Very bad week for me, losing my best and longest using horse, Junior, on 10 May 2021. Some people write about losing their animals as an effort to put things in perspective and get closure. I think I'm writing about Junior just because he deserves to be written about.
When I took a job as a Army Range Rider 17 years ago, I needed a backup horse as my second horse was a two year old who wouldn't be ready for the rigors of that job until he was full growed. So found a horse by chance from the area Tick Rider where we used to get stock for our packing courses. That's where I got Junior, then around 4 years old, for $35. He got his name as he had what looked to be a "Jr" hair brand. If beginnings foretell things, when I picked him up it was likely his first trailer ride and it was in a 50 mph+ dust storm buffeted us for 50 miles or ss.
Before I even got a chance to put 10 miles on him, my primary horse broke a coffin bone wing, so Junior was pressed into service. The next four years Junior gathered cows in BLM grazing units which we had enforcement jurisdiction for and penned up trespass cattle when the boundary fences gave way. We patrolled the desert flatlands and the four mountain ranges that made up the 1.2 million acres we worked in. Miles and miles in the desert or up and down the mountains through pinon and scrub, he never faltered. He certainly wasn't bomb proof. Pretty much found like he didn't like the smell of mountain lions. I don't either for that matter.
We tracked archeological thieves and stopped trespassers in culturally sensitive areas. We went deep into some pretty bad country doing browse study for the Adoud Sheep and Mule Deer Hunts. Once in a while we'd come across an Oryx and it was kind of fun to push them for a ways, albeit at a safe distance due to our healthy respect for their 40 inch horns.
One time when we had a display at a Law Enforcement Fair, a horde of school children (don't know any other way to say it but a horde) got off their bus, saw Junior and ran right towards him screaming, "look, a horse!". We couldn't leave that night until every single child, who wanted to sit a horse, got to and have their picture taken. Funny thing about that night is that I believe it was the first time a child ever sat on him. Over the years, and when it was all said and done, Junior likely had well over 100 kids sit on him. The look on child's face siting on Junior just made me love that horse even more.
Junior was as fast a horse as I've ever seen. We left more than a few people and their horses behind who thought they were themselves fast. He would occasionally buck on me. Always for reason I thought, like when a large Corriente tried to run through us. And another time I was riding with Curt Pate at New Mexico State University in a low stress stockmanship clinic Curt was holding, I pulled Junior off a couple cows we were trailing and he bucked once or twice. Curt asked "what was that about?", and I replied "He was just likely showing his displeasure."
When I ran a large private barn, we had a two acre turn out which at any given time there would be 30 or more horses in it. One of the boarders had a big stout draft horse, who oddly enough was a bully. Other boarders would find me and complain about this horse biting and pushing their horses around, and my remedy was to put Junior out, and he would straighten that horse out right away.
After leaving the Range Rider position - those jobs actually went away - Junior transitioned in doing events winning several trail obstacle challenges; a Ranch Sorting Championship; and, a Horseman's Challenge, before being pretty much a day working horse and who I would teach clinics off of.
Junior had been battling Navicular but with good success and I had expected to be riding him, although in a much more easy manner, for the next few years. I loved that horse. I'm going to missed him dearly. And I have to thank my Veterinarian, Dr Amy Starr, DVM who made a herculean effort over three days to get him through, but once the hope window disappeared I choose to end his pain. Breaks my heart. I hope everybody gets a chance to have a partner like this horse was to me. Safe Journey.
Sparky has made Armitas for me, as well as spurs and straps, slobber straps (see below photo of one of the pairs of slobber straps he made for me), and a couple breast collars (Martingales). All of his gear is made to last a life time for two. Go to Sparky's website to see some really nice gear. Cow Camp Supply. 
There is a Trinity Sealy song called 'Low Maintenance Girl' where she sings about not needing much other than horses and gear, where she mentions Cow Camp slobber straps. Of all the slobber straps I have used in the past 30 years, I like Sparky's the best as they are fully lined, and he makes them scalloped with a fairly narrower width where they connect to the snaffle bit. They have the weight to drop straight away and give the horse the intended release. 
