What do you think?
Rate this book
Horse Tradin': The Yarns of a Cowboy David Harum for Those Who Have in Their Blood Either a Touch of Larceny, or an Affection for the Old West, or Both
Each of these twenty authentic tales, hilariously funny and prickly as chaparral brush, is a true account the corrals, livery stables, and wagonyards of the cattlemen’s West. They are as dusty as a cow path, and they are filled with the drawls and humor of the old horse traders themselves.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 1967
25 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 10, 2021
My maternal grandfather was born in 1889. His father was a farmer and horse trader. I always wished I could have met him. I imagine he would have had as many stories to tell as Ben K Green does in this book!
I have read Horse Tradin' many times over the years and never get tired of it. Green writes in a personal style, easy to read and easy to feel like you are sitting in the barn swapping horse tales.
Green tells 20 stories here, all relating to his horse and mule trading. Sometimes he works the better trade, and other times he 'gets experience' in his profession. Neither result causes him to either gloat or whine about the results. He is an example of an old-time horseman with very little patience for anyone who pretends to have more horse knowledge than they really do.
Back in the day people were expected to know enough about horses to be able to judge their quality, take proper care of them, and know how to work them. Horse trading was an art, sometimes a somewhat crooked one, but there were always reputable dealers and I would have gone to Green for a horse if I had been in his neighborhood back then.
One of my favorite stories here was the longest one, When Big Horses Went Out Of Style ~~ Almost. Here Green had spent time up in Kansas tending some cattle and on his way home to Texas ended up with a bunch of draft horses, harness to fit, and a wagon. You see, about that time tractors were taking over the farms and the gentle giants were getting traded for infernal machines. All the tractor dealers had corrals full of teams of horses plus their gear, and Green thought he could sell them down in his part of the country.
Something that Green said about the tractor dealer he was planning to buy from caught my attention. Green has been early to look over the dealer's big horses to see which ones he likes, then he goes to a nearby cafe for breakfast and watches when the dealer shows up and picks out the ones that he likes, intending to try to steer Green to buy those animals. Except that none of the dealer's horses are the good ones that Green had decided on. So after breakfast he sauntered on across the street to get things started. The dealer noticed him and ".....went to dusting his hands and dusting his britches and trying to get that horsehair off him like he thought it wasn't clean. That's the way with those fellows in the implement business. They didn't mind getting axle grease or oil on them. That was fine, that was a characteristic of the trade; but some sure good enough horsehair they seemed to think would contaminate them."
I could identify with that because I have never minded getting my hands dirty but only if it was from honest-to-goodness dirt dirt. I never minded getting horse dirt all over myself back in my Star Cowgirl days, although I have to admit that I was mystified by and a little jealous of a fellow horsewoman who would polish her horse to a beautiful shine, ride all day, clean the horse up again and still look like she had just arrived to start her day. I, on the other hand, tended to look like PigPen from the Charlie Brown comics. But we were both happy and neither of us had to get rid of greasy oily gunk from under our fingernails like the people who deal with machinery. Give me living dirt any day! lol
Anyway, sorry. I got a little off track, but the main point of this entire review is that I loved this book as much now as I did years ago when I first read it. And I bet my great-grandpa would have enjoyed the heck out of it too!
I have read Horse Tradin' many times over the years and never get tired of it. Green writes in a personal style, easy to read and easy to feel like you are sitting in the barn swapping horse tales.
Green tells 20 stories here, all relating to his horse and mule trading. Sometimes he works the better trade, and other times he 'gets experience' in his profession. Neither result causes him to either gloat or whine about the results. He is an example of an old-time horseman with very little patience for anyone who pretends to have more horse knowledge than they really do.
Back in the day people were expected to know enough about horses to be able to judge their quality, take proper care of them, and know how to work them. Horse trading was an art, sometimes a somewhat crooked one, but there were always reputable dealers and I would have gone to Green for a horse if I had been in his neighborhood back then.
One of my favorite stories here was the longest one, When Big Horses Went Out Of Style ~~ Almost. Here Green had spent time up in Kansas tending some cattle and on his way home to Texas ended up with a bunch of draft horses, harness to fit, and a wagon. You see, about that time tractors were taking over the farms and the gentle giants were getting traded for infernal machines. All the tractor dealers had corrals full of teams of horses plus their gear, and Green thought he could sell them down in his part of the country.
Something that Green said about the tractor dealer he was planning to buy from caught my attention. Green has been early to look over the dealer's big horses to see which ones he likes, then he goes to a nearby cafe for breakfast and watches when the dealer shows up and picks out the ones that he likes, intending to try to steer Green to buy those animals. Except that none of the dealer's horses are the good ones that Green had decided on. So after breakfast he sauntered on across the street to get things started. The dealer noticed him and ".....went to dusting his hands and dusting his britches and trying to get that horsehair off him like he thought it wasn't clean. That's the way with those fellows in the implement business. They didn't mind getting axle grease or oil on them. That was fine, that was a characteristic of the trade; but some sure good enough horsehair they seemed to think would contaminate them."
