The Box R Ranch is a family owned ranch in Cora, Wyoming, that was homesteaded over 100 years ago by The Lozier family.
During the economy downfall, I worked at The Box “R” as a wrangler and farrier. Each wrangler had his/her own string of horses they kept going all through the season as part of the job. Your steady saddle horse you could depend on to do everyday jobs, a green broke horse that was in training to become a dependable horse, a colt (a young horse you would take from knowing nothing or knowing humans, to teaching him/her to learn how to be a ranch horse), and a back up horse for when your horse needed a few days rest.
The working cattle/guest ranch, allowed about 20 guests per week to come out and truly experience a real working ranch, by being a part of the everyday workings of ranch life.
On Mondays, we would have an orientation day so that the guests could have a day to get familiar with their horse and surroundings for the week. Since it was a leisurely ride up to Willow Lake and through the hills, one of us wranglers would generally take a colt or green horses, so that they could be in a calm environment with other trained horses and get about 10-12 miles in without much risk of having a wreck or bad day.
Late in the season, I was given the task of training a 6 year old colt we called “Red Man” - smaller built, but solid built quarter horse. Something about this horses eyes didn’t look right to me, (just a gut feeling you get with horses) and I told Irv I thought he was too old to be starting out at 6 years old anyway.
Most ranch colts are started at 3 and are ready to go to work by 4 or 5. Red Man had never had a saddle on his back and he was 6!!!
Irv insisted, so I began working with the 6 year old.
Like any relationship, both parties involved have to give a little and take a little for the relationship to work long term. So generally, the youngsters will act out at first but then they come around once they figure out you’re there to help them learn, not to hurt them. Most of them change their attitude and approach when they begin to realize they get to work at a job they love, and they figure out you are their partner doing the job.
Red Man, though, didn’t have any give in him, and was very dishonest. He would allow me to think he was ok with certain tasks, so we could move on, but as soon as I let my guard down he would act out, usually by bucking straight up (what we call breaking in half, like a sun fish
Whether you’re talking about a horse or person, we were all designed to have purpose in life and to work hard. If we embrace that fact, life gets meaning!
After a few weeks of having good days and bad days with him and taking him on several rides with just other wranglers and myself, as well as a Monday ride where he rode in the back and just followed the other horses. I decided he was ready for a Monday afternoon ride, this time to lead, since that’s what he was being trained to do…be a leader.
Kind of a graduation for the young/old colt.
We headed east from the ranch straight up the beautiful hills of the Bridger Teton National Forest, towards Willow Lake, where we free grazed all of our cattle all summer each year. Irv was only one of three ranchers that had a permit to graze on the 380,000 acres of absolute heaven. You could literally ride for days and never see another human being, but pretty much guaranteed you would see plenty of other life. I’ve seen moose, elk, coyotes, black bear, grizzly, a wolf, badgers, deer, and of course cows all living in this vast mountain range.
We made it to the ridge line up above Willow Lake with no problem. The climb up is a pretty long and steady climb, so it will generally take any vinegar out of the young horses that are wanting to let it lose on you. Willow Lake is a glacier lake that is over 7 miles long and over 400’ deep at it’s deepest point. The first time I saw it, I had a spiritual experience. I had never seen anything so beautiful and so massive at the same time. The mountains make a perfect bowl for the lake to sit in, and there are no words to say…you just take it in and are changed by it.
Red man and I lead the group of about 15 down the ridge liner about 2/3 of the lake, then headed back towards the ranch down the mountain.
The mountains are mostly made up of sage brush, rocks, pine trees, willows in the wet areas, and Aspen trees (locals call them Quakies, because of the sound their leaves make in the wind).
We turn right out of the sage brush in into a little group of Quakies, right where you can see the ranch off in the distance about a mile away. At this turn, the trail turns to about a 3/1 slope and almost a 90 degree right turn, and this heads you straight towards the big game fence gate where the First land is separated from the Box R land.
