Horses, Skies, and Poetry and Cowboys?

 Post by Doris McCraw

writing as Angela Raines

Photo by the Author

April 26, 2022, is National Help a Horse Day. the week is Sky Awareness Week, and April is National Poetry Month.

Cowboy and horse, setting a course by the stars. The lone rider wandering the mountains or desert. Who hasn't read or imagined themselves as that rider?  

Those movies and television shows some of us grew up with sparked an idea. For this post, I thought I post some famous horses and the actor(s) who rode them. But I just can't make it easy. See if you can match the actor and horse. (Answers will be at the end.)

Movies:  

1. Lightning                 A. Roy Rogers

2. Silver                       B. Gene Autry

3. Champion                C. Tim Holt

4. Tarzan                      D. Andy Devine

5. Trigger                     E. Ken Maynard

6. Joker                        F. Bob Steele

7. Brownie                   G. Buck Jones

8. Thunder                   H. Wild Bill Elliott

TV Shows

1. Topper                      A. John Smith

2. Razor                        B. Clint Walker

3. Diablo                       C. Dickie Jones

4. Little Buck                D. Guy Madison

5. Lucky                        E. Chuck Connor

6. Buckshot                    F. William Boyd

7. Brandy                       G. Robert Horton     

8. Alamo                        H. Duncan Renaldo

I can't let National Poetry Month go by without sharing a poem. Although both Charles Badger Clark and James W. Whilt were born before 1900 and wrote about Cowboys and the West, the chosen poem doesn't have an author.

A Prairie Song - Anonymous

Oh, music springs under the galloping hoofs,

Out on the plains;

Where mile after mile drops behind with a smile,

And to-morrow seems always to tempt and beguile,—

Out on the plains.

Oh, where are the traces of yesterday's ride?

There to the north;

Where alfalfa and sage sigh themselves into sleep,

Where the buttes loom up suddenly, startling and steep,—

There to the north.

Oh, rest not my pony, there's youth in my heart,

Out on the plains;

And the wind sings a wild song to rob me of care,

And there's room here to live and to love and to dare,—

Out on the plains.

For those who'd like to read more:

https://fiftiesweb.com/tv/horses/

https://reelrundown.com/celebrities/Horses-of-Famous-Western-Film-Stars-and-their-Sidekicks

Charles Badger Clark

James W. Whilt

 

Until next time, Happy Reading and Writing: Doris McCraw

Answers: Movies: 1-C, 2-G, 3-B, 4-E, 5-A, 6-D, 7-F, 8-H 

                TV Shows: 1-F, 2-E, 3-H, 4-G , 5-C, 6-D, 7-B, 8-A

A Cloud of Dust and a Hearty Hi-Ho Silver

Rod Thompson

FROM OUT OF THE PAST COMES THE THUNDERING HOOFBEATS OF THE GREAT HORSE, SILVER!  THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN! And with that the Lone Ranger and Tonto galloped out of the past, out of the radio, and into the hearts and minds of millions of boys and girls who sat eagerly enthralled in front of their radios listening to the exclusion of all else. Happily, I was one of them.

I remember an instance when I was hovering as close as possible to not miss a single word or shot and my dad was sitting across the room behind me.  After a few failed attempts to get my attention, he reared back in his easy chair, as they were then called, raised his feet into the air and simultaneously slammed them down on the floor, clapped his hands loudly together, and yelled “HEY!”   He got my attention, after which he laughed heartily and told me whatever it was he wanted to tell me.   While he was talking, The Lone Ranger on Silver and Tonto on Scout galloped at least five or ten miles, shot three or four outlaws, and rescued a damsel or two in distress. Now, I ask you, how important could what he had to say have been when I can’t even recollect what it was, and that was only sixty years ago. 

After that came television where we got to actually see them doing the galloping and who can say they weren’t thrilled when the galloping was accompanied by The William Tell Overture? And then there was Gene and Roy galloping across the screen before slowing down to an easy walk that allowed them to sing while millions of kids groaned and cried, “Oh quit singing and go shoot somebody.” 

In between walking and galloping are trotting, loping, and cantering and a few miscellaneous other gaits.  All simple enough, yet I see them frequently misused.  Although I spent the first years of my life on a South Dakota farm, rode a horse to school, and generally know the difference, I did some research to make sure I was portraying them accurately and found it quite interesting.  And like many things I research, I found I didn’t know as much about the subject as I thought. As in most research, there are more specific details to be had but I found this information adequate for my needs. You may want to delve deeper.

There seems to be two main gaits, the “natural” gait which most horses do without special training, and what are called “ambling” gaits which are footfall patterns that occur in certain breeds but frequently require many hours of special training, ones that can be called for on command. In order by speed, they are walk, trot, canter, and gallop, some with three beats and some with four. In western terminology, a canter is called a lope. 

