Most people think that a stallion is the leader of a band of wild horses. That is not always true. The story I am going to tell you is about the true leader of one band of horses.

My partner and I were riding our horses looking for stray cattle. We had been in the valley for two days looking. As we came out of the trees a stallion attacked our ponies and us. He knocked me out of my saddle. My friend tried to run him off by hitting him with the ends of his reigns, but it did no good. The large stud bared his teeth and struck at my friend and his horse with his front legs. I was on the ground and could do nothing to stop the horse. His mares were watching the action and doing nothing.

All of a sudden a gray mare, with scars all over her body, attacked the stallion and made him quit attacking us. He retreated to the back of the band as the old mare stood guard over me. It was then that I realized that a mare could be the leader of a wild band of horses.

Later I was told that, mare has protected many riders through the years. And at one time she belonged to the U.S. Calvary. They released her to be on her own because the Calvary turned to tanks. That stallion could have been her son but no one knew for sure.