Today we rode!
Buck came down from Reidsville with his Grandsons Nick and Dillon. Buck brought a horse for Les to ride. Saddled!
It was a big sorrel gelding called Max. A very nice horse…
I rode Tuff.
Tuff is my gelding… I have had 4 HEART horses in my lifetime. (Owned so many horses)
The first horse was Old King…a stallion my Grandpa based his breeding program on. He was an Oklahoma Star/ King P234 bred horse from the 60s…Grandpa gave him to me when King was 19 and I rode him till he was 27. He lived to be 30. He was the kind! (I started riding him when he was 5 years old) I could leave on Sunday afternoon by myself and return after dark and Grandpa knew ole King was taking care of me. I rode that horse any and everywhere. Broke my heart when we had to put him down due to old age…He is buried behind the dam!
His son out of a Charlie Polite mare was my second heart horse. BO was his name. He was broke at 4 years of age and ridden maybe 6 times till he was 12….When we found him (still a stallion) and purchased him. He was the kind! Just like ole King … I rode him for 8 years and he went blind! Cataracts! I gave him to Ken Treadway who found him a good home. Far as I know he is still doing fine following and old mare with a bell around in a pasture… in South Carolina! Course we gelded him years ago…
Then there is Texas. A Paint horse and he now lives with Tosha and her family. He is old and sway backed (too much so for me to ride) But my what a fine spirit ! What a fine horse. What a once in a lifetime horse he is… He loves me. I love him. There is “something” in his eyes. When I first saw him he said Kay I belong to you! His heart is there to be seen. He is Texas! Big as the state I named him after…My what a fine fine ride. Like the 2 horses before him but with something more. A quality a spirit that speaks to my heart. We “know” each other…Texas is as fine a horse as has ever lived and as fine as I will ever hope to know! and have the privilege to know.
Then there is Tuff! I have no idea how I was so lucky to end up with him! I tried not to! He is beautiful. Was a stallion now gelded.. I tried him out 4 times. And took him back to Ken 3 times! Last time I kept him. Again he has that quality that I can not describe. But it is in his eyes! But something more…That something that all 4 of these wonderful friends have had!
Yes he likes me. My experience with horses is they can be a lot like cats. Indifferent… But if they like you they let you know it…
Well today it has been over a year since I rode him…I threw my saddle on him and rode off for a wonderful day on the trail! We went where we pleased…without a thought!
Through briars that ate us both up. Up and down steep mountains (Ours are not tall but intense) Over branches and thru mud, crossed creeks. Went by goats and chickens, barking mad dogs, by cows deer crossed in front of us turkeys and buzzards flew up, up and down creek banks and up the creek (what little water there was) round downed trees, thru saplings one could hardly see what way to go… All the time Tuff was honest, true, and never gave me any trouble. He did see one booger…But was predictable, gave it the eye and went on!
NOW all my heart horses have been like Tuff. You could leave em up for months or years…Take them out saddle and ride off like you had ridden them every day!
BUT yet there is that “something” in their eye that recognition that they like ME!
We had a fun and a fine ride! Good friends! And Buck and Diane’s grandsons are growing up to be good riders and having a good time with their Grandpa! What good memories I have of Astor Delk my Grandpa and I riding these old trails! Yeah …A great day! A WONDERFUL ride! and a good time! A ghost and a few memories were along for the ride as well.
BO and Me at Mt Rogers crossing Little Wilson Creek
Tuff (as a stallion) on one of his should I keep him or not trips to the farm!
1 comments
Wonderful story! And two great photos!!