September 16, 2025 • 7 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Bill Bryk has spent years in the saddle, but in this story, he takes us to a place most riders overlook: the quiet, deliberate work of caring for a horse. Before a hoof hits the trail or a rider lifts the reins, there are coats to brush, manes to comb, and hooves to clean. Even teeth require attention—a reminder that a horse’s strength begins with small acts of care.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story. Send them to
Ouramerican Stories dot com. There's some of our favorites. And
in the end, America is the star of this show,
and so of the American people. Up next, we're gonna
(00:32):
hear from a regular contributor, Bill Brake, about this simple
but important task of grooming your own horse.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Two weeks ago, I went to the Cheshire Horse in Swansea,
New Hampshire, to purchase riding boots, breeches and other paraphernalia.
No spurs, I see no reason to spur horse, and
Dorothy Crosby, my instructor, a practical woman, agrees with me.
Bridges have leather patches on the inner thigh the saddle
sides of the leg that help one post rise in
(01:13):
the saddle at the trot to manage the horse. The
breeches are a mixture of cotton and unnatural fibers that stretch,
unlike the old army riding bridges of khaki twill that
belled at the thighs and hips. They claim my wife
claims she finds them, shall we say interesting? Having spent
(01:37):
some time in my early life trying to have the
municipal building at one Center Street in Manhattan rezone for
natural fibers, I reserve judgment. Riding boots also help control
the horse, while being much easier to place in or
remove from the stirrups than my rubber Wellington's had been.
(02:00):
So today, when I went to find Julio, the horse
I have been riding at Miss Crosby's stable and started
New Hampshire, I arrived in the kind of polished high
boots one might expect from say Georges Patten in nineteen
thirty nine. I then plunged through three inches of mud
to get and bring him in for grooming. With Julio,
(02:20):
there's always some physical comedy before I get him to
the stable, because there are other things he would rather
do right then than go with me, and so he
will walk about. Horses, unlike most humans, always live in
the moment. Sooner or later, though I catch Julio and
lead him in. A rider should groom the horse before
(02:41):
riding to ensure comfort for both parties. Cleaning his back
where the saddle will lie is only a part of it.
Julio loves to roll in the field. At this time
of year, from late March through early May, New Hampshire
has mud season, so when I finally get him into
the stable, he's pretty dirty. Even with some degree of efficiency,
(03:03):
the use of several brushes, combs, picks and other devices
takes about half an hour. That too, may have an
element of physical comedy, particularly if, like Julio, the horse
doesn't think much about where he places his hoofs Half
a ton of horse can make his presence known, as
(03:24):
I learned earlier today, when he places his hoof on
my right foot. Thankfully I was no longer wearing my
rubber Wellington's, which might not have taken this quite as
well as my Irish maid riding boots. When Julio put
his foot down, I took deep breath and exhaled, refraining
from using a few consonant clusters that leapt into mind.
(03:45):
It was my fault I should have turned him while
leading from the front instead of remaining at his side.
Having cleaned the horse, one saddles and bridles him, leads
him out to the mountain block, climbs into the saddle,
and rides I'm slowly absorbing the discipline of riding at
(04:06):
the trot, which requires one to rise in rhythm with
a horse. It's working certain muscles that I may not
use as often as I should. I'm vaguely reminded of
an admission Graham Greene once made to Anthony Powell that
he had not truly known physical love until he had
known a horsewoman, due to the development of the muscles
(04:27):
and the loins. Anyway, having done all that and returned
to the stable, what happens next? First I groom Julio again,
going through the entire process. He's allowed me to ride him.
The least I can do is clean him up so
he can relax. It's simply a matter of quid pro quo.
(04:48):
At this time of year, he's shedding his winter coat.
