Pitchfork Ranch
Fast Facts
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The Pitchfork bred
Thoroughbreds stallions
and Steel Dust mares to
produce horses for the
U.S. Cavalry.
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The ranch maintains a
thriving cattle operation
and remuda.
Pitchfork Ranch
On December 13, 1883, the Pitchfork
Land and Cattle Company was
incorporated with 52,500 acres of
land in central West Texas and a
foundation herd of 9,750 cattle.
Unlike most ranches established
during the great cattle boom of the
1880s, the Pitchfork survived
episodes of drought and cattle
depression for more than 100 years.
No other ranch in central West Texas
can boast being larger today than
during its initial years.
Pitchfork Ranch
The Pitchfork’s history includes supplying the
United States Military with horses for the
Calvary, hauling supplies and equipment. The
Remount Service Program used
Thoroughbreds and ranch horses to develop
an equine with speed, stamina, and could
handle the rough terrain of the mid-west.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “Remount”
as a fresh horse to take the place of one
lost or disabled. This definition was the
basis of the U.S. Remount Service and the
U.S. Army’s Horse Breeding Program.
What was the Remount Service Program?
The United States Remount Service operated
from 1908 to 1948 and produced quality
horses. They were constantly searching for a
better mount, one that could do the job
under saddle more efficiently, stay sound in
spite of hard use and have sufficient speed
when needed. The search for athletic and
mental ability led to a study of practical
conformation and an understanding of
bloodlines.
The remount program also gave way to the
develop of mounted sports. These were
always popular with cavalrymen. Horse
shows, gymkhanas, polo, steeplechasing and
jumping were all popular contests. These
sports added to the continual training
programs required to produce effective
soldiers and mounts.
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During the peak years, the Remount Service placed
700 stallions on ranches and farms throughout the
country.
The United States Remount Department gave
ranchers an economic reason to raise better horses.
There were over 1 million horses used in World War I.
They were used a cavalry mounts on the front line
and transportation. They also pulled heavy wagons
with food and ammunition and carried individual
packs holding large artillery shells. The war would not
have been won without them.
During World War II, tanks and aircraft were seen
more regularly than in earlier wars. However, horses
were still used in difficult terrain in areas of Oahu,
Hawaii, and were used in large scale operations with
the 10th Mountain Division in Italy and Operation
Mars in Burma.
Countless well-known American Quarter Horses trace
their ancestry back to one or more Remount stallions.
Pitchfork Ranch
The Pitchfork Ranch
utilized the Remount
Thoroughbred
Stallions
• Bit Bolder
• Blue Bull
• Reno Daze
• Reno Inhale
• Trimmer
Pitchfork Ranch
Once the Remount Service
Program ceded to exist in the
1950’s the Pitchfork
continued its breeding
program. To this day the
ranch is still known for good
horses. So much so cowboys
have been know to stay on
the ranch instead of taking
another job because they
didn’t want to leave their
horses.