The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-01
Wud Horses.

y III A letter from Fort GoilinA Gok, to the Gin
: cinnati Gonanescssl, says Nj \ IRA fa9
Some of the most sfaseinafingsS enes in tn
boy'sbookworld beings thoaesgin which tn
|, wild horse fgures.ir wsssMis6 sasseshing Of tn
old youthful thrilsthat N partyieGus the othe
! day IhsardI our driver exclslm, There is. Will
Horse Jerry and aslos Of wild lbropcosr in tina
= corral yonder" Business was left to care Q
! itself for The, present and We drove .auickly
over to thelplaff indicated lfad z rude inelosur'
!, about fifty feet square !, in which were sons
dozen horses, mostly about two years Old, ant
in their appearance wen .justifying The name
! applied, to, the native horses, of tie west
: E"broncos,'"' Tie, Spanish word for arough .
The dime novel prefix TO Jerry : name had led
usto expect such looking character Is adorna
the initial page Of that class Of literature, 81
the second rate stage but We found INN and
bis two partners certainly i@as mild nnssahnered
mea as ever cut xhrdas' !mmerely drdss<d in
1.-The hsaar locaf costsme Of men who now VI All
ouA door life Of iS6y kind here broad feshat,
blue flannel SHIRT and "oyserhauls" thrust into
a pair of heavy cowhide boots And they
were quite genial and communicative, ar d, as
we sat safely perched on the top rail of the
corral waiting for operations to begin, and
they told us how they chase the bands of wild
horses on the platte, not taking them with the
lasso, at full speed, as they do in the books,
but running them with fresh relays until tired
down sufficiently to be driven into an inclo-
sure. The "lariat or ''lasso'' is used only to
''cut out" and bring under control for brand
ing, breaking and like purposes
The GRAND by the way, is very impor-
tant thing to the cattle and horsemen owing
/ to the risk OF the animals straying and the
difficulty of otherwise Identifying them and
the law here, in this respect at least, is always
indicated, both by the courts and by Judge
Lynch, with promptness and severity against
any whe may dare attempt to infringe on the
property rights thus indicated. A brand when
chosen must be approved by the county au-
thorities and then registered, care being taken
to allow none similar to existing brands or
liable to be changed into them. 1t is usually
some peculiar device an H with an inverted
V over it, tor instance and having been exc
or five inches square, more or less, it is applied
red hot to the animals side in some conspicu-
| Gus spot. The herds that Craze on the plains
are gone over yearly for this purpose. and the
| annual "round-ups," or meeting of herds and
| herdsnen to effect this and also sort out and
| reclaim 'strays,' are occasions of great local
| interest.
To return to our wild horses. We had ar
rived just as the men were about to cut out
| tne-ooklng black mare for the purpose Of hob
bling her, she haying shown a disposition to
! lead the others into mischief and it was with
no desire of changing places with the men
that we saw them enter the corral on foot
amongst the wild animals with their lariats
three quarter inch ropes of great supleness,
with a running moose some six feet ia length
hanging on their left arms. The horses SEEM
ed to know that something was about to hap
pen and Immediately began charging wildly
around the inclosure. and it appeared ilnpossi
BILE that the men could retain their places
moment without being crushed; but the brutes
seemed to recognize "the higher power" and
swerved from the dreadful lariat whose coerc-
i've powers they had already felt, as the double
fish hook" brands on their TANKS testified
And now the moose in Jerr's right hand began
to circle horizontally over his head at arms
3esld tIl, and the horses annre wildly
than lever around the corral Suddenly
quick forward motion Of the arm is seen, and
the moose. flies toward the intended victim, but
sudden swerve causes tito fall short, and the
whole drove gallop wildly to remote corner.
But now they are again started, the moose
swings, and this time drops over the mares
neck, The weight of second man is i'm
mediately thrown upon the rope and the strug-
gle begins, the mare wildly plunging and rear
ing, and the men resting, until it would seem
that the animal must either strangle herself or
break her neck. But in moment another
moose is thrown, this time catching her hind
legs and as she plunges again, sudden pull
throws her fairly on her side, her head is
caught, and she is yanquished. The hobbler,
a long chain, is then attached to her right fore
foot. and the ropes then being quickly and
slillfully removed, she scrambles again to her
feet, erect once more, but shorn of her power
for mischief.
The native horses raised by the herders are
all handled in this way, rough as it seems
When one is broken to the saddle, he is blind
folded after being thrown, in which condition
he is perfectly submissive. The saddle,
strange complex of leather, high peaks, enor
nous stirrup feathers, fringed tassels, coled
larat, &c, is then strapped on, the bride fore
ed into place, and the rider, armed with cruel
looking spurs, with barhed points of the cir
cumference of a silver dollar, leaps into place.
The blindfold is then removed, and the
struggle begins, preuded usually by the wild
est plunging, rearing and bucking, the latter
| consisting Of rapid series of vertical leaps,
with legs rigid, and very trying TO the riders
endurance and tenure of his seat, the best of
them having no hesitation IN 'hclding on" at
at such times by strap regularly provided
for the purpose. If he maintains his seat
through all this, a wild gallop usually follows,
protracted by the squirting of the remorseess
rider until the animal has thoroughly learned
once tor all, the power of the master. And so
docile are they that the widest become in a
few week as tractable as if they had been in
| training for years, and will stand for hours
where left, saddled and briddled, quieting
awaiting their masters return.
Owing to their light weight and inferior
quality, the use under the saddle is the chief
one to which they are put, and to which their
easy and untiring gait is particularly adapted.
All the heavier draft and road work is done
| either by horses OF eastern stock or by their
much abused halfbrother, the mule, who
though he may occasionally use his legs, as
Josh Billings said, "twe to stand ON and two
to kick with, is, when decently handled, not
only as sagacious, kind and affeetionate as the
horse, but much harder and simpler in his
wants. aI s-.
| JUST LIKE ITS FATHER's-Mr. Blankit sat
looking at the baby trying to think of the
usual idiotic, unmeaning and unmeant things,
that people say about new babies, and at last
in a spasm of originality remarked that 'the
baby had it fathers complexion" Then they
all sat and looked at the rich cardinal hues
that made the wrinkled countenance of the
unconscious infant like a,msuntain sunset and