#cowhorse

[countryb4rbie]

My best boy❤️

[fightingwithallreality]

Smoky the Cowhorse (1926) written and illustrated by Will James

[televinita]

Looking through the PopSugar 2024 challenge to see how many prompts I ended up checking off, I'm stumped by "a book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person," since I know I didn't read any nonfiction books on that topic and the writers I like are mostly women/generally not the sort known for their life of crime.

So I started thinking about older books and immediately wondered, "Hey, was Will James ever in jail?" To which Google said:

Incredible.

[alllthesewordsleftunsaid]

[urcowboy]

Heading out this morning to gather and ship cows home for the winter

[your-unfriendlyghost]

Was watching “Tex” w/ my cousin, here’s some of their interesting commentary:

“Maybe if they sold the brother Tex could buy back his horse”

“Jamie would probably not reject him if he just info dumped about horses. Tex is clearly autistic he needs to embrace it”

“Yeah Mason the solution to not being stressed is to just take it easy bro”

“Maybe if they sold the dad they could afford to put the horse through college”

“What if instead of expelling him she’s about to give him his horse back?” (A few seconds later) “OH MY GOD I WAS BASICALLY RIGHT”

(Imitating Tex, in a terrible attempt at an Oklahoma accent) “Oh no…not motorcycles…that reminds me of my hoooorrrrsssse…”

(Imitating Pop in the scene at the hospital) “See, the thing is kid, your mom…she was a horse…”

(Me, mishearing it as “whore”) “Damn, I mean, yeah??? I guess?”

“Jesus, that exploding typewriter prank would NOT fly nowadays”

(Me, nodding all sagely and shit) “Yeah…since we don’t use typewriters anymore”

“Do you think Cowboy hat suit guy (Cole) and Cowboy hat traditional guy (Pop) are epic rivals? Do you think they have enemies to lovers fics?”

(About Lem’s baby) “I just don’t think that babies need feet. I don’t consider babies to be people who need feet. I just feel disturbed, you know?”

(Me) “no, not really. I don’t…no. …Babies have feet.”

“Yeah yeah he got shot that’s bad- but OH NO NOT HIS BOOTS! NOT HIS JACKET! NOOO HE’S GETTING BLOOD ON THEM…NOOO…”

“A good excuse to reconnect with your ex is to get shot- gives you a good reason to call them. Good job Tex”

(In the scene where Tex and Johnny are fighting) “Ooh sweet crop top and cowboy belt- I see ya jock from Breakfast Club, I see ya”

“Maybe…a cowhorse…is like the kinda horse cowboys ride?”

(Me) “Uh…yeah, it’s a horse that herds cows…what did you think it was??”

“A horse-cow-hybrid thing”

(Me, legit shocked) “wHAT?!”

(My sister) “Uh yeah I thought that too”

(Other cousin) “yeah no same”

(Me) “y’all are uncultured”

(cousin) “Naw you’re just a weird horse nerd.

Bonus, from my other cousin: “oh my god Tex is so stupid”

My sister: “Yeah, but in like a lovable way! I’d wanna hang out with him, he’s nice!”

me, more darkly than is warranted: “Yeah, plus, your face is stupid man”

[isthehorsevideocute]

#2Raw2Ride and why horse people everywhere are alarmed

I was surprised that no one has mentioned 2raw2ride through this blog yet though given the vast majority of media coverage on this guy I've seen us from equestrian content creators I suppose not a lot of non equestrians have heard about this.

For those not in the know, there is a social media clout chaser who according to him quit his six figure job so he could plan a ride on horseback from Austin TX to Seattle WA. This in of itself is not a bad thing but, he has made so many decisions that has alarmed the horse world. Many people have done this kind of trek on horseback but it takes a lot of preparation for you as the rider and for the horses.

The man in question bought this horse who was basically a pasture pet about a month before he started this ride. He is riding a single horse and has not brought along a pack animal. There was and still is no evidence that he has maped out planned stops for resting and supplies. His plan was to make the over 2000 mile trip in 100 days on this singular horse which has not been conditioned for endurance riding. The kind of physical conditioning necessary would take a year of training at least but the horse had no more than 30 days and it's showing through the fact the horse was startomg to deteriorate in body condition from day 1. Here are some images clearly showing his drop in weight.

