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BOLDING HORSES: FORM TO FUNCTION, AND A GOOD MIND
By Bob Fitch
Horses and good ol’ fashioned horse sense never go out of style at the Terry and Sherry Bolding farm and ranch near the western border of Lyon County.
“Both of us have always been around horses,” Terry said. Both of Sherry’s grandfathers were among the last in the area to farm with horses. “They loved their teams and Grandpa George liked to ride, too,” she said. “I’ve always loved horses. My folks got me started riding when I was three … they threw me on a horse and I was on top of the world.”
Her parents farmed about a mile out of Larchwood, while Terry’s parents farmed in Centennial Township on the homesite where the couple lives today. He said, “My parents were older when they adopted me. My mom and her family moved here from White River, South Dakota, with a team of horses and a covered wagon. There were cars then, but they didn’t have one.” Both of their mothers were hands-on, working in the field.
Terry and Sherry own 100 head of commercial stock cows plus have traditional crop ground. But their passion is breeding and selling Black Overo horses. Their breeding stock and a portion of the offspring are registered with the American Paint Horse Association.
According to Sherry, “Before we were even married, we were buying young horses, growing them up. I’d break them to ride and resell them.” In 1989, a friend asked if they were interested in purchasing a stallion. “We knew having a stallion and buying mares would change our life. Every day I looked at that picture of Stormy (King Stormy McCue) and we debated for about six months. We finally ended up buying him when he was three years old.” Sherry took a short course at Colorado State University on equine artificial insemination techniques. The couple started breeding mares and eventually the stallion sired about 200 registered foals, plus many non-registered foals.
Their next stallion was Maxdee Blue, an own son of Blue Max, a legendary horse in the Paint business that sired many champions and point earners. Maxdee Blue just died on September 1st at the age of 23. Their current stallion is Rocket Two Freedom, another Black Overo.
BLACK OVERO ARE ALWAYS IN DEMAND
Terry said there’s always been a strong market for Black Overo horses. The multi-colored ones are valued in the show ring and simply for their good looks. The solid-colored offspring are a favorite of cowboys because the horses are big and good for roping. Regardless of color, the Bolding’s Black Overo horses are known for good conformation, substance, hooves and bone, and a pretty head. Sherry said, “We've always focused on the conformation of our horses, the build, the structure. It's not enough just to have the bloodlines you want. Form to function is everything. That includes a good mind.”How does a horse have a good mind? “Well, there's horses that will be rotten cheats, just like some people. They’re outlaws. It happens. A good honest horse will be your partner and your friend, and you'll work together as a team,” she said. Terry added, “There's some horses out there that you'll never ride. There’s some that are tough to break, tough to get along with, and you can never trust them.” The tough-to-get-along-with horses might end up as a cowboy’s horse. Because a cowboy’s horse often is ridden from sunup to sundown, the tough ones can become better after a lot of miles. “But for the average person that just wants to throw a leg over a horse once or twice a week, they sure don't need that kind of horse. So that's why the good, trainable mind is so important, along with good conformation, so that they stay sound into their later years of life,” Sherry said.
Another intangible that only a long-time horseman or horsewoman can identify: “You probably can't believe it, but you can tell a lot by the horse’s eye. If they're really quiet and mellow, you can see it in their eyes,” Terry said. “You learn more by actually working with the horses than you ever will out of a book or anything else.”
LOTS OF TIME IN THE SADDLE
The couple still rides horses to sort their cattle. They have three Border Collies who help with the sorting. “We’ve had a lot of good dogs over the years. Good Border Collies will go out with you in the winter weather or the rain, even when the cows aren’t friendly,” said Terry.
Married now for 41 years, he said people used to ask him why they didn’t have any children. “I’d tell them, ‘Every time she thinks about having a kid, I just buy her another horse.’”
They enjoy trail riding in their pastures, including some areas heavily wooded with oak trees. They also enjoy trail riding in the Black Hills where they’ve ridden the entire Centennial Trail, which is 111 miles from Bear Butte to Wind Cave. Sherry said, “Terry never gets lost when we’re riding. I don't know how he does it. I can get lost wherever I go.” He added, “I probably won’t take you back the same way. I don't really backtrack anywhere, I like to make big circles, but I’ll get you back to the spot.”
Right now, Boldings have about 35 head of horses, which is down from their peak of 75 head. “Getting older, we’ve kind of backed down a little,” he said. “Everybody thinks we should quit, but I really don't want to. The money isn’t really part of it – I just want something to do. There's nothing more fun than to go out to the barn and see a new baby colt or a new baby calf born. I mean, that puts a smile on your face. No matter how bad the day was, when you see that, you kind of liven up and it makes you feel good again.”
