Benjamin Brown

The ugly horse has a name. A little forlorne doggie came in, matted to heck and back, for an emergency haircut yesterday, and I decided I loved the name. Doggie's name was Benjamin. It seemed to fit my big ugly horse.  My big ugly horse that is turning out to be everything I was looking for in a flashy pretty horse and wans't finding. He still needs work, but he's been a pasture ornament for two years.

Wednesday we took Minnesota, Cadilac, and Ben to my first cattle drive. Cadilac is an old pro now, and Sota's been to them before. Benjamin did fantastic. I didn't know what to expect out of him. He didn't seem to be bothered by the dairy cows up the street, but I wasn't riding into the middle of them and getting all up in their business either. Honey Jo and Andrea loaded up horses Tues night and slept out in the bunkhouse. I met them about 8:30 Wed morning. They took Ben with them overnight. Saddled him up Wed morning and he was eager to go. I think he's just happy to be out doing anything. We road right up to those scary, horse eating cows, and he didn't even snort or flick an ear at them. He wasn't right on some cows behind following her every move, but we got into the middle of them, and made them go where we wanted to. He's very buddy sour with Soda. He called out and fussed like a weeney when Soda rode off into the fog. It was really foggy Wed morning. So we worked on making it work to act like a weeney. Every time he started to jig and dance we either rode tight fast circles or rode off away from the herd untill he walked. Then he got the oportunity to walk calmly back. We did it alot. lol. He still has issues with not neck reining when he doesn't want to. We got the cows down to the next ranch with sorting pens and a loading/doctoring shoot. Our job was pretty much over at that point. I sat there on him and finally got cold enough to put on my jacket. Did I mention all the clothes I was wearing when we headed out? Big woolen socks that went clear up to my knees. My smaller socks on over that. I didn't want my toesies to get cold and numb. I put on a nylon something long sleeve turtleneck from stateline tack. Over this and underthings went Scott's red unionsuit. Think  old time cowboy under clothes with the trap door and everything. I had a heavy tee shirt and gloves on over top of everything. I wanted to be warm. Ben did better than I thought with all the mooing cows and all the silly thingsI did with him. I rode him right up against the fence into the shoot. I was swinging the end of my mecate reins and smacking the fence, hooting and hollering for the cows to, "Git in there, come on cow!"  I was leaning over the fence and swatting the cows on the butt. Ben just stood there like a trooper.