This was the horse the day he was tried for purchase

He was a chunky boy. Perhaps borderline overweight

This was when he owned the horse but before he left on the trip

Also notice the fact the horse has marks where the saddle would be indicating irritation already. Id say this is a good body condition but instead of stopping here it kept going. Pay attention to the slope of the hip to the tail and the slope of the belly

This is the horse on the day of departure

In the 30 days he owned him before the ride the horse dropped a ton of weight

This was a photo from last week

you can start to see the spine showing from the croup (top of hip to the tail). And th belly no longer has that uniform slope. It's actually becoming concave behind the ribcage. Compare the neck here to the first image. Huge difference.

On top of the weight loss, the horse has shown signs of soreness in the left hind since he left. If this was an official endurance ride, the horse would not have been cleared to make this trip in the first place.

There have been several red flags that many have pointed out that indicates this guy has not educated himself and lacks the horse experience he claims to have.

Improper use of equipment and lack of ability positively identify the equipment he is using

When going over his equipment, he shows the bit and refers to it as a " snaffle" so let's look at bit that could be considered a "snaffle"

These are snaffle bits. A snaffle is categorized as a bit which applies direct pressure to the mouth. In other words the amount of pressure you apply to the reins is what the horse feels.

Now let's look at what he is using

So this is a JR Cowhorse bit and it looks like this

Now this does not quality as a snaffle, it is instead classified as a curb or leverage but because it is designed to put a leverage action on the horse's mouth. Whatever pressure you apply to the reins, the horse will feel multiplied making this harsher by design than a snaffle. On top of that this but has a twisted wire mouthpiece which is one of the harshest mouthpieces there is.

Please also take note of the way the bit is positioned. See how the part that's on top (the lever) is longer than the part on the bottom (the shank). The screenshot from his video has the shorter portion on the bottom and the longer portion on top. The bit is upside down. But wait it gets worse. Bits are generally designed with a curve to the mouthpiece so it can follow the natural curvature of the mouth to make it more comfortable for the horse

Here's the bit i use for my mare who is sensitive near he front teeth. A nice dramatic curvature that is easy to see

Comfy

Now this is a curvy bit if it was backwards

Ouch

Guess what. Not only is the guy's bit upside-down, it's actually also backwards. This makes an already uncomfortable bit even more uncomfortable for this horse who is spending hours a day in it.

Mr. Experienced horseman also doesn't know how to tie a rope halter correctly

This is how he tied it

This is how it should be tied

Knot below the loop or the knot will loosen

The guy said on the news he has ridden for many years and was a champion show jumper. Funny. No one can find a show record on the guy.

2. Not understanding how to properly feed and hydrate a horse under these conditions

In his video going over what he packed, he pulled out a bottle of corn oil and a clearly unused mineral block.

Corn oil is not a good thing to feed a performance horse, because it's pro inflammatory. You're just making an already sore horse more sore. Not to mention any corn product that starts to go bad can make a horse extremely sick. The unused mineral lick shows that the horse is not getting enough electrolytes. Even given free choice many horses don't get enough electrolytes so they need to be added to feed or given in paste form, but all he seems to have is the block. The horse has been showing outward signs of dehydration and with drought season in Texas just around the corner it's not looking great.

3. Lack of emergency supplies (specifically for the horse)

In the same video he showed off what he has in the med kit for his horse.

-thrush medication

-a flathead screwdriver

-two pain meds (both halfway gone when the video was taken 🤔. Also would not be competition legal for welfare purposes as if your horse is on these they are not well enough to tax themselves)

The screwdriver is supposedly so he can remove a shoe, but no you can't remove a shoe with a screwdriver. You'd need at least a couple of farrier tools to take a shoe off even if it is already half off.

This is not at all efficient packing. What he does have is mostly useless added weight and what he doesn't have is vital supplies. If this horse starts to bleed out or needs a hoof packed good fing luck.

4. the hematoma

Ah of course the swelling on this poor horse's belly

jury's still out in what actually caused this but given its location it is either a gaul from an ill fitted girth or from spur irritation.

5. Constant backpedaling

First he stated he would not take donations for this ride. One week later he put his linktree up in his instagram profile stating that donations would go to feeding and caring for the horse. I assume people. Allrd him out on it so now he states it goes toward buying beer. He also has taken more rest days than he said he would and he's been slowing way down on his updates. He allegedly even (finally) contacted the long riders guild asking for help (after rejecting help many times before). It seems even he is starting to notice how ill prepared he is.

Anyways don't feed this guys clout. Don't give him attention and don't give him money. He's a liar and a horse abuser and it seems to him any attention is good attention.

[writeonthrough]

Namy Nuggets (7/13)

A fanfic collection of Amy and Nathan scenes from CBC’s Heartland. (Catch up on the series here)

Nugget #7: Caught!

