Posts Tagged ‘American west’

Lily and the Boggy Crossing

March 26, 2026
Jan Swan Wood

We were riding on about 1800 steers and 300 cow/calf pairs on a summer range that was split into fourpastures, running for miles east and west but not very wide. The cows were in the furthest east one andthe steers in the others. Dividing every one of those pastures was the most treacherous creek I’ve […]

The Crazy Horse I Had to Own

February 27, 2026
Jan Swan Wood

The first time I ever saw the horse I stopped in my tracks. He was the vision of a using horse that hadlived in my head for several years. The guy who owned him was using him in the sale ring at the cattlesale. As the day went on, I watched the roan gelding without […]

Born Broke Horse

September 5, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

It had been a busy spring and early summer. Foaling was over so it was breeding season for our mares and two studs. The outside mares added to the workload, plus it was a dry time and I was irrigating the hay ground and pastures on top of fencing projects, a big garden, and getting […]

Marital Strife and Working Cattle

August 25, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My folks had a great working relationship and built a family and a ranch together over the years. Dadworked outside, Mom worked inside, except for her yard and big garden. It was an equitable arrangement that served them well. Mom would drive a feed pickup or drive the pickup pulling one of the hay wagons, […]

Tough but not that Tough

August 2, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Attitudes sometimes need adjusted in all species. Horses are no exception. I’d raised a mare who had many good qualities and was very people friendly. Her mother had been an outstanding using horse andthis young mare was on track to be the same. Her mother had also been the boss mare on the place. Not […]

Bad Start on a Good Colt

July 9, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

We were working on a ranch in Nebraska where part of our job was to get a small group of young horses started riding in preparation for a horse sale late summer. The youngsters had been raised there and the unstarted ones were two and three years old. There were a couple of four year […]

A Horse Who Makes Few Mistakes

June 26, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My son started him for a friend when Boston was three years old. He was still a stud. My friend saidthat when he made his first mistake she’d geld him. He started like a dream and it appeared like he readahead in the school book between rides, as everything was so easy for him to […]

A Boy’s First Time Roping at a Branding

June 12, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Little cowboys tend to think they’re big enough to do big cowboy things pretty early in life. My sonColin was sure no exception. At three he thought he was big enough to help rope and doctor yearlingcattle and was pretty put out with me because I didn’t agree. When he was five he asked if […]

Extra Spicy Calf

May 27, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

When I finished high school, I sold my cows and left home, as had my older siblings. I sure missed having my cows but that was how it had to be. When I got engaged and my soon to be husband and I had a ranch job on the agenda, I bought some little dairy […]

Big Horses, a Toddler, and Leg Hugs

May 19, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Last week I was at my son and daughter-in-law’s place for a visit and to pair out some cows from the big lot. They were going to be horseback and I was to be afoot leading the little granddaughter on her horse.Getting horses brushed off, saddled and the adjustments made to stirrups used by growing […]