Lost a good horse

[Sourdough]

 LOST A GOOD HORSE

March 1982, got word the Space Shuttle might be landing at White Sands, New Mexico.  My job at the time was to round up and catch wild cattle on the range.  Had seen this old Mossy Horn Cow hanging around the area of the runway.  She had a tendency to turn up where she was not wanted.  But she also had a knack of always finding a way out of every trap we had set.  I decided it was time to get rid of her.  I no longer wanted to capture her; I wanted to just be rid of her. 

That morning I left camp riding on Concho.  A Bulldog Quarter I had picked up down at the El Paso stock sale.  Massive set of shoulders on this horse.  Big horse, short legs, but staying power.  Not fast over a distance, but quickest horse off the line I had ever forked.  If he decided to make a fast turn, I was hard pressed to stay with him.  But he was a good cutter, and brush popper.

We rode up near the base of the San Andres Mountains.  I was carrying a bolt action .30-06 in the boot, and a .44 Mag on my hip.  Left camp with one wrangler (Chris) and two dogs.  We scoured the foot hills all morning.  We broke for lunch around 1 PM.  While eating one of the dogs started barking, meaning it had found cattle.  Soon the other dog started barking as well.  They had an old Bull and a bunch of heifers bunched up.  Not what we were looking for but we needed to take them in to get them out of the area.

Later that day I went riding up near a pile of rocks and brush, to head off one of the young ones.  Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a Cow bearing down on us.  Concho made the jump to get away, but she was too close.  She hooked him in the belly just behind my foot.  His jumping forward caused her horn to rip all the way to his hip.  Concho was disemboweled on the spot.  Her continued movement caused her body to slam into Concho’s side, trapping my right foot between them.  I had already slipped my left foot out of the stirrup, ready to jump.  As the horse and cow moved to my left, I lost my seat and fell out of the saddle onto the cow’s hips.  My weight caused her to lose her footing and fall.  Concho fell as well, kicking as he went down.  Concho fell away from the cow, but as he laid there he kicked her in the head several times.

I fell hard in the rocks.  For a bit I was stunned, but knew I had to get up quick before the old cow turned on me.  I jumped to my feet and saw her lying there beside Concho kicking.  I shot her in the back of the head.  Then I collapsed onto the rocks.  To this day I don’t remember pulling that pistol, but we later found three bullet holes in her neck and back all from above.  Then theer was the one in the back of her head.  So I had shot her three times from the saddle, that I don’t remember, then the one shot to the back of the head.  Things were sure happening fast.     

My Wrangler heard the shooting, and left the small herd to the dogs to keep together.  Usually once we had the cows moving the dogs would keep them moving in that direction.  Took Chris a while to find me, but by then I was sitting up.  I had blood covering my face and chest.  Chris shot Concho, he was still breathing.  The old cow was dead.  Chris took me to a spring and washed the blood away, then set me up to0 shoot any Coyotes that might come along.  Chris rode back to camp where the CB radio was.  He called in to notify the base of my injuries.  Since any chopper they would send out would be unable to find me, as it was getting dark.  Chris drove the Dune Buggy up to the spring, and then drove me on in to the base.

 [font=]I had two broken ribs, a laceration to the front of my head just above the hairline, and cactus thorns all in my left side.  [/font]Doctor restricted me from riding for two weeks.  That did not last long.  I watched the shuttle land from the back of a horse.  That was the landing where the pilot pulled the nose up and ran down the runway with the nose of the shuttle up in the air.  His little unprecedented move gave them a lot of information on how well the shuttle handled on the ground.

[FPH]

I don't know if they know what a good horse is now days.  All I see are P/Us with ATVs in them.  Always neat to see the shuttle when it landed out here or stopped  for the 747 to refuel while the Shuttle was being ferried....usually at Biggs.

[Old Syko]

Never was a horse person but my wife sure is and she learned from her dad.  Her dad used to board horses to make a little money and the wife had one of her own.  One holier than thou old bat came along wanting some of her horses boarded and the one that was her personal horse was quite a picture.  He was proud and fiery and the old bat warned everyone over and over that nobody but her would ever be able to ride him.  My wife was my girlfriend at the time and was 17 years old, 5' tall and 100 pounds at best.  She was intrigued, to say the least with this big, black, very expensive Ferrari of a horse to the point she just couldn't resist.  She approached the animal, who seemed nervous in her presence, but she talked to him, rubbed his nose and slipped him a sugar cube or two that she always kept in her pocket.  She worked him over by an old tree stump where she suddenly climbed aboard.  I don't know who's eyes got bigger, the horses or the old bat that owned him.  She grabbed a handful of mane, made that clicking noise she always made to get a horse to go and go she did!

