Cowboy Jo’s amazing journey to his new home in Yorkshire

For this elderly American Quarter horse is now enjoying a happy retirement over here, all thanks to Becky Walker.

Their story began in 2007 when Becky and her mother, Christine, went on a riding holiday to Paradise Ranch, Buffalo.

Becky’s horse for the week was Cowboy Jo.

“The wranglers – the people who take riders out – didn’t like him much,” says Becky.

“He looked rather scraggy, he looked awful in fact.

“But as soon as I sat on him I really loved him and he did everything I wanted him to do.”

At the end of her stay, Becky was invited to return and work at the ranch the following summer. She later also spent a winter working there.

Becky learned how to be a Western rider and she built up a bond with Cowboy.

“I could stand on top of the saddle and crack a bull whip and he didn’t move,” said Becky.

“He was also really good at one of the rodeo events, pole bending, which is really fast and furious.

“I took him to a big county rodeo event and we came in the top 12 out of 40.”

By then Becky admits she was “smitten” with this horse and began to worry about what would happen to him when she returned home.

“He looked fantastic at that point but he needed a lot of food and I also discovered he had problems with his teeth, which needed attention,” said Becky.

The horses are turned out on over 1,000 acres of land over the winter and not all of them survive, with temperatures dropping as a low as minus 30. Becky decided to buy Cowboy and in November, 2009, she arranged for him to be transported from Buffalo back to her home in East Yorkshire.

He travelled by road to New York, by plane to Amsterdam, by ferry to Dover and finally by road up to Yorkshire.

When she took him to be checked over by the vet, he found he had severe navicular in both front feet and arthritis in both knees.

Becky had been told he was about 14 but after looking at his teeth, the vet said she could probably add 10 years on to this.

He was fitted with corrective shoes and put on painkillers and Becky was able to ride him out carefully.

Further investigations later showed that he is almost blind in one eye and has severe cataracts in the other.

So now Cowboy Jo is totally retired and turned out with some other horses, one of which and acts as a guide.

“I was amazed at what he was willing to do for me and now I’m going to do my bit for him,” said Becky.

The whole experience inspired Becky to train as a horse physiotherapist and this summer she set up her own business.Becky had already done a degree in equine science at Bishop Burton College and was able to do a top up qualification at the College of Animal Physiotherapy in Buckinghamshire.

“I don’t think there’s any such thing as a bad horse,” she said. “The problem is usually due either to pain or to the fact that it’s been badly mishandled. If you give them guidance, they will do anything for you.”