I've posted about Ladd's horse L.B. for many, many years. After all, he has lived on the ranch forever---well, not forever, but almost as long as I have. He came to the ranch to be Ladd's horse twenty-one years ago, and I came to the ranch to be Ladd's wife (haha) twenty-five years ago...so let's just say we go way back, L.B. and me.
I didn't grow up a horsey person. Not by any stretch. So that fact that I've been in love with L.B. for years says a lot. It's hard to explain to those who haven't spent time around horses (and I certainly didn't understand it during the years I was growing up), but there is something unquestionably spiritual about the magnificent beasts. They are large and mighty, strong and formidable...but their eyes are a whole universe and I always find myself wanting to know what on earth they're thinking. They have personalities and quirks, and sometimes they're very funny. In "Titanic," the older Rose reflects that "a woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets." Well, a horse's soul is a vast expanse of mystery.
I've never quite cracked L.B.'s code, but I'm always going to try. Most of the time, he's fine to get attention from me, like a little ear scratch or a back pat. Or sometimes I'll just caress his face and look deeply into his eyes for more clues as to what he's all about. Every now and then, he's not in the mood and he'll coldly walk away or jerk his head a couple of times to drop the hint that I'm invading his personal space and he's not feeling it. I never take it personally and just look at it as another little facet to his equine personality, then I go right in for the love next time I see him---and almost always, he's back to his soft old self and he'll just close his eyes, nuzzle a little closer, and soak it up. (And if I'm lucky, nibble my finger.)
L.B. is mostly retired now. My nephew, Stuart rode him when he helped Ladd work cattle this week, and they'll use him here and there if they need the extra help. But generally speaking, he's living a life of leisure, grazing and doing what he wants...and lemme tell you, he has earned it!
Have I ever told you what L.B. stands for? It's Little Buddy.
I love him so darn much. Not bad for a non-horsey girl!
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