His first move as we were going down hill was to sun fish. For us it would be like a vertical leap as high as we could with both feet. Back humps up, like a poodle taking a poop in the front yard, and so the memory begins being made.
A horse has a major advanced when going down hill if they want you off their back, because they can flip you over the dashboard with all things leaning that way anyway. Any cowboy knows, you would much rather have them going uphill if they decide they want to dance.
Thankfully, he jumped straight up and not, back feet first, because I was able to dig in my heels on the first go and pull his head up. On the second leap, I was buried in the saddle pretty good, and turned his head around to my left knee to try to get him headed up hill and to get him thinking about something else other than planting me right there in the Quakies. He was determined though, as soon as I got him headed up hill, he made another frog jump in the middle of 4 or 5 of the guests, scattering them and got turned back down hill again. This time he dove into a small bunch of 7-8’ tall Quakies that were kinda thick. I think I probably hit 4 or 5 of the trees before finally coming off and hitting the ground in disgust.
He ran on down the hill as kind of a victory lap and left me in a pile in front of all of the on lookers who just got a free show. He stopped at the gate as he knew that was the way home and turned and looked at me, almost with a grin. If he had fingers, I think he would have given me the middle one.
I got up, did a quick survey of all my parts, everything checked out, so I headed straight to Red Man.
“If you fall off your horse, you got to get back on”….everyone knows and says this, but it’s a little different when you actually have to do it!
When you walk into a fight, knowing you will get hit really hard again, after already getting hit really hard, it will test your grit, and maybe your sanity…or in this case my line of work at 41 years old!
But I had 15 folks, and Kyle Barron watching me to see what I would do, and how I would handle this situation.
I was so mad as hell, and my feelings were hurt, that this dishonest SOB, snuck one in on me after acting like he had actually learned something over the past month. Horses are very intuitive, so I had to gather my emotions before approaching or especially getting back in the saddle.
I took about 10min to do so, then with heart pounding ready for the punch in the mouth, I climbed back on ole Red Man. Kyle, 25 years old wrangler and my best buddy out there, rode in front now as we passed through the game fence gate and headed home.
With another horse in front, the young horses gain confidence that where they are going is ok, and keeps them from having too many crazy thoughts most of the time.
The double track that leads to the ranch, has an irrigation ditch that runs along the side of it, so that water coming off the mountain is gathered for each use. It’s about 12-16” deep and probably 2-3’ wide. The ditch runs through sage brush mostly that taller, like around 2-3’ tall and the entire area is very rocky…hence “Rocky Mountains” right?
Kyle and I were talking about the current events and how to maybe prevent it from happening again, when like someone slapping you in the face completely unannounced, Red Man broke in half on me again!
He went straight up for all he was worth, and then took a hard right turn toward the irrigation ditch, which again, is straight down hill. I was try to dig my heels but had blown a right stirrup, so was not a in good position to ride this one out. He leaped over the irrigation ditch heading down hill while turning right again in mid air, sending me flying high across the ditch and landing on a good solid piece of Rocky Mountain rock.
I was pretty certain almost immediately, my right hip was broken. I could barely get up, and had to hobble as an effort to walk.
Red Man stood and looked at me, not running off. He had accomplished his goal, and in his mind had won the battle for the day.
With my hip wrecked, I physically couldn’t get back in the saddle. I grabbed his reins and hobble the rest of the way on foot.
I had poured myself into this young horse, but in my opinion, didn’t have the mental capacity or just simply the willingness to learn his job. He was going to be a danger to anyone who tried to ride him.
Kyle wanted to work with him, since I had invested so much time and effort. Red Man ended up not only bucking hard, but flipping over on Kyle one morning and broke his own leg. We had to put him down.
We all are made beautifully by the hands of God, the Bible says so. Our search for meaning and purpose in this life is found if we search.
Some chose not to search. Somechose not to be taught how to search or how to live.
Sometimes our efforts, yield a different result than we envisioned, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t put in the work.
When we work hard and have that exhausted feeling where we have earned the right to rest, it’s a naturally beautiful thing!
Don’t run from that feeling…
run to it
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