The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-01-21
WILD WESTERN STEEDS.
The Herds Of the Mountains and
Their Fierce "Bosses."

Before proceeding with my limited
story of wild horses it will be well to
state that the horses of the mountains
are nearly or quite all raised on the
ranges, similar to cattle running at will
over the vast country reaching from the
British possessions to the Rio Grande
and from Colorado almost to Kansas
and the Mississippi River. But for
these herds the stockmen would find it
difficult to control their cattle; there
fore, many men devote their time ex-
clusiveiy to horse-raising, finding ready
sale for them in bands at from twenty
dollars to forty dollars per head
One can easily imagine that horses
raised with no restraint whatever from
the time they are sucking colts and
they receive their brand until they are
three or four years old, become ex-
ceedingly wild at best, and flee from
the sight of man, but the intelligent
horse-breeder stays with his herd some
thing like the shepherd with his sheep,
and by frequently riding among them
Keeps them comparatively in subjec-
ton, SO it is possible to drive them to
corral or market at will
The mining excitements and other
causes. however, often induce many
OF these men to neglect their horses
and they become wild. When l speak
OF wild horse, you will understand
that the word wild" implies its full
meaning, for certainly no animal in ex-
istcnce is SO thoroughly unapproacha-
be. Their superior intellect to other
animals when partly bred to good
stock, their faculties of hearing. seeing
and smelling, coupled with their fleet
ness and courage and their ability to
stand days and weeks of running,
mike them the most difficult of ami
mails to capture.
ly to the inaccessible mountains, only
coming down to water once a day,
makes it almost impossible to follow,
much less capture them, and when a
band or portion of band goes wild
1t is rarely in these days that the owner
ever tries to recapture them, knowing
full well that it nearly takes horse for
horse in the business, and the wild
horse once captured has been so run
down and abused to bring him into
sublectlon that he is hardly worth the
success
With the wild horses a stallion is at
The head, and is the leader of every
herd, having such control over them
uat no band of cowboys are able to
drive band Of horses so fast or well as
stallion can. All in the band are so
thoroughly afraid of him they keep in
aa.ounch, and their speed is gauged by
hls own, lie running behind with his
nead low, scarcely above the ground.
lie advances quickly on the hindermost
enes, giving them a sharp bite on the
hauneh, thereby giving them to under
ssand they must keep up. Should one
Iufn ont he follows him, much after
'he fashion of the shepherd dog, and
runs him back. Until his band are out
" SIGHT in the mountains he keeps this
up Here they seem to understand
.aa' he can not follow them all, and
aey scatter in all directions, in ra-
vines, canyons and inaccessible places,
~ that when the rider arrives at the
pSce ne last saw them Casually around
some sharp point or on some high peak
- : mortified to find his own horse al
,aost exhaused and his herd so scattered
st sTtropaoiy only two or three in sight)
s'as a. nc gives up the chase in disgust.
lhe usual idea is that a very. feet
no'Ia, such an one as is usually used by
-. nero In a novel, carries his master
~ 70 wild horse sufficiently close to
iasso him. 0'N''0 "
an. Inns is erroneous, for no horse on
s; ssrsa can carry rider and saddle sufli-
laeay lsn'iy heavy to stand the strain of a
- .s'so ss Iast enough on the rough ground
IL IL .ne mountains to catch c wild horse
- a. sood health, and doubt very much
'.'9.f 7. ability to do it on a smooth plain.
onass :. = surprising how easily and thor
,sagnly n.y. domestic horses go wild under
MI A. innuence of these wild stations.
Why Mss Is the emigrant or horse-raiser
e,a',; as mas gone to bed at night full of
d1'''nce a;,ce and often pride at the con-
io ea and numbers of his stock. only
wake up in the morning to ind