Page 68 - barefoot-in-the-sand-remembering-the-waning-days-of-the-hopewell-community-(1998)-bruce-c-gragg

Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 64/123

JUNE MAKES HER DEBUT

Papa, bought a pregnant horse in 1940, we named her Maude. In June 41
she presented us with a colt. We named her "June." We watched her
grow up, go through saddle training and breaking for work. In the
spring of 42 we got some sugar cubes to use in training her to come
when called, part of her early training. I was about 41/2 years old,
June was eating a couple of sugar cubes from my hands, she managed to
get my fingers in her mouth clamped down on them and picked me up.
When she turned loose I dropped to the ground, with a big pain in my
fingers. I soon forgot it though when we began to do something else
with her in our efforts to help all we could in her proper training
and upbringing. That was an exciting experience, having a colt to
grow up with. Those that have had this experience know and understand
the enjoyment of it all. Early in the colts young life Mama decided
she was going to do the training, a job she spent many a hour, with
various degrees of joy and disappointment during the time. When it
was finished she felt good for the job she had done, patience and
perseverance had paid off. She turned out to be a very good saddle
horse, mostly riding. Being of race horse stock she was a high
spirited horse, she did not make a good plow or work horse.

One of my favorite activities on Sunday afternoon was to saddle up
June, and ride either some of the old three trail roads or sometimes
just ride on the dirt road that ran in front of our house (Wilson
Road) . Our saddle was an old cavalry saddle. Those familiar with
saddles know this type was not designed to sit in. You actually stand
up in the stirrups when riding. If seated when riding the lower
posterior can get very sore. There is no end to the imagination that
goes through ones mind while riding in this setting, you can pretend
to be in any of many scenes while riding all by your self. You can be
a cowboy, a cavalryman, hunter, outlaw, lawman, or maybe a drifter,
anything to pass the afternoon riding. Most of time I rode by myself,
however occasionally I would have some neighbors kids to meet and we
would ride together. I would usually not take time to take up the
stirrup straps before riding, just put my toes in the loop the
stirrups hung in. Not a very safe way to ride but it saved a lot of
time and effort. If I took them up to fit me I had to put them back
where they "belonged" when I quit for the day. The adjustment was not
simply done like letting out a belt, it was a lot more involved and
it took some time, so I usually skipped it.

However, one Sunday afternoon it was good I did take the time. I was
riding toward Mrs. Mills’, a car passed, and all of a sudden June
decided it was time to run a while. She ran by the Mills place headed
toward the river road after passing under some low

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