Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly National Monument in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, the mighty Grand Canyon, Garden of the Gods in Colorado, or Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.

Many legendary places across the West offer riding in by horse or mule, which makes great vistas even greater.

CELEBRATE A WIN at the Top of Binion’s Steakhouse on the 24th floor of Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. We’re not sure there’s another place with chickenF EB RUA RY 2 01 8

CLOCKWISE: FROM TOP LEFT: ROSS HECOX; JENNIFER DENISON; JENNIFER DENISON; ROSS HECOX

HITCH YOUR HORSE outside the Saddle Sore Saloon in Norco, California, known as “Horse Town USA.” Horse trails thread throughout town, the streets have horse lanes and most businesses have hitching rails. The George Ingalls Equestrian Event Center offers regular open riding in the Clark Arena; it also hosts events like the Norco Fair and the Norco Mounted Posse PRCA Rodeo. norcofair.org, norcomounted posseprcarodeo.com

fried lobster on the menu. It’s the best view of the Las Vegas skyline and perfect for toasting an eight-second ride after the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. topofbinionssteakhouse.com SET UP YOUR TEPEE under the stars for the Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo in Jordan Valley, Oregon, in May. Motel rooms are sparse and fill quickly. Since 1955, the event has drawn the best ropers and rodeo contestants in the Great Basin and the Northwest. Hats and long sleeves are required, and saddle horns must be mulehide- or latigo-wrapped. biglooprodeo.com RIDE UNDER THE GATEWAY OF CHAMPIONS sign into the Jim Norick Arena at the Oklahoma State Fair Park Coliseum for one of the facility’s great events like the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship Show, the National Reining Horse Association Futurity or the Barrel Futurities of America World Championship Futurity.

The painted sign has welcomed great horses and riders since 1965, after the facility won the bid for the NFR. The neon sign was added during renovations in 2008.

ROSS HECOX

TAKE A DARE and brave the night to see the eerie Marfa Lights in Marfa, Texas, from a special viewing area on U.S. Highway 90.

First documented in 1883 by cowboy Robert Reed Ellison, the orbs of light appear above the horizon and pulse, flutter, change colors and disappear—a stillunexplained atmospheric phenomenon. If you’re there in April, stop by the Museum of the Big Bend in nearby Alpine, Texas, and take in the Trappings of Texas art and gear show. museumofthebigbend.com STAND AND REMOVE YOUR HAT for the United States flag, the F E B RUARY 2018

Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo, Jordan Valley, Oregon W ESTER N HO R SEM A N

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World Championship Ranch Rodeo, Amarillo, Texas Buck Brannaman, Sheridan, Wyoming

Four Sixes Supply House, Guthrie, Texas

national anthem and prayer at a rodeo, horse show or any kind of Western stock event.

On Veterans Day at the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo, Texas, all five military branches are honored. Put your hand over your heart and keep your head bowed—it’s the cowboy way.

WARM YOUR HANDS at the rock fireplace at the Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits in Sedona, Arizona. Formerly the Oak Creek Tavern, the bar and restaurant is where the

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Cowboy Artists of America got its start in 1964 when cowboy artists Joe Beeler, Charlie Dye, John Hampton and George Phippen sat in the corner table and created the professional guild.

BUY A BUTTON-DOWN at the Four Sixes Supply House in Guthrie, Texas. Built circa 1900 by ranch founder Captain Samuel “Burk” Burnett, the general store has since served ranch employees and families, as well as road-trippers hauling

how often he says, “Horses and life, it’s all the same to me.” brannaman.com

GET BUCKED OFF at the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale in Miles City, Montana, in May. Nicknamed “Cowboy Mardi Gras,” the event debuts top bull and bronc prospects, and also includes a bronc riding calcutta, bucking futurity, street dances, wild horse race, concerts, a parade and more. buckinghorsesale.com

BAKE A PIE in a Dutch oven camped out at Kent and Shannon Rollins’ Chuck Wagon Cooking School. Based in Hollis, Oklahoma, the duo offers the school at varied cow camps across the Southwest.

Learn to manage coals just right for award-winning food and relax as Kent shares stories from his ranching past.

Mind your measuring cups and don’t add too much flour to your piecrust or you’ll earn some teasing from Kent. kentrollins.com

START A COLT with Buck Brannaman. It’s an honor to participate in his Invitational Colt Starting Clinic at the Houlihan Ranch in Sheridan, Wyoming, in June. But you can join one of the legendary horseman’s clinics anywhere.

If you go to watch, bring a camp chair, water, food, hat, coat and listening ears. Count

FACE A REAL REMINGTON like A Dash For The Timber at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. From any angle you view the 1889 oil masterpiece, it looks like a galloping horse is headed for you. Free to the public, the museum contains the world’s largest combined collection of paintings,

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CLOCKWISE: ROSS HECOX; JENNIFER DENISON; KATIE FRANK

past the ranch’s headquarters on U.S. Highway 82. Pick up staples like coffee or a shirt tough enough to beat West Texas brush, or buy T-shirts and caps bearing the ranch’s iconic brand.

6666ranch.com

Cowboy Crossings, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Bellagio Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

CLOCKWISE: ROSS HECOX; CHRISTINE HAMILTON; ROSS HECOX; SIDEBAR PHOTO: JENNIFER DENISON

sketches and bronzes by two icons of Western American art, Frederic S. Remington and Charles M. Russell. cartermuseum.org STAY UP ALL NIGHT to experience everything Las Vegas, Nevada, offers during the NFR. From the highstakes Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association performances to the World Series of Team Roping finale, Boyd Gaming Cinch ChuteOut Rodeo, the Junior NFR, or trade shows and Cowboy Christmas, there is always plenty to do. Don’t miss the fountains at the Bellagio, and if you’re feeling lucky, there’s plenty of 24-hour gaming along the legendary Vegas Strip.

Calf fries

Custom Saddles, Winnemucca, Nevada.

BID ON A MASTERPIECE—in bronze, leather, watercolor, rawhide, oil, charcoal or silver—during the Cowboy Crossings show and sale in October at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The event

combines the work of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association—rawhide braiding, saddlemaking, bitand spurmaking, and silversmithing—as well as that of Cowboy Artists of America painters and sculptors. Come early for the artists’ demonstrations in the museum hallway. nationalcowboymuseum.org

EAT CALF FRIES, also known as Rocky Mountain oysters. If you can’t get them at a branding, find them at restaurants like Reata at the Backstage Club during the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo every January in Fort Worth, Texas. Or hunt up a “testicle festival” like the one at Buzzard’s Cowboy Cuisine in Calgary, Alberta; it overlaps the Calgary Stampede in July.

