By Jessica Porter, DPT
Stunning. That is the best word that comes to mind when I first set eyes on the Blue Roan I visited in West Texas. His name is “Finest of Brass”, from the lineage of Blue Valentine, Joe Hancock, all the way back to Peter McCue. He stood 15.2 and 1300 pounds. He was as majestic as the West Texas crisp sunrise surrounding him. I climbed aboard the sturdy steed to learn the land he had grown up in. Fortunate for me, his years of experience traversing the terrain made him wise enough to navigate the rough country safely. The sea of sage brush, prickly pear, dog pears and other such spicky succulents coupled with the occasional shelves of flat rock along the steep sided mesas that fall off from the Edwards Plateau required a talented agility to navigate the land. An agility this stout and sturdy horse was born for, being an American Quarter Horse.
The now 18 year old semi-retired gelding had been a working ranch horse for one of the last existing major commercial sheep ranches in Texas, Gerald Porter Ranch (still in operation of sheep and cattle today). He along with the 20 other American Quarter Horses at the ranch serve the people of America well, helping gather in sheep and cattle from the sections of land modern machinery cannot navigate. The sheep would in turn produce us wool for clothing. And the sheep and cattle supply meat to satisfy our hunger and our taste buds.
In his prime, when Blue wasn’t busy helping at the ranch, he was performing in collegiate rodeo for Texas Tech as well as the United States Team Roping Championships (USTRC). He earned his way into a mighty fine head horse in the sport of team roping. Built for performance, he could run a steer down then turn clean and smooth. And true to the “Quarter” part of his breed, he was dang fast at it too.
What an honor I realized was handed me to be atop the back of this accomplished horse. We stopped on top of a mesa together to enjoy the views before us. Blue looked regal as his mane blew in the wind and the sun sparkled off the silver highlights throughout it. Though his youth had left him there was still a gleam in his eye, a confidence in his step and freshness under the saddle. It was the wind, I was sure, but seeing how it could bring out such life in Old Blue, I knew he wasn’t ready to retire. This faithful friend who loved to work was looking for a job to do. That’s the true American cowboy influence coming out of him. Well, fortunately for him I had just the job.
We loaded him up and took him to a therapeutic equestrian center near San Antonio called Hope Reins in Texas. There was a completely new set of skills for this good ol’ country horse to learn. And he proves the saying wrong, “an old dog CAN learn new tricks”. Our horse trainers started equipping Blue to become used to multiple riders on his back a day and riders with imbalances or some sort of physical difficulty. The adaptability he displayed was impressive.
His first rider was a fine young man, respectable as any cowboy should be. Only he had trouble walking due to a leg length discrepancy and a condition that caused his leg muscles to be very stiff. But, Blue didn’t mind. He patiently learned the special cues from his new rider though they were different than the cowboy who had ridden him before. Soon, with a little time and patience, the two now ride the trails together in open fields. Many other riders with special needs have also built a connection with Old Blue. One of the most recent being a Wounded Warrior. A young man robbed of his youth and physical independence from an injury he sustained while active duty. He was told he would never walk again, but miracles happen. Now he not only walks, he rides! Blue’s quiet calmness and confidence has built trust and helped to place renewed hope in this soldier’s life.
Now Old Blue has served the American people in not only the production of sheep and cattle, but he is serving them by being apart of the restoration of their bodies and souls. That’s a horse you can’t put a price tag on. That’s a horse we are proud of!
