Navajo Joe's Retirement Party

Comment

Comment by Janna Hickel on September 28, 2010 at 10:33pm

I am so very sad to report that I just received word that ol' Nav passed away. I guess this group would have been better named "Navajo Joe's Wake".

Comment by Julie R Jones on September 1, 2010 at 1:09am

I’m surprised old Joe is still around, what is he one hundred years old now? I can only imagine how he has furthered his reputation after all these years. But I have a memory of him that I would like to share.
It was my first trip to the ranch. October, 1986 give or take a year. I was a novice rider, having grown up in the city, I only dreamed of riding horses, and had just started taking lessons. But once I landed at the Lost Valley Ranch, I was in love with every detail of the lifestyle and I couldn’t get enough of the horses. I wanted to help do everything.
Back when we could do this, (I don’t think you still can). A couple of us got up extra early and went down to help the wranglers catch some horses and we rode out bareback to round up the rest of the herd and bring them in to help groom them for the first ride of the day.
One of the wranglers put me up on Navajo Joe. I was hesitant, because I had watched someone else ride him the day before and he seemed to be a handful to say the least. Add to that that short sassy mane of his, and I figured him to be a bit of a renegade punk rocker. Anyway, I didn't want to whine like a little girl so I wrapped my fingers around some of that short mane and eased him out to the far end of the pasture. It must have been very early morning, because it was still pretty dark outside.
Excited and nervous, I was thrilled to be living out my cowboy "girl" dreams. Since we all rode in different directions to gather the horses together, I realized for one brief perfect moment, that it was just me, Joe, and the sacred stillness of the Colorado crisp morning air. All was good in the world at that moment. I was just beaming from ear to ear.
However, it was cold as heck and I was thankful to be riding bareback, because my butt was the only thing that was warm.
As we got closer to the other horses, I was startled from my 'all is good in the world’ moment by a few mule deer that had just came out of nowhere and decided to walk along side of us, just as pretty as you please.
Joe was younger and more agile than...come to think of it, so was I.
So, I tried to brace myself, expecting him to spook and jump and dump my warm butt in the mud. But, Joe stayed calm and steady and paid no attention to my reaction to the deer. I was truly humbled by his grace. And maybe just a little embarrassed that I had expected such drama.
I can not explain what happened next. Considering the trouble he had caused his earlier rider, I thought for sure he was going to show his wild side and want to show off with the other horses. The herd was restless and took off running back to the barn. After all, they knew the routine and they ran and snorted and kicked and bucked and splashed through the creek. But Joe didn’t. Joe took special care of his novice rider. And we followed carefully and uneventfully behind.
Sometimes, when I think about that morning, I wonder if he was just being kind and letting me have my moment of glory. If so, then let it be said that Navajo Joe also has a sense of humor.
No, I may never have ridden Joe on the trail, but I will always have the memory of one early autumn morning when a punk rock horse kindly gave me the gift of trust.

Comment by Judith Turner on August 31, 2010 at 2:52pm

Glad to join. Especially for an Appie !(TW take note)
Is he going to join Little Vixen?
I would have liked to ride him at least once but never did!