The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-21
BREAKING A BRONCHO.
How wild Colts are Convinced that
IL IS Their Destiny 10 Drudge for

II Is ~ heh DcshHy 70 DfuuBe AVr
Man.
TInter-0cean.1
A broncho colt is usually allowed to
run on the range till he is four of five
years old without being handled at all,
and in some cases they become so wild
that, if at all badly handled in breaking,
they will never be quite broken.
When colt is to be broken the bunch
of horses in which he runs is driven into
the corral, and the breaker throws his
lariat on his neck, while another man
ropes him by the fore feet in order to
throw him down. Some men prefer to
throw him in this way, and Others merely
rope by the neck and choke him till he
falls. As soon as he falls man runs to
his head, loosing the rope, on his neck so
as not to choke him, and 'kneeling on his
neck holds his nose up in the air, the
rope on the fore feet being pulled tight,
and held short so as to raise his feet off
the ground. Held in this position the
horse can not get up, and the breaker
can put on and adjust his halter and
blinds with perfect facility. The rope
that was thrown on the neck in the first
instance with a slip moose is removed, and
the end tied on the neck in firm knot,
the rope being passed through the halter
ring and tied there. The blinds are
drawn over the forehead. but do not
cover the eyes; they are ready to be
drawn down.
After all these things are done, the
rope on the feet is slackened so that the
moose will open and fall off, and the head
is loosed at the same time, and the horse
gets up. There are one or two men hold
ing the head rope, 50 that there is no
fear of his getting away. After he is on
his legs, the breaker walks up to his head,
keeping a hand on the rope, So as to be
able to jerk him round in case be should
attempt to whirl and kick, and stroke
him on the nose. If he is wild one, it
will take several attempts before the
breaker can get hand on him at all, but
in short time he can be handled on the
head and nose. ..,
II the horse is worth taking some pains
over, the breaker will handle him for
perhaps half a day before putting
saddle on. He will begin to leach him
to lead, will handle him all over, and
teach him not to be afraid of man, and
will rub him down the legs and pick up
his feet, and do all he can to get the
horses confidence. If, however, the
bre ker wants to do the work as fast as
possible, he will, as soon as he can, rub
the horse on the head, draws the blinds
down over the eyes, and pr'ceed to sad-
die up 1t is not usual to put on abridle
at first, az horse cannot be pulled up by
Il bit until he has learned that it is meant
to stop him, but hacomore is used in
stead. This consists Of plated rawhide
ring that encircles the nose, being fixed
on to headstall Of the same material.
A short hair rope is used for reins, the
ends being tied on to the ring under the
jaw; the ring is placed 10 far down the
nose that when pulled upon it will shut
off the horses wind, and then he can be
stopped. ...
Everything being adjusted, the rider
mounts and pulls up the blinds, and
starts the horse up with his quirt. He
usually begins bucking at once, and
breakers prefer TO let him have q good
spell at it, and to quier him well mean-
while, and then in many cases he will
never buck again. 1t takes good rider
to sit on a bucking horse; the body
must be thrown well back in the saddle
and the back as loose as possible, while
the saddle is grip and tight.
1t is usual to have an assistant on q
gentle horse to give the unbroken one a
lead, and to head him off from any tim
ber or dangerous ground that he may try
to run into, for knowing nothing of the
use of the reins, he can only be guided
by pulling his head round by main
force. After being ridden two or three
times the colt will travel well with an
other horse, and soon become bridlewise,
through his nose being made sore by the
hacomore ring, and then a bride is put
on as we'll as the hacomore ring, and
both reins used at once. After few
lessons at this the hacomore is dispensed
with and the bride used alone.
A colt will very soon learn to drive in
band of horses, but at first he will try
to run into the band instead Of round
them. He can be made very useful for
driving horses within a week of being
taken up, but it takes longer before he
will be of much use for cattle.
In ten days to three weeks he will be
so gentle that any fairly good rider can
manage him, though he will be liable to
buck for some time when anything goes
wrong. If at first he does not succeed in
getting rid of his rider he will give up
trying to do so, but if he ouce manages
it he is encouraged to attempt it when
ever he can take the rider at disadvan-
tage.
A breaker will have several horses ~
hand at once; he will keep them on a
picket rope or in the stable for some time
at first, teaching them to let him walk
up to them in the corral.
When horse is badly handled at first
and allowed to get loose with a rope on
aud to throw his rider, and 80 to have
his own way, hc is frequently "spoilt," +"
and in mary cases never becomes
thoroughly broken. He has found Out
u L IL. II