Famous Horses in History -- Bucephalus (355-326 BC) with giveaway by Donna Schlachter

Alexander and Bucephalus, by John Steell (Wikipedia)

I grew up loving horses, and I loved reading about horses, so I thought that might be a good theme for this year—12 Famous Horses in History. Even if you aren’t horse-mad, there will be horses you’ll recognize by name or reputation, and I felt that learning more about history could be wrapped into the stories of these equines.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear Bucephalus, I always think of Father Brown’s trusty bicycle, as that was his name for it. In fact, the first time I heard him refer to it by that name, I had to look up the word, as I hadn’t heard of this horse before.

Bucephalus was born around 355 BC in Greece, and ultimately became the horse that Alexander the Great rode into many battles.

As the story by Plutarch goes, when Alexander of Macedonia (as he was known before he became a soldier), made a wager at the age of 12 or 13 with his father, who was a horse dealer. King Philip II was interested in the young Bucephalus, but he proved impossible to subdue. Alexander said he could do it, and if he didn’t, he’d pay the price for the horse.

Alexander taming Bucephalus by B.R. Haydon (Wikipedia)

 

 

After studying the horse, he realized the beast was shy of its own shadow, so he turned the stallion toward the sun so it couldn’t see what scared it. Others who’d tried to tame the animal had shouted and used harsh language, but Alexander spoke soothingly, and the horse responded. After ditching his fluttering cape—another trigger for the beast—Bucephalus responded to him.

In the legend that comprises much of the history of Alexander, King Philip II was so impressed that he told Alexander that Macedonia was too small for a man such as he, and for him to seek out a kingdom equal to and worthy of his gifts.

A second legend, the Alexander Romance, claims that Bucephalus was given to Philip and resided on his estate. Bucephalus was said to possess heroic attributes that exceeded those of Pegasus, and another romance by the Delphic Oracle tells Philip that the man who rides Bucephalus will be king of the world.

Alexander the Great mosaic (Wikipedia)

 

 

Whatever the truth about his origins and his abilities, Bucephalus was so named because of a mark on his haunch in the shape of an ox head. Overlay large and with a massive head, he bore a black coat and a white star on his brow. He had one blue eye, which was an anomaly, and he was “of the best Thessalian (Greek) strain” of horses.

Alexander’s hero was Achilles, and indeed, he claimed to be an ancestor of his. In so doing, he included his skill and ability with horses as a result of his godly origins. Achilles claimed that his horses were immortal because Poseidon gave them to his father Peleus, who in turn passed them along to him.

However, that immortality did not continue with Bucephalus, and he died in June 326 BC following the Battle of Hydaspes, from mortal injuries sustained in the fight. Alexander and his army defeated King Porus, but he lost his favorite mount.

Seleucos I Bucephalos coin (Wikipedia)

 

In memoriam, he founded a city, Bucephala, on the west bank of the Hydaspes River, in modern-day Pakistan. Today the town is called Jalalpur Sharif, and Bucephalus is said to be buried there.

The reputation of the horse grew alongside that of his master, with different legends claiming they were born at the same time, and later stories claimed they died at the same hour, but mostly these tales are viewed as fictional.

Alexander and Bucephalus by Domenico Maria Canuti (Wikipedia)

 

 

No matter the details, there is no doubt Alexander treasured Bucephalus, and most likely, his lineage is present in our modern-day horses.

Leave a comment about your like or dislike of horses, and I will draw randomly for a free ebook of “Hollenberg Hearts”, a Pony Express story. Cleverly disguise your email address so the bots don’t get you, for example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com

About Hollenberg Hearts:
A mail order bride. A crippled stationmaster. No way out for either of them—except with each other. Can they surrender their hearts and find true love?

https://www.amazon.com/Hollenberg-Hearts-Pony-Express-Book-ebook/dp/B098VZ38XY and the rest of the Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098WRMTM3

About Donna:
A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.

www.DonnaSchlachter.com

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Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucephalus  

The Wild Horses of the West: Legends on the Hoof

Wild Mustangs in Wyoming

The Wild West conjures up images of dusty trails, sprawling plains, and of course, wild horses galloping freely across the horizon. These iconic animals are more than just symbols of freedom and untamed spirit—they have deep roots in American history and culture.

