Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-06-19
"CREASHG' A MUSTANG.
SKILL DISPLAYED BY TEXAS MARKS
MEN IN CAPTURING WILD HORSES.

to Cattle MISUNDERSTANDING an Untamed
Mustang with . Rihe Ball-Irreclaim-
ably vicious Brutes.
J. T Hill. who for many years has been
engaged in cattle raising in Texas and the
Indian territory. remarked to reporter
! the other day: In the carly days Of tho
cattle business in Texas. from 1857 to
1860. tho ranges were overrun by bands
OF wild horses. These animals were
great nuisance. as they would get mixed
with our loose horses and run them of
when any one approached AS rule they
were q rough. III shaped set Of beasts, and
almost untamable. so that few attempts
were ever made to catch them. 1t being
considered best to shoot them on sight
and thus get rid of disturbing influence
In our horse herds Sometimes. however.
q really fine animal would be seen and the
ranchmen would try hard to secure It
But the ordinary mode Of capture. lasso-
ing, could seldom be used against wild
horses. and these beasts were very shy,
and even poor horse. carrying no weight.
could outstrip very fine animal with q
man on his back ! have chased wild.
horses 100 times and have beconfe thor.
Oughly convinced Of the truth of the
English racing saying that the weight OF
q stable key will win or lose raco.
NOVEL METHOD OF CAPTURE
I'm this extremity the Texans used to
resort to means of capturing the horses
which Is. believe. exclusively American
It was discovered. | do not know how
that blow upon a particular sinew in
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
fine shots. and at short range could send
. rife. ball with phenomenal accuracy
The horses could not be approached ex-
cept on foot. and it was impossible to
catch them on horseback. But. not to be
overcome by any such difficulties. the
cowboys discovered q way to capture
them Taking his rife. 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
the sinew When this was properly done
the horse would fall as II struck by light
ming and remain insensible for ten or if
teen minutes. recovering completely In an
hour or two. with no worse injury than q
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 one
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 If they touched the sincw
they were sure to break it, and tho
wounds the "A or 50 calibre balls inflicted
were too severe The weapon universally
employed in creasing mustangs was the
old Hawkins rife. which carried bullet
not much larger than pea. had set
trigger and required but small charge Of
powder These weapons we're wonder
fully accurate up to 100 yards. but in
nicted triding 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 a 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 the 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 al
were stations. as a wild mare 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 DO ridden by the very best
horsemen. and were always on the look
out to do their riders an injury Strange
to shy. they seldom tried to kick. but a
man had to be continually on the lookout
for their fore feet and teeth They only
used their hind feet when a man was
about to mount. but nearly every one OF
them had trick OF kicking forward as
soon as the rider pat his foot In the stir.
rup. and unless he was wary he would re
ceive terrible blow on the leg
Il used 70 own q horse that, | believe
could scratch himself between the ears
with his hind foot. his bind leg being ap
parently made Of Indie rubber The in.
stsnt he felt foot In the stirrup his hind
hoof would come forward with the speed
OF lighting. In the attempt tc innict a
most sicious kick. gave up mounting