The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-03-03
A Dummy on q Colt.

A gentleman who had tried by the
Spanish, Rarey and other methods to
subdue wild colt finally tried the Indian
way. He says: l made a complete
dummy man, whose long, dangling
arms and queer, mishappen body, with
its stuffed hat instead of a head, caused
the little children much amusement,
mingled with establishment, when l
eravely informed them that "this was
the man that was going to break our
colt for u.s." In vain they pied me
with questions. | would answer none
of them, and they awaited my further
proceedings with the greatest curiosity.
Next morning the colt was brought out
in good order. 1t seemed to have en-
tirely recovered from the excitement of
Yesterday, and enjoyed the currying and
petting the boys gave it, taking an apple
from the hand of one and a lump of
sugar and piece of bread from another.
Meanwhile l had my dummy already
and with the assistance of one of the
lads, standing on the other side of the
animal, lifted it lightly on the colt S
back, and before letting it feel the weight
of the dummy [ had the girth, ex-
tending from each leg of the pants Sc
curelv fastened beneath its belly. We
then stood aside, whilst the boy at the
colts head slipped off the bride and got
out of its way. Feeling now, for the
first time, the burden on its back. and
anticipating repetition of yesterday $
performance, the colt dashed off
into the lot, rearing and plung-
ing, and going through a series
of equine gymnastics wonderful to
behold, whilst the old dummy"
held securely in its position by the girth
around the horse, pitched forwards or
backwards, as the case might be, with
its long arms flung wildly in the air; now
coming down on the horses head, now
on its launches, then giving frantic
lurch to the right or left, with head
downwards and arms dangling between
the colt S legs, or recovering itself Wild
ly, as the terrified animal reared on
launches, to perform a "Mazeppa" act,
as it threw itself over the horses tail and
hung on by its heels, that would have
made the fortune of any equestrian in
the land. We all leaned over the bars
and laughed till the tears ran down our
cheeks, as we watched the performance
of this "free show" for our benefit, hap
by that we knew the colt could not harm
himself, or anybody else, and free from
care concerning the safety of the dunn
my, whose ludicrous proceedings we
could enjoy to our hearts content. The
maneuvers of the colt to rid itself OF its
utterly reckless rider were wonderful to
behold. Finding that rearing, prancing,
kicking and plunging did not accomplish
its object, it rubbed itself against the
fence, aud finally laid down and rolled
over several times, but all to no purpose.
Dummy still held on with the tenacity
of Sinbad's ''Old Man of the Sea-" At
last, however, the loosened girth slipped
around, and Dummy dismounted from
his late proud perch, was left, dragging
and dangling along between the colts
| heels, who made one last desperate effort
| to free himself from it, but, as before,
the attempt was a vain one, for, though
fallen, Dummy still hung on with the
stubborness of fate. Perceiving finally,
that no harm was done to him, the colt
finally cooled down, and at last COM
menced eating the grass as contentedly
as if the object of his late terror were not
trailing on the ground beneath him; for,
by this time that colt had been COM
pletely broken. That night, when he
was released from his burden he was as
quiet as lamb. Next NOR ming the boys
mounted and rode him where they would,
without the slightest resistance on his
part and never, from that day to this,
has he shown opposition to the will OF
"the powers that be. III. U. McCann,
Santa Cruz.