Tales From A Texan

Well lessee...

I believe I am the only reenactor that has had correspondence with a horse. Hit's tha gospel truth.

You see some time back I had to move to a different county in Texas. We had sold our home and wifey had picked out what, in her opinion, was a more agreeable part of the great state of Texas to call home, the little town of Crockett. Named after none other than ole Davey hisself.

Well I had a problem. Until we got settled in our new establishment I had to find a place to temporarily put my ole buddy Trooper. Trooper's my hoss doncha know and like one of the family. I started looking around and found nothing suitable and was beginning to feel a tad bit desperate when a fellow member of the SCV, one Mr. Kirk Foster, sez, "I can keep him in my back lot, which is about 2 or 3 acres, and has a small shed on it. The only problem is I have a hugh Rodesian Ridge-back dog that he will have to get along with."

So I loads up said Trooper and hawles him to Foster's back lot and very carefully leads him into the pen with the Ridge-back. They both stare at each other like two wrestlers sizing each other up. Slowly with a throaty growl the Ridge-back approaches with hackles up. Trooper has never really cared for dogs and he puts his nose down near the ground and lays his ears back and with a deep muttering sound in his throat slowly comes to meet the dog. They touch noses and both stand there in this pose for a full two or three minutes. The horse, in the past, had always been able to send dogs scurring away with tail between the legs. Foster said that the Ridge-back was fearless and it proved to be so. Neither gave an inch and looked as if any moment they would tangle in a battle to the death.

Slowly, the dogs hackles came down and the horses ears came back up and they seem to relax a little, having decided that neither was afraid of the other. The dog went back to knawing on his bone and the horse started clipping the lush grass. Foster and I decided that the animals had come to an understanding so he thought it would be alright. It turned out to be so. A few days late Foster called me on the phone and said they were enjoying each others' company and at times frolicked together.

I made my move to Crockett and after some months bought a place fenced it and built a horse shelter on it as well as a new home for wifey. Then one day I got a letter. It was addressed to Mr. Owner Dale. I opened it and darned if it wasn't a letter from Trooper. It read like this:

Dear Owner:

Mr. Foster said if I would dictate he would write a letter to you so here it is. I am doing very well. I don't mind telling you I had some misgivin's about being left here with these people who I didn't know and have an over grown pooch for a room mate. But it has worked out real well. The grass is plentiful, the Fosters feed me oats at least once a day and sometimes a carrot or two. Not bad folks, for humans, these Fosters. Mrs Foster likes me and sometimes we go for a little jaunt around the country. As for the dang dog he ain't all that bad. We've had our differences a few times but mostly he's o.k. He just wants to play more than I do and that gets on my nerves some times.

Anyway just thought I'd drop a line and let you know how I was doin. When are you coming to get me or you just going to leave me here? This pen is pretty small and I get bored sometimes. I shore would like to see some of the Roberts clan.

Yore ever faithful horse,
Trooper

PS - Them dang cars are just a passin'fancy; what with all the fuel shortages and eco-damage, one of these days it will be up to us horses again.


Well of course I was surprise to get a letter from a horse to say the least but then I knew that ole Trooper was pretty smart. So I wrote the following to reasure him that he wasn't an orphan and that he needed to hang on a little longer.

Dear Trooper:

Well now Trooper, I had myself a good horse laugh when I got yer letter. There is nothing like getting it straight from the horse's mouth.

I am pleased that you are doing so well. I tried to tell you those Fosters were good folks but you kept whimpering and snortin' 'bout going over there. Now see how wrong you were. Shucks having all that grass and oats and being coddled and curried sounds like you are doing fine. Not only that you got a nice dog, nearly as big as you are, to play with. I sure never thought you was smart nuff to dictate a letter. Now if I could only teach you to yodel instead of all that whinnyin' I could make a show horse out of you and we would both get rich.

I got yer paddock done and almost got yer shed finished so it wont be long now.

Tell the Fosters howdy and give them a whinnie for me and take it easy on them oats. I don't want a hoss that is too fat to ride.

Yer ole pal and feed bag,

Owner Dale

So there you have it, blogger types. I bet not a one of you has gotten a letter from a horse. If so you can join my club.

D.R.