He is on the pinto Jake and I’m on Timberline ! Many years ago on the day before Easter a good friend called me and said your horses on the West Boulder are in danger of getting into white loco weed . I got Dave Poncin my old guide of 20 plus years and an old outfitter friend and as we had one 22 foot horse trailer took it and headed over there! I had 13 head on the Lionshead ranch . I’m not sure how we expected to get them in it in one load ! I had just bought the trailer from Jim Todd and damn it was my first one and so proud to be driving a fifth wheel . Well I never saw any loco weed but we got them all caught and started loading . I’m not sure if it was the exuberance of youth or what but three head wasn’t going in . We thought they would! I thought for a minute , then told Bill and Dave saddle my buckskin horse and I’ll neck these three mules together . I bought three mules the fall before from Tom Munro and Chester Meusetter . They had the pinwheel brand on them so I assume they were silvertip ranch mules . Well I cinched up old Buck and he came apart . I’d bought him two years before from Harry Miller . Damn he bucked around there for90 seconds . That’s a long time on a bronc . I got him pulled up let him blow and I took off. Dave n Bill were looking at me like I was going to shoot the mules . I always had my pistol on me . I said I’ll be back ! I long trotted down the road to Morris Blakesleys ranch . Sbout 5 miles ,! Wally and Judy Wines were calving for him . Wally is from Wells NV a buckaroo and my lifelong friend . Although I’m a better cowboy 😁. Well I trotted into the yard and his jaw dropped when he saw me horseback 100 miles from home . But I never knew where I’d be at dark in those days ! I know I put many miles on in a truck and more on a horse or mule . Well I talked him into keeping them and as I was leaving Morrishad called the ranch. Judy told him about the three mules . So I ended up trading for a black shire team . These were big leggy horses my type . At that age it never bothered me that they had more brands on them than body parts . Bucking horse numbers . The numbers matched the age Wally told me they were and the best part Wally would deliver to Gardiner . An hour later you should of seen the look on Dave n Bills face when I came trotting up with three halters . Bill said you can sell ice to an Eskimo . Well maybe when the dust settled Morris could 😉😁! In those days a horse trade was a horse trade . You didn’t come whining back . It was fun 90 percent of the time haha ! Well I got them home put a harness on them hitched them up and drove around the corral . One was a little more broke but really nice and up on the bit . The kind I love . So I hooked them to the bobsled . Got in . Sue held them while I adjusted the tugs ! And then got ahold of the lines . I almost took Jeremiah Aimee and Sue but my instinct took over . It was almost to quiet . All my life I’ve worked with other people’s horses they couldn’t or wouldn’t break and you get to know things you can’t really put your finger on . So I said get out of the way . I clicked to them and in ten feet they both cold jawed and the run was on , . We were headed for the arch quick . As soon as I passed the arch I dropped the left line and put all I had onto the right one . I was as strong as I’ve ever been and I got them turned up hill . The snow was over 30 inches and they plowed what looked like a road almost 200 yards . Then they released their bits . I drove them for awhile but once they run they will always run . An old horse trader came up and looked at them . He said I’ll sell them for you . I had rode them but they were rank . The one had a bad habit of biting your foot . I still to this day have a flat little toe where he bit it and smashed it . So Virgil went to see another trader named Larry Gaustad and said damn Warrens got a nice black team . Now black light teams were in demand , mostly cause Tom Venable who was running TW horse company was replacing all the big teams with black light ones . Well Larry asked about them . Virgil said I saw them hitched and boy they were quiet . Well Larry beat foot up to my place and he loved them and never not once asked about them ! I was just a dumb ol country boy snd didn’t figure a big time trader like Larry would want my input anyway so I just never said a word , 😁😉 . He looked them over and bought them . Paid nicely for them I might add . My banker was happy ! Well he took them to 8 mile creek to sell to Tom and Chester . Tom a shrewd old teamster saw the bucking horse brands and put a running W on one of them . The rumor mill was that he tripped him 23 times before they hit the county road . Larry called Virgil , Larry could get loud , I thought you said you saw those horses hitched and they were quiet . Virgil quietly said I said I saw them hitched to the barn and they were standing quietly . Happy Easter all true ! Respectfully Warren
TRADING A TEAM OF HORSES
