Posts Tagged ‘American west’

A Cowboy’s Horse

April 22, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My Dad had a weakness for a horse with a fast walk. I swear, he’d have bought a horse from a gypsy peddler if it just walked really fast. So, sometimes he got burned due to this weakness of his. As he gotolder, he didn’t allow for his aging body and limitations and when looking […]

Rattled Ride On Cutthroat

April 15, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My time in New Mexico working on a ranch holds some pretty special memories. Some good, some bad, but overall, it was a great experience. Funny occurrences seem funnier now, 40 plus years later.For those who don’t know, when you are working for a big outfit and have a string of horses assigned to you, […]

Calving Lot Ski Slope

April 10, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

It had been a long winter, having started in November and being cold and snowy clear until March. Wedidn’t need the March blizzard that dumped feet of snow and made drifts higher than our eight foot windbreak fences, but we got it anyway. It was an ordeal just to get the stock fed in the […]

Old Bridles, Good Memories

February 21, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

It’s starting to crack and is too fragile now to use, but I have a bridle that has intrinsic value to me. Itwas my Dad’s. He was born in 1926 and got the headstall and a set of reins for his 13th birthday I believe.He told me the story of going to the Denver Saddlery […]

Hunter/Jumper/Barrel Horse

February 15, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Back in the olden days when I was young and single, I had a very high powered gelding that I was trying to make a barrel horse out of. Back then you had to just go get some runs on a horse, somewhere, as it was before there were anything like 4D barrel races and […]

Rodeo Season

June 19, 2020
Jolyn Young

So far, the rodeo scene for 2020 has been pretty quiet. Due to bans on large events prompted by the spread of the new coronavirus, both pro and ranch rodeos were canceled across the nation for most of the spring run. But, restrictions on large public gatherings are now lifting and rodeos are resuming for the […]

McFarland Productions, Marketing the Western Way of Life

December 6, 2019
Tiffany Schwenke

Natalie McFarland has taken marketing and supporting of our western way of life and presented it in beautiful ways time and time again. I never tire of watch videos and marketing portfolios that Natalie has created. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I’d say Natalie’s videos are worth more than a […]

Meet The Horsewoman and Artist, Olivia Constance Hunsperger

November 25, 2019
Tiffany Schwenke

Olivia Constance Hunsperger is a horsewomen and artist whom I’ve kept my eye on for awhile now. Her horses are fancy and she creates unique artistic visuals that I think are awesome! I recently asked Olivia to tell us more about herself and her journey as a horsewoman and artist. OCH: They say, I came […]

Winter on the Ranch

March 1, 2019
Jenn Zeller

Winter this year began as a meek, mild child and turned into a full-on rebellious teenager. It’s been unseasonably cold — the average this time of year should be about 30F, but instead it’s been about -5F. Okay, maybe it hasn’t been that cold, but it has sure felt like it. And you know it’s […]

Summer Cow Camp 101: The Other Side

August 19, 2018
Jolyn Young

Each summer, many cowboys on ranches throughout the American West leave headquarters to live at cow camps for the season. Moving closer to the cattle on their summer range is more efficient for the ranch and employees. It saves a long, bumpy commute on a dirt road each day, and is easier on the equipment, […]