Walk:  Averaging approximately four miles per hour, is a four-beat pattern with the left hind leg being followed by the left front leg, right hind leg, right front leg in a steady 1-2-3-4 beat.  While walking, one foot will always be raised and the other three on the ground except the brief instant when weight is transferred from one foot to another. The advancing rear hoofs generally overstep where the advancing front hoof touched the ground and the farther the overstep, the smoother the ride. As the horse speeds up and loses the four beat gait it moves into the Trot.

Trot:   Trotting is a two-beat gait varying widely in speeds, generally averaging about 8 miles per hour.  Trotting very slowly is also called jogging; a fast trot has no special name, and in harness racing, the trot can be faster than the gallop of a non-racehorse. While trotting, the horse’s legs move in unison in diagonal pairs causing much movement of the head and neck for balancing and is the “working gait” for horses.  Cantering and galloping can only be done for short distances at a time before needing rest to recover, but well-conditioned horses can maintain a trot for hours.  It is the main way for horses to get from place to place quickly, but is difficult for the rider to sit because horse’s body actually drops some between beats and bounces up again when the next step hits the ground.  Every time a pair of legs hits the ground, the rider can be upwardly jolted out of the saddle and coming down, meets the horse which is on the way back up.  At most speeds above a jog, experienced riders post to the trot, matching their rising up and down rhythm with that of the horse so as not to be jolted, and it is also easier on the horse’s back.

Canter (lope):  A three-beat gait faster than a trot but slower than a gallop with an average speed of 10 – 17 miles per hour, depending on the length of the horse’s stride.  A three-beat gait is just that, sounding like beating a drum three times in succession…rest…three more beats…rest, etc.  The faster the horse is moving, the longer the rest.

While cantering, one rear leg propels the horse forward and is the only hoof touching the ground while the other three are moving forward and the following step timing and hoof movement is complicated and too lengthy for this writing but non-the less important. An extended foreleg matched with an extended hind leg on the same side is called a lead and important in various situations such as setting up the horse properly for a jump over fence, log, or stream. When the horse jumps over something, it is stretched out, typically taking the first two steps of the galloping stride with its back legs and making contact on the other side of the obstacle with its front two, thus completing the stride.

Gallop:  Very similar to a canter only faster. Although The American Quarter Horse in a short sprint of a quarter mile or less can make up to 55 miles per hour, the gallop typically covers about 25 miles per hour with the three-beat cadence changing to a four beat and covering more ground. Moderately paced gallops can sometimes go longer distances before the horse becomes winded and needs to be slowed down, most can only make a mile or two at top speed.  Unlike people, horses will not slow down when they begin to weaken to protect themselves.  They will go full out as long as their rider asks them too, oft times until death.  Riders switching between two horses will generally lope, allowing the horsed to fall into a comfortable pace that matches each other.  Keeping an eye from above, the rider can tell when their nostrils begin to flare in order to take in more air signifying the time to switch.

Thoroughbred horse races are seldom longer than 1.5 miles, though Arabian horses are sometimes as far as 2.5.  In fact, there is a Bedouin belief stating “The Arabian horse was created by Allah from the four winds...His Spirit from the North, Strength from the South, Speed from the East, and Intelligence from the West and will take care of its owner as will no other,” which is why I chose them as the horses of choice for The Black Hills.  Lop Ear is a purebred Arabian and Horse is a Mustang/Arabian.

How’s that for a sneaky segue into my series, The Black Hills Thrilogy -- I found that misspelling a few months ago and have been having fun with it since.  Book #2 in the series, The Saga of Jane Hicks, is already number four in the nation and Troy only released it on the 6^th.  I know it is fourth because I was told it was so by the fellow interviewing me last night in my dream.  Unfortunately, I awoke to find that fact to be incorrect but that’s also what happened with my dream about Raquel Welch: wish that one could have lasted about another three minutes.

The Saga of Jane Hicks is about the protagonist in book #1, of course, Cormac Lynch, being sent a letter by a woman he never heard of demanding he come to the rescue of her and her children since he was responsible for her husband’s death in a gunfight. The story is complicated by the facts that he is newly married, doesn’t want to go, and he will have to pass through the territory under control of the mighty Sioux Indians who all want his horses, scalp, and his bride’s red hair – and one Indian has him measured for a spit.  It’s further complicated by the fact that he knows nothing of the dangers. He only knows what he reads in the letter from Jane Hicks he finds in his pocket when he wakes up on the ground, miles from anywhere, with no memory.  Troy let me design the book cover which is actually a photo of one of the story’s fans and an authentic 1874 Winchester. 

 Also on the 6^th, book #1, The Black Hills, was re-released by Penguin Berkley with a foreword written by James Drury, the star of The Virginian TV series who called me to tell me it was the best book of any kind he has read in years.  I haven’t been able to get my hat on since.

My thanks to anyone who came to read this and double thanks to anyone who stayed till the end. I’m  obliged.           

  HIHO SILVER! AWAY!!!!!!!!