Origins: From Escapees to Icons

Contrary to popular belief, horses are not native to North America. They originated here millions of years ago but went extinct around 10,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the early 1500s that horses returned to the continent, brought over by Spanish explorers like Hernán Cortés. Some horses escaped or were released, and over time, they formed free-roaming herds across the Great Plains, deserts, and mountainous regions.

These feral descendants of domesticated horses came to be known as mustangs—a term derived from the Spanish word mesteño, meaning "stray" or "ownerless." By the 18th and 19th centuries, mustangs had spread across vast areas of the western U.S., from Texas to Nevada.
Work and Partnership

Wild horses weren’t just admired from afar—they became central to the lives of Native American tribes, cowboys, ranchers, and settlers. Tribes such as the Comanche quickly became expert horsemen, using them for hunting, travel, and warfare. Horses revolutionized life for many Plains tribes, granting them unmatched mobility.

During the heyday of the cowboy in the 1800s, horses were indispensable. They were used for cattle drives, farming, transport, and even mail delivery through the Pony Express. A well-trained horse was as valuable as gold, and bonds between rider and steed were often deep and lifelong.

Care and Challenges

While wild horses thrived in open landscapes, domesticated horses required care. Cowboys and ranchers provided feed, clean water, shoeing, and shelter. Caring for a horse also meant regular grooming, vet care, and ensuring the animal wasn’t overworked.

In the wild, mustangs had to fend for themselves, facing predators, drought, and competition for food. Today, their numbers are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as overpopulation can threaten both the horses and the delicate ecosystems they roam.

Legends and Folklore

Comanche, with saddle and bridle, held by a soldier.
Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The West is rich with horse legends. One of the most famous horses in folklore is Comanche, the horse of Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th Cavalry. After the battle in 1876, Comanche was found gravely wounded but alive—one of the few survivors from Custer’s detachment. He was taken in and nursed back to health by the U.S. Army. Comanche was given full military honors and lived out the rest of his days at Fort Riley, Kansas. He received exceptional care and never carried a rider again.

After his death in 1891, Comanche’s remains were preserved through taxidermy. Today, you can see him on display at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum in Lawrence, Kansas. His mounted form is carefully maintained as a historical artifact, housed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment to ensure his preservation. The exhibit includes information about his life, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and his unique place in American military and equine history.

Roy Rogers and Trigger in a publicity photo.
Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Trigger, the golden palomino of cowboy actor Roy Rogers, achieved the status of movie star in his own right. Trigger appeared in films and performed tricks that dazzled his audiences.

Then there’s the ghostly tale of the Phantom Stallion, a recurring motif in Western lore that embodies the mystery and majesty of the Wild West. This legendary horse is said to roam the wide-open ranges alone, a beautiful, powerful creature with a coat as white as snow or as black as night—depending on the version told. Elusive and wild-eyed, the Phantom Stallion is rarely seen for more than a fleeting moment, vanishing like mist before anyone can get close. Ranchers, cowboys, and travelers speak of catching glimpses of him on moonlit ridges or across distant valleys, always just out of reach.

In many versions of the tale, the Phantom isn’t just a wild horse but the living embodiment of freedom itself. To some, spotting the stallion is a sign of good fortune, while others see him as an omen or a reminder that not all things can be tamed. The story has inspired countless books, songs, and even a popular young adult series, The Phantom Stallion by Terri Farley, which blends the myth with modern-day mustang advocacy.

The legend persists because it captures something timeless--the untamed spirit of the Wild West.

Final Thoughts

Listen carefully, and you will hear the echo of hoofbeats as the wild horses of the West run forward through time. They remain living legacies of America's past.

Over to You

Do you know of any other legendary horses of the Wild West? If you've seen wild horses, what did you experience?

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels in proportions dictated by their genre. 

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and the books she writes.

Discover Montana Gold

Hills of Nevermore: A young widow hides her shameful secret from a blue-eyed circuit preacher.

Cheyenne Sunrise: A disillusioned young woman is forced to entrust herself to a half-Cheyenne guide.

