Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-03-07
The Mexican Mustang.
Our Mexican Tourist Describes His
Experience with the Brnte--How
to Buy Them, How TO Break
Them, and How the Girls Of
West Texas Ride Them.
VICTORIA, SOUTH TEXAS, /
I 90

l NOiNcS upon tIie lIesIIl E-dIglNeu
stranger III Texas, and particu-
larly in South and West Texas,
is the purchase Of a horse, be-
cause of the magnificent distan-
ces which he is compelled to
travel. The Texas correspond
ent of the Globe Democrat was
no exception, and upon arrival
in the old Mexican town Of La
BahaIa, on the river San Anto-
MO, opposite the American vii
lage of Goliad, he proceeded to
purchase q horse and mount
himself.
Senor Lozano, a prominent
and wealthy cattle and horse
owner, a resident sometimes Of
La Bahala, sometimes Of Ia
maulipas, Mexico, was, there
fore, interviewed at the door Of
his little adobe house on the
outskirts of the village. Senor
Lozano dispatched one Of his
ow-boys-booted, spurred, and
wearingthe broad brimmedsom-
brero-to bring ont of his herd
a horse that he represented 10 be
a splendid arimal. 1t was done.
At the very first glance it was
seen that the horsc--a beautiful
geldingdun, ,high-mettled,g grace
ful, rolling fat and sleek was
wild,and had probably been rid
den very few times, if ever, be-
fore.
allow much do you ask for
the animal"
"Sixteen dollars in gold," an
swered Lozano.
"a bargain, scnor."
"Can you ride him.
ooh, certainly; never fear a.
bout that"
"Approach him, senor," said
the Mexican in his own Ian
guage.
The correspondent did so, but
the mustang-such as he was
reared up on his hind legs, and
with open mouth and eyes that
flashed lightning, made one dash
at his new master. The latter
lodged and rushed back, the
horse in the mean time running
to the length of the thirty. foot
stake rope that held him.
Finally Lozano and his young
man succeeded in saddling the
mustang, the saddle being fast
ened by two strong girths un-
der the loins. The bride was
one Of those bits especially a.
dapted to wild horses. At the
same time Lozano presented
the purchaser with long-shank-
ed Mexican spur. They were
put on securely, and the cores
pondent next prepared to mount.
Fortunately, as matters subse-
quently proved, the scene was
on the edge OF the vast plain
that stretches away from the
San Antonio to the southwark.
The cowboy, or eI cabaIlero, as
he might be termed, held the
reins and Lozano the left STIR
rup. The animal stood perfect
ly still, as if paralyzed with
fear. The correspondents foot
touched the stirrup; a second
more and his right leg swung
over the saddle and he was in
it. Then, yc gods! what buck
ling, pitching, rearing, paving,
and kicking! The first move
ment of the mustang seemed to
be horizontal dash or slide M-
lowed by full stop. The third
movement was a kicking up, in
which his heels seemed at an
angle of about 45 degrees,
then he reared and seemed de-
termined to fall on his back, or
rather. on the correspondent.
The laster saw his peril and
hung on TO the horn Of the sad
die like a sailor TO the last spar
in cyclone. Then there was a
series of perpendicular "pitch-
ing" or "bucking," as it is call
ed among Texans, in which the
mustang seemed to jump up
four feet and come down per-
pendicularly, giving his rider a
most unmerciful jolt. The
"bucking" continued a quarter
of an hour, when the animal
broke into a dash. His rider
) did nothing but rein his head in
the direction of the open plain
and let him out. The race a.
gainst time occupied three or
four-milc heat, during which
time the mustang must have
beaten the Texas race-horse that
every year spread themselves
over the State Fair course at
Houston. At the end of the
race the horse stopped, foaming
and painting, and looked up at
his rider in way that said, 81
give up"
These mustangs or Spanish