These true stories of breaking and trading horses and chasing cattle and whatnot call for a good, steady reading chair and a tall glass of iced tea. Saddle up good and tight and take a long drink before heading into these rip-roaring tales.

Ron Westmoreland starts at the beginning, telling stories of his growing up in Fort Worth with a busted saddle and a true veteran—Ned, the old war horse honorably discharged from the United States Cavalry. Then there’s the time he and two other green teenagers mingled with the seasoned regulars at the Fort Worth Stockyards and got the bronc ride of their lives. And Westmoreland tells with appealing self-deprecation what can happen when deer hunting, horse riding, falling snow, and grand canyons are put together.

Horses and rodeo activities are family affairs that bring horse-loving sons and daughters and mothers and fathers together. The stories of family pet Pete, who loved candy, bubble gum, and cigarettes, and of goat roping and calf tying, add warm-heartedness to the picture.

A big part of having horses consists of getting and then getting rid of them. Westmoreland dramatizes the age-old business of horse trading. And whether the important thing in a horse deal is the money or the game, the behind-the-scenes details of these horse deals tell it like it is.

The author has affection for almost any horse at hand, unless it’s bucking him into the dust. Dusted off, he and others like him will get right back on for another ride through these adventures.

Paperback