NBC’s longest-running Western, Bonanza, told the story of the Cartwright family — and Michael Landon attained major fame as Little Joe Cartwright. The show ran for nearly 15 years and showed life for the Cartwrights on the Ponderosa Ranch. And, of course, the family owned horses. Here’s what Landon said about the agonizing pain of riding the horses on the show.
Each member of the ‘Bonanza’ cast had their own horse to ride
The Bonanza cast had to ride horses to fit the time period. According to MeTV, all the horses used in the show were rented from the Fat Jones Stables in Hollywood, California. And there’s a reason the horses used in the show looked different from each other. Because the show was the first Western to air in color, the creators wanted each horse to represent the rider visually. Thus, the Cartwright’s individual horses had distinct colors and patterns.
The publication notes Michael Landon rode Cochise, a horse with black and white markings. Sport, the chestnut brown horse with a white stripe down its nose, belonged to Adam Cartwright — the oldest Cartwright son played by Pernell Roberts. Hoss Cartwright, played by Dan Blocker, had deep brown fur and white patches near three hooves. And Ben Cartwright, played by Lorne Greene, rode Buck — the tan horse with the dark mane.
Michael Landon said riding the horses was ‘agony’
The Bonanza cast spent a lot of time on horseback, which meant they all had to learn how to ride their own horses. According to Michael Landon, the process was “agony.”
When Johnny Carson asked Landon which cast members hated riding their horses the most, Landon replied, “Well, none of us the first week. I mean, we all ate standing up at the bar. We could not sit down. Oh, it was agony.”
“I mean, the funniest thing was to see the poor guys trying to ride up,” Landon continued. “You know, it’s 1/8 of a page in a script, but it could take days before the Cartwrights mount up and ride out.”
The actor then recounted a time when Lorne Greene got frustrated with the horses. “Whoever gets on first and rides out, there the horses go,” Landon said. “They don’t care. If you look at the old Bonanza [episodes], you can see Lorne’s mouth moving, ‘Don’t you ride out! Don’t you ride out!’ Watch it, you’ll see it.”
How old was Michael Landon was ‘Bonanza’ ended?
Michael Landon has many funny stories to tell regarding his time on Bonanza, and he went through multiple stages of his life while filming the series. He was 23 years old when he starred as Little Joe Cartwright, the youngest of the Cartwrights. When the show concluded in 1973, Landon was 36 years old.
When he moved from Bonanza to Little House on the Prairie in 1974, Landon could transfer his horse-riding skills. He rode a horse on Little House, though he didn’t do it because he enjoyed it. “I ride the horses on the show, but that’s about it,” he said.