I am telling you that the cool mornings are rough on an old feller who saddles up a trustworthy steed for a day of riding fence. Snip stood perfectly still while I saddled him. Of course, he was chowing down on oats and then led so peacefully out of the barn and lot. I was thinking of the fencing tools in the saddle bag, you know, the steeples, pinchers, plastic things for the T-posts, and wondering if I needed anything else as I put my foot in the stirrup. Yes, I needed Casey Tibbs for this silly bronc I been feeding!
Snip never did learn to buck hard, just crow hops real good. I got my bottom in the seat and never did get the right-hand stirrup caught. I could hear the saddle bags flapping and I was getting rather tired of this nonsense by the time it was over. Snip was blowing hard, having exerted himself, and I was jerking him up tight. I was panting too, and both of us are too old and arthritic for so much exercise so early!
We got our breath and took off down the gravel road for the steer pasture. Prancing along at a pretty good clip, Snip was breaking a sweat and I was just happy to be on horseback. But about half a mile down the road, Snip slowed to his personal pace, a slow walk. He was done in and I would have to gouge him occasionally to get back by sundown!
We circled the steer pasture and found a couple of small holes that I threaded some wire through, and we went on to the heifer pasture about two miles down the road, to the gate. We needed to turn east but Snip decided to go west and headed for the barn. I jabbed him good and he began to wink up again! By this time, I was plumb aggravated and therefore I whapped him between the ears with the reins, just to get his attention! We went east as I knew we would, one way or another!
It was an easy ride to the next gate. I dismounted to open the gate and led Snip through. Yep, I was paying attention this time as I stepped on. Snip was not being feisty here. We made the fence line and found some places that needed repaired, fixed them and headed to headquarters for lunch. I guess you have heard of the running walk some good ranch horses have, Snip had it too as we headed west toward his barn.
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, over-fed and under-rode could be said for both me and my horse. My close relative puts me on a diet about once a month but it never takes! If it were a vaccine, I'd have to just get the disease! And I know some of you fellers are just like me when it comes to eating.
I don't rightly know how many of you Round Table crowd keep a horse to ride, but I believe they would all be overfed! My advice is to cut horse feed to half of what we are normally feeding and cut yourself to only one piece of pie!
Don't squat with your spurs on!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 10/21/2015