RUN AWAY!!

while at azl we went through a lot of horses. feedlots are hard on horse flesh. and then the company wouldnt spent much on horses so you always got pickles to ride. buckers, chronic cripples and sore backs because of poor conformation.  generaly the best horse you had to ride was your own!
    partner joe s dad had a desert ranch where he ran 200 head of driftwood hancock  mares. problem was those mares were wild and hard to gather. because of the dry conditions a lot of the colts were stunted for lack of feed.  but they still had the heart, and the fire. they may only weigh 800 pounds and be 14 hands but they were good ponies if you could ride them. when fed well they would get a growth spurt and make a good sized horse.  well the company bought 3 of they little fire balls. i had one and joe another, but the 3rd fell to a cowboy who had been a jocky and race horse trainer.  joe and i were  making a stray check on our good rope horses. slow easy day. down at the saddle house there was a cloud of dust and a little bay streak came boilin out of the front of the barn. the rider was our ex jocky who had a bosal on little bay who had taken the stomp ass. joe and i made a little dash to pick up the run away. the rider didnt want to give up his rein for fear that joe would jerk the bay hellion down. we pulled up and watched the cloud of dust headen west down a feed ally. after dodgin a feed truck and  and a vet pickup the little bay swapped ends and headed back when he came into range we sandwiched him again. this time the jockey was more than willing to hand over his rein. seems he had peeled the heels off both boots against the stirrups of his saddle, and both feet were through the stirrups! his face was pale as a bleached bed sheet! joe throttled the little bay to a slow lope then a trot then stopped. i got off my horse and dodging kicks from the bay got the jockeys boots off. he slid to the ground , wobbled over to a feed trough and sat down.  he walked the mile to the saddle house while joe led the bay back home. a week later the jockey quit and moved on. those three little bays desert raised ponies made good horses in time.