Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-01
WAR ON WILD HORSES.
ORGANIZING A PARTY OF HUNTERS
TO SHOOT THEM.
Herds of Wild Horses on the Plains Prov
ing Injurious to Ranch-Owners-
Skill and Patience Required
to Catch Them.
cheyenne Cor. New York SUE.

cheyenne Cor New York SUM-
Wild horse. have become SO numerous Oh
the plains that seine Of the stockmei
N this vicinity Lave organized hunt
| ing party whose object will be to thin then
put. The hunters are provided with long
range rifles, feet ponies, and supplies an
forage enough 10 last all winter, and thel
will enaesvor 70 make a clean job Of it
These horses have existed on the plains fo
many years, tut Of late they have been in
| cre>sing very fast. They are quick 10 seen
IN. APPROACH OF foes, feet as the anteloT.
hat may often be seen browsing in securit,
~ thGir side, and as unmanase as tins
wind. Native animals when turned loose OF
the prairie soon become wild, and If allowet
~ nun without being disturbed breed very
rapidly. Horses continually break away
from their owners and JOIN the wild horses
and this L. the reason why stockmen ar,
aroused over the subject Men who crossed
the plains in 1919 encountered macy wild
horses, and for years afterward they mus
have increased rather than dimini he'd
Horses stand the winter much better than
cattie. and unless the weather is unusually
severe will come ont fat in the spring
,
horses es,ape from tie settlers. Some Of
them are found, but when mares escape they
are never reclaimed In wandering over
the plains thoy encounter the Wild bands
and from that time forward are as wild as
the Others. Tie Wild stations are the guard.
inns OF the bands. Always on sentinel duty,
they give the alarm when any enemy APP
proacbes In a moment the stragglers are
rounded in, feet footed stallion leads tbs
van and with Others at the fanks away
they 80 in a laundering charge. Nobody
has yet been able 10 overtake them Some
times they are lassoed or shot, but such a
thing az heading them Off in n race is out
II the question.
The range If the Wild horses at present ex-
tends from Texas 10 the southern Dakota
line. They are more numerous in northern
Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska
than anywhere else ON the plains. On the
Republican river, on the divide between the
South Platte and the Lodge Pole and the
North Platte, AMI as Tar east as the heads Of
the Loup and Disma! rivers the horses range
al Will. Five OF six years ago they could b.
found on the divide between Sidney and
Sterling in punches Of fifty or SEVENTH five,
but now a bunch Of twenty five is considered
large Sometimes there j. more than one
stallion in band, but one Of them is always
as chief, winning this distinc-
ton by many rd-fousht battles with his
rivals. One bunch Of eleven horses recently
seon near Sidney was entirely composed of
stations, hut thi, i. explained or the theory
that they were probably driven out of
various herds when young, and gradually
4 a l,,.r 4,
the habit Of doing From the horse ranch Of
NJ j.. Po.t, about fifteen miles north Of this
city, nearly 20 msre; have wandered away,
aud 1t i. believed that at least oRe-half Of
them have joined the Wild horses.
The wild horses arc compact Iittlo animals.
from $40 10 !, 100 pounds. The ma
jority OF them weigh about sOl pounds and
stand about fourteen hands high. In color
they are usually brown sorrel, or bay \
gray Is seldom seen, unless it is \ horse that
has strayei away from civilization Their
tails grow long, sometimes dragging the
ground, but their names are like those of
other horses, and not flowing to the knees us
they are represented in soma books The
eve, probably from being constantly on the
wasch, is larger than the eye OF the domestic
horse, and even when tanned the eye remains
n distinctive mark os the horses origin
" Id horses. when captured and trained, are
superior to any other horse III the same size
Many of them are used by the COWBOYS, and
Others are broken 10 harness and driven rs
carriage horses, being entirely trustworthy.
Several men living in Sidney make a
living by catching wild horses. Until five
Or ix years ago no one knew how to do it.
and 81.
methods adopted. Mr. Livingston. OF that
town, describes the process as follows: Two
men always work toseth.: Let them start
Dut from Sidney, either north or south. AMI
they are almost certain TO find lunch
within fifteen miles The plan is then TO
pitch tent and make n camp. and one OF
lie mon, mounted On his be.t horse. carry
ng with him lew coll biscuits or some
hing else convenient TO eat. starts after the
bunch. lie doc' not lie very fast. and aj
frst does not attempt 10 get near them, but
i cJn;eat To- keep the lunch MOVING, not
al lowing them 10 stop and eat. The horses
NAV so only tea or a dozel milc., and they
NAV 80 fifty or sixty. but, 40 matter how
FAR they run, they will turn hack and seek
the range from which they started II they
20 fdr the mettle 0f the ri Tor and his horse
will he tr.ci to the utmost. The bunch must
he kept moving, and there Is no chance to
change saddle horses until ;hey turn, Of their
own accord, and PASS near the camp.
DAY and nigat. on they 90 II the weather
he clear and the nights no. stormy, the rider
viii cuatiru, clos after the animals, some
time. within 100 yards Ii make, no differ
snce whether it lie darS or light, the horse
that i, r:d ,en and thar is trained t. the
business. follows after the herd When the
first rider succeeds in turning the bunch ami
bringing them lack 20 the camp he is re-
crrd by the second, Who with a fresh horse
'tart. after them, while his companion turns
IN nnd takes much needed rest This time
hey viii not probably 90 50 far After
while they become tanner, and the hunter
an turn them at pleasure. This NAV require
week. or it may lie done in a couple Of
laws II the horses DO not become scared
hey will not run ~ FAR. And Frs more easily
managed when the bunch becomes wor-
ried ami starved cut. it is driven toward the
nearest c,rral Formerly carrals were
erected sIeciuliy for the purpose, but now
ranches are 40 runner ous that they are not
needed any more.
"Once inside the widest Of the hand are
'augh'. ami chains are fastened 10 their
egs Men walk su:1ng them AMI treat
hem kindly, and they soon learn
bat there /. nothing TO be feared They ar,
turned loose in any ordinary pasture, and
When they are. wanted they are driven TO the
,orral and ruI-d II two men can gather =
bunch u ten or = dozen horses in week.
hey, Of cour MAKE good sum Of money
mt N the Transaction n the animals will
ell AZ from $50 Ia So each; but misfortune
'umctmes overtakes them when IN pursuit
A bunch may run away from their pursueI
and not he found for several daFs
II storm coming up in the night may I re-
rent his following them AMI compel ham tC
1--WE up the has, or possibly he VIII over
.stiiEate the strength OF his horse, and ria,
he faithful animal until he drops Then hc
an only pack his saddle CT his back an
'ees the camp