[Racer X 69]

When I was in the first grade in San Pedro, California our school was visited by Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger. There was also a stagecoach with a team of four horses, lots of lasso role stuff and pistol "shooting".

Being close to Hollywood we were exposed to all the movie and TV fantasy stuff. All my horse experiences back then revolved around the premise that cowboys and Indians rode them, or the horses pulled wagons, stagecoaches, plows and borax (at that age a mule was just another horse).

Our milk, butter and eggs were delivered in a Divco van, by a guy wearing a smart white uniform and a hat.

Like this:




I rode a horse a few years later. What a cool way to get around. Rode horses on the beach, and in the wood on Whidbey Island when I was 11 and 12. The Navy had a department called Special Services (now called Morale, Welfare and Recreation), and there was stables and trails. I rode every chance I could get for two years.

Then we moved the Oregon. Not a single chance to ride a horse for the next two years.

When we moved back to Washington in 1970, there was a family across the lane from our house, four sisters in my age range, and each of the four had a horse. I wanted to ride with them in the worst way, but dad said if I wanted a horse I had to pay for it. Well I didn't have a job, and berry picking doesn't generated enough to cover horse ownership.

But wait.

Mom had tea with the woman next door, and she had an Appaloosa, that she never rode.

I asked one day if I could ride it.

She scoffed and said if I could get a halter and a saddle on him, I could ride him as much as I wanted.

Well, he hadn't been ridden for dso long, he wouldn't let anyone put tack on him.


I cut an apple into slices and started gaining his trust. Soon I put a halter over my arm and shoulder, and while he was enjoying the great, I slipped it over his head. He resisted at first, but I persisted, kept the apple slices coming and spoke softly to him.

Once I got a halter on, bit in his mouth, and reins on, I tried to mount him bareback. What a ride. He threw me, I jumped up, grabbed the reins, squared off and told him he wasn't getting any apple slices for that and rmounted him. He bucked and kicked some, but I managed to stay on. I lived him and we ran a few laps around the pasture, then I pulled the reins and brought him to a stop, leaning forward, whispering praise in his ear, and rewarding him with some apple.

Eventually I had him ready to saddle up, and then spent a summer riding with the sisters across the lane.

*sigh*

I miss those days.

Had a few rides since, those horses they rent on the ocean beach. But cars fill my adventure bucket now.

---

Last edited by Racer X 69; 10-19-2021 at 03:24 AM.

[MarkJerling]

You're a veritable "horse whisperer"!

[JimJohnson]

...What a ride. He threw me...

Great story! I haven't been in a saddle since I was 18. That was, well, never mind....
Went with a friend to a short-time rent-a-horse stable. The horses didn't care about the rider. They knew the trail, follow-it, let the dude get off, and get fed. We were young and stupid and didn't want to follow the obvious trail. The horse argued, tried to buck me off, twice. On the second buck, he fell with my leg under him. Hurt like hell. But the horse wasn't hurt. I got (painfully) right back into the saddle and the horse was as nice as you please for the rest of our ride.

I am not adverse to riding a horse, just never had an opportunity since then. That includes visiting (and working) for cousins who owned a 70-horse riding/boarding stable. Got right up close to a lot of other people's expensive horses, but they paid good money to the cousins and wouldn't take kindly to strangers sitting on their horses. Still remember the one that was like a huge dog - Chester (the molester - a private nickname). He had to stand behind you and lay his head over your shoulder to supervise your work in mucking out his stall. Everybody was his friend. There were a couple others you didn't dare turn your back or you'd get the Italian treatment to your hiney.

[lesmore49]

When I was in the first grade in San Pedro, California our school was visited by Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger. There was also a stagecoach with a team of four horses, lots of lasso role stuff and pistol "shooting".

Being close to Hollywood we were exposed to all the movie and TV fantasy stuff. All my horse experiences back then revolved around the premise that cowboys and Indians rode them, or the horses pulled wagons, stagecoaches, plows and borax (at that age a mule was just another horse).

Our milk, butter and eggs were delivered in a Divco van, by a guy wearing a smart white uniform and a hat.

Like this:




I rode a horse a few years later. What a cool way to get around. Rode horses on the beach, and in the wood on Whidbey Island when I was 11 and 12. The Navy had a department called Special Services (now called Morale, Welfare and Recreation), and there was stables and trails. I rode every chance I could get for two years.

Then we moved the Oregon. Not a single chance to ride a horse for the next two years.

When we moved back to Washington in 1970, there was a family across the land from our house, four sisters in my age range, and each of the four had a horse. I wanted to ride with them in the worst way, but dad said if I wanted a horse I had to pay for it. Well I didn't have a job, and berry picking doesn't generated enough to cover horse ownership.

But wait.

Mom had tea with the woman next door, and she had an Appaloosa, that she never rode.

I asked one day if I could ride it.

She scoffed and said if I could get a halter and a saddle on him, I could ride him as much as I wanted.

Well, he hadn't been ridden for dso long, he wouldn't let anyone put tack on him.


