Horses

 

[In 1909] We Still had the old Family horse[.] I will tell you Some thing about her.  _She was a morgan mare and was very smart and was a good Saddle also Buggy horse[.]  Dad worked her In the field's Some[.]

-The flash Flood –

I had gone after Cattle this evening and was Rideing the old Family horse[.]  The Dog was with the other Brother So he couldnt come with me after the cows this evening[.] We had several Draws and Some Steep Cayons In the pasture and these all emptied Into the Cedar River[.] one Ran through our place and one corner of Mr Bartlets the Black Smiths Farm and emptied Into the River there.  I was taking the cayon With the cattle.  And we hadnt had any Rain Near home So didnt think any thing about Any danger as the sun had Been Shineing Bright all day there at home.  I was Driveing the Cattle through the Cayon and noticed they Seemed to be In a hurry to get through the Cayon also the old family horse[.] So let her have her head and we hurryed to get through also[.] The old Family horse had hit the trail going out of the Cayon when the wall of water come down upon us.  But was high enough up So the full force of the water didnt hit us But it would have taken us with it If there hadn't Been a tree along side of the trail.  The force of the water threw us against a tree along side of the trail[.]  Some way I got off the off of horse[.] But I had my arm around the tree But I still had a Hold on the Bridle Reains which were Heavey Hitch Straps and Long[.] I had gotton off the horse at the tree as it was above water Line and some way I had gotten the Strap around the tree and that helped the horse to come up to where I was and from there we made it to the top with out any more trouble[.] I went home with the Cattle.  I told Father that there was a Bad Flood going Down the Cayon[.]  he Laughted at me But he did go take a look, after I Insisted on the fact.  he could hardly Belive what he saw[.] he told us to always Be sure after that there Wasnt any water at the head of the Cayon and to come over the Bridge after that.  What had caused the Flood was heavey Rain quite a number of miles above us. a lot of the country around west of albion and primrose to the east and South is Rolling land and some Rather Rough[.]  It was through this part of country that they had gotten the heavey Rain and it all emptied Into this cayon and another Small one above us a few miles. I Never told any of my Folks that the horse and I were caught In Flood.  But I have always Been afraid of Floods Sience. 

[- Other Horses –]

Father Raised one Colt from this Morgan mare whoes name was polly and the colt was a Bright Bay filly and we called her pet.  Dad Raise many through her and her Strain of colts.

About this time [1909] my Brother wanted a pony.  Father Bought him a Dunn and white spotted pony[.] we called this pony Kit[.] She only weighed about 600 lbs or 700 at the most.  She was named right for She had a Kit tricks when it come to putting a Saddle on her or some one was to Ride her[.] I neve saw a man or any one Ride her or try to Rider her that She didnt Buck off.  Father Kept her and Sired her to a Sire that was part perchon and morgan and her colts were Broken when they were young to Drive and Ride and they were all good Saddle and Rope horses as well as Driving and Buggy horse's.

But Befor Father Left Cedar Rapids Nebr [in winter of 1909] he had Bought a Bright Bay Filly about three years old[.] she was Buggy Broke And also to Ride Bare Back.  During the mean time he had Bought my Brother another pony[.] he called him peanuts Due to his color.  So he that I Should have a horse as I had the heifer and if I Kept her and her calves I would have to Many Cows[.] So he traded me out of the Heifer and I got this Bright Bay Filly[.]  She turned out to have Fair Life And speed[.] She could pull a top Buggy a mile In three min's and Light cart In something Less than a mile in 3 mins[.]  And In latter year's I Raised enough colts from her to Start farming[.]

I was Breaking horses to Ride and Drive at the age of l2. It seemed I had a way with horses.  We had an uncle that moved In close to us and his one son and us older Boy's would Ride all the Colts and Calves[.]  My oldest Brother wasnt to much of a Rider[.]  But he would promote the Deal among us Boys.  But he never took the chances him Self. 

