West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-01-15
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 mountain.
are nearly OF quito all raised ON the
ranges. similar to ,qtllc running AT viii
over the vast country reaching from The
British Possessions 10 the Rio Grandc
ana from Colorado almost to Kan,a.
and the Mississippi River. But for
these herds the ,tockmcu would lind n
diiiicult TO control their cattle: there
lore. many men devote their time .N-
clusIvcly to hor,e-raiying finding ready
sale Tor them i'm bands 40 from twenty
dollars to forty dollar, per head
One can easily imagine that horses
raised with no restraint whatever from
the time they are sucking colts and
they rec i've their brand until they are
,hrrc or four years old, become OK
cscdiuglN wild at best. aud tiee from
the -lght OF man, but the Intelligent
hofee-brccdcr stays with his herd some
ihlng ike the shepherd with his sheep,
and by frequently riding among thcm
keeps them comparatively in Subjcc-
N''''' W lN - li'"NiNlf lfl NfiIhf lnt1n to
corral or market at will.
ic mining eXcitcmcnts and other
causes, however, often induce many
OF these men to ncalec, their horse.
and they become wild. When | suooll
of % wild horse. vou will understand
that the word wild implies its fun
meaning for certainly uo animal i'm cy-
lstcncc is 30 thoroughly unapproacha-
bic. Their superior intellect 10 other
animals WHOM partly bred ~ GOOD
stock, their faculties OF hcming. seeing
and smelling, coupled with thcir fleet
ness and courage and their ability to
stand days and weeks OF running.
make them the most difficult OF ami
NAL, TO capture.
COniininU themselves almo-t entire
Iy 10 the inaccessible mountain. only
coming down TO water once "a day.
makes IT almoS, impossible 10 follow.
much less capture them. and when a
band or portion Of a band goes wild
1t Is rarely in these days that the owner
ever tries 20 recapturc them. knowing
iuil well that it nearly takes horse for
horse IN the Business. and the wild
horse once captured has been so run
down and abused 10 bring him into
subjcction that hc is hardly worth the
success.
With the wild horses stallion l. M
the head, and i, the leader of every
herd. having such control over them
that no band OF COWBOYS are able TO
drive q band of horses 30 fast or we'll as
stallion can All in the band are "a,
thorOughly>afra,d N INN they keep I'M
q bunch. and their speed is oaured bv
his own, he running behind with his
head low, scarcely above the ground
tie advances quickly ON the hindcrmo.i
ones, giving them q sharp bite on the
haunch, thereby giving them 10 under
stand they must keep up Should one
turn ont he follows him. much after
the fashion Of the shepherd dog. and
runs him back Until his band arc out
OF sight in the mountain. he keen. tbi.
mp. Here they seem TO understand
that he can not follow them aU. and
they scatter in all directions. i'm rp-
vines. canyons and inaccessible place.
so that when the rider arrives 9t the
place he last saw them Casually around
some sharp point or on some high ppak)
he is mortified 10 find his own horse AZ
most eXhaused and his herd so scattered
(prObably only two or three I'm .iphD
that he gives up the chase in di-gusl
The usual idea. is that q very ncct
horee. such an ono as is usually used by
the hero ln novel, carries his master
up 90 q wild horse sufficiently close to
lassO him
This is erroneous. for no horse on
earth can carry q rider and saddle sufH-
GENTLY heavy 10 stand the strain Of
lasso fast enough ON the rough ground
OF the mountains TO catch "a wild horse
in good health, and I doubt very much
their ability % DO it on q smooth plain
II IS surprising how easily and thor
ouehly domestic horses 90 wild under
the influence of these wild stations
Many the cmigrant or hor.o-rai,er
who ha- gone 10 bed az night full Of
confidence and often pride at lhe con-
dtlon and numbers of his stock. ONLY
to wake up in the morning 10 find
nothing lrff but the one horse ON the
picket rop. and tho train of their ncp-
ing auims rvaU on cOaxrd away by
these Wild gone. and forever.
recall tllul now su acquafutaure
OF minn u Neydda one Joseph Gilbert.
who hvd in Reese River Valley. u
Louder County. who took q pride in iho
quality aud quantity of hi, hur-.- ll.
herd numbered about five hundred head.
aud was generally conceded t1 1c tnc
best in Chat section Joe ws. iu fine
circumstance, and bore the rsuufa-
ton ~ being vol of and au .Ne.Ilpnt
man hu' -1'ucbpw tauu rf vile