Cowboy-Up

[redman1]

Redman, Cody, Stretch, Levi and Caress say hello
I remember when I was a kid my grand-paw would through me up on one of our plow horses after working in the tobacco patch we would be a couple of miles from home and I would hold onto the hames because I was too young to know where we were going and off we would go. I didn't have any idea how to get home but the horse knew. On the way home everyone else would pass on tractors and pick-up trucks and wave at us and after awhile we would show up and stop in the barn.
That's where my love of horses started.
Every weekend we would go to the horse sale and buy something and I would hold on. My grand-paw would sometimes hit them with a two by four in the ass and watch me go.
Even had a Jenny one time and went to jump over a creek. She stopped before the creek and then jumped over it leaving me behind.
Well that's how it started.
Semper Fi Redman1

[vanmac]

you wouldn't want to get caught in the harness in case the horse/mule decided to runaway with you.

hames strings on a Marine forum, probably a first Redman.

S/F.

[montana]

oooooooo...vanmac...that was sad

remember uesing the team on the hay wagon bucking bails....was a thunder storm comeing in...hotter then all getout and our grandpa was working us half to death trying to get the hay up befor the rain...we git it done just in time...and while us kids were putting the last load in the barn ol granpa went to our house and called grandma...to come and get him in the car...told me to take the team home...about 2 1/2 miles away....then left...i got about 100 yards on my way when the hail hit with a loued thunder clap...i was 9 years old and weighed about 70 lb....any way we made one of the fastest trips to the home place i ecer made with the wagon jackknifeing on every corner...i was on the headboard leaning back at about a 90 degree...rains plumb tight scared ass all getout....made the home place ol grandpa had parked the car on the bridge that crost the small creek in front of the gate and was walking to oppen the gate when he heard all the comotion...he ran for the gate about the time the horses jumped the creek...about the time the wagon went airborne he was swinging the gate oppen...none to soon...just barly hit it with the corner of the wagon....grandpa made a lowed nise...i know it was loued cuzz i heard it above my own sreems...(called it my death song)...then the team came to a sliding stop at the barn door...i droped dowen off the headboard shaking and couldnt belive i was still alive...about that time i hear ol grandpa hollering...what the hells wrong with you runnig a team like that after they worked all day...i looked aroun and there he was with a stick in his hand gonna give me a woppen for running the horses....and gave it to me...dumb ol ****.......woulda thought he could of figured out what was going on...one of many good ol horse storys

be safe good people

[GSEMarine94]

I am by no means a cowboy, but I'm told it's in my blood. My mother a Siksika Indian, here father was a semi pro rodeo rider, broncos I think. As a kid both of them attempted to get me interested in horses but I could care less about them, especially since the girls I hung out with prefered dirt bikes. Which is funny because now that I am older and tired of bikes (to many trips to the ER) I wouldn't mind learning to ride. My sister in law has 6 or 7 horses that she keeps on her parents land behind mine. I have ridden her male appalusa (sp?) a couple of times but I haven't got a clue if I'm doing anything correctly. There is a 19 year old girl that lives down the road that runs barrels but I would feel like a perve asking her to give me lessons.

[redman1]

Good stories
Vanmac, Always had good experience with harness. Used them to climb up on the horse when I was little. As a kid didn't have to do much work just play. Once I wanted to ride and my grandpaw said if I could put the harness on I could ride. He was in the house resting after lunch always one hour. In our barn the first stall was a horse stall next to it was the tack room. First I used a rope on a pulley and dragged and put the collar on then I lowered the hay rake out of the loft and dragged it to the tack room, hooked the harness on it and pulled it up. Stood in the feed trough and put the bridle on the horse and led him under the harness and hooked it up. The only thing I couldn't do was hook the strap that goes under the tail. Pulled myself up and road to the house and grandpaw was surprised but not mad. Remember I was small and the plow horses were very gentle.
Montana, good story on the edge of my seat.
GSEMarine94 women like to show men how to ride. Just be yourself and enjoy.
I just own six acres and six horses and they are my life. We trailer around here and ride. Used to go somewhere every weekend.
This is what I wanted for a thread, Marines have a life too.
I have allot of stories and would like to hear your also
Montana you and Slingerdun have the kind of life I would like in Gods country
Just like I go to Morning Zephyr everyday.
Semper Fi Redman1

[montana]

GSEMarine just make sure you say...>>>-----> HORSE<------<< riding lessons...then you shouldnt look like to much of a perv...

