MY FRIEND
By John Sanford
He appeared about 4 million years ago looking much the way he does today,
Having evolved from the smaller cousins we find in fossilized decay.
The disappearance of tropical forests gave way to dry and windy ranges.
Glaciers retreated leaving great rivers, gorges, along with other welcome changes.
The great inland sea became an ocean of green grasses.
The horse, he became fat and slick. His small herds became great masses.
10 thousand years ago man arrived with his long spear aiming to make a stand.
In the span of a few thousand years, the horse was gone from North America. Quiet was the land.
The ocean of grass lay silent. Great rivers lapped their shoals.
No longer did the handsome stallion stand on ridge and watch his band of mares and foals.
Mean while, in the old world, both horse and human thrived.
By 3000BC, man had domesticated the horse, but still in the New World, none survived.
Man began to alter the horse’s genes, making him taller, faster, heavier, whatever man’s will.
He helped him to explore, carried his burdens, died in his battles, and his soil he helped to till.
In 1519, Cortez sailed from Spain to Mexico with 16 horses; 11 studs, 5 mares; sorrel, black and bay.
These colors that we can still see today.
With every voyage from Spain, more and more horses arrived.
They helped to conquer the native tribe.
Soon there were thousands of horses in the new world. Many escaped their masters and began to roam free.
The beginning of the mesteno. The mustangs we now see.
The Native American was scared at first of the” monsters”, but soon he learned to ride.
The Spaniards developed huge herds of cattle and horses with which they took great pride.
The horse helped to establish “California”, the land of endless grasses.
At the same time, people landed on the east coast and brought the horse with their masses.
He too, helped till the land; carried man to discover, and died for him in battle.
New breeds of horses were developed to do man’s bidding. From the harness to the saddle.
They helped to build vast empires, great ranches from Texas to Saskatchewan.
And man, finding more battlefields for the horse to die on.
Eventually to be replaced by a mechanized machine with tracks.
The faithful war horses no longer needed, were killed by the human. Their last sounds heard, the rifle cracks.
He still pulled the farm equipment, and tended the cattle, but as time went on, he was replaced again by machine.
However, he was hard to beat when it came to tending cattle, some wild and mean.
So he remained the cowboy’s working partner. He wouldn’t trade his top horse for anything.
The horse continued to make money on the racetrack and win pretty ribbons in the ring.
Now my friend has served man for centuries, in the towns and in the fields.
The millions who died on man’s battlefields,
Some helped to build man’s great nations.
He accepted his loss of wild habitat, and was forced to shorter rations.
He suffered man’s abuse, but doesn’t ask for retribution or thanks. He just continues to carry on.
So when you look to those high desert peaks of Nevada, the grassy ranges of Montana, or the red desert of Wyoming, you’ll see him looking on.
His band of mares below, the foals at their side.
So if you see him in the field, the arena or the wild, or perhaps you get to take a ride,
Thank him.
Because with out the horse to share this world, man’s future would be mighty dim.
~Dedicated to Ray Hunt~
The world’s greatest horseman
My ranch is located near Locust Dale, Virginia. I'm working horses on the road and doing clinics and demos, as well as taking horses in for monthly training.
You are welcome to email me at vabuckaroo68@yahoo.com
or call 540-672-2986 or 434-882-1864
I look forward to hearing from you
