Oldie but a goodie

[Mike Leonard]

I took my old favorite mare Nicky for a ride today with the hounds. She is 18 years young and as fit as a fiddle. This gal here comes from some pretty royal cowhorse roots and her father was the world champion working cowhorse back in the late 70's out of Doc's Dee Bar. She has been with me since she was a baby and has done a lot of different things from cutting, roping, working cattle, leading parades, been in a couple of movies, and done a ton of lion hunting and has packed some big toms.

I don't use her too much these days with younger horses to ride but it is always nice to have an old caddilac around to take for a spin now and then. I spent a lot of time with her as a young horse and brought her up thru the hackamore training into the classic two rein and finally she finished at 7 into a straight up bridle horse(spade bit). She can spin, dodge, wheel, slide and head back the other way light as a feather. She has awesome speed in the short run and a running walk that will blow your mind. I guess I say all this a s a tribute to her because she in one of the special ones that comes along like those special hounds only too seldom.

We had a great time today and she loved being out with the hounds. I just rode her with a light bosalita and a fine horsehair mecate. These kind once they are finished are broke for life and when you step on after months of them being out it is no different then when you got off the last time. Her registered name is I Sneaky Two but she is just Nicky the Boss to me.

When she hears hounds treed she starts blowing her nose and prancing. Now that's my kind of ride.