GET GEARED UP at a tack shop where you can watch the gearmakers work. Hunt up places like Big Bend Saddlery, Alpine, Texas; Burns Saddlery, Salina, Utah; J.M. Capriola Co., Elko, Nevada; Hamley & Co., Pendleton, Oregon; King’s Saddlery, Sheridan, Wyoming; Miles City Saddlery, Miles City, Montana; Ricotti Saddle Company, Clements, California; and Tips Western Wear and F E B RUARY 2018

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Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Durango, Colorado

Ruth Parton Webster mural, Toppenish, Washington

RAISE A GLASS in the Menger Bar at the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

Added to the hotel in 1887, the bar has seen many cattle and oil deals, and one lieutenant colonel Theodore Roosevelt recruited there for his “Rough Riders” cavalry unit serving in the Spanish-American War. Look for the bullet hole in the wall and get the barkeep to tell the story. mengerhotel.com STOP IN AWE under the larger-than-life murals found

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in small towns like Toppenish, Washington. A covered wagon tour down the town’s streets chronicles strong ties to Western history, from racing and rodeo to polo and ranching. On the first Saturday in June, artists collaborate to create a mural in one day. visittoppenish.com FIND YOUR INNER COWBOY and go for a buckle. Whether it’s in 4-H, rodeos, breed shows, discipline-specific or stock horse associations, find your spot and saddle up.

Nothing drives you to become a better horseman more than a little competition.

SMELL THE COFFEE in the early morning at a chuckwagon cook-off like the World Championship Chuckwagon Cookoff at the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium at Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.

Original wagons come from Tennessee to California, bringing long history and F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

CLOCKWISE: JENNIFER DENISON; CHRISTINE HAMILTON; KATIE FRANK

CATCH A TRAIN during the Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering in October in Durango, Colorado. The event offers a Cowboy Poet Train ride on the historic high-altitude Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Performers wander through the cars and regale passengers with songs, poetry and tall tales, on the way to lunch in Cascade Canyon. durangocowboypoetry gathering.org

TIE A DIAMOND HITCH in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness on a backcountry excursion with Over the Hill Outfitters. At night, gather in Cookie’s canvas tent to eat bread pudding drizzled with whiskey sauce and hear stories of the best places to pack, from the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. overthehilloutfitters.com

Weminuche Wilderness, Southwestern Colorado

World Championship Chuckwagon Cookoff, Ruidoso, New Mexico

CLOCKWISE: KATIE FRANK; ROSS HECOX; JENNIFER DENISON; ROSS HECOX

lasting recipes. See how cooks take pantry staples and prepare them in different ways—biscuits, breads, beans, meat, potatoes and cobblers. americanchuckwagon.org READ THE BRANDS burned into the cedar shingles lining the walls of the historic Mint Bar in Sheridan, Wyoming; there are more than 9,000 of them. It was once a cigar and soda shop with a speakeasy hidden in the back, and Western folk have stopped to “meet at the Mint” for generations. mintbarwyo.com CATCH YOUR MULE OR HORSE, or sympathize with others trying to, during the Team Pack Scramble at Bishop Mule Days in Bishop, California, over Memorial Day weekend. A shotgun start sets packers racing through a jumble of loose mules and horses to assemble their strings and get them across the finish line first. Be sure to F E B RUARY 2018

watch mules and donkeys competing in cutting, barrel racing, reining, roping and more throughout the event, and watch “the world’s longest non-motorized” parade. muledays.org TWO-STEP THE NIGHT AWAY at the Cowpunchers Reunion in Williams, Arizona.

The summer rodeo exclusive to local ranchers and families celebrates the cowboy lifestyle with ranch bronc riding, dally calf roping, team tying, a wild horse race and dances performed by live country bands. The historic town is called the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” so take time to head up to the canyon’s South Rim. azcowpunchers.com POP THE TOP of a cold Buckaroo Brew and tour Ruby Mountain Brewing Company on Angel Creek Ranch in Clover Valley, Nevada. The brewery is one of the ways

Arizona’s Cowpunchers Reunion, Williams, Arizona

ranch owners Steve and Maggie Safford are diversifying their cattle and hay operation. rubymountainbrewing.com WATCH A PARADE like the Old Spanish Days Fiesta Historic Parade in Santa Barbara, California, in August. One of the largest equestrian parades in the United States, the event boasts more than 600 horses, antique carriages, coaches and wagons. While there, check out the Carriage and Western Art Museum and its extensive saddle and bit collection from California makers. oldspanishdays-fiesta.org

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BELLY UP TO THE COWBOY BAR in the cattle barn in the Hall of Education’s first floor during the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. Even in January a cold beer rewards a long day, and you can throw your peanut shells on the floor.

Sure, there are more fragrant places to toast to a good heifer, but not many more authentic to the stock show way of life.

ORDER CUSTOM SPURS in the Round Building during the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene, Texas, in May. The iconic building—part of the

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Expo Center of Taylor County—houses the event’s bit and spur show, where top makers and dealers showcase their wares and catch up with old friends. While you’re there, watch the ranch rodeo or pick up a gelding at the horse sale. westernheritageclassic.com HOBNOB WITH COWGIRLS in Fort Worth, Texas, during the annual luncheon for new inductees into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame—they join the likes of Annie Oakley, Tad Lucas, Dale Evans, Charmayne James, Pam Minick and Reba McEntire. Take time to visit the National Cowgirl Museum and its exhibits honoring legendary women of the West. cowgirl.net

done by the country’s best horsemen and -women.

There’s nothing like being at arena level in the Will Rogers Memorial Center Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, as a high-velocity horse and rider turn a cow a few feet from your face.

EAT A COWBOY BREAKFAST on the historic King Ranch during its annual Ranch Hand Breakfast in November. The cow camp cooking offers a true taste of ranch life in Kingsville, Texas. The event includes a team roping, storytelling and music. Tour the ranch and see the graves of legends like Old Sorrel, Wimpy, Mr San Peppy and Peppy San Badger, and then visit the King Ranch Museum

Tucker Robinson and Cat Magical, 2017 NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity

and saddle shop in town. king-ranch.com GO TO A CLINIC, with or without your horse. The West is blessed with great horsemen and -women who teach

human and horse together.

Hunt up events such as the Legacy of Legends in March in Fort Worth, Texas, or the Western States Horse Expo in June in Sacramento, California, that attract a number of

LEFT: JENNIFER DENISON; RIGHT: ROSS HECOX

GO DOWN THE FENCE at the National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity, or at least watch it

Brian Lebel’s Old West Auction

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Nick Dowers, 2016 Road to the Horse

clinicians. Or check out websites for folks like Clinton Anderson, Martin Black, Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Julie Goodnight, Dan James, Buster McLaury, Bryan Neubert, Pat and Linda Parelli, Barbra Schulte, and many more.

FIND A TREASURE at Brian Lebel’s Old West Events show and auction, held in January in Mesa, Arizona, and in June in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Buy art, bits, spurs, firearms, Native American art and artifacts, books and more at the show, or bid on a silver saddle during the Saturday night auction. oldwestevents.com

ROSS HECOX

BUY A GOOD GELDING from a reputable breeder at one of the many great fall and spring sales across the West. Events in themselves, many offer sale-related futurities like the Pitzer Ranch Horse Invitational in Ericson, Nebraska. From stock show sales to those featuring horses from American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Breeders, you can have fun finding an honest cow pony.

