The Opelousas courier., 1885-12-26
TANNING WILD BRONCHOS.
Breaking the Steeds for the
Canadian Police.
Cruel but Efffectual. A Battle Between
Horse and Man


a Mr.. Charles Thibault engages in thu
exciting occupation of breaking bron
chos for the mounted police. Thu
writer says:
Mr. Thibault has a ranch on the
Sun River, Montana, about $50 miles
south Of Calgary, which is stocked
with between 500 and 600 head OF
horses. Last year he supplied the set,
tiers here with 800 horses. This year
he has sold the police Is head. His
contract with the police is that the
horses shall be thoroughly broken tc
the saddle. 'They start out on equal
terms" said he, "that is, the horse and
breaker. One knows that he will be
boss and the other thinks he will.
Now, the sooner the battle is over the
better for both, because after that
they will be friends" The operation
Of breaking, althoughit would certain
ly be denounced by the Royal Humane
Society as cruel, is very effectuai. A
good breaker can train so horses a
month and thinks nothing of it. /
spent the greater part of yesterday
afternoon watching the operation, and
as many of your readers may be inter-
ested in it l will try and describe it.
A band of about so bronchos was driv-
en- into a corral or Enclosure connected
with Mr.. Gillespie's stable. Charlie"
as Mr.. Thibault is familiarly called
among his friends, entered a few min
utes later mounted on a small snow
white broncho. He was dressed in
true Western style and so was bis
wife. The latter wore the heavy Mex
lean saddle with high caDtle and POM
mel or "horn," while two broad girths
or 'sinches' of horse hair strapped it
firmly in place. On the horn hung
the lariat OF lasso of horse hair. The
riders limbs were incased in heavy
leathern overalls or "shaps," while
huge Mexican spurs, with rowels two
inches in diameter, jingled at his heels.
A huge sombrero shaded and at times
hid his manly features as, DASH
ing round the corral, he pursued the
animals. All being ready
Charlie commenced operations. Gath
ering his lariat up in his left hand he
adjusted the moose, and then swinging
it round his head dug the spurs inep
his steed and made a dash into the
hand.
Off started the wild horses and
round and round they dashed, throw
ing their heads high in the air, while
their eyes flashed with fright as they
to dodge their pursuer. His
little pony seemed to enter into the
'port with just as keen a relish as its
'ider. Guided by a pressure of the
eg-for the use of the bride rein was
,ut of the question: stopped or
,urned at the right moment. Charlie
had singled out a beautiful dappled
yray and chased it round and round
everal times. For an instant, and an
Instant only, its head rose above the
'thers. but that was enough. With a
swish the coils of the lariat left his
and and the moose fell over the head
neck of the gray. Suddenly the
title white horse threw itself on its
aunches, Charlie took a couple of
round the 'horn" with what a
ailor would call the "fall" of the rope. .
nd the trapped steed, with tongue (.
nd eye protruding. came to a stand
I'LL. A moose of rope was then laid
0 the ground. and, turning his horse
ound, the breaker dragged the gray /.
cross. AS 500 as its fore feet enter .
the loop a couple of assistants pull
! 1t taut. and the gray was soon .
ing painting on its side. When sufi- !,
emily exhausted its eyes were band ,
yed, a saddle placed on its back and
huge furnishing bit placed in its !:
oW bleeding mouth. :
The captured animal, trembling in !
Tery limb. vas led outside the corral. !
id Charlie mounted. The bandage !,
IS removed from It's eyes. For an !
it stood looking from side to :
as though dazed. Then seeming J
realize its position it made a dash :
rWard and stopped as suddenly as i
ongh it had brought up against q 1
one wall. But the rider did not 40
or its head and its amiabIe intention
this respect was frustrated. Then
tried another method. 1t began to 6
and just how bucking Ia per- f
rmed is something I have never b.
On able to thoroughly comprehend, q
it's effect on the rider will dt
yer be efaced from memory. To be b,
lef / may say that 1t is an attempt
the part of the horse to first shake a
flesh from the bones OF its rider
q then shake the skeleton to pieces. b
But to return TO Charlie and his
.S-. -
,ncho. The latter. getting its feet