Posts Tagged ‘horses’

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 […]

School Yard Bronc Ride

June 9, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My Dad told me a “last day of school” story that I sure got a kick out of. Being a ranch boy, he usuallyhad riding to do either on the way to or on the way home from school, so a saddle horse was his usualmode of transportation. On this fine May day, he had […]

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 […]

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, […]

Real Winners at the Draft Horse Pull

March 29, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Many years ago we went to a draft horse pull. It was held in the winter in a warm facility, and promised to be a fun day off the place. It didn’t disappoint.The horse pull was a big one, as nearly 30 years ago it was a pretty big thing in the region. There wereprofessional […]

Guardian Angel Horse

March 27, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

It had been a rather rough winter and spring. A hard winter had led into March blizzard that had beenhard on livestock and people alike. Our cows weren’t calving yet, so we hadn’t lost any calves in thestorm, but when turned out to get out of the mud and drifts in the corrals, some of […]

Teamwork Between a Kid and a Colt

March 13, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

I recently told you about some of the daring ideas that a kid will come up with when teamed up with agreen colt. Son Colin’s filly was two and he was 10. He had officially “started” Callie in August, but he’dbeen sneaking off to ride her bareback in the pasture for months before that, so […]

A Kid, a Colt and Interesting Ideas

March 6, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Calving was starting and my son was gathering the cows at night while I fed them some good hay in agrass lot. Colin was 12, and he was riding his filly Callie who was a three year old. He had officially“started” her the summer before, but unofficially, he’d been sneaking off and riding her bareback […]

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 […]