EAT TRAIL DUST and bring up the drag in a cattle drive commemorating the cowboy era of the Old West. Join F E B RUARY 2018

Chisholm Trail reenactment, Wichita, Kansas

organized reenactments like the Great Florida Cattle Drive honoring Florida’s 500-year cattle industry history. The next is in 2021. Or show up any day at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District and watch riders drive a herd of longhorns down cobbled Exchange Avenue in Fort Worth, Texas.

MAKE OVER A MUSTANG or watch how it’s done at an Extreme Mustang Makeover event. From “wild to mild” in 100 days, it’s exciting to see how far a Bureau of Land Management wild horse can get in good hands. extreme mustangmakeover.com

crowning of Miss Rodeo America in Las Vegas, Nevada, and every small-town rodeo in between, these representatives travel their states, the country and all over the world as ambassadors for the sport of rodeo and the Western way of life.

musician Dave Stamey on a ride to the ghost town of Bodie in the Sierra Nevadas in Mono County, California. It’s a ride back in time narrated by Stamey’s stories and songs that make the history come alive. davestamey.com

GET LOST in time and legendary stories at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in Amarillo, Texas. From the giant family tree of foundation horses on the main floor to the member exhibits upstairs, the museum is a great way to grasp the blood and history behind the Quarter Horse in your trailer outside. aqha.com

FIND YOUR HERO at the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the greatest in saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping and barrel racing are found. Make sure you head to the barn and meet retired roughstock stars living there. prorodeohalloffame.com

PAY HOMAGE TO the men who died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn—also known as the Battle of the Greasy Grass and as Custer’s Last Stand—near Crow Agency, Montana. When the wind blows through the grasses on the bluffs above the bend of the Little Bighorn River, remember the souls of Sioux, Cheyenne, and U.S. Army 7th Cavalrymen who fought and died there. nps.gov/libi/

BE A FAN at the world’s No. 1 colt starting competition, Road to the Horse, held at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltec Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

The legendary event draws top horsemen and –women to show off how gently and thoroughly they can put a handle on a young horse. Even the most stoic cowboy will be cheering for a horse and rider by the dramatic end of the three-day event. roadtothehorse.com

TAKE A SELFIE with a rodeo queen. From Little Britches or National High School Rodeo Association events to the

VISIT A GHOST TOWN, or better yet, ride into one and camp. You could tag along with award-winning Western

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HIT THE TRAIL and follow in the footsteps of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. Every year, the Appaloosa Horse Club in Moscow, Idaho, organizes the Chief Joseph Trail Ride, covering one portion of the legendary chief ’s final attempt to escape the U.S. Army across Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Ride your own horse through beautiful mountain country, camp out, and live the history. appaloosa.com What’s on your personal list of the best of the West’s experiences?

Send suggestions and comments to edit@westernhorseman.com.

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In Washington State, a group of historians called the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle honor the role AfricanAmericans played in settling the West.

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The Buffalo Soldiers Ride Again

Story and photography by RYAN T. BELL

Lenard Howze, Jr., a second-generation member of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, plays a cavalry bugle during a reenactment drill near the group’s headquarters, Legends Horse Farm in Roy, Washington. The group embodies the motto of the original Buffalo Soldiers: “We can, we will.”

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A

MAN DRESSED IN THE GRAY UNIFORM of a Confederate States Army officer strolled down a sidewalk in Auburn, Washington. The street was a staging area for historical reenactors scheduled to march in the 52nd Annual Veterans Day Parade. The long-running event is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.

The crowd looked like a group of time travelers: reenactors wearing the beige fatigues of soldiers from World War II, the olive-green trench coats of the Great War, even a few redcoat uniforms from the Revolutionary War. The Confederate officer came to a halt in front of a group of African-American men sitting on horseback. They wore the blue uniforms of the 10th Cavalry, a segregated regiment of the U.S. Army created in 1866 that became known as the “Buffalo Soldiers.”

In a gesture that was far from historically accurate, the Confederate officer extended his hand to shake those of the Buffalo Soldiers.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Larry Horn sights down the barrel of a replica .45-70 Springfield rifle, the model used by Buffalo Soldiers starting in 1873. The U.S. Army didn’t trust African-American cavalrymen not to waste their ammunition during battle. Rather than equip them with the rapid-firing Henry lever-action repeating rifle, the Army supplied the Buffalo Soldiers with the .45-70 Springfield whose three-step cocking action slowed the rate with which it could be fired.

Geordan Newbill waves a U.S. flag near his horse’s head to desensitize it in preparation for the Veterans Day Parade the next day. Jerome Young (right) talks with the parent of a cadet during a training session. Young donates the use of his Legends Horse Farm for the Buffalo Soldiers to use as a headquarters.

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“I want to pay my respects,” the man said. “You guys look better and better every year.”

The men struck up an easy conversation on a topic favored by amateur military historians everywhere: paraphernalia.

The Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle base their dress on archival photographs from the late 1800s. They wear navy blue jackets and light blue trousers tucked into black boots, with Bowie knives snugged onto their belts. They ride McClellan saddles and carry a number of replica firearms true to that era, including the .45-70 Springfield rifle, the Sharps Carbine rifle and Colt .45 single-action revolver. In full regalia, they look every bit as formidable as the 10th Cavalry soldiers whom the Cherokee dubbed “buffalo soldiers” during the Indian Wars because of their curly hair, dark skin and fierceness in battle.

To a trained observer, there are a few aspects of the Buffalo Soldiers’ parade dress that veer from historical accuracy. The men ride Friesian horses because the flowing manes, tails and feathered fetlocks are eye-catching and help emphasize the movements of the group’s synchronized parade drills. Also, a member carries a bullwhip that he cracks to fire up the crowd.

“We don’t mind upping the entertainment level a bit,” says Geordan Newbill, the group’s president. “That’s why we consider ourselves living historians, not ‘historical reenactors.’ ” F E B RUARY 2018

The Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle was formed in 1993 by three men—Clyde Robinson, Al Wilcher and Lenard Howze, Sr.—who noticed that the history of the Buffalo Soldiers was being forgotten. Two of them had personal connections to the Buffalo Soldiers: Robinson served as one during World War II, as did Howze, Sr.’s father during World War I. The men decided to wear replica Buffalo Soldier uniforms and ride a segment of the Oregon Trail to honor not just the men of the 10th Cavalry, but all AfricanAmericans who contributed to the settling of the American West.

Realizing that history can’t survive without being passed on to younger generations, the men started a cadet program to teach inner-city youngsters horsemanship, outdoorsmanship and the history of the Buffalo Soldiers. Howze, Sr.’s son, Lenard Howze, Jr., and nephew, Geordan Newbill, were in the first cadet class.

