Reader Question - Wrapping Tendons

I had a reader write me abut sweating her horse's legs. Apparently her horse was lame and someone told her to sweat the lamed up leg.

I don't have much to go on here, but probably what your friend was alluding to was treatment and wrapping for the tendons, probably the flexor tendons in the back of a horse's leg which are often injured due to their function and extended use. This probably occurs often on the front legs due to much of the horse's weight is carried on the front end and the over reaching motion, such as in thick sand, often contributes to tendon injuries.

Now before I go further, I highly suggest you seek competent Veternarian authority or research more on your own to understand the horse's leg anatomy and the different types and severities of tendons or other leg injuries.

If you run your thumb and fore finger over the flexor tendons in back of the horse's legs they should feel smooth. Sometimes with small inuries there will be alittle swelling or some bumps evident as the tendon sheath tears alittle...could be scar tisue from old injuries too.

A more substantial injury is the "bowed" tendon, where there will be a visible bump or bow in the tendon. If this is not treated competently with anti-inflammation therapy and rest, this can become chronic....your horse won't be the same.

What I do when I suspect a tendon injury, and again if I think it requires a Vet, I will not hestitate to get my excellent Vet out to my small ranch. That's partially why I'm a poor man. Anyway, Hydro (water) therapy, hosing down the legs to reduce swelling and pain is a good first step. And sometimes I do it for a couple days.

Sweating the tendon, which was your question, involves wrapping saran or plastic wrap around the leg to keep the heat in promoting blood flow. Usually after some type of medication is applied.

I use a mixture of NitroFlurazone and DMSO, and using a rubber glove, I apply it to the horse's tendon, rubbing in it as much as the horse will stand. In the past I have use a steroid mixed into the Nitro and DMSO.

Caution on DMSO. Whatever is mix with the DMSO or what is on the surface of the skin will be taken straight through by the DMSO, so the leg must be clean, and again use rubber gloves. There is alot of debate on DMSO. I use it sparingly and I know some people who would rather be trampled by a stampede of draft horses then use DMSO.

Follow the application of medication by wrapping saran wrap around the leg, then a thicker cotton bandage, before I finish the wrap with Vet wrap. It is generally necessary to use medical tape on the vet wrap to secure it really well. The thicker cotton bandgae pads the injury and keeps you from wrapping it too tight with the Vet wrap.



I'll keep this wrap on for 24 hours, take it off and do hydro therapy and keep the wrap off for a day, then do it all over again until I see improvement. The longest I have had to do this was for about six days at which time the horse's lameness appeared to be gone however I gave him an additional week to 10 days of rest before I tested his soundness in a round pen before riding.


Prevention is key. Running your horses up hills and through thick sand can increase thir chances of injury significantly. Think about using splint boots on the front end to provide support. I need to do a much better job myself using these aids.

Custer's Last Guidon

An Associated Press article from December 11, 2010.

BILLINGS, Mont. – After spending much of the last century in storage, the only U.S. flag not captured or lost during Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn sold at auction Friday for $2.2 million.

Frayed, torn, and with possible bloodstains, the flag from one of America's hallmark military engagements had been valued before its sale at up to $5 million.

The 7th U.S. Cavalry flag — known as a "guidon" and with a distinctive swallow-tailed shape — had been the property of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum paid just $54 for it in 1895. "We'll be using the (auction) proceeds to strengthen our collection of Native American art, which has a rather nice irony to it I think," said the museum's director, Graham Beal.

On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and more than 200 troopers and scouts from the Crow Tribe were killed by up to 1,800 Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors near the Little Bighorn River.

Of the five guidons carried by Custer's battalion only one was immediately recovered, from beneath the body of a fallen trooper. According to testimonials from Indians involved in the fight, the trooper, Cpl. John Foley, was attempting to escape on horseback — and had almost succeeded — when he shot himself in the head.

