Unbridled: The Western Horse in Fiction and Nonfiction (2005)

I just started this wonderful anthology of short stories. The first was by Mark Twain (you can imagine how hilarious it is) and the second one is by an author I forget, but is written fondly about an ugly roan gelding he adores. It's not fiction, but it is Western, and celebrates the greatest friend and companion of the cowboy.

I'm interested in that book...probably should put it on my TBB (to be bought) list...

Speaking of a 'Western Horse'...

what is a hammerhead roan?

In Louis L'Amour's Chick Bowdrie stories, he rides a hammerhead roan.

I can't find out what it is though Google searches.

Anyone?

My understanding is that it is a roan horse (a color wherein white hairs are sprinkled throughout sorrel or chestnut hairs for red roan, black hairs for blue roan, and so on) whose head looks like a hammer head. It is supposed to mean an ugly head, a hard head, maybe even a mean or vicious head. The face topline is straight without any curve to soften it, with little refinement in the jaw line and a big wide nose, rather than elegant and tapering. Supposedly a course-looking head indicates a nasty temperment and dishonest personality, and certainly a questionable ancestry. Of course, there are very sweet hammerhead horses too, but in fiction, the hammerhead sets a certain tone for a horse. Often a fictional hammerhead horse has incredible endurance and a dangerous nature that helps it survive. Just my 2 bits.

Just your "2 bits"? Haha, you made a 'funny'!

Seriously, I sort of figured what you just posted, but not in as much detail. I thought I could find a picture of a 'hammerhead' horse online, but so far I've not been able to find one.

Thanks for your input. :)

{grin} I googled "hammerhead roan" for images, but none of them were accurate. I used to have a borderline hammerhead horse, who had a tough life before he came to us. He was brought up from Mexico and had a hot metal scar on each buttock that superstition says will make him run faster, as well as other scars from bad fitting saddles and other wounds. He was spooky, but gentle, and once he realized the worst pain from us was a vaccination, he calmed down. But when he saw that syringe coming, he became aggressive and terrified; even hobbling didn't slow his momentum. Once he injured his chest on a t-post. I had to put my hand deep into the wound and smear the inside with Neosporin, but he stood sturdy and still; I almost threw up afterwards. I know it hurt, but he knew I was trying to help. The next day I bought some Vetericyn and sprayed the wound for a month. That 4-inch deep gash healed up so that you would never know he had been injured. My partner sold him, which caused me great sorrow. We had too many horses and someone had to leave, but I still miss him. I hope Smokey got a good home.

Aw, Smokey. Like the cow horse?

Yes, like the cowhorse. But not personality-wise. My Smokey didn't have the positive teenage years that Will James' Smokey had.