Three decades later, they are now the leaders of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle, teaching a new generation of inner-city youth about their heritage and ancestral legacy as African-Americans in the West.

In the Pacific Northwest, the history of African-American settlers dates to at least 1845 when a free black man named George Washington Bush became one of the first settlers to reach Puget Sound. Bush had traveled west on W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

Newbill practices charging downhill with his Colt revolver drawn.

The Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle do not participate in battle reenactments, but they believe in training themselves and their horses to a standard that would be on par with that of the real Buffalo Soldiers riding on campaign.

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Newbill (right) demonstrates proper gun-handling technique for a group of cadets during marching practice. Newbill spreads the word about the program through his work as a volunteer sports coach.

His cousin Lenard Howze, Jr., owner of a chain of barbershops, tells young people about it while cutting their hair.

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the Oregon Trail in order to leave oppressive laws in Missouri, a slave state. However, while Oregon was technically a free territory, it had discriminatory land ownership laws that forced Bush to cross the Columbia River, a waterway that marked the United States boundary at the time. Bush was familiar with the region thanks to an earlier stint working as a fur trapper for the Hudson Bay Company (he’d returned to Missouri to marry and bring his wife west).

Bush broke ground on a 640-acre farm and built a sawmill, becoming a central figure in a community of settlers, most of whom were white. The region became known as Bush Prairie, and is located today in Tumwater, Washington. In 1853, Washington became a U.S. Territory, and the same discriminatory laws that had forced Bush out of Oregon now ruled the land he helped settle. Many of Bush’s white neighbors held positions in the newly formed territorial government and they successfully petitioned the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C., to grant an exception for Bush’s land claim.

A decade later, in 1863, the abolition of slavery opened a new chapter in the history of AfricanAmericans in the West. About 180,000 black men fought for the Union during the Civil War. Recognizing their contributions, the U.S. Government created two segregated cavalry units, the 9th and 10th Regiments, and two segregated infantry W E STER N H O R SEM A N

units, the 24th and 25th Regiments. The soldiers were guaranteed pay equal to that of their white counterparts: $13 a month. There were limits, however, to their equal treatment. Each Buffalo Soldier unit had to be led by a white officer. White units were given first pick of the uniforms, boots and rations, leaving the black soldiers with the leftovers. And while Buffalo Soldiers took pride in their regimental rifle, the .45-70 Springfield, it required a three-step firing process capable of only eight to 14 rounds per minute.

White soldiers equipped with lever-action Henry repeating rifles could fire 24 rounds per minute.

Then there was the poor quality of their horses.

“The Buffalo Soldiers were given hand-medown horses that the other soldiers didn’t want,” says Newbill. “They took these horses and became known as the best light cavalry of their time. They had to. Their lives were on the line.”

Having just emerged from slavery, AfricanAmericans were well-suited to the command structure of military life. And having worked with horses and livestock on southern plantations, Buffalo Soldiers were adept cavalrymen.

“In The Black Majority, the historian Peter Wood posited the argument that the term ‘cowboy’ has a connection to the slave experience in South Carolina where blacks were involved in the cattle business,” says Michael “Cowboy Mike” Searles, professor emeritus at Augusta University in F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

Georgia, where he specializes in the history of African-Americans in the West. “Workers were given a title based on their jobs. There was a ‘house-boy,’ a ‘cow-boy,’ and so on. This was happening at the same time, and maybe even before, ‘cowboy’ was starting to be used in Texas as a derivation of the Spanish word vaquero.”

The two “cowboys” converged during the Trail Drive Era, when an estimated one-in-four drovers was African-American.

“There was a lot of camaraderie between black and white cowboys,” says Searles, who was invited to speak at last year’s 150th anniversary celebration of the Chisholm Trail in Kansas. “The nature of the work required that everyone be treated equal. They sometimes called it ‘trail equality.’ ” Popular culture has not always given AfricanAmerican cowboys their due. As civil rights leader Reverend Joseph E. Lowery once said about the role of black cowboys, “our history with the building of the West has been saturated with vanishing cream.” Hollywood has been a major culprit, casting white actors in roles based on the lives of African-Americans. In The Searchers, John Wayne played a role based on the real-life black cowboy Britt Johnson. And The Lone Ranger is believed by many to have been based on the exploits of an African-American lawman named Bass Reeves.

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“That white cowboy rode into my living room every night,” says Jerome Young, a member of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle. “I grew up wanting to be like him. Of course, I could never become a white cowboy. But I didn’t have to because it turns out The Lone Ranger wasn’t white, either.”

The publication of Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Lonesome Dove in 1985 (and subsequent TV mini-series in 1989) marked something of a watershed moment in recognizing the role of African-Americans in the West. The book was based on the real-life journey of Texas cattlemen Charles Goodnight (Woodrow Call) and Oliver Loving (Gus McCrae), and included a prominent role for their trusted companion, black cowboy Bose Ikard (Josh Deets). A slew of Westerns have followed suit, including the 1997 movie Buffalo Soldiers.

Throughout the 20th century, economic forces led many African-Americans to migrate from rural areas into cities like Seattle, Washington, and Chicago, Illinois. The process depleted the rural West of its racial diversity and laid the groundwork for the disconnect felt today by younger generations of African-Americans.

“My grandfather’s family still remembered slavery,” Young says. “My dad was a pulpwood hauler, so almost everything he did was with mule or ox. That’s old-school hard labor. He wanted to get away from that life. It was known W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

Members of the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle wait with other historical groups to have their number called to begin marching in the Veterans Day parade.

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The Buffalo Soldiers use period-appropriate uniforms and saddlery.

Much of the gear is historical replicas, but an anonymous donor did give the group an authentic Buffalo Soldier saddle with the year “1916” stamped on the stirrup.

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that if you made it out West, especially the Northwest, you would be free and could actually own something. He joined the military and moved us out here so we could have a better way of life.”

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, land ownership by African-Americans has dropped significantly during the past 100 years. In 1920, blacks represented 14 percent of agricultural landowners, but by 1982 that number had plummeted to 2 percent. Among the driving forces in the decline were the discriminatory loan-making practices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which denied blacks farm loans that were readily accessible to other farmers. In 1997, the National Black Farmers Association organized a classaction lawsuit against the USDA. The case, Pigford v. Glickman, resulted in a $1.2 billion settlement and several reforms of the USDA, including the creation of a Minority Farmers Advisory Committee and the creation of an Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights inside the agency.

Today, Young has bucked the trend of declining African-American land ownership. He and his wife, Jo Gruissing, bought an old dairy farm in Yelm, Washington, located at the base of Mount Rainier, where they raise and train Friesian horses. Twice a month, they open their property, Legends Horse Farm, for the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle to run their cadet program. And in the summer, Young helps W E STER N H O R SEM A N

lead field trips to events like the Pendleton Round-Up and the Ellensburg Rodeo, where inner-city kids can watch black rodeo cowboys like Fred Whitfield and Cory Solomon compete.

