“The Boys” of Fort Davis National Historic Site.

As the Government shutdown went into effect on October 1st, 2025; I have been looking for things to do here at the Fort Davis National Historic Site. Since the federal housing places me on the Fort’s ground, I try to go hike the trails or simply go for a walk around the parade grounds to make sure no outsider visitors trespass the gate. In doing so, I have also become interested in being more active with the horses and a mule that we have here at the Fort. We currently have 2 horses: Comanche and Romeo, and 1 mule named Cash. Since I did not have much experience with horses, I waited for my site supervisor to show me the ropes. 

I also went horseback riding recently, which helped me gain the confidence I needed to be around such large animals. My supervisor has been coming into the office every day to complete reports that are still necessary regarding the Fort’s expenses. While she is here, I have been able to accompany her in seeing our horses and the mule, letting them roam the fort freely before leading them back into the stable at the end of the day. 

Of the 3 “Boys” (as we refer to them here at Fort Davis), Cash is the most animated. He will walk towards you much more easily than the other two since he thinks everyone is going to feed him. His favorite spot to be pet is on the inside of his ears, and he will guide your hand there if you pet him long enough. He is also quite greedy when it comes to getting fed, constantly trying to steal the food from Comanche, who is the oldest of the three and the slowest eater. Often, towards the end of the day, you can find Cash rolling in the dirt, taking in the bright sunlight. 

Next is Romeo, who, although not as animated as Cash, still has plenty of personality! Romeo and Cash tend to stick together while Comanche trails behind. Romeo also appears to be more patient, as he tends to wait by his stable much more efficiently than Cash and will stare at you if you feed the other two before him. Romeo will also take a moment and wait by the gate or the door to let you know that either he wants to let them out or he wants you to give him attention before you leave. Whichever it is, he will stare at you in such a way that it is as if he is trying to communicate with you telepathically. 

Last but not least, Comanche, the oldest of the 3 Boys. He often stays behind as Cash and Romeo head on first, and he eventually catches up. When feeding, Cash and Romeo have a habit of eating fast to try to steal some of Comanche’s food since he is a very slow eater. So, in order to ensure that Comanche gets to eat in peace, we use a long piece of wood to block the entry to his eating station. Even with this block, however, Cash and Romeo will still do their best to try to steal some of Comanche’s food somehow. Once Comanche is done eating, we remove the block, and of course, Cash comes running in to try and salvage anything left over from Comanche’s feed. Currently, Comanche is our oldest and skinniest horse at the Fort. We must ensure he gets his full amount of feed, and when we get cold fronts (which we have already had a few), we must make sure he has his personal blanket on to keep him safe and warm during the cold front. When I visit them in their corral, Comanche is often right next to Romeo, and Cash is either nearby or just doing his own thing. 

Whichever one of the three I try to pet, they are often receptive to pets and affection. Cash has been the one I got closest to, even letting me hug him for periods of time. Especially during our most recent cold front, he let me pet and hug him as long as I wanted to. They are all majestic and great animals in their own right, and I am very happy to have our Boys here at the Fort Davis National Historic Site. If you ever visit our site, be on the lookout for them; you just might catch them running the parade grounds.