I removed nearly as much hair from him during the
second grooming as I did during the first. Once I'm done,
I place a waterproof sheet, o him an exercise in
straps and velcrow, lead him from the stable, remove his
bridle and release him. Then back in the barn, I'd
clean the hair and other de treatise that fell from
(05:11):
him during his grooming, including any manure and sweep or
shovelet out the door the other day. By power of association,
I recalled the French cavalryman and politician who, opposing the
adoption of tanks during the mid nineteen thirties, thundered during
a debate in the Chamber of Deputies, what would you
(05:33):
have the stench of gasoline or the noble scent of manure?
That was after an obscure Colonel Charles de Gould had
published the classic argument for the use of tanks in
modern warfare, The Army of the Future. The book was
ignored by France, but a best seller in Germany. General
(05:56):
Heinz Guderian, whose armored cavalry smashed through the French lines
that's don in nineteen forty, particularly admired it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And you've been listening to Bill Brake his story about
horse life, and particularly well the joy of grooming your
horse and the joy of just getting to know your
horse and getting closer to a horse. My daughter loves horses.
We own a horse. His name is Levado, and let's
just say he can make his presence known too, and
(06:25):
quite a character and a joy of our life. Owning
a horse, if you have one, if you have barns.
If you ride, you know what I'm talking about and
what it does for young people. My goodness, the lessons
you'll learn about personal responsibility, about well control, about risk taking,
about courage at certain points too. And if you have
stories of your own horse stories, particularly, I'll send them
(06:47):
to all Americanstories dot com. It's such a fundamental part
of so many people's lives in this country, especially in
the rural areas of this country and the exerbs. Again,
send your horse stories to our Americans story dot com.
The beauty of the beast, the beauty of this animal.
It's been a fascination for Americans, well, for as long
as we've been Americans. Bill Brake's story, his horse riding
(07:12):
story in the end, his horse grooming story, and it's
a love story in the end. Here on our American
Stories folks. If you love the great American stories we
(07:32):
tell and love America like we do, we're asking you
to become a part of the our American Stories family.
If you agree that America is a good and great country,
please make a donation. A monthly gift of seventeen dollars
and seventy six cents is fast becoming a favorite option
for supporters. Go to our American Stories dot com now
and go to the donate button and help us keep
(07:53):
the great American stories coming. That's our American Stories dot com.
This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories,
and we tell stories about everything here on this show,
from the arts to sports, and from business to history
and everything in between, including your story. Send them to
Ouramerican Stories dot com. There's some of our favorites. And
in the end, America is the star of this show,
and so of the American people. Up next, we're gonna
(00:32):
hear from a regular contributor, Bill Brake, about this simple
but important task of grooming your own horse.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Two weeks ago, I went to the Cheshire Horse in Swansea,
New Hampshire, to purchase riding boots, breeches and other paraphernalia.
No spurs, I see no reason to spur horse, and
Dorothy Crosby, my instructor, a practical woman, agrees with me.
Bridges have leather patches on the inner thigh the saddle
sides of the leg that help one post rise in
(01:13):
the saddle at the trot to manage the horse. The
breeches are a mixture of cotton and unnatural fibers that stretch,
unlike the old army riding bridges of khaki twill that
belled at the thighs and hips. They claim my wife
claims she finds them, shall we say interesting? Having spent
(01:37):
some time in my early life trying to have the
municipal building at one Center Street in Manhattan rezone for
natural fibers, I reserve judgment. Riding boots also help control
the horse, while being much easier to place in or
remove from the stirrups than my rubber Wellington's had been.
(02:00):
So today, when I went to find Julio, the horse
I have been riding at Miss Crosby's stable and started
New Hampshire, I arrived in the kind of polished high
boots one might expect from say Georges Patten in nineteen
thirty nine. I then plunged through three inches of mud
to get and bring him in for grooming. With Julio,
(02:20):
there's always some physical comedy before I get him to
the stable, because there are other things he would rather
do right then than go with me, and so he
will walk about. Horses, unlike most humans, always live in
the moment. Sooner or later, though I catch Julio and
lead him in. A rider should groom the horse before
(02:41):
riding to ensure comfort for both parties. Cleaning his back
where the saddle will lie is only a part of it.