As the Veterans Day Parade got under way, the Confederate officer returned to his group of Civil War reenactors. Because they represented both sides of that conflict, the group marched behind both the flags of the United States and the Confederacy, the latter a potent symbol associated by many with the institution of slavery. A few groups behind them, the Buffalo Soldiers of Seattle rode their horses, performing parade drills to a cheering crowd.

The imagery of so much complicated history marching down the street was a powerful commentary on what makes the United States unique. It brought to mind something group member Rickey Young (Jerome’s brother) had said a few weeks earlier, at the start of a cadet class.

“The Buffalo Soldiers had respect for themselves, respect for this country, and respect for a future they wanted for their children,” he says. “It doesn’t matter what color you are; we are all human beings.”

RYAN T. BELL is editor at large for Western Horseman.

See more of his work at ryantbell.com and on Instagram @ryantbell. Send comments on this story to edit@westernhorseman.com.

F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

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Cross-Cultural

Cowboy Lilander Alvarez has built his own business on his family’s Costa Rican ranch, guiding trail rides into the jungle on Appaloosas crossed with native Criollo horses that he has raised and trained.

Story and photography by JENNIFER DENISON

I

T WAS A SLICK, THREE-HOUR RIDE up a steep, mountainous trail, but the spectacular scenic overlooks made the time pass quickly. More than once my lanky sorrel Criollo horse sank to her knees in thick muck and I wondered if we were going to make it to the top. But then she would sit back on her hindquarters and spring up with her front legs, her hooves gripping the mud like suction cups, and lunge forward.

A tropical rainstorm the day before had left the trail questionable in areas, but that didn’t deter our group from riding through the jungle in the Alajuela province of north-central Costa Rica. There were seven women on the ride, all interested in improving their horsemanship skills at a clinic with Tammy Pate of Ryegate, Montana, and hosted by Nancy Zintsmaster of the rescue organization Kindred Connections at Majestic Lodge in the village of El Castillo.

Our guide for the ride was Lilander Alvarez, a 32-year-old tico (native of Costa Rica) and third-generation rancher. His family has raised cattle for more than 30 years in the lush tropical meadows nestled in the folds of the

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mountainside where we rode. Watching Alvarez lead the way up the steep trail on a stout, spotted Appaloosa, it was apparent that his horses were different than the small, thin, native Criollo horses we’d seen being led or ridden through villages. He also wore a straw cowboy hat, long-sleeved button-down shirt, Wrangler jeans, boots and a belt, and that was unlike the attire we’d seen on the sabineros (cowboys). The horses in Alvarez’s string were well cared for, had size and substance, and were prepared to safely navigate the unpredictable conditions with light rein contact. With complete trust in our guide and my mare Katrina’s abilities, I loosened my reins and gave the horse her head, and we trudged through the muck until we reached the stopping point.

Leading trail rides through the jungle is something Alvarez does nearly every day.

He started his business, Lilander’s Horse Tours, more than 20 years ago and it has enabled him to make a living with horses and share the beauty of his country and his family’s ranch.

Riding his 11-year-old Appaloosa Stallion Lalo, Lilander Alvarez drives cattle through his family’s ranch in the jungle of Costa Rica.

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ALVAREZ WAS BORN on the Pacific side of the country, near Liberia in the Guanacaste province. His father, Rafe, operated his family farm there until he had a chance to purchase approximately 43 hectares (about 111 acres) on a mountain in El Castillo overlooking Lake Arenal and Arenal volcano. He then sold the Guanacaste farm and moved his family to El Castillo, where they raise crossbred dairy cattle for both meat and milk. Alvarez’s mother also makes cheese to sell.

“Our cattle are a mix of three to four different breeds: Brahman, Brown Swiss, Holstein and Nelore,” explains Alvarez. “It’s a good combination because the Brahman makes the cattle suited to the [tropical] environment and the Brown Swiss are good for meat and milk, and they can travel in the rugged, mountainous country like in Switzerland, where they originated.”

When the calves are 7 to 8 months old and weigh 500 to 600 pounds, the Alvarezes wean and truck the cattle to an auction barn outside of La Fortuna, a town about 1½ hours from El Castillo.

Alvarez has worked with horses his entire life, because they were his family’s only transportation. When he was 15 years old he took his first job off the ranch, guiding

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ABOVE: Horseback adventures with Alvarez take guests through the jungle, up steep, muddy, mountainous trails, across rushing rivers and to a waterfall on his family’s ranch. RIGHT: Alvarez and his father, Rafe, work together to maintain the ranch’s cattle.

The cattle are a cross of Brahman, Brown Swiss, Holstein and Nelore, and do well in the tropical environment. Rafe occasionally guides a waterfall ride, too.

tourists on rides from La Fortuna and Monteverde to the Arenal volcano, because it was much faster to ride through the jungle than travel all day by bus. After that he worked in the stables at Rancho Margot, a self-sustaining resort near El Castillo.

“When I worked for other ranches, I got only seven days off in three years,” he says. “It’s hard to find someone who will work that hard cleaning stalls, cutting grass, feeding horses and giving rides. I would leave around 6 in the morning and not get home till 11 at night, seven days a week.”

He wanted to live on the family ranch and help his father, but the small operation could not make enough money to sustain two families. Then his father had an idea.

“We have a waterfall on the ranch, and my dad thought I should make a trail

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and start a business taking tourists on horseback rides to it,” he says.

In the mid-1990s, Alvarez forged a trail approximately 10 miles long using horse, saw and shovel. The river washed away his first attempt, so he rebuilt on higher ground. Then he created a foot trail more than a mile long that wound through dense forest and snarled roots, with stairs leading to the river at the base of the waterfall. The project took about two months.

He had a few ranch horses but needed more, along with a steady supply of horses W E STER N H O R SEM A N

in training to rotate into the guest string.

Since he was a teenager he dreamed of raising Appaloosas, which are hard to find in Costa Rica; eventually, that’s what he did.

“I like their coat patterns and conformation,” he says. “They are built like Quarter Horses with big bone and hindquarters, and are stronger [than the Criollo] horses for riding up steep trails.

The Criollos have to work harder to travel in this terrain.”

He saw his first Appaloosa when he was 15 years old and offered to buy it F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

Alvarez rides a lightweight, close-contact stock saddle that doesn’t have skirts, and he uses a 50-foot rope. Rain is common in the tropical climate, so he always ties a slicker to the back of his saddle.

from the owner, but his initial offer was refused.

“In Costa Rica, horses are considered by many to be tools,” says Alvarez. “The Appaloosa gelding I saw had been used hard and was really thin, with saddle sores all over. I kept after the owner, and finally he sold the horse to me for $150. I was making $4 a day at the time, so that was a lot of money to pay.

“The horse was 10 years old at the time, and I took care of him and fed him well. I went on to use him on the ranch and to rope bulls in the festivals. I called him ‘Cometa’ [Comet], and he was a horse for everything. He later developed an eye infection, but the vet was able to remove the eye and he recovered and lived to be very old.”

