Soapweed
Well-known member
LETTER FROM MICK VON TOUR
About my horse trade with Bernie Adam story
Steve Moreland, December 4, 2017
Here are Mick's words:
Steve, Linda Applegarth Cleveland sent me a newspaper clipping from The Grant County News about Bernie Adam, me, and you and your wife Carol trading horses. I liked the story and wanted to add a little bit more, of what happened before you came over to try that gelding that you traded the paint mare and colt for. The past three years before I went to the Tailbone Ranch, I worked for Roy Durfey in South Dakota and Phoenix in the winter, riding horses, training rope horses, and so forth. Well, I did learn a lot from Roy. One thing that he taught me was to hook up a set of driving reins to a horse and drive them before you get on.
That horse that you bought, I tried to ride right from the start. Every single time I got on him, he bucked me off, so I saddled him up and put the driving reins on him in that corral in front of the block barn. Don't know if you recall, but that corral was fairly big and not square or round, as the block barn jutted out into it. Also, Bernie never did ride any of the unbroken horses. He had bad knees at the time, and he would be the first one to admit, he was not into riding broncs or horses that would buck. So I got the job of getting this guy broke, which I welcomed.
Now back to saddling him and hooking up the driving reins. The first time I did it, Bernie was there and also my girlfriend at the time, Terri Lowe, whom I later married. They were standing at the side of the corral. I slapped the reins on the horse's butt, and that little guy got the jump on me because the pen was big and not round. He hit the end of the reins, snapped me right out of my boots, and drove me head first right into that cement block building and knocked me clean out. When I woke up, Bernie was laughing so hard he said he had to go to the house. My girlfriend Terri was down on the ground, holding my head and trying to revive me. I said, "This guy is going to get snubbed to another horse. I am not going to knock myself out over him….pun intended." I eventually got him to ride out fairly well, and really liked him after I got him over bucking. I rode him just about every day before you and Carol came up and traded for him. After you guys left, Bernie noticed I was kind of sad to see him go. He said, "At least you won't be getting knocked out over him again," and laughed as he walked off.
I just thought you would enjoy that little bit of information on the horse. Thanks, Steve.
Here is another Tailbone Ranch story from the mid 1980's that Mick told:
My girlfriend Terri made two pies for the upcoming branding, and put them on the window sill to cool. Bernie and I were outside and smelled the pies, so we wandered over to the window. He got one, and I got one, and we proceeded to eat them both. She had to re-bake two pies for the branding the next day. I will tell you, I thought she was going to kill us over that. Those were really fun times.
About my horse trade with Bernie Adam story
Steve Moreland, December 4, 2017
Here are Mick's words:
Steve, Linda Applegarth Cleveland sent me a newspaper clipping from The Grant County News about Bernie Adam, me, and you and your wife Carol trading horses. I liked the story and wanted to add a little bit more, of what happened before you came over to try that gelding that you traded the paint mare and colt for. The past three years before I went to the Tailbone Ranch, I worked for Roy Durfey in South Dakota and Phoenix in the winter, riding horses, training rope horses, and so forth. Well, I did learn a lot from Roy. One thing that he taught me was to hook up a set of driving reins to a horse and drive them before you get on.
That horse that you bought, I tried to ride right from the start. Every single time I got on him, he bucked me off, so I saddled him up and put the driving reins on him in that corral in front of the block barn. Don't know if you recall, but that corral was fairly big and not square or round, as the block barn jutted out into it. Also, Bernie never did ride any of the unbroken horses. He had bad knees at the time, and he would be the first one to admit, he was not into riding broncs or horses that would buck. So I got the job of getting this guy broke, which I welcomed.
Now back to saddling him and hooking up the driving reins. The first time I did it, Bernie was there and also my girlfriend at the time, Terri Lowe, whom I later married. They were standing at the side of the corral. I slapped the reins on the horse's butt, and that little guy got the jump on me because the pen was big and not round. He hit the end of the reins, snapped me right out of my boots, and drove me head first right into that cement block building and knocked me clean out. When I woke up, Bernie was laughing so hard he said he had to go to the house. My girlfriend Terri was down on the ground, holding my head and trying to revive me. I said, "This guy is going to get snubbed to another horse. I am not going to knock myself out over him….pun intended." I eventually got him to ride out fairly well, and really liked him after I got him over bucking. I rode him just about every day before you and Carol came up and traded for him. After you guys left, Bernie noticed I was kind of sad to see him go. He said, "At least you won't be getting knocked out over him again," and laughed as he walked off.
I just thought you would enjoy that little bit of information on the horse. Thanks, Steve.
Here is another Tailbone Ranch story from the mid 1980's that Mick told:
My girlfriend Terri made two pies for the upcoming branding, and put them on the window sill to cool. Bernie and I were outside and smelled the pies, so we wandered over to the window. He got one, and I got one, and we proceeded to eat them both. She had to re-bake two pies for the branding the next day. I will tell you, I thought she was going to kill us over that. Those were really fun times.