All the other flags under Custer's command were believed captured by the victorious Indians. The recovered flag later became known as the Culbertson Guidon, after the member of the burial party who recovered it, Sgt. Ferdinand Culbertson. Made of silk, it measures 33 inches by 27
inches, and features 34 gold stars.

While Custer's reputation has risen and fallen over the years — once considered a hero, he's regarded by some contemporary scholars as an inept leader and savage American Indian killer — the guidon has emerged as the stuff of legend.

"It's more than just a museum object or textile. It's a piece of Americana," said John Doerner, Chief Historian at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in southeastern Montana. For most of the last century the flag was hidden from public view, kept in storage first at the museum and later, after a period on display in Montana, in a National Park Service facility in Harpers Ferry, W.V., according to Beal, the museum director.

A second 7th Cavalry guidon was recovered in September 1876, at the Battle of Slim Buttes near present-day Reva, S.D. Now in possession of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, that flag was poorly cared for and is now in horrible condition — "almost dust," according to the monument's chief of interpretation, Ken Woody.

Reader Question on Pulling Shoes in the Backcountry

I received an e-mail from Meghan who asked what would be a good tool to carry in the backcountry, where weight and space is at a premium, that she could use to pull a shoe if she needed to.

With a good knife to use as a clinch cutter, to bend the horseshoe nails straighter, and a fencing tool, I think you could do a decent job albeit not as easy as using a farrier's pull offs.

I carry a Plammer, which is a fencing tool with a hammer head. This comes in handy if I have to cut then repair a fence and pound fencing staples (U shaped nails). I have a smaller version that is 8 inches long and fits in my saddle bags. The jaws open wide enough so I can grab a horseshoe and twist off once I get the nails un-clinched. The idea is to minimize hoof wall damage by straightening the nails first.

I'll place the blade of the knife under the clinched nail then rap sharply with the plammer. Once I get all the nails un-clinched, I'll use the plammer fencing jaws to grab the horseshoe and twist off.

This will be tougher if your shoer gouge the hoof and clinched the nails tightly into the gouge, or if the shoes have been on for awhile and make the nail end hard to get to. My shoer uses toe or bar clips on the shoes which makes it harder to twist off, but the plus side is that I have had only two loose shoes with this shoer and neither were his fault.

By the way, I use Diamond Bar V Horseshoeing out of Silver City, New Mexico. Best shoer I've ever had.

I suggest the next time you have your horses shod, ask your shoer about taking off a loose shoe or even re-nailing when in the back country. I carry a few extra nails for this purpose - never used them - and would think the knurled head of the Plammer may make it difficult to drive a nail straight.

I have also used just my knife and a rock to un-clinch nails then wedge the knife underneath the shoe to lever it off. It was on a buddy of mine's horse and I did not like doing it this way, that's partly why I carry a Plammer now.

Other than that Meghan, the only other solution I can think about it cutting down a long handled pull offs or finding a smaller version. But the Plammer has more uses than just pull offs so I think you'll see the advantage. Safe Journey.

Reader question on a Horses Salt Needs

I received an e-mail from a lady in Pennsylvania asking about how important it is to provide your horse salt and what is the best way to do so.

Salt or sodium is an essential electrolyte that is minimally present in any of the normal feed we provide horses. The more a horse works and sweats, the more salt he will lose which if not replaced can cause an electrolyte imbalance.

Most horses will eat hay until they colic, but with salt most horses will only consume what they need. There are going to be odd horses, and I have seen one, where the horse will chew and chew on a salt block until it is disintegrated.

I always keep two or more salt blocks in the corral for the horses to lick on. I prefer a white salt block as opposed to the reddish mineral block which is rougher on the horses tongue and makes them less likely to consume any. Again, there is always the odd horse who would lick the mineral blocks. I place the 50 lb salt blocks in a rubber dish with drain holes for the water, so the block is kept off the ground (see picture above).

So I would definitely recommend adding a salt block so the horses can access free choice salt whenever he wants to. I previously wrote a post about this, you can read it here. Also, from time to time you'll need to scrap the dirt and debris off the block. And don't forget the fresh clean water!