Well, the old bat was about to have a conniption of some sort but my soon to be father in law, being the calm and easy going guy he was, told her to "just shut the **** up cause the horse was in better hands than he had ever been before.  Besides, he'll be fit to ride when he comes back and at no extra charge."  After quite some time, the wife returned at about the same speed she had left.  She was grinning from ear to ear just like always when she had found a horse that impressed her.  This big horse on the other hand, was lathered up as though he had gone through the soap cycle at the car wash.


The old bat was mad already, but the last straw was after the wife dismounted and walked across the yard, the horse followed her like a new pup.  They still boarded the horses there because FIL was so cheap but I never saw the old bat ride that particular horse again and they sold him soon thereafter.  Some folks just have a knack with horses and some of us don't.

[Ranger99]

great stories.
most folks like the idea of a horse,
but don't have the slightest notion
of the work it takes to maintain a
good blooded well trained horse.
seen a bunch of 'em get barn soured
by folks that got a belly full of the
work and just fed 'em and quit riding
and working with them after the
novelty wore off.

[powderman]

A month or so ago my neighbor had been taking a new 4 yr old to some Amish folks for breaking and training. His neice had been living with him several months, a victime of spouse abuse. They went over to see how the horse was doing and it was being led around by a young man. Neice wanted to ride it, they all said no, but she insisted. A girl decided she'd lead the horse around while the neice rode. She couldn't handle the horse, it tried backing up and fell, rolling over on Bobs neice.
Bob heard her ribs and bones breaking as she was crushed to death. He's still having a rough time dealing with this. He gave he horse away. 2 years ago he had a stud grab him by the  neck and shake him like a dog would a cat, that one left too, but not before he had him nutted. I used to feed 6 of them for him when he was on vacation. Never had any trouble, but never really trusted them either. POWDERMAN. 

[Ranger99]

years back an uncle had an ap stud
that was a bad cribber. i never had any
trouble until i was by myself and the thing
came up behind me like you're talking about
and tried to bite my neck and shoulder.
if i hadn't had on a heavy coat the thing
might have hurt me bad. it just got a
mouth full of canvas and shirt, but it could
have been bad with no one else around.

[Sourdough]

When I was 4 my Dad had a big Tennessee Walker Stallion.  Mom hated that horse, mainly she was afraid of it.  One day I saw the horse in the pasture near the house.  I had been playing on the front porch.  We were at my Grand Father Hunter's place.  I went down the steps and crawled through the gate.  I walked right up to that big mean horse.  He reached down and sniffed me.  I petted his face then grabbed an ear.  I threw my leg over his head, and straddled his neck facing backwards.  the horse raised his head and I slid down onto his withers.  I kept going till I was sitting on his back.  He went back to grazing.  I was having a merry old time, just sitting there watching the Butterflies, Birds, and wildlife going by.  I vagely remember playing up there but I sure was enjoying it.  I must have gotten sleepy, I leaned forward and laid down on the broad back and went to sleep.

I remember my Grand Father taking me off the horses back, and carrying me to the house.

When the wife and I started dating, I had this big Quarter Horse that was a biter.  I got him for a little of nothing since everyone else had kids and was afraid one of them might git bite.  He was what was called a push button horse for Gymkana.  Michelle won a lot of throphys with him.  I had told Michelle not to ever go into his stall to clean it.  To let me remove him first.  He only bit when he was in the stall, once outside he knew it was time to work.  One after noon she had fed him, and he was busy eating.  There was just one pile that needed cleaning up so she decided to duck in and shovel it up then depart quickly.  Did not work.  She came to the tack room, covering her chest with her hands.  She walked in and said, It's a good thing I don't have anything, if I did they would be gone now".  That horse had grabbed her tee shirt, right in the middle of the chest, ripping it off her.  Being summer in Glendale Arizona with temp over 100 degrees all she was wearing was the tee shirt, pair of shorts, and sneakers.  Seemed like most of the members of the base stables were there and saw it too.  I went out and there he was waving that shirt in the air, showing the world, look what I did.  The shirt was a total loss.  I gave her mine to wear till we could get back to her dorm.  She never went into his stall again, unless I had removed him.  I also owned an Arab Stud at the same time.  For a little horse he had a nasty disposition with every one but me.  He was my money maker.  $800.00 for an Arab Mare, $500.00 for a registered mare.  Close friends that had a grade horse or a mixed breed, I only charged $250.00.     

[hillbill]

they say that you only get one good horse, one good dog and one good woman per lifetime.ive had my good horse and good dog.