Julio loves to roll in the field. At this time
of year, from late March through early May, New Hampshire
has mud season, so when I finally get him into
the stable, he's pretty dirty. Even with some degree of efficiency,
(03:03):
the use of several brushes, combs, picks and other devices
takes about half an hour. That too, may have an
element of physical comedy, particularly if, like Julio, the horse
doesn't think much about where he places his hoofs Half
a ton of horse can make his presence known, as
(03:24):
I learned earlier today, when he places his hoof on
my right foot. Thankfully I was no longer wearing my
rubber Wellington's, which might not have taken this quite as
well as my Irish maid riding boots. When Julio put
his foot down, I took deep breath and exhaled, refraining
from using a few consonant clusters that leapt into mind.
(03:45):
It was my fault I should have turned him while
leading from the front instead of remaining at his side.
Having cleaned the horse, one saddles and bridles him, leads
him out to the mountain block, climbs into the saddle,
and rides I'm slowly absorbing the discipline of riding at
(04:06):
the trot, which requires one to rise in rhythm with
a horse. It's working certain muscles that I may not
use as often as I should. I'm vaguely reminded of
an admission Graham Greene once made to Anthony Powell that
he had not truly known physical love until he had
known a horsewoman, due to the development of the muscles
(04:27):
and the loins. Anyway, having done all that and returned
to the stable, what happens next? First I groom Julio again,
going through the entire process. He's allowed me to ride him.
The least I can do is clean him up so
he can relax. It's simply a matter of quid pro quo.
(04:48):
At this time of year, he's shedding his winter coat.
I removed nearly as much hair from him during the
second grooming as I did during the first. Once I'm done,
I place a waterproof sheet, o him an exercise in
straps and velcrow, lead him from the stable, remove his
bridle and release him. Then back in the barn, I'd
clean the hair and other de treatise that fell from
(05:11):
him during his grooming, including any manure and sweep or
shovelet out the door the other day. By power of association,
I recalled the French cavalryman and politician who, opposing the
adoption of tanks during the mid nineteen thirties, thundered during
a debate in the Chamber of Deputies, what would you
(05:33):
have the stench of gasoline or the noble scent of manure?
That was after an obscure Colonel Charles de Gould had
published the classic argument for the use of tanks in
modern warfare, The Army of the Future. The book was
ignored by France, but a best seller in Germany. General
(05:56):
Heinz Guderian, whose armored cavalry smashed through the French lines
that's don in nineteen forty, particularly admired it.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And you've been listening to Bill Brake his story about
horse life, and particularly well the joy of grooming your
horse and the joy of just getting to know your
horse and getting closer to a horse. My daughter loves horses.
We own a horse. His name is Levado, and let's
just say he can make his presence known too, and
(06:25):
quite a character and a joy of our life. Owning
a horse, if you have one, if you have barns.
If you ride, you know what I'm talking about and
what it does for young people. My goodness, the lessons
you'll learn about personal responsibility, about well control, about risk taking,
about courage at certain points too. And if you have
stories of your own horse stories, particularly, I'll send them
(06:47):
to all Americanstories dot com. It's such a fundamental part
of so many people's lives in this country, especially in
the rural areas of this country and the exerbs. Again,
send your horse stories to our Americans story dot com.
The beauty of the beast, the beauty of this animal.
It's been a fascination for Americans, well, for as long
as we've been Americans. Bill Brake's story, his horse riding
(07:12):
story in the end, his horse grooming story, and it's
a love story in the end. Here on our American
Stories folks. If you love the great American stories we
(07:32):
tell and love America like we do, we're asking you
to become a part of the our American Stories family.
If you agree that America is a good and great country,
please make a donation. A monthly gift of seventeen dollars
and seventy six cents is fast becoming a favorite option
for supporters. Go to our American Stories dot com now
and go to the donate button and help us keep
(07:53):
the great American stories coming. That's our American Stories dot com.
Host
Lee Habeeb
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