"He's a working cowhorse," Nathan teases Amy, reaching for her as she closes the stall door. "I happen to know what I'm talking about."

"Oh," Amy turns around and feels his arms sliding around her. She runs her arms up his own and around his neck. "You know what you're talking about? Trying to tell me how to do my job, cowboy?"

"No," Nathan closes the distance between them with a kiss. "Never. I just," he shrugs and nods from side to side playfully. "Remember how much my advice helped you out the last time I offered it to you concerning working cow horses."

She laughs and raises her eyebrows, "Is that so?" She kisses him again and strokes his cheek. "Still trying to change my luck, huh?"

Nathan hides his smile against her cheek before kissing it. "Something like that," he teases, capturing her lips with his once more.

His arms round the small of her back and he lifts her up as the kiss deepens. She holds on tighter as Nathan spins her around. Once her feet settle on new ground, they sway together, both hoping the kiss will linger.

"Amy, have you seen—" Lou steps into the barn to find a couple embracing. "Oh, my, god—" She watches Nathan and Amy break apart. He swiftly takes a clear step back from her. Lou's gaze darts between them, processing the idea of them together. "Wow."

"Uh—" Nathan starts.

"Look, Lou—" Amy takes a step towards her.

"Wow," she repeats. "At least I wasn't Dad or Grandpa. Do they—"

"No," Amy quickly offers. "Can you not—"

Lou shakes her head, dismissingly. Still in disbelief, she processes out loud: "Is this what you were trying to tell me last night?"

Amy's lips part to speak, but all that comes is, "Um—"

"It's okay." Lou puts her hand out to excuse Amy from talking. "We can talk tonight. Nathan," she faces him. "We really have to go, we're gonna be late."

"Yeah," he nods, "Right behind you."

As Lou walks to the truck, Nathan turns back to Amy with an apprehensive expression, she mirrors his expression before a hint of a smile tugs at her lips and a here-we-go attitude comes through in her body language.

He nods and matches her side smile. They hold each other's gazes for one more moment before he tears himself away to meet Lou.

Silence fills the car ride out the Heartland gate and onto the main road. Nathan tries to focus on driving, but surprise nerves flutter in his stomach. When he can tear his attention from the road, he looks over at Lou staring straight ahead, trying to gauge her blank expression.

"Okay, Lou," he breaks the silence. "Come on. You got to say something."

Lou laughs uncomfortably and raises her arms in an I-don't-know expression. "What? I don't know. I'm surprised. I had no hint from Amy that this was going on, so I just don't want to put my foot in my mouth or say something out of bounds." When Nathan does not respond right of way, Lou adds, "Believe me, holding my tongue is growth for me."

Nathan lets out a small chuckle. "Okay." Lou's small joke allows relief to settle back in his body for the first time since she found him with Amy in the barn.

"I'm happy for Amy…if you know, she's happy. I need to talk to her. But I'd be really happy for you guys if she was happy—and you too. I know you're a good guy, Nathan."

"Thanks." A smile tugs at Nathan's lips. "I want her to be happy too."

Lou nods. "Good."

He looks at her, still hesitant in the seat beside him. "But you have questions."

She turns him with a warning look. "I wouldn't be me if my mind didn't fill up with questions when I see my sister with a guy in the barn…but I can talk to Amy later, I don't have to ask you."

"Ask me," Nathan shrugs. "It's okay."

A new-found respect for him floods over her. "Okay." She adjusts herself in her seat with growing anticipation. "I know you guys have been friends…but how long has this—" she interlaces her fingers together. "Thing been going on?"

"Uh…" He can't help smiling at her interlaced fingers. "Not long. Less than a month."

"Okay…" Lou tries to recall any recent changes she's noticed in Amy. When nothing stands out, she remembers how long Amy can take when making decisions. "But you've probably talked about it for longer."

Nathan hides his smirk by looking over his shoulder to enter the main road. "Probably."

Lou chuckles and shakes her head, "Of course."

"What does that mean?"

"I just know Amy can take her time making decisions."

Nathan bites his lip, now unsure of how much to share. "It wasn't that. It was a lot of things."

"Oh. Okay." Lou's voice raises in surprise. Silence returns to the truck for several moments as Nathan continues to drive down the highway. "You know my dad and Grandpa are going to have a problem with this?"

"Yup." He keeps his reply short, having no desire to discuss potential issues with Tim and Jack at the moment. "I know."

"They can be pretty brutal, and not just because you're—well—" she motions to him and then to the 'Pryce Family Beef' sign in his truck. "You. They're unjustly hard on—" she catches herself, not sure how to describe Peter and Ty to Nathan. "The guys in our lives."

