An Old Quarter Horse And A Young Ranch Lady

Discussion in 'Other Reminiscences' started by Faye Fox, Oct 11, 2019.

  1. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    I wasn't really horse crazy like most ranch girls, but I did love old JD. He was 20 and I was 17. The rancher that leased our small pasture next to the corrals said his name was Jack Daniels and was named that because he had a hard birth and the old vet that was called was drinking Jack Daniels when he arrived. It was a weekend late night call, so lucky to get a vet at all. I modified my avatar this morning to reflect the current me going back in time to stand on the old ranch high pasture with old JD. I remember seeing a very dry Ponderosa pine snag get hit by lightening about a 150 feet away. JD was about half way between the snag and I. The concussion was so massive, it caused JD to lose his balance. I was talking to a neighbor in his pickup and I remember looking over the cab top. He says I came off the ground a good foot. The snag exploded and caught fire. It started raining heavy soon after, so fire was extinguished. JD got up and stood a minute, shook his head, and then took off faster than I had ever seen him run. The smell of super high voltage electricity and smoldering pine, saturated the air. I was unhurt other than ringing ears that haven't stopped ringing to this day. The old ranch has been divided up into 1 to 10 acre plots that only the wealthy can afford. Lots of million dollar homes there now. I left the ranch at 18 and got word a few years later that JD died. I was running the rolls on a highway project. I stopped for lunch and the foreman came over, visually shaken, to say he had received a radio message from the office that my mother had called and there was a death in my family, JD died at 25 and I could go home with paid time. When I could dry my eyes and talk, I said, "No, I don't need time, JD was a neighbors quarter horse and we spent a lot of time together." The foreman breathed out heavy and I could see his relief. I called my mother later that evening and all she had told the office clerk was, "Let Faye know JD died and he just turned 25."

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  2. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    My first horse was a "lippy" Quarter Horse. When this gelding got excited, his lower lip would quiver. He was much more of a trail horse than a rope horse. Since I couldn't get him "rope trained", I sold him. My next horse, a trained team roping horse ("heading" horse) was a Red Roan Quarter Horse. I then became a member of AQHA and bought my Permit for pro-rodeo. He is the one I used at a Roping School and we both done fine.
     
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  3. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    That is an amazing story, @Faye Fox ! It sounds like both you and JD were fortunate to have survived that lightning strike, and also good that the rain followed to put out the fire before that got bad.
    If JD was shod, it would have been even worse; but I am guessing that at his age, and if he was mostly just lounging around in his pasture, that he didn’t have shoes on his hooves.
    Did you or anyone still ride him ?
    At 20, if he didn’t have any other health problems, he should have still been fine for pleasure riding.
    One of my most favorite horses to ride was a coal black Tennessee Walker mare, and she was close to that age, and still loved going out on trail rides.
    We were living out near Mt. St. Helens at that time, and there were lots of the old Weyerhauser logging roads in the hills near where I lived, and that was where I usually went on my daily rides.
     
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  4. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    Our ranch was half for alfalfa for hay and half pasture for cattle. We seldom needed a horse and the neighbors loved coming over for any occasion requiring a horse. They were horse breeders and trainers. I learned to ride, but never really enjoyed it like they did. I was a great roper in the corral at branding and castrating time. I went to many rodeos and helped out with the stock and other details. One of my friends was a barrel racer and the neighbor boys loved bull riding and roping. Only time I remember participating was around 8 or so and in the greased pig chase. Once was enough! My main thing was showing cattle at the county fair. I took one to state one year. Never had a high placing steer or heifer, but almost always won the showmanship contest. JD was never broke or ridden. He was to be a stud, but he couldn't reproduce and the owners couldn't bear to sell him. He was a bad influence on their others horses, always instigating trouble, they said, so my dad offered our pasture, mainly clover and Timothy grass for lease. He was content there. His corral was next to the old bunk house that was made into a shop and had an old forge where I learned to make knives and do leather work. I would blare the old AM radio and he loved to get close and listen. When I would go on long hikes up the mountain, I would let him out and he always followed me. My dad said he was a better protector for me than a dog. For some strange reason, he took an instant liking to me and when I came home on the school bus, he was always at that end of his pasture where the bus pulled over. No one ever understood why this horse that didn't get along with other humans or horses very well, was never anything but gentle to me. My grandma said it was a kindred spirit thing that horses can detect. She was from a family of working horse breeders as far as history could be traced, so no one would argue with her.
     
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  5. Faye Fox

    Faye Fox Veteran Member
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    @Yvonne Smith No he was never shod. Since he was to be for breeding, no serious attempts were made to break him. He got testy even when anyone tried to put on a halter. I always walked along side him on our walks. Once when the creek was swift and dangerous for me to cross, he just stood there going up and down with his head as to say grab hold, so I got in front and put my arms around his neck and put my feet up best I could and he carried me across. It was about 2 feet deep and spring swift. He never indicated that he wanted me or anyone or anything on his back. I have always loved to walk, especially in the mountains. I think JD was my fitness trainer and body guard and if he could talk would have said, "a girl won't get strong legs riding on my back."
     
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