"Bonanza" is an American Western television series that ran from September 1959, to January 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, "Bonanza" is the second-longest-running western series on U.S. network television (behind "Gunsmoke"), and one of the longest-running, live-action American series. The show continues to air in syndication.

The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada. All the principal characters rode horses. The youngest son "Little Joe" portrayed by Michael Landon (October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) rode a horse named Cochise. He was an American Paint Horse, a breed of horse that combines both the characteristics of a western stock horse with a pinto spotting pattern of white and dark coat colors. The horse was named after the famous Indian Cochise (c. 1805 – June 8, 1874) a key war leader during the Apache Wars, who led an uprising that began in 1861 and persisted until a peace treaty was negotiated in 1872.

Michael Landon rode the flashy paint, Cochise for the first six years of the series, along with other paints that served as stunt doubles. One night an intruder broke into the stables, wielding a knife and injured several of the horses. The veterinarian could not save Cochise. Distraught, Landon offered a reward for information leading to the capture of the perpetrator, but the criminal was never found.

More Info: bonanza.fandom.com