It Takes A Team

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Wagonteamster

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4/4/10, Fort Sumner, NM - This morning, my host, Forrest Brockman was kind enough to solve the problem with the cattle guard at the end of the ranch road.  First we hooked the biscuit wagon to a pickup and drove it to the other side.  Then we went back to the house, loaded the horses in a stock trailer and took them across. This whole process didn’t take too long, and was a lot better than driving back across the rough horse pasture. Thank you Forrest!

I was just asked the other day where to find some good draft horses in West Texas. Well, Forrest Brockman,  (575) 799-0617, has a nice team of 9 and 10 year old Suffolk Punch mares for sale, right here in Eastern New Mexico. The teamster I’m staying with tonight, Jerry Gideon, has driven this team and says they handle real nice. If you want to see what Suffolk Punch Draft horses look like, go to Lee the Horselogger’s website.

An interesting view of some cattle and a stock tank on the range.

It was a beautiful day that started a little cool but warmed up quickly. By late afternoon, the temperature was into the mid eighties, but with low humidity and a nice breeze, the team stayed cool. We first topped the escarpment that encloses the Stockaded Plains, then descended gradually into the Pecos River Valley.  With plenty of mesas, old washes, and exposed rock and sand, the scenery was spectacular.

Since we were so far from a good sized town and traffic was fast, we didn’t get a lot of visitors, but a few stopped to visit.

Bob and Bill pulled well in the morning, but in the afternoon, they were letting me know that it’s time for a day off.

If the kids don’t want to sit on him, Doc will always accept a nice pat on the shoulder.

Approaching Fort Sumner, we started to descend into the Pecos River Valley.  As we came further into the valley, we started to pass through some irrigated land, and it was nice to see some green again! Ft. Sumner’s biggest claim to fame is that it is the place where Pat Garret shot William Bonney (aka Billy the Kid) following the Lincoln County War.  (There’s a great John Wayne western movie about the Lincoln County War.)

Tonight, we’re camped at the home of Jerry Gideon, in Fort Sumner. Jerry is a long time teamster, who has driven horses and mules for a lot of years. He currently has several mules, and hitches up a wagon whenever he can. When John McComsey came through here last summer, he stayed with Jerry and rested his mules.  Jerry also found a farrier for John to get new shoes tacked on his mules.

Bill’s looking carefully down the tracks to make sure no trains are coming.  When they’re beneath him, he knows they’re going to run him over!

As many of you know, today is my birthday. In the past 51 years that I’ve had this bronc saddled, I’ve had a really good ride.  I may have been scraped and bucked some, but, for the most part, it’s been a peaceful lope through a mountain meadow.  Heck if life doesn’t pitch you every once in while, you might not realize that you’ve ever been in the saddle!

Horses on the range are always interested when the team goes by. This herd ran alongside for about 2 miles, then tired of the game and went back to grazing.

Tomorrow, the team gets a day off to lounge around, eat hay, and take naps.  I’ve got a few maintenance chores to do, and some supplies to get, but that’s about it.  All of the horses are freshly shod, so I don’t have that chore to do. I’m writing a new ‘Top Hand’ story, and hope to have that published on the website soon.