Short Change

 Short Change  

    by

  Mike Capron

I love how one story leads to another. After the story of Little Willie, I received this story from Sheridan. 

Mike,

  I really enjoyed that story by Steve Boscamp about Little Willie. 

He mentioned Tony Kunitz from Sinton. Kunitz was married to the sister of a good friend of mine. I grew up on a ranch 10 miles north of Sinton and was familiar with the towns he mentioned. 

His story reminded me of a story from my early years.  My step father was foreman on the south end of this ranch.  One summer we were gathering cattle from the pastures and driving them to the pens to work ‘em.  I was about 14 or so.  The ranch had a young horse called Short Change and for some reason my step father put me on him.  We had gathered the pasture and were driving them down the fence line to the working pens.  I was riding flank on Short Change when a calf broke out of the herd and was hell bent for escape. So to be a hero I laid in after him. Just as we reached top speed Short Change bowed up and sent me flying.  A Mexican that worked on the ranch caught my horse and brought him back. He told me we needed to go get wire and posts to fence in that plowed ground.

Going back to the herd he told me that he had the same thing happen to him.  He said his horse suddenly started bucking and he lost his hat on the first buck. He said the horse kept bucking through 3 fences before he stopped.  Did you ride him the whole way I asked.  He calmly replied - No, I stayed with my hat!

Thanks Mike,

Sheridan