Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

The civilizing of Taco

by Julie Carter

Becoming an American citizen and Texas resident has been a work in progress for Taco the Border Horse.

You will recall that Taco's former employment involved carrying contraband across the border from Mexico to Arizona. The night the Border Patrol put an end to that career was the beginning of his new journey as a Texas team roping horse, thanks to a kind offer from Dan the Team Roper.

Discovery of Taco's likes and dislikes has been an ongoing adventure for everyone involved.

Dan bought a radio for the barn in an effort to orient Taco to the ways of a world that he never encountered in his former profession.

Living in ranch isolation in Mexico, it seemed Taco had never heard music and very few voices other than Jose Maria's.

Dan thought music would not only get him used to the sound of talking but could also soothe him. He was trying to decide whether to put it on a Country or a Spanish station but nixed the later because of the blaring of 50 trumpets with the accordion and guitars. Although it is possible that Taco might have been to a quinceañera or two in his life, he didn't want to risk it.

What he discovered was Taco does not tolerate music in any form or fashion, nearly tearing down the barn to get that point across. Dan has been thinking ahead to the roping competitions where they always play "Who Let the Dogs Out" before the short round. He knows he'll have to warn anybody that ropes with him that it could get entertaining.

Taco has only reluctantly accepted talk radio into his environment. In that, it was determined that he is a Republican, possibly the only Mexican Republican in Texas.

According to Dan, Taco seems to prefer political commentary with conservative Republican rhetoric being his favorite. No laughter there, just grim predictions delivered with a serious voice. Liberals of all stripes will make him back his ears, but so far he has not destroyed any property because of them.

In trying to teach Taco to stop by voice command, Dan was having little or no luck until he hollered, "Alto!" At which point, Taco put the brakes on and Dan like to have gone over the dashboard of his saddle. It's all in the translation.

After spending most his life out in the boonies, Taco is afraid of things that most horses accept as a way of life. Not long after Taco's arrival in Texas, Dan fixed the light on his back porch, which involved putting in a new light bulb. He turned it on and again, Taco showed his dislike and fear by nearly remodeling the barn.

Ambulance sirens drive him to a frenzy. A CareFlight helicopter came over when he and Dan were in the middle of a coastal field and Taco had to go in circles in time with the blades until the chopper was gone over the horizon.

A serious series of hissy fits over the operations of the hydraulic roping chute, as well as repeated panic explosions when a motorcycle went down the road, made it clearly apparent there were no máquinas in Taco's former life. The HotHeels roping dummy is still a life-threatening moment for both horse and rider.

However, Dan can go out in the backyard, sit on the fence of Taco's pen and shoot at the coyotes. Taco calmly just looks at him. His world in Mexico obviously had bullets but no lights.

One day, Dan and Taco were following a steer around in the trap right next to the road. When Dan finally got the steer lined out he jabbed Taco with his spurs.

Instead of grabbing a faster gear, Taco took a huge leap, unseating Dan in the most awkward of ways.

Dan had one foot stuck completely through the stirrup up to his knee, totally lost the other stirrup and was hanging on by bear hugging Taco around his neck.

Taco bucked around a little and finally gave up with Dan still aboard. When things got still, Dan got his leg out of the stirrup, got off and looked around.

There was a truckload of guys on the road that had pulled up alongside the fence. They were laughing hysterically. After they finally calmed down some, one of them fished a beer out of cooler in the back of the truck and set it on the fence post. Still laughing, they hollered, "Thanks," as they pulled away with a wave.

There used to be a saying about horses that had never been to town. "He ain't never seen no light brighter than a coal oil lantern." Evidently that is the case with Taco.

Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net. Visit her website for a taste of her two books, Cowgirl Sass & Savvy and Cowboys You Gotta Love ‘em.