Nathan was expecting—almost waiting for Lou to mention Ty. He thought it would come sooner. He turns towards her and catches her eye. "You mean Peter and Ty."

"Not just Peter and Ty. But, yeah…" For the second time, Lou examines him with a mixture of surprise, impressment, and respect. "Did you and Amy talk about Ty?"

Nathan takes a deep breath. "A little."

Lou nods. "Okay."

Nathan bites his lip when Lou keeps her response short, unsure of how much he wants to talk about him. Fighting against his instinct to keep quiet, he asks, "Is there anything you want to tell me or that I should know?"

"Those are two different questions. I'm not one to talk about him. He, uh, he's hard to describe to someone who didn't know him. He was a really good guy who had more than his share of demons. But, man, he was so in love with her. Even being married myself, I was jealous of what they had." She looks over to see deep emotion in Nathan's face hiding under his blank expression. "I said too much. See, I told you—I put my foot in my mouth."

"It's okay, Lou. You didn't say too much."

"It's just…He was really like a brother to me and they were together a long time. He died suddenly out-of-blue, so it was a real shock."

"I'm sorry," is all he can say.

Lou waves off his apology. "It's really okay, Nathan."

They let Lou's words hang comfortably between them. Lou relaxes against the truck door, watching the Alberta hills pass by them.

Nathan tries to quiet his mind like it seems Lou has done beside him. One question keeps circling in his mind, though, and he knows he'll never have another chance to ask it. "Can I ask you something?"

Lou perks up and turns to him, curious. "Sure."

"You said you were surprised to see me with Amy. Was it because of me or was it a surprise to see her with someone else?"

"Oh, definitely you. Even knowing you guys were friendly, I did not see the two of you…well—I thought I had a radar for that kind of thing."

"It's not hard to see her move on?"

"No. I want her to move on. And just talking to you now—it's clear you care about her and you're respectful about Ty. So, you don't have to worry about me. I'm just sorry Dad and Grandpa already see you as a threat—and not the good-natured, quiet guy I know you to be."

Nathan nods as he pulls into a parking space. "Any advice?"

"Uh…" Lou raises her eyebrows and motions with her head out the window towards where they're meeting Jack and Tim. "Really know that it isn't you—no matter what they say about the business. They think they're protecting Amy." She reaches for the door handle but then turns back to catch his eye. "Don't let them scare you off."

[countryb4rbie]

Idk if I ever showed y’all but I got a new horse a couple weeks ago and he’s just perfect😍😌❤️

[keep-the-wolves-close]

Movin’ Mountains

Chapter 10: Run Devil Run

* Pairing: Kayce Dutton x OFC Stella Daniels

* Rating: M

* Warnings: NSFW, unprotected sex (wrap it up y'all, but what's new for these two lol), p in v penetration, creampie (again, shocker lol), language

* Word count: 3,181ish

I would love to give credits to @dameronscopilot and @deanscroissant and @lexixstewart for being sounding boards for me during this whole process, giving outsider insight, being cheerleaders, and allowing me to screech at them about things that have happened during the writing process. I seriously couldn't have gotten this far without y'all.

Author's note: I’m really loving writing these chapters of the last bit of season 3. Also, I have wanted to use this particular gif for so fuckin’ long lmao. I hope everyone is enjoying so far! I hope you love this chapter as well!

Kayce stepped out of the closet in the master bedroom. He snapped the pearl buttons on his denim shirt and called out for his son, who was visiting for the next couple days. “Tate? Let’s get down for breakfast.”

Stella meandered closer to the door while she slipped a t-shirt over her head. “Your son left with his grandfather before you woke up to see the cowhorse guys at the fairgrounds.”

“Cowhorse guys?” Kayce stepped back into the room and rolled his eyes. “Oh Jesus, that means he’s horse shopping.”

“Don’t worry,” Stella giggled, “I gave your father a list of what I want him to look for. Cause I’m still in charge of that too, by the way. So he’s technically not unsupervised.” She ran her fingers through her hair that she hadn’t gotten to put up yet. “If I didn’t know any better your dad was doing a soft launch of his retirement.”

She watched him as he snapped the buttons at the cuffs of his shirt and looked at her from under his lashes. She bit her lip at how attractive that small act seemed. The entire look he had going on today had her clenching around nothing below the belt. The quiet gravel in his voice, the full denim outfit, his hair mussed just right.

“My dad ain’t retired, Stella.”

