The Ranch Horse From Out West

Pictured is my girl Lily- not a ranch horse or advertised as such, I just think she is pretty :)

This topic is one that was kind of difficult to put into words and could even be considered controversial. I encourage you to know before reading that I am making very general statements and of course know that not everyone fits into the categories I have described below, don’t too worked up, it’s not that serious.

Today I write about the ranch horse. The horse that works day in and day out and works hard. The horse that is not only an essential tool to a working ranch but, also a partner to the cowboy riding him. In my earlier years in the horse world growing up in Maine I had heard the term “ranch horse” which often described an old plug that trail rode like a dream. As I got older, I became more familiar with the term, seeing it and (maybe) even using it in my own advertising- again, often for good ole solid trail horses. In recent years an interchangeable term for ranch horse began being plastered on the internet for advertising and that is “from out west”. Generally when a horse is promoted with this title it is implied that the horse is a “ranch horse”. It wasn’t until my adult life when I gained more knowledge and travelled to the infamous “out west” to learn theres a dang high chance that none of the horses in my past or that I had seen advertised were actual ranch horses.

Many ranch horses are quirky as hell. They aren’t dopey eared plugs that plod down the trail. They have an edge to them. Many may throw some bucks when first tacking or even later on in the day. They have “big circle horses” which can be real crazy, they have enough spitfire to make the big laps around the properties. The real ranch horses may have a hitch in their step and then may snort if you walk at them a certain way. They may buck every time you tie your slicker to their saddle or they may pull back when tied to a trailer. Real ranch horses are generally predictable however, its because they have pulled the same sh*t everyday for their entire ranch career. They may booger at your rope even though they see it every day all day. Real ranch horses aren’t for the faint of heart BUT they are essential because yeah they may be cold backed suckers but, when push comes to shove, they will work longer and harder than any gentle soul will. They will go through the toughest terrain, drag the soggiest calves, and they won’t quit. They have a killer sense of direction and are trusted to make their way home in the blizzards. These horses are the real deal. What they are not, is the dud trail horses that are making their way north. Those trail horses have their place and purpose but, most of the time its not at a ranch and if they were by some chance at a ranch “out west” if they were any good at it chances are they wouldn’t have left.

I am not here ranting to put down one category of horse over the other but, we need to stop taking the ranch horse title and plastering it on the stiff sided trail horses. Ranch horses work hard for their title, they’ve earned it. If nothing else, take a life hint from a ranch horse and #getgritty