Hard Lessons, Good Horses, and Humor from Ranch Life

Pull Up a Chair. This Cowboy Has Stories

Meet horses that humbled good riders, cattle that wrecked careful plans, and older hands whose lessons lasted. The new This Cowboyin’ Thing carries that world beyond Cabin Whispers, with fresh story-poems from the range.
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Behind the Hat

"The bond between a cowboy and his horse is only understood by the cowboy and his horse."

— Grahame Beer

England to Canada

From an English Dairy Farm to a Cowboy Life

Grahame was born in England and grew up on a dairy farm. In 1976, at fourteen, he moved to Canada. Eight years later, he left dairy work for the open range. He spent the next four decades in feedyards and on ranches out West, and for several years ran his own horse-training ranch in Saskatchewan. Cowboying was not a passing interest. It became the life he chose.

When work slowed down, Grahame began writing for fun. He wrote the way he remembered ranch life: as stories, but in rhyme. Many were true. An old cowboy friend urged him to put them into a book. That nudge led to Cabin Whispers. The new This Cowboyin’ Thing is his second collection.

“Ain’t nothing better than riding out on the wide open range. Going to the big city doesn’t appeal to me; things seem kinda strange.” — “Out on the Range,” in This Cowboyin’ Thing, p. 54

’76

Came to Canada

2

Books in Print

40+

Years a Cowboy

Two Books, Each a Cowboy Story

Open the Books

Open either book and settle in. You may laugh, remember someone, or think for a while.

Latest Release

THIS COWBOYIN' THING (NEW)

Ranch And Farm Tales From The North West

From working horses and calving season to loyal dogs and prairie storms, the new collection finds a story in every corner of ranch life.
“Perhaps then she’ll quit callin’ me, a big fat blankety blank, that lives in a sty!”
  • Meet T-i-g-g-e-r, a horse once scared by the sound of a rope.
  • Laugh over loose cinches, hard landings, and wandering cows.
  • Remember horses and dogs, old mentors, and friends now gone.
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Meet an Author

Latest Release

CABIN WHISPERS

Ranch Stories Told One Rhyme at a Time

Cabin Whispers is Grahame’s first collection of cowboy poetry. Its rhyming stories invite ranch hands and city readers into his cowboy world.

Grahame’s own words: “Ranch and farm life is hard work, but it is also a bunch of fun.”

  • Each poem tells a full story with a start and an ending.

  • Many stories came from things Grahame saw, knew, or lived himself.

  • Some poems lift the mood; others leave a thought behind.

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Meet an Author

From The Trail Journal

Inside The New Release

A little treat from the book so, you know what ride you’re in for. Put on your hat and hop on.

Dog Story

Pages 51–52

LOANED LET'S GO

“…He figured between the two of them, there was some kind of telepathy. And every day without fail, he and Loaned would visit this here cafe.”
Read Full Tale

Season Poem

Pages 41–43

A RANCHER'S SEASONS

“…But with dogged determination, they continue to work and toil. Hopefully, by the end of summer, their hay is plentiful and in the bale.”
Read Full Poem

Ranching

Pages 99–100

HOLDIN’ THE HERD

“When she’s not in the kitchen makin’ lunch, for all of the neighbors who are lending a hand. She’s in the saddle quietly…”
Read Full Tale

Horse Tale

Pages 128–131

YOUNG ALLIGATOR BOOTS

“The young guy says, “Y’all got any rank ones on this here ranch, that you need someone to ride?” The boss looks up from caressing his coffee cup…”

Read Full Tale

Horsecare

Pages 143–144

IS IT PRIDE?

“I’ve seen all of the symptoms that you are at this moment displaying. And as a friend, I feel like you need to listen closely to what I am saying.”
Read Full Poem

Ranch Life

Pages 81–82

UP AND OVER THE HILL

“It was always bedlam at their place, but you’d never hear them complain or moan. The youngins never had fancy clothes or boots that looked brand new.”

