Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-13

Extraordinary Feats of Horsemanship BY
..COwbOyS."

er+raordinary Feats of Horsemanship by
~"COwbOys."
We had a tine-looking herd Of horses,
they having been well cared for during
the winter, to get. them in perfect con-
dition for this season of hard work; but
thoy were all full of. the vicious. broncbo
tricks. Some bucked only when the
saddle was put on, others bucked with
mounting, while the larger number
bucked at eccentric intervals, whose re-
currence could never be accurately cal
culatcd upon.
When the horse bucked the saddle
only, it was the custom of the boys to
worry him into his little performance
with all dispatch, giving him plenty OF
o y and urging him to ''havc it out.
with the saddle before mounting. All
the horses were very skittish about be-.
ing saddled, and to manage it success
fully required no little tact.
The horse caught up by the lariat
over his head was cautiously APP
preached, winding up the lariat as one
Misunderstanding up on the rope
in the cowboy idiom. The horses head
reached, a loop, called a ~"hackamore"
was twisted around his nose, and he
was led to where the saddle and bride
lay waiting upon the ground, and the
bride put on very gently over the rope
that still enciraled his nose; then firmly
holding the bride reins and rope in his
left hand, with his right the cowboy
cautiously laid the saddle blankets over
the horses back, and if the animal
jumped and shook them off, the cow
boy simply swore and laid them back
again. If the horse persisted in refus-
ing to have anything to do with the
blankets, he was blinded with a hand
!kerchief, which always had the effect
of keeping him still. The blankets ad-
ijusted, the stirrup and cinchas Of the
right side Of the saddle were laid owe
top, TINT there might be nothing
hanging loose from that side, and the
saddle was lifted by the pommel and
'lald-never thrown-across the horses
back. Then the cinchas were gently
but very firmly frightened, the left hand
still holding. the rope and bride,
and the reins were knotted to
the rope at full length Or passed over
the horses head and fastened to the
saddle-horn. Taking hold of the ex-
IRENE end of the lariat the cowboy
would remove the blind from the horse
and make a jump at him, when, if the
animal had any inclination for buck
ing. he generally began with great
promptitude and vigor. All this modus
operandi, so long in detail, required but
q few minutes in the accomplishment.
When the horse finally became tired
of the exercise so that he could seem
to be worried into bucking no more,
he was again cautiously approached by
walking up on the rope, and it was
sometimes necessary to again blindfold
him before mounting. With the coil
of rope and the reins in the left hand,
with the same hand the rider grasped
the check piece of the bride, and seiz-
ing the saddlc-horn with the other
hand, his left foot in the stirrup, quick
" swung himself into the saddle. In
mounting in this manner if the horse
jumps the rider is sure to land in the
saddle instead of behind it. as in the case
of getting on "parson fashion," so
called, with left hand on the horn, and
right on the camille. The horses head
was held down in mounting, SO that if
he were inclined to buck his capacity
was limited. and the coil OF the rope
was kept well in hand, so that if one
was thrown he could still prevent the
horse from getting away.-Bostom
Comm rci0L Bulletin.