WESTERN FOUR-LEGGED HEROES - MEG MIMS

WESTERN FOUR-LEGGED HEROES

After several posts featuring western film and TV show funny sidekicks, dastardly villains and sweetheart heroines, we’re going straight to the horse’s mouth. Heh.

Sure, there are plenty of heroic cowboys – John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, Sam Elliott, Alan Ladd, Tom Mix, Tex Ritter, Clayton More, Lash LaRue, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Buck Jones… the list goes on and on. But who would dare say that the horses these western heroes rode were mere transportation? They deserve their own post. Those I haven’t named – well, they also deserve a lump or two of sugar for their hard work.

Let’s start with Tom Mix’s famous horse Tony. Born in 1899, Tony had white stocking rear feet and became a celebrity after making his debut with Mix in 1917. They made well over a hundred and fifty films together – Tony even had equal billing! The horse learned a few marvelous tricks without any extensive training; he only needed Mix to show him how to untie the cowboy’s hands, or loosen his own reins, run after trains, open gates, jump a cliff and rescue Mix from a fire. He was the original “Wonder Horse.” Tony planted his hoof prints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater next to Mix’s hand prints in 1927. Three films featured his name in the title – Just Tony (1922), Oh! You Tony (1924), and Tony Runs Wild (1926). When the horse was 22, he retired. Tom Mix used Tony Jr. in other films he made, and Tony II when appearing in public. But the original Tony died on the second anniversary of Tom Mix’s tragic death in a car accident. Who knows – maybe they’re together riding the heavenly prairie in the sky right now.

Roy Rogers’ Trigger was the second most famous horse in films. Born in 1932, he was first named Golden Cloud due to his palomino breed. Rogers chose him in 1938 out of several “rented for the movies” horses. He bought the horse later that year and gave him the name Trigger due to his quickness and intelligence. The palomino was able to walk on his hind legs and perform over a hundred trick cues. Trigger also was featured in a Dell comic book series about his adventures. Rogers took the horse up three or four flights of stairs several times to visit the children’s wing at hospitals. Trigger did have a trainer, Glen Randall, and was housebroken – which made it easier for Rogers during public appearances. He once danced, reared up and pawed the air, and played dead at the Hotel Astor’s ballroom for an audience. Trigger planted his hooves in front of Grauman’s beside Roy Rogers’ hands in 1949. To take the strain off performing, Rogers used two other horses, Little Trigger and Trigger, Jr. After Trigger’s death, Roy Rogers had the horse stuffed and mounted. Once the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ museum closed, a family-friendly cable network in Omaha, Nebraska bought Trigger for display.

Silver, the Lone Ranger’s white stallion, was one of many Silvers on the big screen. The Lone Ranger radio show was inspired by the Zane Grey book before the character galloped onto film and television. According to a 1938 episode the Lone Ranger first rode Dusty, a chestnut mare. After the Lone Ranger saved Silver from a wild buffalo, the horse chose to pair up with the masked man. Silver starred in two films with Clayton More as well as the television series. And every time the Lone Ranger mounted up at the end of an episode, he would shout, “Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!” Both the Lone Ranger’s horse and Tonto’s horse, Scout, were intelligent and trained – but Silver won the “Patsy” in 1957 – the Award for Excellence given to outstanding animals in television and motion pictures.

Gene Autry’s Champion also had a radio, film and television career. The sorrel with a blaze and three white stockings first appeared on screen in Melody Trail in 1935. He could jump through paper-covered hoops and gallop and stop on command. Champion died in 1947 during Autry’s military service, so the singing cowboy had to find a second Champion. In 1949, Autry and Champion II left their marks in the famous sidewalk in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. He used other unofficial horses, named Little Champ, Lindy Champion, Touring Champion and Champion Three, to serve as movie stunt doubles or public appearances. Autry’s famous horse also starred in his own series, The Adventures of Champion, in 1955 and 1956. Champion also had a comic book series (he couldn’t let Trigger have all the glory!) The third official Champion died in 1991 at 42 years old. But all three Champions starred in almost one hundred films and TV shows.

Buck Jones’ horse, also called Silver, starred with the actor in 50 out of the 73 films for over twenty years, from 1922 until 1942. One silent film, The War Horse, features Silver being drafted into the cavalry – and Buck joins up as well out of loyalty. In France, Buck rides Silver across enemy lines and heroically stops an ambush by German soldiers to save the outfit and win the love of a Red Cross nurse. Perhaps Silver also earned the love of a sweet mare! Unfortunately, Jones’ star as a western cowboy waned by the end of the 1930s. On November 28, 1942, Buck Jones was the guest of honor at a party in Boston’s Cocoanut Grove, the city’s best nightclub. The actor died in a tragic fire, trapped along with 491 other guests celebrating over the Thanksgiving holiday including soldiers and a pair of newlyweds. Silver must have wept out of loyalty.

