Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-12
1CREASTyG' A MUSTANG.
sklLL DISPLAYED Bv TEXAS MARKS
MEN m CAPTURING WILD HoRseA

Hmo Au1ooAo k0FWeruy = OrvHs N~s~oss~o
70 Cattle Raissrs Cstshins N Untsosd
Mustang with Kins Dali-Irreciain-
ably vicie~s nruses
J. T. Hill. who for many years has been
engaged In cattle raising In Texas and tho
indian territory. remarked 70 reporter
the othcr day: I'm tho early days Of tho
cattle business In Texas. from 1857 TO
1850, tho ranges wcre overrun BY bands
Of Wild horses. These animals wero .
great nuisance. a. they would get mixed
with our loose horses and run them of
when any one approached. Az rule they
were . rough, III shaped set Of beasts. and
almost untamable. % that few attempts
were ever made to catch them. Il being
considered best TO shoot them ON sight
and thus get rid Of disturbing influence
In our horse herds. Sometimes, however.
. really fine animal would be seen and the
ranchmen would try hard TO secure Il
But tho ordinary mode Of capture. lasso-
Ing, could seldom b used against wild
horses, and these beasts were very shy.
and even poor horse. carrying NO weight,
ceuld outstrip very Gne animal with .
man on his back. have chased wild
horses 100 timos and have become thor.
oughly convinced Of tho truth Of the
English racing saying that the weight Of
stable key will win or lose raco.
NOVEL METHOD OF CAPTURE
..In this extremity the TEXANS used to
resort to means Of capturing the horses
which Is. believe. exclusively American
IA 4 40 nnt hnS
that blow upon n particular sinew In q
horses neck, located just above where the
spine Joins the skull. would paralyze the
animal temporarily without doing 1t any
permanent Injury. In those days the
Texans were nearly without exception
ane shots. and At short range could send
. rifle ball with phenomenal accuracy.
Tho horses could not be approached ex-
ccpt on foot. and II was impossible to
catch them ON horseback. But. not to be
overcome by any such difficulties, tho
cowboys discovered a way to capture
them Taking his rifle, hunter would
crawl through the thick chaparral until
within fifty or sixty yards OF the horse he
desired to secure. Then, taking careful
aim, he would endeavor to send bullet
through the top of the neck SO as to strike
the sinew. When this was properly done
the horse would fall as II struck by light
ming and remain insensible for ten or fif-
teen minutes. recovering completely In an
hour or two, with no worse injury than
slight wound in the back Of the neck that
soon healed. OF course many bullets went
astray and hundreds Of horses were killed.
but good shot would secure about ono
horse in three that he attempted to
Crease as this mode Of capture was
called.
.'The large calibre rifles commonly In
use were not adapted to this peculiar mode
Of hunting. as II they touched the sinew
they were sure to break It. and tho
wounds the A or 62 calibre balls inflicted
were too severe. The weapon universally
employed in creasing mustangs was the
old Hawkins rifle, which carried bullet
not much larger than pea. had q set
trigger and required but small charge Of
powder. These weapons were wonder.
fully accurate up to 100 yards. but In
fiicted a trifiing wound. and the bullet
was likely to take course through soft
flesh around any hard object. instead Of
tearing through It, as larger ball pro.
PEELED by q heavier charge Of powder
would do Hundreds Of mustangs. al.
ways the best animals In the herd. used
to be creased every year. and this prac-
tice was kept up until tho herds had en-
tirely disappeared.
NOT OF MUCH USE
"Some Of the horses thus secured were
very tough and feet animals. but few
were Of any practical use Nearly all
wero stations, as q wild marc that was
good for anything was seldom seen, and
the captured horses were nearly, without
exception. irreclaimably vicious. even
when Judged from the Texas standpoint.
Even when broken to the saddle they
could only bo ridden by tho very best
horsemen, and were always on tho look.
out to do their riders an injury. Strange
to say, they seldom tried to kick. but d
man had to be continually on the lookout
for their fore feet and teeth. They only
used their hind feet when . man was
about to mount. but nearly cvery ono OF
them had trick Of kicking forward az
soon as the rider put his foot In tho stir
rup, and unless he was wary he would re
ceive terrible blow on the leg.
II used to own horse that, believe
could scratch himself between the eart
with his hind foot, his hind leg being sp
parently made Of India rubber. The In
slant he felt foot In the stirrup his hind
hoof would come forward with the speed
of lighting, in the attempt to infict ,
most vicious kick. gave up mounting
him In tho usual way, and always used t
, vault into the saddle without touching
the stirrups. . feat easily enough per
formed in my younger days. although
would have some difficulty in doing 4
now used to like to ride wild horses
but after ono or two narrow escapes from
their deadly fore feet, which they woult
use II man carelessly stood in front o
them. gave It up and stuck to the tam
| stock."--St Louis Post Dispatch.
II