Bowed Legs Background

The Wasmer diary farm was very large. It had a few empty corrals and large alfalfa hay stacks. That made it possible for Mr. Wasmer’s son and son in law to take up some team roping as a hobby. They had plenty of room to pen up both the heading and healing horses without interfering with any of the milk production. Owning horses was a family tradition. Just about everyone walked around bow legged. Why shouldn’t this kind of family tradition be held fast?

   Bowed Legs Cowboy Hobby

Those horses were used in several ways that brought strong enjoyment in both families. Bob Wasmer and Mike Hatfield would go deer hunting in which ever New Mexico wilderness was not clogged with snow. Riding on some narrow trail up some steep hill along side some steep canyon had taught the two men that caution counts. That way no horse would slip and fall throwing them down some cliff. The easy going hobbies allowed Bob and Mike to walk around bow legged like their forefathers had. Why can’t anyone still do things like wild trappers had?

   Bowed Legs Balance Inheritance

That bit of horsemanship tended to be inherited by all the offspring. Them cousins Bill and Peter lucked out as they grew up. They both were taught how to handle some horse when they got tall enough to stand in front of it and hold the lead rope without allowing it to race away. Since Bill was the oldest one he had been allowed to help brake a colt after he just turned twelve. At that young age Bil’s leg bones bowed easily. He could walk around bow legged just like his father. Why shouldn’t young men think about following their father into a saddle?