The next Appaloosa Alvarez bought was a 2-year-old leopard stallion that he could cross on his Criollo mares to produce large, strong trail horses.

“I paid $2,000 for the stallion, and he was skinny and had skin conditions from the rain and sun,” he says. “I took him home, wormed him, fed him and made him pretty very quickly. I trained him to F E B RUARY 2018

use in festivals and bred him to my mares and outside mares. Everyone wanted to breed their mares to him because he passed on the leopard coat pattern to his foals. I made additional income breeding him.”

The horse died in an electric fence accident when he was 10 years old, and Alvarez was devastated.

“I felt like I’d lost a part of my family,” he says. “Losing that horse wasn’t as much about losing money as it was losing the connection and love I had for an animal.”

Alvarez made a few trips to Panama, where well-bred Quarter Horses and Appaloosas are more commonly available than in Costa Rica, and continued buying breeding stock for his emerging horse program. His first crop of AppaloosaCriollo foals was born in 2008 and they are now in his string of 11 guest horses.

He also has two mares he breeds to his 11-year-old Appaloosa stallion “Lalo,” and will soon breed to his 3-year-old leopard Appaloosa stallion “Comanche.”

THE NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP revolution is in its infancy in Costa Rica, W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

and most trainers and sabineros still use traditional training practices that are more forceful than those to which Americans are accustomed. Alvarez strives to be a horseman, however, and sees his horses as more than tools; they are his partners and his livelihood.

Through his own experience, and by watching DVDs and reading books, he has opened his mind to better ways of training, even if a language barrier exists.

“I love horses and would be embarrassed if people saw mine skinny and not taken care of,” he says. “I have to use my horses, but I take care of them because I need them to be useful for many years.”

Alvarez raised and started the majority of the horses in his guest string. They have the ambition and willingness to move at any gait desired by an experienced trail rider, but also are gentle enough for green riders. Most of his guests have never been on a horse or have limited riding experience, but Alvarez does whatever it takes to make sure visitors have a good time.

“It’s nice when I can give a first-time rider a positive experience on my horses,” he says.

Zintsmaster, our host for the clinic and an avid horsewoman, met Alvarez during a visit to El Castillo prior to moving there in 2008 with her husband, Dan. “I went horseback riding with Lilander on my first visit [to El Castillo], and we connected instantly over horses and have remained buddies,” she says. “One day I helped him gather cattle, and we had to ride home through the jungle in the dark.

We couldn’t see a thing as we galloped, and he asked me if I was afraid. I was a little scared, but I didn’t let him know. He said the horses could see where they were going. It’s still the highlight of my riding experiences in Costa Rica.”

Today, Alvarez helps Zintsmaster with her seven horses on occasion and guides guests at her horsemanship retreats.

During our retreat, we had an opportunity to watch Alvarez work his young Appaloosa stallion Comanche on the ground. He started by teaching the colt pressure and release so he can learn to lead, back up, and flex his neck laterally and vertically in response to lead rope pressure. He then asked him to walk, trot and lope in circles on the lead, learning to yield to pressure and stop in response to

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TOP: Alvarez is proud of his 11-year-old Appaloosa stallion, Lalo, he bought in Panama. He crosses the stallion on Quarter Horse and Criollo mares. ABOVE: Alvarez is living his dream of raising and training Appaloosa horses like this 3-year-old, Commanche, for roping, ranch work and trail rides.

voice commands and body language.

Comanche had developed a bad habit of biting, so Alvarez also used a cavesson to keep the horse’s mouth closed and a stud chain for control. With guidance from Pate, he saw that he could sometimes redirect the horse’s energy in lieu of resorting to the chain.

Pate appreciates Alvarez’s open mind and his interest in learning other training methods.

“When I first met Lilander in February of 2017, I saw someone who was very polite, interested in horsemanship and willing to learn,” says Pate. “He noticed the similarities in what I do with horses and what he is trying to do, and he watched

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and we really connected on roping and cattle work. When I saw him again in the fall, he asked more questions and was out there working horses with me and open to suggestions.”

Prior to riding a horse, Alvarez sacks it out with the saddle blanket and gently places the saddle on the colt’s back, gradually securing the cinches a little bit at a time. He picks up its feet and taps on the soles to simulate shoeing, and teaches the colt to yield to ropes around its legs to keep it relaxed in case it gets tangled in vines or wire.

He starts his horses under saddle late in their 2-year-old year or as 3-year-olds in a stiff rope bosal, a common headgear W E STER N H O R SEM A N

used by Costa Rican cowboys. When the horse is responsive to finger pressure on the reins, he transitions to a snaffle or other bit. But Alvarez prefers that his guests ride with the bosals to save the horses’ mouths from inexperienced hands pulling on the reins.

“My grandfather used to introduce a horse to the bit during a full moon,” says Alvarez. “He says it made [the transition] easier on the horse. My dad would put a colt in a river and dump [buckets] of cold water on the horse’s body. [After that treatment,] when the horse is cold, it tends to give at the mouth and accept the bit better. I’ve tried it before and it works.”

Alvarez trains his horses mostly in the open, taking them up the waterfall trail several times and working cattle before introducing them to the guest string.

During the rainy season, from May to November, Alvarez must treat his horses for rain rot, which appears as small matted areas of hair or sores with scabs. In the dry season he has to watch for sunburn.

“I mix sulfur with mineral oil to form a cream that I put on the areas to treat rain rot and sunburn,” he says.

The volcanic sand in the Costa Rican soil is like sandpaper on a horse’s hooves and can cause lameness in horses ridden regularly. Alvarez claims to not be a professional farrier, but shoes all of his horses himself because, he says, “It’s part of my work.”

A friend who is a farrier gives Alvarez some of the lightly worn shoes he pulls off his clients’ horses.

“Sometimes the [recycled] shoe fits a horse’s hoof better and stays on longer than a new shoe,” Alvarez says, “because it’s worn in a little bit and easier to fit and nail on.”

DURING THE PEAK TOURIST SEASON, from mid-November to April, Alvarez works seven days a week, giving hundreds of visitors from around the world the ride of their lives and sharing his family’s ranch. He also volunteers to rope bulls in bull riding events or festivals, and prides himself in having a handy horse for the events.

Family ties run deep in the Alvarez family.

It’s common to see Rafe and his cattle while riding along the waterfall trail, and Alvarez still helps work the cattle and maintain the ranch. When Alvarez’s 12-year-old daughter, Hazel, is not in school, she rides along with F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

LEFT: On the waterfall ride, guests travel along a mountain trail horseback for approximately three hours. Then they “park” their horses and hike down a jungle path to a pristine waterfall. RIGHT: Alvarez, his wife, Carmen Julia, and their two children, Harold and Hazel, live in El Castillo. Hazel enjoys horses and helps her father guide rides when she is not in school.

her father. She shows natural ability and interest in working with horses. Alvarez hopes his 3-year-old son, Harold, will also want to be involved on the ranch and in the business when he gets older, but right now he stays home with his mother, Carmen Julia.

