JJ goes to school
Several months ago I made arrangements to send my two year old, coming three colt to Connors State College’s colt riding program. There’s a waiting list to get in and I felt lucky that my colt was accepted the first time I tried.
He’s a colt I purchased from the Pitzer ranch in Nebraska a couple years ago. He’s a grandson of High Brow Cat and out of a Watch Joe Jack mare.
Over the last few months, I’ve been doing a lot of stuff with this colt to prepare him for going off to school. I’ve been tying him up for long periods of time whenever I was around the house. I’ve also been sacking him out a few times each week. I like to rub a colt down with a plastic feed sack, because they rattle and do a good job of tickling the colt and making noise. I’ve also been throwing a rope over his back and at his feet.
I’ve been saddling him up as well. I’ve got an old felt pad and an old kid saddle I use, stuff I don’t really care if it gets torn up by a rambunctious colt. He’s been taking it pretty good so far. I’m getting the vibe that he’s going to have a good mind.
So the day before I was supposed to take him to the college, my wife decided he needed a bath. The wind was blowing and it was fairly cool, so she decided he could come into her goat clipping barn for a warm bath.
I rinsed him off with a special squirt nozzle that mixes the soap in as you’re squirting the water. He was tied up and he took it pretty good. My wife handed me a bottle of whitening shampoo to wash his mane, tail and white feet with. So, I scrubbed and scrubbed.
His mane and tail were a mess, so I combed and combed, getting the knots out. When I was finished with that the wife gave me a big bottle of Mane and Tail conditioner. So I rubbed it in and waited ten minutes before washing out.
The last thing I did was trim his feet. I’d never put his feet in the stand, but once again he didn’t throw a fit. My daughter braided his mane and tail for me. He was ready to go to school.
Early the next morning I loaded him and headed out. I had to stop at the vet in Sallisaw and get his coggins papers. While I was there I had the vet look for wolf teeth. Sure enough, he had them and the vet popped them out.
I got to the school a little early and two students helped me get him situated. They put fresh shavings down in his stall and filled a bucket of water. They thought he looked really good.
One student was from Colorado. I hung around a bit longer than I should have. I hated to leave him with a bunch of kids, but finally I took one last look at him and walked to the truck.
It was kind of like leaving my daughter when we moved her into the dorms, kind of sad when I drove away. JJ’s at school and now I don’t have a colt at the house to fool with anymore. I miss him, but I’m also looking forward to the first time I ride him.
Like Augustus
McRae said in Lonesome Dove, “There ain’t nothing better than riding a fine horse through new country.” I’m looking forward to that ride, it’s been a long time coming.
EDITOR’S NOTE: James Lockhart lives near the Kiamichi Mountains in southeast Oklahoma. He writes cowboy stories and fools with cows and horses.