Hopalong Cassidy’s horse, Topper, replaced the actor's original horse after King Nappy was injured during filming in 1939. Topper, named by William Boyd’s fifth wife Grace – who loved the popular films and books – was a white Arabian stallion with black ears. Topper starred in over 60 films with the actor. Boyd wisely bought the rights and ended up making syndication deals along with tie-in products for the new Saturday TV matinee audiences until 1953, when he retired. Since he owned Topper, Boyd interred the horse after death in the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park, also called Save Our Pets’ History in Eternity (S.O.P.H.I.E.) in Calabasas, California.

Leave a comment about the favorite horse you remember in westerns. This website - http://www.fiftiesweb.com/horses.htm - lists many movie and television stars along with the animals associated with them. And here are a few more great websites to explore:  http://www.wildwestweb.net/horses.html; http://discovery2020.hubpages.com/hub/Horses-of-Famous-Western-Film-Stars-and-their-Sidekicks; http://thewildwest.org/cowboys/wildwestshowbizcowboys/293-moviecowboyhorses

Meg Mims is an award-winning author with two western mysteries under her Eastern belt. She lives in Michigan, where the hills are like driveway slopes and trees block any type of prairie winds. LIKE her on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or check out her books on her website. Double Crossing won the 2012 Spur Award for Best First Novel and Double or Nothing is the exciting sequel. Her story, "A Savior Is Born," is included in A Wolf Creek Christmas published by Western Fictioneers.

Ranger Jim’s Ramblings for August.

Where has the summer gone? Seems like only yesterday it was Memorial Day, and now Labor Day is less than a month away. Been an exceptionally hot, rainy, and buggy summer in my neck of the woods, so Yank and I haven’t been hitting the trails as often as we’d like. This month’s subject: The Texas Rangers - Good or Bad? For probably close to the first century of their existence, the Texas Rangers were considered an organization of men fighting for the common good, defending the people of Texas from their enemies, namely outlaws, Indians, and quite often Mexican raiders. Of course, what was overlooked was how often the Rangers were fighting people for no reason other than the color of their skin or their ethnic backgrounds. This tendency became more pronounced as the 20^th century approached, and reached its apex during the period of the early 1900s through World War I, when the people of the southwestern United States, particularly those living in close proximity to the Rio Grande and the Mexican border, feared an invasion of Mexican and German troops. While there was at least a bit of cause for this fear, it led to many reprehensible acts against Texans of Mexican descent. This tendency to suspect all Mexicans or Texans of Mexican ancestry would only slowly fade away, and in some cases it still exists. Then, starting in the 1960s, the revisionist historians started to rewrite the history of the Rangers. In their view the organization was nothing but a bunch of white thugs who spent their lives oppressing minorities, basically anyone who wasn’t a white Anglo, and Protestant to boot. These histories conveniently overlook the fact that right from the start there were Hispanic, Native American, and Roman Catholic and even Jewish Texas Rangers, who came from many countries and ethnic backgrounds. In fact, Kleberg County is named after one of the first Jewish Rangers. Just like the revisionists twisted the history of the Native American Indians to make them appear as if all Native Americans were peace-loving, hippie flower children communing with nature and living in peace and harmony with all the tribes and the land, despite the fact many Native American tribes were warrior societies, they painted the Rangers with a broad and black brush. The truth, of course, as it always is, is somewhere in the middle. The history of the Texas Rangers is chock-full of brave men who sacrificed much, including in many cases their lives, to help make the Lone Star State safe for settlers. Without the Rangers settlement of Texas would have taken place much more slowly. On the other hand, the history of the Rangers also includes many episodes and incidents that were tragic, disgraceful, and inexcusable. These cannot be ignored in any serious study of the Texas Rangers.

In 1935, Walter Prescott Webb wrote what was to be considered the definitive history of the Rangers. With the Rangers having just come under the jurisdiction of the newly formed Texas Department of Public Safety, it was fully expected the Rangers would be dissolved. However, as happened many times, the reports of the Rangers demise proved to be premature. Webb’s history, while thorough, unfortunately reflected the prejudices of the Rangers at the time, and Webb too often took them at their word, to the ignoring of any other viewpoint. Their prejudices against Mexicans and blacks are apparent throughout the book. Later, Webb himself admitted that. When the Rangers were still going strong in the 1960s, Webb planned to write a new and revised history, but died before he could start the project.

 Over the next few months, I’ll be discussing some of the more interesting events in the history of the Texas Rangers, both good and bad. In my September posting, I’ll be talking about one of the sorriest episodes in their history, the El Paso Salt War. This was a fight which involved intrigue, deceit, and corruption, by both Mexicans and Anglos, including a disgraced, defrocked priest and a ruthless Anglo businessman. To close, here’s this month’s surprising horse fact. One of the hardiest breeds used in the frontier West was America’s first true breed, developed right here in New England from one stallion named Figure. The breed is the Morgan, which was named after Figure’s owner Justin Morgan. Small, hardy, gentle, and intelligent, the Morgan was well suited to the harsh life of the frontier West. Quite often it would be a team of Morgans pulling a stagecoach. Until September, stay in the saddle and keep those guns loaded. 

