Ralph Galeano: 22 books

Performance horses and the challenge of the rodeo arena drive Ann Olsen in her quest for a barrel racing championship. Struggling to compete against powerful contenders in a fast paced event, Ann faces insurmountable obstacles as she desperately rides for her future. Her relentless pursuit of the...

A young ranch woman rides into the mountains searching for her missing horses. Warned not to ride into the rugged country known as the DEVIL’S MAZE, she discovers a secret entrance through seemingly impassable cliffs and enters the dangerous badlands. She finds sign of her lost mares and rides deeper...

Hackamore horsemen have been around a long time. The Spanish Vaqueros were using them to train colts 400 years ago. Working a branding near Baird, Texas, I watched young horses in manila hackamores being schooled to work cattle. It puts a soft handle on young horses. Here's a look at how to start a youngster in a rope hackamore.

A colts first day of training is probably the most important day of his life. Starting colts takes as much time thinking about it as it does doing it. Here is a good primer on starting them the right way. First encounters leave a lasting impression so make it a good one. When you leave the pen it...

Hobbles are a good tool for horsemen. If you train your horse to respect them, you will save yourself a lot of trouble and always have a way to keep your horse in a confined area. It pays dividends when you want your horse to graze in a small area or don’t have anything to tie him to when you have to dismount and leave him for a while.

How sensitive is your horse? They can feel a fly land on them so what do they think when you are aggressive with your spurs or reins. Learn how to cue your horse in a soft manner and you'll be surprised how well your horse responds with the lighter touch. That little fly can teach us a lot about a horse.

Horses perform great feats on the ranch and arena. I've wondered what form of communication the rider conveyed to summon that wonderful performance. The more I thought of the great rides I’ve had the pleasure to witness, I began to realize that many of those rides were made by Women.

Bummer is the ideal calf to have on your place. He doesn’t eat or drink and just hangs out until you have work for him to do. He was named after a bum calf we raised years ago. This new Bummer is a mechanical contraption that runs back and forth on a wire and trains colts.

Will James and Will Rogers put their mark on the West and forever inscribed the lore of riding, roping and rodeo in the hearts of people everywhere. They left us a legacy of the cowboy way and their teachings revolved around the same main ingredient–horses.

Steamboat is a Cowboy Chatter article about a famous bucking horse that became a legend in the West. Steamboat was voted The Worst Bucking Horse of the year during the Pendelton Rodeo in 1906 and 1907. He was called “Old Outlaw Horse” and “the worst to come off the range in many a year” by newspaper writers of that same era. This is the story of Steamboat's life.

You have to be able to catch your loose horse and mount him whether you were bucked off or simply dismounted. Getting on is never more important than when you’re alone. Spend time making your horse stand still when you want to mount. It will pay off when you’re alone and need to depend on him to get home. Here's how.

Gates have made fools of all of us. I've smashed fingers, lost blood and even my horse while trying to open or close ranch gates. They test your skill, patience and strength trying to open or close them. Problem gates always show up when you have an audience, a nervous horse or runaway stock.

Why are some animals better keepers than others. They can live on half the rations and maintain themselves in better shape with less sickness and have more resistance to bugs, ticks, worms and mosquitoes. Some horses have less injury and hardly ever come home with wire cuts, bumps, bruises or packing a leg. What's the reason?

Sometimes it’s the little things that keep you out of trouble. Trouble can come from a lot of different places but the worst kind comes when you least expect it. Experience is the best teacher and these little things will give you a heads up to prevent injury and unexpected wrecks.