Recipe - Range Rider Green Chile Stew

I recently had an old friend of mine ride with me into an area that I had found an old Spur of a design that makes us think it was made by August Buermann. The spur in the picture is an example of his work, not the rusted old spur that I found. Riding throughout the Southwest, moistly in Arizona and Texas, my friend was aware of the history and treasures you could find. Plus it was just a good time to catch.

When we got back to the property and had the horses brushed and turned out, my wife had a bucket of Green Chile Stew for us. My friend liked it so much he said we oughta let other people know the recipe,..here it is:

Range Rider Green Chile Stew

Ingredients
Two 12 oz cans of Chicken Broth, or 24 ounces of water and 3 Chicken Bullion Cubes
One 12 oz can of Rotel tomatoes
One 12 oz can of Green Chiles or an equivalent amount of fresh green chiles, chopped up
One small onion
Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
One to 1 ½ pounds of boneless Pork cubed small
Three cups of Red Potatoes, quartered
Seasoning such as Adobe or Cattlemans

Cooking
Bread the pork by dunking in egg then cornmeal; could use water and flour I suppose then brown in large deep skillet or Dutch Oven (browning with butter would be nice)

Then add all other ingredients into the pot, bring to boil then simmer for a couple hours until potatoes are tender. I like to use a Dutch Oven as you can pile coals over the top and cook more evenly. A Crock Pot will work and to tell you the truth, that’s what we use most of the time when we’ll at home.

Buttermilk Biscuits go well with this.

Safe Journey,…with a full stomach.

Reader Question - Cold Weather Riding

I received a reader question, through the contact me form, asking just how cold is too cold to ride her horse and what gear I ride in when it's cold.

Well, first of all cold is revelative. If you literally grow up in the cold environments like the Northern border area of the United States, then not only are you going to be more used to that weather, but also familiar with the steps you take and the clothing you wear to keep yourself safe.

If my memory is correct, I have rode when temps are in the low teens, although I'm sure I did not do alot of galloping and loping. I think that if the horse can live in the cold, he can be ridden in the cold with some caution not to over work him or get him too sweaty.

In the fall and winter, I routinely ride for five to seven hours in mid 20 degree temps, again just being careful not to overwork the horse. No sense loping up hills or in thick sand or snow if you really don't need to.

I would be sure to cool down and dry off your horse and even put a blanket or a slick sheet on him if you are trailering him home. I keep an old towel in my trailer and blanket lined canvas blanket for this reason.

Some people will have their horseshoer tack on some boron spots on their shoes to give the horse better footing on snow and ice and well as keep the shoes from wearing so much.

Now, cold weather to me is temperatures in the mid 20's. I sustained frost bite when I was 14 years old up in Northern Idaho, so when the temps get into the 30's I can start feeling my hands, then feet tingling, then stinging. I always wear gloves, summer or winter. The gloves in the winter time, depending upon the temperature, are insulated. I like the Heritage leather gloves with 40 grams of thinsulate. I also use their un-lined and un-insulated leather and nylon version for work gloves as well as just some thin pig skin gloves.

You need to dress in layers and not get sweaty yourself. There are a wide variety of sweat wicking shirts, like from Under Armor and such, which help take moisture away form your body. To get wet in the winter time, especially with a wind, can mean a cold injury.

I like plain old cotten, so when the temperatures get in the 20's, I'll wear a long sleeve thermal cotton shirt, then a work shirt, then a vest all under a Carhartt or Schaefer work coat. Colder than than that I trade my work coat for a sheepskin line long coat, cut for riding which also gives from protection to my upper legs.

If you wear a hat, there ear muffs available at sporting goods stores that can cover and protect your ears from the freezing winds and frostbite.

You do not want to get frostbite as then you'll be more susceptible to the cold and another cold injury. I think with common sense and the right equipment you and your horse will be fine.