She huffed and leaned a hip against the armchair in front of the fireplace, crossing her arms. “I know, but he spends almost every day with Tate, which, okay fine. I appreciate him putting in the effort to be a good grandfather to your son. But he galivants around all day with Tate, leaving us to pull 16-hour days doing our jobs, and his on top of it.” She shrugged, “and you end up doing both of his jobs. So all I’m saying is, I think he’s toying with the idea of retirement.”

Kayce scrunched up his face at her as she walked by to go to the closet. Something was off about her today. He wasn’t sure if it was that little girl from a week ago, or Hotshot giving her problems. But her attitude was throwing him for a loop. “So what are your plans today?”

Stella dug through the hanging shirts in the closet, looking for a specific green one. “Probably gonna work Hotshot some more. Or maybe do some chores around until your dad calls me about a horse.” She walked back into the room to throw on the green plaid button up and Kayce leaned on the archway. “Haven’t completely decided yet.”

She could feel Kayce’s gaze burning into her back. She turned to face him and her cheeks went pink while her heart sped up. There were devilish thoughts that she watched dancing across his face while he stared at her. She felt like she was the prey and he was the lion sizing her up, but in the most delicious way possible. “What,” she asked innocently.

His voice came out so low and gravelly it made goosebumps blossom along her skin. “Damn, you look good, sugar.” He stepped closer to her, which she tried to back up and fake like she was resisting the temptation. His hands snapped out and grabbed her waist, pulling her snugly against him.

Stella gasped when she connected with his hard chest. The lace of her bra scratched pleasantly across her nipples. With her mouth open, Kayce dove in. Without a second thought she gripped the hair on the back of his head and pulled him as close as she could get him.

His hips aligned with her thigh and she could feel his growing erection, tight inside the denim. “Fuck, Kayce,” she panted out against his lips. “I need you inside me,” she reached down and popped open the button of his jeans.

He gave her the little grin he knew she loved. “Don’t gotta ask me twice, sugar.” Kayce’s hand trailed from her waist, unfastening her jeans. He gently pushed her back until her knees hit the bed. Instead of letting her fall, he twisted her around and pulled her pants down to her knees in one fluid motion.

A little squeal slipped out of her at the quick motions as she tried to catch herself on her hands on the bed. Shuffling could be heard from behind her and her pussy clenched with anticipation. She felt like she couldn’t get any wetter. Kayce pushed his pants down just enough and slipped inside her. They both breathed heavily at the sensation.

With her legs not able to spread all the way, the fullness overwhelmed her to the point that her knees trembled. “Jesus fuckin’ Christ Kayce,” her hand slapped on the comforter and she dropped her head.

Kayce drew his hips back and snapped them forward abruptly. Stella let out a sinful moan that almost made him cum right then. He continued the motion at an irregular pace. Working toward the end goal of orgasm for the both of them. They both had places to be, so this was going to be quick, but he’d get her to that high if it was the last thing he did.

Stella dropped her top half to the mattress with a grumble, “don’t fuck with me, Kayce.”

“Oh?” He pulled out, making her groan at the loss. “I guess I’ll go to the fair grounds then.”

Stella shot up and reached around to grab his arm. “Don’t you dare!”

He grinned wide, and gently turned her around. “Lay back, I’m gonna pick your legs up.”

Stella bit her lip as Kayce manhandled her legs, pants still attached, up and over his left shoulder. He slid home, sighing lewdly. His hips snapped to meet hers forcefully. The moans and sighs he pulled out of her made him want to whimper with carnal need. The desperation of need in the both of them made his hips wildly slam into her slick pussy.

“My god,” Kayce panted, “you look so good taking me.” He felt her clench around his cock and he chuckled.

“Baby,” Stella moaned while tossing her head back, giving his hips a second wind, “please please please,” she begged.

“Where?”

Stella’s focus snapped to his face. Dewy with sweat, concentration fading as he got closer to his release. “In,” she was breathless at the pace he chose.

Primal need took over Kayce’s brain at her request. He crested over the hill of his orgasm and shot his release inside her, moaning her name. She fell off the precipice not far behind him when she felt him fill up her waiting cunt.

Kayce leaned forward against her legs, using the angle to help keep him upright while he caught his breath. Stella reached forward to grasp his arm. “Hey,” she whispered. “You good,” she asked, enjoying the full feeling of him still seated in her.

“Yeah.” He pulled out much to her dismay. “Let me go get something to clean you up.”

Once they were both redressed, Kayce sat on the bed and watched Stella as she fluttered around the room. She rushed to finish getting ready in her post sex daze. While her movements were hurried, it was almost like she was in slow motion. She was home to him. Gentle but firm, peaceful but equally chaotic. The lighthouse on the coast that called him back to shore. Steady hearted. Sure footed. His chest swelled with affection. “God I love you, you know that?”

