The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-02-04
descriptive Artlrles.
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 party
of us the other day heard our driver ex-
claim. aThere is Wild Horse Jerry and a
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, 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 rough
The dime-novel prefix to Jerry name had
led us to expect such a 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 eostume
of men who follow an outdoor life of any
kind here-broad felt hat blue flannel
shirt. and .overhauls thrust into pair Of
heavy cnwhide 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 ct Wild
horses ON the Platte. not taking them with
the lasso. at full speed, a. they do in the
books, but running them with fresh relays
until tired down sufficiently 10 be driven
into am inclosure. The ~lariat or ''lasso
Is used only to ''eut ont and bring under
control for branding, breaking and ike par-
posss.
The brand, by the way, is very im-
I,ortant thing 10 the cattle and hor>emen.
owing to the risk Of the animals straying
aud the difficulty of otherwise identifying
them. aud the law here, in this respect at
least. Is ALWAYS vindieated. both by the
courts aud by Judge Lynch, With
pru,upsncSs and severity against any who
may dare attempt to infringe on the prop
ertv right thus indicated \ brand when
chosen must be approved BY the county
authorities and then registered, csrc being
taken To allow none similar to existing
brands az liable tn bc altered into them
Il is usually some peculiar device. an II
With an inverted y over i. for instance
and having bacu executed in iron g the
dimensions of some four OF fye inches
square, more or less, It Is applied red ho, to
the animal side in some conspicuous sl-ss.
The herds THAI grsEe on the plains are gone
over yearly for this purpose, and the annu
al -round-ups ~ meeting II herbs aud
her,ismen 10 eifecl this and alsl 10 ssrt oas
and reclaim '-strays. are scesssioRs ii great
loeal interest.
To return to our Wild hors.S We had
arrived Just A. the men werc about "a cut
oai Einc-luoking hlack mare for the Pur-
pose of hobbling her she having Shown
! disposition to lead the oshcrs into mi<-
chief. aRd It was with NJ desire es changing
places with the mrn that We saw them en-
Ter the corral Oa foos amongst the wild an
iusais with their lariais. thrs.~quarteF inch
ropss Of great supleDoss. with ranning
Moose some AK sees in lenssh hanging on
tlssir lssfl arn,- The harssas sscnisdl 20 kuow
that something was about 10 happen and
Immediately began charging wildly around
the inclcSure, and il appeared impossible
thar men could retain their places q mo-
H.ent without being crushed but the bFu;es
SEEMED 10 rccosniEe the higher power,
and swervcd from the dreadful lariaf, whose
eocrcivc pOweFs they had already felt, s.
the double .hsh-hook brands On their
aanks testified And new the noese IN
Jerry : right band began ta circle horizon
tally over his head AZ arm length. aud the
horses 10 plunge more wildly than ever
around the corral. suddenly qaick for
ward motion u the arm Is seen aud the
no1@e flies toward the intended victim, bat
a sudden sserye causes il 90 fall short, and
the whole dFove glllop wildly to a Femote
corner Bat now they are again started,
the noosc swings. and this time drops over
the mares neek The weight of scnond
man i immediately thrown upon the rope
and the struggle begins, the mare wildldly
plunging and rearing, and the IDen resisting.
until il would seem that ihe animal mus,
either strangle herself or break her neck
But ia a moment another Moose Is thrown.
this time catching her hind legs; and A. she
plungcs again. sudden pull throws her
fairly On her side. her head l. caught and
she i vanquished The hobbler, long
chain, Is then attached to her right fore
foot, and the rngss then being quickly and
skiilfully removed, she scrambles again 10
her feet, erect once more but shoFn of her
power for mischief.
The native horses raised by the her,lcrs
are all handled in this way, rough as it
seems. When one Is 70 be- broken 10 the
saddle. he Is blind folded after being thrown,
in which condition he Is perfectly subnis-
sive. The saddle. a strange complex Of
leather, high peaks, enormous stirrup leath-
en-. fringed tassels, coilei lariat, &c., Is then
strapped ON. the bride forced into place,
and the rider. armed with cruel looking
spurs, with barbed points Of the eircumter-
ence Of silver dollar, leaps into place.
The bliud.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 hest Of them having no hesitation III
.holding ON at such times BY a strap reg
ularly provided for the purpose. If he
maintain his seat through all this, wild
gallop usually follows, protraeted 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 a few
weeks as tractable as if they had been in
training for years, and viii 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 uRtiripg gait is par.
ticularly adapted All the heavier draft