More Names...

During those first years of the ranch, seemingly we had horses coming in every time I turned around. The order in which they arrived escapes me completely, but everyone arrived with a story...

A friend stopped by one day with two horses in his trailer, asking Craig if he was "still looking for horses".

"I'm always looking for horses!"

Out of the trailer came a big chestnut gelding and a smaller buckskin paint. Everett agreed to leave them for a few days so Craig could "try" them. Craig always insisted on a trial period for every horse who earned a place in our growing herd, but only a very few were sent on along. As I recall, the paint was super skittish and just didn't impress Craig in the least. But that big red horse...

Though cute, the paint just wasn't going to work out. However, that big red horse on the right...

Craig said he saddled up the chestnut and rode out. Said he thought him "not bad". Took him out again, and notched his assessment up to "pretty good". Took him out again, and it skyrocketed to "Wow, this horse!" We sent the paint on, but welcomed "Ike" to the ranch. He's named for Ike Clanton, one of the"Cowboys" who went up against Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday at the OK Corral. Now, our Ike was nothing like the cowardly Clanton who bolted when the bullets started flying in Tombstone that fateful day. Our Ike was strong, solid, smart, patient, businesslike, bold, and  confident. This "big red horse", as we came to call him, needed a one syllable name which brought the old West vividly to mind. "Ike" just seemed to settle on him.

Ike truly was a cowboy's cow horse...

Another friend, one who used to cowboy over to the Grey Ranch in New Mexico, told Craig he had a little paint horse he wanted to bring over but he was recovering from a mishap with a panel. However, he did have this grey he would like to bring us to try. He showed up, backed this big grey out of the trailer, swung up bareback, and strolled down to the pens. I immediately named him "Tell" for Tell Sackett, a main character in a Louis L'Amour series about a family whose founder immigrated from Wales. There were a few branches of the Sackett family tree - the most prominent being in Tennessee. Those three brothers - Tell, Orrin, and Tyrel, were brought to vibrant and wholly-realistic life onscreen by Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck, and Jeff Osterhage in The Sacketts.

Tell, with Craig up above Portal going into the wilderness...

Ike was our Land Rover. Solid. Go anywhere. Safe. A roundup machine. Tell, we quickly realised, was our Maserati. He was quick, wanted to get there and get it done. He was safe, absolutely, but he didn't waste any time. Someone who claimed to be a "cowboy" and "know" horses was heard to say "Tell needs some trainin' up". We who spent every day with him, who fought over riding him, who did know horses just rolled our eyes. Tell had forgotten more than that pretender would ever know, as they say. Once people found their leg and seat with Ike, they typically "graduated" to Tell. If Craig would ever get off of him...

When Tell arrived, Craig's first words were, and I quote, "Annette is going to love him..."

 A couple years after Tell arrived and impressed us no end, we brought a younger grey into the herd. Themes are important to me, so of course we named him "Orrin", the middle brother so perfectly portrayed by Tom Selleck. Then, as you might imagine, we were on the search for Tyrel...

Orrin, in his fabulousness...

Classic Orrin and Craig while cowing at White Tail. Classic...

Finally, we decided (rather, as the Official Namer, I decided...) that all grey horses ever brought on to Hideout Ranch would be named for members of the Sackett family. When someone from "back east" decided to spend half his year out here learning to wrangle and ranch in his retirement, he also decided to buy a horse to ride those six months. He found a grey gelding in his early teens, which Craig and I each rode during his "interview", and I issued the edict if the horse passed and joined us on the ranch, he would have to follow the Grey Horse Naming Convention. Well, "Logan" is a cousin of our three favourite Sackett brothers, so we had our newest Sackett. Logan was darling and such a joy to ride. He could be quick and challenging, so it was mostly Josh and I who swapped off riding him. We did have guests who, as quite capable riders, loved taking Logan out on trail. Sadly, Logan was one of the boys we lost to lightning in early September 2016. I miss him. Horribly...

Logan, waiting patiently to lead up in Portal...

Logan with Little Bit. Surely wish I'd had a babysitter like him when I was that age...

Tracy and Logan on their date to Granite Gap...

Logan with me at Fort Bowie...

A neighbour up above Rodeo was moving to Hawaii and decided to rehome his horses, a mare and a gelding who, coincidentally enough, was grey. Welcome to the ranch, Tyrel! We had our third Sackett brother - and a cousin! Tyrel was a delightful older horse, and he took to trail readily. You did have to ride him with some determination as Tyrel was one who sometimes decided forward wasn't exactly where he wanted to go. Little blossom would turn back toward the trailer, but was always persuaded to continue. Time, persistence, and loads of love convinced Tyrel being out with guests on trail really was more fun than standing around at home, and he became one of our best beloved guest horses.

Tyrel and Jeff at Price Canyon...

Someone had a good roll...

Tyrel's face really was sweet...

The mare who came with Tyrel was a lovely clear bay Quarterhorse who was christened Belle Starr. The historic, legendary Belle Starr has a fascinating story, including the historic, legendary Blue Duck (yes, there was one...). Belle took an immediate liking to Cheryl, our beloved cook/wrangler, and they enjoyed several trails here together. Belle Starr is with Cheryl in Florida as a girl and her pony simply must be together...

Belle Starr, with her person close at hand...

On the way to her new home with her own person...