we had 320 acers pluss leass land when i was a kid and we used horses mostly for work...the team for haying and saddle horses for working the cattel or hunting in the fall...my only free time on horseback was that the neibors would get me to ride the kinks out of some of their more crochety horses...suprising how many people back then werent much on horsemenship...they used them but didnt know how to handle them soo had problems...neibor asked me to ride an appy he had...good horse ,well broke ect ect...they always said that...went out in the pasture to catch the horse...was 10 or 11 years old then...the horse came at me ears back teeth showing...stricking with her front feet....i jumped a 5 wire fence....took up track the next year...didnt know i could jump that high.....finaly got her cought...did some ground work then useing his headstall went for a ride...everything went real smooth for a time then out of the blue she went to bucking...plumb nuts...spun her out of it ten everything was smooth going...then again plumb locko..spun her out of it ...then everything ok...spent half a day that way...took her back to the saddleshed....took the tack off....was my first time ever useing a snaffle bit on a saddle horse...looked it over then looked at the horses mouth....saw something that looked a little funny on her toung...pulled it out and there about wher the bit sat was a row of blood blisters...put a strait bit on her and she turned into a lady...i didnt tell the owner that till summer was about over...used her alought and she was starting to get purdy good with cattle when it was time to take her back...i have never used a snaffle bit sence...

be safe good people

[redman1]

Good one say" HORSE" and make it clear that's all you want.
Wife just came in and was reading these stories. Thanks and keep them coming. Pictures are welcome I guess, I'm new at this. You can always send me pictures at my E-mail as some of you already do. If you don't have my E-mail just PM me and I'll give it to you.
Semper Fi Redman1

[Marine1955]

Well i see you got it started good one.Question for you all, do any of you rope or rodeo? me i don't but love to watch.Semper Fi Cowboys OOOOOORAAAHHHH!!!

[Ken Hendry]

Have you ever been to Birdsong Trail rides in Camden Tn. The wife and I try to go up twice a year. We ride for a week and they feed you 3 meals aday it cost us 185.00 for meals and a spot for our horse trailer with living quarters. We have also been to Bucksnork, Bufflo River. I am down to (3) horses now the price of hay is around 17.50 a bail for T&A and a bag of feed is 18.95 so we had to cut back to three and at a young 65 I feel better with just three. I have a two year old that I just got under saddle I took her down to the pond I did not want to hurt the ground when I fell off. We have been working with her from birth. I saddle her and we had this long talk I got up on her no buck, kick we had the best time that day we rode fo four hr. on the trails that day now she just rides all the time.

S/F
Ken Hendry

[redman1]

Bill I don't and never have Rodeo
Ken thanks for sharing, I sent you a PM
Marines thanks for sharing on this site, I added a picture of Jane the plow horse on my profile, check it out.
Hope all of you are doing O.K.
Semper Fi Redman1

[montana]

have been known to snag one ever so often....a friend has a small cattle ranch weat of here....i used to take my horse and heal and drag um to the branding fire...showed a cupple of his pals how to heel...eventualy they took over....felt funny at first after my horse tired i would heal the calf for um then hand them the rope to dally on their horse...splaneing the tricks of the trade.......they got purdy good at it...moste likely better then i...never rodeoed...never liked getting out in front of all the people....but i have rode some purdy rough stalk out in the corall....the ones that the owner says...i traind the horse real good but i cant get it to stop bucking me off..DUH

Be safe good people

[Quinbo]

Had a proud cut paint horse on the ranch I worked on as a teen. One day that horse decided he flat didn't want me on his back no more and we had a rodeo right there in the pasture. Felt like 10 minutes but probably more like 10 seconds. My uncle was there and for Christmas that year he gave me a set of bull riding spurs and a bull rope. Thus the selected handle of bulkyker = bull kicker.

[montana]

10 seconds would have been more then enough for the money

[Quinbo]

I remember that horse like yesterday. Put up with a teenager doing a lousy job of brushing then saddling and usually was a nice ride. One day he just decided to put his nose between his hooves and go freaking nuts. I'm hanging on to the saddle horn and hoping this aint the end of the world.

[GSEMarine94]

Worse experience I ever had on a horse was when I was 12. My grandfather put me on a palomino that decided I shouldn't be there, she was pretty smart and instead of trying to buck she ran under a tree that had a pretty good sized limb hanging just above her head. The worse part was that my grandfather told me that if I didn't get back on that horse he would kick my azz all the way home, figured the horse was a safer bet.