The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-04
1esrriptire Artirles.
Wild Horses.

| Wild Horses.
A letter from Fort Collins, Col, to the
Cincinnati Commercial, says:
Some of the most fascinating scenes in
the boys book world being those in which
the wild horse figures, it was with some
thing of the old youthful thrill that a party
of us the other day heard our driver ex
claim, ''There is Wild Horse Jerry and
lot of wild broncos in that corral yonder.
Business was left to take care of itself for
the present, and we drove quickly over to
the place indicated, a rude inclOsure about
fifty feet square, in which were some dozen
horses, mostly about two years old, and IN
their appearance well justifying the name
applied to the native horses of the west,
''broncos." the Spanish word for trough"
The dime-novel prefix to Jerrys name had
led us to expect such looking character as
adorns the initial page of that class of lit
erature, or the second-rate stage; but we
found him and his two partners certainly
''as mild-mannered men as ever cut throat
merely dressed in the usual local costume
of men who follow an outdoor life of any
kind here-broad felt hat, blue flannel
shirt, and 'overhauls' thrust into pair Of
heavy cowhide boots And they were
quite genial and communicative and as we
sat safely perched on the top rail of the
corral waiting for operations to begin, 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 inclosure The '.lariat' or "lassO"
is used only to ''cut out and bring under
control for branding, breaking and like pur-
| poses.
The brand" by the way, is very inn
portant 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 vindicated, both by the
courts and by Judge Lynch, with
promptness and severity against any who
may dare attempt to infringe on the prop
erty right thus indicated. A brand when
chosen must be approved by the county
authorities and then registered, care being
taken to allow none similar to existing
brands or liable to be altered into them
1t is usually some peculiar device, an II
with an inverted V over it, for instance;
and having been executed in iron OF the
dimensions of some four or five inches
square, more or less, it is applied red hot to
the animals side in some conspicuous spot.
The herds that Craze on the plains are gone
over yearly foF this purpose, and the annu-
al 'round-ups," or meeting of herds and
herdsmen to effect this and also to sort out
and reclaim '.strays," are occasions of great
local interest.
To return to our wild horses. We had
arrived Just as the men were about to cut
out fne-looking black mare for the pur-
pose of hobbing her, she having shown
disposition to lead the others into mis-
chief. and it was with no desire Of changing
places with the men that we saw them en-
ter the corral on foot amongst the wild am
imals with their lariats, three-quarter inch
ropes of great supleness, with a running
moose some six feet in length hanging on
their left arms The horses seemed to know
that something was about to happen and
Immediately began charging wildly around
the inclosure, and it appeared impossible
that men could retain their places a mo-
ment without being crushed; but the brutes
seemed to recognize ''the higher power"
and swerved from the dreadful lariat, whose
coercive powers they had already felt, as
the double "fsh-hook' brands on their
hanks testified. And now the moose in
Jerry's right hand began to circle horizon
tally over his head at arms length, and the
horses to plunge more wildly than ever
around the corral. Suddenly quick for
ward motion of the arm is seen, and the
moose flies toward the intended victim, but
a sudden swerve causes it to 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 immediately ly thrown upon the rope
and the struggle begins, the mare wildldly
plunging and rearing, and the men resisting,
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 vanquished. The hobbler, a long
chain, is then attached to her right fore
foot, and the ropes then being quickly and
skillfully 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 to be broken to the
saddle, he is blind-folded after being thrown,
in which condition he is perfectly submis-
sive. The saddle, strange complex of
leather, high peaks, enormous stirrup leath-
ers. frinsed tassels, coiled lariat, &C., is then
strapped on, the bride forced into place,
and the rider, armed with cruel looking
spurs, with barbed points OF the circumfer-
enee of silver dollar, leaps into place.
The blind-fold is then removed, and the
struggle begins, precluded usually by the
widest 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
''holding oil" at such times by strap reg
ularly provided for the purpose. If he
maintain his seat through all this, wild
gallop usually follows, protracted by the
spurring of the remorseless rider until the
animal has thoroughly learned, once for all,
the power of the master. And so docile
are they that the widest become in few
weeks as traetable as if they had been In
training for years, and will stand for hours
where left, saddled and bridled, quietly
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 par
ticularly adapted All the heavier draft
and road work is done either by horses OF
eastern stock or by their much abused half