“Ranger” Jim

West of the Big River: The Ranger by James J. Griffin

           nook    Smashwords

Ranger Jim’s Ramblings for July

Since it was too doggone hot and humid, and with enough mosquitoes and deer flies attacking to lift Yankee off the ground and carry him off, I quit riding early today. It’s so sticky and buggy up here in New England right now it’s almost as bad as living in Hades… or Florida, which is pretty much the same thing.

So, since I had to get inside once Yank was settled in the barn with his buddies, out of the sun and away from most of the insects, I figured I might as well do some scattershooting around the world of horses this month. I’m going to toss out a few tidbits which will help make writing about horses a bit more accurate, as well as bring the equines in your stories to life.

First thing I’d like to mention is swimming horses. Yes, once they get used to it, most horses love to swim. I’ve got a couple pictures of Yankee in the pond which show only his ears, eyes, and nostrils. Which brings me to my point. I once read (I kid you not) a passage in a Western novel where a cowboy chose a horse because it “swam high in the water”, so he (the cowboy) could “stay mostly dry”. One of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read. All you have to do is look at a horse to realize “swimming high” is anatomically impossible. When a horse is in water over his head and swimming, most of his body is naturally going to be underwater. You’ll see his head, part of the neck, maybe just the top of the rump, and the tail will be floating.  Which is a good way to have your character save his life if he’s drowning, by the way. Just have him latch onto the horse’s tail and be pulled to safety. Also, when a horse in water reaches solid footing, he usually lunges out of the water. That’s because his front feet hit the bottom before his hinds. So anyone sitting on a swimming horse better hold on tight when they near shore. And be ready to be shaken when the horse decides its time to shake himself off.

Second, a bit of information about horse vision. Horses’ eyes are the second largest of the land animals (no, don’t ask me which has the largest, I forget). Their eyes are set high and to the sides of their heads, so they can see almost 360 degrees. That’s the reason so many draft, carriage, and race horses wear blinders, to keep them from seeing what’s behind them. The only real blind spot a horse has is directly in front of his face. Also, because their eyes are so far apart, and the makeup of their brains, the horse sees the same object separately, and differently, from his right and left side. Therefore, a horse might walk calmly past an object on his right side, but if he’s turned and sees the same object in the same place on his left side, he may shy at it.

While not completely color-blind, horses are indeed partially color-blind. Most things appear to them in muted shades of blues and grays. Reds will look more brownish.

Third, on to the ears. A horse’s ears are probably the most expressive part of his anatomy, and the one a rider should pay the most attention to. (Unless, of course, you happen to be the target of a kick or bite-then move, fast!). Ears pricked sharply forward, especially when the neck and head are held high and the horse is looking ahead, means the horse is interested in or studying something, often out of curiosity, sometimes to see if it’s a threat or predator. One ear forward and one back means he’s listening in all directions, or listening for something ahead while at the same time listening to his rider. That position, or both ears laid slightly back, can also mean the horse is relaxed. However, both ears pinned back flat against the head means you are looking at one angry horse, who’s getting ready to fight to defend himself or a herd mate.

Fourth, the horse’s nasal passages. The horse’s brain is about the size of a grapefruit, so most of the head in front of the cheekbones and above the mouth and jawbone consists of nasal passages. A horse could actually have a hole shot through the nasal passages in the lower part of his head and survive. So you could have your character’s horse hit there and still get him away from any pursuers. However, if you want a character’s horse to get stunned and dropped, but not killed, use the method the old-time mustangers used to capture wild horses. They would aim their rifles carefully and clip the top of a horse’s neck, stunning him for a spell, long enough to rope and tie. I’m certain quite a few horses died from misplaced shots, but it was a method used, so would be valid in your story.

Fifth, a few more random observations. Most of you have probably seen the phrase “standing hip-shot” in a Western. That describes a horse who is standing on three legs, with one of the rear ones hitched up with little or no weight on it. That means two things - the horse is relaxed and content, and is resting one leg. After a while he’ll shift his weight from one rear leg to the other.

Horses can sleep standing up, due to a special function of their joints that locks the legs in place, but contrary to popular opinion they usually sleep just like us, lying down. And horses generally sleep only three to four hours a day. You will see in a herd, or even a pair of horses, that they don’t all sleep at once. At least one horse is awake and upright at almost all times, looking for danger or predators.

Unless you have a real need to do so, don’t have a stallion as a riding horse in your story. Stallions generally were, and are, far more trouble than they are worth as riding horses. Most cowboys, then and now, rode geldings or the occasional mare. Some men just didn’t like riding female horses, (wasn’t masculine enough) and like stallions, mares could sometimes be a lot of trouble. Since geldings are generally interested only in eating and sleeping, they are the best choice for general all-around riding. So keep the stallions for breeding, and the geldings for riding.

