How many times do you have to be told to never ever trust a gentle old horse on a cold morning? Horses that are fed too much and ridden too little are sure to be snorty on a good cold morning when the frost looks like a young snow on the grass. Your stirrup leathers are stiff and that old pony that stands solid for you to mount, won't!
Jess knew he was gonna have trouble getting that bunch of wild-eyed heifers he brought home from the sale barn to come back to their new home. He dumped the bunch out about dark and did not check the south fence on his trap. I don't know if the fence would have helped hold them anyway. Jess called in four of us with horses and met us at his barn.
I hate to watch a man just numbly ask for a dump. Jess was about that, just numb. I knew, as did all of us, that the money to buy the bunch of outlaws was about all Jess could borrow and he needed these heifers to keep the place. A pretty good cowboy and a dang good horse was about to be in a storm and we all watched without laughing.
Jess got his seat in the saddle, but the right stirrup was flapping and hitting old Frog's side. He was doing his best to get his head down, but Jess had the forethought to tighten up the reins quickly. Frog only hopped around for about five good hard jumps and it looked like all was well until that well-fed horse hit that last big jump.
Jess was looking down to find the stirrup, even up his reins or maybe he was praying, but that hard high jump completely unloaded that big feller. While he was flying, he was waving his arms, and I was not the only one wanting to laugh but waiting to examine the damage before it could be considered really funny. Jess hit the ground half on his backside and half on his chin. He managed to stand up and look around to see how many were watching.
That gentle horse stood real still and was just waiting to try it again, but we were waiting for Jess to say something. Hopefully he was gonna say something about being alright or that he figured it was a good morning for a flight. When he finally moved a little and looked up grinning, we all let loose the laugh we had stored up!
Sure enough, we all thought it was comical to see a seasoned cowhand get unloaded, but we are not sadistic; so if there had been blood, spitting out of teeth or a leg that was turned the wrong way, we would have been very serious. Thank God we could laugh.
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, riding with a bunch of good men is about the most enjoyable thing an old man can do. We found the heifers, gathered them up and they fought us all the way to the barn. They were good cattle, the right kind to make some money on, and he got them at a decent price. So, the frosty day, snorty horse and a good laugh at someone else's expense turned out to be just a good one. Hope you all can experience a day of pleasure for yourself real soon.
Always be aware that that good old pony is still an animal!
Bill is the pen name of the Gravette area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 12/21/2016