Stagecoach to Liberty: To escape captivity, a young woman must trust a mysterious stranger.

The Forever Sky: Can a young widow with no faith in love reconcile with the man who broke her heart?

The Promise Tree: A preacher’s daughter knows she shouldn't encourage a troublemaker, no matter she promised him.

The Whispering Wind: Phoebe can have her pick of suitors but never the man she wants.

Learn More

Montana Gold Boxed Set (books 1-4 discounted)

The History of Equine Therapy ~ By Michelle Shocklee

 

My latest novel, All We Thought We Knew, is set on a Tennessee horse farm during World War II and the Vietnam War. Researching wartime is always sobering. So many soldiers never make it home. So many come home changed--physically, spiritually, and mentally. Because one of the characters in the book is a wounded Vietnam warrior, I spent a lot of time reading about various programs created to help soldiers deal with everything they experienced during the war and everything they must face after they come home. 

One of the most fascinating programs is Equine Assisted Therapy. ETA can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety, autism, cerebral palsy, dementia, depression, developmental delay, mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and physical and mental conditions. It is also used for PTSD, loss of limbs, and other debilitating issues soldiers face when they return from war. After reading about the benefits to wounded warriors, I knew I wanted to include some type of horse therapy in the book, especially because I have some experience with it firsthand.

From Verywellmind.com

Many years ago I worked for an older couple in their home. Mr. and Mrs. B were retired and enjoying life when Mr. B suffered a stroke. I had the privilege of helping him with his speech and physical therapy during his recovery, but I also took him to equine assisted therapy appointments. There, I was able to observe how horses and people with disabilities or various issues interact with the horses. It truly is beautiful. 

But how has equine therapy come about and how has it evolved through the centuries? 

Me with some of our horses

Horses have been utilized as a therapeutic aid since the ancient Greeks used them for people with incurable illnesses. Some of the earliest recorded mentions of using horses in this way can be found in the writings of the Greek physician Hippocrates who discussed the therapeutic value of riding as early as 400 BC. Benefits of therapeutic riding were also recorded in 17th century literature where it is documented that it was prescribed for gout, neurological disorder, and low morale. In 1946 Equine Therapy was introduced in Scandinavia after an outbreak of poliomyelitis, or polio.

The type of horse therapy we see today had its beginnings in the 1950s. A Danish woman, Lis Hartel, won the silver medal in dressage in the 1952 Olympic Games. The reason this captured the world's attention is because Lis was paralysed. In 1944, Lis, then a 23-year-old pregnant mother, contracted polio and lost function of her legs. Gradually she reactivated most of her muscles, although she remained paralysed below the knees. After three years of rehabilitation, she was able to compete in the Scandinavian riding championships and finished second in women's dressage.

Lis Hartel,(Photo by Terry Fincher/Keystone/Getty Images)

Soon after, therapists in countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland began to increasingly pair therapeutic riding with physical therapy treatment to inspire lasting neuromuscular changes in their patients. Word of this type of therapy spread. By the 1980s, American and Canadian therapists traveled to Germany to learn about it and bring it back to the USA. The American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) began in 1992, and the popularity and use of this type of therapy has grown.

Today, there are different types of equine therapy. Therapeutic Horseback Riding is used by disabled people who ride horses to relax, develop muscle tone, coordination, confidence, and overall well-being. Hippotherapy, which is the type of therapy Mr. B did, is an intervention used by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, or speech and language pathologist and is also focused on people with physical disabilities. While therapeutic riding is mostly recreational with some clinical benefits, hippotherapy is mostly clinical with some recreational benefits. Equine Assisted Learning can be helpful for anyone with any sort of issue, and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy includes a therapy component so that the individual may reflect upon and further process his or her experiences with the horse. Through grooming, feeding, ground exercises, and riding, clients learn about themselves and others, and works with a therapist to discuss their feelings about working with horses. 

Your turn: Have you heard of equine therapy or know someone who has used it?

