Why did you buy an "Old" horse

                                                              Monty

Monty was headed for the slaughter house when I rescued him, cost me $1500.00 but he was worth the cost, he was twelve years old when I got him which really isn't that old as horses go.
One day as Cowboys are known to do I was bragging on him at work, it was shift change and the Loudmouth Know-It-All (every outfits got one and some are blessed with a plethora of them)
on Days asked me "Why you spend that kind of money on a horse that old?" well I told him "Glad you asked", and everybody knew there was a story coming " About eight years ago, during the fall I was asked by a friend to help gather in his cattle, He was grazing them up towards the Virgin river over into the Arizona strip, well it took the better part of a week to find all of them, see they were smart little doggies, they would brush up by day and if you aint ever seen that country Gene you wouldn't understand how tough it is" of course old Gene nodded his head and mumbled about knowing all about it, " Well we finally got all his cattle bunched up and started them towards the river" (which during the dry season is just a trickle) "Now on the sixth day we were still a day out from the pens and it was starting to get towards evening, none of us paid attention to the clouds building up towards the gorge, because this wasn't the rainy season for this part of the desert, we stopped at a nice sandy bend on the Virgin  and it seemed like a good place to bed them down for the night, we were lucky because there was a hill where we could camp and set up the chuck wagon, and as a bonus there was a nice wide draw leading down to the bend, easier on us and the horses when we stood watch. Right after chow first watch, sundown to midnight, was drawn by Stoney Greywolf, a full blood Cheyenne Indian, one of the best damned horsemen I ever met, and the rest of us hit the sack, well I had a new mountain sleeping bag and I was looking forward to being nice and toasty, my big mistake was to zip the thing all the way up, only my face was exposed to the night air, we were all sleeping hard  when around ten that night a storm rolled in, lightning was streaking across the dark clouds and thunder was rumbling, Old Bill and Red were sent down to help Stoney keep the herd calm and that just left Me, Big Jack and the cook at camp I dozed off again and next thing I knew Big Jack was screaming STAMPEDE!!! and I saw him running for his horse, I start struggling to unzip my bag and the damned thing was stuck and I can hear those steers pounding up the draw towards camp, there I was wiggling around like a grub worm trying to get out of the bag and possibly get out of the way of the cattle, but I just couldn't get the thing open and I said to myself This is one hell of a way to die but at least they'll find all the pieces in one spot, next thing I see is Monty pulling his pickett stake and cutting across the lead steers and he was heading right for me" now old Gene and every body else was on the edge of their seats and Gene said "What happened next? did you get out of the bag" 'No Old Monty he got to me before the herd did and you know he is a right smart horse..... as he passed me he reached down with his front hooves and tossed me over his shoulder and took off like a bat out of hell, and that's why I spent that kind of money on horse that old"
The collective groan from my work mates was said to be heard clear over to Glitter Gulch.
The moral of this story is Never Ever ask a Cowboy "Why did you do..."

"Captain Horse"

"Im the best Trainer and breaker of the Horse"
But we knew this was a lie, as a matter of course

"I train 'em to do it all and to "Respect Me"!!
 but if it saw him again, that Horse would flee!!

"After a lesson I tie 'em to a fence, so they can think"!!
From the Saddle sores he wore in 'em, they would just stink

And for the unlucky soul who gave him a task
Their stuff would turn up missing, dont even  ask

Here's to you Captain Horse,say you cant get a job anywhere ?
Honestly, to the Horses and people, that's only Fair !!



Dedicated to the Worst, most Dishonest S.O.B.
to ever sit a Saddle !!

Live Love Laugh
Mercury and the Herd

HOPE

                                                                        HOPE

Torn from a Mothers safety and unbounded Love
Alive by will alone of the Horse God above

Cold and wounded on the vast open range
Scared and confused, to Her it now looks so strange

Found by a Woman named Taylor
This Angel swore an oath not to fail Her

A plea was sent " A Wild One" is in trouble
And many who care arrived " at the double"

Rescued from those who would torture or kill Her
With gentle whispers by a Man, named Chris Miller

Safe and hungry no longer, Hope She is now named
For the remaining "Wild Ones", Pray for the same



Dedicated to Hope the Mustang foal, Taylor James of Reno Nevada and Chris Miller, Nevada Deptartment of Agriculture.

Live Love Laugh
Mercury and the Herd