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Paladin's Horses

posted 13 years ago by lexyladyjax
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Found the info on the horses RB rode as Paladin. It was neither easy nor simple to uncover this. One wonders whether this was meant to be a part of the enigma that was Paladin: we knew little about his background and had to piece it together from dropped hints and innuendo over six seasons.

Every other Western star had a named horse we knew well, but Paladin's horse changed from time to time. He shot one in the desert and had one founder offscreen, walking into a town carrying his saddle. There was once a long conversation between Paladin and Hey Boy concerning a wager when the horse was the chief topic and even then the animal was not mentioned by name. Was this meant to contribute to the mystery of the man?

Here are the names, in order, of Paladin's mounts: Curley, Frisco, Rudy, Mexico and Rafter.* Richard Boone named the last horse. Curley was the name of the trained horse that got Paladin out of the spot of trouble when he was staked out to die in THE YUMA TREASURE. Good horse.

*Silent Hoofbeats by Bobby J Copeland

[–] lexyladyjax 13 years ago

By a stroke of good fortune I made contact with Hal Needham's son, David. According to Hal Needham, Richard Boone's stunt double, by the time he came aboard* the official name for Paladin's horse was Rafter. He did not know the derivation of the name.

Mr Needham told me through the medium of his son that there were a number of stunt horses made up to look like Rafter, some trained horses and others. He was extraordinarily kind to answer the questions.

Thank you, David Needham, Mr Hal Needham. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.

*This was the episode THE HAUNTED TREES, early in the second season.

[–] PattyGJones 13 years ago

I never paid much attention, since there were so many horses and one assumes he "rented" one in distant locations where he had to go by coach or train (I don't remember any train trips, but there must have been one or two). I know he frequently rode a bay with a narrow white blaze, and I distinctly remember a buckskin (because I love them so) and maybe a gray. But since we're not talking "Trigger" it hardly matters. His horses were equipment more than personalities. Too bad. I would have liked to see him have an emotional relationship with a faithful, loving animal, much as he didn't like horses. It's hard for me to imagine he didn't have, at least, a dog at home.

"I'm only in Show Biz by injection"

[–] perrycoins 13 years ago

He told Hey Boy to have the "agency" have a horse waiting for him at a very distant location once. I recall wondering if Hertz or Avis stated in the old West renting horses...

http://www.b5tech.com/

[–] PattyGJones 13 years ago

Abel Hertz opened the first chain of livery stables in 1850, largely for miners but later for the land runs such as pictured in "Far and Away". His daughter, Avis, was a very obstinate and rebellious girl, particularly for the time, and ran away at 20 with a troupe of traveling entertainers. Years later, having money to invest, she decided to beat Daddy at his own game. Sadly for her, she never quite succeeded. "sniffle"

Anybody who doesn't recognize this as total fabrication is not my friend.

"I'm only in Show Biz by injection"

[–] lexyladyjax 13 years ago

I know he frequently rode a bay with a narrow white blaze.

The bay with the narrow crooked blaze was called Curley. Curley was often hitched to the back of the stage and ridden on from the point of debarkation to Paladin's ultimate destination.

[–] wmousie 10 years ago

Paladin covered too large a territory to be restricted to riding only one horse, pattyjones, and as he told Ezekiel, the Camel, at the end of "The Great Mojave Chase," his hotel had very strict rules against pets.

[–] imgary3 13 years ago

I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE PALADIN TOOK JOBS AS FAR AWAY AS 1000 MILES. ALL OVER THE WEST. HE ALSO TOOK PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET THERE SUCH AS IT WAS, STAGECOACH OR RIVER BOAT. HE HAD TO RENT HORSES SOMETIMES TO GET TO HIS DESTINATIONS.