Mike Howard aboard Appaloosa Horse gelding Chief, who had been his trail partner for 31 years. Chief exhibited what’s known as the “Nez Percé shuffle,” a ground-covering gait prized by Native Americans.

As a child, Mike Howard rode plow horses on his grandfather’s Texas ranch. As an adult and member of the Secret Service, he rode alongside Presidents and First Ladies. And for 24 years, he’s been trail boss on the Appaloosa Horse Club’s Chief Joseph Trail Ride, which follows in the footsteps of the legendary chief of the Nez Percé. He’s devoted to the “horse of the Palouse,” the Appaloosa.

Howard also has a passion for his family and for history. The former is because of his “perfect partner,” a lovely lady named Martha, his wife of 54 years. The latter is due in part to his special perspective; he’s been eyewitness to and participant in many of the important, historic events in our country’s last 45 years.

We caught up with Howard on his ranch near McKinny, Texas, a cow-and-calf outfit, and home to half-dozen Appaloosa Horses. He has a big smile on his face, having just welcomed into the world a big, red Appaloosa colt with a white blanket and face. “About the prettiest thing you ever saw,” he says, smiling.

TTR: What are your first memories of horses?

MH: I remember sitting on one of my grandfather’s big plow horses when I was 3 years old. Sometimes, he’d even let me ride as he drove through the fields. Of course, by the time I was 6 or 7, I had my own horse, and rode everywhere. My first horse was a bald-faced roan gelding who was, I’m almost certain, part Appaloosa. By the time I was 13 years old, I broke horses for friends and neighbors, and charged them $1.25 for my services. Once in a while, I’d get a $1 bonus, which was great! 

TTR: How did you happen to join the Secret Service?

MH: I was in college when the Korean War broke out, so I went off to war. When I returned, I enrolled in North Texas University with the intention of becoming an attorney. At the same time, I worked with the local police department. By the time I graduated and was ready to enter law school, I was recruited by the Secret Service. After working for six months in the north Texas area, I was sent to Washington, D.C., for additional training.

TTR: Is that how you came to ride with Presidents?

MH: Not exactly. After training, I returned to Texas, only to receive a call to get back to the East Coast, pronto. I’d been assigned to President [John F.] Kennedy’s wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, because I’d mentioned in my résumé that I could ride horses. Well, I thought there was some mistake. I was a cowboy from Texas, and she rode English, and over jumps, for heaven’s sakes! I spoke Texan; she spoke Bostonian. However, the powers in charge felt that if you’ve ridden one horse, you could ride them all. I reported to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

TTR: How did it work out?

MH: When I met the very gracious Mrs. Kennedy, I fell in love at first sight. I was expected to ride with her, so I immediately went to her stable and signed up for a crash course in English riding. What an eye-opener! But soon, they had me jumping over hay bales, and in no time, I was riding by Mrs. Kennedy’s side on fox hunts.

TTR: Then what happened?

MH: Later, after the sad events in Dallas, I was reassigned to President [Lyndon B.] Johnson and his family.

There were times when his daughter, Lynda Bird Johnson, went riding on dates with actor George Hamilton, and I went, too. When President Johnson left office, I returned to Texas with him. I was with him then with Mrs. Johnson until I retired in 1975.

The Chief Joseph Trail Ride, held every July, retraces the path of the Nez Percé tribe in 1877 as they fled before the U.S. Cavalry. The entire trail covers approximately 1,300 miles from Oregon to Montana, so the club does a 100-mile segment every year.

TTR: Tell us about President Johnson’s mount.

MH: President Johnson had a big, black Tennessee Walking Horse named Lady B who’d been given to him by the then-governor of Tennessee. He loved to go on long rides, especially to the local Head Start school. The kids would swarm over him, not because they knew him as the former President of the United States and leader of the free world — but because he always brought jellybeans. Because of these rides with President Johnson, I became involved in Appaloosas.

TTR: Please elaborate.

MH: When I accompanied the President, I rode a Quarter Horse that had a very difficult time keeping up with the President’s big ol’ Tennessee Walker. So I started to look for a horse that could. Eventually, a horse trader told me he had a “Palouse Horse” I needed to see. The horse, named Chief, was a handsome 6-year-old Appaloosa gelding with a white blanket and spots on his rump. The horse trader had rounded him up from a herd of wild horses in New Mexico. I liked what I saw.

TTR: What did you like, in particular?

MH: Chief had a nice, slow lope, sailed over jumps, and most importantly, he had a fast walk that was very smooth and ate up the ground. Later, George Hatley, founder of the Appaloosa Horse Club, would tell me this special walk was the “Nez Percé shuffle,” a ground-covering gait prized by Native Americans. I brought Chief home that day, and he was my partner for the next 31 years — the best horse I’ve ever had on my place.

TTR: What did President Johnson think of your Appaloosa?

MH: He said, “What is that?” Then he took off, with me in close pursuit. And you know, when Chief got into his shuffle, he could keep up with Lady B — and that really aggravated the President! But after the ride, the President commented that he didn’t like my saddle, and he gave me a beautiful saddle to replace it. I’ve used it just about every day ever since.  

TTR: What horses do you ride today?

MH: Today, we have six Appaloosas, and I cannot imagine better partners. They’re as versatile as all the other breeds put together. They have kind, willing temperaments and tremendous stamina — something very important to their early breeders. And they’re calm in every situation imaginable. I ride my Appaloosa gelding, Viva Bonanza, on the trail, to work cows, and in parades. I also work traffic and crowds for the Frisco, Texas, police department. Kids hang onto all four of his legs and his tail, and he hasn’t stepped on anyone yet.

