On The Cover
The August 2024 Western Horseman cover features Jeremy Morris. A cowboy who is helping cowboys heal. Read more in “Things We Don’t Talk About.” Photography by Nicole Poyo Brennan
Features
THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT
Mental health, depression and addiction are stigmatized in Western culture, but cowboys are uniting to encourage recovery through storytelling and connection. BY KAILEY SULLINS, Page 60
KING OF THE COWBOYS
Cowboys are a strand of human unlike the common man. For Boots O’Neal, cowboying is what he was born to do. BY ROB HAMMER, Page 72
RANCH RESILIENCE
The cowboys of The Four Sixes Ranch banded together to take on the Smokehouse Creek Fire and the Windy Deuce Fire. BY CARLY BILLINGTON, Page 80
Ride West
Living the Dream Brooke Teixeira is putting her best boot forward as ARIAT’s director of Women’s Western Apparel and Western Denim. Page 21
Women of the West Jerrivon “JV” Thomas has held a range of jobs in her adult life but none so loved as the one she has now overseeing thousands of cattle. Page 26
Horsemanship Boosting a rider’s confidence begins with confronting their fear and improving self-image, according to coach Shannon Pigott. Page 28
Health Age is just a number when it comes to caring for senior ranch horses. Page 32
Real Life Ranch Wife Sometimes, just getting backin the saddle is a win. Page 36
Craftsmen Jon Peters is the artist behind the iconic bits and spurs of Garcia Bits & Spurs at J.M. Capriola. Page 38
Western Art Western artists and makers pay homage to the legendary cowboy, artist and author Will James in a momentous art exhibition. Page 44
Products More and more ranchers are offering direct-to-consumer baskets and bundles to make it easier for customers to access premium beef.
Rodeo The Northeast’s First Frontier Rodeo Circuit is home to multi-generational rodeo families. Page 50
Homestead Reclaimed barn wood combined rustic charm with modern living creates the ultimate ranch house for entertaining guests and living the Western life. Page 55
In Every Issue
Leading Off | Contributors | Opening Shot | On The Web
The article on addiction, alcohol abuse, and recovery hit home. I have been sober for 47 years and understand the challenges of life in general and especially in a culture that wants to “hold their mud”.
The sentence that really rang true, “The scariest thing imaginable was to let somebody into all those hurt and broken places of my life that kept me on the run. That started the healing journey.”
I’ve been reading Western Horseman since I was given my first horse (at eleven) and enjoy it as much at 78! Thank you for staying relevant in a sometimes difficult world
I’ve had clinical depression since I was 11 years old. It wasn’t diagnosed until I turned 40 and I’m now 53. There wasn’t many educational resources, or even people in my childhood to discuss what I was feeling, nor would I have shared my condition because I simply didn’t know what I had. The article, Things We Don’t Talk About, addresses so many issues from the cowboy culture to simple generational stigmas from days past. Articles like this one breakdown more barriers, generate more conversations, and frankly save lives. I now work in the equine therapy field, which expands the conversation, as did your article. The more such efforts continue, the less people and families will suffer.
Sincere thanks!