When we reached the top of the mountain we tied our horses to trees and looked out over a clear view of Lake Arenal and the volcano below, and Nicaragua in the distance. It was nice to stretch our legs hiking down to the waterfall, where

Alvarez helped everyone onto a large rock in the river where we could have a front-row seat to view the towering waterfall and be showered by its mist.

Alvarez plans to someday take over his family’s ranch and keep it going for his children, but until then he is living his dream raising Appaloosa horses and sharing them with his guests. Our waterfall ride cost only $5 (a little more than 2,800 colones), and based on the scenery, sense of accomplishment and cross-cultural horsemanship experience it was well

worth the cost of admission to preserve a family’s ranching and horseback lifestyle.

“The more I get exposed to different cultures, I see that there is a universal language in horsemanship among true horsemen everywhere—those who have empathy for horses and care about developing a partnership by connecting with horses’ minds, not just the physical maneuvers,” says Pate.

JENNIFER DENISON is senior editor of Western Horseman. Send comments on this story to edit@westernhorseman.com.

A NEW AGE OF HORSEMANSHIP NANCY FROST ZINTSMASTER is a lifelong horsewoman from the United States who retired with her husband, Dan, in Costa Rica in 2008. A student and instructor in the Carolyn Resnick method of liberty training called the Waterhole Rituals, Zintsmaster has rescued and rehabilitated troubled horses. In 2008 she founded Kindred Connections, an organization to host all-inclusive equine, yoga and wellness retreats at the peaceful and luxurious Majestic Properties and Rancho Margot, both in the small village of El Castillo in the Alajuela province of north-central Costa Rica.

Her goal is to bring together like-minded equestrians who aspire to “connect with nature to heal mind, body and soul.”

F E B RUARY 2018

“Although for years I had experienced the joy that horses offer our lives, I never realized the depth of the journey I was about to partake upon,” she says of rescuing her horses. “Knowing that these horse had many issues, the main one being their inability to trust humans, I reached out to Carolyn. She believes that the integration of the mind, body and spirit can transform our relationships with animals and with each other. While training with Carolyn, I found that true connection with a horse is far deeper than I ever could have imagined.”

Zintsmaster has partnered with Resnick and is now teaching the Waterhole Rituals worldwide. She also has hosted two yoga

W ESTER N H O R SEM A N

and horsemanship retreats with Montana horsewoman Tammy Pate. During the retreats, Zintsmaster works with Lilander Alvarez to guide her guests on rides through the jungle, crossing rivers and taking in a scenic waterfall on his family’s ranch while riding the horses he has raised and trained.

“Lilander is an amazing man with a beautiful passion and love for horses,” she says. “He lives each day to be with his herd. … His love for people and his enthusiasm for life is contagious, as he shares his funny stories and his love for his country.”

For more information on Kindred Connections and the horsemanship retreats, visit kindredconnectionscr.com.

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GERONIMO TRAIL GUEST RANCH Experience horseback riding and scenic beauty in the breathtaking, untouched Gila National Forest. Ride through incredible 500-foot-deep canyons with crystal clear spring-fed streams, through

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HONDOO RIVERS & TRAILS Since 1975, Hondoo Rivers & Trails has offered guests personalized service during backcountry exploration of Utah’s Colorado Plateau, near Capitol Reef National Park. Enjoy horseback riding, hiking and Jeep tours featuring camping or inn lodging. Options include custom day or multi-day trips. Hondoo implements low-impact and “Leave No Trace” techniques such as small group size, well-maintained equipment and top-notch horses. Thanks to the varied topography a WESTER N H O R SEM A N

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7 LAZY P OUTFITTING Nestled in the forest on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front since 1931, 7 Lazy P Outfitting offers visitors peace and solitude. The historic lodge and guest cabins are the perfect place to relax. For the more adventurous guests, a horseback vacation through the Bob Marshall Wilderness will leave you refreshed and energized. The fall season brings a variety of hunting opportunities, from pack-in archery to bugle season rifle hunts, drop camps, and private land access. 7lazyp.com

Ponderosa forests, across open meadows and to high mountain overlooks. Explore 1,000-year-old cliff dwellings and pictographs dating back to the Mimbres people of 200-1150 A.D. Enjoy warm hospitality, delicious meals, well-trained horses and comfortable tack. Escape and enjoy the peace and quiet at this small ranch. geronimoranch.com

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ROWSE’S 1+1 RANCH Jerry and Tammy Rowse are sixth-generation ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills.

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F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

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WINNEMUCCA RANCH HAND RODEO The Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo began as a little friendly competition hosted by the Dufurrena brothers. Held in the Winnemucca Event Complex in Winnemucca, Nevada, February 28–March 4, 2018, it is the largest and most exciting ranch rodeo in Nevada. The rodeo includes a Barrel Bash with more than $12,000 in added money, co-sanctioned by Better Barrel Races, BRN4D, and SIBRA. Don’t miss one of the largest cow dog trials in the country; the Ranch, Rope, and Performance Horse Sale; and other exciting events. ranchrodeonv.com

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F E B RUARY 2018

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jennifer.sanders@westernhorseman.com F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

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FARRIERSCHOOL.NET - Weekend shoeing classes, new online trimming course, Dennis Cappel owner/instructor 314486-4065.

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Montana Horseman Saddle Building School, Belgrade, Montana.

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY FARRIER SCHOOL - Don’t settle for a shorter course, get the foundation you need to succeed! MSU Farrier School is a 16 week program. Limited class size of 12 students.

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WESTER N H O R SEM A N

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN School of Horseshoeing. 2-week course for shoeing your own horse. 8-week course for shoeing professionally. Licensed by the state. VA and DAV approved. We teach hot, cold, corrective shoeing; forging; lectures; and study of anatomy. For more information and brochure, call: 256-546-2036 or write: 400 Lewis Rd, Gadsden, AL 35904. Lodging provided at no charge. www.horseshoeing school.net.

PROFESSIONAL PACKING SCHOOLS - www.rockcreekpackstation.com, Craig London, DVM, 760-872-8331.

SADDLEMAKING SCHOOL/ TWO WEEK COURSE - $3,950. Dan Hubbard instructor. See us at Facebook.com/ Diamond D Ranch and Saddlery. 816-6164154.

OKLAHOMA STATE HORSESHOEING SCHOOL - ALL instructors AFA Certified Journeyman Farriers, 22 students per class, 6 week Fundamental Farrier Course, Training on live feet only. Approved for VA, Post 9/11, BIA, WIA, WIA 167, and Vocational Rehabilitation. Student loans available with approved credit. Licensed

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F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

A Western Atti tude

Iconic Images From Western Horseman

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W ESTER N HO R SEM A N

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77

BACKWARD GLANCE

THE 1979 CLASS OF RODEO STARS inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame was impressive.