I could identify with that because I have never minded getting my hands dirty but only if it was from honest-to-goodness dirt dirt. I never minded getting horse dirt all over myself back in my Star Cowgirl days, although I have to admit that I was mystified by and a little jealous of a fellow horsewoman who would polish her horse to a beautiful shine, ride all day, clean the horse up again and still look like she had just arrived to start her day. I, on the other hand, tended to look like PigPen from the Charlie Brown comics. But we were both happy and neither of us had to get rid of greasy oily gunk from under our fingernails like the people who deal with machinery. Give me living dirt any day! lol
Anyway, sorry. I got a little off track, but the main point of this entire review is that I loved this book as much now as I did years ago when I first read it. And I bet my great-grandpa would have enjoyed the heck out of it too!
June 9, 2019
Joyous read. Made me hungry for some good chuck. Every story is a banger.
December 15, 2024
My dad read all of Ben K. Green's books to us when I was a kid. They are a Western US version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small. I loved the books then, and I loved this one now.
Green's adventures as a young man working as a far ranging horse trader and cattleman, both cheating and getting cheated, are told in his unique and funny voice. Its like sitting on the poarch with a beloved old timer listening to them reminise of a bygone age just as great change is starting to take place.
Like my dad, Green was witness to the end of the horse as king on the farm and ranch as mechinization and factory farming took over. The book captures the imagination recounting a time when you could travel the entire west on horseback. A time when people were kinder and less suspicious of a stranger. I'm going to read the rest of Green's books again.
Green's adventures as a young man working as a far ranging horse trader and cattleman, both cheating and getting cheated, are told in his unique and funny voice. Its like sitting on the poarch with a beloved old timer listening to them reminise of a bygone age just as great change is starting to take place.
Like my dad, Green was witness to the end of the horse as king on the farm and ranch as mechinization and factory farming took over. The book captures the imagination recounting a time when you could travel the entire west on horseback. A time when people were kinder and less suspicious of a stranger. I'm going to read the rest of Green's books again.
October 29, 2018
If I were Hollywood, I would waste no time in picking up the rights to this book and making an old-timey western show. Surely in Ben Green's books there is enough material for at least two or three seasons. Besides the ordinary liberties taken with source material when it is adapted, there are adventures aplenty.
March 16, 2021
This is a classic to be added to my bookshelf of western lore. It has it all as far as ropin, training, breaking, adventure, early western traditions, early western towns, contributions of horses, and horse deal and horse tradin' and these entertaining and informative tales of cowboyin' in early 20th centrury are all true according to author. Most of the book describes the life and work of Ben Green as a horse trader. Now that was interesting. I think this book could have been made into an entertaining documentary. Amazingly, the life of Ben Green as a horse trader wasn't that many years back and yet his life describe a bygone era when tradin' horses was a profession requiring skills that in my opinion has no real match in today's career skill requirements.
What a life this man has led. Looking backwards in time, thinking about the role of horses during his life, the early 1900s, and the number of hours he spent in the saddle. He used his horses for ranch work, transportation, pulling loads, and for fun. He rode the open range fences and lived the real life of a rough, tough cowboy. His place in cowboy history straddled the age of horse power generated by real horses as well as horse power generated by car engines. His description of early western cities that are now metropolises.
What a life this man has led. Looking backwards in time, thinking about the role of horses during his life, the early 1900s, and the number of hours he spent in the saddle. He used his horses for ranch work, transportation, pulling loads, and for fun. He rode the open range fences and lived the real life of a rough, tough cowboy. His place in cowboy history straddled the age of horse power generated by real horses as well as horse power generated by car engines. His description of early western cities that are now metropolises.
October 4, 2021
Ben K. Green had a talent for story telling that I fear has been lost in today's modern age. The way he tells his story is a rolling way, like a rock rolling down a hill and being unable to stop. It draws you in and keeps you there, even though he neglects a lot of the 'proper' ways to tell a story.
It's an accurate reflection of the time, for both good and worse. We could use more tough people like him nowadays. PETA people would probably scream their heads off about him, and he'd probably just ignore them. He treated all his animals fairly, and in return they did the work he asked of them. It's the cowboy way.
Anyhow, a read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorite story in the whole collection was probably the one about the gray Easter Lily mare.
It's an accurate reflection of the time, for both good and worse. We could use more tough people like him nowadays. PETA people would probably scream their heads off about him, and he'd probably just ignore them. He treated all his animals fairly, and in return they did the work he asked of them. It's the cowboy way.
Anyhow, a read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorite story in the whole collection was probably the one about the gray Easter Lily mare.
March 21, 2022
A superb series of delightful tales of all that precedes today’s used car sales
Nothing like experience to breed success as Ben Green’s inventive mind, the advice of tried and tested friends, and the challenge of all out competition with others drives memorable bargains and chances to outwit the competition. Hilarious, poignant, and instructive; a combination of knowing your buyer, never rashly rushing into a seemingly good deal, and careful listening yields profits, leisure time, and a way of life gone forever. Well worth the time.