If you have an appaloosa in your story, and the story is set anywhere but the Northwest, make sure that appy attracts a lot of attention. Appaloosas were very rare outside of the Northwest US and Canada until well into the 20^th century, so anyone riding one in say, Texas, was bound to be noticed. And never capitalize “appaloosa” or any other breed in your Western, since formal breed organizations, for the most part, didn’t come into being until the mid-1900s.

Ladies, of course, should always ride sidesaddle, although I admit most of the women in my novels ride astride. It would be a scandal in the frontier period for a woman to wear pants and straddle a horse. Even split riding skirts were uncommon and usually frowned upon. Better to have your female character drive a horse and buggy if you want to have her move fast but not be labeled a loose woman.

Horse treats can be carrots, apples (not too many of those, unless you want to kill your horse with colic), biscuits, doughnuts, candy, potatoes, or just about anything you can think of that’s not meat. Watermelon is a favorite treat. And at the risk of repeating myself, in case I’ve already mentioned these, two fun terms to use when describing a horse are “pie-biter” and “biscuit-eater”. These are terms which cowboys used to describe a horse which was spoiled by its rider, and which hung around camp looking for treats.

As far as horse vocalizations, a whole book can be written about those, or at least another whole blog. I’ll save that for another time.

So, when you write your Western novel or story, don’t just have your horses be props. Make them come alive, give them character and personality, have them be a friend and partner to your humans, and you’ll bring a lot more life to your stories. The bond and trust between a horse and rider is one of the most powerful on earth, probably second only to that between spouses or lovers.

Jim

TRUE GREEN, an Irish Western! by MEG MIMS

Faith and Begorrah! It's an Irish Western!

Well, perhaps that's a bit of a stretch. But The Quiet Man *IS* set in the north and west of the Emerald Isle. It has *the Duke* -- a famous Western cowboy movie star! It has *horses* and a *horse race*! It has romance and *Maureen O'Hara*, who also starred as the Duke's wife in several other great westerns! It has a *great fight*! And not just between the Duke and his brother-in-law, either. Duke and Mo "duke it out" too.

In fact, I would have named this movie TRUE GREEN ... for the bits of real Irish language, Irish-born actors, and lush setting. The Quiet Man was filmed in Ireland for the most part. And it's a lot like the westerns we know and love -- an old-fashioned, men-were-men, women-were-women-and-belonged-in-the-home style of story.

It has a "fish out of water" plot, which allows the Duke to learn the local ways after breaking the rules, and then learn that following the rules doesn't always bring him what he expects either. "Mo" gets to show off her own Irish roots and portray a loving woman, yet fierce in the battle to uphold her dignity and pride in what she deserves - her dowry.

Due to her stubborn brother, she has to fight both him and her new husband! Her brother, the village "Squire," is portrayed by Victor McLaglen - British, not Irish, by birth - and another favorite actor utilized in other movies by John Ford. He also was a prizefighter in his youth, the first boxer to take on heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in 1909. Victor does a fair job boxing the Duke in the movie. They both look like they had a fun fight.

Did you know The Quiet Man was first published as a short story in the Saturday Evening Post? John Ford read it, bought the rights for $10 (TEN DOLLARS??) but before he could get financing for the film, he was told to make a western first. Rio Grande also starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, with Ford directing. But Ford won the Best Director Academy Award that year for The Quiet Man, which also won Best Cinematography. Indeed! Both well deserved.

Keep an eye on the minor characters in the film, from the pub owner to the local widow, the priest, the minister without a parish since all the residents are Catholic, and Michaleen Oge Flynn - played by Barry Fitzgerald to fine effect - the village's matchmaker. I think he's the best quirky character of the lot. You have to cheer him on and smile at his way of looking at things.

But all of the actors gave fine performances, as well as the Irish extras who no doubt had a blast being in the movie. The green beauty of Ireland is stunning. To the left is the cottage where the movie was filmed, and I've also included an image of the bridge in the gorgeous countryside. What's not to like about such lovely green meadows, charming cottages, quiet village life -- which harbors an underlying layer of healthy gossip about residents -- as in any American western town!

Even the music in the movie gives the viewer a sense of place, with Irish airs and a melody penned by an Irish policeman/songwriter, called "The Isle of Inisfree."

On St. Patrick's Day, I'll be popping in The Quiet Man and enjoying a good Irish western. I'll get my teapot out, make some soda bread or perhaps some scones. Or maybe I'll have a McDonald's shamrock shake! I am an American, after all.

And here's the cover of my newly released sequel to my Spur-Award winning western historical mystery, Double Crossing...  showcasing the continuing adventures of Lily and Ace. Double or Nothing is available on Amazon for Kindle, and will also be available in print soon! Check out the book trailer by clicking here!!

A mysterious explosion. A man framed for murder. A strong woman determined to prove his innocence.