The year of the hall’s opening in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the inductees included legends from trick rider Tad Lucas to all-around cowboy Jim Shoulders. And of course the cowboy’s cowboy, Casey Tibbs, pictured here.

Born in 1929 in a cabin on the Cheyenne River north of Fort Pierre, South Dakota, Tibbs started rodeoing at age 14. At 19 he became the youngest cowboy to win the saddle bronc world championship. He went on to win a total of six saddle bronc titles, plus one in bareback riding and two all-around cowboy titles, and was a founder of the Rodeo Cowboys Association, precursor to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

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Tibbs also brought the sport to international attention. He was featured on the cover of Life magazine in 1951, starred in movies and television, and worked as a stuntman for years. He also toured with his rodeo troupe in Europe and Japan. Tibbs died of cancer in 1990 at his home in Ramona, California, at age 60. The documentary Floating Horses: The Life of Casey Tibbs premiered in 2017.

Today, a 28-foot bronze statue of Tibbs riding Beutler Brothers’ bronc Necktie greets visitors to the Hall of Fame. Sculpted by Edd Hayes, The Champ was installed in 1989. The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is one of Western Horseman’s 50 picks of places to find the real West in “Go West!” on page 40. One of Tibbs’ fellow 1979 inductees—the bull Oscar—has a mention in the story, too.

W E STER N H O R SEM A N

F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

WESTERN HORSEMAN ARCHIVES

Finding Heroes

Advertiser Index 5 Star Equine

24

Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal

77

7 Lazy P Outfitting

68

Linear Rubber Products

27

A Legacy of Legends

39

Mackey Custom Hats

73

B&P Neubert Ent., Inc.

73

Monnett Performance Horses

75

Bag Man, LLC

72

Museum of The Big Bend

67

Bear, Allie Tipton

72

Mustang Heritage Foundation

21

Big Bale Buddy

76

Nichols Quarter Horses

75

Buckaroo Businesses

73

Nile Valley Saddlery

73

Canyonview Equestrian College

76

Pidcock / Coates Quarter Horses

75

Catalena Hatters

20

Pine Ridge Knife Company

73

Chamber of Commerce Wickenburg

69

Champ Youth - Sally Loves Horses

72

Charlie’s Cowdogs

75

Coalson Real Estate

74

Daniel Joseph Lighting

72

Davis Ranch

75

Devil’s Hole Ranch

68

Downunder Horsemanship

6

Dude Rancher’s Association

65

Durango Cowboy Poetry Gathering

71

Eriksen’s Saddlery

72

Farnam - Horseshoer’s Secret

5

Foxden Equine

72

Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch

68

Graham Saddlery

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Graham School, Inc.

76

Henderson Cattle Company

75

Hondoo Rivers & Trails

Platinum Performance

Inside Front Cover 70

Resistol

Back Cover

Ride TV

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Road To The Horse

2

Roto Harrow

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Rowses’s 1 Plus 1 Ranch

68

Ruby’s Horseback Adventures

69

Smart Pak Equine

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Sombrero Ranch

69

Steve Guitron Custom Rawhide

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Tammy’s Cowdogs

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TechSew

73

The American

9 25

The Vaquero Series

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66

Tippman Armory

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Horsemen’s United Association

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Tip’s Western & Custom Saddles

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J.M. Capriola Co.

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TLC Animal Nutrition

31

Jama - Old West Boots

20

U-Braid-It Braiding Supply

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John M. Fallis Custom Saddles

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Western Horseman 6, 7, 28, 31, 33, 35, 37, 57, 69, 74

Jose Sanchez Boot

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Wil Howe Ranch

Kenetrek Boots

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Winnemucca Convention & Vistors Authority 71 W ESTER N HO R SEM A N

75

ROSS HECOX

Red Rock Ride

The Right Horse

F E B RUARY 2018

Coming Up

Winter Draft

When the snow piles up in Montana, Castle Mountain Ranch feeds cattle with sleds hitched to teams of draft horses.

Plus:

• Follow a top skijoring competitor through her first season as a professional, and see the skill and drive behind this exciting sport.

• See how South Texas ranching families pulled together in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Look for our March issue on newsstands February 15.

79

ON THE EDGE OF COMMON SENSE

by Baxter Black, DVM

Neat and Tidy Calving

T

HIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR when cow people don’t get much sleep. If you boiled raisin’ cattle down to its bare bones, the whole business revolves around gettin’ a live calf on the ground.

Folks outside the wonderful world of calvin’ season probably have some peculiar ideas about what happens.

Maybe they think a heifer calves like chickens lay eggs; nice and clean, no muss, no fuss. Others might picture a sterile operating room with attendants gathered around in masks and rubber gloves saying things like “Push!” and “Nurse, wipe my brow and clamp the cord!”

They imagine it as a neat, tidy procedure done in antiseptic surroundings, not unlike the manufacturing of venison sausage.

“Neat” is not the word I think of when assisting at a calving. Instead, insulated coveralls come to mind. As well as mud boots, chapped hands, rope burns, slippery chains, wet knees, sweating at 10 degrees above zero, and midnight. In fact, calving involves a whole lot more than simply inserting a coin, punching a button, and watching a can of Diet Coke be born with a thunk!

Instead, there’s that businesslike confidence that guides you when you check the heifer pen before turning in.

You see one that’s still trying. You can’t leave her in that condition all night, so you get her up and slog her into the trap or calving shed. While you’re gatherin’ up the O.B. chains and pullin’ off your jacket, a wave of nervousness and worry washes over you and settles into your gut.

Anticipation builds as you reach in for your first feel around. Hope surges when you make the initial pull on the calf. If luck is on your side, an enormous sense of relief follows. If not, that sinkin’ feelin’ soaks in right down to your bones.

It’s then that you do what your calling in life has prepared you for. It’s done with all the experience, skill, compassion and

80

dogged determination that you possess.

The buck stops on your shoulders. It’s up to you and her to get the job done.

Finally, the calf comes. He plops down on the straw, wet and sleek as a porpoise.

You tickle his nose, he snorts and shakes his head. You rub him down. You watch him struggle to four legs, fall, and then try again.

You pick up your stuff and back outta the pen, leaving mama and baby alone.

W E STER N H O R SEM A N

You stand there a minute. You hear her talk to him. She’s lickin’ his face.

The wind is cold on your back. Snowflakes melt on your cheek. In the presence of this miracle, you don’t notice.

Cowboy humorist BAXTER BLACK, DVM, is based in Benson, Arizona.

F EB RUA RY 2 01 8

CH A NGE S I N H AY I NC R E A S E C OL IC R I S K

B Y 10 T I M E S

Learn your horse's risks and get tips to help at SmartPak.com/ColicRiskQuiz

SMARTPAK'S

Challenge #3

Take a stand against colic!

Take SmartPak's Horse Health Challenge to see all the ways you can make 2018 your horse's healthiest year yet.