Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-08-09
"CREASING' A MUSTANG.
SKILL DISPLAYED BY TEXAS MARKS
MEN IN CAPTURING WILD HORSES.

The Animals Formerly . Great Nuisance
to Cattle Raisers-CatchinG an Untamed
Mustang with a Rife 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 a reporter
the other day: In the early days of the
cattle business in Texas, from 1857 to
| 1860, tho ranges were overrun by bands
| Of wild horses. These animals were a
| great nuisance. as they would get mixed
with our loose horses and run them of
when any one approached. AS rule they
were rough, i'll shaped set Of beasts, and
almost untamable, so that few attempts
were ever made to catch them, it being
considered best to shoot them on sight
and thus get rid of q disturbing influence
in our horse herds. Sometimes, however
G 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 o very fine animal with a
man on his back. | have chased wild
horses 100 times and have become thor
oughly convinced of the truth Of the
English racing saying that the weight of
stable key will win or lose a race.
NOVEL METHOD OF CAPTURE.
In this extremity the Texans used to
resort to means of capturing the horses
which is, believe, exclusively American
1t was discovered. | do not know how.
that a blow upon a particular sinew in a
horses neck, located just above where the
spine joins the skull. would paralyze the
animal temporarily without doing it any
permanent injury. In those days the
Texans were nearly without exception
fine shots, and at short range could send
a rifle ball with phenomenal accuracy.
The horses could not be approached ex-
cept on foot. and it was impossible to
catch them or horseback. But, not to be
overcome by any such difficulties, the
cowboys discovered a way to capture
them. Taking his rife, a hunter would
crawl through the thick chaparral until
within fifty or siIty 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 if 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 a
slight wound in the back of the neck that
soon healed Of course many bullets went
astray and hundreds of horses were killed,
Out 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 sinew
they were sure to break it, and the
wounds the "A or SO 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 a pea, had set
trigger and required but small charge of
powder These weapons were wonder
fully accurate up to 100 yards, but in
hicted trifing 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 fleet animals. but few
were of any practical use. Nearly all
were stations, as 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 be ridden by the very best
horsemen, and were always on the look
out to do their riders an injury. Strange
to say. they seldom tried to kick, but o
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 put his foot in the 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 ears
with his hind foot, his hind leg being ap-
parently made of India rubber. The in
slant he felt foot in the stirrup his hind
1oof would come forward with the speed
# lighting. in the attempt to infict a
most vicious kick. l gave up mounting
,im in the usual way. and always used to
vault into the saddle without touching
he stirrups. a feat easily enough per-
'ormed in my younger days. although
would have some difficulty in doing it
,ow fused to like to ride wild horses,
mt after one or two narrow escapes from
heir deadly fore feet, which they would
,se If man carelessly stood in front OF
hem. gave it up and stuck to the tame
tocl- st. Louis Post-Dispatch.