October, 1869: Lily Granville, now heiress to a considerable fortune, rebels against her uncle’s strict rules in Sacramento, California. Ace Diamond, determined to win Lily, invests in a dynamite factory for a quick “killing,” but his status as a successful businessman fails to impress her guardian. An explosion in San Francisco, mere hours before Lily elopes with Ace to avoid a forced marriage, sets off a chain of unforeseen consequences.

Despite Lily’s protests that her new husband has been framed, Ace is dragged off to jail as the culprit. Evidence mounts against him. Lily must learn who was actually behind the diabolical plan… and save Ace from the hangman’s noose. Will she become a widow before a true wife?

Here are the BUY LINKS to the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and Smashwords.

Horses! What the Heck is a Pie-Biter? by James J. Griffin

First, congratulations to Meg on winning a copy of Death Rides the Rails on Six Sentence Saturday.

Second, I just read L.J. Washburn’s (our very own Livia Reasoner’s) book Bandera Pass. If you haven’t read it yet, find yourself a copy. It’s a great book. Watch for my review.

Now, as promised, time to talk about my favorite subject, horses. It’s said a man has been blessed if he’s known one good horse in his lifetime. In that case, I have been truly blessed, for I have owned two really good horses, and two great ones, Sam, Mr. T., Sizzle, and now Yankee.

As far as I’m concerned, the horse is God’s greatest creation, except for humans, and sometimes I’m convinced it’s the other way around. I’ve known plenty of horses who had more intelligence and common sense than most people I’ve dealt with.

And of course, without horses, there would be no Westerns. After all, there were stock keepers called “cow-boys” as far back as 16^th century England, but they didn’t ride horses. Without horses, the settling of the West would have been impossible, and of course once they discovered the horse Native American Indian tribes like the Comanche and Sioux became some of the best cavalrymen the world has ever seen. So we can thank the horse for our favorite genre, Western novels, movies, and television shows.

Lots of people don’t believe there are such things as “one-man horses”, but there indeed are. Nelson Lee, a Texas Ranger back in the 1840s, owned a one-man horse named the Black Prince. My favorite one man horse story is that of a cavalry mount in the Prussian Army in the mid-1800s. This horse had killed several grooms by biting them in the abdomen, disemboweling them. The horse was going to be destroyed, until one of the cavalry officers entered its stall with a scalding hot leg of mutton hidden behind his back. When the horse attempted to bite the officer’s stomach, he quickly got the mutton in between, so the horse bit the hot mutton instead and burned its mouth. The officer took possession of the horse. Later, in a pitched battle, the horse saved the officer’s life by biting and ripping open the stomach of an enemy soldier who was about to run his sword through the officer.

Notice I said “one-man”. Today we would say “one-person”. However, even in 2013 the proper term is “horseman”, whether referring to male or female. “Horsewoman” is acceptable, “horseperson” absolutely not.

Paint or Pinto? Ah, the eternal question. Up until 1962, the terms were interchangeable, and still are to a certain extent. “Pinto” is from the Spanish word “pintado”, meaning painted. For obvious reasons, pinto was used more in the Southwest, paint elsewhere. However, in 1962 quite a few members of the Pinto Horse Association of America split off to form the American Paint Horse Association. They wanted to preserve a stock-type spotted horse. PtHA will register any qualifying horse or pony as long as it meets their registration requirements. APHA will register western-type horses only. So now all Paints can be Pintos, but not all Pintos can be Paints. Confused enough yet?

Tobiano Horse

   

Overo Horse

That brings us to Tobiano and Overo. What the heck are those? The two main color types of Paints/Pintos. Tobiano is the more common. Think of a Tobiano as a white horse where an artist has painted smooth spots of darker color on it. An Overo (pronounced OvAHro) usually looks like a colored horse which someone has thrown a can of white paint at. The Overo’s spots are usually irregular and jagged. There is also a third type in some cases, the Tovero, a combination of both. Not encouraged. And of course for the oxymoron of the day there are “solid” paints and pintos. These are horses who came out without spots, or with only white face and/or leg markings. There’s a long-standing error in the Gunsmith series. The Gunsmith’s horse is described as an “ovaro”. The original author misspelled “overo”, spelling the word as it’s pronounced. Rather than correcting the mistake many books down the line, the publisher just left it as is.

Tradition states cowboys didn’t much care for pintos/paints, referring to them disdainfully as “Indian ponies”. This was true in many cases. However, quite a few cowboys did ride spotted horses (I’m leaving out Appaloosas for this discussion, that’s a horse of a whole different color). There are several pictures of Texas Rangers of the Frontier Battalion riding paints, as well as other 19^th century Rangers. Paints really fell out of favor when the Western movies started. They became so popular they were overbred (as happens with dogs today), so the quality went downhill, and most paint became inferior animals. That’s one of the main reasons Pinto Horse and later Paint Horse were formed, to set breed standards and improve the quality of the breed.  All of my horses have been paints (two also pintos), and as far as I’m concerned you can’t find a better horse. The American Paint is now the second most popular horse breed in the world, second only to the American Quarter Horse.

