Tag: cowboys

  • Sixteen Hands Horses

    Sixteen Hands Horses

    A FULL SIXTEEN HANDS HORSE

    At 6’2” I’ve never been accused of being small. In fact, my size 12 cowboy boots are an embarrassment in a world where the smaller the foot, the better. But that’s why I look for a fairly big horse. When I climb on some little Texas pony, my feet drag the trail.

    My horse, Sundance, stands right at sixteen hands. In measuring a horse, a hand equals four inches. This measures from the ground to the top of the horse’s withers. So, a horse of sixteen hands stands about 64”. The horses where I live are larger than those in the southern plains. But, of course, men have been getting taller the past hundred years. So have their horses.

    A Rare Sixteen Hands Find

    Back in the Old West, a sixteen-hand horse was a rare find and considered as big a riding horse as there was. It’s not too surprising then that the cowboys took the term “a full sixteen hands” and began to apply it to men as well as horse.

    Now, when applied to another cowhand, the term had nothing to do with a man’s size or build. It was the supreme compliment of the range to say a man was a full sixteen hands high because that meant he was as trustworthy, reliable and capable a man as ever rode a western trail.

    What Mattered in Old West

    A reputation meant a whole lot in the Old West. And a man who earned the title of a full sixteen hands had the highest and most noble reputation of all. Physical stature and looks meant little. A man’s strength of character and will impressed the most.

    Now, I don’t think times have changed all that much. A man’s real strength can never be seen merely by glancing at his appearance.

    God’s Point of View

    The Bible says, “Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7; Galatians 2:6).

    The Lord pays more attention to inward attitudes. Some men stand a full sixteen hands. They might not look like body builders or ride tall horses but they have built lives of honesty, integrity, loyalty, and commitment to God’s principles. They are pillars of moral strength and families, churches, communities all across the country.

    Stephen Bly signature

    Stephen Bly

    Circa 1995

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    “A Full Sixteen Hands” Audio Podcast: SIXTEEN HANDS PODCAST

  • Keep Up the Corners

    Keep Up the Corners

    Keep Up the Cattle Drive Corners with Stephen Bly Audio Podcast

    An old-time cowboy scratched out some notes in a journal as he worked on a big cattle drive from south Texas to the Kansas railheads in the 1870s. Often he mentioned how the trail boss kept after them to “keep up the corners.” A search through the book finally uncovered what that might mean.

    Keeping Up Corners 
    This phrase meant to keep the cattle drive herd moving at a reasonable and sustainable pace. The strongest cattle did not march over or just trot off and leave the weaker ones. The cowboys let the cattle spread out enough so not to get overheated but bunched up enough not to widen to an uncontainable size.

    KEEP UP THE CATTLE DRIVE CORNERS

    It was important that the entire herd grazed at a speed and in a manner that brought them together. So, when the boss shouted, “Keep up the corners!”, it was a signal to tighten control. Make sure the cows moved in a way best for all concerned.

    Now it Seems to Me 

    From time to time someone ought to shout, “Tighten up the corners,” to you and me concerning our families. And according to the Bible, dads have a mighty important role.

    “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

    Part of that responsibility includes making sure the whole family grows spiritually. Understand your wife’s spiritual condition and make sure she has plenty of opportunity for worship and prayer, study and fellowship. She needs quiet times as well as the freedom to use her gifts, talents, and ministries given her from God.

    Keeping Up with the Kids Too 

    The same is also true for each of the children. The next step in the spiritual life of your three-year-old will be different than your eighteen-year-old. But they both need to continue to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and become the person He created them to be.

    We usually assume that if we’re moving along in the spiritual journey, the rest of the family will automatically go at our pace. Or if we drag our feet, they’ll stay back with us. Maybe we need from time to time to hear the Big Boss holler, “Keep up those corners!” Or its spiritual equivalent. And what do you think that might be?

    Stephen Bly

    Circa 1997

    Cattle Drive Image by Rizwan Gabru from Pixabay