Stella stopped moving, looking over at him. The post-coital flush on her cheeks ramped up again from the look he was giving her. It was a look of complete adoration that almost knocked her off her feet. “I love you too,” she whispered with a small smile. “And as much as I would love a repeat, we’ve both got responsibilities to get to.” She took a few steps closer to him and held out her hand.

He grasped her fingers in his. He had a thought to pull her down to him, but changed his mind. He stood while complaining, “yeah, but we kinda make the rules for our schedules now.”

She chuckled, “mmhmm, we do. But that doesn’t mean we should take advantage of it.” She put a hand on his chest, leaning up and placed a light kiss on his lips. “Now, c’mon cowboy. Go save your father’s wallet from himself and keep him on track with my list.” Stella watched him walk toward the door, but called out to him. “Kayce.”

He stopped and looked back at her. “Yeah?”

Stella gave him her trademark lopsided grin and shrugged. “Nothin’. I just wanted to look at you before you walked away.” Kayce’s movement stilled. At her use of his own words on him a flicker of something soft, only for her, colored his gaze. He gave her a sideways grin and made his way downstairs.

Stella gazed out the window for a few minutes after Kayce left, feeling the responsibility weighing on her shoulders. ‘Better get it done and over with.’

It had been a few hours as Stella drifted around the ranch getting chores out of the way that she'd been ignoring for far too long. Rip had insisted she take the day off after being told about the incident with Kayce and Ryan. John’s voice after a particularly rough session with Lee and an angry gelding echoed in her mind: ranch work didn’t stop just because you had a bad day. His words had never rang truer than now. Which was the perfect excuse to show her Abigail girl some tender love and care.

Since Rip was away at the fairgrounds helping keep John in line with her list, it was Lloyd and her in charge since Ryan was laid up for a few days. They’d sent Colby and Teeter off to fix some more fence lines they hadn’t gotten to yet. With those two gone, it was just Lloyd and Stella moseying around the barn. Jake and Ethan were off doing their own thing. It was the time of year that they could get away with having a little extra free time.

The brush she held in her hand slid along Abigail’s spine, swiping the last bit of dust off her coat. Stella blew out a breath trying to keep the cloud she’d just brushed off Abigail from going in her mouth. She placed the brush into her grooming bucket and grabbed the show sheen to spray Abigail’s coat down making her the cleanest mare on the ranch. She enjoyed little moments like this because it didn’t feel like the world was out to get the ranch and everyone that resided here.

Lloyd wandered into the barn and poked his head into Abigail’s stall as Stella finished up. “Well if she ain’t the prettiest roan I’ve ever seen, I dunno who is.” He smiled affectionately at Stella. He watched as she finished up making sure she didn’t miss any spots on the mare. A swell of pride overtook him as he observed her.

She’d been through hell, more than most her age should have to deal with, in his opinion. But somehow she still managed to keep her head up. He could see it in the way she threw herself into the work, not letting any issues stop her. The way she made sure everyone else was alright, when she had every excuse to quit. He knew under Rip and Kayce’s careful eyes, she would do just fine.

“How ya holdin’ up from last week?”

She dropped the show sheen bottle into the bucket. “I think I’m alright. That bastard stole our cows and calves and shot my brother,” she wiped her hands on her jeans feeling the anger roll through her. Sadness quickly took its place when she thought of the little girl. “I do wish the little girl hadn’t been there though.” She cleared her throat. “If I have any guilt, it would be that.”

“Aw, Lil’ Bit. You can’t blame yourself for that. You didn’t know.”

“I know, but it doesn’t make it any better, Lloyd.” The little girl’s scream pierced her ears, and the image of her standing over her father burned a hole in her mind as her stomach turned. Lloyd reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“She’s gonna remember that for her whole life. And I’m a part of that.” She fixed her glasses with a sniff. “I still remember when I found my dad like it was yesterday, you know.” Her hand raised and she chewed the skin on the side of her thumb.

The small motion reminded Lloyd of Stella at 15 when she confided in him for the first time about finding her dad dead on the floor of his apartment when she was 11. He grimaced as the memory smacked into him. Stella had been acting out and reckless, and Ryan couldn’t get to the bottom of it with his lack of experience at 19. He came to Lloyd and asked him for help finding out what the problem was. When she explained to him everything going on in her mind, it had been just after a grizzly tried to eat her and Kayce saved her from it.