Army Scout - Billy Dixon

William "Billy" Dixon (September 25, 1850 – March 9, 1913) scouted the Texas Panhandle for the Army, hunted buffalo for the train companies, defended the Adobe Walls settlement against Indian attack with his legendary buffalo rifle, and was one of eight civilians in the history of the U.S. to receive the Medal of Honor.

Dixon was born in Ohio County, West Virginia on September 25, 1850 and was an orphan at age 12. He lived in Missouri until 1864. He worked in various capacities along the Missouri River until he started working as an mule skinner for the government.

He was a skilled marksman and occasionally scouted for Eastern excursionists brought by the railroads. In 1869, he joined a venture in hunting and trapping on the Saline River northwest of Fort Hays in Kansas.

He scouted Texas as far south as the Salt Fork of the Red River when the buffalo hunters moved into the Texas Panhandle in 1874. He and his group hunted along the Canadian River and its tributaries.

Dixon led the founders of Adobe Walls to the Texas Plains, where he knew buffalo were in abundance. The group of 28 men and one woman occupied the outpost of five buildings 15 miles northeast of Stinnett.

The outpost was attacked on June 27, 1874 by a band of 700 Indians, and that is when Dixon went into the history books for firing "The Shot of the Century."

The stand-off continued into a third day, when a group of Indians were noticed about a mile east of Adobe Walls. It is said that Dixon took aim with his Big 50 Sharps rifle and fired, knocking an Indian off his horse almost a mile away. The Indians then left the settlement alone. Commemorative "Billy Dixon" model reproduction Sharps rifles that supposedly recreate the specifications of Dixon's famous gun are still available today.

Billy Dixon quit buffalo hunting and, the following August, became an army scout. In September 1874, just three months after Adobe Walls, an army dispatch detail consisting of Billy Dixon, another scout Amos Chapman, and four troopers from the 6th Cavalry Regiment (United States) were surrounded and besieged by a large combined band of Kiowas and Comanches, in the Battle of Buffalo Wallow. They holed up in a buffalo wallow located in Hemphill County and, with accurate rifle fire, held off the Indians for an entire day. An extremely cold rainstorm that night discouraged the Indians, and they broke off the fight; every man in the detail was wounded and one trooper killed. For this action Billy Dixon, along with the other survivors of 'The Buffalo Wallow Fight', were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (for Gallantry in Battle). A Texas Historical Marker documents the battle site.

In 1883, Dixon returned to civilian life and built a home near the Adobe Walls site. He was postmaster there for 20 years and also was the first sheriff of Hutchinson County, Texas. He also served as state land commissioner and a justice of the peace.

In 1894, he married Olive King Dixon of Virginia and fathered seven children. They eventually moved to Oklahoma around 1906.

Dixon died from pneumonia at his Cimarron County homestead in 1913 and was buried in Texline. In 1929, his body was reinterred at Adobe Walls near where he stood when he first saw the Indians riding up the valley.

Reader Question: Bad Manners Coming Off The Halter

A woman named Carol wrote to me about her horse having bad manners coming off the halter when she went to turn her horse loose, both in the stall and in turn out. Carol says that otherwise her horse is good to ride and a fairly well mannered horse.

Actually this is pretty common, you have to let your horse know you expect him to stand until you cue him to move away after the halter is taken off. The better the overall ground manners is with this horse, the better he will be standing for the halter to be removed. I’ll just bet that Carol’s horse will continue to walk off if she stops when leading it.

If you get in a routine of keeping a horse in the stall for a couple days, then taking the horse to a turn out, the horse is going to pretty antsy about it and will often anticipate the halter release and pull away before that is complete. When putting the horse back in the stall when feed is present is another common point where the horse will be quick to get out of the halter and get to the feed.

Every time I get a halter on a horse to lead him someplace or other (shoeing stand, wash rack, round pen, tie rail for grooming, etc.) I always make it a short training exercise by stopping the horse, backing him, have him move his fore end or hind end over,…..having him drop his head, and sometimes just stand until I’m ready to move off. I think you should do this each and every time you put a halter on a horse to reestablish those ground manners which will transfer to other things as well such as standing when the halter is removed….only takes a minute or so to do this.