I cut an apple into slices and started gaining his trust. Soon I put a halter over my arm and shoulder, and while he was enjoying the great, I slipped it over his head. He resisted at first, but I persisted, kept the apple slices coming and spoke softly to him.

Once I got a halter on, bit in his mouth, and reins on, I tried to mount him bareback. What a ride. He threw me, I jumped up, grabbed the reins, squared off and told him he wasn't getting any apple slices for that and rmounted him. He bucked and kicked some, but I managed to stay on. I lived him and we ran a few laps around the pasture, then I pulled the reins and brought him to a stop, leaning forward, whispering praise in his ear, and rewarding him with some apple.

Eventually I had him ready to saddle up, and then spent a summer riding with the sisters across the land.

*sigh*

I miss those days.

Had a few rides since, those horses they rent on the ocean beach. But cars fill my adventure bucket now.

As Jim says, great story. Enjoyed it.

Also my riding history insofar as riding horses is the polar opposite of yours. Horses have tried to rub me off, against trees, bucked me, so I ended up ...with saddle...underneath the horse, etc.

[tim60]

I have seen photos with a sort of bucket hanging off the horses rear. Two benefits. Kept the streets clear and brought the manure up to nose level.

See the business opportunity: the horse owner has exclusive opportunity to sell bagged horse manure uncontaminated by general street detritus.

[lesmore49]

Our milk, butter and eggs were delivered in a Divco van, by a guy wearing a smart white uniform and a hat.

When the local horse drawn milk wagon was retired, horse and wagon were replaced by a Divco milk truck, exactly like the one in your pix, but with a different company paint job and the milk delivery company we used, was called Modern Dairies.

I do hope the old milk cart horse was put out to pasture and lived a wonderful, retired life.

In the early '60's our milkman was a guy by the name of Glen, and Glen drove a Divco delivery truck.

At that time we had a dog, who was part Border Collie, smart as a whip, and no matter what we did, the dog always escaped out of our fenced in yard.

As do many dogs, he had a sense of 'time', when regular events in his life would take place. One of his life 'events' was getting his regular ride in the milk truck.

We lived on a quiet , residential street and the milk man, Glen, would usually enter the top of the street for his daily deliveries, around 11 a.m. Our dog, Smokey, would invariably wait at the beginning of the street, sitting on the boulevard, next to the curb, waiting for the milk truck to come by. When it did, he would get up, give one bark and Glen the milkman would pull his Divco milk truck to the side of the road, and stop, right next to Smokey.

Glen would then open the passenger folding door. Smokey would walk in and sit down on the metal floor.

Glen would talk with Smokey while he drove and delivered milk to his customers. Once he got to our house, Glen would open the passenger door of the Divco truck, Smokey would hop out and accompany Glen up the stairs to our house. Glen would ring the doorbell and my mother would come to the door, get the milk delivery, let Smokey in, chit chat with Glen for a bit...and the next day, the routine would continue.

Smokey the dog, was one of those individuals you meet in life, that knew his way around his little community, and seemed to have a relationship with just about everybody on the street. He knew how to make friends...both of the 2 legged and 4 legged variety.

I still miss him. He was a character.

[savoche]

7 Likes !

11 by now, I think

[savoche]

I have relatives who live in Vancouver, B.C. According to them, mostly transplanted prairiites...it's always raining on the BC coast. Heck, they even carry umbrellas in their vehicles, the rain is that bad.

Maybe they should raise the roof, then

[Racer X 69]

You're a veritable "horse whisperer"!

A teenage horse whisperer.

[Racer X 69]

When the local horse drawn milk wagon was retired, horse and wagon were replaced by a Divco milk truck, exactly like the one in your pix, but with a different company paint job and the milk delivery company we used, was called Modern Dairies.

I think ours was Carnation.

[Racer X 69]

Great story! I haven't been in a saddle since I was 18.

Thanks Jim.

The majority of the riding I did was as a teenager.

[gaweidert]

As Jim says, great story. Enjoyed it.

Also my riding history insofar as riding horses is the polar opposite of yours. Horses have tried to rub me off, against trees, bucked me, so I ended up ...with saddle...underneath the horse, etc.

A girl down the street from us owned a horse. It got out one day and I followed it for over a mile while trying to grab it. It was finally nabbed by another guy so I took the bridle and was walking it home. All the way back to it's stall it kept trying to step on my foot. Managed to do it a few times too.

[robtcorl]

Horsepower to horses, what a refreshing topic change.

Honey and I are heading out shortly for the Ozarks in southern MO.
Our 37th is tomorrow and we usually take a trip somewhere in the state.
We'll be visiting the large springs down there, including Big Spring.
Too early for good foliage color, but hope to get some nice shots with my non k3 picture taker and 18-135 glass.
Packing a paper map because we probably won't have cell coverage much of the time.

[Parallax]

Our 37th is tomorrow

Today is 36 for Mrs. P and I.

[robtcorl]

Today is 36 for Mrs. P and I.

Congrats!
Give her a new mop.
Diamonds and roses are nice but their memory will fade over time, a new mop will never be forgotten.