Stella opened her arms and invited Lloyd into an embrace. She needed a hug. Lloyd pulled her in and held her close. It wasn’t often she reached out for comfort outside of her brother or Kayce, but when she did he knew not to turn her down. He gently rubbed up and down her back. “Life ain’t fair, Lil’ Bit. You can’t carry around the weight of someone else’s sins like your own. It’ll crush you eventually.”

She exhaled deeply, trying to make herself believe his words. She whispered, “yeah, workin’ on it,” as she pulled back. Flattening the hair on her head, she brought her focus back to the present. Worrying about that little girl’s new path in life wasn’t gonna do her any good. It felt harsh to think, but Lloyd was right. She couldn’t carry that. Taking a steadying breath, she frowned seeing the sun dip lower towards the horizon.

She took out her phone to check the time, she found it had been quite some time since Colby and Teeter had wandered off. It had been long enough for Teeter to corner Colby, breaking down his resolve. Stella grinned despite the heavy weight on her mind. Teeter wanted Colby like bees loved honey. Stella loved that woman and her tenacity. She was glad they chose her.

Her chest tightened with the need to move. She couldn’t be still and wait for Kayce to get home. Ryan had always said to her, when in doubt, ride it out. That mantra followed her all the time, and today it seemed it was more than necessary to follow. “I think I’m gonna saddle up and go check on Colby and Teeter,” she chuckled, “more like rescue Colby from Teeter.

Lloyd smiled at her shift in mood. “The ride’ll probably do you good. Go keep those cowboys in line, ya hear me? Make sure Colby doesn’t give you any lip.”

Stella made quick work of getting Abigail saddled and ready to go. With the possibility of being out after the sun fell behind the mountains, she made sure she had her pistol, an extra clip, a flashlight and a few extra batteries. She’d be damned if she’d get caught without them. She was sure everything would be fine, but the wildlife in Montana didn’t care if she was just out there to find her friends.

She cursed herself for sending them out so far. It may have only been to pasture four, but it was about a 45 minute ride on Abigail. There was plenty of flat land to open up the mare’s speed, helping kill some time, but the sun had fallen behind the mountains at this point. As Stella got closer to where she thought the pair should be, the tree cover thickened. She found the side-by-side, but not a single sign of Colby or Teeter.

In the dark, her eyes widened to help her see better. Her skin began to crawl at the implications the deserted gator had. The chilly night air blew across her face, making her shiver. Stella stopped Abigail’s walk to listen for any sign of her friends. The only sounds that met her ears were Abigail breathing, and the wind moving through the high grass and the combination of Englemann Spruce and Douglas Fir trees that dotted the landscape of pasture four.

Monitoring Abigail’s body language closely, Stella slid off the safety of her saddle. The large mare kept her ears perked, twitching them in multiple directions. Stella ran a hand along Abigail’s wide shoulder, her muscles flexing in anticipation when she shifted back and forth on her hooves. “Whoa, girl,” Stella whispered. She grabbed the reins and brought Abigail with her. “Let’s check over here.”

Stella reached to her holster on her hip, unsnapping the button that kept it secured. She crunched as quietly as she could through the grass over to the gator. The doors were closed and it was shut off, but the keys were still in the ignition. The more details she found, the less she liked the situation.

The thought of breaking the silence of the wilderness made her cringe, but she needed a heading to find her friends. “Colby! Teeter!” She paused and listened for anything that could be a sign of them.

A silence splitting splash at the bottom of the hill to her right caught Stella’s focus. She draped her reins across Abigail’s thick neck — knowing the mare would follow her — and drew her weapon. The deadly click of the safety signifying she was ready to defend herself. Abigail listened to their surroundings for a brief moment longer, her ears at attention down the hill. She snorted noisily, scenting the air. She could sense Stella’s unease and fell into line behind her.

Stella grabbed her flashlight holding it in one hand and aimed her pistol with the other, just like Ryan had taught her many years prior. Walking to the top of the hill, she stopped and gazed down, trying to see through the thick trees. Stella squared her shoulders and called out again, but down where the sound had come from this time. “Colby! Teeter!”

A muffled voice responded in question. “Stella? Down here!”

She felt her heart lift hearing his voice. He was okay and that’s what mattered. “Colby!”

“I can’t find Teeter!”

Stella’s stomach did a somersault when she heard the desperation in his tone. Something bad had happened. She holstered her weapon quickly, and left Abigail standing ground tied. She darted down the hill toward his voice as fast as her legs would allow.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she made her way to the bottom. If Colby couldn’t find Teeter, Stella worried that it was worse than she thought.