[About 1914-15] my Brother had a Gray Buggy horse or Rather mare and he and Dad Drove her and a full Brother to the Buggy[.]  I had my own Buggy mare the Bright Bay I mentioned[.]  I took a notion that I wanted Break this Gray to Ride.  So I put the Saddle on her and Rode her and Boy what a Ride I had[!]  however I Rode her, and I rode her every day But I didnt use that Saddle again Because there wasnt much Left of it from the first Ride. 

[A]fter threashing Dad sent me out there to Cheyenne County to potter to help haul the wheat and oats to market and I made him promise he would Ride the Gray[.]  But she wouldnt Let him get on her unless he tied her to a post[.]  he had a Hired man and he said[ “] I Believe I can Rider her[.]  I have Seen Bud get on time and again and I think I Know how he Does it[.”]  and he Rode her for me while I was gone.

[G]oing back to about 1919 and 1921 Somtime Befor I left home and come West to farm[,] along about this time Dad had quite a few colts and Bronco that he traded for as he liked to trade In horses.  he had a fine Gray part morgan And part perchon Stallion that was well Broke In to work.  He Sired these mares or Dams to And Raised Some Nice Colts And I would have to Break these Colts to Drive And work.  And as my oldest Brother Alway took the well Broke horses to work. that some times Left me with five or Six young horse's and Bronc's that had only Been Driven or worked a few Days or a short While at the Most.  And when the horses had worked a short while and got So they would Guide, By the Reins Dad would Sell or trade them off for something else.  Some times he got something that was Broken and sometimes not[.]  I have had horses that he had traded for that would Kick them Selves Loose from Any thing they hitched too. 

We had Big Gray Coach Mare that As long as she Worked a long side of the Stallion She woulden Kick or try to Run Away[.]  But after Dad Sold the Stallion she Caused Several Run Aways.  as She always worked with him. (At top of page:  l9l9 and l92l  She alway was worked with the Stallion) And alway started kicking when She was working with Several other Mare's[.]  But If she was worked with geildings she would work fine[.]   She Started to Kick one day when I was Discing Some Corn stalk Ground And Caused a Run Away which threw me Down In front of the Disc[.]  But the old Row were high as we Alway's used Disce on our cultivators to Ridge our Corn Rows to hold the moisture and Kill the weeds[.]  And I happened to fall Between the Rows and Beening Draged under the Disc I dislodged Louse Corn Roots and stalks And Caused a large pile Dirt to Build up and slide the Disc which Broke the Double trees that horse were hitched to.  some folk Called them whipple trees.  and I still was fasten to the Lines some way and the horse's pulled me from under the Disc with the Lines[.]  But when I got horses Stoped I only had two Lines In my hands and they were on off Side from where this Gray mare was and I had the horse's In pile on the Ground.  I took horse's home[,] put them In the Barn[,] And went to the house.  I knew I was hurt In the Back[.]  I could feel the pain and my clothes seemed Stickey[.]   I told mother that I had a Run away and was going to the Doctor.  Dad Come In the house he had quite a temper and started In on me for letting the colts and horse's Run Away[.]  I told him I was going to the Doctor that he Could talk to me Latter[.]  I would have get patched up[.]  Just then Mother told him to Look at the Floor.  As[ked] him what he thot thoes Red spots were.  She told him to Look at my pant Legs and shoes[.]   you Can see that he is Bleeding and is hurt.  Dad Just Stood there as If he Couldnt Belive it.  I went to the Doctor got patched up[.]  I had two Cuts along my Back one on each Side of my Back Bone, and how I got them I will Never know Due to fact that my sheep skin Coat wasnt torn or anything that I could see But my shirt[,] under wear and over all were[.]   Doc. patched me up and taped me. up tight[.]  it was from these cuts that I was Bleeding But Dad Couldnt Believe that I had gotten hurt In anyway[.]  So he sent my oldest Brother up When I was going to Bed to See[.]  he saw my Bloody clothes and the Bandage around me and told Dad about it[.]  Dad did not Say anything at the But later he Did.

