Ben K. GreenCritiques

Short stories about cowboy work. Ben K. Green's accounts are always interesting, sometimes funny, engaging and well-told all around. In this case the focus isn’t horses, it’s cattle. The stories are from a time period when as a young man, the author frequently took jobs hunting wild cattle that had eluded roundups, hiding in thick brush and ravines. So a lot of the stories are about how he outsmarted them, which I really enjoy. Also about his dealings with other cattlemen, traders and bankers (so often about making a deal or outsmarting other people, too). About how he worked with his horses, treated minor wounds, camped out on the range, dealt with tough situations. Not for the squeamish- there's some decided unpleasant moments, and the cattle are not treated too nicely, to put it mildly– I understand these were different times, and it’s one man on a horse trying to outmaneuver and subdue a large, belligerent and dangerously strong bovine. But still, hard to read. Well, I found a lot of it interesting, reading how he would utilize the landscape, the weather, and his knowledge of bovine behavior to do his job, usually solo (sometimes he had assistants or other help, but often not). There’s also some musings on how the beef industry and cattle breeding changed over the decades, how mechanized equipment affected his job as a cowboy, and small details about things like what type of rope is good for what task, etc. Most of the stories in here are good long chapters, but there are some that are brief, just a few pages long.

Sequel to Horse Tradin’, an old favorite of mine. Can’t believe I let this one sit so long on my shelf unread. Amusing and interesting stories about horse and mule trading in Texas, just before automobiles started to replace them for ranch and farming work. The main character in the book (I’m assuming it was the author, I get the impression these stories are semi-autobiographical if not outright fact) is a young man but knows livestock well and uses his smarts to get the better of most horse deals and sales he makes, although sometimes the tables are turned on him. Which only makes the reader chuckle, because he well deserved it- considering how many people he knowingly sold half-broken or problem horses. It really is clever the way he masked or avoided mentioning these issues when making a sale. But you have to feel bad for the folks on the receiving end. On the other hand, the times he was able to change an animal’s behavior really interested me, for what it revealed about both equine intelligence and how the man used that knowledge. Unfortunately in a lot of cases his remedies sounded harsh. Most of the stories however are good fun and plenty interesting if you like reading about animal behavior and what things were like about a hundred years ago.

This one was plenty interesting and got a few chuckles from me as well. It's lighthearted in tone and feels like you're listening to someone sitting telling you tales. Some of the stories are very brief, others draw out over several chapters. It's also about ranching in a dry area of Texas, but in this case the author is relating his own experiences, working as a veterinarian. He traveled vast distances to treat and care for rancher's livestock- namely sheep but also horses, cattle and sometimes pet dogs and cats. He tells of his early time trying to get a foothold in the region and gain the trust of the local people, and of his ongoing efforts to diagnose illnesses caused by animals eating toxic desert plants- especially during times of drought. He ran a small laboratory and describes his methods of inquiry- doing postmortems on dead livestock, taking samples of plants, stomach contents, etc and extracting the toxins, even how in a few cases he developed medicine specific to plant issues in the region- and the great difficulties in getting the medicines made so he could distribute them. In many cases his efforts to find out what had caused animals to sicken or die took a lot of thought and sleuthing, which is engaging to read about. Sometimes when all the adults were at a loss, it would be some keen observations made by children on the ranch that helped him figure it out. He's also pretty good at drawing character studies and pointing out failings of human nature around him, admiring jobs well done and fine animals, watching shady deals happen, being somewhat involved in local horse racing, and so on. At one point he has to deal with a rabies scare, during another time a serious outbreak of sleeping sickness among horses. The strangest case was when he saved a horse's eye by extracting a foreign object that somehow got into the socket behind the eyeball- it was a glass marble. I'm still scratching my head over that one. Overall a rather a different slant from the other Ben K. Green books I've read before, and quite enjoyable.

