Horses, Vaqueros, Mountain Men, and Indians in SAND and SAGE

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A wild mustang in Wyoming inspired my latest book SAND and SAGE. I first laid eyes on that red roan colt in May 2002 on a windswept plain in southern Wyoming. That day, I wrote the caption below about the colt in my personal diary.

The Red Roan Colt in 2002. 

His dark eyes radiated a mixture of curiosity and caution. Unblinking,
he stared at me while nervous feet conveyed his readiness to bolt at the

flick of my eyelash. His powerful presence reflected his intelligence, nobility, and 

vulnerability. I envied and admired him, but also feared for his future. This 

young stallion possessed a sense of freedom that humans once had. 

The red roan colt must remain free!

A common misconception people make is that Native American tribes have always had horses. This is not the case. Primitive horses first appeared in North America close to fifty-eight million years ago, way before human beings ever existed. Then, horses went extinct in North America around eleven thousand years ago, just about the time that the First Americans were gaining a foothold on the continent. We will never know for sure, but humans might have had something to do with the extinction of horses. There is no archaeological evidence that the First Americans ever domesticated these early horses but there is some archaeological evidence that horses might have provided food for the First Americans. Once the horses went extinct, North America did not see horses again until Europeans brought them. Once Native American Indians obtained horses from the Europeans, it only took a matter of decades for them to establish themselves as some of the greatest horse riders in human history. One of the main themes of SAND and SAGE is when the Plains Indians first encountered horses.

In my novel SAND and SAGE, I went further than just writing a book about a horse. Don't get me wrong, the red roan colt is one of the key characters but so are wealthy Spanish ranchers, a mountain man, a few Indians, and a British trader. I also loaded the book with vaqueros, soldiers, and other horses. I figured I could not go wrong with that line up. Since I have always been interested in Native American and Early American history, I decided to combine three topics into one. First, there are the horses. Second, I dramatize what happens to the Spanish settlers in New Mexico during the Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1680. And third, the introduction of horses for the first time to the Northern Plains tribes. Spanish settlers in New Mexico introduced the Pueblo Indians to horses and mules. From there, horses spread to the Plains tribes in the north. Can you imagine being a Plains Indian and seeing a horse for the first time? Me neither so I played that scenario out in SAND and SAGE.

The red roan colt from SAND and SAGE in 2002.

I call SAND and SAGE a good old fashioned western in the tradition of great western authors like Zane Grey and Larry McMurtry. What SAND and SAGE boils down to is a story of the coming of age of three boys and a girl during a tumultuous time in American history. The year is 1680. The place is the Spanish colony of New Mexico. The Pueblo Indians have revolted against their Spanish oppressors. The chaos of war separates two Spanish brothers and propels them into hostile circumstances that neither is prepared to navigate. North of the Pueblo Revolt and the two brothers, an Indian boy struggles to find his place in his tribe. He discovers something so great that could change his tribe’s lifestyle forever, but skeptics within the tribe keep the boy from fulfilling his vision. The three boys are on a collision path and it takes a horse to bring them together. Hang on to your saddle horn for this fast-paced adventure!

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John Bradford Branney was born and raised in Wyoming and attended the University of Wyoming where he received a B.S. degree in geology. After graduating, John entered the oil and gas industry as an engineer. During his career, he also obtained a MBA degree from the University of Colorado. In 2011, he retired from the oil and gas industry and immediately pursued a second career as an author. Mr. Branney’s passion and expertise in high plains archaeology led to the writing of several books and over twenty-five magazine articles. SAND and SAGE is Mr. Branney’s ninth book.