It was about that I got me an other team of well Broken In horses to work the Colts with, as the most of my horses Were Just Colts themselves.  And Couldnt Be trusted as I had Decided that I was going to have some thing of my own Well Broke and Not have Depend on What was traded for to get along With.  But I still Broke and trained Dads horses for him.  I also Broke Some to Ride[.]  It was along about this time that I Bought a young Belgun Stallion Which was papered and Registered[.]  I bought him from Henery Hawn and this Stallion In latter year Sired Some Colts that Were prize winners[.]  when he was old enough I Broke him to Drive and work[.]  By that time Some Mare of my Colts were Dependable horses also[,]  especialy team of a Gray and Bay Mares.  My Brother Frank Bought him self a team Bay and Gray Colts to Break to work[.]  he used my Gray and Bay mares to work them with, for a while[.]  one Night In thunder storm the four of them were Stunned By Lightening which Caused the Death of one of his colts or young horses and thoese two horse's hair Stood up on end Like electric Wires[.]  the one only Lived about a day But the other one got over it[.]  My Mare's were In the pasture with them at the time But they were Blinded for a long time.  But I worked the team that Way[.]  But a person had Keep the Lines or Reins held tight for they got so they Depend a person to guide them[.]  But they Seemed to get as good as ever latter on.  My Brother sold his horse to me And I didnt work him Much that year and he got over his In about a year.

Along about that time my Belgun Stallion was geting old enough to Break to work, So I Broke him to Harnness And Worked him with this other Colt[.]  the Stallion Weighed l993 pound and the other horse weighed l973 pounds[.]  After I got them Broke Where I Could Trust them I would Break Big Colts with them[.]   And it didnt make any differance to them how mean they were[,] they Could take care of the Broncos. 

A Pair of Mules

along about the next year Dad And my oldest Brother Bought a Bunch of Oregon Mules.  I Say Oregon Because the home Ranch where these mules come from was In Oregon[.]   But it was Known as the Tristate Ranch Oregon[,] Idaho and Nevada - In the Corners[.]   and they were Large and some of them had Never had a Rope on and were 7 or 8 years old[,] Weighed l4 or l500 pounds And full of Fight[.]  They were all most more than one Saddle horse wanted to handle[.]  So we Never took a Chance[.]  We would get them Into a holding pen then In a Squeeze, put foot Ropes on them and halters, An turn them out of the Corral[.]  And when they Come to end of the Rope We would tell them to Stop[,] Which they wouldnt do.  So the man on the end of foot Rope would turn them end over end and you might say every way But Wrong Side out[.]   But after about 30 minutes of that they Knew what you ment when you told them to Stop[.]  We usaly Carried a Whip with us But seldon ever used it on them[,] Just Snape it to attract attention But Seldon hit the horse or mule with it and only above the Knee's and  never on the Hips or Back Legs as it might make a Kicker out of the Horse.  So A person Can See that horse Breaking And training is fascinateing. 

I have had Several good Stallions In my time[.]  one of them Was a white Arabian[,] Another one part Arabian and part Morgan and have had few quarter horses[.]  And I have found that some of your pure Bred horses can Buck Just as hard as a Bronco.  And Be Just as mean.

I Carried a Whip as a Rule But Seldon used it only attract atention, and then Just to snap it[.]  If I did Strike a Horse with It was Below the Knees and Never high as a Horse can Be spoiled easly and Made to fight By Strikeing them high.  you can make a Kicker out of a horse By Strike it on the Hipps or Hind Legs[.]

My oldest Brother Come out to my place [near Peetz. Colorado in 1922] During harvest time.  he Just Come out to Look Around he said But he Stayed thru Harvest[.]  When he come he wanted take a Ride over the place on my personal Saddle horse[.]  I had a couple other Saddle horses there that was Quiter than he was.  My Brother went to Saddle him and I heard a comotion In the Barn and Went to see what it was[.] I found the horse Standing In the alley way Betteen the mangers of the Barn and my Brother In the Stall with the Saddle In his hands[.]  he took the Saddle and went In the alley Way and thot he would Saddle him there But the horse had other Ideas so he Went Back over the Manger Again.  So I had to Saddle him and Ride him out the First time As he hadn't Been Rode for a few Day's And would Buck the first time after a Rest[.] After that he was Careful how he Went up to the Saddle horse[.]

THE SINGLE YEARS