I always use a rope halter. I prefer the Double Diamond brand. The rope halter can be used to get the horse attention just a little more because the rope will apply more pressure than the traditional webbing halters. So Carol, I suggest you use a rope halter.

I don’t have a horse with this problem, so I am demonstrating in the video with a horse I board. Biscuit is a black, grade mare who is not handled a great deal and gets away with some things because of it. The night before I shot this video I had put her back in her stall, with feed present and she pulled away as I getting the halter off. I put the halter back on and off until she understood to stand still until I had the halter completely removed and cued her to move off. So she remembered this lesson the next day when I shot the video below. So you won’t really see a horse having this problem corrected. You’ll see me lead the horse out of her stall, stopping, backing to reminder her of her manners, then placing her in the arena where I ask her to stand still while I get the halter off.

So Carol, I suggest you tighten up all the ground manners and don’t let your horse get away with the halter routine. Do it right until the horse gets the message. Good luck and safe journey.

Recipe - Hardtack Biscuits

Hardtack. Think of concrete biscuits. This was actually a staple back in the old west since it could be easily carried without degrading. Some soldiers, like the foot infantry, even carried hardtack biscuits in their pockets for days/weeks.

Made simply by mixing 6 parts flour and one part water; kneading into flat biscuits (about one half to three quarters inch thick) then baking for one half to one hour. Hardtack was, sometimes with Arbuckles Coffee, all Cavalry soldiers had to eat when on patrol. Sailors often subsisted on hard tack biscuits when at sea for long periods of time.

Making Hardtack biscuits even thinner, about 1/8 inch, would reduce cooking time and make them (supposedly) easier to eat. Be sure to poke holes into the biscuits so they cook more evenly. This will give them the “saltine” cracker look.

Hardtack is best eaten after soaking in water, gravy or soup stock. You can add a little corn or vegetable oil or even butter to make them easier to eat, but start off adding very small amounts such as a teaspoon or tablespoon. Butter can also be used, in small amounts. I have heard that adding a handful of steel cut oats to the mixture will also enhance their taste and ability to digest the darn things.

If you add Salt, either iodized Salt, Sea Salt or Light Salt (half salt, half potassium) be aware that your hardtack be more likely to attract moisture.

You can order a pound or Arbuckles Ariosa Coffee from Arbuckle Coffee Traders

Reader Question - What Can I Do About Pee Spots in Stalls

I received an e-mail from a lady who asked me what she can she do to keep her horse from peeing in the same spot in his stall day after day. SHe doesn't like the smell and it turns the soil black.

Many horses kept in pens or stalls will pee in the same spot time and time again, saturating that ground with urine and creating that ammonia smell.

Most horses don't like the spray of the pee hitting them in the legs, so you can lay a mat down in that area. When they pee the spray will spatter on their legs and they will most like go someplace else to pee. You can keep moving the mat around the stall as they begin to "wear out" one spot or another. A light weight truck bed mat would work.

Another thing you can do it to place pylons (traffic cones) in that pee spot to serve the same purposes. Sometimes this just doesn't work. In fact, the picture is two large traffic cones I placed in my Mustang's pen just to illustrate, as I had previously tried this and would find the cones tossed around or even find them outside of the pen. He would pick on up in his teeth and fling it about. Great fun for him I reckon.

You can dig up the wet dirt from the pee spot and spread around to let it air/Sun dry, as well as rake in a little bit of lime to the soil to counteract the ammonia smell. I always keep a couple hundred pounds of lime on hand for this purpose and in case I have to bury an animal.

Mantracking - Stride Length and Using a Tracking Stick

I show how I use a tracking stick on the below short video. Sorry about the wind noise, but I think you'll be able to hear it.

I normally mark a print I find with a "U" around the outside of the heel so I can tell I've been on the track before, so tell someone who is following me that I'm on this track.