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including   Appalachian Song, a Christy Award Finalist; Count the Nights by Stars, winner of the Christianity Today Book Award; and Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Award and Selah Award finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two sons and mother-in-law to two beautiful daughters, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online  at www.MichelleShocklee.com

ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW

1942
Ava must put her life back together after her husband is killed at Pearl Harbor. A job at Camp Forrest provides income, but it also puts her in contact with Enemy Aliens interned on the military installation. Can she trust the German medical student whose friendship means more to her than it should?

1969
Mattie ran away from the pain when her brother was killed in Vietnam. Now she’s back in Tullahoma facing another devastating loss. Yet it is the bundle of WWII letters Mama insists she reads that makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

https://www.tyndale.com/p/all-we-thought-we-knew/9781496484178

Chariots of Fire

Dana McNeely

In modern times, chariots evoke a poetic romanticism found in media, art, and literature. For example, the title of the film "Chariots of Fire" was inspired by a line written by English poet William Blake, “Bring me my Chariot of Fire!” The poem, in turn, was inspired by the following Bible passage, which also inspired my soon-to-be-published novel, Whirlwind.

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. ~ 2 Kings 2:11-12 New International Version

 

Giuseppi Angeli, Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire,
courtesy WikiMedia Commons

Going back in biblical history to the first mentions of chariots, the ancients probably did not associate chariots with romantic notions, but with transportation, hunting, or a nation’s strength in battle. It is to that notion of the nation's strength that Elisha compares his mentor when he calls Elijah "the chariots and horsemen of Israel."

The Earliest Chariots 

Image courtesy Wiki Commons.

The first biblical reference to a chariot referred to Joseph riding in Pharaoh's chariot in Egypt. It may have looked like the image above.

"Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, 'Make way!' Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt." ~ Genesis 41:42-43

Six specimens were discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun. It seems chariots were first used for transportation and hunting, but when improvements increased their speed, mobility, and strength, they were used in warfare. They may have spread to other countries by commerce or when taken as spoils of war. 

The Armored Tanks of Ancient Times

As the Israelites moved into the Promised Land, they quickly learned that the resident's chariots lent them a marked advantage - on level ground. So when Joshua, Israel's commander, learned a coalition of Canaanites was converging on the strategic location of Merom, he watched as they camped in a narrow, presumably hidden, gorge among the hills behind the lake. 

Then Joshua sent his foot soldiers on a stealth attack down the slopes. Before the Canaanites could muster and deploy their chariots, Israel won the victory - and the chariots. But because the Israelites could not use chariots, Joshua destroyed them.

The Israelites were not quick to add chariots to their arsenal.

For twenty years during the time of the Judges, Sisera, a commander of the Canaanite army, tormented the Israelites with nine hundred iron chariots fitted with iron. The Israelites called out to God for help, which He sent in the form of a heavy out-of-season rainstorm and two women: Deborah, a prophetess and Jael, a Kenite.

Image via Wiki Commons
Jael-Sisera circa 1550

When the rainstorm's mud buried wheels in muck, Deborah sent Barak, leader of the Israelite army, in pursuit of the mired-down chariots. 

Meanwhile, Sisera knew his king, Jabin, had a trading relationship with the Kenites, but both appeared unaware of the Kenites' intermarriage with Israelites. Exhausted from his slog through the mud fleeing Israel’s army, Sisera accepted Jael, the Kenite's, offer of rest in her tent. After a drink of warm buttermilk, the enemy commander fell asleep. His nap lasted longer than expected when Jael drove a tent peg through his head. 

An article in Biblical Archaeology discusses an interesting find linking a bronze chariot linchpin to a location believed to be Haroshet Hagoyim – the Canaanite base of Sisera, as mentioned in the fourth and fifth chapters of the Book of Judges.

Under King David during the united monarchy, chariots were used, but the Lord instructed Israel not to "build up multitudes of horses and chariots," but rather to look to God for their strength. 

When the Kingdom of Israel split in two, the northern kings were in rebellion and did not feel compelled to follow the same rules as the southern kingdom. The North, referred to as "Israel" or their capital city "Samaria", often worshipped Canaanite gods and did not recognize the Temple in Jerusalem as the sanctioned place of worship. They added horses and chariots to their armies whenever they could.