TTR: How did you get involved in the Chief Joseph Trail Ride? 

MH: When I registered Chief, I received a brochure on the Chief Joseph Trail Ride. This ride, sponsored by the ApHC, retraces the path of the Nez Percé tribe in 1877 as they fled before the U.S. Cavalry. The entire trail covers approximately 1,300 miles from Oregon to Montana, so the club does a segment every year. It takes 13 years to cover the entire journey.

I told Martha that the ride sounded like a lot of fun. She wasn’t quite convinced, but went anyway. This summer is my 30th consecutive year riding the “Chief Jo,” and Martha’s 29th. She missed the year our granddaughter was born.

Our daughter and our two grandchildren, Kelly Michelle and Kristopher Howard, have joined us. One year, Lucinda Robb — President Johnson’s granddaughter, my goddaughter — rode with us, too. This year the ride will be held from July 17 to 23.

Mike Howard on Chief; his wife, Martha, whom he calls “my perfect partner,” stands beside them. Howard notes that when this photo was taken, “Chief was celebrating his 35th birthday!”

TTR: How did you become trail boss?

MH: The third year we went, I was asked to be a trail scout, then chief scout, and I’ve been the trail boss for 24 years. Usually, that entails doing a pre-ride of the trail to make sure it’s maintained and safe for our group, and then the ride itself. It’s amazing to ride a scenic trail and see 250 Appaloosa Horses and their riders stretched as far as the eye can see. 

TTR: Does your Secret Service experience help with planning a large-scale trail ride?

MH: Absolutely. Our training was second to none in preparation and advance work, and in psychology — all of which comes in handy!

TTR: What was your most memorable experience on the ride?

MH: Riding through Yellowstone National Park, and camping by Old Faithful is always special. One year, we were on a bluff high above the Yellowstone River when, far below, a herd of buffalo was traveling toward the river. They followed in perfect “V” formation behind their leader, jumped in, and swam the river. Quite a sight!

TTR: What was your most humorous experience?

MH: Once, a fellow working under his pickup in camp got up, removed a block from a front tire, then stood in front of the truck. It ran him over. I was summoned to the site immediately, and was told the truck had gone over his legs. When I arrived, he was sitting upright on the tailgate. He had jeans on, but I could see that there was nothing filling out his right jean leg. That stopped me in my tracks! Turned out, the truck had run over just his right leg, which happened to be made of wood. His wooden leg broke, so he took it off. He was fine, and after we were over our shock, we all had a good laugh!

TTR: What was your scariest experience?

MH: Once, we were riding on a small logging road where water runoff had created a small pool of water near an edge that dropped 30 or 40 feet into a deep canyon. One rider held her horse too tight, and he backed right off the cliff. At the last moment, the rider reached up, grabbed a tree limb, and saved herself. But her horse somersaulted several times and landed far below. He was on his back, with his feet pointing straight up. We feared the worst, as we scrambled down to him. The horse’s saddle was stuck between two rocks, and held him upside down. Amazingly, after we unbuckled his saddle and freed him, he got back onto his feet and was fine. Everyone was very lucky.     

TTR: What’s the worst weather you’ve encountered on the trail?

MH: Hail, sleet, and very hard rain. When we encounter a bad hail storm, we advise everyone to stop, loosen their reins, and allow their horses to turn their backs to the hail and sleet. Horses do that naturally — just watch them in a field. We stay still, hunkered down, until it passes. We haven’t lost anyone yet.  

TTR: What are most common mistakes people make on the trail?

MH: Most problems arise from gear failure. When a bridle falls off a horse, that’s a mistake that should’ve been avoided. Front girths should be tight; flank girths, snug, not tight. Your saddle needs a breastcollar to keep it secure. Keep your tack in good shape — your and your horse’s lives depend on it.

Also, on a ride that’s several days long, you need to adjust your horse’s feed. We’ve learned that a horse that’s on the trail all day shouldn’t have sweet feed at night; it’s a recipe for colic. Alfalfa is too rich, as well. On the Chief Joseph Ride, all the horses eat a pelleted food, Purina Horse Chow 100, to avoid colic and impaction. And don’t crowd folks whose horses are drinking at a watering hole. Be patient, wait your turn.

TTR: What three people, of any era, would you like to swap stories with around a campfire?

MH: I’d invite John Wayne, a man I admired; Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of World War II and one heck of a Western movie star (he lived about 19 miles down the road); and President Johnson, the greatest storyteller I’ve ever met. What a campfire that’d be! 

TTR: At the end of a long day in the saddle, I treat my horse with…

MH: …our regular routine. First, I take my horse’s bridle off, loosen the girth, and give his saddle a shake, so he can cool off. I get myself a glass of iced tea and drink it. About 20 minutes later, I slip my horse’s saddle off, put some cool water on his back, and brush it in. He loves this. Finally, I give him a handful of horse chow, and tell him dinner will be shortly.     

TTR: What’s the most important lesson horses have taught you?

MH: That it’s vital to listen to them. You’d be surprised how much they’ll reveal.

TTR: What’s your favorite equine book?

MH: I’ve read and reread Black Jack, America’s Famous Riderless Horse by Robert Knuckle. He was the riderless horse that accompanied President Kennedy and President Johnson’s funeral cortege. It’s a true story that will make you laugh and cry.

TTR: What’s your favorite nonequine book?

MH: One that covers everything and teaches so much. It has great stories of love, family, struggle, murder — so many things: the Bible.

TTR: What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

MH: I’m not sure there is such a thing, but if there is, I’m living it with the perfect woman. TTR

For more information on the Appaloosa Horse Club and the Chief Joseph Trail Ride, call (208) 882-5578, or visit www.appaloosa.com.