I sometimes use a tracking stick to measure normal stride length in order to find it again when I lose it, especially in hard ground. Once you are behind enough sign you'll get a feeling for the size of the foot gear that made the track; reading pressure release which combined with stride length and size footgear will give you an idea on speed, weight of the person and possible load he/she may be carrying; and in sometimes provide other clues such as if they are injured or tired, looking behind or up into the sky and other things as well.

A 1/2 inch 2 or 3 foot oak dowel makes a good tracking stick. You can use rubber bands tightly wrapped onto the stick or rubber grommets in order to have a movable point of reference for measuring tracks,...not just their stride length, but the width of the heel and the widest part (ball) of the print as well.

Eventually you'll get to where you do not use the tracking stick, but may perhaps use a piece of stick you find on the ground. I have even carried a 2 foot tape measure to precisely measure the print for future positive identification.

Tracking on Horseback sometimes provides a better perspective on the sign, unless the Sun is directly overhead. Sometimes you'll need to dismount and look more closely at the sign to determine what you think you are seeing.

Equine Photonic Therapy

I have had a couple anonymous comments on Photonic Therapy for horses. I know nothing about it but read that it uses red light to stimulate acupuncture points.

Takes alot to convince me these days, but I have also learned not to discount too much before the facts are in.

This is what I have read about Photonic Therapy:

Photonic Therapy is advertised as a pain-free method that promotes healing and aids in pain management using standard acupuncture points using a non-thermal low level laser that produces stimulation at the cellular level. Photonic Therapy, sometimes called red light healing, is billed as promoting healing and health optimization for Dogs, Cats, Horses and Humans by using certain light wave-lengths that seem to have special abilities to produce energy deep within cells. This energy supposedly releases important healing chemicals that go to work repairing cell damage. This stimulation allows injuries to be healed without pain, drugs or invasive treatments.

For more information you can go to: McLaren USA, Inc.

Horse Health Care - Cold Weather Colic Threat

A friend of mine called me early this morning when I was sewing up a horse blanket which brought the conversation around to when did I think it was necessary to blanket a horse.

Pretty much what I told him was that tonight wouldbe the first time this fall that I would blanket as I was expecting an abnormal drop in temperatures tonight, from nightly lows in the mid 40's to the low 20's due to a cold front moving in. In my experience, a sudden drop like this, especially when the horses haven't yet grown out their winter coats, slightly increases the chance of cold weather colic where the horses decrease their water consumption and the blood usually available for the gut is now also needed to flow to their extremities to keep them warm. This can which slow up their digestion problem and with a lack of water consumed can therefore presents more of a colic risk.

So there really isn't just a temperature cutoff when I blanket a horse or not. Circumstances like a big sudden change (drop) in temperatures, and the age of a particular horse and any existing health issues all factor in. I have worked a horse all day in cold weather, then more oftenn than not, blanket him for a long trailer ride home in cold weather, especially if he is still damp with sweat.

I wrote a related piece on Blanketing Horses, see it here.

Anyway, I would much rather "waste" time putting on and taking off blankets than giving a shot fo banamine, tubing and walking a colicing horse. Just pays to pay attention to weather changes

Exposing Your Horse to Gunfire - Begining to Shoot from the Saddle

Continuing to get my horse comfortable with gunfire so I can eventually shoot well off his back and while he is moving. Like I thought, gunfire is simply another obstacle like water or crossing a tarp that the horse can get used to - albeit some quicker than others.

In this, part II of exposing your horse to gunfire, I shoot a couple rounds from the saddle and you can see the horse getting less troubled by the loud noise and smell of burnt gun powder.

Please be safe if you are trying this. Remember the gun safety rules: Every gun is loaded until you physically determine it's not; never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy; finger remains off the trigger until you are ready to shoot; and be sure of your gun to target line and what may be in that line.

Blanks are good for this type of training. I bought my .45 LC blanks from Buffalo Blanks.