Fast forward to a battle circa 853 BC. Although the Battle of Qarqar is not mentioned in the Bible, it is interesting because of a controversial archeological find, the stone Kurkh Monoliths. The stone tablets list eleven kings that fought against Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, among them Ahab of Israel.

At question are the numbers listed on the artifact of forces sent by Ahab - 2,000 chariots and 10,000 soldiers. Scholars doubt whether Ahab's army could have rivaled that of Aram Damascus, and posit that the number 2,000 is a scribal error and should have been 200.

At odds with this argument, is the Bible's account in 1 Kings 20, of Aram's siege against Samaria, which occurred a few years before the Battle of Qarqar. Aram had the upper hand, but an anonymous prophet brought word to King Ahab that the Lord intended to give the battle to Israel so that he would know the Lord was God over Israel.

The prophet laid out the plan, whereby young officers would lead the charge, quickly followed by King Ahab leading soldiers, tradesmen, and other residents of Samaria. Ben-Hadad, leader of the opposition and confident of his upper hand, was getting drunk in his tent with 32 kings of countries who had joined with him against Israel. A messenger told Ben-Hadad that young men were coming down from the city and he ordered that they be brought to him alive.

Ben-Hadad's order could not be carried out because each Israelite soldier killed his opponent, and the rag-tag army led by Ahab surprised the drunks in Ben-Hadad's tent. With no time to harness his chariot horses, the enemy king jumped on a horse and fled with what kings could commandeer a horse, leaving their armies in confusion. The surprise attack gave Israel the battle - and all the chariots of the 32 armies which fled.

Because King Ahab and his Phoenician Queen Jezebel primarily followed her gods rather than Yahweh, Ahab felt no compunction, as did King David before the kingdom was divided, about gathering horses and chariots. Ahab had many stables, as well as chariot cities, in which to house the chariots and horses that were the spoils of this battle.

These are plausible answers to the numbers questioned on Shalmaneser's Kurkh Stela.

I find it fascinating to weave together the Bible's account and what I learn from ancient history, Talmudic accounts, and archeological finds in my writing. My two novels, Rain (available now), and Whirlwind (launching December 6, 2022), cover the time the prophet Elijah spoke God's word to the northern kingdom of Israel. Two more books will follow covering the life and times of Elijah's successor, the prophet Elisha.

For further reading: Biblical Archaeology

Battles of the Bible by Chaim Herzog and Mordechai Gichon

RAIN ~ Whispers on the Wind Book 1

Aban yearns to join the priesthood of Ba'al, unlock the power of the rain god, and 

hear the deity's voice. But first, he must survive a perilous initiation ceremony.

When the mysterious prophet Elijah interrupts the rites, overturns the idol, and curses the land with drought, Aban must choose a side in Yahweh's war against the Ba'als - and it may cost him his life.

Buy Link

WHIRLWIND ~ Whispers on the Wind Book 2

A king's downfall and a love that transcends war. Coming December 6, 2022.

Dana McNeely dreamed of living in a world teeming with adventure, danger, and romance, but she had a problem - she also needed a lot of peace and quiet. She learned to visit that dream world by stepping into a book.

Inspired by the Bible stories of Elijah, Dana wondered about the widow of Zarephath and her son. Who were they? What was their life like before? How did the boy change after he died, saw the other world—and came back?

Those questions led to Dana writing RAIN, where she built her dream world of adventure, danger, and romance. Peace and quiet, however, have remained elusive.

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies.

Learn more about Dana and her books at her website: DanaMcNeely.com

Newsletter subscribers receive a FREE ebook: https://bit.ly/danasnews

Kitty Wilkins – Horse Trader Extraordinaire

 

By Suzanne Norquist

Imagine a striking, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman running a major business enterprise. She dresses at the height of fashion and commands all aspects of her organization. The newspapers love her and call her a queen, even describing her pearly teeth and full, red lips. She’s well educated and plays her own grand piano.

Now imagine that woman in the late 1800s. Horses are her business. Katherine (Kitty) Wilkins was known as the Horse Queen of Idaho or the Queen of Diamonds. Her ranch used a diamond brand. She wore tailor-made Parisian clothing and rode side-saddle when away from the ranch.

