When the Western artist George Catlin journeyed to the Southern Plains in 1834, the animal that caught his attention there was the wild horse, which covered the country in immense herds.

Little known to Catlin or to Thomas Jefferson who longed to know more about horses in their natural state.

Horses were so successful in the Western wilds because they

were original natives of North America. Eventually, a trade in wild horses dominated the southern

west. It became an unexpected success and mustangers, a working class phenomenon of the West.

Learn more on episode 11 of the American West with Dan Flores, the latest show from the

Meat Eater podcast network hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you

by Velvet Buck, Wine with a Backbone.

By focusing on deep time, wild animals, and the West's unique environments,

this podcast is a look at a West available nowhere else.

Tune in now to the American West on Apple, IHeart, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Merry Christmas, listeners. Full confession, I love this holiday. I love the parties, the spirit of charity, the lights on Roe Homes and working class neighborhoods, the tree at Rockefeller Center, even the schmaltzy movies. What I really love about Christmas, though, is the music. And not just the broad ovra inspired by the birth of Jesus.

I like Handel and Bach just fine.

But as an American, what stirs my soul is our Christmas songbook.

Now, don't get me wrong.

I am Jewish.

So you won't find me dragging a small Norwegian spruce into my living room or attending midnight mass.

On Christmas Day itself, I eat wonton soup and sweet and sour chicken at a Chinese restaurant, as is my people's tradition.

Ah, but the music of the season is not only infectious.

It's also secular.

Think of the most beloved Christmas songs.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.

...