Okay, I’m thinking of myself riding a bronc. Mostly I’m thinking of myself landing in the dirt, over and over. I try hard to think of me actually “riding” a bronc, but I just can’t get past the “getting bucked off” part which seems to come first.
So if you ever make me a knife and sheath (not that I’m particularly worthy of that, but I’ve admired your work many times), your testing procedure should include banging it on the ground as hard as you can. Perhaps some stiff whacking with a 2x4 could simulate the impact of horse hooves, unless you wanted to ride a real horse back and forth over it for 10 or 20 minutes. That kind of testing could assure me that no matter what else I broke while bronc riding, the knife and sheath were up to the ordeal.
I understand that this type of additional testing wouldn’t come free, and I wouldn’t balk at paying extra for the peace of mind it would bring. Perhaps other greenhorn customers could chip in to defray part of the cost, as well.
Problem is, will you be offended if after going to all that trouble, I chickened out and didn’t ride bronc after all? I’m an old man and don’t heal up like I used to, but I sure don’t want to hurt your feelings. Too old for mutton bustin’.
Lanyard content: I’ve never come up with a good way to attach one to a jumbo stockman.
Parker
I can certainly see your point! Last time I come off I was only good for 3 jumps. I had this big ol bay horse, George. Now he'd tried me pretty good, three times when I first got him. But, I'd got him rode all three times, figured we'd bout had that all worked out. Year or so later riding along and see the neighbors had just got home so we was riding over to say howdy. They had a brushy creek bed that runs through the front of their place. Now Sophia their dog loved to run and come say howdy too. She'd jump up on George with her front feet and I could reach down and pet her. George being a ranch horse didn't mind this he's used to ranch dogs. Just getting to where we're gonna cross that brushy creek bed and Sophia burst out of the brush at George's feet. Normally, not a big deal. Today she'd just got home from the vet's office and she was wearing one of those big bright blue inflatable doughnut things around her neck. It kinda went like this: Snort! (that's horse for what the heck is that, only more vehemently). Boing, boing, boing, splat, (thats me hitting the ground), boing, boing, boing run a few yards and turn around shaking. George said: "Phew I saved us from that THING!!!!, wait what are you doing back there?" The wife gathers up George and leads him back over to me and says "Ya ok?" "Yeah, just let me catch my breath." I was telling my son, a working cowboy, the story later. He says:"Don't that suck, all that air out there and ya can't find none!" Or, as one of my mentors told me years ago: "Dave, it use to be I'd get bucked off and bounce right back into the saddle, now it's all I can do to crawl to the top of the divot." I understand Ray, I understand. However, I can say that I did not lose my knife or my pistol gun neither, as I make pretty darn good holsters too. Never could hold that deal, not with the blue doughnut thingy against George.
George? I rode him for another year or so and then sold him to some friends:
Part of his new job there, besides being a ranch horse, is they have a special needs daughter. You should see her leading big ol George around. He'll stop with a foot in midair to make sure she's out of the way before he'll set that foot down. Its absolutely an amazing thing to see. I'd of never thunk it of ol George.
2x4"s might be easier. Lil vid shows ya what I'm talking about. Ya also notice how I use the thongs to withdraw the knife:
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