Despite rumors of the genre's demise, some of the most watchable series streaming today are Westerns. Among them are "Dark Winds," in which Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) of the Navajo Tribal Police investigates crimes on the reservation; "Yellowstone," with Kevin Costner as the patriarch of the powerful Dutton ranch; "Godless," about a wounded outlaw (Jack O'Connell) who takes refuge in a New Mexico mining town populated mostly by women; and "American Primeval," with Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, set against the Utah War of 1857.

These series, which keep us entertained in the waning days of our long hot summer, bring back memories of beloved 1950s-era TV Westerns and the characters that populate them.

As a little girl smitten with horses, I was transfixed by these shows. The adventures were exciting, but I was mostly interested in their equine stars.

There was Buck, the big buckskin ridden by Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) on "Bonanza." Greene became so fond of the horse that after the series ended he acquired him, and Buck eventually spent his retirement at a therapeutic riding center where children with disabilities learned to ride. There's a story that Buck lived to be 33--an impressive age for a horse.

Everybody admired Silver, who was as famous as co-star Clayton Moore in "The Lone Ranger." The horse was played by........

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