The saying “A Man’s best friend” suggests images of a dog as a loyal companion. But a cowboy’s best friend? Probably his horse, right?
Colter Sons’ Horses
At least that’s what I decided when I sketched out the five Colter sons in my Colter Sons Series. In fact, the first four things I determined for each son was:
1. Name
2. Birth order and age
3. Job
4. Horse’s name and coloring
Each of the sons’ horses are important to them and even reflect a bit of their cowboy’s personality.
The second, reliable son, Sam, has a pinto gelding named Bailey who is as steady and sure as he is. (The Reluctant Cattleman, Book 1).
The third son, Boone, is wild and adventurous (The Roaming Adventurer, Book 2). His horse? A black stallion named Outlaw.
The firstborn son, James, was born an entrepreneur so it’s no surprise that he picked a sable gelding named Brass because “Gold” would have just been too obvious. (The Railroad Magnate, Book 3).
The fourth son, Deacon, is a little OCD. His blood bay gelding, Sergeant, is reflective of the discipline and structure that makes him feel comfortable. In The Resourceful Stockman (Book 4), Sergeant is stolen, and he borrows another horse. As you can imagine, he was less than pleased.
The fifth son, Preston, is The Restless Wrangler (Book 5), so I thought a liver chestnut stallion, Ranger, would make the perfect companion for this drifter.
It was a lot of fun pairing up a few other horses with minor characters in the series, too.
Vargas Brothers’ Horses
In my new contemporary series, coming November 21, 2023, I continue having fun with cowboy and horse pairings.
The oldest son, Dalton J. Vargas the fourth, rides a horse named Toasted Toffee. As he explains to River, his youngest brother Drake named quite a few of the horses: Mocha, Frappe, etc. If you guessed that Drake is a fan of fancy coffee drinks, you guessed right (he’s really a cowboy barista).
Catch Dalton’s story in Falling for a Real Cowboy.
The other four brothers? Their stories are still in progress. I’m sure I’ll continue to have fun with their horses, too.