Her family moved out West a few years before her birth in 1857. She grew up in various mining towns and camps as her father started several businesses, including mining, a grocery store, and a hotel. Despite setbacks, he earned enough to provide her with a good education at the Sacred Heart Academy in Ogden, Utah and Notre Dame Convent school in San Jose, California.

She was a gifted rider, and her brothers taught her the necessary skills of shooting pistols and rifles. Education and life experience provided her with the best of both worlds.

By the time she was twenty, her father had started ranching both cattle and horses in Idaho. She learned the business from him. He took her on horse-selling trips east. Soon, she’d developed her own marketing flair. She recognized good horseflesh and took pride in her stock, claiming she would never ship a blemished animal. Eventually, she and her brothers took over the ranch with them managing the cattle and her the horses.

She liked to tell the story of how she started buying horses as a young child. A family friend had given her two twenty-dollar gold pieces as a gift, and her father spent them on a horse for her.

Regardless of her beginning, she became the undisputed queen of the business. On the Diamond Range, all the hands, no matter how rough their edges, respected her. Anyone who didn’t was removed.

She bought stallions from around the world to develop her stock. No native Oregon or Spanish horses for her. Her vast herd required forty men for fall roundup.

Wilkins horses were in demand all over the United States. Her ranch provided most of the horses used by the US in World War I.

Kitty wasn’t particularly interested in women’s rights, but people held her up as an example of what women could do. She also didn’t care for bicycles, not because they were unladylike, but because they competed against horses.

After World War I, when automobiles and machinery replaced horses, Kitty retired to Glenns Ferry, Idaho. She died of a heart attack in 1936 at age seventy-nine.

Her ability to command respect is what I most admire. People let her do the work she loved. And she used the varied aspects of her life experience and education to create an empire. What a fine example for women today.

***

”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

For a Free Preview, click here: http://a.co/1ZtSRkK

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

She authors a blog entitled, Ponderings of a BBQ Ph.D.

 

The History of Appaloosa Horses

by Misty M. Beller

All my life I’ve been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My older brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours every day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through years of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group. 

 Leopard Appaloosa

As I met other Appaloosas, I learned the breed has a wide variety of coat patterns, from dramatically spotted horses (called leopard Appaloosas) to solid horses whose rumps sport white “blankets” (with or without spots). You don’t always know what pattern a horse will have at its birth. 

Appaloosa mare with blanket on rump. Foal is born without a spot pattern, which will grow in later.

I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. Most of my books are set in the majestic Rockies, so anything from that area snags my attention!

The animal takes its name from the Palouse River, which is the area where many of the Nez Perce people lived. When white settlers and soldiers came to the area in the mid-1800s, a war ensued between the Nez Perce tribe and the whites.

Photo of Chief Joseph, Nez Perce leader during the war between his tribe and the U.S. Army. Photo taken in November 1877 by O.S. Goff in Bismarck -- photo courtesy of Dr. James Brust (public domain)

After the Nez Perce War, the Appaloosa breed nearly died out as the U.S. Army killed some of the animals and bred the remaining stock with draft horses. But in 1938, a number of concerned supporters of the breed created the Appaloosa Horse Club to preserve these beautiful horses and regain their earlier refinement through selective breeding. This process is continuing today and the Nez Perce tribe is a leader in this effort.

When I was brainstorming ideas for a new series, I realized this was the perfect time to include Appaloosas! Especially since my story is set in 1830s, before the conflict between the Nez Perce tribe and the white people.

This series follows band of five good friends—as close as brothers. One sets off on a mission to find the famed Paloose horse bred by the Nez Perce tribe. When he doesn’t return as promised, the other four set off to find him. Thus begins the journey of a lifetime…
In my latest release, Hope in the Mountain River, I was able to include many of my personal experiences with Appaloosas. I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with Appaloosa horses! Or is there another breed you’ve always admired?