Mantracking - Reading the Print

Several friends of mine have asked me to post some articles on tracking. So starting with this post, I'll do some basic tracking posts every so often in case there are any readers interested in learning and practicing this craft.

Cutting for sign. Sign is any evidence of someone or something's passing. Everything that walks on the ground leaves some sort of sign...the trick is to see it and read it.

Sign can be a flattening of the ground; a disturbance such as pushing a twig or rock into the ground; a regularity caused by lines in their footwear; or a color change or shine from the subject's passing. When I'm looking to pick up sign, I cut for sign by moving perpendicular to the direction I think the subject is heading and pick up a starting point...and like I said, we call this 'Cutting for Sign'.

It is valuable to place the area you are looking at between yourself and the Sun as this provides the best light situation, both contrast and shadow wise, to notice disturbances. If I pickup a track, I'll study it to ensure I can recognize it again. Sometimes I'll take pictures, like I did for evidence when I was building a case of Archeological or Environmental crimes as a Conservation Law Enforcement Officer. Sometimes I would even fill out a Track Report with full measurements and pattern descriptions for future reference and identification.

The basic sign you'll see is a foot print, full print or partial. You can tell many things from one or more prints: type of foot gear, rate of travel, and stride (distance between toe of one print to the heel of the next). You can gain some perspective on what the subject is thinking such as evidence left, such as the pressure release created by his footwear, which can show things like him turning around checking his back trail from someone trailing him or even looking up.

The disturbed area caused by the foot, called the Pressure Release, can give you an indication on the individual's weight, balance and speed. Normally the toe of the foot gear pushes sand or dirt forward in the direction of movement and this is called toe dirt.

An interrupted heel can add a little difficultly at first in reading the pressure release, but this can be overcome by comparing several prints or pressure releases to see what is normal.

Tying Knots - The Neckerchief Knot

You'll never hardly see a working Cowboy without a neckerchief around his neck. Sometimes called a wild rag, a neck rag, or a bandanna this triangular piece or a square piece of cloth, folded over, is too much of a needed item not to go without.

Cowboys, proud of their gear, often use brightly colored or fancy neckerchiefs, which are more often called "Wild Rags". Paisley patterned or polka dotted are very common.

Some prefer to wear them loose and some prefer tied tight around the neck. I prefer a loose neckerchief and use it for everything from wiping sweat, cleaning glasses or binocular lens', to wrapping around my nose and mouth to protect against sand blown in high winds which are common down here in West Texas.

In the video below I explain several methods of tying a neckerchief knot or wild rag knot.

Helping the Buddy Sour Horse

I received an e-mail from Janet whose horse gets agitated and near uncontrollable when separated from other horses on the trail. Or in other words is Buddy Sour.

Horses, are of course, prey animals who find safety in a herd. Think about being dropped off in the middle of the desert in pitch darkness with coyotes howling and brush cracking and you can start to feel what a horse feels like separated from the herd...excepting Horses rely on instinct, people tend to rationalize.

A buddy sour horse can be dangerous as the horse may bolt in his anxiety to catch up with the other horses. I think it's best to instill confidence in your horse and trust in you starting small with short distance and short duration separations from the other horses on a trail ride and build from there.

I've been on horses who were comfortable with just me and them being gone all day or night long by ourselves, but sometimes that same horse will get anxious when with a group of horses then separated.

When a horse I'm on gets buddy sour and wants to catch up I think it's important that you get the horse to travel at the pace you want, either a walk or a jog. DOn;t buy into to his anxiety. If you let him take off to catch up then you are teaching him that he has a reason to be scared and needs to catch up to the herd.

I'll keep stopping, backing, then make a horse stand still for a moment before I let him proceed forward. I may have to do this many times on a ride to teach him that he needs to go at the pace I'm asking for.

Sometimes, if needed, I put some energy into tight circles, which makes the horse uncomfortable and therefore looking forward to standing still or walking off at the slow pace I'm looking for. Good luck, Janet, and be careful - don't let your horse get away from you.