Now, to answer the question which is on everyone’s mind… what the heck is a pie-biter?

A pie-biter, or biscuit-eater, was a horse which was spoiled by its rider, and hung around camp at the end of the day looking for treats.

Bonus question: What’s a kidney-pad?

Kidney-pad was a derogatory term used by cowboys to describe an English saddle. Came from the shape.

Now that you’ve found out probably more than you’ve ever wanted to know about painted horses, time to say Adios. See y’all back here next week, Thursday the 14^th, same time, same channel. More talk about horses, Texas Rangers, or both.

Jim

Jim Griffin: Horses, Dogs, and Texas Rangers

 Howdy,

My name’s Jim Griffin, and I’ll be the regular 2^nd Thursday of the month contributor on the Western Fictioneers blog.

As a brief introduction, my main loves, not in any particular order, are horses, dogs, (especially small dogs), the Texas Rangers, and New Hampshire, particularly the southwest corner, otherwise known as the Monadnock region. Now, some of you are no doubt scratching your heads and saying, “horses, dogs, Texas Rangers, all right. But what in the world does New Hampshire have to do with anything Western?” The answer is, not much, except for this. The first use of branding to identify livestock, which just about everyone assumes started with the large free-roaming longhorn cattle herds in Texas and then spread throughout the West, actually was in New Hampshire. And the livestock branded weren’t cattle, but those critters anathema to the old time cattleranchers, sheep. Yes, sheep… woolies…mutton. Branding sheep in New Hampshire and later other parts of New England started back in Colonial times, even before the United States existed as a country. Just like western cattlemen grazed their herds on common land, identifying ownership by brands, in colonial New England animals, mostly sheep and swine, were pastured on common land, usually called the town common. Unlike the typical image of a nice patch of green land surrounded by neat white houses and a white-steepled church, the common or green was usually either dusty or muddy (depending on the weather and time of year) from grazing and rooting livestock, and trash-strewn besides. But we can still thank the farmers of New Hampshire for introducing branding to the New World. And of course some New Hampshire folk headed West to help settle the frontier. Several fought at the Alamo, and many in the Civil War. As people from New England’s land, never very fertile to begin with and extremely rocky, played out, plenty of New Englanders headed West to start again.

Now on to things more Western. I’ve had horses most of my life, and can’t imagine having to live without one. I still think the infernal combustion engine is the creation of the devil, and the world would be better off with fewer cars and more horses. Maybe we’d all learn to relax a bit more and get along with each other better, too, if more of us rode horses. It’s hard to stay angry when you’re on the back of a good horse.

As far as the Texas Rangers, I’ve been fascinated by the organization since I was a kid. Have a friend who just retired from the Rangers, and got to know enough about them that I’m considered an amateur and unofficial historian of the outfit, although I sure don’t claim to be an expert. I’ve collected a whole passel of Texas Ranger artifacts over the years, which are now in the permanent collections of the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, Texas. It’s a great museum to learn about the Rangers. If any of you are down Waco way be sure to stop it, and see some of my stuff. Most is in the Texas Rangers in Popular Culture Gallery, and the items get rotated in and out.

And that’s the lead-in for the chance to mention my books. I’ve got two series of Texas Rangers novels in print, plus one stand alone book, and some more in the works. Not to mention a whole bunch of stuff all over the web.  And of course stories in both Western Fictioneers anthologies, and am one of the contributors to the WF Wolf Creek series. My novels completely traditional Westerns, no avant-garde edgy stuff or western mixed with science fiction ala The Wild Wild West. You’ll find straight-shootin’ good guys, nasty bad guys, brave women, smart horses, and plenty of fist-fighting action and shooting in my stories. You won’t need to be afraid to let your kids (or your mama) read most of ‘em.

One other passion of mine is traveling all over the West, although I don’t have the chance to do that as much as I used to. My first trip west I was headed to a job in San Diego, and at an overnight stop in Midland, Texas my hosts offered to take me on a trail ride to let my horse stretch his legs, since he’d been riding in a horse trailer behind my ‘65 Impala for three days, and the previous stops only had small corrals for him. Started the ride, and after a couple of miles of sand and more sand I finally had to ask where was the beach? Here, where there’s sand, there’s usually a beach. Not in west Texas.

Other big surprise was when I first saw the Rocky Mountains. Kept wondering why they didn’t look all that high, not much higher than a lot of the mountains here in northern New England. Then it hit me that when you first see the Rockies you’re already a mile or more above sea level. So, a 12,000 foot mountain seen from 6,000 feet altitude on the plains doesn’t look much higher than one of our 6,000 footers seen from 700 feet above sea level.

So, enough of this introductory stuff. Next time around I’ll promise to talk Rangers, horses, books, and maybe even a dog or two. Not all at the same time, of course. And if any of you have any questions on the above subjects, I’d love to hear ‘em.

Jim