[bisexualmcqueen]

Would Roger punch me if I called him a pavement princess?

punch you? nah he's not hair-trigger. an eyeroll maybe. hes too busy geeking out over racing stats to be concerned about how much dirt is gonna wind up in his asscrack

^wrote that and ive come back for more

ok. so why is roger a lifted truck. im not even a truck guy. i just think its Funny if hes Tall. see the below reason:

+ some bonus Lore:

He grew up in wisconsin. in wisconsin they have cows. cars dont have cowdogs (they dont have dogs at all)- they have cowhorses. i like horses, so his family raised cowhorses. racecars are kind of like horses. roger is more of a racer than a horse-trainer though, so he sort of breaks the family tradition: he winds up at the track. he meets tacho. they make the magic happen.

[blackroseraven]

Half-muck day today, which was a nice way to get back into rhythm a bit.

We got there in time to start putting horses out, which was nice. Had to check where some of the horses went but. No new horses, it looks like. Which was kind of a surprise, but it is the middle of show season and all. Lots of people settled in.

Trinity here like smashed his nose into my face and snuffled me for thirty seconds. Then I half-dragged the cowhorse outside; a cat literally sat in the doorway and tempted death by refusing to move but. Trinity is thankfully a nice horse. He also has a bunch of weird cuts on him, but. The one on his chest, at the very least, is from slamming himself through the dutch door to flee from the stall because uh. Teacherlady dumped some bedding in and it was apparently just too much for him. He's a huge panicky beast. Even when I came out and had ointment to put on him he freaked out about said ointment and made it very hard to calm him down and get some on his injuries.

Big dumbo.

We mucked the short half of the barn, which was really fast. That's all we had to do today because one of the girl students is leasing a horse and wants to work as much as possible to earn credit for him.

I got Quattro out and he was. A grump. We had the entire arena to ourselves, though, and like. When I really asked him to he did things, but he was super resistant otherwise. Cantered really nice, though, even if it took him a moment to remember what to do.

But he feels good. I felt really good getting back into things. It was like I'd never left.

I got Q and groomed him for a while, then hung out with him and Quattro at the hay bales, since they were happy to just. Stand and munch on the excess ground hay while partner finished washing off Zara's mucky legs. Lucky boys and girl ended up getting their grain too, so they got quite a feast today.

I was really proud of Quattro, though. A little girl kept coming up and petting him and he was really accepting of it. He's come such a long way, from a shy unsafe horse to a horse that will more than tolerate being touched and who actually enjoys being groomed. I'm proud of him, and how dependable and strong he's become.

I couldn't ask for more from him. He goes above and beyond for me in ways that I truly don't deserve.

[illumiblue]

cowhorse, ugu

[becktillman]

Navajo Patch, aka. "Whiskey". 15 hh, 20 year old American Paint Horse, APHA registered gelding. Beck's tried and true horse who has been their companion since they turned thirteen. Whiskey was Beck's first horse of their own, and was purchased as a birthday gift by Beck's parents from a local rancher. Although he doesn't have any special breeding or names in his pedigree, Beck has established a strong bond with him and put countless hours into his training.

Whiskey is a hard worker, obedient, loyal and quiet. Trained in reined cowhorse and roping, he has worked ranches and competed in various rodeo shows. He can theoretically be ridden by anyone but is better suited to experienced riders due to his drive. He's still very fit and healthy but Beck is winding down his work and sporting events with plans to retire him and keep him as a companion horse.

[fayeblackburn]

KILLSHOTT (aka headlight)

age: 8

color: black

sire: pg heavily armed (by playgun)

dam: hottish for you (mare out of hottish)

quirks: he's kinda a prick. not a mean one, but definitely has a bad attitude. pins his ears at everyone. he stands in the back corner of his stall and pins his ears at people who walk by. he pins his ears when tightening the cinch. raises his leg like he's going to kick after picking up his feet. when he's over someone, he'll lock up and refuse to move. he's more of an outdoor horse than an indoor one. he'll stand in one place forever if you drop a rein. he's got no quit for the right people, and he'll damn near chase a cow off a cliff.

history: despite being cutting bred, the horse rejected out of cutting. he came his way to Rafter B (Chip Blackburn's outfit) when he was three after failing out of cutting horse training. Chip picked him up through a contact and he came to the ranch full of disclosures. Chip finished him as a project more than anything as the two seemed to be grumpy old men together.

fun facts: he's really fancy broke. he's done mounted shooting. he's actually done some reined cowhorse. however, he gets bored and tends to quit in the middle of a cutting run. he'll sort all day long but he seems to know when he's in the cutting pen and he detests it.