from the Dogear Diary

Not quite as lively and funny as Horse Tradin', but I still found one plenty interesting. The author needed work during the winter so he travelled south -horseback of course- to Big Bend country in Texas, across the border into Mexico, and later on to Arizona. All to try and catch wild horses he'd heard of but nobody seemed sure they were even in the area. Used his smarts to find the mustangs, several different methods to catch them, with the help of some Mexicans in one area, and members of the Yaqui tribe in another, usually individuals who just wandered into his camp and offered to help (for a bit of pay, of course). In some cases he chased down and roped the wild horses, in another instance a local set snares for them, and in a third place Yaqui runners (mostly young girls on foot it turns out) would follow the horses for days until the worn-out animals gladly integrated themselves into Green's herd when gently driven towards them. The story rounds out telling how he moved his growing herd of horses back towards home, dealt with Mexican bandits along the way who tried to extort money out of him, and then ranchers who didn't necessarily like him crossing their land. Gradually taming and breaking to ride some of the wild horses as they travelled, traded off a few along the way, and sold the main bunch to a man he knew who supplied them to the government. Through it all, the dependability and skill of his main horse Beauty really stands out. And more than anything, I was intrigued to read of some cures that he came across when in remote areas of the desert- in one case a Mexican treated a horse of snakebite using yucca (called dagger plant in the story), and in another instance an old woman used flour and yeast to grow mold- penicillin!- to treat an infected wound in Green's hand (where a mare had bit him). There's also a few encounters with cougars- he called them 'panther cats'. Green would kill a young burro to distract the cougars from his horses, which incensed some of the Mexicans with him, who valued the burros just as much as horses, if not more. He actually lost a few helpers over their disagreement on this point.

more at the Dogear Diary

Collection of short stories written by a man who traded horses and mules for a living, back when they were the major form of transportation and power in America.... The stories are mostly with a little twist- where the man thought he made a good trade but found out the horse had a hidden fault or behavior problem, sometimes thought he had sneakily played a poor horse off on a better trade, only to discover the animal he'd acquired wasn't as advertised, either. There were mules painted to look like young, grey dapple, a gypsy mare trained to lie down and groan when saddled, a spoiled lady's riding horse that wouldn't go more than a few yards from the barn. Many times the author showed how he could make the best of a poor situation, due to his understanding of equine behavior- train them out of their bad habits, or cleverly corral a bunch of wild mules that he'd been given in trade because the prior owner assumed he would never be able to catch them. Most of the tales take place in Texas, a few further south- he traveled a lot in his work. There's one story of a match race on a native American reservation. Sometimes, Green couldn't make good on a bad trade, and foisted the poor quality mule or horse off on another unsuspecting person. But there are good, honest transactions in here too, where both parties were well satisfied and respected each other. Overall, fun, humorous and interesting tales. Especially if you like horses.

more at the Dogear Diary

Loved it. Laughed all the way through.

Horse Tradin' was my introduction to the fascinating, amazing, and more often than not, hilarious world of Ben K. Green. His stories, which may nor may not be true (but probably are) are gems of Americana.

Even if you don't love horses, or Texas, or cowboys, or veterinarians? Well, if you have any interest in Americana, this book is a must have for your library.

I read almost all of Ben K. Green's books in my local library growing up. This one, however, was not to be found in the library. I am told that there are people out there who do not consider Doc Green to be amusing. To those people I say, 'tis a shame. Those of us who enjoy Doc Green will thoroughly enjoy this tale!

An all time great story, lovingly told by Ben Green.

Cows just aren't as interesting as horses. Still, it's an interesting look at the lot of the poor cow at that time in history.

From what may be the last horse drive down the main streets of Dallas, to the adventures of a Texas cowboy among the Yankees of Vermont. Ben Green shares more tales of his life as a horse trader as the Old West slowly crept towards a new century.

Green paints a marvelously entertaining picture of what every horse owner knows - let the buyer beware!

Ben Green's tales of his experiences horse and mule trading span the southwest and many years. From his early days still wet behind the ears to his later days, Green isn't afraid to relate a tale in which he's the butt of the joke. From the crippled boy who needed a pony so he could get to school on time, to the southern lady's spoiled Easter Lily, the Colonel's Rebel Commander to the painted mule, the tricks of the trade from days gone by demonstrate that looking a gift horse in the mouth is never a bad idea!

Stunning colour plates illustrating the colours, although the 'scientific' veracity of the explanations is rather out of date.

This is the second book that I have read by Ben Green. In the first one [Wild Cow Tales] the author seems to tell tales that are somewaht disjointed and don't seem to go anywhre, but he comes across as friendly enough with the exception of one story. This book follow that same style where the tales are dijointed only this time the author and character of the book comes across as somewhat mean spirited and and dishonest. really giving it three stars was somewhat kind and I really cannot recommend this book.

Old timey cowboy tales set at the turn of the century by Ben Green who was earning hils living by being a cowboy. There are some humerous moments, but overall the stories seem convuluted and pointless. Often it seems that the stroy doesn't really end so much as the author got tired of talking about it. However the author does come across as likable,. Not a "classic" but not horrible either.

Wonderful window on 'Texas past' by a born storyteller. A 'read-aloud' classic.