OT- Old Photo $40 saddle and $10 horse?

[rangerider7]

Just my opinion. I guess some of the best cowhorses were mustangs with Roman noses. The old photo made me think of that saying though. I think this was taken in Arizona.

[Hillbilly]

That lil cayuse aint bad looking. Mustangs make good mounts ... once they learn to trust humans, all I've been around have made pretty good using horses.

We had one from the BLM auction system... it took about 6 weeks to get the halter and lead rope off of him.. but he made a good horse. About his only bad flaw was that he needed to look at "everything"... In his mind ,every tree, hay bale, rock had a big cat lurking behind it.

[gunslinger598]

Good Ole Timey Pic

That is still a $10.00 horse

That saddle would be worth a bit more if it's not rotten ........

[Griff]

Maybe not the "best", but surely the most common!

That lil' cayuse looks like he's about to explode... never cared for squinty-eyed horses... He mighta got that knot on his forehead for good reason!

[deerwhacker444]

I'm gonna play Devils Advocate,...what's wrong with that horse? I'm probably not the only person here with Zero experience with horses....,so, what can you tell by just lookin at him?

[kimwcook]

Here's my thoughts on the horse. They head and neck, as portrayed, are way out of proportion to the body. The neck too short, the head too long and it has a roman nose. Plus he looks a bit steep in the pasterns.

Now for the guy mounted. At first I thought he looked right, but after closer examination I'm not so sure. He's holding his reins wrong and he's in the horses mouth. Now he could of just corrected his horse, but his hold would still be wrong. The horses squinted eyes make him look like he either got caught blinking or he's half asleep. The reata looks like it's a prop or hastily put on the saddle, the coils are too tight. The revolver is staged as it would be in the way where it's at. Just my 2 cents worth.

[pokey]

the good: short coupled, straight legs, fair muscling, gelding.

the bad: hind feet not under him[could be angle/pose], short upright neck[once again could be angle of photo,
but looks like he'd be rough gaited],steep pasterns also adds roughness, and that head,
well .... i've seen worse ....only a mother could love?
i'm afraid that would be a deal breaker for me.

kimwcook beat me to the draw,

the fella's outfit is i little funky, i'll agree.

[Dastook]

The mustangs we used to get from the mountains of southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada made fantastic mountain horses.Very sure footed trail horses. We used them in the Fed. Wilderness of the "River of No Return" and the "Sellway Basin".

[Griff]

Like Kim said, the eye could just be a blink or half-sleep, but those ears back belie the "half asleep" theory.

Like others the pasterns are too steep, and in need of a trim or shoein'; those front cannon bones are VERY short as compared to the upper leg... the short neck, long head, withers that appear to be several inches higher than the crup, and his very short back will all combine to detract from the horse's general flexibility and balance. All of that, in short, will make him have to work harder to get things done and a very uncomfortable horse to ride. A trot on that puppy would make you a candidate for a kidney transplant inside a week! And don't ride uphill... cause you'll need that 5" cantle!

That gun and holster will flop around and become very troublesome in short order! And, does that boy have 5 fingers?

WHERE DO you come up with these neat ol' pictures?

[horsesoldier03]

Definately a poster child pic for the $40 saddle on a $10 horse. Something tells me that horse is no much of a cow horse.

[Buck Elliott]

Got his head up & ears back, 'cause that boy is definitely in his mouth. Makes his neck look shorter. Not so much roman-nosed as hammer-headed IMO. Looks like a bad mix from both sides of the family, I reckon.

Kid looks a bit bored with the 'pitcher-makin'' routine. Likely had to hold the horse up to make him stand still long enough for the shot.

Maybe a little too steep in the pasterns on the hind legs; front legs aren't too bad, at all.

Would have to see him undressed to tell if he's an "up-hill" horse...

The kid don't look too savvy to me. His pistol will be knockin' on his elbow in short order, if he takes off in that get-up...

Couldn't even catch a cold with that twine...

[rangerider7]

Maybe this will help or at least start a heated discussion.

[Hillbilly]

That photo is pre 1910 or so? That horse probably didnt last more than a couple of summers before he broke down or made a winter snack for a coyote pack.

I dont think most folks thought much about "conformation" outside some Easterners and Wealthy Westerners who bred Morgans or paid dues to the Jockey Club and raced TB's

Back then ... that horse would have been gathered in the spring... and turned out in the fall... and cost nothing but the time it took to "break" him to ride and do what work was needed.

Exceptional or personal horses would be an exception. Well bred horses... that live past 20, are a blessing we have gained in the last 50 years or so... especially in the "cow horse" class of equine. The modern stock horse or Quarter horse has only been around since the 40's as a standard breed.

Mustang herds reflect the traits of the horses they were bred from... lot's of the wild herds have draft blood or came out of surplus Army remounts and those traits added to the spanish blood .... well, I've seen some pretty impressive Mustangs if they are bred right.