***

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Her latest release, Hope in the Mountain River, is an epic journey along the path taken by the Lewis and Clark expedition—an epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

For a limited time, you can get one of Misty's bestselling novels free here: https://www.subscribepage.com/s8n2o1

Wagon Train, Ho! By Donna Schlachter – with Giveaway

Pioneers crossing the Plains of Nebraska (wikipedia)

Whenever somebody says “wagon train”, various images are conjured in our minds. The iconic television program of the 1950s. The multitude of westerns produced over the years. Bonnets, long skirts, horses, whips, campfires, rugged terrain, mountains, butter churns, running out of water, blazing hot sun, freezing winter storm, stampedes—but most always, the western migration to the Pacific coast is the goal.

So it might surprise you to learn that wagon trains are neither a product of the 1840s and onward, or an American invention. In fact, one of the most famous wagon designs, the Conestoga, is first officially mentioned in 1717. James Hendricks purchased the wagon named after the Conestoga River in Lancaster County, PA. The design was perhaps introduced by German settlers.

Line drawing of a Conestoga wagon with oxen (wikipedia)

Conestoga wagons were initially used during colonial times as a cargo wagon, pulled by up to eight horses or twelve oxen. A special breed of draft horse, the Conestoga, was developed for hauling these heavy freight wagons in the 1700s.

Covered wagons were a variation of the Conestoga wagon, a pared-down version because the heavy Conestoga was too weighty for the thousands of miles of travel required. Often a farmer used an ordinary farm wagon with a series of bent saplings and a canvas cover strung over the top. Oxen were most common, although mules and horses were also used. 

Perhaps the favorite of the covered wagons was the chuckwagon, a type of field wagon used to store and prepare food. The invention of the chuckwagon as we currently know it is attributed to Charles Goodnight, a Texas rancher, in 1866. Following the Civil War, the beef market in Texas expanded, and thousands of cattle drives meant tens of thousands of men on the trail for months at a time. He added a “chuck box” to the back of a wagon with drawers and shelves for storage, along with a hinged lid for a flat cooking surface. With a water barrel and a canvas firewood sling, the rig was complete.

Wagon trains had a hierarchy of sorts. There was a leader or a captain who rode in the first wagon. The rest of the wagons fell into an unspoken position usually based on the fastest team or lightest wagon. If one of the families fell sick, they were moved back in the train since they’d probably have to stop more often, and perhaps because nobody wanted the germs “blowing back” on them. Later arrivals joined the end of the train until they proved themselves worthy of moving forward. The chuck wagon usually came before the sick.

To save wear and tear on their animals, migrants walked a good part of the day. Only the very young, very old, or infirmed would ride in the wagon. With oxen, many times the driver would also walk alongside.

Scout riders rode ahead to check for safe passage, while several rode up and down the wagon train, checking that everybody was keeping up. If a wagon broke down, those behind would halt and help with the repair. Sometimes this was also a good time to light a fire and have something hot to eat.

Any cattle included in the wagon train were watched over by a couple of riders, then when the train stopped for the night, were driven into the inside of the circle of wagons for safekeeping and so they didn’t wander off in the night.

In my book, Christmas Under the Stars, I used oxen to pull the covered wagons because that was a tidbit of history that I thought readers would enjoy. Driving oxen is a skill unto itself, and so I did research into the words used, such as “gee” and “haw” (right or left).

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About Christmas Under the Stars:

November 1858, Utah Territory

Edie Meredith strives to keep her temper and her tongue under control as she heads west with her brother to California. Raised in an itinerant preacher family, she promises she will never marry a man of the cloth.

Tom Aiken, drover of the wagon train, longs to answer his true calling: to preach, and while he realizes not every woman would choose a preacher for a husband, he hopes to soon find his help-meet.

Suspicious ‘accidents’ plague their journey. Is someone trying to keep them from reaching their destination? Or will misunderstanding and circumstances keep them apart?

Donna lives in Denver with husband Patrick. As a hybrid author, she writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts, and has been published more than 30 times in novellas and full-length novels. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Writers on the Rock, Sisters In Crime, and Christian Authors Network; facilitates a critique group; and teaches writing classes online and in person. Donna also ghostwrites, edits, and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. Donna is represented by Terrie Wolf of AKA Literary Management.





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