Cartwright Family Horses - The popular western adventure BONANZA/NBC/1959-73 featured the proud and rugged Cartwright family who owned a large homestead named the Ponderosa near Virginia City in Nevada. Each of the family's four members rode a different horse. Little Joe (Michael Landon) the youngest members rode Cochise, a black and white pinto piebald (also Paint); Eric "Hoss" Cartwright (Dan Blocker) rode a dark brown horse called Chubb (also Ginger & Paiute); eldest son, Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) rode a gelding named Sport (also Beauty); and the patriarch of these fine boys, Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) rode a buckskin gelding named Big Buck. The horses real names were Tomahawk, Dunny Waggoner, Slippers and Streak. They were sold in 1969 for approximately $19,000. Michael Landon once related during an interview on THE TONIGHT SHOW that Lorne Greene did not like horses and he could often be heard mumbling in disgust when he had to mount or ride one. Note: Little Joe's horse, Cochise was as 12 year old Pinto. He was 15.3 hands high and weighed 1,150 pounds. Michael Landon rode Cochise from September 1959 to early 1964 until the horse was savagely wounded at the stables in 1964 and had to be put down. Michael Landon offered a reward to apprehend the person responsible but the culprit was never found. Throughout Bonanza's 14 year run, Michael Landon rode a total of ten different Pinto horses.  

   

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