Nothing like experience to breed success as Ben Green’s inventive mind, the advice of tried and tested friends, and the challenge of all out competition with others drives memorable bargains and chances to outwit the competition. Hilarious, poignant, and instructive; a combination of knowing your buyer, never rashly rushing into a seemingly good deal, and careful listening yields profits, leisure time, and a way of life gone forever. Well worth the time.
January 30, 2019
Stories about a young Texas cowboy learning his way around the horse and mule trading business. Funny throughout. And to boot, I learned a bunch about horses and mules. Shenanigans and shady deals galore. Cheat or be cheated. He even manages to get out from under a pretty young schoolmarm who wants to put the marriage harness on him. Clever and well written. Recommended.
October 1, 2025
Good horseman and better story teller
Ben Green could write with the best. His stories were true and told with great humor. I put him up in the top 5 author's that I have read. I sure wish he was alive and still writing. If you have not read any of his works then you are in for a real treat. Great storytelling.
Ben Green could write with the best. His stories were true and told with great humor. I put him up in the top 5 author's that I have read. I sure wish he was alive and still writing. If you have not read any of his works then you are in for a real treat. Great storytelling.
March 14, 2020
I have read Ben K Green before and always enjoyed the books. Each chapter is essentially a vignette story about horses, mules, horse trading, and life in the 20s/30s in west Texas. Just a fun, easy read to relax with.
June 21, 2021
It’s hard to imagine anyone who loves good tales not liking this book. Most of the people that I know who can tell a tale are gone now. It is a treasure that a few of these great story tellers got there stuff to print.
May 6, 2018
Good book
Enjoyed it throughly. Good stories told by a pretty good ol horseman. On to the next book more horse trading.
Enjoyed it throughly. Good stories told by a pretty good ol horseman. On to the next book more horse trading.
January 20, 2020
I love books by Green because he writes in a real voice, he tells a good story and most of all they make me think of my Dad growing up in OK.
April 28, 2023
Classic! Makes me well up with love thinking about my hometown's horse and cattle trade and how it was back then. Ben Green is a real likeable guy and I'm grateful for his stories.
September 23, 2025
This is authentic and accurate as far as the horse stuff goes. And a very transporting read.
July 19, 2014
This is a fun book written by a horse trader/cowboy in the post-WWI, pre-WWII west (Texas and its environs). He's actually a Cornell-educated veterinarian, but none of that shows up in this particular book. It's all anecdotes about his youth as a horse and mule trader. Many of the stories are about being cheating people and being cheated.
It's an interesting look at the dirty tricks of the horse trade back then, as well as some legitimate, mutually beneficial trades, and generally how horses were handled in those days. He travels a lot, bringing horses/mules from areas where there is a lot of supply and not much demand to areas where there is low supply and much demand. Worth reading for the cowboy slang alone.
It's an interesting look at the dirty tricks of the horse trade back then, as well as some legitimate, mutually beneficial trades, and generally how horses were handled in those days. He travels a lot, bringing horses/mules from areas where there is a lot of supply and not much demand to areas where there is low supply and much demand. Worth reading for the cowboy slang alone.
December 17, 2010
Someone seriously needs to take this show on the road, a la Hal Holbrook performing Mark Twain (only more down-home). Someone with a voice like Walter Brennan, but with some snark. Ben K. Green is a hidden Texas treasure! I hadn't heard of him before moving to the Lone Star State...and not too many Texans know about him either. I was LAUGHING SO HARD TEARS WERE RUNNING DOWN MY CHIN readin this book in a public place. Green is one of the funniest humorists of all time. He told his yarns to a tape recorder which his secretary the transcribed, so the colloquial style is spot-on. And boy can he weave a yarn! He just winds into it! You'll wish you could've heard him in person!
December 11, 2013
This book was published in 1963; have no idea where I picked it up, not my usual interest. It is a collection of yarns by a horse & mule cowboy trader. I know nothing about horses let alone trading tactics but this is truly funny stuff and makes one ponder why more horse traders weren't killed because of the shenanigans that they pulled on each other.
May 26, 2022
I read this book keeping in mind that this was written by an old school cowboy horseman. Times have changed and hopefully the cavalier attitudes to the health, safety and welfare of horses is much rarer than back in Ben Greens day. Aside from that, the stories are pretty good.
September 18, 2008
Interesting to LOL stories from the life of the man who ran the last cattle drive over the Golden Gate bridge. GREAT bedtime stories.
Read
October 30, 2008W Gre
April 18, 2011
Goes to my Grandads time. Love it!
April 23, 2013
A great story teller with lessons in life embedded.
December 26, 2013
Excellent collection of stories from one of the last of the true cowboys.
August 7, 2014
Entertainin' as hell!
September 23, 2023
I thrifted this book a few years back and am so glad I did. Every store is very well-told and some even made me chuckle out loud. A lovely book for anyone in the horse world.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews