Charles Goodnight Describes Horse Gear Carried on the Texas Frontier
On the frontier, Texas horsemen traveled light. Read on to see what few items they did bring.
When reading about the American frontier, one thing I find myself interested in is the skills people possessed. Whether it was using hides, blacksmithing, or making their own food. People who survived on the frontier were certainly capable. One area this really manifests itself was in their horsemanship and their ability to travel long distances.
Traveling long distances on horses is something that seems to be dying out. In a world full of machines, why would you ride everywhere? Well, probably only because of a love of riding. However, back on the frontier, if you wanted to go somewhere, you most likely had an animal take you. This, combined with the vast landscape, led to the development of some very accomplished horsemen. There are so many stories of great rides, it’s really incredible. However, what is also incredible, is just how light some people traveled. Mountain men, for example, traveled the vast expanse of the West usually with one ride horse and one packhorse. Of course, they hunted along the way, but the idea of riding from St. Louis with two horses was a big challenge. However, they did it time and time again.
One area that has a deep tradition of expert horsemen is Texas. Long before the first Americans ever settled in the region, the Spanish had been using horses for over a century. As Americans eventually came in, they too found themselves nearly glued to the saddle. After winning independence in the 1830s, Texans kept this custom in full swing. One famous Texan who lived out this ideal was the legendary Charles Goodnight.
When Charles Goodnight was still a boy, his family moved from Illinois to the Texas frontier. An active young man, Goodnight was at home in the wild land. He had his own pony that he used to ride, and it was during his young years that he developed a skill for riding that he utilized his entire life. One good book on Goodnight was written by J. Evetts Haley and is titled Charles Goodnight; Cowman and Plainsman. Haley knew Goodnight personally, and many of the stories come directly from Goodnight himself. Early on in the book, Haley describes what Goodnight used to take into the brush on cow hunts before the Civil War.
“Mess-wagons were not introduced until the cattle industry reached the open country, after the Civil War. For short cow hunts ‘each man carried his three to six days’ rations in a wallet behind the saddle’; for longer hunts wallets gave way to pack outfits and the Texas mule. Provisions were meager - some good roasted coffee, a supply of light bacon, and a few hard biscuits, though often the cowboys had no bread. Every man made his coffee to suit himself, broiled his bacon to his own taste, and dug his biscuits from his own wallet. Hence there was no delay in breaking camp…and no ‘cussing’ the cook.”
In the modern world, traveling by horseback can seem a little daunting due to all of the gear you are advised to take. However, after reading this, you may realize that most of that gear is for comfort. Goodnight and his fellow cow hunters got by with almost nothing. Planning and organizing a trip like his wouldn’t take much time or gear at all.
Later in the book, Haley relates gear that Goodnight mentioned using when he was a scout for the Frontier Regiment in the early 1860s. The following excerpts are secondary sources from Haley, rather than primary sources coming from Goodnight or other frontiersmen. However, since he spoke with Goodnight and other frontiersmen directly, the source is likely extremely accurate. When describing the gear the men carried on them, Haley writes:
“In their belts they carried Bowie knives….the better equipped had six-shooters, preferably of the same caliber as their rifles….and those without rifles were armed with double-barreled shotguns…”
“To facilitate speedy loading, the rangers adapted a shot pouch that swung from the left shoulder to the waistline…Inside were buckskin scraps for bullet-patches, bullets, and a box of caps, and…the powder-horn….”
“Attached by another string was the charger, a powder measure of horn or a small joint of cane trimmed to hold the right amount…”
“In preparation for a scout, each man molded fifty bullets, and on account of their ease in loading, round bullets were used exclusively…”
At this point, Haley switches gears and begins to relate the gear that would have been found on the horses and pack animals. He writes:
“Beneath the headstall of each bridle, encircling the nose of the horse, was a bosal… the loop of a hair rope, the thirty-five feet of which were coiled at the left of the saddle fork, tied with a slip knot by one of the saddle strings.
“Loaded with frying-pans, a little flour, bacon, and salt, two pack-mules faithfully followed behind. A pair of blankets for every two men was on the pack or behind the cantle of a saddle. Tied to each saddle was a big tin cup and usually a buffalo-horn spoon.”
Modern horsemen should also appreciate several paragraphs later when he wrote, “After dark (the scouts) quietly moved to a spot the scout had selected a few miles away, where they both hobbled and side-lined their horses, making stampede impossible…”
“Thus were the rangers equipped and thus did they operate.”
In his book, Haley then goes on to describe all of the skills and knowledge the scouts needed to compensate for the lack of gear. They carried knowledge and skills everywhere they went. Oftentimes, it was a hard-won education, but the hard lessons are the ones you learn the best. However, armed with their knowledge and just a little gear, they could be gone for weeks at a time with their horses.
Charles Goodnight; Cowman and Plainsman really is a fantastic book for people interested in frontier living. These sorts of stories are great to read because they can show us just how little you actually “need.” Now, I’m not convinced that many people today would want to travel with just some coffee, bacon, and biscuits. But, it should show us that we may not need a pickup loaded to the gills to go camping. Like many things, traveling long distances with horses is a skill that must be developed. If we learn from men like Goodnight, we will probably never match them, but we may be able to emulate them to some degree. In the 21st century, that may be as good as we can hope for.