[jnyork]

Here's my thoughts on the horse. They head and neck, as portrayed, are way out of proportion to the body. The neck too short, the head too long and it has a roman nose. Plus he looks a bit steep in the pasterns.

Now for the guy mounted. At first I thought he looked right, but after closer examination I'm not so sure. He's holding his reins wrong and he's in the horses mouth. Now he could of just corrected his horse, but his hold would still be wrong. The horses squinted eyes make him look like he either got caught blinking or he's half asleep. The reata looks like it's a prop or hastily put on the saddle, the coils are too tight. The revolver is staged as it would be in the way where it's at. Just my 2 cents worth.

Proof positive they had Photoshop back in those days!

[gimdandy]

Funny thing about these animals .........................you put a couple hundred miles on them and you find out it don't mean a tinkers darn what they look like . What matters is how they take care of the load you assign them w/. Whether it be a pack load, you , the wife or grand kid . I've had mules and a few horses ( past and present ) that look like a bag of bones as far as conformation but wouldn't trade straight for a possible winner of the Kentucky Derby. They do their job and take care of the load, can throw hot or cooled meat on 'em and they stand waiting to do their job
looks to me like that is a spade bit although can't be positive, but w/ the pitch of the horse's head I'll bet you a box of primers it is a spade and that vaquero knows how to work it , thusly train a cow pony............................I'd ride the river w/ 'em both and if they aren't worth a hoot you'll see 'em headed down stream, oh well , now we know for sure
HILLBILLY , I'm sure is right about the way they turn out in the fall, they make winter , use them next year. Each horse was nothing but a tool, that's still true today (from my first paragraph )
As stated , don't think the cowboy was a sixgunner, peers he's a cowboy

[Dastook]

Here is a alternate theory.

The horse is fine with the exception of the Roman nose and the laid back ears. I think it is the "aspect ratio" of the camera lens and years of cloning the picture. Kinda like when you watch pre high def. movies and TV shows on a new wide screen HI Def TV and all the girls butts look too BIG. This would be the reverse of that.

[gimdandy]

Looked again at the photo , I spose you could make a case just about any way you wanted the plumb bob to swing , but w/ those short taps ( I use bulldog taps ) and batwing chaps, look worn w/ possible hole in them , maybe just a concho missing ill fitting saddle blanket , ill fitting holster w/ a 7 1/2 probable bbl length ( too long to ride w/ and work in the brush ) , now I say all of this and yet I had a conversation w/ our own DANNY BIGSKY56 and I use only a front off side butt up rifle/ scabbard because I pull a string 99% of the time I ride and a 4 3/4 or 3 1/2 sheriff's model vaquero because it tucks out of the way. Danny says he uses rear mounted butt level because he will rope when using the horse and obviously needs said rifle out of the way. He's right , I'm right and this cowboys right .........everybody's got THEIR own set of circumstances that they figure out what will work best for them, if it don't work you'll figure it out real quick and change it . That's how Danny got where he's at , me too

[Bang]

looks like the rider was doing a good job of holding the horse still, those old box camera's are very slow.
Chaps but no jacket and saddle kit - he is so clean - it must have been after his shave, haircut and monthly bath!

[Borregos]

What an interesring thread, thanks for posting the picture rangerider7

[Griff]

I can tell by the garters holding the guys sleeves up on his brand-new shirt, fresh shave, and self-satisfied smirk on his face, that he's actually the piano player in the cat-house.

[Buck Elliott]

I can tell by the garters holding the guys sleeves up on his brand-new shirt, fresh shave, and self-satisfied smirk on his face, that he's actually the piano player in the cat-house.

Which one...?

[BigSky56]

Griff. Thanks for the pic 7 its western history whether he was a town dude or a rider. If I had to ride that pony I'd be passing blood in 3 days his shock absorbers are to short. danny

[C. Cash]

Didn't they say all this about Seabiscuit????

[Griff]

Didn't they say all this about Seabiscuit????

Ah.. but Seabiscuit had one good, redeeming value... he could run fast! That nag is standing still.

[Buck Elliott]

Well, yeah... For now...

[Hillbilly]

That particular horse probably would be a little stiff at the trot.... his front legs are a little wide (in addition to the other faults when compared to the modern horse)

My Uncle Buck's advise for selection..."his front legs need to come out of one hole" ... that translates to the idea that close set legs make a smoother action on the front.

get that pony undressed... I betcha he has high withers and is slab sided too.
Those 1890's style saddles all seem to have a very high gullet and a pronounced invereted 'V' shape to the tree to work around that "fault"
It took a good 50 years of selective breeding to get the roundbacked bulldog- chested horses we like to ride today.

The horses were a "renewable" asset... so were the cowboys. If a horse got ya from "a" to "b" without augerin your head in the ground that was a good day. if the cowboy got killed or worse-maimed- the bars were full of guys looking for work.

did anyone notice that very nice plaited bridle? Vaquero- style gear like that brings big money these days.