Read Full Tale

Horse Tale

4 min read

The Sorrel Mare & The Early Frost

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

2 min read

Toppin' Out At Sunset

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”

Read Full Poem

Horse Tale

5 min read

Old Mac's Iron Stove

“In forty-plus years on North West ranches, I never met a man who could brew coffee hotter or tell a story longer than Old Mac…”
Read Full Tale

Cowboy Memory

6 min read

First Spring On The Canadian Prairie

“I was twenty-one, green as spring grass, and thought I knew how to ride. The prairie was quick to correct my confidence, but gentle enough to make me a cowboy.”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

3 min read

The Prairie Wind's Lullaby

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Poem

Ranch Story

4 min read

Critters & Unexpected Companions

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Tale

Horse Tale

4 min read

The Sorrel Mare & The Early Frost

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

2 min read

Toppin' Out At Sunset

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”

Read Full Poem

Horse Tale

5 min read

Old Mac's Iron Stove

“In forty-plus years on North West ranches, I never met a man who could brew coffee hotter or tell a story longer than Old Mac…”
Read Full Tale

Cowboy Memory

6 min read

First Spring On The Canadian Prairie

“I was twenty-one, green as spring grass, and thought I knew how to ride. The prairie was quick to correct my confidence, but gentle enough to make me a cowboy.”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

3 min read

The Prairie Wind's Lullaby

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Poem

Ranch Story

4 min read

Critters & Unexpected Companions

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Tale

Horse Tale

4 min read

The Sorrel Mare & The Early Frost

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

2 min read

Toppin' Out At Sunset

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”

Read Full Poem

Horse Tale

5 min read

Old Mac's Iron Stove

“In forty-plus years on North West ranches, I never met a man who could brew coffee hotter or tell a story longer than Old Mac…”
Read Full Tale

Cowboy Memory

6 min read

First Spring On The Canadian Prairie

“I was twenty-one, green as spring grass, and thought I knew how to ride. The prairie was quick to correct my confidence, but gentle enough to make me a cowboy.”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

3 min read

The Prairie Wind's Lullaby

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Poem

Ranch Story

4 min read

Critters & Unexpected Companions

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Tale

Horse Tale

4 min read

The Sorrel Mare & The Early Frost

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

2 min read

Toppin' Out At Sunset

“She was a nervous colt when she came off the trailer in October. But horses have a way of teaching a man patience if he’s willing to sit back and watch…”

Read Full Poem

Horse Tale

5 min read

Old Mac's Iron Stove

“In forty-plus years on North West ranches, I never met a man who could brew coffee hotter or tell a story longer than Old Mac…”
Read Full Tale

Cowboy Memory

6 min read

First Spring On The Canadian Prairie

“I was twenty-one, green as spring grass, and thought I knew how to ride. The prairie was quick to correct my confidence, but gentle enough to make me a cowboy.”
Read Full Tale

Western Poem

3 min read

The Prairie Wind's Lullaby

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Poem

Ranch Story

4 min read

Critters & Unexpected Companions

“Every ranch house has a dog that thinks he runs the outfit. Barn cats, curious coyotes, and working cow dogs all play their part in prairie life…”
Read Full Tale

Book News From Grahame's Desk

Receive an occasional note from Grahame about new books, poems in progress, and the small moments that keep finding their way onto the page.

    Only occasional notes. Leave whenever you like. We keep your email private.

    Noted In Print

    What The Press Said

    The first book received the kind of praise that needs no explaining.

    “Cabin Whispers is pure legit cowboy.”

    This praise came from Tim O’Byrne, editor of Working Ranch Magazine, and refers to Grahame’s first collection, Cabin Whispers.

    Tim O’Byrne

    4.5

    "It felt like sitting beside the fire."

    I grew up around ranch people, and these poems brought back voices I had not heard in years. The humor and details felt right.

    Daniel Harper

    4.5

    "The horse stories were the best part."

    I kept returning to the horse poems. Grahame understands the patience, trust and personality shared between a horse and rider.

    Maggie Turner

    4.5

    "These poems sound like the real West."

    Some poems made me laugh; others caught me off guard. They feel plainspoken and full of people who feel like someone you know.

    Laura Bennett

    4.5

    "I could picture each ranch and rider."

    Each character has a real voice. By the end of each poem, I could picture the place, the weather, and exactly what went wrong.

    Thomas Carter

    4.5
    This Cowboyin' Thing is available now.

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    Stay Connected From The Trail

    One photograph captures a special moment between my granddaughter and Charity, the horse featured in What Are You Gonna Bid? from my book Cabin Whispers. This story holds a special place in my heart because it is based entirely on a true experience.

    The second photograph was taken on the dairy farm in England where I grew up. My childhood on the farm helped shape my values and inspired my love of storytelling.

    Let's Connect with Authors

    Say Hello

    Write To Grahame, Any Time

    Grahame welcomes notes from readers, cowboys, ranch families, and anyone who enjoys a good horse story. Tell him which poem stayed with you, share a memory, or ask about one of his poetry gatherings too.

    Direct Email
    info@grahamebeer.com
    Events & Poetry Gatherings
    Available for readings, keynotes, and book signings.

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