so i'll set this up alittle
we've got a pretty good sized parade, the 3rd and 4th of july.
lots of horse flesh involved.several yrs ago had 190 mounted entrys.
we have a group of experienced horsemen who
provide safety and watchdog the parade for horse wrecks, called outriders.
of which i've rode and support.
Had family in town this year and watched from the sidelines so to spend time with my 2 nephews.
about 2/3rds way thru the parade a team of draft mules is pulling a lite wagon with 4 people in it including a 12yr old girl.
team balks and backs up jack knifing back against the wagon and the driver trys to
drive the team forward and binds the wheels under the wagon,the wheels drag,skidding across the street which spooks the mules, they lunge away from the strange noise and they pull the wagon over,spilling the people onto the concrete street and then the mules REALLY spook.
In about 3 good jumps they are at full speed and the wagon is screeching and clattering behind, the next thing i know i'm long legging it along side the team and don't know how i got there.
i can tell i got 20 maybe 25 yds and then they
will out run me, but i'm within reach and
grab the off side mules lead at the shoulder
about the same moment a double tough,life long friend of mine who is also an outrider, thunders up alongside the driver on his BIG yellow horse and shoulders the team away from the scattering crowd.
the sidewalks are 3 and 4 deep of kids and old folks and tourists, crammed with lawn chairs and baby strollers.
thank god they were a good well broke team
and i know that sounds strange givien the events but once we got our hands on them they shut down quickly we were able to get them stopped.
the little 12 yr old girl broke her arm and the
man who was driving the team banged his head off the ground and held onto the leads thru all this and was scrapped up some and the scalp wound showed alot of blood but wasn't life threatning.
we unhitched the team and drug the wagon onto a side street and resumed the parade.
it was a close run thing and we were very lucky we didn't get a whole bunch of people hurt.
so how was everyone elses 4th of july?

Sounds like you two guys did your assigned duties. Very good.

Driving around the area before my Dad died we were talking about the differant people that lived in area.

He told me about several families that lost husbands, sons ect to run away teams when most every body still used horses to farm back in the 20's and 30's.

Unbeknown to most people that is another Cowboy role or rule. Help save people in trouble. Top hands youall.

That takes a Hand--way to cowboy up guys.

SSR