Never Walk When You Can Ride

   Never Walk When You Can Ride 

                                                                      By

                                                              Mike Capron

Riding has been one of my passions since I was five years old. I never was known as a great bronc rider, but I have studied bronc riding and have made some good bronc rides nobody was around to see and I didn’t have to walk to the house.  Rocks, thorns and other disagreeable terrain features make for improving your riding skills. Rodeos and the Cowboy Channel have made it easy to see and watch modern bronc riding and bull riding skills. I have developed a joy for watching the Wright brothers ride. I don’t have a clue how they all developed such a beautiful style. 

There was a young rider who hired out for the fall works and lost his hat the first morning. He stopped to chase his hat and was leading his horse. HIs horse was not interested in helping him get his hat and the harder he tried to catch his hat  the more interested  his horse became in going to the house.  I saw he was having trouble, so I rode over to help. We captured his hat alright,  but this was the beginning of a new set of problems. His steed was not standing still so he could remount easily.  The cowboy was not educated in proper mounting procedures.  Mr. Horse was well aware of his inadequacies and continued to make matters worse. The battle continued for a dozen attempts before he was successful in getting remounted.  I am not sure if he learned how to get on a horse, but he did tell me he wasn’t getting off again to chase his hat.   He was going to give his hat to a better bronc rider than he was.