Army Scout - Tom Horn

Tom Horn, Army Scout, Range Detective but best known for a murder conviction and hanging, was born in 1860 in northeast Missouri. He reportedly left home as a young teen, heading west in search of adventure, because of an abusive father.

He eventually headed for the Southwest, where he became a wrangler and scout for the Army in the Apache wars working under famous Army Scout Al Sieber. Becoming Chief of Scouts under Generals Crook and Miles, he was instrumental in capturing Geronimo for the final time. Horn had a very good reputation as a Scout and tracker for the U.S. Cavalry.

After the Apache campaign Tom Horn became a “Stock Detective” hired primarily for his skills with a rifle against rustlers. He took part in the Pleasant Valley War in Arizona between cattlemen and sheepmen, but it is not known for certain as to which side he was allied, and both sides suffered several killings to which no known suspects were ever identified, however it is pretty well believed that Horn worked for the Cattlemen who were better funded and more politically connected. Plus Sheepmen were universally disliked in the West.

Horn was arrested, tried in a controversial trial and hanged the day before his 43rd birthday in 1903 for the murder of a young boy. A drunken omission of guilt, plus evidence that the boy’s body was found with Horn’s trademark,…a rock placed underneath the head, helped convict Tom Horn, who was never previously known to be an indiscriminate killer.

After his death a retrial was held in 1993 in which he was declared innocent. The New York Times described the trial, “Once Guilty, Now Innocent, But Still Dead.”

Tom Horn remains an enigma, but his service and reputation as an Army Scout was never questionable.

Safely Mounting Your Horse - Revisited

Last week I received a call that a friend of mine was in transport to the hospital
after getting tossed off him horse, a young Arabian mare. From a another who witnessed the event, apparently my friend stepped into the stirrup without holding on to the reins or at least not holding onto them in a secure manner. The Arab mare took off as the rider tried to get his seat and a few hops later he was tossed off and landed on his side breaking the ball off his femur as it goes into the pelvis.

This simply happened because he got careless. I have known at least five or six people try to mount with no reins or a loose hold on the reins,...or leaning way back and pulling the horse of balance which gets them to move their feet and when they move their feet they just may not stop. Some of these same people further complicate their safety by letting their horses get away with bad habits such as walking off as they get their seat.

Anyway, I got a little mad when I received the call and was asked to do another post on mounting in a safe manner. Hope the video helps those who still may be mounting in an unsafe manner. Safe Journey.

Exposing Your Horse to Gunfire

I have long been asked about how to train your horse for gunfire. I always answer something to the effect "Don't know,..haven't done it yet,..but imagine it's like sacking your horse out to any obstacle,..start small, aim build up at the horse's pace and reward even his smallest try and build on that.

I have had people shoot around my horses, but one shot thirty feet away is much different than several shots close up. Add the smell of gun smoke and you have a different situation.

So I started exposing one of my horses to gunfire with the aim to shoot off him like the Cowboy Mounted Shooters do when riding a course and shooting balloons with blanks.

I secured a box of .45 Long Colt blank from Buffalo Blanks and started shooting 6 to 12 rounds at a distance of about 25 feet while my horses were eating. At first they startled and move away. I let them get back to their feed, then shot again, By the 4th or 5th round, they continued eating, just looking in my direction.

The next drill is to shoot several rounds near the horse. You can hold onto the
reins and shoot away from him, then as he becomes more comfortable, shoot from near his side or he'll be more used to you shooting from the saddle. This is what you'll see on the video below, then I'll try from horseback, while in the arena or round pen...just in case he gets me off so I don;t have to chase him, ha ha.

You see me giving my horse some cookies. Horses, when eating, releases endorphins and can helps calm them down and is a reward for a smaller and smaller startle reflex.

One more thing,....be safe...then be extra safe. Ensure you are using blanks and always fire them into a safe direction. Be sure and clean your gun regularly if using blanks as the unburned powder and residue sure gums it up a considerable amount.